Music: Who are some of your favorite producers?

[Elvis P]

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1. George Martin - the Beatles, Jeff Beck, Cheap Trick, Little River Band, America

2. Brian Wilson

3. Brian Eno - David Bowie, Talking Heads, U2

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4. Phil Spector - the Beatles, the Ramones, George Harrison, Dion

5. Jimmy Page

6. Ted Templeman - the first 6 Van Halen albums, Van Morrison, the Doobie Brothers, Little Feat, Carly Simon

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7. Prince

8. Brendan O'Brien - Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Rage against the machine, AC/DC, Neil Young, Springsteen

9. Daniel Lanois - U2, Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Willie Nelson

10. Tony Visconti - T. Rex, the Moody Blues, Thin Lizzy, David Bowie

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[NyQuil]

Butch Vig, Quincy Jones

 

[#37]

I based my list on the production itself, trying to leave out the usual suspects ... not on whether or not I like the songs or artist. Examples provided are chosen for easy reference. Some of the below are better known for mixing or engineering. All have made great sounding records.

In no particular order:

Elliot Scheiner: Fleetwood Mac 'Rumors', Bruce Hornsby and The Range 'The Way It Is'.

Mutt Lange: Def Leppard 'High n' Dry', AC/DC Highway to Hell and Back in Black.

Trevor Horn: Yes '90125', Frankie Goes to Hollywood 'Relax'.

Stevel Lillywhite: U2 'War', Dave Mathews Band 'Under the Table and Dreaming, Peter Gabriel III (Melt)

Phil Ramone: Frank Sinatra 'My Way', Billy Joel 'The Stranger'

Eric Valentin: Queen's of the Stoneage 'Songs for the Deaf'

Steve Albini: Pixies 'Surfer Rosa', Nirvana 'In Utero'

 

[I am not exposed]

Bob Ezrin, Bob Rock, Roy Thomas Baker, Mutt Lange

 

[#37]

Hmm...

Finneas O'connell: You don't win 8 grammy's and an Oscar before the age of 25 with luck. I am not a Billie Eilish fan, but this guy's production is genius.

Teddy Riley: Redefined hip hop and pop music in the 80's/early 90's with his "New Jack Swing' Style.

 

[Xelebes]

Uroŝ Umek
Carl Finlow
Lasse Steen
Roel Dewaele
Maurice Engelen
Anthony Rother

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

jimmy page
tom scholz
beau hill
bill szymcsyk
giorigo moroder
roy thomas baker
jack douglas
flemming rasmussen

 

[Mikeaveli]

Traditional record producers:
Brian Wilson
Brian Eno
George Martin
George Clinton

Hip-hop/electronic producers:
El-P
MF DOOM
RZA
Aphex Twin
Squarepusher
Luke Vibert
Roberto Burgos

 

[Mescaleroman]

Chris Thomas
Martin Hannett
Hugh Jones

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Rick Rubin has to have one of the most impressive and diverse discography

 

[Roo Returns]

Rick Rubin has to have one of the most impressive and diverse discography

From 1985-2005 he was untouchable. The best. From 2005 to present he's not very good.

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1. George Martin - the Beatles, Jeff Beck, Cheap Trick, Little River Band, America

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2. Brian Wilson

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3. Brian Eno - David Bowie, Talking Heads, U2

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4. Phil Spector - the Beatles, the Ramones, George Harrison, Dion

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5. Jimmy Page

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6. Ted Templeman - the first 6 Van Halen albums, Van Morrison, the Doobie Brothers, Little Feat, Carly Simon

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7. Prince

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8. Brendan O'Brien - Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Rage against the machine, AC/DC, Neil Young, Springsteen

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9. Daniel Lanois - U2, Bob Dylan, Peter Gabriel, Willie Nelson

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10. Tony Visconti - T. Rex, the Moody Blues, Thin Lizzy, David Bowie

Brendan O'Brien is one of the best from the 90s and on.

