strokes + nigel godrich - make-a you happy, or make-a you 'spicious? (if the strokes make-a you vomit, keep-a to yourself, please, my friend!)

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P-fork reports the Strokes are recording some traxxx with Nigel Godrich to see how it goes. I'm not a fan of the Godrich stuff I've heard (musically or production-wise, but it's the latter that counts here), and I don't see how his "sound" can complement the Strokes very well.

"Is This It" is kinda muddy and flat sounding, but I think it sounds awesome despite that - I think great music can easily triumph over "poor" recording (when it's not actually benefiting from it) - but high-tech super-sheen production tricks seem destined to weaken some music, at least to my ears. (To be fair, I don't know if Godrich always does his spacey, echoey thing - presumably like any good producer he'll do what's "suitable.")

― Sam J. (samjeff), Monday, 7 April 2003 03:30 (twenty-two years ago)

hopefully he'll do more of a Silver Sun production rather than a Travis production

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Monday, 7 April 2003 03:46 (twenty-two years ago)

I think the producers and the label are not hearing a "hit" with the new material so they are either trying to save/salvage something or inspire the youngsters to write something new. The stuff they have been demoing live is mediocre at best.I do like them but I fear this next album will be boring

― SplendidMullet (iamamonkey), Monday, 7 April 2003 03:49 (twenty-two years ago)

i heard two live tracks that sounded fantastic. an album of theirs that contains non-hits like these would be great!

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Monday, 7 April 2003 03:56 (twenty-two years ago)

If they were mining Radiohead's past producers, John Leckie would have been a far better choice. (Note: I am not a huge Nigel Godrich fan, though I think he suits Radiohead. And I hate The Strokes)

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Monday, 7 April 2003 04:03 (twenty-two years ago)

at least it's not Ric Ocasek or some other similar bastion of cockfarmage

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Monday, 7 April 2003 04:07 (twenty-two years ago)

quiet both of you!

― jess (dubplatestyle), Monday, 7 April 2003 04:09 (twenty-two years ago)

From what I've read they stopped touring to concentrate on recording
Envision Julian and the drummer thinking real hard about snare sounds!

― SplendidMullet (iamamonkey), Monday, 7 April 2003 04:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Envision Julian and the drummer thinking real hard

Insert joke here.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 7 April 2003 04:14 (twenty-two years ago)

"Strokes members in independent thought shocka!"

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39027000/jpg/_39027407_abfab-bbc-203index.jpg

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Monday, 7 April 2003 04:16 (twenty-two years ago)

:-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 7 April 2003 04:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Cheap shots at the Strokes... cheap shots at the StrokescheapshotsattheStrokes...

Very "now," isn't it darling?

http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/3380/PG-abedina.jpg

― Sam J. (samjeff), Monday, 7 April 2003 06:08 (twenty-two years ago)

When I heard the new songs they played live, I thought they sounded great. If maybe a little self-consciously trying to be more "modern rock" and/or "stylistically varied." One had kind of a slightly "Motown-ish" vibe, etc.

Anyway, they definitely seemed more "hit"-oriented (radio-oriented, etc.) than the songs on the first album.

― Sam J. (samjeff), Monday, 7 April 2003 06:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Ric Ocasek > Nigel Godrich

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Monday, 7 April 2003 06:28 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm trying to imagine a Godrich production on Is This It and I don't like what I'm imagining. Send the Strokes over to Steve Albini with a suitcase full of cash. That way everybody's a winner.

― Nick Mirov (nick), Monday, 7 April 2003 06:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe I'm being hyper-critical. I only heard the new songs on their last round through town. I had already endured the Mooney Suzuki as an opening act and I was already a little discombobulated. I'll dl em and try again

― SplendidMullet (iamamonkey), Monday, 7 April 2003 06:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Can't Jarule be of any aid?

― SplendidMullet (iamamonkey), Monday, 7 April 2003 06:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Godrich + the Strokes isn't so weird or unprecedented -- he worked with Pavement, too, no? And while I'll probably be skeptical until I hear something, I don't think giving the Strokes a Terror Twilight sound would necessarily be a bad thing at all.

I've only heard two songs since the released stuff -- I think "When It Started" and "Meet Me in the Bathroom" -- and both struck me as really promising, with their occasional odd early-Smiths resemblence coming out way more.

