Music Producers Take Heed! - P2P-Zone

Snarkridden · 27-02-02, 10:11 AM

Quoting from a beautifully written review by Sean Laffey in the Irish Music magazine...

To make a successful song you have to keep the background music simple, don't crowd out the singer; let their voice carry the story. In the breaks you then come in with the more complex instrumentals and bring the volume up to the same level as the singer.
It is as if the vocalist has left a space for you to fill. what you end up with is a piece of music that has it's own dynamic but doesn't fight within itself for your attention.

Absolutely brilliant, what a pity the producers of the more popular (sic) music don't take notice of that.

Snark.

MikeHunt · 27-02-02, 08:02 PM

Snarky...Bravo!!!! a wonderful post.

The above only applies if one is truly interested in the art of making music.

..hey , maybe thats whats wrong with the music of today?

Ramona_A_Stone · 28-02-02, 10:49 AM

I tend to disagree with Mr. Laffey's contention actually, simply because it is formulaic--and anti-formulaic is just the mood I'm in currently, as you may notice in the last few opinion threads I've replied to here at the music forum. I went on at some length in the rap thread to express my disdain for formula and genres, and such 'outlines' as Mr. Laffey's are the well intentioned origins of such. Certainly a lot of the music I appreciate does follow these 'rules,' but I think it's just as important that musicians be willing to 'break them.'

For one thing, the above formula presupposes that the lyric or 'story' element of the music is of primary importance and that the music itself should take a 'backseat' to the literal content of a song. This very contention could be said to be the very element which makes so much pop and rap music so uninteresting.

Musicians, as well as producers, should spend more time making the music that's in their heads, and less time making up formulaic rules, or observing what has made other pieces of music successful.

That's my new rule.

And P.S., I am truly interested in the art of making music, which, I beleive, is something no producer's formula or public opinion poll can teach you.

Haole · 28-02-02, 11:06 AM

I tend to agree with you, Ramona, that those limitations are stifling to the creative process and the making of great music. In fact, most of the time producers are to brought in to rescue or add life to recordings that might otherwise be banal. If you take a look at the most significant producers of the last 35 years: George Martin, Visconti, Eno, Lanois, et al., you see that it was their disregard for the rules that enabled the magic to happen and I don't think the artists that received the benefit of their treatments would have been nearly as successful at capturing those elusive moments of brilliance without them.

27-02-02, 10:11 AM	#1
Snarkridden OpenNap Server Operator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: U.K Posts: 401	Music Producers Take Heed! Quoting from a beautifully written review by Sean Laffey in the Irish Music magazine... To make a successful song you have to keep the background music simple, don't crowd out the singer; let their voice carry the story. In the breaks you then come in with the more complex instrumentals and bring the volume up to the same level as the singer. It is as if the vocalist has left a space for you to fill. what you end up with is a piece of music that has it's own dynamic but doesn't fight within itself for your attention. Absolutely brilliant, what a pity the producers of the more popular (sic) music don't take notice of that. Snark.

27-02-02, 08:02 PM	#2
MikeHunt Unknown Legend Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: California Posts: 145	Snarky...Bravo!!!! a wonderful post. The above only applies if one is truly interested in the art of making music. ..hey , maybe thats whats wrong with the music of today? __________________ Everyone has to Believe in Something........I Believe I'll have another Beer!

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28-02-02, 10:49 AM	#3
Ramona_A_Stone Formal Ball Proof Join Date: May 2000 Posts: 2,948	I tend to disagree with Mr. Laffey's contention actually, simply because it is formulaic--and anti-formulaic is just the mood I'm in currently, as you may notice in the last few opinion threads I've replied to here at the music forum. I went on at some length in the rap thread to express my disdain for formula and genres, and such 'outlines' as Mr. Laffey's are the well intentioned origins of such. Certainly a lot of the music I appreciate does follow these 'rules,' but I think it's just as important that musicians be willing to 'break them.' For one thing, the above formula presupposes that the lyric or 'story' element of the music is of primary importance and that the music itself should take a 'backseat' to the literal content of a song. This very contention could be said to be the very element which makes so much pop and rap music so uninteresting. Musicians, as well as producers, should spend more time making the music that's in their heads, and less time making up formulaic rules, or observing what has made other pieces of music successful. That's my new rule. And P.S., I am truly interested in the art of making music, which, I beleive, is something no producer's formula or public opinion poll can teach you.

28-02-02, 11:06 AM	#4
Haole Pronunciation: 'hau-lE Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 502	I tend to agree with you, Ramona, that those limitations are stifling to the creative process and the making of great music. In fact, most of the time producers are to brought in to rescue or add life to recordings that might otherwise be banal. If you take a look at the most significant producers of the last 35 years: George Martin, Visconti, Eno, Lanois, et al., you see that it was their disregard for the rules that enabled the magic to happen and I don't think the artists that received the benefit of their treatments would have been nearly as successful at capturing those elusive moments of brilliance without them.