T bone burnett
- Thread starter mep
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You might like John Mellencamp - No Better than This.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Better_Than_This
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Better_Than_This
He produced the soundtrack to the film "Oh Brother Where Art Thou,' which I bought on vinyl a decade ago. It contains a modern performance of Hard Time/Killin' Floor, a famous Skip James song. I can't remember if the production quality is great (I assumed your question was whether his albums sound good), but it is studded with great artists performing Dust Bowl era stuff. The great Skip James original recordings (transcribed to 33) are brilliant but antique-sounding; his 'record deal' was with a furniture company that made record players; the company went bankrupt early in the Depression and I think James got lost for decades until he was 'rediscovered' in the early 60's by some blues devotees that dragged the suffering artist from his hospital bed to Newport in 63 or 64. (I think James was suffering from cancer of the penis- ugh).
There is a pretty famous piece of footage showing James playing indoors while at Newport to a small crowd; a hulking man is leaning against the bar listening- only when the man turns around do you see that it is Howlin' Wolf.
So, I guess I bought this album because of Skip James, although there are other good songs and performances on it. More than you might have needed to know about Skip. T-Bone Burnett is pretty ubiquitous as a producer. I don't have his most recent work with Diana Krall, although her earlier albums were very well produced (and mixed, if memory serves, by the legendary Al Schmitt).
There is a pretty famous piece of footage showing James playing indoors while at Newport to a small crowd; a hulking man is leaning against the bar listening- only when the man turns around do you see that it is Howlin' Wolf.
So, I guess I bought this album because of Skip James, although there are other good songs and performances on it. More than you might have needed to know about Skip. T-Bone Burnett is pretty ubiquitous as a producer. I don't have his most recent work with Diana Krall, although her earlier albums were very well produced (and mixed, if memory serves, by the legendary Al Schmitt).
I own that LP and it is horrid. If Mellencamp wanted to go for the 1950s sound, he should have used an Ampex 350 to record to and not a cheap consumer Ampex deck.
You assumed correctly Bill. The few LPs I have that he gets credit for I don't care for. I almost bought an LP last night until I saw T Bone had his hambones involved in the production which is why I started this thread. Before the last Mellencamp disaster that John linked to, T Bone supposedly developed some new digital process that was going to allow you to hear exactly what they get to hear in the recording studio (anybody heard that line before?). I forgot the name of the magical digital process T Bone came up with, but I have the CD and it's nothing to write home to mother about even if you were doing 50 to life.
It sounds to me like the intent of your thread is not to acquire decent recordings that T Bone Burnett is/was involved in, but rather just bitching as you've not said anything good about him so far.
John-What LPs/CDs I own that T Bone had a hand in is small and so far I'm not a fan. What I wanted to find out from people who have more experience than I do with his recordings is if he does have some great stuff out there to be had or if I should steer clear of him. So my first reaction wasn't directed at you, it was my reaction to that horrid Mellencamp LP. I don't want to spend anymore of my money on LPs that he was involved in if the SQ I'm hearing is typical of his recordings.
I would steer clear of his work if sound quality is your only concern. Unfortunately he has won a number of awards and so has a reputation among artists as a producer who will make them sound good; this means there is a fair amount of good music that is produced by him, so you don't get the music unless you also get his production.
I agree with you Mark, his stuff is too compressed (though not bad by today's deteriorated standards) and often has a "funny" mix and/or EQ.
I agree with you Mark, his stuff is too compressed (though not bad by today's deteriorated standards) and often has a "funny" mix and/or EQ.
I didn't take it personally really, and for the record I don't play that LP much either, but I have a little less contempt for it.
I find it interesting though that you are trying to seek out albums from a specific producer to possibly consider. I never do that, and we know there are some great ones like Phil Ramone/Lanois to name but twp. I focus on the music I like and if good production and mastering come with it...bonus! I know guys that eat up anything done by Hoffman/Gray/Marino/Diamant, plus, plus, etc., etc. etc.
John-It's the exact opposite from that. I was looking at some new LPs last night and saw one that caught my eye until I saw T Bone Burnett listed as the producer. I haven't liked what he has done so far that I own and that is why I asked the question when I started the thread. You could say that I have stayed away from him, not sought out his work.
T-Bone Burnett's thing, as far as I can tell, is deep knowledge of American roots music and a gift for putting the right people together on the right songs with the right arrangements. I can't say I've ever heard anything of his that I found offensive (Though there is a lot, including that Mellencamp record, that I haven't heard) or noticably wonderful, sonically. Evidently he's not an audiophile record-maker. For a direct answer to your question, Mark, I think Bruce Cockburn's "Nothing But A Burning Light," Counting Crows "August and Everything After," the Bodeans "Love, Hope, Sex & Dreams," Los Lobos "How Will The Wolf Survive," The Wallflowers "Bringing Down The Horse," Gillian Welch's "Hell Among the Yearlings," are all pretty good sounding records. Not ambient room audiophile stuff. Studio records and some of them are pretty compressed. But they still sound good to me. But who knows? Maybe I was too influenced by the music.
Tim
Tim
I have the Wallflowers Bringing Down the Horse on CD. I bought it many years ago when it first came out and haven't listened to it in many years either. I didn't realize that was a T Bone produced album also. I like the music, but it's far too compressed and just loud if memory serves me correctly.
I like Sam Phillips, a lot (strong relation with T-Bone Burnett).
The first song of this album; Rivers of Love is beautifully interpreted, and played very well.
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* You can click ^ on her, and get some samples (check track #1, written by T-Bone).
_______________________
Here's a T-Bone's album ::
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-----------------* Click on that hat ^
The first song of this album; Rivers of Love is beautifully interpreted, and played very well.
--
* You can click ^ on her, and get some samples (check track #1, written by T-Bone).
_______________________
Here's a T-Bone's album ::
--
-----------------* Click on that hat ^
Tim-Do you really think the Wallflowers album in question has decent dynamic range?
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