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Bob Dylan says modern recording atrocious.


Daddy Dee

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Sometimes, I have to admit it, I miss the lead guitar right the bass left..the drummer basically in the middle.. the singer def in the middle ... back ground voclas right and over dubbed rythim guitar left... It just sounded better in the old days with only 4 - 8 tracks for sure...

Yes my opinion.. For that TYPE of music.

We will probbaly never go back, but some people will look to get close to this sound on occasion. And IMO it will still sound great.. Michael Buble for instance.

I remember laughing at Don Kirchners "live" concerts as a kid when bands really really sucked live. I suspect without most of the effects and correcting tools todays artists use.. They might even sound worse, than those bands from my youth. At least most of those had to prove themselves live too.

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This is another of many subjects that can carry on forever, If the artist can make such a comment as calling modern recording atrociuos, isn't it his responsiblity as an artist to speak out about, or do something about the Product bearing his name. Or is this just a way to get some Free Advertisment for his newest release???.........Good Timing??.

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In USA Today's terrific interview by Edna Gundersen, Dylan explains the "modern recording atrocious" idea more clearly:

Dylan's evolution runs counter to the industry's growing reliance on forged images, synthetic sounds and boundless technology. When recording spare folk albums Good as I Been to You (1992) and World Gone Wrong (1993) in his garage, an engineer suggested he pin a microphone to each guitar string.

"It was the height of insanity," Dylan says. "There are so many layers on records today. There are so many tracks in studios, and producers think they have to use them. This is no art form. It's just corporate sound. Because there's very little there, you have to dress it up with all these tracks. For me, everything has to have a purpose or it should get lost.

"The beat stuff people play, that's as far away from real rhythm as the sun is from the moon. Those beats make people pose, but they don't make people move or change their lives. They're low-key and laid-back, and that's what popular music has come to. Even metal is ponderous."

He stops himself and chuckles.

"I hate to go on my soapbox about the recording industry. I'm sure there's a lot of good songs getting recorded today, but I can't hear them. I'm just hearing buzz. There's a superficiality to it which might be successful, but people forget about it real quick and go on to the next one instantly. I don't want to be a performer like that."

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2006-08-28-bob-dylan_x.htm?POE=click-refer

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In USA Today's terrific interview by Edna Gundersen, Dylan explains the "modern recording atrocious" idea more clearly:

Dylan's evolution runs counter to the industry's growing reliance on forged images, synthetic sounds and boundless technology. When recording spare folk albums Good as I Been to You (1992) and World Gone Wrong (1993) in his garage, an engineer suggested he pin a microphone to each guitar string.

"It was the height of insanity," Dylan says. "There are so many layers on records today. There are so many tracks in studios, and producers think they have to use them. This is no art form. It's just corporate sound. Because there's very little there, you have to dress it up with all these tracks. For me, everything has to have a purpose or it should get lost.

"The beat stuff people play, that's as far away from real rhythm as the sun is from the moon. Those beats make people pose, but they don't make people move or change their lives. They're low-key and laid-back, and that's what popular music has come to. Even metal is ponderous."

He stops himself and chuckles.

"I hate to go on my soapbox about the recording industry. I'm sure there's a lot of good songs getting recorded today, but I can't hear them. I'm just hearing buzz. There's a superficiality to it which might be successful, but people forget about it real quick and go on to the next one instantly. I don't want to be a performer like that."

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2006-08-28-bob-dylan_x.htm?POE=click-refer

Its really hard to imagine that someone would disagree with Bob on these points!

Josh

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This is another of many subjects that can carry on forever, If the artist can make such a comment as calling modern recording atrociuos, isn't it his responsiblity as an artist to speak out about, or do something about the Product bearing his name. Or is this just a way to get some Free Advertisment for his newest release..........Good Timing.......

There are many artists who are shameless self promoters. But to say that Dylan is making these comments as a way to sell records or make more money is a bit extreme. If wanted to attract attention to sell more records he could have said about a million things that would be more controversial to the general public than " modern records don't sound good"

And if he just wanted to make a lot of money there are certainly plenty of extreme sell outs available to him - victoria secrets not withstanding!

Josh

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This is another of many subjects that can carry on forever, If the artist can make such a comment as calling modern recording atrociuos, isn't it his responsiblity as an artist to speak out about, or do something about the Product bearing his name. Or is this just a way to get some Free Advertisment for his newest release..........Good Timing.......

There are many artists who are shameless self promoters. But to say that Dylan is making these comments as a way to sell records or make more money is a bit extreme. If wanted to attract attention to sell more records he could have said about a million things that would be more controversial to the general public than " modern records don't sound good"

And if he just wanted to make a lot of money there are certainly plenty of extreme sell outs available to him - victoria secrets not withstanding!

