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Brendan O'Brien - PJ's George Martin?!

pirlo21pirlo21 Posts: 534
edited September 2008 in The Porch
I have to admit, I just listen to the music. I don't really understand the ins & outs of production and how it affects an album.
But I've lost count of how many times I' read on these boards people going crazy of the work of Brendan O'Brien.
Loads of people have commented that had he produced Ten it would be an even greater masterpiece. And how happy they are that he's back behind the mixing desk for album #9.

Is this guy to PJ what Martin was to the Beatles. Or just another producer?!
Cymru Am Byth

PJ albums, at the moment!! -
1,Vs 2,Vitalogy 3,No Code 4,Yield 5,Ten 6,Backspacer, 7Pearl Jam 8,Binaural 9,Riot Act.
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Army & NavyArmy & Navy Posts: 120
    well their albums have sounded slightly dodgy since they started experimenting with Tchad Blake & Adam Kasper

    Blake created an atmosphere with Binaural, and its an unique sounding album. dark and industrial.

    Kasper recorded PJ like a garage band on Riot Act, and then stuck far too much gloss on Pearl Jam. The man had to go.
  • dangeringravitydangeringravity Posts: 99
    Brenden O'Brien is very, very well respected producer. Even if you don't like something he's produced, it's usually still safe to say that the quality is always top notch. He's worked with a number of huge artists, look him up:)
    i've been in my mind, it's such a fine line...
  • Gonzo1977Gonzo1977 Posts: 1,696
    His track record speaks for itself. The albums and songs he's produced for Pearl Jam are amoung the best in the bands catalogue.

    I can't wait to hear what he does with them on this run.
  • catch22catch22 Posts: 1,081
    pirlo21 wrote:
    I have to admit, I just listen to the music. I don't really understand the ins & outs of production and how it affects an album.
    But I've lost count of how many times I' read on these boards people going crazy of the work of Brendan O'Brien.
    Loads of people have commented that had he produced Ten it would be an even greater masterpiece. And how happy they are that he's back behind the mixing desk for album #9.

    Is this guy to PJ what Martin was to the Beatles. Or just another producer?!

    he seems to have a knack for bringing the best out of the band. he produced their strongest run of albums... vs-yield. his remixes of ten show that the album would have sounded 100 times better if he had produced it. i think the fact that he has a strong working relationship with the band would help matters, even if for no other reason than that the band trusts his judgment.

    tchad blake did a good job with binaural and bringing out the mood, but didn't really capture their rock side so well. adam kasper seems to struggle to fit the band... they're not the foo fighters (a band he HAS done great work with). riot act was dreary, and s/t overcompensated by being far too bright and glossy.

    i also suspect that o'brien would not have taken shit from them when it came to shelving their best material... ie sad, fatal, other side, down, undone, etc. i think their relationship is such that he could talk them out of such foolish stuff, whereas a new producer coming in to work with legends like pearl jam might not be as comfortable saying "ed, you're a moron. down is an album cut. period. now stop whining and get back on the mic... down take 2!" :)
    and like that... he's gone.
  • NMyTreeNMyTree Posts: 2,374
    In all honsety, I think Brenden O'Brien pretty much sucks.

    He has had one or two decent sounding albums, but overall the production value and recording quality of his albums leaves much to be desired.

    He has way too many albums that sound like crap.
  • 12345AGNST112345AGNST1 Posts: 4,906
    Yield IMO has easily the best production of any PJ album, a close second would be VS. Yield has this light/airy feel to the production that I love. Did Brendan produce no code?
    5/28/06, 6/27/08, 10/28/09, 5/18/10, 5/21/10
    8/7/08, 6/9/09
  • veddermanvedderman Posts: 801
    yield and no code sounds very similar because they were produced the same way and jack irons used the same drums on both albums.
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  • TrailerTrailer Posts: 1,431
    Brendan's done some cool things with Pearl Jam, Incubus, etc... but I would hardly call him George Martin.
    He did, however, engineer one of my favorite records of all time, BloodSugarSexMagik:cool:... but that was with Rick Rubin as the producer.
    Whoa, chill bro... you know you can't raise your voice like that when the lion's here.
  • Stone IronsStone Irons Posts: 430
    12345AGNST1 wrote:
    Did Brendan produce no code?

