It's often tough for a band to maintain complete control of their creative vision, especially when they hire a producer from outside the band to help them capture their sound on record. These eight bands, however, remained true to their vision by having a member of the band produce their records.
1. The Beach Boys
Though the Beach Boys first few albums were produced by people outside of the band, including its manager (and father of the Wilson brothers) Murry Wilson, bassist and lead songwriter Brian Wilson eventually took complete control by the mid-'60s, giving the Beach Boys a more lush, Phil Spector-inspired sound, exemplified by their classic Pet Sounds album.
2. Creedence Clearwater Revival
With its raw, straightforward sound, CCR had perhaps the simplest yet most satisfyingly produced records of the late '60s-early '70s, most of which were helmed by bandleader John Fogerty. The only time Fogerty passed production duties to the other band members was its final album Mardi Gras, which features songwriting and production contributions from bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford.
3. Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin was the originator of the massive, heavy sound associated with classic rock, which can be attributed to the groundbreaking production techniques of guitarist Jimmy Page, who was one of the first rock producers to emphasize the ambience of a room as much as the instrument itself. His technique can be heard most clearly in the drums of Led Zeppelin's classic "When the Levee Breaks."
4. Can
As I wrote about last week in an article about songwriting bassists, Can bassist/producer Holger Czukay was responsible for editing down his band's sometimes hours-long jam sessions into palatable songs. When listening to Can's live sets and comparing how different these songs sound from their studio versions, it becomes apparent just how much influence Czukay had over their compositions.
5. Death Cab for Cutie
Though Death Cab for Cutie started off as the solo project of Ben Gibbard, it eventually expanded into a four-piece band. Gibbard remained the band's lead singer and principal songwriter, but guitarist Chris Walla became the band's second-in-command, occasionally contributing to songwriting and producing all of their albums (with the exception of the demo album You Can Play These Song With Chords, which Gibbard recorded himself).
6. The Mars Volta
Though superstar producer Rick Rubin was behind the mixing console for the Mars Volta's debut album Deloused in the Comatorium, all of the band's subsequent albums were produced solely by guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez. In fact, Rodriguez-Lopez was so focused on record production that for the Mars Volta's third album Amputechture, he hardly played guitar at all, instead recruiting John Frusciante of Red Hot Chili Peppers to record most of the album's guitar parts.
7. Grizzly Bear
Much like Death Cab for Cutie, Grizzly Bear began as a solo project, with singer/guitarist Ed Droste performing and recording its debut album Horn of Plenty mostly on his own. After Grizzly Bear expanded into a band, however, bassist Chris Taylor took over production, giving the band its psychedelic yet organic ambience.
8. Vampire Weekend
With its 2008 eponymous debut album, Vampire Weekend introduced a unique sound to pop music, which blended chamber pop with West African pop. A huge part of the band's distinctive sound can be attributed to keyboardist/guitarist Rostam Batmanglij, who has produced all three of the band's albums.
What are some other bands whose producers are a member of the band? Let us know down in the comments section!
© 2024 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
