Analysis of the production of notable recordings. Each track has been selected as an example of a key producer of importance.

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Track Name – Artist – Producer – year released

All Apologies – Nirvana – Steve Albini – recorded in 1993, never officially released, bootleg got out about 2005

All Apologies – Nirvana – Scott Litt – 1993

Almost With You – The Church – Bob Clearmountain – 1982

Be My Baby – The Ronettes – Phil Spector – 1963

Bicycle Race – Queen – Roy Thomas Baker – 1978

Billie Jean – Michael Jackson – Quincy Jones – 1983

Blood Makes Noise – Suzanne Vega – Mitchell Froom – 1992

Blue Moon of Kentucky – Elvis Presley – Sam Phillips – 1954

A Day in the Life – The Beatles – George Martin – 1967

Fuck wit Dre Day (And Everybody’s Celebratin’) – Dr Dre – Dr Dre – 1993

Get Ur Freak On – Missy Elliott – Timbaland – 2001

Grace – Jeff Buckley – Andy Wallace – 1994

The Greatest View – silverchair – David Bottrill – 2002

“Heroes” – David Bowie – Tony Visconti – 1977

Hey Ladies – Beastie Boys – The Dust Brothers – 1989

Hurt – Johnny Cash – Rick Rubin – 2003

I Wanna Be Adored – The Stone Roses – John Leckie – 1991

I Want You Back – The Jackson Five – Berry Gordy – 1969

I Will Follow – U2 – Steve Lillywhite – 1980

In the Air Tonight – Phil Collins – Hugh Padgham – 1981

In the Rain – Midnight Oil – Malcolm Burn – 1996

Layla – Derek and the Dominos – Tom Dowd – 1971

Let Down – Radiohead – Nigel Godrich – 1997

Maggot Brain – Funkadelic – George Clinton – 1971

Man in the Long Black Coat – Bob Dylan – Daniel Lanois – 1989

Once in a Lifetime – Talking Heads – Brian Eno – 1981

Ray of Light – Madonna – William Orbit – 1998

Rockit – Herbie Hancock – Bill Laswell – 1983

She Wants to Move – N*E*R*D – The Neptunes – 2004

Soul Rebel – Bob Marley and the Wailers – Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry – 1970

(Just Like) Starting Over – John Lennon – Jack Douglas – 1980

Stuck in the Middle With You – Stealers Wheel – Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller – 1972

Stupid Girl – Garbage – Butch Vig – 1996

Telstar – The Tornados – Joe Meek – 1962

Video Killed the Radio Star – The Buggles – Trevor Horn – 1979

Wish You Well – Bernard Fanning – Tchad Blake – 2005

Won’t Get Fooled Again – The Who – Glyn Johns – 1971

You Shook Me All Night Long – AC/DC – Robert ‘Mutt’ Lange – 1980

1979 – Smashing Pumpkins – Flood – 1996

99 Problems – Danger Mouse – Danger Mouse – 2004

 

Some loose guidelines;

First consider the dimensions of the production

  • left & right – PANNING (stereo image)
  • up & down – EQ (frequencies)
  • front & back / large & small – LOUDNESS
  • far & near – REVERB
  • bright & dark / sparse & dense – over TIME

Also consider how the arrangement has influenced the production

  • melody
  • harmony/chords
  • counter melody
  • response
  • rhythm

General considerations that may have influenced the production;

  • feel/emotion
  • lyric
  • instrumentation
  • where does the track sit in the career of the artist/genre/culture (what precedes and follows it)