    Yes
    Can't escape from the common rule...
    If you hate something, don't you do it too
  • shadershader Posts: 1
    Hey there first post here but I'm a long time reader.
    I'm a big fan of O'brien, I think he's one of the best producers out there and he produced my favourite Pearl Jam Album - No Code.
    I think he's the producer that completly understands the way Pearl Jam like to sound and in that case you can compare him to George Martin.
  • SomethingCreativeSomethingCreative Kazoo, MI Posts: 3,395
    NMyTree wrote:
    In all honsety, I think Brenden O'Brien pretty much sucks.

    He has had one or two decent sounding albums, but overall the production value and recording quality of his albums leaves much to be desired.

    He has way too many albums that sound like crap.

    examples?
    "Well, I think this band is incapable of sucking."
    -my dad after hearing Not for You for the first time on SNL .
  • muppetmuppet Posts: 980
    SomethingCreative wrote:
    examples?

    Magic by Bruce Springsteen

    I love his work with Pearl Jam though
  • youngsteryoungster Boston Posts: 6,576
    Since the Yield album, who else has he worked with? I saw Incubus and Bruce Springsteen but is that it? Anyways, can't wait for the new record to come out, hopefully in 2009.
    He who forgets will be destined to remember.

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  • muppetmuppet Posts: 980
    cropduster82 wrote:
    Since the Yield album, who else has he worked with? I saw Incubus and Bruce Springsteen but is that it? Anyways, can't wait for the new record to come out, hopefully in 2009.

    I think he did Revelations by Audioslave and may have had a hand in Out of Exile. He produced Tom Morello's solo albums, and Velvet Revolvers second album. And the new AC/DC album.
  • TrailerTrailer Posts: 1,431
    cropduster82 wrote:
    Since the Yield album, who else has he worked with? I saw Incubus and Bruce Springsteen but is that it? Anyways, can't wait for the new record to come out, hopefully in 2009.

    Since Yield?? Well he's worked with a LOT of people!:D

    RATM, STP, Korn, Incubus, Springsteen, Velvet Revolver, Trey Anastasio, The Wallflowers, Audioslave, Train, and so forth
    Whoa, chill bro... you know you can't raise your voice like that when the lion's here.
  • SomethingCreativeSomethingCreative Kazoo, MI Posts: 3,395
    muppet wrote:
    Magic by Bruce Springsteen

    I love his work with Pearl Jam though



    oooh ok I haven't heard that...I didn't even know he produced it. I did hear that it didn't sound very good though.
    "Well, I think this band is incapable of sucking."
    -my dad after hearing Not for You for the first time on SNL .
  • dannydanny Posts: 2,279
    pirlo21 wrote:
    I have to admit, I just listen to the music. I don't really understand the ins & outs of production and how it affects an album.
    But I've lost count of how many times I' read on these boards people going crazy of the work of Brendan O'Brien.
    Loads of people have commented that had he produced Ten it would be an even greater masterpiece. And how happy they are that he's back behind the mixing desk for album #9.

    Is this guy to PJ what Martin was to the Beatles. Or just another producer?!


    brendan obrien hooray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!over the moon
    danny d
  • NMyTreeNMyTree Posts: 2,374
    SomethingCreative wrote:
    examples?

    Bruce Springsteen-The Rising

    Stone Temple Pilots- Purple

    Trey Anastasio- Shine

    just about every Pearl Jam album he had a hand in.



    Just to name a few...there's a lot more


    I will say that the .......Bachelor No. 2 by Aimee Mann sounds excellent.
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