 

[Roo Returns]

I'll add some hip hop producers like 9th Wonder, J. Dilla, The Neptunes, and Timbaland.

Jim O'Rourke for indie weirdness.

I already talked about Rubin and O'Brien above.

Michael Beinhorn is someone who doesn't get a lot of love. Just for Superunknown alone. He also worked with Hole, Soul Asylum, Ozzy, Violent Femmes. As a musician, he worked with a very very young Whitney Houston. And personally for me, he also produced Uplift Mofo Party Plan and Mother's Milk which to me are the most "fun" and hard rock sounding RHCP albums.

Bob Ezrin, Bob Rock, Roy Thomas Baker, Mutt Lange

Rock takes a lot of crap for St. Anger and generally for 1991-2003 Metallica. Then I heard the recent albums he made with 311 and I was very very impressed.

 

[I am not exposed]

I'll add some hip hop producers like 9th Wonder, J. Dilla, The Neptunes, and Timbaland.

Jim O'Rourke for indie weirdness.

I already talked about Rubin and O'Brien above.

Michael Beinhorn is someone who doesn't get a lot of love. Just for Superunknown alone. He also worked with Hole, Soul Asylum, Ozzy, Violent Femmes. As a musician, he worked with a very very young Whitney Houston. And personally for me, he also produced Uplift Mofo Party Plan and Mother's Milk which to me are the most "fun" and hard rock sounding RHCP albums.



Rock takes a lot of crap for St. Anger and generally for 1991-2003 Metallica. Then I heard the recent albums he made with 311 and I was very very impressed.

I chose him specifically for his work on Motley Crue Dr. Feelgood

Rick Rubin has to have one of the most impressive and diverse discography

Can't stand him. Everything he does sounds kind of thin and tinny.

I don't think I like one album he has done.

He's definitely the hipster choice!

 

[Hippasus]

Can't stand him. Everything he does sounds kind of thin and tinny.

I don't think I like one album he has done.

He's definitely the hipster choice!

For Slayer's Reign In Blood, thin and tinny doesn't sound true compared to prior releases by that band.

 

[Roo Returns]

Can't stand him. Everything he does sounds kind of thin and tinny.

I don't think I like one album he has done.

He's definitely the hipster choice!

His Slayer work was great, his LL Cool J work was great, and Blood Sugar Sex Magik is one of the best sounding albums ever/essential 90s. He had Brendan O'Brien for the later. He needed to be with a technical guy to balance him out. His issue now is he's a brand and not much of a music producer.

 

[kook10]

In addition to those mentioned:
Arif Mardin
Mike Chapman
Tom Wilson
Glyn Johns
Jimmy Miller
Thom Bell
Teo Macero

 

[Hippasus]

Brian Eno
Al Jourgensen / Paul Barker (Ministry, etc.)
Dave "Rave" Ogilvie (Skinny Puppy)
Tim Friese-Greene (Talk Talk)
Richard David James (Aphex Twin)
Geoff Barrow (Portishead)

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

His Slayer work was great, his LL Cool J work was great, and Blood Sugar Sex Magik is one of the best sounding albums ever/essential 90s. He had Brendan O'Brien for the later. He needed to be with a technical guy to balance him out. His issue now is he's a brand and not much of a music producer.

Add the SOAD catalog and Slipknot Vol 3 to the not thin and tinny category

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

His Slayer work was great, his LL Cool J work was great, and Blood Sugar Sex Magik is one of the best sounding albums ever/essential 90s. He had Brendan O'Brien for the later. He needed to be with a technical guy to balance him out. His issue now is he's a brand and not much of a music producer.

i'll give rick rubin the benefit of the doubt and say that he's more than just a brand name. a record producer's job is to make the best record possible for an artist. the song choices for the album, suggestions on the arrangements of songs. and yeah also the choice of sound engineers and mixers are also part of the job. so if getting brendan o'brien on board was what was needed to better the product then i would say that rick rubin did his job real well.

if i was in a superband that was around for a real long time and rick rubin expressed interest in working with me on an album i'd at least consider it.

