How much Brian is actually in charge of productions of recent albums

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I know that it has been debated in recent years, how much Brian is in control of the productions of his solo albums. The Brian Wilson magic has definatley been there since BWPS. Also everyone involved says Brian is in charge and is given full production credit. As much as I want to believe that Brian is back, how much of this can be credited to the Wondermints whom show that they can create magic as well on their own albums. I think there is no doubt that they are at least Brian's wrecking crew of today. Maybe better because they can do it live! I also can say that the Wondermints have a better sense of that magic then Joe Thomas. But at least they are on TWGMTR. However, one major thing in Brian's favor. The Wondermints were also on GIOMH! The magic started after BWPS. In the 70s and 80s, Brian was up to the task of creating full albums with his magical touch twice (LY and BW88). Now we have been treated to it on a consistant basis!

[Rocky Raccoon]

I'm going to assume from video footage and such that while guys like Darian and Joe Thomas oversee the arrangements and such, Brian has final say.  He still arranges the parts but he has a lot of help to orchestrate it.  I think he's still very much a producer, he does a lot more than many contemporary music producers do, but just not as much as he was in 1966.

[HeroAndVillain]

I'm going to assume from video footage and such that while guys like Darian and Joe Thomas oversee the arrangements and such, Brian has final say.  He still arranges the parts but he has a lot of help to orchestrate it.  I think he's still very much a producer, he does a lot more than many contemporary music producers do, but just not as much as he was in 1966.

IMHO that might be a good thing. We don't want BW having another mental breakdown particularly at 70 years old.

Though I must admit that there are one or two BW solo albums that I won't be buying because I don't like the production.

[Autotune]

Joe Thomas account n the songwriting for this new album can be, I think, extrapolated to the production.
Brian is the producer, but has people take care of the technical stuff, run the day-to-day organization. I think it's less hands-on than in the 60s, but that does not make him less as a producer. Also, the recent public realisation that he went to Capitol to get a record deal, and that he saved the songs for a decade for this project, and that pretty much hires and fires who he wants, has put to the task the opinions of those that said that the label "produced by BW" is nothing but a facade for legitimacy.

Also, it's pretty clear by now, I think, how collaborative his younger efforts were. That does not take away the splendor of Brian as an artist. In fact, none of his collaborators has shined on their own like they have with him.

[hypehat]

Joe Thomas account n the songwriting for this new album can be, I think, extrapolated to the production.
Brian is the producer, but has people take care of the technical stuff, run the day-to-day organization

Thomas said as much - Apparently, Brian is not bothered about the minutiae of microphones and the technical side, but in that extended interview he does say a lot about how Brian made sure he had specific instruments, even to the extent of flying to Nashville for a tack piano on the record.

Which makes sense really - The anecdotes about Brian slaving over tracking sessions and just sloppily mixing records in a couple of hours ring true here. So long as the track is 'right'. So what could have happened is Thomas let Brian run the sessions, acting merely as secretary, and helping Brian mix it - hence effects all over the place.

[Biggus Dikkus]

I really do wish that he was far more involved in the technical aspects, as the album--while surprisingly good--wasn't very appealing to my audiophile infected ears. Quite a lot of auto tune, and quite a lot of brick walling. Which is really a shame because I found myself enjoying the album far more than I originally thought I would.

[absinthe_boy]

Autotune  and other odd vocal effects - yes and barring the nice effects on Al's voice in FTTBA I generally dislike them. The autotune and processing on Isn't It Time almost ruin the song for me. But having said that it's not the first time the BB's have used vocal processing.

But brickwalling? Nah, this CD actually has a good dynamic range. Unlike TLOS which was a dead loss on CD and is totally unlistenable to my audiophile years. Whereas the vinyl was reasonably pleasing. Some board members may remember back in 2008 I posted waveforms from both to prove the point. The CD was almost brickwalled, very small dynamic range...the vinyl was...well...somewhat better - and demonstrably so. BUT...was that down to production or mastering? Remember it is he who makes the master who actually has the final say.

