Red Mosquito

harmless wrote:For all that I disagree, you're hardly the first person to say that and I respect the opinion. I feel as if this would've been an absolutely fine song to end the album on, if not for the piano making it sound like an Australian soap opera. It's cute, trite, sentimental, all the rest, but I really like that bridge and I'm a sucker for the violin. I needed guitar, violin and slide guitar. Nothing else.

Sgt. Crackpot wrote:Quite frankly, it's all I can do not to grind pepper on your head.

Lament wrote:

Human Bass wrote:The production is quite clean, not super interesting, but pretty, a good test to headphones and stereo systems.

Yeah, I feel like the production really puts the band and the songs themselves front and center. Everything is out there to fail or succeed on its own merits. There's no place to hide.

Sgt. Crackpot wrote:

Human Bass wrote:The production is quite clean, not super interesting, but pretty, a good test to headphones and stereo systems.

Yeah it certainly sounds great on a decent pair of head cans, especially Pendulum.

Lament wrote:

harmless wrote:For all that I disagree, you're hardly the first person to say that and I respect the opinion. I feel as if this would've been an absolutely fine song to end the album on, if not for the piano making it sound like an Australian soap opera. It's cute, trite, sentimental, all the rest, but I really like that bridge and I'm a sucker for the violin. I needed guitar, violin and slide guitar. Nothing else.

I kinda wish that there were like ten seconds of silence after Yellow Moon, and then that Brendan piano part, maybe played twice through, and then nothing. That would've been a nice way to close the album. The piano part by itself it's nice enough. Everything else about FD drive me nuts.

Human Bass wrote:

Sgt. Crackpot wrote:

Human Bass wrote:The production is quite clean, not super interesting, but pretty, a good test to headphones and stereo systems.

Yeah it certainly sounds great on a decent pair of head cans, especially Pendulum.

I could barely note Pendulum playing on the mediocre stereo of my car, but on my sennheisers it really got my attention.

2nd impression: this album is really a big recovery from Avocado and Backspacer starting from Infallible.

harmless wrote:

Lament wrote:

harmless wrote:For all that I disagree, you're hardly the first person to say that and I respect the opinion. I feel as if this would've been an absolutely fine song to end the album on, if not for the piano making it sound like an Australian soap opera. It's cute, trite, sentimental, all the rest, but I really like that bridge and I'm a sucker for the violin. I needed guitar, violin and slide guitar. Nothing else.

I kinda wish that there were like ten seconds of silence after Yellow Moon, and then that Brendan piano part, maybe played twice through, and then nothing. That would've been a nice way to close the album. The piano part by itself it's nice enough. Everything else about FD drive me nuts.

Either way, the piano needs to be more distant, ethereal, as if closing a cheesy 80s apocalypse movie.

Sgt. Crackpot wrote:

harmless wrote:

Lament wrote:

harmless wrote:For all that I disagree, you're hardly the first person to say that and I respect the opinion. I feel as if this would've been an absolutely fine song to end the album on, if not for the piano making it sound like an Australian soap opera. It's cute, trite, sentimental, all the rest, but I really like that bridge and I'm a sucker for the violin. I needed guitar, violin and slide guitar. Nothing else.

I kinda wish that there were like ten seconds of silence after Yellow Moon, and then that Brendan piano part, maybe played twice through, and then nothing. That would've been a nice way to close the album. The piano part by itself it's nice enough. Everything else about FD drive me nuts.

Either way, the piano needs to be more distant, ethereal, as if closing a cheesy 80s apocalypse movie.

Just like a grand piano being played in a massive cathedral?

Sgt. Crackpot wrote:

harmless wrote:

Lament wrote:

harmless wrote:For all that I disagree, you're hardly the first person to say that and I respect the opinion. I feel as if this would've been an absolutely fine song to end the album on, if not for the piano making it sound like an Australian soap opera. It's cute, trite, sentimental, all the rest, but I really like that bridge and I'm a sucker for the violin. I needed guitar, violin and slide guitar. Nothing else.

I kinda wish that there were like ten seconds of silence after Yellow Moon, and then that Brendan piano part, maybe played twice through, and then nothing. That would've been a nice way to close the album. The piano part by itself it's nice enough. Everything else about FD drive me nuts.

Either way, the piano needs to be more distant, ethereal, as if closing a cheesy 80s apocalypse movie.

Just like a grand piano being played in a massive cathedral?

Lament wrote:

harmless wrote:

Lament wrote:At the risk of having the villagers come after me with the torches, three listens into the record I don't really have any overwhelming gripes with BO'B's production. The things I don't like so far don't strike me as being his fault. Maybe that'll change as I get more acquainted with it, but so far I haven't had a "Damn you O'Brien!" moment.

Not even the FD keyboard?

