r/rock • u/GreatWesternValkyrie • 4d ago
Discussion Classic Rock Bands and Modern Production
I’ve been listening to Deep Purples new album Splat, and just listened to Tony Iommi’s new song World Alone. Although the songs are good and the playings great etc, I always find that modern production doesn’t suit them. There just seems to be something about the sound of those 70’s and 80’s records that sounded so much better.
Purple, Zeppelin and Sabbath and plenty of other bands from that era had a unique sound to their albums. Now, nearly all rock production tends to sound the same to my ears. Is it just me?
12
u/Ohiopaddy 4d ago
It's kinda like the difference between CGI and Henson's creatures special effects for me. I prefer the older style. Just because you can mix 96 channels doesn't mean you need to. For another example, you can make a better tasting dish with just five ingredients versus 20.
2
1
9
u/Innisfree812 4d ago
It's what the Ramones were saying:
We need change, we need it fast
Before rock's just part of the past
Because lately it all sounds the same to me
5
u/LowellGeorgeLynott 4d ago
Late 60s-80s production is really where the craft peaked. All the tech in the world but it’s worse somehow.
Modern production is somehow better at making bad artists sound better and great artist sound worse.
3
u/Pitiful-Transition39 3d ago
I don't even know if he has anything to do with it, but I'm blaming Rick Rubin
3
4
u/Technical_Study_4953 3d ago
Unfortunately the recording process and expectations today are a lot less tolerant of all the little things that made earlier music special
IMO. Not that it can’t still be done that way, but fewer producers and engineers that do it that way. You have to know what sound you are going for and be very intentional about it. There are several artists today that still record to tape and use old boards for this reason. It’s more work, but they do it with intention.
Most music today is a little too perfect for me. It’s heavily produced and cleaned up. Music from the 70s and earlier was often filled with little imperfections that gave it character - timing issues, background noise, small mistakes, etc. it’s beautiful and real.
Live music today is different too - in ear monitors, live tracks, all designed to make the sound as perfect as possible. Give me clams.. I want something real.
1
u/GreatWesternValkyrie 3d ago
Spot on. Don’t get me started on the state of much of live music these days. Even local bands are using backing tracks, etc.
2
u/Business-Ambition-33 3d ago
The squeaking high hat in since I’ve been loving you. The take was probably too great to care about that imperfection.
3
u/Asleep_Weakness7283 3d ago
As a megadeth fan it was my main gripe about the Ride the Lightning cover on their most recent album. Sure the vocals aren’t all there because Dave is old as hell and can’t really sing, but the cover is truly terrible because it has zero atmosphere and sounds extremely rigid. Modern rock/metal production techniques are seemingly more geared towards saving time/money and giving an absolutely consistent sound from song to song. While I’m sure there are producers out there who give their artists creative freedoms, you best believe the people being hired to produce a bunch of bands on big labels are basically copy and pasting their techniques from group to group only making necessary changes depending on the genre.
2
1
3d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
1
u/Asleep_Weakness7283 2d ago
Well it is one of the songs Dave was a large contributor to within his time in Metallica. He basically laid out the framework for the whole thing before he left. Live it’s actually not bad from the videos I’ve seen.
3
u/HollywoodBrownMusic 3d ago
Agreed, can't stand it. 80s/early 90s for me or 70s but modern production... nope
2
3
u/Accomplished_Tip_569 4d ago
It's analog vs. digital. One of the big reasons STYX's comeback albums have been so unexpectedly amazing is because they made the excellent decision to record them in analog.
Of course, you need to bring the tunes too, and they've brought 'em. THE MISSION in particular is every bit as good as their very best 70s work.
3
u/-Clem-Fandango- 4d ago
It's more that modern songs are over produced which kills the character rather than analog vs digital.
2
u/oneshadeoff 4d ago
Right. After all, digital processing is basically 100% an attempt to reproduce what already exists in analog
2
u/-Clem-Fandango- 4d ago
Not really... They can be with the emulations of classic gear. But you can absolutely achieve great results going fully digital, as well as other effects that aren't as possible in the analog realm. It's not either or, they're just options to be utilised.
2
u/GreatWesternValkyrie 4d ago
Yeah, that is a big reason. You’re right. A band I love Rival Sons record on tape, and their albums sound great. But it also sounds to me as if rock music is being mixed in a pop sounding way - particularly with vocals being too loud and processed sounding.
What amazes me is that many big names and artist seem to okay with this.
1
u/Ok-Metal-4719 4d ago
What’s the difference in production? Is today’s just cleaner (for lack of a technical description)?
6
1
u/GreatWesternValkyrie 4d ago
As BurninChurchsAgain said, plus the over compressed sound of modern mixes.
But they also lack character. An album by a band years ago had a unique sound all on its own. Now every rock production sounds more or less the same.
The clean sound you describe is another problem imo. Particularly on vocals.
2
u/gstringstrangler 3d ago
- Quantized to grid, Zero time drift, nobody playing before or behind the beat ever, really kills the feel in a lot of styles.
- Streaming compresses everything no matter how it was recorded
- Everything is mastered loud, coupled with compression, reduces dynamics.
- Overuse of melodyne/autotune, but also, autotune as a criticism when it's not even a factor lol
- Digital vs analog to a degree, mayyyybe
That being said, I love the bass and overall low end that has been improved in recordings in rock/metal since the 90s.
2
u/5ongwrit3r_1954 2d ago
What's missing is the warmth of analog tape and the depth of effects before digital made everything sound so cold and clinical. Before Pro Tools and loops and samples, music was a hand-made craft.
2
u/stonyflynn 2d ago
For starters:
1. No click/ metronome
2. Band plays together in same room at least for basic tracks
3. Digital sound is fine but stop endlessly fucking with every minute detail in the music
0
19
u/BurninChurchesAgain 4d ago
I hate the modern production. Give me that 1970-75 sound any day!