TWGMTR is very clean and clinical and a bit bright sounding for my tastes but it's not bad.

How much is Brian involved? I think from everything I have read, when he is involved he tends to oversee. He does decide on the arrangements and may well instruct musicians. If a proper analogue mixing desk is involved (as it ruddy well should be, preferably valve driven - regardless of recording media) then I bet he mans the faders from time to time but not most of the time. Otherwise I read somewhere that he has some knowledge of pro-tools but doesn't actually use it himself. Darian probably showed him enough of pro-tools for Brian to have the knowledge to advise.

What Brian has is his ear, and his opinion of what each instrument and the final song should sound like. He might not know how to achieve that sound with modern equipment as opposed to 4-track tape, an analogue desk and some Sehneisers. And that probably doesn't bother him if he trusts the recording engineer. Brian gives the orders and trusts the people around him to get the results. It is classic Brian to fly thousands of miles to get the right piano sound (or did he have the piano flown in from Nashville?). It is not classic Brian to have an album brickwalled - even the Spector wall of sound has decent dynamic range. The use of vocal effects? I am undecided. Might have been a Joe Thomas suggestion and maybe Brian thinks they sound cool or even modern. There could have been a decision to pitch correct/process the vocals on some tracks in order to help them appeal to modern ears (speculation).

But I think it's possible to tell that Brian was likely in charge. Whereas I am....sceptical...about TLOS.

[Autotune]

The much-beloved TLOS was backslashed because of compression over here.

Nothing guarantees that:
A) a Brian-overseen master would be any better
B) Brian had no say on the mastering of this new album, or any other album for that matter

[Biggus Dikkus]

It sounds quite compressed to my ears, but then again its hard to tell with the blaringly loud and annoying brightness added in with the auto tune. And no, I suppose there isn't any guarantee that Brian would have done a better job, but I can't see him overseeing this and letting all of those things come to the final version of the album. Still, its an enjoyable album, but it could have been so much easier on the ears.

[brother john]

It sounds quite compressed to my ears, but then again its hard to tell with the blaringly loud and annoying brightness added in with the auto tune. And no, I suppose there isn't any guarantee that Brian would have done a better job, but I can't see him overseeing this and letting all of those things come to the final version of the album. Still, its an enjoyable album, but it could have been so much easier on the ears.

I suggest you spend a few minutes with google to find out the difference between pitch correction and EQ.

[KittyKat]

I think Joe Thomas pretty much produced the latest album, in spite of Brian's name being on it as producer, just based on the fact it's closer to the job Thomas did on "Imagination" than anything else Brian has worke on.  What Brian may have done is more akin to the title of arranger than producer.  I also don't think he produced BW 88 in the classic sense or any other of his solo recordings, at least not with a lot of outside help.  I don't think he has the attention span or the feel for modern recording techniques, or the desire to learn them in depth.  He's an old school guy and he may prefer arranging vocals and instruments to doing all the technical stuff that record companies now impose on many artists because they think it will make them fit in better among other songs on what's left of radio.

[adamghost]

I've been bitching extensively about the EQ on the album (to me really muddy, possibly brought about by overcompression of individual tracks plus mastering with online listening in mind) on another thread, so I won't get into that here. 

I've been told that in terms of producing the backing vocals, at least, Brian is very much the producer of old.

[HeroAndVillain]

As much as I want to believe that Brian is back, how much of this can be credited to the Wondermints whom show that they can create magic as well on their own albums. I think there is no doubt that they are at least Brian's wrecking crew of today. Maybe better because they can do it live! I also can say that the Wondermints have a better sense of that magic then Joe Thomas. But at least they are on TWGMTR. However, one major thing in Brian's favor. The Wondermints were also on GIOMH! The magic started after BWPS. In the 70s and 80s, Brian was up to the task of creating full albums with his magical touch twice (LY and BW88). Now we have been treated to it on a consistant basis!

