|
|
Post by dennis on Jun 11, 2021 10:18:16 GMT
I've never understood the argument put forward that the production was tailored for the USA market, was it really imagined they prefer a thin weak sound? The production on both On The Level & Blue For You was pretty good to my ears - sharper than previous albums, but still retaining that ooomph.
If they really wanted to have an American flavour to the production then why not get somebody like Jack Douglas in?
|
|
|
|
Post by blagult on Jun 11, 2021 12:28:05 GMT
To me this is the cut off point of a band with the fire in their guts to, where can we make a lot of Wonga !
It may well have been the decision of the the record Company and not the bands. Exploitation in other words. It tentatively started with the LEVI connection and the WSOL single.
But it did signal a complete change of attitude. But the sound was just so bad. Even John’s remix couldn’t make the sound that much better having only the old Masters to work from. The damage had been done in 77 in more ways than one for the fans. Not necessarily the bands from a commercial point of view.
|
|
|
|
Post by Gaz on Jun 11, 2021 13:14:59 GMT
I've never understood the argument put forward that the production was tailored for the USA market, was it really imagined they prefer a thin weak sound? The production on both On The Level & Blue For You was pretty good to my ears - sharper than previous albums, but still retaining that ooomph. If they really wanted to have an American flavour to the production then why not get somebody like Jack Douglas in? Yes that’s it dennis, as Pip says it was mixed on Auratones for American AM radio so ‘that it would sound great coming out of little speakers’ That is it right there. Why on Earth would you mix a WHOLE album on Auratones for American radio? The average American DJ would never play the entire album surely. One can only wonder why Quo didn’t just release the RAOTW album to the public just as it was recorded as in John Edens remix, BUT press the Auratone mixed single of RAOTW , with B sde, to be promoted solely for American AM radio? |
|
mortified
4500 Timer
Posts: 5,840 
Favourite Quo Album: Hello!
Favourite other bands.: Talking Heads, Rolling Stones, Sheryl Crow, Gary Numan, Alabama 3, ZZ Top, Paul van Dyk, Jeff Beck, Bowie, Gerry Rafferty, Band of Skulls, UFO, S.A.H.B
|
Post by mortified on Jun 11, 2021 13:31:25 GMT
Quo seemed to think they needed to target the American market in a specific way. Sonically I mean. Or those in charge of such things did. Rather than just leaving things alone. By all means, add to and expand the sound - no act should stand still. But anyone thinking a track sounded great through an AM radio was going to be hugely disappointed if they bought the album! Look at the Whatever You Want album which was completely remixed as Now Hear This. With an extremely dull sleeve I hasten to add. That would really catch your average American kid's eye  The remix did not enhance the album in any way. I'm not sure what the point of that exercise was  Artists targeting America tended to completely change their style altogether. Look at Rod Stewart for example. I wonder how many Pool Hall Richard fans went along for the ride and gobbled up You're In My Heart and Baby Jane with enthusiasm? The bottom line is, if you cracked America, you were pretty much taking on one huge audience while leaving your other fans behind. They tended to be mutually exclusive with quintessentially British bands; which Quo were. A generalisation of course but even without conquering the States, that's almost what happened. Luckily for the band, their fan base stayed fairly loyal and they even extended it. |
|
|
|
Post by Mrs Flittersnoop on Jun 12, 2021 12:41:14 GMT
I've never understood the argument put forward that the production was tailored for the USA market, was it really imagined they prefer a thin weak sound? The production on both On The Level & Blue For You was pretty good to my ears - sharper than previous albums, but still retaining that ooomph. If they really wanted to have an American flavour to the production then why not get somebody like Jack Douglas in? Yes that’s it dennis , as Pip says it was mixed on Auratones for American AM radio so ‘that it would sound great coming out of little speakers’ That is it right there. Why on Earth would you mix a WHOLE album on Auratones for American radio? The average American DJ would never play the entire album surely. One can only wonder why Quo didn’t just release the RAOTW album to the public just as it was recorded as in John Edens remix, BUT press the Auratone mixed single of RAOTW , with B sde, to be promoted solely for American AM radio?
Thanks for that insight. I thought that sort of thing was what bands usually did with the promoted single. As for little speakers, I heard the entire Princes Trust gig on car speakers, not to mention the BBC Led Zeppelin on a tiny plastic tranny a decade earlier, and they both sounded fine to me  Though probably not suitable for printing to vinyl. Very much a case of In The Moment. |
|
|
|
Post by fretbuzzzzz on Jun 13, 2021 9:41:12 GMT
www.soundonsound.com/reviews/auratone-5c-super-sound-cubeTread carefully if not especially a studio geek. The Auratone side of things seemed the lesser of the negative factors involved in how things turned out first time around, to my way of thinking. Other forces were at work, though did make me laugh just a little bit out loud with the them being known as grot boxes!
|
|
|
|
Post by freewilly on Jun 13, 2021 22:41:10 GMT
Have you ever heard a "bedroom demo" by an unsigned musician?
