Curious what you mean by this, since that album is not really fussily produced at all. Sleepwalkers strikes me as a more "produced" album.
The bass in Wonderful Life (which is an amazing song), sounds weird 2 or 3 times. That’s something I shouldn’t notice. Long Drives sounds so much better when it was recorded for Molly and the Zombies. There are a few vocal moments in different songs that I think are meant to sound raw, where I just kind of feel like “why use that take” or maybe it was the mic or position. I know Brian was trying to sound raw and Americana, but he’s raw an natural rough vocally, so those raged or attempts to sound underproduced don’t feel required. Like, Brian and Gaslight still feel rough and raw on Momma’s Boys and Sweet Morphine. It feels like one take, a little rough, but by chance, or living. There are some songs where it’s not the case on the album, like Rosemary, Open All Night, and more. I feel it was a producer making a lot of a decisions and Brian just saying yes to be different a new and reinvented. Rushed. I think rushed is the right word. I felt moments of Frank Turner’s Positive songs felt rushed too. Maybe working with artist who’s producing like Butch, who both guys seem to have fun with and respect didn’t get the best of best result because I notice distractions. I listen to both records a lot because I love so many of the songs. Sometimes I think producers try stuff because they want to do something g different from their other work and want that stamp. They have an idea in their head, and make sure to squeeze it in. I think Ted’s work with the band sounds amazing, and you’d never know it was the same guy. They put that vocal effect in on ‘59 sound, yes, but for a reason. He adapted American Slang to fit an output. He adapted to make Horrible Crowe’s what Brian and Ian envisioned. Same with Painkillers. Soft touches like the needle on ‘59 sound. The coke can on Ladykiller. I just dig it. I really do love it all, just to different degrees. I tried to adjust that bass line thing on Wonderful Life myself but I can’t. That song rules though. I just can’t listen to it in either of my vehicles or on a certain speaker in my house because it interferes so much. That’s also how I know it’s from the record and not just a crappy speaker of mine. Long winded.sorry. It’s hard to explain in text as a non producer. I have lots of experience recording voices for TV, but none with musical equipment. I’ve worked with some highly successful music producers before, and man their ears are great. They were really picky, and in the moment, it seems like they are way to picky, but then you hear a playback and you’re like, yeah, that’s why this producer is award winning or a legend.
I’d prefer Ted. I remember you mentioned a specific name. I may be in the minority, but 1 Butch album was enough for me. I know a bunch of people are fans of Butch. It’s not reflection on his albums for his bands or work with artists as a producer beyond those two albums he did with Frank and Brian. Like I said, I love being so caught up in a record I don’t even think about the production. I am the same with film directors too.
Really, really forgot how much I loved this album. Etta James made me tear up the first time I heard it and holy crap My Name is the Night is still such a jam
LP 3. Excited already. I hope Brian sticks with the one word album title. I hope Ted and the Howling Weather are both back if it makes sense. Brian’s write/record/release/tour rate has continued to be impressive since going solo. I am ready.
I didn't read the comments of his post but I just hope his fans are respectful enough to not be like "HOW ABOUT NEW GASLIGHT ALBUM?"
I hope he follows his own trajectory and we’ll see where that takes him. I wasn’t surprised by the post TGA - Americana idea, but I didn’t entirely expect the Sleepwalkers sound and I was so thrilled.
Was looking at the past few shows Brian did in the UK to get a sense of what might go down on Saturday. Hard to predict, which is probably for the best.
As someone who just got into Brian literally the day that Sleepwalkers came out - and then later heavily got into Painkillers as well - I look forward to following along with this album cycle and hopefully seeing him on his next tour. I still can't get into The Gaslight Anthem