I wasn't gonna say this because I think 99% of people would consider it to be trolling, but I find the keyboards on FD to be the least of it's problems. It has a really good chance of going down as my least favorite Pearl Jam song ever, but not because of BO'B.

harmless wrote:That's interesting; so you think the clean production is actually exposing the songs' flaws rather than prettying them up. I would've said that a more low-fi sound can cover up a host of sins in terms of song-writing. A lot of RMers love a good, live-sounding, low-fi record, and I understand why. But it does make the low points of PJ's "middle period" sound utterly fucking cool...

harmless wrote:

Human Bass wrote:

Sgt. Crackpot wrote:

Human Bass wrote:The production is quite clean, not super interesting, but pretty, a good test to headphones and stereo systems.

Yeah it certainly sounds great on a decent pair of head cans, especially Pendulum.

I could barely note Pendulum playing on the mediocre stereo of my car, but on my sennheisers it really got my attention.

2nd impression: this album is really a big recovery from Avocado and Backspacer starting from Infallible.

LTRP is probably the song on here with the most Backspacer spirit.

Lament wrote:

harmless wrote:That's interesting; so you think the clean production is actually exposing the songs' flaws rather than prettying them up. I would've said that a more low-fi sound can cover up a host of sins in terms of song-writing. A lot of RMers love a good, live-sounding, low-fi record, and I understand why. But it does make the low points of PJ's "middle period" sound utterly fucking cool...

I think great material can transcend production, but that production can help hide flaws in less than great material. I love an album with "character" in the production, but I don't think album has enough of a unified "character" to call for that kind of treatment. I think the best thing you can do in a situation like that is to put the songs front and center. If that makes any sense...

Human Bass wrote:

harmless wrote:

Human Bass wrote:

Sgt. Crackpot wrote:

Human Bass wrote:The production is quite clean, not super interesting, but pretty, a good test to headphones and stereo systems.

Yeah it certainly sounds great on a decent pair of head cans, especially Pendulum.

I could barely note Pendulum playing on the mediocre stereo of my car, but on my sennheisers it really got my attention.

2nd impression: this album is really a big recovery from Avocado and Backspacer starting from Infallible.

LTRP is probably the song on here with the most Backspacer spirit.

LTRP is very bluesy when not in the chourus, Backspacer strikes me more as a pseudo bland punk.

harmless wrote:

Lament wrote:

Human Bass wrote:The production is quite clean, not super interesting, but pretty, a good test to headphones and stereo systems.

Yeah, I feel like the production really puts the band and the songs themselves front and center. Everything is out there to fail or succeed on its own merits. There's no place to hide.

That's interesting; so you think the clean production is actually exposing the songs' flaws rather than prettying them up. I would've said that a more low-fi sound can cover up a host of sins in terms of song-writing. A lot of RMers love a good, live-sounding, low-fi record, and I understand why. But it does make the low points of PJ's "middle period" sound utterly fucking cool...

Birds in Hell wrote:

harmless wrote:

Lament wrote:

Human Bass wrote:The production is quite clean, not super interesting, but pretty, a good test to headphones and stereo systems.

Yeah, I feel like the production really puts the band and the songs themselves front and center. Everything is out there to fail or succeed on its own merits. There's no place to hide.

That's interesting; so you think the clean production is actually exposing the songs' flaws rather than prettying them up. I would've said that a more low-fi sound can cover up a host of sins in terms of song-writing. A lot of RMers love a good, live-sounding, low-fi record, and I understand why. But it does make the low points of PJ's "middle period" sound utterly fucking cool...

Though I get what you mean, there's clearly a different production aesthetic being employed in those "middle period" records compared to Backspacer and Lightning Bolt, it's worth pointing out that there's really nothing lo-fi about any of Pearl Jam's records - particularly albums like No Code, Yield and Riot Act.

harmless wrote:

Birds in Hell wrote:

harmless wrote:

Lament wrote:

Human Bass wrote:The production is quite clean, not super interesting, but pretty, a good test to headphones and stereo systems.

Yeah, I feel like the production really puts the band and the songs themselves front and center. Everything is out there to fail or succeed on its own merits. There's no place to hide.

That's interesting; so you think the clean production is actually exposing the songs' flaws rather than prettying them up. I would've said that a more low-fi sound can cover up a host of sins in terms of song-writing. A lot of RMers love a good, live-sounding, low-fi record, and I understand why. But it does make the low points of PJ's "middle period" sound utterly fucking cool...

Though I get what you mean, there's clearly a different production aesthetic being employed in those "middle period" records compared to Backspacer and Lightning Bolt, it's worth pointing out that there's really nothing lo-fi about any of Pearl Jam's records - particularly albums like No Code, Yield and Riot Act.

Oh yeah, I'm perfectly aware that I'm using the phrase badly and it's all relative. I don't know how else to describe it really.