Would you let bad production get in the way of an otherwise good album?
- Thread starter The Butt
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EerieVon
Member
I agree that it depends on the band, some bands sound better raw.I do like good production though, were all instruments are audible. Over production is what I cant stand--most of the guitars are punched in, too clean of a sound, for example Megadeths CTE was way too over produced, sounded very sterile and by the numbers
ShredHeadJHJ
oh noes itz a opinionn
It's all subjective, but in my case, I MUST be able to hear the guitars up front. Nattens Madrigal, Transilvanian Hunger, and similar albums are not bad production IMO because the guitars are right there.
Bad production to me includes poor live CDs, and albums mostly overproduced where all you can hear are the drums and the vocals; such as with all modern melodic death albums. This is supposed to be music with intricate melodies and you can't even hear them...what's the point?
Of course, even "bad" production can get extreme; but usually this is with live recordings more than anything else. Guitars must be high in the mix or I can't listen to it without yawning.
Bad production to me includes poor live CDs, and albums mostly overproduced where all you can hear are the drums and the vocals; such as with all modern melodic death albums. This is supposed to be music with intricate melodies and you can't even hear them...what's the point?
Of course, even "bad" production can get extreme; but usually this is with live recordings more than anything else. Guitars must be high in the mix or I can't listen to it without yawning.
DarkBliss
...And okra for all
Well, if it's a good album then the production should fit the music like a glove. Accentuate it, rather than just get in the way. Otherwise, it can't be all that good.
ShredHeadJHJ
oh noes itz a opinionn
Satanstoenail
My Larpstyle determines my Derpstyle
I can't stand bad production (ie. production that obviously didn't turn out the way it should have, see: Atheist - Elements), it definitely gets in the way of my enjoyment of an album. I'm also not a fan of deliberately raw/lo-fi production generally.
Zephyrus
Tyrants and Slaves
Of course, but imagine how much more DT would suck with bad production. The only thing they have going for them is their production. As for Bathory, I meant the Viking Era stuff. Imagine Nordland with a clearer production. Blood Fire Death and anything earlier should stay right where it is.
V.V.V.V.V.
Houses Ov Mercury
Bad production is a stupid way to phrase this. Why would anyone like an album which had production they thought was bad. The difference is that "bad" is an opinion; it's subjective. "Raw" or "muddy" or "muffled" is usually a better and more applicable word.
Blind Guardian
Member
At The Gates The Red In The Sky Is Ours is a frustrating record because the songs are awsome but the production is crap.
AchrisK
Weakling
Excellent example. I have always hated the production on that album and it has hindered me to an extent.
...And Justice For All is another good example, though I can't necessarily say the album would be good with different production. But as it stands it's horrible.
Coma Void - Stormking Twilight is an album I really like, but the production is horrible. Almost unlistenable. I would love to hear this produced better.
Nevermore - Enemies of Reality: I only have the original and if nobody had ever said anything, I would never have even thought about the production. It's fine. But apparently it was a big deal to Nevermore fans and to the band. I am interested in hearing the remaster, though.
I think it is near perfect. So yeah, as has been said, this topic is completely subjective.
The Ozzman
Melted by feels
DarkBliss
...And okra for all
No, it has to be either Krieg's Destruction Ritual, The Chasm's Deathcult or Magus' Ruminations of Debauchery. Absolute crap. Ildjarn's Forest Poetry as well.
Well said. To me, music is one part actual composition and one part production (Not necessarily 50/50 though. I'd argue that, say, Sunn0))) or Merzbow are maybe 10-20% composition and the rest production). I can still enjoy good composition suffering from inadequate production, but never as much as a record that has both working well together.
And it definitely depends on the band for me, as others have mentioned. There is no single template that works universally. If by "bad" production we mean the typical lo-fi raw black metal sound, then no I'd never immediately write it off. Transilvanian Hunger's production fits the music, just as the considerably more processed, polished sound of many Blind Guardian records fits. And those are just extremes. Most of my favorite albums fall somewhere in between, but they all have a production and composition that function effectively.
So yes, "bad" production will interfere with my enjoyment of good music. I sometimes wish it didn't though, since production and mixing is a task often performed by an outsider who isn't necessarily in tune with the musician's artistic vision.
S<issors
wins.
- Jan 16, 2007
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Matt
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