Hypnagogic States (the september EP)

[Lostflowerboy]

Astonishing to which extend the production matters to you. I hardly find anything to complain about, at least nothing that keeps me away from loving those new songs. Only the fact that they seem to sound better with some background noise (e.g. in the car) is somehow strange. Maybe Robert's got some noise continuously in his ears? 

[lostflower4]

I hardly find anything to complain about, at least nothing that keeps me away from loving those new songs. Only the fact that they seem to sound better with some background noise (e.g. in the car) is somehow strange. Maybe Robert's got some noise continuously in his ears? 

Well, that should tell you that something isn't right. That background noise is likely drowning out some of the unpleasantries of the sound.

I think most will agree that a quiet atmosphere is ideal for listening to high-quality music.

And yes, I'm afraid that Robert's hearing must be fading after all these years. I really think the Robert of 15 years ago would be appalled if he heard the sound of the stuff he was putting out today.

I'm actually convinced of this, considering how good some of The Cure's older stuff sounded. And please note I'm only talking about the production here, nothing to do with the songwriting. That's a whole different topic in and of itself.

[japanesebaby]

Astonishing to which extend the production matters to you.

well, of course it matters. no say it doesn't matter is pretty much the same as saying that the taste of food doesn't matter. i mean, imagine going to a restaurant and ordering their best and most expensive dish. prepared form the very best ingredients. if the cook doesn't know what he's doing, the food will taste mediocre, no matter now precious ingredients were used.
this is exactly what is happening with these cure releases: the ingredients are superb (=the cure!) but the cook (=all those in charge of the production, mixing and remastering) just screwed it up. the taste is gone.

i don't exactly enjoy eating the world's most expensive dish, if it's so badly prepared that you you feel that you could have just as well grabbed a hamburger from mcD instead.
(hmm suddenly i find myself thinking of that japanese "lethal is prepared by a lousy cook" fish, called fugu...)

i think people easily forget how much the producers (&other studio people behind the scenes) really affect the "final product", how kmuch it all depends on great production. yes the band members write the songs. but the producer &co. are there to create the sound, to "sculpt it out the sound matter" that the band has recorded, so to speak. :!:

Maybe Robert's got some noise continuously in his ears? 

yes if this is true then it's really unhappy news. so i wouldn't add a happy smiley but a sad one because it's not funny. :(
then again, i wouldn't be the sligtest bit surprised if he had hearing damage by now. all those years being exposed to loud music does affect your hearing. i think pretty much all rock musicians have some kind of hearing damage because they are constantly exposed to over 85 dbs environments (which is the limit after which the damage is not only possible but guaranteed).



ps. lostflower4 is right. you've already noticed something yourself that proves that these recordings are damaged. if it really sounds "better" when you drown it in some other sound coming form an external sound source then that should really ring "alarm alarm!" for you.

[Lostflowerboy]

So what do you think about the production of "Without you"? For me that one is perfect, I just listened to it very LOUD and I loved the sound (and the song too, a great one).

[tigermilk]

Oh god, the people who are remixing are crap. I hate those bands   
Why does Robert think that Cure fans listen to rubbish such as Fall Out Boy and AFI. Sure some do, but most hate it, so why do this???

Thanks Japanesebaby for clearing up the sound debate with the two screen shots. And yes I agree, PRODUCTION MATTERS! It matters big time! They should have ditched Keith Udden at hello, and went back to Jane Seymours house again (where they recorded Wild Mood Swings). Or stuck with the guy they did the self-titled album with. That sounded lovely to me. How can so much change in just 4 years??

And here's a thought; maybe Robert and the boys shouldn't have recorded an album while they were touring around the world. You know what it's like when you go home after a loud show and your ears are ringing and ringing. Well imagine being on stage and having to perform for 3 hours on a massive 59 show tour. I'm suprised Robert hasn't curled over and died after such a thing. He probably did have his ears ringing an awful lot during the recording process hence the loud mixing on the new stuff. This is such a shame.

[Bloodflower]

Oh god, the people who are remixing are crap. I hate those bands   
Why does Robert think that Cure fans listen to rubbish such as Fall Out Boy and AFI. Sure some do, but most hate it, so why do this???

Thanks Japanesebaby for clearing up the sound debate with the two screen shots. And yes I agree, PRODUCTION MATTERS! It matters big time! They should have ditched Keith Udden at hello, and went back to Jane Seymours house again (where they recorded Wild Mood Swings). Or stuck with the guy they did the self-titled album with. That sounded lovely to me. How can so much change in just 4 years??

And here's a thought; maybe Robert and the boys shouldn't have recorded an album while they were touring around the world. You know what it's like when you go home after a loud show and your ears are ringing and ringing. Well imagine being on stage and having to perform for 3 hours on a massive 59 show tour. I'm suprised Robert hasn't curled over and died after such a thing. He probably did have his ears ringing an awful lot during the recording process hence the loud mixing on the new stuff. This is such a shame.

I don't think anyone's ever said that.

Ever.

[[labyrinth]]

and went back to Jane Seymours house again (where they recorded Wild Mood Swings). [...] That sounded lovely to me.

Wild Mood Swing sounds "lovely" ??

[tigermilk]

and went back to Jane Seymours house again (where they recorded Wild Mood Swings). [...] That sounded lovely to me.

Wild Mood Swing sounds "lovely" ??

Yeah I think it sounds great.... the production levels (in my opinion) are nice. When I listen to say, 'Labyrinth' from The Cure, or 'Return' from WMS, they sound much better than 'Sleep When I'm Dead'. So how did the production change so much is what I want to know. I just don't know why they can't go through the same process as before. WMS does sound good in quality, but I know a lot of people don't like it. Maybe I should have said Bloodflowers instead.. haha.

[lostflower4]

You know, I used to think that Wild Mood Swings sounded horrible. But when you compare it to the new stuff, the production on that was actually quite spectacular.

How do I feel about the production of Without You?  Bad as ever, if not worse.

It really does seem that every single keeps sounding progressively worse. I don't know how they do it!  :twisted:

[crowbi_wan]

It really does seem that every single keeps sounding progressively worse.

Let's hope this pattern doesn't hold true for the album and all this shoddy production has only been reserved for the mix 13 stuff. 

[lostflower4]

It really does seem that every single keeps sounding progressively worse.

Let's hope this pattern doesn't hold true for the album and all this shoddy production has only been reserved for the mix 13 stuff. 

I would normally be inclined to believe this, but B-sides are usually produced in exactly the same way as the album stuff. 

[crowbi_wan]

Robert has been producing, or at lease co-producing the singles, right?  Do we know if he's at the helm for the album?  There was all that talk of the record company wanting to use some name producer or whatever and then Robert taking care of the double album.  Do we know who actually produced the album? 

[Bloodflower]

Robert Smith & Keith Uddin, I think.

[Lostflowerboy]

Is it possible that the sound is different on the US-Versions of the Singles? Maybe some pressing error?
Because I still have no clue what you are talking about concerning the sound. I'd say it's a standard production (for 2008): Slightly too loud and to compressed, but that's it. That doesn't turn a good song into a bad one.

[lostflower4]

Is it possible that the sound is different on the US-Versions of the Singles? Maybe some pressing error?

No... I've heard several different versions from different parts of the world (from CD), as well as an iTunes version.

All are equally painful to listen to.