Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site dciem.UUCP Path: utzoo!dciem!jeff From: jeff@dciem.UUCP (Jeff Richardson) Newsgroups: net.music Subject: Re: Knocking Steve Lillywhite (fashionable) Message-ID: <1234@dciem.UUCP> Date: Thu, 29-Nov-84 10:18:45 EST Article-I.D.: dciem.1234 Posted: Thu Nov 29 10:18:45 1984 Date-Received: Thu, 29-Nov-84 13:18:36 EST References: <518@utcsrgv.UUCP> <1229@dciem.UUCP>, <521@utcsrgv.UUCP>, <1008@druri.UUCP> Organization: D.C.I.E.M., Toronto, Canada Lines: 46 I'm not sure whether the article complaining about criticism of Steve Lillywhite was directed at me, for saying that I was glad U2 changed producers and I think Big Country should too, as well as the guy who said that he hated the old U2 sound and thought that Lillywhite was ruining Simple Minds. Just in case it was, I'd like to clear up any misunderstanding I may have caused. I think Steve Lillywhite is a great producer and the sound he creates is one of my favourite styles of music; in fact, he has probably produced more of my favourite albums of the last few years than anybody else. The point I was trying to make was that, although U2's "War", Simple Minds' "Sparkle In The Rain", and Big Country's "The Crossing" were all among my top five albums of their years and all by far my favourite albums from each group, I would much rather see these groups change their style a bit than record another album with the same sound. U2 changed their producer and recorded an excellent album ("The Unforgettable Fire") in a slightly different style. After his excellent, Lillywhite-produced third album, Peter Gabriel changed his producer and approach and came up with an even better album ("Security"). Big Country stayed with Steve Lillywhite and the result ("Steeltown") sounds mostly like "The Crossing" but not as good. This isn't necessarily Lillywhite's fault. Big Country may not be capable of anything different. I think they are, but they may need a different producer to force them to change their sound, since Lillywhite is probably the only one capable of producing the familiar Big Country sound. As far as Simple Minds goes, we'll have to wait and see, but they've already proven they can make a great album without Steve Lillywhite. "New Gold Dream" is not as good as "Sparkle In The Rain", but it's different, and I hope their next album will be different too. As far as "Remain In Light" goes, let's not start knocking Eno either. He took an ordinary early new wave band (sure, they were ahead of their time in '77, but by the time of "Remain In Light", the times had pretty well caught up with them), and turned them into one of the most important groups of the eighties. "Remain In Light", recorded at the onset of the decade, is probably the first time that new wave, funk, and progressive rock were combined, paving the way for a large fraction of the best music that is being recorded today. "Speaking In Tongues", which Eno was not involved with, is disappointing by comparison. (For those of you who don't recognise the album titles, Talking Heads is the group I'm talking about.) To sum it all up, Lillywhite and Eno are both great, but a group has to change their sound once in a while, and sometimes a new producer is the best way to do it. -- Jeff Richardson, DCIEM, Toronto (416) 635-2073 {linus,ihnp4,uw-beaver,floyd}!utcsrgv!dciem!jeff {allegra,ihnp4,linus,decvax}!utzoo!dciem!jeff