I listened to the Wondermints' album "If We Make Love to You" on spotify today. It's a good album, but while the songs are well written, well performed/sung, and well produced, I thought it lacked the real "magic" that truly great albums have. There's nothing wrong with the album, it just lacks the true magic that great albums have. The band's sound isn't that original, sounding a lot like Jellyfish, but without the jugular threatening hooks that Jellyfish's first album had.

While I was there I listened to Scott Bennett's album "The Earth's Sharp Edge". I found this more interesting, more original. But a fair bit further away from typical BB/Brian Wilson style.

It does show that Brian's band/various associates have a goodly amount of talent in depth, more so than you'd usually get in a solo artist's backing band. But after listening to the albums, there's still a fair amount of "brilliance" unaccounted for, which is I presume supplied by Brian. Andy Sturmer's account of writing with Brian supports this, IMHO.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

As much as I want to believe that Brian is back, how much of this can be credited to the Wondermints whom show that they can create magic as well on their own albums. I think there is no doubt that they are at least Brian's wrecking crew of today. Maybe better because they can do it live! I also can say that the Wondermints have a better sense of that magic then Joe Thomas. But at least they are on TWGMTR. However, one major thing in Brian's favor. The Wondermints were also on GIOMH! The magic started after BWPS. In the 70s and 80s, Brian was up to the task of creating full albums with his magical touch twice (LY and BW88). Now we have been treated to it on a consistant basis!

I listened to the Wondermints' album "If We Make Love to You" on spotify today. It's a good album, but while the songs are well written, well performed/sung, and well produced, I thought it lacked the real "magic" that truly great albums have. There's nothing wrong with the album, it just lacks the true magic that great albums have. The band's sound isn't that original, sounding a lot like Jellyfish, but without the jugular threatening hooks that Jellyfish's first album had.

While I was there I listened to Scott Bennett's album "The Earth's Sharp Edge". I found this more interesting, more original. But a fair bit further away from typical BB/Brian Wilson style.

It does show that Brian's band/various associates have a goodly amount of talent in depth, more so than you'd usually get in a solo artist's backing band. But after listening to the albums, there's still a fair amount of "brilliance" unaccounted for, which is I presume supplied by Brian. Andy Sturmer's account of writing with Brian supports this, IMHO.

That is why I compare the Wondermints to the wrecking crew. Maybe even better. The wrecking crew were able to create magic with several producers and song writers. The Wondermints just might be as good at creating music as the wrecking crew.

[Ron]

Topics like this are interesting to me.  I think you have to start with the caveat that not everything is black and white, so Brian may be much more involved for 1 song than he is for another. 

Things I imagine, however, would be:

- Brian seems to have always claimed that he heard how songs should sound in his mind, and then struggled with getting that sound in the studio.  Since he's gotten older, most of his 'sounds' are probably similar to stuff he's done before, so he can probably better explain to the group how he wants it to sound.

- Brian has claimed for years to have writers block.  I think he likely, very often, has ideas and concepts that are only partially fleshed out, which the band, Paul, Darian, etc. Joe Thomas perhaps... make into reality.  Brian then either changes something or agrees with the direction it went. 

- Sometimes other songs probably originate with others, like Scott did with TLOS or whatever, and depending on Brian's affection for the song, he can take it in a vastly different direction, or add just a couple small things to make it Wilsony enough. 

- Every once in a while, Brian likely comes up with something nearly completely, knowing how he wants it to sound, etc.  I would imagine songs like "Strange World" are probably like this.  That song sounds SO Brian Wilson.  From the lyrics, the production, the way the chorus works, the harmonies, everything on it sounds like a Brian Wilson idea.  It would be hard for me to believe that anybody at all had anything to do with that song but Brian.  "Shelter" , to me, is another very Brian song.