The guys behind the scenes who are responsible for records sounding the way they do. This list is my tribute to them.
Dan's Top 5:
1. Brian Eno - The man responsible for Bowie's "Berlin Trilogy," which I consider his best albums, as well as U2's Joshua Tree. Also credited as the inventor of the ambient genre.
2. George Martin - There's a reason he's called the fifth Beatle. He gave them their signature studio sound.
3. Rick Rubin - If there's a guy besides Eno I'd like to work with, it's this guy. Notorious for stripping down the sound, he was responsible for RHCP's Blood Sugar Sex Magik, as well as (I think) every album they've done since. Also a lot of hip hop and metal acts, making him one of the greatest of the modern day.
4. Phil Spector - So what if he's on trial for murder? He created the Wall of Sound. Notable recordings are The Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody," Lennon's "Imagine," and most recently, some songs on Starsailor's "Silence is Easy."
5. Eddie Kramer - The man who could actually record Hendrix. He did loads of other stuff, including about five Led Zeppelin albums, but he recorded every single Hendrix album.
Ryan's Top 5:
I'll be honest, I don't know enough about record producers to produce a credible top 5.
Number 1: George Martin. I'm out.
Tim's Top 5:
I'll be honest, I can't do this in good conscience without making it album producers, which really takes out all non-Rick Rubins in the world of hip hop and most of Phil Spector's work with the Wall of Sound, since Let It Be is not worthy of much commendation.
1) George Martin - The Beatles wouldn't have been who they were without George Martin, and
2) Brendan O'Brien - He's poppy, no doubt, but he's got some impressive range and produced some of the best albums of my lifetime. Highlights: Bruce Springsteen - The Rising, Pearl Jam - No Code, Yield, Stone Temple Pilots - Purple, and yes, I guess I am from Nebraska -- Matthew Sweet - 100% Fun
3) Rob Schnapf - Rob Schnapf just happens to team up with acts after I've already grown attached to them, or in the case of Nine Black Alps, I fall for them before I realize he had anything to do with them. Elliott Smith - Either/Or, XO, Figure 8, Guided by Voices - Isolation Drills, Nine Black Alps - Everything Is.
4) Tore Johansson - A risky choice in the sense that I'm utterly unfamiliar with 90% of his work, but he has produced two albums that are among my all-time favorites. Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand, Ok Go - Oh No
5) Rick Rubin - Rubin has done a lot of stuff of significance, although all I can really think of is "99 Problems" on The Black Album. Audioslave - Audioslave, Audioslave - Out of Exile, Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill, Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium.
Honorable mention to George Drakoulias, who's produced The Black Crowes - Shake Your Moneymaker, Rhett Miller - The Believer, and The Jayhawks - Tomorrow the Green Grass and Hollywood Town Hall.
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1 comment:
My bad, then. I wasn't sure whether you had enough knowledge of record producers to come up with five, much less five good ones. I guess I've always liked looking into how the music gets made just as much as the music itself.
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