What bands could you fix?

Metallica. I could fix Metallica. Watch some movies with them for a week or so, talking about records we all agree are good over dinner. Following 2-3 weeks have them write the songs before they show up at the studio, we're not in session during this time they're basically doing homework. Reconvening at studio, track the rhythm section live, vocals into an RE-20 through some good compressors and reverb. Talk to James about what he wants to say with his guitar parts, get him really thinking about it. Any of them that aren't in recovery, get them high while listening to rough mixes, elicit ideas. Get a couple of NWOBHM guests, maybe guys they crossed paths with back when. Doro Pesch to guest on vocals on a track. Maybe Lita Ford too. We will make a good Metallica album in this way. I can fix them.

Who can you fix?

You might pull off an Oasis reunion if you got the Gallaghers neutered.

Haha, I've often thought about how to fix Metallica. Rick Rubin failed, but some of those Hardwired tracks are the closest they've come to recapturing the magic.

From all of my Metallica studies, I truly think the secret sauce is how Lars curates, arranges, and modularizes what comes out of the James riff machine. You'd need to get him excited to do that work, feeling competitive enough to get intricate. How you get a 60 year old rich dude in that headspace though idk. Maybe you need to get James cranking out the raw thrash material first.

I don't know about tracking the rhythm section live either, I want Studio Lars, I want the giant bag of tape edits that it took to make AJFA.

Similarly, the Questlove method used to make total sense to me...he wants to make albums with his heroes and thinks that the problem is they they've lost their way with modern production techniques, and the trick is always to get back to their classic sound (vintage drums, or is he had his way with Prince he would have pulled out the LM-1 and all the old gear). And those prestige Al Green and Booker T records are cool. But the older I get, thinking about being that artist and someone wanting you to repeat something you already did and are so far removed from, the more it feels like a weird and artificial endeavor. It's fun to think about though.

Todd Rundgren, if only I could convince him to start working with other musicians and real producers instead of doing everything himself

How to fix the Red Hot Chili Peppers:

1) Lure Anthony Keidis into the woods with the promise of teenage groupies and bury him in a cave/drown him in a river (dealer's choice).
2) Send Flea and Chad to a luxury hotel to listen to nothing but bootlegs of Miles Davis's 1975 Japanese tour for a week or two.
3) Fire their guitarist, whoever it happens to be right now, and bring in: a) Vernon Reid; b) Dr. Know; c) Rocky George.
4) Thundercat on vocals (but not bass).

Similarly, the Questlove method used to make total sense to me...he wants to make albums with his heroes and thinks that the problem is they they've lost their way with modern production techniques, and the trick is always to get back to their classic sound (vintage drums, or is he had his way with Prince he would have pulled out the LM-1 and all the old gear). And those prestige Al Green and Booker T records are cool. But the older I get, thinking about being that artist and someone wanting you to repeat something you already did and are so far removed from, the more it feels like a weird and artificial endeavor. It's fun to think about though.

Yeah this is deep. I've done it both ways but with sidemen of note -- Charles Hodges enjoyed just overdubbing all the stuff we had ready for him but Spooner Oldham played live with five other players going and it made the track crackle. A lot depends on context. I think with older artists finding the way to connect them to their own magic but make it new instead of a "remember when I was poppin" vibe is the challenge -- for my money the people who've done this best in recent years were Satan and Cirith Ungol but that's niche stuff. The heart of it to me is, and this is pretty romantic thinking but I believe it, is the artist connecting to the project at the same level he was when he was making the stuff people love? If I were to give Rick Rubin any props that's where I'd do it, because I think he gets his guys to say "ok, yes, I care about this and want to make it great." Which is how I could fix Metallica.

track the rhythm section live

and yeah re: this there will be plenty of punching-in after we do this but I think we have to get them in "we're playing music" mode not "we're making a record" mode

Good thread.

Re: Chili Peppers, I like where you are going with that. I say fire John and replace him with Vernon Reid, that's a great idea. And then fire Chad and replace him with Fish from Fishbone. Keep Flea and keep it instrumental. Or hire just about any other vocalist, ideally a woman.

"We're four guys in a room" mode.

lol at the idea that fusion players would make the Red Hot Chili Peppers better.

lol at the idea that fusion players would make the Red Hot Chili Peppers better.

improve the Peps by giving their entire budget to Frusciante to make another solo record

not sure if I have an answer to the thread question but now I'm thinking I should listen to Cirith Ungol's last album. but if I do that and it's good I'll kick myself for not going to their farewell tour last autumn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4V3Mo61fJM

667 million views, God help us.

