Who should REM have gotten to produce their albums instead?

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The album Joy Boyd produced didn't sound very good at all. Mellancamp's producer Don Gehman got a better sound on Lifes Rich Pageant, but I don't know how much it had to do with REM's aesthetic. After that, the productions all seem fine (except for Monster, which I don't think sounds good at all), but kind of faceless.

So, if they had to "graduate" beyond Mitch Easter and Don Dixon, who should they have chosen instead?

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 6 May 2005 18:30 (twenty-one years ago)

Dave Friddman. Alex Chilton. Steve Albini.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 6 May 2005 18:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Nils Rodgers.

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Friday, 6 May 2005 18:53 (twenty-one years ago)

stephen street, mark abel, john cale, brian eno

― j blount (papa la bas), Friday, 6 May 2005 18:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Mutt Lange!

― darin (darin), Friday, 6 May 2005 18:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Timbaland (also a southerner!)

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Friday, 6 May 2005 18:58 (twenty-one years ago)

They should have continued working with Nigel Godrich.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 6 May 2005 18:59 (twenty-one years ago)

I agree--I think R.E.M. has had terrible production teams. Sometimes I even feel like the producers have wrecked the band (like on Reveal or the new one). Anyway, I vote

Dave Friddman
Eno & Bowie
Peter Buck
The Edge

― mrjosh (mrjosh), Friday, 6 May 2005 19:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Actually, the Edge should just go ahead and join R.E.M.

― mrjosh (mrjosh), Friday, 6 May 2005 19:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Jim Dickinson/REM might've been an interesting matchup.

― mike a, Friday, 6 May 2005 19:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Billy Sherrill

― brianiac (briania), Friday, 6 May 2005 19:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Jeff Lynne. At least once.

― TV's Mr Noodle Vague (noodle vague), Friday, 6 May 2005 19:10 (twenty-one years ago)

No, Trevor Horn. Or Spector, at a pinch.

― TV's Mr Noodle Vague (noodle vague), Friday, 6 May 2005 19:11 (twenty-one years ago)

roger moutenot, mitchell froom, andy lemaster

― j blount (papa la bas), Friday, 6 May 2005 19:13 (twenty-one years ago)

George Martin

― The Mad Puffin (The Mad Puffin), Friday, 6 May 2005 19:18 (twenty-one years ago)

Armand Van Helden
Roger Troutman
Shep Pettibone

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Friday, 6 May 2005 19:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Giorgio Moroder, or Bill Szymcyk…

― veronica moser (veronica moser), Friday, 6 May 2005 19:48 (twenty-one years ago)

The answer is, of course, Don Was.

Unless he already produced them while I wasn't looking.

― Ken L (Ken L), Friday, 6 May 2005 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Going back to working with Don Dixon against might not necessarily have been a bad thing btw.

I feel Scott Lit certainly didn't do them much good. Their albums from that era are partly classic because there were lots of great songs on them, but Lit certainly didn't add what he should have.

Personally, I think the people they have worked with on the recent albums might have done an excellent job with "Automatic For The People". That album contained their best songs, while I feel their three recent albums have had better production.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 6 May 2005 21:56 (twenty-one years ago)

From the sensible to the WTF?:

Pete Wilson (would've given them that "big drum sound" they wanted from Scott Litt -- stick Berry in a lift shaft like he did with Mik Glaishner of The Comsat Angels)
Huge Ones, er, I mean Hugh Jones
Martin Hannett
John Fryer
Stephen Mallinder
Genesis P-Orridge

― Ian Riese-Moraine does not need to compromise his principles! (Eastern Mantra), Friday, 6 May 2005 23:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Spot

― charleston charge (chaki), Friday, 6 May 2005 23:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Jeff Lynne would have produced "interesting" results. But I'd rather go with Jon Brion.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Friday, 6 May 2005 23:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Brian Deck

― Michael J McGonigal (mike mcgonigal), Friday, 6 May 2005 23:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Jandek.

― pdf (Phil Freeman), Friday, 6 May 2005 23:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Spot
Ha! I was thinking of saying: it doesn't matter who the producer is, as long as it says "engineered by Spot."

― Ken L (Ken L), Saturday, 7 May 2005 00:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Conny Plank

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Saturday, 7 May 2005 00:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Chips Moman, I don't know. Dickinson, I'm not sure if that would've worked, I love what Jim does but I am not totally certain it's really "producing" in the way maybe we're talking about. Chilton's productions haven't impressed me, actually. He should've played guitar with them, though. Maybe Chris Stamey would've done good by them? Or, who was the guy who produced that great Chills album "Submarine Bells"?

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Saturday, 7 May 2005 00:39 (twenty-one years ago)

That was produced by a guy named Gary Smith.

