Red Mosquito

With that said, get Don Dixon.

Jay Z?

Just found out that the Peppers ended their longterm partnership with Rick Rubin and our working with Danger Mouse for their upcoming record. I think that it's always good to shift producers, especially when you're in a 20+ years career. I still think B'OB is a fine producer, but not the one who will push the band where it's needed the most now. So, a new producer is still a good idea. Rick Rubin could be interesting, like so many other names mentioned in this thread.

I think Brian Deck would be a good producer for them if they were interested in something a bit more off-the-wall. The albums he works on are usually surprising but always have great songwriting.

They should just self-produce their albums. From comments made in all the interviews since BOB came around again, it sounds like the band pretty much produced the run of Vs. to Yield themselves anyway. The whole point of producers is to mold a band's music in a way to make it more appealing to a specific or larger audience. That's what BOB did on the last two and look what came out. Going in the opposite direction of this is what made them so great in their heyday.

LikeLukin wrote:The whole point of producers is to mold a band's music in a way to make it more appealing to a specific or larger audience.

I don't agree with this at all. Some producers will try to do that, but that is certainly not "the whole point of producers."

LoathedVermin72 wrote:

LikeLukin wrote:The whole point of producers is to mold a band's music in a way to make it more appealing to a specific or larger audience.

I don't agree with this at all. Some producers will try to do that, but that is certainly not "the whole point of producers."

Well what is? You can just get an engineer to record the music and make everything sound good and unique tonally.

LikeLukin wrote:

LoathedVermin72 wrote:

LikeLukin wrote:The whole point of producers is to mold a band's music in a way to make it more appealing to a specific or larger audience.

I don't agree with this at all. Some producers will try to do that, but that is certainly not "the whole point of producers."

Well what is? You can just get an engineer to record the music and make everything sound good and unique tonally.

Ah, okay, I see what you're saying. It seems like the terminology is rather loosely delineated. Generally, I feel like a producer or recording engineer is there to help the band translate the sound they're trying to achieve to record. Kind of like how a cinematographer helps a director translate their vision to film.

You're both right, depending on the circumstances. Sometimes a producer is simply a recording engineer and is sometimes even credited as such (Steve Albini for example). Other times a producer takes on a more active role, ranging from song selection to arrangements, and occasionally even further. In that instance they're akin to a film director. And of course, there's all sorts of variations in between those extremes as well.

LoathedVermin72 wrote:

LikeLukin wrote:

LoathedVermin72 wrote:

LikeLukin wrote:The whole point of producers is to mold a band's music in a way to make it more appealing to a specific or larger audience.

I don't agree with this at all. Some producers will try to do that, but that is certainly not "the whole point of producers."

Well what is? You can just get an engineer to record the music and make everything sound good and unique tonally.

Ah, okay, I see what you're saying. It seems like the terminology is rather loosely delineated. Generally, I feel like a producer or recording engineer is there to help the band translate the sound they're trying to achieve to record. Kind of like how a cinematographer helps a director translate their vision to film.

Gotcha. Terminology when it comes to this stuff is definitely loose.

I think many (probably most) "producers" are a joint engineer/producer, but the actual "producing" is working with the music as far as I can understand. For example, BOB suggesting key changes and additional song sections is producing whereas Tchad Blake using the binaural recording technique to achieve a spacey sound is more engineering than producing.

A good example: If you check the liner notes for Nirvana's 'In Utero,' Steve Albini is actually only credited with "recording" the album. He specifically did not want to be listed as the producer because he did not work with the songs, he just recorded them in his own fashion to give it the unique sound it has.

Brett wrote:You're both right, depending on the circumstances. Sometimes a producer is simply a recording engineer and is sometimes even credited as such (Steve Albini for example). Other times a producer takes on a more active role, ranging from song selection to arrangements, and occasionally even further. In that instance they're akin to a film director. And of course, there's all sorts of variations in between those extremes as well.

You beat me to the Steve Albini example. Good explanation

Got it. I see what you guys mean.

So really, the best solution would be to keep BOB but tighten that choke collar once again, no?

At the end of the day I just think that the band is only motivated by the paycheck now and not by creating something artistic, and the only way to get good material out of them is to have one of us critical cocksuckers in the room with them telling them how shitty they have become. I bet Jeff would love it.

if they were only motivated by the paycheck wouldn't they record more?

There's no money in albums any more. They are only an accessory for a tour.

Plus you gotta get a new typewriter ribbon.

stip wrote:if they were only motivated by the paycheck wouldn't they record more?

Along the lines of what LMS said, I think they just recorded the last couple albums when they felt like they needed to in order to keep the train moving and the big money coming in from touring. If restaurants don't shake up their menu from time to time with new additions, customers get bored and start spending their money elsewhere. When you are rehashing songs from your singers ukulele album for your new record 2 years later, that is a clear sign that you do not have the songwriting drive in you anymore to put out a lot of material.

No to Rick Rubin! He's one of the biggest culprits of the loudness wars. Seriously, go crank up the volume to Californiacation or Metallica's Death Magnetic. Every album I've ever heard by him is way too loud, except maybe Blood Sugar Sex Magic.

I'm all for a change of from BOB though. Maybe someone we don't know, like a younger up and comer that will challenge the band, rather than maintaining the status quo.

darth_vedder wrote:No to Rick Rubin! He's one of the biggest culprits of the loudness wars. Seriously, go crank up the volume to Californiacation or Metallica's Death Magnetic. Every album I've ever heard by him is way too loud, except maybe Blood Sugar Sex Magic.

I'm all for a change of from BOB though. Maybe someone we don't know, like a younger up and comer that will challenge the band, rather than maintaining the status quo.

Maybe they should work with a young up and comer that is not at all familiar with their work. A fresh perspective would be nice.