Sleater-Kinney - bring back Janet, make a Corin-centric record

Well, yeah.

not sure if I have an answer to the thread question but now I'm thinking I should listen to Cirith Ungol's last album. but if I do that and it's good I'll kick myself for not going to their farewell tour last autumn

it's super good. I was pretty surprised. they figured out how to make the vocals really work without sacrificing the weirdness.

ok but I will be sad if I like it. the reason I skipped it was that it was £50, I'd have to go to London, and I peeked at setlists from that tour and they opened with Atom Smasher which should at least be the last song of the main set if not the encore. I'd probably be at the bar or something

I would fix Black Flag by forcing Ginn into weed detox and making him apologize to everyone, intervention style. Then he could get together with Flag and they could be Black Flag Flag. It would rule.

Then I would fix the Butthole Surfers by pulling Gibby's head out of his ass and resurrecting Teresa from the dead

could The Kinks be fixed? seems tough.

Not unless there are some serious advances in medical science. But I could see Ray backed by members of another band, a la Big Star Redux/Brian Wilson/Love, etc. The question would be: which backing band would be best for a Nu Kinks with Ray Davies?

You suspect Damon Albarn would be involved, which is no fix at all

He's not allowed.

oops sorry, I forgot some of them were dead

a lot of this seems like 'i could fix the mountain goats by making them only record on boomboxes'

people change and do different things, it's fine

(tbf i don't think joan was aiming for that sort of response, but also it was inevitable)

I could fix Outkast by having Andre do 12 guest verses for all hot young rappers, but actually they were all hired by Big Boi as a front (he replaces all of their verses, voila).

Ray Davies with a country-flavored American band - Jayhawks, Wilco

I mean it worked out ok for Elvis

(by which I mean Clover)

Aren’t The Smithereens available?

my general thinking and rationale must be off because the first "fix" i thought of for a lot of bands is to take away their abilities to make and record music.

oh, i'll fix 'em alright. fix 'em real good.

How to fix Suede:

1) take 75% of the reverb off Brett Anderson's vocals.
2) make a special 'full reverb' mix to play whenever Brett's around so he doesn't realise.
3) nothing else.

Ray Davies with a country-flavored American band - Jayhawks, Wilco

I mean it worked out ok for Elvis

This is exactly what he tried with his solo album Americana. The sonics were perfect, the playing was fine, but the muse is gone and the songs simply aren't there.

Also Elvis Costello was less than a third of Ray's age when he recorded My Aim is True. My feeling, a few days from turning 53, is that musical decay is nearly inevitable.

I say that as someone who will certainly listen to the new Bryan Ferry album where he has forgotten how to write lyrics and can barely vocalize. Some decay is more interesting than others.

I think Neil Young's career would have been more artistically challenging (if less lucrative) if he'd followed the Trans style through the 80s techno era and into the rave years. It's not like he did many worthwhile records after 1982 anyway, other than a couple of late 80s/early 90s efforts. So that's how I'd fix Neil Young - get back to the synths and vocoders!

I wasn't even considering someone like Ray Davies writing new songs. Bad songwriting/no mojo can't be fixed. I just figured he could go on tour as the Kinks backed by some killer band. (The Smithereens, fwiw, lost their singer, so they're a good choice.)

I'll take a big swing: I bet Lenny Kravitz could be fixed. Lock him in a studio with ringers like Pino and Questlove and go for a "Voodoo" sort of vibe/murk. Throw in a couple of special guests and collaborators, like Miguel or Raphael Saadiq, but no cornballs like Pharrell. Don't let him record/release anything commercial, let some ringer mix it.

I am having a real Mandela Effect moment re: Ray Davies right now. I could have sworn he died in 2020. Who have I confused him with??

Phil May of the Pretty Things? Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac?

I am having a real Mandela Effect moment re: Ray Davies right now. I could have sworn he died in 2020. Who have I confused him with??

Could be Jack Charlton - died in 2020, had his biggest success in the 1960s, frequently fell out with his brother, had a "little black book" of names of people whom he intended to hurt or exact some form of revenge upon?

Then I would fix the Butthole Surfers by pulling Gibby's head out of his ass and resurrecting Teresa from the dead

― sleeve, Sunday, February 2, 2025 3:42 AM

Kramer said it was Paul Leary who was disinterested, happier collecting royalties for his producer work

my gf has just suggested Black Rebel Motorcyce Club, and the fix is for them to 'go more disco'

I...hmm. May even work

Improve a band by swapping a member

Force solo McCartney and solo Lennon to swap songs.

Like that thing about what if Hamlet and Lear switched plays

If you're trying to fix Lennon's solo career, I gave some bad news for you.

But just imagine Lennon's songs if there's no Lennon. It's easy if you try