Re: Kate-echism I.x.13 (Blore's response to IED)

[seismo!hao!udenva!showard (Steve "Blore" Howard)]

In article <8610170026.AA05974@EDDIE> Doug writes:
>
>                                                If the studio is used
>to add detail to a record, rather than to smooth it into slickness,
>the album can't be "over-produced".  The result is not necessarily
>great, but the flaw then is not in "over-production".

  But what if, in adding all this detail, the result is to ruin a good
song?  There is a point beyond which any further additions will serve
only to clutter up the mix, and not make the song sound any better.

>*The Dreaming* is NOT over-produced.  On *The Dreaming*, the studio is
>the major instrument.  This is why *The Dreaming* is such an
>important album.  

  Maybe.  But I should point out that just because something is the major
focus or main instrument doesn't mean there can't be too much of it.  For
example, guitars are the main instrument on your typical Lynyrd Skynyrd
song, and most Lynyrd Skynyrd songs have too much guitar.

>                  With significantly less production, *The Dreaming*
>wouldn't be *The Dreaming*. 

  No, but it might be a better album.

>By your own definition of "over-produced", Boston can't be
>over-produced because if their output is nothing but production, then
>it wouldn't be better with less production -- it would be nothing
>without production.
  
  Yes, but listening to nothing would be better than listening to Boston.

>>> Beyond that, Hounds of Love is OBVIOUSLY MORE painstakingly
>>> produced than The Dreaming, NOT LESS SO!
>
>Says who???

 Says IED, for one.
>
>> First of all, I never said that complexity is the same thing as
>> over-embellishment.  Over-embellishment, much like over-production, 
>> is a result of not knowing when a song is done and continuing to add
>> things to it.  Take a listen to "And Dream of Sheep"--one of the
>> best cuts on the album.  No balalaikas, no pan-flute, no digerido,
>> in short (and to avoid any further misspellings of words not found
>> in "spell") a nice little un-embellished song.  
>
>Then again, take a listen to "Jig of Life" and "Waking the Witch", the
>best cuts on the album: dijeridu, uillean pipes, fiddles, synth
>guitar, pitch-shifted distorted vocals, helicopters, etc.  Quality
>comes in many forms.
>
  Granted.  But my point is that there are no songs like "And Dream of
Sheep" on "The Dreaming."  Had it been on that album, it would have included
fiddles, and dijeridus, and bullroarers, and Renaissance nose flutes, and
the melody of the song would have been lost in the mix.

-- 
     
"I don't think any songs should be banned, except maybe 'The Night Chicago
 Died' by Paperlace" 

Steve "Blore" Howard, Average Guy
                      {hplabs, seismo}!hao!udenva!showard
or {boulder, cires, ucbvax!nbires, cisden}!udenva!showard