Who was/is the best producer post-Terry Brown?

[Ged Lent's sis]

QUOTE (StellarJetman @ Nov 30 2011, 11:12 PM)

I voted for Collins.  Power Windows and Counterparts sound great (if a bit too slick for Rush), and, while I could take or leave Test for Echo's production, it seems to be pretty popular.  Hold Your Fire only gets more stifling to me with each listen, though. Raskulinecz would be my second pick.  While I don't care too much for the way that Snakes and Arrows sounds (barring a few tracks), I love reading about the way that he pushes the band to their limits behind the scenes, and it makes me excited for the next album. Rupert Hine's work on Presto gets way too much hate around here.  The bass is awful, yes, but the production itself does a great job of augmenting the core instruments without overwhelming them, and there's a great sense of space to the mix.  I love how sparkly and shimmery everything is.  I love the rain sticks in "Red Tide" and the piano in "Available Light".  The whole album has this wonderfully refined, understated tone to it, but it's so weak and underpowered that most people miss it.  If it had a decent amount of punch to it, I think that it would be a lot more popular. Roll the Bones, on the other hand, is still crap.  Cheesy enough to put on a cracker.

So you voted for a guy based on something you find too slick, something you could take or leave, and something that gets increasingly stifling per listen?

 

Then, coming in at close second, we have the producer of an album you don't care for the sound of?

 

This sounds to me like Rush has been using some pretty crappy producers - an assessment that I can't say I either agree or disagree with.

 

In retrospect, the lyrics to Chemistry (ironically Broon's last) combined with the notorious struggles on P/G, are even more telling: The band's chemistry is based upon their having to make as few hard decisions as possible.

 

My question would then be: To what extent do you think Collins being accommodating led to the negative qualities of the albums in question?

[tjtull]

I voted for Nick. I think he did a phenomenal job with the boys. The sound on S&A is probably better than on anything they've done since Signals. I think he's the kind of guy the band needs to keep them on track. He's fully aware of the back catalog (and is a fan of it) but he has a good sense of the direction they can (and possibly should) be going in.

[Todem]

QUOTE (Drummerrobin @ Dec 1 2011, 07:35 AM)

QUOTE (Todem @ Nov 30 2011, 07:56 PM) Signals - Hold Your Fire was a truly unique time for the band and I wish Rush still had that daring approach again. I loved the fact they took off in a new direction after the AFTK-Moving Pictures era. Which to this day is their signature work. I truly believe if they kept the same formula and had not went in the direction they did with Signals the band would have been broken up 20 years ago. My thoughts exactly! I think it was when they started to backtrack around Presto and try to go back to their "old style", the songwriting lost some of it's spark. That's not to say they became bad songwriters by any means, but all the albums since Presto imo have had issues with consistency (Counterparts fairing the best here I think). For that reason I consider Hold Your Fire to be their last truly great album, with Counterparts being close to hitting the mark.   Don't get me wrong, I still like most of the post HYF albums a lot and I'm not bashing them at all. I just don't think they quite have the gusto of what came before. Sometimes I wish Rush would stop trying to be so "Old School" and start being more adventurous again. I for one would love to see them using technology to their advantage more, like they did in the 80s. There are so many different forms of electronic music around now, I think it would be awesome to see Rush incorporating some new styles into their sound, like they used to. My thoughts exactly.   I enjoy everything post Hold Your Fire as well. But like you said it was hit and miss and the consistencey of the albums started to show some minor warts.   Hey I am nit picking here. I love all their work. But I do to wish they would be daring with a different direction.   Re-invent their sound again.....one last time.

[hannuFIN]

Would love albums with different producer options, first on my wish list Trevor Horn, and Rick Rubin..

[tjtull]

QUOTE (hannuFIN @ Dec 1 2011, 11:36 AM)

Would love albums with different producer options, first on my wish list Trevor Horn, and Rick Rubin..

First on my list would be Steven Wilson!

