I love this tune. I love Todd. But WHAT was he thinking when he mixed this album? It doesn't sound good on anything. The EQing is terrible, tinny high end. Really a shame as the tunes are great.
I think I know. Two reasons - 1) This was recorded analog and mixed to play on boom boxes (new at the time). He also wanted this album to sound good on the radio which automatically boost the low end 2) He's a control nut and that's the way he wanted it. Nobody could tell him anything by this point.
@NelsonClick A lot of the Utopia albums sound like this. I would really like to hear these remastered correctly to fix the off balance EQ. And I agree Todd had the power to call all the shots, sometimes with a battle with the group he was producing. Here it fails. However on an album like "Skylarking" by XTC he gave the band a new sound, new life, and another decade.
I understand your problem with the EQ balance. This could lead to a complicated debate about the psychology of sound and what people "expect" to hear from a rock record. I'm not intending to just be contrary but I prefer EQ that highlights the vocal range and cuts through ambient noise and will play on lower quality speakers. To me that says the music wants to be heard and the producer cares about the listener. I avoid big heavy bass except in dance music.
@NelsonClick To be clear, I'm listening in a studio that I produce music in daily. So I know what flat sounds like and what too much bass sounds like. I'm sure it's possible someone with his background and resources could produce this to sound good on all systems and the radio (Lindsey Buckingham and Steely Dan did it all the time). I think he was just going for a sterile "80's" new wave sound but unfortunately overdid it.
You know what? I think you are absolutely right! He was going for that "sterile 80's new wave sound" and overdid it. I'm laughing as I'm writing this because that is exactly it. I remember that sound and how fresh and cool it was at the time and now it sounds so thin and cheesy. The sound didn't change but our perception of it did. There was a lot of sound that I liked at that time but can't bear to hear now. Ugh - overly isolated and over 'verbed vocals.
This song is meant to listen to at a drunken college house party. Keg party!
chrisradano 8 months ago
I love this tune. I love Todd. But WHAT was he thinking when he mixed this album? It doesn't sound good on anything. The EQing is terrible, tinny high end. Really a shame as the tunes are great.
cranie4 11 months ago
@cranie4
I think I know. Two reasons - 1) This was recorded analog and mixed to play on boom boxes (new at the time). He also wanted this album to sound good on the radio which automatically boost the low end 2) He's a control nut and that's the way he wanted it. Nobody could tell him anything by this point.
NelsonClick 9 months ago
@NelsonClick A lot of the Utopia albums sound like this. I would really like to hear these remastered correctly to fix the off balance EQ. And I agree Todd had the power to call all the shots, sometimes with a battle with the group he was producing. Here it fails. However on an album like "Skylarking" by XTC he gave the band a new sound, new life, and another decade.
cranie4 9 months ago
@cranie4
I understand your problem with the EQ balance. This could lead to a complicated debate about the psychology of sound and what people "expect" to hear from a rock record. I'm not intending to just be contrary but I prefer EQ that highlights the vocal range and cuts through ambient noise and will play on lower quality speakers. To me that says the music wants to be heard and the producer cares about the listener. I avoid big heavy bass except in dance music.
NelsonClick 9 months ago
@NelsonClick To be clear, I'm listening in a studio that I produce music in daily. So I know what flat sounds like and what too much bass sounds like. I'm sure it's possible someone with his background and resources could produce this to sound good on all systems and the radio (Lindsey Buckingham and Steely Dan did it all the time). I think he was just going for a sterile "80's" new wave sound but unfortunately overdid it.
cranie4 9 months ago
@cranie4
You know what? I think you are absolutely right! He was going for that "sterile 80's new wave sound" and overdid it. I'm laughing as I'm writing this because that is exactly it. I remember that sound and how fresh and cool it was at the time and now it sounds so thin and cheesy. The sound didn't change but our perception of it did. There was a lot of sound that I liked at that time but can't bear to hear now. Ugh - overly isolated and over 'verbed vocals.
NelsonClick 9 months ago