I remember reading back around the time that they stopped using Easter and Dixon that they were considering Van Dyke Parks.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 7 May 2005 00:44 (twenty-one years ago)

Billy Sherrill
-- brianiac (lyriclas...), May 6th, 2005.

So fucking OTM.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 7 May 2005 01:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Am I the only one who laughed out loud at the thought of Mutt Lange producing REM? I can just hear those cowbells now...

― VegemiteGrrl (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 7 May 2005 01:17 (twenty-one years ago)

Ric Ocasek

― John Fredland (jfredland), Saturday, 7 May 2005 01:55 (twenty-one years ago)

that is...interesting...Billy Sherrill producing REM. Lotsa strings, and they coulda got George Jones to sing on a couple.

― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Saturday, 7 May 2005 03:40 (twenty-one years ago)

i think roger moutenot is OTM. also, matthew smith, or maybe kramer.

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Saturday, 7 May 2005 03:43 (twenty-one years ago)

The Bomb Squad or Ted Templeman.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Saturday, 7 May 2005 07:10 (twenty-one years ago)

Billy Sherrill for Out of Time or Automatic for the People. Love to hear Stipe & co cover "Behind Closed Doors."

Jack Douglas for Monster or maybe he could've salvaged New Adventures in HiFi with a little Aerosmith mojo. Or maybe that guy who did Queen and the Cars...Roy Thomas Baker?

Rick Rubin?

No seriously: Jon Brion (sp?) But then the LP may never come out.

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Saturday, 7 May 2005 21:11 (twenty-one years ago)

I saw R.E.M. on the Little America Tour in '84 and Stipe sang "Behind Closed Doors" a capella. What about Billy Sherrill for Fables of the Reconstruction?

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 7 May 2005 21:14 (twenty-one years ago)

I disagree with just 'bout everyone. Who says a producer has to impose himself a la Eno or Nile Rodgers, auteur style, on the material? What happened to being just a well-paid engineer. Scott Litt did a fantastic job by not fucking up great songs.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 7 May 2005 22:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Seemingly, Mitch Easter and Don Dixon had a lot of input on guitar sounds (and owned the gear that Peter Buck was able to use?). Compare what they did on those early records to the sound of Fables of the Reconstruction.

But producers have styles of mixing, too, and I think there's a real artistry to the mixes on Murmur and Reckoning. Their producers after that may have done jobs that, technically, were great, but I'm not sure where the artistry or personality lies in what they did.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Saturday, 7 May 2005 22:30 (twenty-one years ago)

exactly! I'm not denying that in the early days REM needed the benevolent guiddance of Easter/Dixon - what's that famous story about Stephen Hague adding synths and programmed drums to a couple of their first songs? But once they got more confident in the studio they needed the likes of Don Gehman and Joe Boyd less.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Saturday, 7 May 2005 22:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Mutt Lange would have sounded really corny, with one exception: He might have done wonders with the "Monster" album.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Sunday, 8 May 2005 12:42 (twenty-one years ago)

sherwood

― mark s (mark s), Sunday, 8 May 2005 12:43 (twenty-one years ago)

ten months pass...

Scott Litt did a fine job generally, although he probably wasn't the ideal guy for Monster.
Pat McCarthy has to go!
John Brion would be fine as long as he doesn't overdo it. His Evan Dando collabs were great. Interesting instrumental choices, without being cluttered in any way.
I'd quite like to see what Jim O'Rourke or John McEntire would do with em. The former did fine work with Wilco, keeping things well spaced but warm, and the latter did a similar job with the last Teenage Fanclub album. Man Made sounds quite lush, but there are hardly any overdubs on there at all.
Also, cos I've always wanted Stipe to do more big gay dance tunes like King Of Comedy, they need to get Giorgo Moroder in!

― stew!, Tuesday, 14 March 2006 17:08 (twenty years ago)

Chris Thomas

― Mitya (mitya), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:16 (twenty years ago)

Brian Higgins

― snowballing (snowballing), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 18:18 (twenty years ago)

jacques lu cont

― geeta (geeta), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 20:30 (twenty years ago)

Jim Steinman!

Everybody Hurts (When they've been decapitated by a hellacious motorcycle mama)

― stew!, Tuesday, 14 March 2006 20:37 (twenty years ago)

Andy Warhol

― senseiDancer (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 20:51 (twenty years ago)

Tony Visconti
Bob Ezrin
Alan Vega
Matmos

― dr lulu (dr lulu), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 21:10 (twenty years ago)

Visconti's a good call.

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 21:12 (twenty years ago)

Bob Mould
Ric Ocasek seconded

― Edward Bax (EdBax), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 21:21 (twenty years ago)

Ric Ocasek thirded.
Gary Usher (at least until 1990), otherwise Terry Melcher.