Still has better quality of sound than the original RAOTW album. It's appalling!
I've heard demos from Francis and Rick, that were recorded on tape recorders in the 70s, that sound better.
Given the material, the idea and the aim of the entire project, the band and producer should be up in court, answering questions over it
If it was a sound meant to crack the American market, why go the route of the traditional Quo sound for "Now Here This?"
Can make excuses all they want, bottom line is that they fucked it up!
|
|
|
|
Post by dennis on Jun 14, 2021 9:32:50 GMT
Played the John Eden Remix over the weekend & although many of the songs benefit from his work, he still can't bring back that missing ooomph. It seems it's not there on the tapes to bring out. To my mind, that indicates a dramatic change in how they were recording tracks compared to previous albums. That includes Blue For You & On The Level which both had a somewhat slicker, cleaner, more "produced" sound than the previous trio of albums. Arguably, it was a continuation of the existing direction of travel, but they surely went way too far. Thankfully there was some clawing back of the Quo sound on Whatever You Want, but the difference between the 5 pre Live! albums & the 5 post Live! albums is stark, imo.
|
|
roquer
Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 676
|
Post by roquer on Jun 16, 2021 15:55:39 GMT
Yeah, the album was produced with the american market in mind...That's why they didn't bother to go back on tour in America...Yes, right, completely understable.
That's why AC/DC or Queen burnt their as**s in the 70's touring there.
Another thing that I never understand of this whole story is, they wanted airplay in america, but Quo Mangnament/Record Company didn't invest the money to get that airplay. What did you expect then? They sold millions of records in Europe, they have money to at least try, but they never be bothered. Then why they cried?
|
|
|
|
Post by freewilly on Jun 16, 2021 17:02:55 GMT
Another thing that I never understand of this whole story is, they wanted airplay in america, but Quo Mangnament/Record Company didn't invest the money to get that airplay. What did you expect then? They sold millions of records in Europe, they have money to at least try, but they never be bothered. Then why they cried? Well, we know the answer to that... |
|
|
|
Post by fretbuzzzzz on Jun 16, 2021 17:24:05 GMT
I've never understood the argument put forward that the production was tailored for the USA market, was it really imagined they prefer a thin weak sound? The production on both On The Level & Blue For You was pretty good to my ears - sharper than previous albums, but still retaining that ooomph. If they really wanted to have an American flavour to the production then why not get somebody like Jack Douglas in? It has been a curiosity all these years as to the American market excuse, as such, as we know the band and Francis in particular were quite anti-America at one time and not keen on doing the legwork to get established there even though they had toured previously but realising back then that they were like a small fish in a very big pond. I agree that 'Blue For You' especially had already taken Quo to the next step in a sense, in terms of musical maturity and a sharper production. Almost tailor made for the American market! As you say dennis, at that time Pip had a good track record but no particular connection with America as such where other producers may have been better qualified if that had been the record company's true intention. He's an arranger and musician first and foremost and less involved in the sound side of matters in the studio, as that is the engineering side and mixing, but presumably had some input with Rockin'. There seems to have been a number of (negative) factors acting in collusion that created the weakened sound on vinyl. As mortified and a few others have said, there were some get-out-of-jail tracks on the original vinyl album that I really liked and helped get over the overall poor quality of sound. Thought they were definitely going in the right direction with some tracks. Not as complete as say OTL or BFY but at least having some fresh and new ideas in there, not so much the Rockin' title track but in a few other tracks. Considering that the original tapes had been lying around gathering dust for decades and suffering from some deterioration then John Eden's re-mix had been something of a revelation on certain tracks. |
|
col
Rocker Rollin'
Posts: 621
Favourite Quo Album: Dog Of Two Head, Piledriver, Hello, Quo, Live
Favourite other bands.: Ramones, Warrior Soul, Soundgarden, King Buffalo, Small Faces, Motorhead, UFO, Screaming Trees, Kyuss, Clutch
|
Post by col on Jun 16, 2021 22:12:02 GMT
I do seem to be in a minority of one.
As I do not think the songs were of a good enough quality for what were were used to, at the time.
Five good songs does not a good album make.
The John Eden remix gave us a couple more listenable ones.
|
|
|
|
Post by wolfman on Jun 17, 2021 20:54:47 GMT
Never off the jukebox back in the 70s....
|
|
|
|
Post by railroad007 on Jun 18, 2021 12:00:43 GMT
Maybe Americans just didn't like the music, simple as that.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mustang Bass on Jun 18, 2021 18:11:04 GMT
I've never understood the argument put forward that the production was tailored for the USA market, was it really imagined they prefer a thin weak sound? The production on both On The Level & Blue For You was pretty good to my ears - sharper than previous albums, but still retaining that ooomph. If they really wanted to have an American flavour to the production then why not get somebody like Jack Douglas in?It sounded like they did!  |
|
The remix did not enhance the album in any way. I'm not sure what the point of that exercise was 
Though probably not suitable for printing to vinyl. Very much a case of In The Moment.
