And Then There Were Three: Genesis

SteveG wrote: Blacksword wrote: prog4evr wrote: bloodnarfer wrote: ...The album seems to have a very mushy quality that I'm just not crazy about... That's what it is.  I just could not put the right word to it, but "mushy" defines it for me too... <div style="display:none;" id="__if72ru4sdfsdfruh7fewui_once"><div style="display:none;" id="__hggasdgjhsagd_once"> It's arguably Hentchels weakest production job, but I don't think that ruins the songs on the album.  WTF?  This is actually a superb recording with Hentschel able to approximate a "Wall of Sound' without sacrificing any details of the music or vocals. Hentshel's use of ADT (automatic double tracking) numerous times on Collin's vocals in order produce a pleated effect on the song's choruses is still trying to be emulated to this day.   Perhaps you don't care for the dense sound this style of production creates, which would be a matter of taste, and that's understandable.

As the thread up to this point indicates, we beg to differ with your opinion on the supposed "wall of sound" (what the f**k is that exactly?)

I find ATTWT inconsistent - some songs are spectacular, others leave me flat. To me, the album was transitional not so much as it related to the departure of Hackett, but as it related to a changed music business that demanded shorter, radio-friendly songs. 

moshkito wrote: "A Trick of the Tail" was the end for me

richardh wrote: I can understand the comments about the production and this along with the shorter songs creates a feeling of almost claustrophobia but that oddly for me does not harm it but rather gives it a unique feel.

Svetonio wrote: Slartibartfast wrote: The wall of sound????  Actually developed by The Dead.

Phil Spector is dead? When was somebody going to tell me?!

prog4evr wrote: bloodnarfer wrote: ...The album seems to have a very mushy quality that I'm just not crazy about... That's what it is.  I just could not put the right word to it, but "mushy" defines it for me too...

^Again, that's no coincidence as Hentschel was trying to adapt to the aesthetics of the times and from pressure from Genesis for a more 'open' live sound on Duke, which was not Hentschel's cup of tea. However, if you listen little a bit more closely, you will  hear some fogging up of the sound on several songs from the A Song For All Seasons album, like the Jon Camp song Kindness (In The End) which sounds like pea soup. At least to me it does.

richardh wrote: I can understand the comments about the production and this along with the shorter songs creates a feeling of almost claustrophobia but that oddly for me does not harm it but rather gives it a unique feel.

I agree the album has a unique feel, and special atmosphere. I've always loved it.

SteveG wrote: Blacksword wrote: prog4evr wrote: bloodnarfer wrote: ...The album seems to have a very mushy quality that I'm just not crazy about... That's what it is.  I just could not put the right word to it, but "mushy" defines it for me too... <div style="display:none;" id="__if72ru4sdfsdfruh7fewui_once"><div style="display:none;" id="__hggasdgjhsagd_once"> It's arguably Hentchels weakest production job, but I don't think that ruins the songs on the album.  WTF?  This is actually a superb recording with Hentschel able to approximate a "Wall of Sound' without sacrificing any details of the music or vocals. Hentshel's use of ADT (automatic double tracking) numerous times on Collin's vocals in order produce a pleated effect on the song's choruses is still trying to be emulated to this day.   Perhaps you don't care for the dense sound this style of production creates, which would be a matter of taste, and that's understandable.

Production is a pretty subjective thing. I don't really dislike the job on ATTWT but the 'wall of sound' approach can mean that the dyanmics of some of the instrumnets can get lost in the fog. I think that is sometimes the case for the drums and bass guitar on this album, when the music is particularly busy and in the heavier sections. It's not as 'punchy' as Duke. It's not a bright as WAW and the individual instruments aren't as clearly defined as they are on ATOTT.

Anyway, despite that ATTWT is still a very strong album imo. The band don't seem that fond of it these days but it was an important album for them commercially. It's chart position is rarely talked about. Much is made of SEBTP and ATOTT reaching No3 in the UK charts. ATTWT reached No2.

Blacksword wrote: prog4evr wrote: bloodnarfer wrote: ...The album seems to have a very mushy quality that I'm just not crazy about... That's what it is.  I just could not put the right word to it, but "mushy" defines it for me too... <div style="display:none;" id="__if72ru4sdfsdfruh7fewui_once"><div style="display:none;" id="__hggasdgjhsagd_once"> It's arguably Hentchels weakest production job, but I don't think that ruins the songs on the album.

 WTF?