Comments on: Bricolage, Josef K & Orange Juice

By: The, erm, Bum Clocks « Song, by Toad

The, erm, Bum Clocks « Song, by Toad — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:10:53 +0000

[...] they mean, JC, those 80s ‘pyoo pyoo’ sounds aren’t doing anyone any favours – see comments.) Fire Engines – Candyskin (Peel Session Version) Orange Juice – [...]

By: jc

jc — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:33:48 +0000

At the risk of becoming the bore on this one….the drums on later OJ recordings are all down to the incredible skills of Zeke Manyika rather than the artificial nonsense mentioned by bill p.

I just get pissed off with those who dismiss the later records as being less relevant than the Postcard releases. I get the same way with those who idly dismiss Morrissey’s solo output…..

By: bill p

bill p — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:34:36 +0000

@JC… I’m all for proper studios and good microphones, etc. But when I say “Eighties Production” I’m talking about the then need to put Fairlight synth and Linn drums on everything. (Like the awful syn-toms all over the otherwise amazing High Land Hard Rain.) And just the general way they recorded drums from ’85 – ’90 (BIG BIG BIG) makes so many records from that era sound a bit dated.

By: Drunk Country

Drunk Country — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 10:23:12 +0000

That’s the beauty of the BBC, despite the cost of the license.

By: China

China — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:15:37 +0000

Backtracking a few…for them in particular, I think the slickness, though it’s sort of a combination of the two – I generally tend to dislike it when low budget bands with sparse sounds suddenly find money and make records with bigger, cleaner sounds (oh, to resent money!). Much as clean production ruins the fun of a punk record, I think it’s partially to blame for some bands sounding more pop or generic than they once were.

Blah blah evolving blah blah maturing blah. I like crappy, cheap production, basically, though I suppose ’80s flash isn’t much my thing. On a side note related to DC’s post, it sounds as though you get more interesting documentaries than we get in the states. Humph.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 23:38:40 +0000

Is that not the one JC is in a mood about? I think so. I didn’t see it though, because we don’t have a telly at the moment.

By: Drunk Country

Drunk Country — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 23:35:17 +0000

I ain’t getting involved in this one – all the bases/recommends appear covered, so I’ll sit here & be quiet. For once. Except to ask, did you see the Postcard Records doc the other night on one of those BBC channels? Rather informative, if a bit fluffy & reverential, it were too.

By: Matthew

Matthew — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 22:10:13 +0000

Well some bands genuinely sound worse when they start to sound better, if you know what I mean. Are you talking about just not liking the particular production style of that period in the 80s or generally excessive slickness ruining the record?

By: China

China — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 21:06:18 +0000

I dunno, I almost agree a touch with Bill – the one thing I noticed about some of the stuff of theirs from later on is that it’s a bit more new wave-y, a little corny (cornier?), a bit too big (at least, for my personal taste). Still like it somewhat, but not nearly as much as the sparse-sounding stuff.

By: jc

jc — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 20:00:24 +0000

I have to strongly disagree with Bill P and Ed. The later records don’t suffer from ‘Eighties Production’. They are recorded on a major label, and thus in studios that have better equipment.

Also, Edwyn in particular was becoming a better guitar player and was learning to sing differently.

I’m no real fan of Rip It Up….but Texas Fever and The Orange Juice are as good as You Cant Hide Your Love.

Just pick up any compilation that spans the years and listen without prejudice. The records are far from over-produced. You’ve made me angry – and coming on the back of the Caledonia Dreaming debacle, I am one very unhappy weegie bunny.

Stop being indie-snobs….