 

[kook10]

i'll give rick rubin the benefit of the doubt and say that he's more than just a brand name. a record producer's job is to make the best record possible for an artist. the song choices for the album, suggestions on the arrangements of songs. and yeah also the choice of sound engineers and mixers are also part of the job. so if getting brendan o'brien on board was what was needed to better the product then i would say that rick rubin did his job real well.

if i was in a superband that was around for a real long time and rick rubin expressed interest in working with me on an album i'd at least consider it.

I couldn't find the video, but I saw something on YouTube where a big band was talking about hiring him for his reputation like above, but discovering he basically did nothing. They were wondering why they gave him points.

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

I couldn't find the video, but I saw something on YouTube where a big band was talking about hiring him for his reputation like above, but discovering he basically he did nothing. They were wondering why they gave him points.

yeah i heard tom werman was another producer that also does nothing. makes sense regarding rubin as he's resting on past big laurels.

surprised no mention of bob clearmountain. i'd choose him to make a solid album as he's as good as about as half already mentioned.

 

[Roo Returns]

I couldn't find the video, but I saw something on YouTube where a big band was talking about hiring him for his reputation like above, but discovering he basically did nothing. They were wondering why they gave him points.

For you and @PANARIN BREAD FAN I wouldn't say Rubin does "nothing", he's very into New Age philosophy and meditation. My understanding is he watches the band rehearse new material and gives them pointers on the arrangements, lyrics, melodies, makes sure they're comfortable and spiritually in a good place, etc. then he basically lets the engineer record them and checks in with them occasionally (2-3x a week), sitting with his eyes closed on the couch listening to the takes and giving approval or asking for a redo.

If a band wants a lot of information, music theory, full attention, it may seem like nothing to them (Corey Taylor from Slipknot hated this method). If a band likes freedom and someone to give them space, it could work.

The first person I heard really speak out about this method was Alex Newport formerly of the band Fudge Tunnel who called him a hack as far back as the late-90s/early-2000s.

I think his arrangements and advice have gotten very predictable, and he doesn't surround himself with enough young hungry second in commands like Brenda O'Brien.

 

[kook10]

For you and @PANARIN BREAD FAN I wouldn't say Rubin does "nothing", he's very into New Age philosophy and meditation. My understanding is he watches the band rehearse new material and gives them pointers on the arrangements, lyrics, melodies, makes sure they're comfortable and spiritually in a good place, etc. then he basically lets the engineer record them and checks in with them occasionally (2-3x a week), sitting with his eyes closed on the couch listening to the takes and giving approval or asking for a redo.

If a band wants a lot of information, music theory, full attention, it may seem like nothing to them (Corey Taylor from Slipknot hated this method). If a band likes freedom and someone to give them space, it could work.

The first person I heard really speak out about this method was Alex Newport formerly of the band Fudge Tunnel who called him a hack as far back as the late-90s/early-2000s.

I think his arrangements and advice have gotten very predictable, and he doesn't surround himself with enough young hungry second in commands like Brenda O'Brien.

At this point, he is merely a brand that gets publicity for projects and acts as an overblown A+R consultant.

 

[#37]

Rubin pitching 'Hurt' to Johnny Cash was brilliant. I watched the video earlier and it got me emotional, as it made me think about my aging father. It's quite powerful.

That being said, this version is only good because it's Johnny Cash doing a great song, not because Rubin produced it. It's good in-spite of Rubin having produced it.

The production itself starts out with great potential, then the whole thing falls victim to the 'loudness war' and it just becomes a square wave as all the dynamic are squashed out of it and it goes into clipping.

He had an aging and vulnerable sounding Johnny Cash... doing a great song and that should have been enough, but somehow the decision to clip it into digital distortion seemed like a good idea... Yikes.

 

[frisco]

Keith Olsen
Sam Phillips
Roy Thomas Baker
Mutt Lange
Rick Rubin
Barry Gibb
Jon Landau
Scott Litt
Mike Stone

My Best-Carey