Josh

Josh, I forgot the question mark at the end........It was a question ,Man......that's all a question..........I don't Hate Dylan........I haven't questioned his writing Skills.....I will never make a comment like, He Sucks.........Because my opinion of his vocal delivery is not intune with everyone else......does my opinion not count?..........I have not been mean, or ran Mr. Dylan in the ground, been more than respectfull of his other skills, the real underlying point is the quality of Product the Music companies are releasing today....I just feel Artists should speak out, and maybe hold back they're product, much like Steve Miller did back in the 70's.............I have rephrased my statement 3 or 4 times already, What more do you want from me? Oh by the way, I am Extreme...........

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just a small side point...it's a common "joke" in the industry that

musicians don't know crap about mixing - and the worst

thing you can do is let them behind the board. The ironic part is that

the musicians actually believe they understand the entire recording

process so there is a huge physcological battle the recording engineer

needs to fight - let the musician feel artsy and avoid making him feel

stupid without letting him destroy the mix. 90% of the time the crap on the recording is the result of the artist (or producer depending on the artist). There is a technical aspect

to all forms of mixing that is vital to the artistic expression -

without it you always end up with crap.

Take a stroll over to the prosoundweb forums and you'll see what I'm talking about - it's a bloody mess. [;)]

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just a small side point...it's a common "joke" in the industry that musicians don't know crap about mixing - and the worst thing you can do is let them behind the board. The ironic part is that the musicians actually believe they understand the entire recording process so there is a huge physcological battle the recording engineer needs to fight - let the musician feel artsy and avoid making him feel stupid without letting him destroy the mix. 90% of the time the crap on the recording is the result of the artist (or producer depending on the artist). There is a technical aspect to all forms of mixing that is vital to the artistic expression - without it you always end up with crap.

The hired help always feels unappreciated for their genius. Whether it's the stock boy thinking he actually runs the grocery store, the secretary thinking she's doing the CEO's job, or a knob turner thinking he knows more about music than the artist who writes and performs it.

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Bob D. has a tall soap box from which to talk. He should use it more wisely.

My read is that he is saying that his recent release sounds bad, but it was better in the studio. Somewhat of a lame excuse. He blames technology.

Obviously Bob D. has enough control, let me say "juice", to listen to the intermediate and final mix downs and hear what it sounds like. Then he can go back and demand something better, or create something better, before he puts his name on it. He is no young kid railroaded into a recording, at least these days.

Technology is not lacking. Does anyone think that Telarc Classical or Telarc Jazz fall short of the mark?

Gil

Are you sure you're not native? Starting to speak (well, write) like a City employee (pre-Shakman anyway!).

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just a small side point...it's a common "joke" in the industry that musicians don't know crap about mixing - and the worst thing you can do is let them behind the board. The ironic part is that the musicians actually believe they understand the entire recording process so there is a huge physcological battle the recording engineer needs to fight - let the musician feel artsy and avoid making him feel stupid without letting him destroy the mix. 90% of the time the crap on the recording is the result of the artist (or producer depending on the artist). There is a technical aspect to all forms of mixing that is vital to the artistic expression - without it you always end up with crap.

The hired help always feels unappreciated for their genius. Whether it's the stock boy thinking he actually runs the grocery store, the secretary thinking she's doing the CEO's job, or a knob turner thinking he knows more about music than the artist who writes and performs it.

Ouch ....!

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I agree with some of what Bob D said in the article but I think if anyone owned the sixties it was the 4 lads from England. His voice totally gets on my nerves it always has but I appreciate the stands he took and the direction he went with his music. He just sounds very very bitter in the article and has a weebit of a god complex. My favorite Bob D song is wigwam.... an instrumental.

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NEW YORK, Sept. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Bob Dylan's new album, Modern Times, has debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart, making this the artist's first album to hit the top of that chart in 30 years. This 30-year span between #1 albums - Desire hit the top spot in 1976 -- is the longest of any living recording artist. Modern Times has sold more than 192,000 copies in the United States since its release, marking the biggest such sales period for a Bob Dylan album in the 15 year history of SoundScan.

Fan response was equally as impressive internationally, with Modern Times debuting at #1 on the album charts of Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Denmark, Norway and Switzerland. The album entered the UK chart at #3 with 55,000 units sold, marking a one-week sales record in that country for any Bob Dylan album. Additionally, Modern Times debuted at #2 in Germany, Austria and Sweden, and #3 in The Netherlands.

According to Columbia Records Chairman Steve Barnett, "Modern Times is an absolutely staggering record, and we couldn't be more thrilled that fans have responded to it so enthusiastically by putting Bob at #1, which is where he belongs. This extraordinary artist has been integral to our company for nearly 45 years, and he remains at the peak of his artistry, vitality and cultural impact. We are incredibly proud of Bob's great achievement."

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