Chris Thomas... ...or not?

[cybersyd]

Just a tought,

I know that Daniel Lanois said Chris Thomas would produce the new album but... ...apart from this news... ...is there a prove that he'll be the producer??? For example: did anybody see him near Hanover Quay studios?

I wonder if all this is true.

If this is true, why did nobody in the press asked him what he thinks about the sound recording process?


IMHO he (and Larry) are the right persons to express a reliable point of view about the whole thing.

P.S. and, please Ignoreland, post more often!!! Every time you did, it was fresh info for the news-hungry crowd!

 

[HelloAngel]

Aside from the band and Paul McGuinness (I believe) saying that he is the producer.. I haven't heard much else. I'm sure Thomas has been approached by the press - but something tells me that the band have told him to keep those lips shut until the time is right.

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

Right on the money Ms. HelloAngel. The band is very tight lipped when it comes to new albums. Have been since The Joshua Tree. Yes, Mr. McGuinness did confirm (on U2.com no less) that Chris Thomas is producing. My guess is that it will be a very "Rock n Roll" album.

 

[Strato Edge]

The album is going to kick ass.

 

[Tizer]

Has anyone actually read Chris Thomas' list of producing credits. We could end up with the influence of 'The Lion King' soundtrack and the Sex Pistols in one bag of goodies. The mind doth boggle.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

anarchy matata... what a wonderful phrase

Here's a hopelessly abbreviated list of some of the artists he's worked with: The Beatles (The White Album); Climax Blues Band (four albums); Procol Harum (five albums, including Home, Broken Barricades and Grand Hotel); Roxy Music (five albums, from For Your Pleasure through Viva); John Cale (Paris 1919); Badfinger (three albums); Pink Floyd (mixed Dark Side of the Moon); Paul McCartney (Back to the Egg); Sex Pistols (Never Mind the Bollocks); The Pretenders (first three albums); Tom Robinson (Power in the Darkness); Pete Townshend (Empty Glass and All the Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes); INXS (Listen Like Thieves, Kick and X); Elton John (a dozen albums, includingToo Low for Zero, Sleeping With the Past and The One); and Pulp (Different Class and This Is Hard Core).


http://mixonline.com/ar/audio_producer_chris_thomas/

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

Headache, that's an impressive, eclectic mix of groups!! I love all the INXS albums he did. I always thought INXS was the "Pop" answer to U2.

 

[Bunbury]

So far the new album sounds like=win

 

[Flying FuManchu]

Actually I'm down with the idea of a new producer... I think Eno and Lanois (although great for what they've done) made ATYCLB to soft for my tastes. Walk On sounds a little dead on the album but the Nigel Goodrich version rocked.

 

[Swan269]

you know what Manchu....Walk On was a song that Lanois did not want to chase...there was a low key version that he preferred but Bono did not want to give up on the one that they had....another story about Walk On was it used to be a song called Home but it merged with another song and it became Walk On.......I am guessing that Lanois liked the song Home.........

 

[U2DMfan]

I totally agree with the above, I think Lanois is responsible for some of the 'canned' production of ATYCLB, which is partially why I am not totally in love with that album.

Also, most of the songs sound better live, doesn't that reflect on the production? I still like Lanois and his production, I just look forward to a different producer and sound.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

I was thinking it was probably "Home."

I'm not sure what "canned" might mean but IMO the live versions of some of the songs (with the exception of "In a Little While") were better. The album seemed to mute the energy... maybe overproduced? Walk On was an example. Nigel Goodrich's version was so much simpler than what was on the album but it rocked more/ more power. Same with Elevation. Some of the effects or atmosphere in the album versions were cool but it gets boring after a while. I can listen to the remixes/ redone versions over and over. I'm blame the producer for that

That's why I'm cool with Chris Thomas or at least someone else producing. I hope he pushes U2 into new and more exciting territory.

 

[mobonofo]

Thomas has worked with some great people, but there is also a lot of mediocre stuff in there too like those 12 Elton John albums & his work with McCartney.

As far as INXS, which is a band I really loved back in the day. While great music, the production on those albums always seemed to me to be much too glossy and clean, which doesn't always go that well with U2, who use so many effects and tend to be more experimental and edgy (pardon the pun!). I remember when Achtung Baby came out thinking INXS should change producers and get more of a gritty sound.

I think they needed the change and it's a good thing.

The album will be great...

 

[U2girl]

Did Godrich produced the single version of Walk on?

I downloaded that a while ago and deleted it instantly - the piano intro could have been longer, too bad the acoustic guitar&solo got scrapped, and I really could do without the Halleluiah ending. It sounded kind of bland to me.

From ATYCLB - as usual with U2's albums - a lot of songs did sound very good live (especially Beautiful day and New York-better than the album, with other songs I enjoy both studio and live versions), but to me Kite never did anything in that aspect - I think the tempo is just ... odd to play it live and it was way too similar to the album version.

 

[ishkash]

Well, Chris Thomas was only hired to tell band stories about the Beatles.

 

[sue4u2]

Maybe Chris Thomas's committments took him away from U2. I'm sure he has a life too. Really, when you think about it, someone like Thomas couldn't put their life/business on hold indefinetly to cater to U2. Even if one think's they should. He probably gave all the time he could and said, gotta move on now. Work with this, See ya..

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

Well put Sue4U2, however some would like to stick to the "Grassy Knoll" theory. Chris Thomas was just a "patsy"!!