― nabisco (nabisco), Monday, 7 April 2003 07:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, I remember Terror Twilight, and that's exactly why I don't think Godrich would work well with the Strokes.

― Nick Mirov (nick), Monday, 7 April 2003 07:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I quite like Is This It? but if ever an album and band screamed out "we've only got one idea and we've already used it 12 times!" then it's The Strokes, innit? I've never held out much hope for them making a second record that stands up to the debut, simply because I think they've already done all they're capable of. If they make a lurid sophomore spacerockjazzfunk epic I'll be gobsmacked. If they churn out Is This It? Part Deux I'll be disappointed.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 7 April 2003 08:37 (twenty-two years ago)

if they make a second album like Is This It, that's fine with me.

― Ronan (Ronan), Monday, 7 April 2003 09:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I for one loved the production on Is This It.

I agree that Nigel Godrich doesn't sound like the right producer for them. He's not the right producer for anybody that doesn't want their album to sound like total acoustic mush.

― Evan (Evan), Monday, 7 April 2003 09:34 (twenty-two years ago)

someone please start a band called 'Cheap Shots at the Strokes'

― gabriel (gabe), Monday, 7 April 2003 09:51 (twenty-two years ago)

maybe he's one of those 'invisible' producers tho. what's he done besides Radiohead? if it's a wide variety of stuff, shouldn't make a difference to whatever it was going to come out like anyway. unless the Strokes are like most bands, ie no idea what they're doing and should be doing something else. (not saying that's the case)

― dave q, Monday, 7 April 2003 09:54 (twenty-two years ago)

nigle godrich- why?

will he have the strokes playing synths?

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 7 April 2003 10:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I am a huge fan of Godrich, but I cannot quite see what he would contribute to a band like The Strokes.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 7 April 2003 10:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe they actually would sound like Television if he produced them.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 7 April 2003 11:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Television didn't have a lot of dreamlike reverb on their vocals, did they? :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 7 April 2003 11:22 (twenty-two years ago)

No, but Marquee Moon's a damn site more intricate than Is This It? - maybe Godrich would bring that side out of them. And ITI? did have a lot of fuzz on the vocals. Onward post-punk shoegazing proggers!

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 7 April 2003 11:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I am a huge fan of Godrich, but I cannot quite see what he would contribute to a band like The Strokes.

He will put a bleepy noise at the beginning of each song, and then another two thirds of the way through each song.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Monday, 7 April 2003 11:42 (twenty-two years ago)

He will put a bleepy noise at the beginning of each song, and then another two thirds of the way through each song.

-- Matt DC (runmd...), April 7th, 2003.

That sounds ace.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 7 April 2003 11:49 (twenty-two years ago)

I agree that Nigel Godrich doesn't sound like the right producer for them. He's not the right producer for anybody that doesn't want their album to sound like total acoustic mush.

Of all the things that can be said about Beck's Mutations and Radiohead's Kid A (both Godrich productions), sounding "like total acoustic mush" isn't particularly high on the list. You might not like these albums, but every strum and moan and drum hit and bleep and horn wail can be heard clear as crystal on these albums.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 7 April 2003 11:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Apart from "Kid A" and "Amnesiac", most of Godrich's production have been quite dominated by accoustic guitars in addition to all the electronic sounds. Whether you like that or not may of course vary (personally I love it), but if you remove the word "mush", then Evan is right that Godrich wouldn't fit with a band whose sound isn't dominated by accoustic guitars.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 7 April 2003 12:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Hello?? Ric Ocasek is exactly the kind of producer the Strokes need. Or maybe Mike Chapman (is he still working?)

― Sean (Sean), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:08 (twenty-two years ago)

In other words, they need a producer who will emphasize that they're a hooky, dancey pop band, and not an artsy, ponderous rock band.

― Sean (Sean), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I took issue mostly with the word "mush", as I've found his productions to be among the most clear and sparkling I've heard come out of rock projects in the past 10 or so years.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:19 (twenty-two years ago)

they need a producer who will emphasize that they're a hooky, dancey pop band

This is true. Maybe they just need Daniel Miller.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Let me put it this way - even not having heard any of the new songs, learning that Godrich is producing pretty much killed by anticipation for the next Strokes record. Godrich has replaced Jim O'Rourke as the most annoying/trendy producer alive, for me, anyway.

