Brendan O Brien

Achilles said:
More your speed. :grin

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:sofa:whistle :rawk :rofl


I don't want the f it is about that Dogman album. They dump Beatles harmony over everything previously on that Faith Hope Love turd and then come out "here's our heavy album" and I'm like....
Iron Man Eye Roll GIF


No. I'll take Testament's "Low" for $500 Alex when I want heavy in 1994.
 
MirrorProfiles said:
I couldn’t stop either, just loved every second of it.

The main things I got from it:

- his brain always seems to be in creative mode, he can barely sit still and ideas are just jumping out of him from one thing to another.
- SUPER modest but clearly so skilled in so many areas of music. Any compliment on production or engineering was deflected onto the band “Great hi hat sound” “Yeah he could really play well”.
- Must have had something very unique to impress Bob Ezrin/George Drakoulias/Rick Rubin so fast. Those guys recognised his talent and nurtured him so he could thrive.
- Bob Ezrin sounds brutal, like a LOT of engineers have paid their dues working for him and it’s not a nice experience
- Brendan was born to make records. Even without music or drink or drugs I don’t think a typical school or structured environment would have worked for him. His talents aren’t really compatible with that sort of structure. In many ways he’s the total opposite to Rick Rubin - Rick is patient, methodical, chooses his words carefully, has no (formal) musical or technical ability.
- I think his approach is to really get to the point early in the process and capture that. Nothing seems laboured, it’s all about getting it happening early on
- his ability as a musician should not be underestimated. I think the greats he’s worked with recognise this pretty quickly.
- Brendan really had an enormous stamp on the sound of rock music for 20+ years. RHCP/Pearl Jam/STP/Soundgarden/RATM/Limp Bizkit/Korn/Incubus, as well as working with greats like Neil Young/Springsteen/Dylan/ACDC
- his work has generally aged SO well, a lot of defining albums that somehow sounded timeless from day 1
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What really stuck out with me, and with a lot of engineer/producer interviews tbh, is that their work is so straightforward and to the point it almost comes across as them talking about how to boil water lol. No romance in it whatsoever unless they're talking about a song. There is no magical formula except their work ethic and intuition in making a record. The magic formula is really in the artist/song and how best the engineer and producer can stoke that flame and get the best possible interpretation across. I love how he talked about mixing as he goes along the recording process, and when it's time to do a final mix it's just moving the faders up and there's the sound. Obviously working on Neves and SSLs doesn't hurt either, lol.
 
JiveTurkey said:
I don't want the f it is about that Dogman album. They dump Beatles harmony over everything previously on that Faith Hope Love turd and then come out "here's our heavy album" and I'm like....
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You missed the self titled album between those two.

 
FuzzyAce said:
What really stuck out with me, and with a lot of engineer/producer interviews tbh, is that their work is so straightforward and to the point it almost comes across as them talking about how to boil water lol. No romance in it whatsoever unless they're talking about a song. There is no magical formula except their work ethic and intuition in making a record. The magic formula is really in the artist/song and how best the engineer and producer can stoke that flame and get the best possible interpretation across. I love how he talked about mixing as he goes along the recording process, and when it's time to do a final mix it's just moving the faders up and there's the sound. Obviously working on Neves and SSLs doesn't hurt either, lol.
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It really is the truth, and the important stuff is the stuff they ALWAYS mention but people overlook because its boring. Stuff like having the sessions well arranged and organized, removing unnecessary distractions, having it sound like a song with just balancing faders etc.

btw this guy worked with Brendan (at least on the mix for Limp Bizkit - Take a Look Around, but presumably some other stuff). I dont think the info really makes any difference, but its cool to hear none the less: https://gearspace.com/board/showpost.php?p=11529825&postcount=14

 
Achilles said:
Sorry for the derail.....

@JiveTurkey you ever hear these guys? Saw them open for King's X and they were really great.
Same producer.

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I have that CD at home actually. IIRC; it had some killer riffs (and was pretty thrashy, all things considered) but it went a bit too hard in the harmony vocal paint for me just like King's X does. I don't know what it is but that style of layered vocal goop just doesn't sit with my ears?
 
JiveTurkey said:
I have that CD at home actually. IIRC; it had some killer riffs (and was pretty thrashy, all things considered) but it went a bit too hard in the harmony vocal paint for me just like King's X does. I don't know what it is but that style of layered vocal goop just doesn't sit with my ears?
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What about layered trumpets?:whistle
 
Not a huge Pearl Jam fan either way but I find it quite funny how Brendan’s recollection of the 1st album lines up with Tim Palmers - that at the time everyone loved the sound of it and that the more reverby sound was something the band were into. With hindsight, Brendan’s sound suits them better but history doesn’t need rewriting for Ten
 
MirrorProfiles said:
Not a huge Pearl Jam fan either way but I find it quite funny how Brendan’s recollection of the 1st album lines up with Tim Palmers - that at the time everyone loved the sound of it and that the more reverby sound was something the band were into. With hindsight, Brendan’s sound suits them better but history doesn’t need rewriting for Ten
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see also Andy Wallace’s mix of Nevermind.

There’s something to be said for Andy Wallace - I don’t know of a single professional engineer who doesn’t worship him. I’ve spoken to some legendary guys who all mention how Andy Wallace’s work changed the game for them. Was awesome to hear Brendan speak glowingly of his work.

Brendan is scary because he can play, produce and mix to an unbelievable standard.
 
Fuckin’ crazy he mixed Dogman on NS10’s, too.

Part of me wants to say there’s a bit more to it than “watch the speakers until they start moving” because those speakers can move with the bass being all loose ass, too, it could just as easily be and is most likely just the combination of people involved and the studio they were in.
 
About two hours in and love the time they’ve spent on VS. I hear those songs now and immediately get transported to the time and place. Instant nostalgia.

This dude engineered/produced my childhood. :ROFLMAO:
 
DrewJD82 said:
Fuckin’ crazy he mixed Dogman on NS10’s, too.

Part of me wants to say there’s a bit more to it than “watch the speakers until they start moving” because those speakers can move with the bass being all loose ass, too, it could just as easily be and is most likely just the combination of people involved and the studio they were in.
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There’s some guys like Manny Marroquin and Jaycen Joshua who are still on ns10 and are getting the most huge/clean/tight low end on their mixes.

I’ve heard Manny’s ns10’s in his (2nd) room with no sub and they sounded incredible.

With all these big name mixers, they’re often in AMAZING rooms with the best of the best acoustics, and also some big mains. They might not mix on the mains for long, but it’s certainly handy to check things quickly on. Manny did 95% of the mix on ns10’s but blasted shit REALLY LOUD at the beginning on some huge Augspurgers to get the low end feeling good.

Jimmy Douglass’s approach to mixing low end on ns10’s=
 
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This guy produced my fav album of the 2000s: Billy Talent III.

I never see this album or even this band talked about online, but in 2009 I bought the album day one and was blasted away how amazing it was. Artistically and production-wise.

Need to give it a relisten if it aged well or if it was my juvenile mind just not knowing better stuff.
 
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