ted hutt vs. brendan o'brien?

I haven't actually heard any of Handwritten yet except for 45, but I think the argument I already want to make will still hold once I hear the album - it's really hard to compare since they did different albums. If we had a Ted Hutt version of Handwritten or Brendan O'Brien versions of the other records, maybe then we could tell. For me, though, it doesn't get much better sounding than Elsie or Sink or Swim (one being super-slick, the other sounding raw and live).

Being a Springsteen fan I have experience with O'Brien and while I think he did excellent work I think he also did some things wrong. Bruce's signature is the dual keyboard and sax sounds which are totally shafted on both The Rising and Magic. Also, it seems like he encouraged Bruce to do things that he shouldn't do, such as singing and playing in keys that he and the band couldn't even do live 30 years ago. But The Rising and Magic are two of my favorite albums so he must also be doing things right!

Once I've actually heard Handwritten I'll be able to say what I think but the production on 45 itself seemed a mess, at first. I warmed up to it quickly enough, though!

bakerfall wrote:

Labhras wrote:

does anyone think brian's voice sounds a bit weird on some songs? i don't know the best way to describe it, it's like it's compressed or dead or had some frequencies taken out. GICK. i clearly don't have the words or knowledge to describe what i mean. if someone who somehow knows what i'm on about pls articulate for me.

it's got that brendan o'brien goo on it.

There are def some effects on Brian's vocals on a few songs, but that's not anything new. Brendan O'Brien goo? It's just production, and I think they sound fantastic on it.

You make it sound like Brendan has a history of bad sounding records. A brief brendan production discography. Find me one that sounds bad.

Springsteen's Magic is a glossy, over-compressed train wreck production wise IMO. Handwritten sounds great though, so no complaints this time around. He drew out the mainstream, blown up sound the band seemed to be going for without completely bastardizing it with effects and whatnot.

For Gaslight I think I like Ted Hutt more (I'm saying this without hearing a cd version of Handwritten though). Overall as a producer, you can't argue against O'Brien's track record though...

I get the feeling the guys were looking for a different perspective, and this certainly is a different sounding album. I also wouldn't be surprised if they go with a different producer for the next one, and so on. If you're trying to evolve, you have to keep your options open...

Im not qualified to start talking about the ins and outs of production but in my book the bigger the sound the better as I love the anthemic rock songs. Vocally nothing beats the production on the 59 Sound for me, the production on Brian's voice I think makes that album. I think Brian's voice sounds different on handwritten than it did on American Slang, purer perhaps...

I'm sure they were looking for a different sound, and they achieved it. Don't discount Brendan's impact on the songwriting and decision making process either. Brian all but came out and said it during the behind the scenes video.

Also, I haven't gotten my handwritten copies yet, but I would bet Brendan played a few of the instruments on this. Probably some keys, mandolin, etc. He's actually a very good musician in addition to being a producer.

i just had this thought so i thought i'd throw it in here-

The Backseat would've sounded absolutely majestic if produced the way Biloxi Parish was produced.

imo

thanks for listening

MKULTRA wrote:

i just had this thought so i thought i'd throw it in here-

The Backseat would've sounded absolutely majestic if produced the way Biloxi Parish was produced.

imo

thanks for listening

I donno. If O'Brian had produced The Backseat they probably would've gutted the "If you never let me go then I'll never let you down" verse =)

CluckyB wrote:

MKULTRA wrote:

i just had this thought so i thought i'd throw it in here-

The Backseat would've sounded absolutely majestic if produced the way Biloxi Parish was produced.

imo

thanks for listening

I donno. If O'Brian had produced The Backseat they probably would've gutted the "If you never let me go then I'll never let you down" verse =)

I know you're just messing around but it should be important to specify that it's HIGHLY unlikely that O'Brien had anything to do with the removal of the original third Biloxi verse. They were performing a bridge version similar to the one on the album as early as Glastonbury 2011.

Take the lyrics and music of American Slang and have that be the big Brendan O'Brien produced rock album and it's a masterpiece. The only thing holding it back is the boring production on certain songs. The title track completely lacks the punch that it should have, this is especially noticeable at a live show, I've seen them twice and was blown away by how good AS sounds compared to the album version.

Brendan O'Brien's production gives me a boner

ian perkins.

Labhras wrote:

ian perkins.

him too

I think Brendan has made the Gaslight sound like a lot of other bands with 'Handwritten'. It's generic, loud and muddy.

Whereas Ted for each album ('59 Sound', 'American Slang' and I'll throw 'Elsie' in too) created a different and unique sound for each.

Both great producers, but for me it's gotta be Ted Hutt. Though I am looking forward to seeing what Brendan will do with the next Gaslight record!

Who needs a producer

swimorsink wrote:

Who needs a producer

He was the mixing engineer on Handwritten too, and you need one of those.

I think he helped bring out the huge rock sound that they seemed to be going for on American Slang but just couldn't quite capture.

Ted Hutt by a long shot.
I think they totaly missed a thing on American Slang. I feel like they just wanted to take a break from the '59 sound, and make a whole different record. Also the LesPaul/Dr Z ams vibe doesn't make it for me. Still I think the production as more textures when it's Ted, than Brendan.
Beside that the production of the '59 sound is awesome. Ever noticed there's plenty of reverb on Brian's voice, when there's pretty much none on every other records ? Well, he did, or whoever tracked and mixed that record, a really great job. That's part of why this record is so good and still stands the test of time.