Favorite Producer

bassist_25 · Post by **bassist_25** » Monday Dec 05, 2005

Here's an interesting topic. Who's your favorite producer(s).

I've always liked Rick Rubin. IMO, he's does what a good producer should do. He finds what makes a band great and then perfects it. Some producers stamp their "signature sound" on a band, but the only thing consistent with Rubin's production is that it's always quality. He's either been the producer or executive producer on some of my all-time favorite albums.

Kid Rock also doesn't get the credit that he deserves as a producer. Devil Without a Cause is one of the most well-produced albums of the 90s, IMO.

ToonaRockGuy · Post by **ToonaRockGuy** » Monday Dec 05, 2005

Phil Spector. Despite his personal problems (murder), his "wall of sound" changed music production forever.

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Tuesday Dec 06, 2005

George Martin and Phil Spector for taking rock music into a new realm of lush sonic possibilities. Compare their records to everything else coming out at the time, and it's like watching Wizard of Oz switch from black and white into TechniColor.

Honorable mention to Eno and Lanois for producing some of my favorite records. Great ambience.

Also mad props to the Dust Brothers for the records they've done with Beck. Any given song will have dozens of tracks of mismatched lo-fi instruments. Every individual track sounds like shit and it should be a total mess, but the song as a whole will sound brilliant. How the hell do they do that??

redawg · Post by **redawg** » Tuesday Dec 06, 2005

Tool's producer David Botrill (Spelling

) is awsome, Mutt Lang (Spelling

), he married Shania Twain, the lucky bastard and Brendon O'Brian, he produced Pearl Jam's cd Verses. I'm pretty sure he produced a few Stone Temple Pilots cd's.

RAM Z · Post by **RAM Z** » Tuesday Dec 06, 2005

Mutt Lang for sure! Just listen to some AC/DC. I think I read in an article or something once where he told Angus if he wasn't play'n certain strings to tape them down cause they were making to much noise!

redawg · Post by **redawg** » Tuesday Dec 06, 2005

His work on Pyromania rocked too. You can tell by listening to some of Shania's songs he worked on them. His production is all over some of her stuff.

ZappasXWife · Post by **ZappasXWife** » Tuesday Dec 06, 2005

Daniel Lanois gets my vote. I know he is best known for producing U2, but admire his work with Dylan even more. Phil Spector was a legend, very talented and creative, even though the guy is insane.

SpellboundByMetal · Post by **SpellboundByMetal** » Tuesday Dec 06, 2005

Peter Steele and Josh Silver produce their Type O Negative albums. I like when bands do their own producing.

Mikey Wax · Post by **Mikey Wax** » Tuesday Dec 06, 2005

Dave Moses

Plastered Bastards · Post by **Plastered Bastards** » Tuesday Dec 06, 2005

Billy Anderson or Alex Newport

Banned · Post by **Banned** » Tuesday Dec 06, 2005

Mutt Lang has always done great work. I also agree that Phil Spector did
some fine work in spite of his other activities. What about Quincy Jones?
There are many others who have put that "signature" sound on artists
recordings. I also like to hear some of the "raw" sounds that self-produced artists get. It's hard to say who's the best or my personal favorite because each has an individual taste and style of their own.

Possessed · Post by **Possessed** » Tuesday Dec 06, 2005

Scott Burns and Tom Morris
They produced most of the early 90's south FL deathmetal scene.
Obituary, Death, Malevolent Creation, Raped Ape, Etc.

Bloodsong · Post by **Bloodsong** » Tuesday Dec 06, 2005

i'm not sure that dave moses and rick rubin aren't the same person...

orangekick · Post by **orangekick** » Wednesday Dec 07, 2005

Steve Albini

moxham123 · Post by **moxham123** » Wednesday Dec 07, 2005

Here is another top producer to add to the list - Todd Rundgren. As well as being a musician, songwriter, film and TV show composer, and many other things, Todd Rundgren has produced some top notch records over the years.

A master in the studio, Rundgren produced Meatloaf, XTC, Patti Smith, The Tubes, Grand Funk Railroad, The New York Dolls, Badfinger, Hall and Oates, Bad Religion, Cheap Trick, Foghat, Ian Hunter, Lords of the New Church, The Psychedelic Furs and Sparks just to name a few.

YankeeRose · Post by **YankeeRose** » Wednesday Dec 07, 2005

Rick Rubin and Sir George Martin, because they produced 2 of my all-time favs. Very many of my fav Bands' Albums/CDs were self-produced, such as the one by Kid Rock that bassist_25 mentioned.

Killjingle · Post by **Killjingle** » Friday Dec 09, 2005

Rick Rubin.

Think about it. Resurrected Johnny Cash. Catupulted Slayer to the top of metal. AC/DC was dead and forgotten about until Big Gun. The RHCP Blood Sugar Sex Magic album is beautifully crafted. System of A Down has had some pretty special albums as well. The Beastie Boys Licensed To Ill might be one of that genre's best albums. Early Danzig was downright evil. The Cult's Ian Astbury always blew my mind under Rick's direction.

I would personally like to see a few of my fav artists let him produce their albums. I used to like Josh Silver's production, but after a few listens it makes me want a little something more. What you dont hear on a Rubin produced album I think is what makes it as special as what you do hear. I have heard he is a real dickbag, but hey I suppose he can be whomever he wants to be.

lonewolf · Post by **lonewolf** » Saturday Dec 10, 2005

I don't know about favorite, but Eddie Offord did a lot of groundbreaking work with ELP and Yes during the late 60s & early 70s. He is still at it, recently producing a record for Billy Squier in 2004.