― The Equator Lounge (Chris Barrus), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 21:36 (twenty years ago)

Ric Ocasek's guitar sound + Peter Buck's technique = does not compute

― joseph cotten (joseph cotten), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 21:37 (twenty years ago)

Nick Launay, got a pretty mighty sound on 'Abattoir Blues'
that would suit.

― dr lulu (dr lulu), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 21:52 (twenty years ago)

Or anyone who would sack their drummer, there's a big problem there too. Can't say Bill Berry was much chop either but hiring someone with a feel might be a good start.

― dr lulu (dr lulu), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 21:55 (twenty years ago)

m. froom = death

how bout Lee hazlewood?

― boots mallory, Tuesday, 14 March 2006 22:04 (twenty years ago)

isn't terry melcher dead?

― kyle (akmonday), Tuesday, 14 March 2006 22:09 (twenty years ago)

isn't terry melcher dead?

Yes, but he was very much alive when R.E.M. still had the potential to matter.

― The Equator Lounge (Chris Barrus), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 00:25 (twenty years ago)

Ric Ocasek's guitar sound + Peter Buck's technique = does not compute

Which is exactly why Ocasek would be my #1 choice.

― The Equator Lounge (Chris Barrus), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 00:26 (twenty years ago)

Since Guy Stevens has passed on, I'll say Bob Dylan, based on his masterful production on Love and Theft.

They could also benefit from the back-to-basics Rick Rubin style.

― kornrulez6969 (TCBeing), Wednesday, 15 March 2006 01:07 (twenty years ago)

two months pass...

I'm kind of coming around to Joe Boyd's production on Fables. Really, I just don't think they got guitar sounds that were as good as the ones on the Easter/Dixon records. And maybe it would be nice if the bass was clearer at points, but the drums and vocals sound nice on this record.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 18:18 (nineteen years ago)

I mean, I really think that the reason people perceive Fables as an album that kind of drones on is not the material, but the guitar sound. Listen to the sequence of "Green Grow the Rushes" and "Kohoutek" - it sounds like one long track.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 18:39 (nineteen years ago)

I stated this on another REM thread, but outside the acoustic songs, the production on Green sounds really dated and kind of cheezy.

Fables is just not as good an album front to back as the first two or Lifes Rich Pagent and I don't think with improved production it would have been much better.

Jack Douglas had the mojo with Aerosmith back in the day, but the Clutch album he did a few years ago sounds pretty meh.

― Earl Nash (earlnash), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 20:13 (nineteen years ago)

Ooh, I disagree! I think outside of that "Green Grow the Rushes" -> "Kohoutek" sequence, you have an album where the material is as strong as that on Murmur or Reckoning. Maybe the music on Murmur has a little more emotional breadth or something, but Fables is charged with this growing sophistication. They became a much more dynamic live band on the Reconstruction tours and I think it had a lot to do with their new material. Lifes Rich Pageant was where they started to have issues with having enough quality new material (using two really old songs, doing a cover and a throwaway novelty instrumental), which continued on Document (side two of which was their worst album side up to that point).

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 20:31 (nineteen years ago)

Ricardo Villalobos

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 20:32 (nineteen years ago)

Booka Shade

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 20:33 (nineteen years ago)

Dr Dre
Pete Waterman
Max Martin

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 20:33 (nineteen years ago)

Oh yeah and obviously Wiley.

― Ronan (Ronan), Wednesday, 14 June 2006 20:34 (nineteen years ago)

"Green Grow the Rushes" is my favourite REM song!

― Sundar (sundar), Thursday, 15 June 2006 15:40 (nineteen years ago)

Well, that or "Feeling Gravity's Pull". I like the guitar sound on that track a lot.

― Sundar (sundar), Thursday, 15 June 2006 15:41 (nineteen years ago)

Well, that or "Feeling Gravity's Pull". I like the guitar sound on that track a lot. Also, the arrangement's great.

― Sundar (sundar), Thursday, 15 June 2006 15:41 (nineteen years ago)

I like all the songs on the album; I just don't think that sequence of "Green Grow the Rushes" into "Kohoutek" works that great (though it surely could have worked better if they were arranged so that there was a little more contrast in sound there).

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 15 June 2006 15:47 (nineteen years ago)

After reading this thread:
When was the last time Tim Sendra listened to the Good Earth by the feelies?">

and revisiting both The Good Earth and Time for a Witness for the first time in waaaay too long, the answer to the question could be Mercer, Million and Buck for the first 3 or 4 albums then Mercer, Million, and Gary Smith for the balance of albums with Bill Berry (even though I have no complaints about the Gehman albums) (and leave New Adventures... as is, please).

After that, meh.

― my name is john. i reside in chicago. (frankE), Thursday, 15 June 2006 16:24 (nineteen years ago)

Now you're gonna get Tim all riled up.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn (Alfred Soto), Thursday, 15 June 2006 16:32 (nineteen years ago)

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