[Presto-digitation]

QUOTE (tjtull @ Dec 1 2011, 11:40 AM)

QUOTE (hannuFIN @ Dec 1 2011, 11:36 AM) Would love albums with different producer options, first on my wish list Trevor Horn, and Rick Rubin.. First on my list would be Steven Wilson! Mine too....easily.

[rugen]

Peter Collins was in for 3 very good albums, so it's a easy pick!

[Drummerrobin]

QUOTE (Todem @ Dec 1 2011, 11:35 AM)

My thoughts exactly. I enjoy everything post Hold Your Fire as well. But like you said it was hit and miss and the consistencey of the albums started to show some minor warts. Hey I am nit picking here. I love all their work. But I do to wish they would be daring with a different direction. Re-invent their sound again.....one last time.

Yeah man I don't want to come across as a complainer here. I think they've done some great stuff in recent years too. I also agree with those say they'd like to see Steven Wilson produce the band. I can't name many other bands who have reinvented themselves as much as Porcupine Tree have over the years, so I think Steven Wilson would be a great catalyst for change. Sadly, it is looking like Clockwork Angles will be the last Rush album so it seems pretty unlikely that it would ever happen.

[patjnev]

I would PAY RUSH to do at least one more song with Brown. and if I must say I'm not feeling the Nick Raz love. lose him quick! I understand why he was used and why he had to be used but he sucks . he made RUSH's worst cd since CofS. BU2B and Caravan wont make up for the heaping pile of stink that is S&A.

[LeaveMyThingAlone]

QUOTE (patjnev @ Dec 1 2011, 05:23 PM)

I would PAY RUSH to do at least one more song with Brown. and if I must say I'm not feeling the Nick Raz love. lose him quick! I understand why he was used and why he had to be used but he sucks . he made RUSH's worst cd since CofS. BU2B and Caravan wont make up for the heaping pile of stink that is S&A.

I think the album itself sounds great from a production standpoint. In fact, I would love to have Snakes and Arrow's production quality on Vapor Trails.

 

It's not Nick's fault that the songs themselves aren't as strong as a lot of us would like....it's Rush that wrote the stuff after all

[patjnev]

QUOTE (LeaveMyThingAlone @ Dec 1 2011, 03:07 PM)

QUOTE (patjnev @ Dec 1 2011, 05:23 PM) I would PAY RUSH to do at least one more song with Brown.  and if I must say I'm not feeling the Nick Raz love. lose him quick! I understand why he was used and why he had to be used but he sucks . he made RUSH's worst cd since CofS. BU2B and Caravan wont make up for the heaping pile of stink that is S&A. I think the album itself sounds great from a production standpoint. In fact, I would love to have Snakes and Arrow's production quality on Vapor Trails.   It's not Nick's fault that the songs themselves aren't as strong as a lot of us would like....it's Rush that wrote the stuff after all You have a great point there . Perhaps I did stick Ole Nick with too much credit . And now that I think of it I am even more sad that I hate S&A so much. Maybe I am looking for something that RUSH is simply not prepared to deliver anymore. I understand RUSH trying to stay fresh and new and not repeating themselves . And Nick as a producer is part of that mentality.But when I listened to S&A for the first time I wondered if RUSH was trying to do. I didn't follow it at all . And that was a first for me .

[StellarJetman]

QUOTE (patjnev @ Dec 1 2011, 10:15 PM)

You have a great point there . Perhaps I did stick Ole Nick with too  much credit . And now that I think of it I am even more sad that I hate S&A so much. Maybe I am looking for something that RUSH is simply not prepared to deliver anymore. I understand RUSH trying to stay fresh  and new and not repeating themselves . And Nick as a producer is part of that mentality.But when I listened to S&A for the first time I wondered if RUSH was trying to do. I didn't follow it at all . And that was a first for me .

Good thing that Clockwork Angels is going to sound like the two singles, then, instead of Snakes and Arrows.

Edited December 2, 2011 by StellarJetman

[tjtull]