Relient K Band • Page 138

That is not the impression I get from Chris's podcast. He speaks extremely highly of him during any interview with a band who was produced by him.

 

My Chemical Romance? The Starting Line? Saosin? Less Than Jake? All American Rejects? TSOL? Blindside? Head Automatica? Meg & Dia? Like ... NONE? There's like at least 5 all timers in there for me.

 

It would take all my fingers and toes to count how many Benson albums are great

 

Then I'd need to borrow someone else's

 

Benson's process of making records is for sure difficult for artists, but he's made some great ones.

 

It would also take all my fingers and toes to count producers who are hard to work with but have excellent results

 

Ah interesting, I remember a behind the scenes video (bonus DVD with the album, I believe?) with them and Benson and the tension was palpable, as I recall. Their comments about him seemed like they were trying to stay professional. But hey, maybe it wasn't as bad as it seemed:) Could've been the tension of the creative process.

 

I've never looked into Howard Bensons work specifically, but what a wild discography. There are crazy heavy hitters in there like MCR's Three Cheers and Saosin's s/t, but then there is shit like the two Skillet albums that plagued my youth group days, and Mae's Singularity which I just find to be a shockingly miserable listen for a band I general like. To add some RK to this, Collapsible Lung I find inconsistent, ranging from great to hilariously bad, but I can tank that record fine. Every time I have attempted Singularity I have gotten a splitting headache. My music taste honestly isn't too picky, usually only anything by Skillet gets the title of "so bad it hurt my health", but god singularity.

basically just wow benson's discrography is so all over. Genuinely ranges from masterpieces, to garbage so stinky Oscar the Grouch would be averse to it.

 

When Five Scores came out I was so let down by it. Felt lifeless. Felt sappy. Felt like a b-sides record honestly. So many songs feel like demos where the ideas are there but lyrics or melodies are place holders and they never went back. Songs run together or sound very similar. Like Matt T. needed to write another 4-5 songs for the album and did so in like a day or two. It's so weird that it's between two of their best albums. They are my favorite band and have been since Anatomy, but Five Scores still feels like such a weird album to me.

 

Spending my even scrolling through Howard Benson’s discography now.

 

I still think Five Score is their best album up to that point. They kinda ditched what was left of their pop punk sound on that record which I think was for the best.

 

I believe the guys from Mae said it was a weird experience with Benson, where he showed up the studio with a bunch of Playboys and wanted to make them rock stars iirc.

 

yeah i'm not hearing the lifelessness in five score. it has its fair share of cheesiness but that was kind of to be expected with relient k, lol. i think it's a great piano pop rock album.

 

Mmhmm is an insanely energetic album so I can definitely understand people noticing the difference between that and Five Score, but that’s more in the songwriting than the production, imo.

 

don't forget Hoobastank

 

That first Hoobstank album is pretty fun, before the one with The Reason. Their pre-label album is also shockingly good, early incubus vibes

 

Yeah, the Hoobustank “Basketball Shorts” album was a lot of fun. A lot of ska vibes on there.

 

But have you heard the Latin version of The Reason

 

a howie b chitown classic

 

Best album

 

I have always loved Five Score. I also think "Must Have Done Something Right" is one of the band's best songs cause I like being happy sometimes.

 

Being happy? Far too controversial for my liking, ha!

 

Also a surprisingly good live band!