RE: Production-- Ralph Emery's take on this thread

[Will Miner]

On Fri, 26 Feb 1999, Matt Benz wrote:

>       Did you know the Beatles, in 1969, claimed that Phil Spector
> ruined their "Let It Be" songs with heaps of strings and choirs? Well,
> at least McCartney complained. I don't think the others cared anymore.

Well, both Lennon and Harrison shortly subsequently got Spector to 
produce their records (Plastic Ono Band, Imagine, All Things Must Pass) 
so they must either never have listened to Let It Be (which offers as 
good a reason as any to never hire Spector for anything) or they (god 
help us) actually liked it.

I know we've been focusing, or trying to, on producers of twang, but I've
been surprised that no one's mentioned Jeff Lynne, one of the most
wretched of the wretched.  No matter what the lineup of the band or their
style, after going through his meat grinder they all sound the same, with
the limp but loud drums and those horrendous drive-by backing vocals with
all the life compressed out of them.  Jeez.  And otherwise relatively 
sane people hire him, just like Spector.

Somewhere in there is a point that relates to Terry's objections to Chet 
Atkins, but it's escaping me at this point on a Friday morning.

Will Miner
Denver, CO