― Raymond Cummings (Raymond Cummings), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:32 (twenty-two years ago)

they need a producer who will emphasize that they're a hooky, dancey pop band

This sounds very, very right to me to me as well.

Send the Strokes over to Steve Albini with a suitcase full of cash.

That also was my first reaction! I wonder how much "producing" they need, from a musical arrangement/pep talk/"try it this way, guys" standpoint (which I'm under the impression Albini doesn't really provide, but maybe he does "for bands he really likes") - vs. just a great engineer and a seasoned Albini figure who "gets it" to oversee the recording.

― Sam J. (samjeff), Monday, 7 April 2003 14:55 (twenty-two years ago)

re Albini - haha maybe the Strokes are the US analogue to Bush

― dave q, Monday, 7 April 2003 15:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Look, if I could have anyone produce their next record it's be Stephin Merritt.

― nabisco (nabisco), Monday, 7 April 2003 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

IT'D

― nabisco (nabisco), Monday, 7 April 2003 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought Nabisco was introducing some kind of bizarro blinglish to a Strokes thread to make some kind of poltical point, but oh well.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 7 April 2003 16:14 (twenty-two years ago)

they need chapman-chinn

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 7 April 2003 16:23 (twenty-two years ago)

oops, sean already said that

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 7 April 2003 16:26 (twenty-two years ago)

The new Strokes songs I've heard sound like the Doors...

― Yanc3y (ystrickler), Monday, 7 April 2003 16:26 (twenty-two years ago)

The Neptunes. Ha!

Actually though, I would infinitely prefer The Neptunes were producing the next Strokes album as opposed to the next, y'know, Blink 182 album (which is supposedly what's going down).

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 7 April 2003 16:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Gil Norton!

― g--ff c-nn-n (gcannon), Monday, 7 April 2003 16:55 (twenty-two years ago)

its the year of the mismatched producer/artist!!!
belle and sebastian + t.horn
strokes + godrich
the cure + ross robinson

― chaki (chaki), Monday, 7 April 2003 17:05 (twenty-two years ago)

the cure + ross robinson

Is this troof? If so...woah.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 7 April 2003 17:08 (twenty-two years ago)

you heard it here first!

― chaki (chaki), Monday, 7 April 2003 17:12 (twenty-two years ago)

I heard about it on MTV.com first. Way back. Didn't that happen like, last year?

And I'm much more bothered by the Godrich thing. The last thing the Strokes needed was to get mellow.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 7 April 2003 20:54 (twenty-two years ago)

The Invisible Band and Sea Change = proof enough that Nigel Godrich needs to fuck off and die, pretty much.

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Monday, 7 April 2003 22:06 (twenty-two years ago)

You just mentioned two of the best albums of the past two years.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 7 April 2003 22:06 (twenty-two years ago)

The last thing the Strokes needed was to get mellow.

If they'd actually do get mellow, then that would be a good thing. But I doubt they will, and then, I don't quite see what need there is for Nigel Godrich to bother with them. He cannot save them musically anyway. Godrich should start working with Coldplay instead.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 7 April 2003 22:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Geir, don't say it, you'll make it come true! *screams*

― Melissa W (Melissa W), Monday, 7 April 2003 22:12 (twenty-two years ago)

A world in which Geir's pronouncements have the power of altering reality = that Twilight Zone episode where the grumpy little boy with godlike powers obliterates the world outside his farm

― Sam J. (samjeff), Monday, 7 April 2003 22:14 (twenty-two years ago)

(After turning Method Man's head into in a jack-in-the-box):

"Make that horrible thing go away, Geir! Send it to the fields! H-h-here's some melody... lovely melody..."

― Sam J. (samjeff), Monday, 7 April 2003 22:16 (twenty-two years ago)

four months pass...

Album I listened to that made me almost wish that Godrich and the Strokes stuck it out: The Bats, Daddy's Highway

(think about it!)

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 6 September 2003 16:45 (twenty-one years ago)

From what I've read they stopped touring to concentrate on recording. Envision Julian and the drummer thinking real hard about snare sounds!
-- SplendidMullet (iamthecosmo...), April 7th, 2003 9:09 PM.

Haha - several months later, a Rolling Stone interview appears that is indeed all about how they concentrated on snare sounds!

― Sam J. (samjeff), Saturday, 6 September 2003 17:36 (twenty-one years ago)

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