#1
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24 Karat Gold production
I was just listening to Stevie's albums in depth for the first time in a while and I was alarmed by one thing. TISL is a masterpiece and the production is pure perfection. IYD is not anywhere near as bad as I thought originally and I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it again and the production is good. Nice little flairs here and there.
Then I get to 24KG. I know it was done in a very short space of time but the simple fact is this. The production of this album is absolutely terrible. How Stevie said "Yes, this is great. Release this" is beyond me. Either do it properly or NOT AT ALL. I thought Stevie was a perfectionist? Some of the vocals are so bad it's embarrassing but there are great vocal parts too which is so frustrating to me because I believe that if it was given to Dave to go over the production thoroughly and then release it very late 2014/start of 2015, it would've been a hundred times better. Annoying. So I hope that Stevie's future albums, whether that being 24KG 2 or not, will be produced to the standard of TISL and IYD because Dave CAN produce well but on this occasion he didn't, or didn't have enough time to do it properly. EITHER DO IT PROPERLY OR NOT AT ALL STEVIE!!! |
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#2
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" Negativity doesn't get you anywhere."
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#3
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Haha! I know I said that but I think I'm being more constructive saying that she's had a string of fantastic albums that were produced well and only this one was a bit of a let down. Was trying to be constructive for her future albums.
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#4
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24 Karat Gold is the first, and only, SN album I don't like at all. I think it's because all the songs sound alike to me. The music, the vocals, the whole album sounds like one long depressing song.
I'm gonna try to listen to it again sometime. I doubt she'll do another album like this, though. |
#5
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The production is a bit uneven which given the time frame it was completed in is no surprise but when it works it sounds great IMHO..my favorite of hers since the 1980s.
__________________
Children of the world the forgotten chimpanzee..in the eyes of the world you have done so much for me. ..SLN. |
#6
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Just chiming in here...The only 3 Stevie CDs that I love are Bella Donna, The Wild Heart, and 24 Karat Gold. I love the variety, and the songs are strong. I don't notice the production, though admittedly I don't have a very keen ear.
Kevin |
#7
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Just listening to this cd in my car today. I love the song 24 Karat Gold. I love variety of the songs too! Even my 4 year old niece was jammin' to it!
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#8
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I totally agree. I think the classic rock production is perfect for her. In Your Dreams was overproduced. TISL was uneven. The TOSOTM was horrible.
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#9
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Quote:
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#10
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Yeah, likewise... every other SN album, there have been several songs I've loved, or at the very least, a few songs. With 24 Karat, nothing. And I even bought the expensive version with the extra song and photo booklet. They all sound the same.
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#11
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I don't think of them as production "flaws". I think of them as giving the songs (recorded and released in 5 months time, mind you) a bit of character. I've heard worse production flaws in some of the most current pop and rock artists of this decade. And keep in mind that almost EVERY Stevie album has production flaws, from Bella Donna to TISL and even some spots on IYD.
So when I hear guitar reverb on the fade out of "If You Were My Love", or a crisper vocal versus a slightly compressed vocal on "Watchchain", or whatever the "flaw" might be, I just embrace it as part of the song. I can't stand musical perfection, or autotune. I like real one or two take vocals, instrumentation with soul - the "dumb ass guitar solo" that Stevie prefers on "Everybody Loves You" versus the one that the producers initially were going to mix, for example. In regards to this album, I still love it. It is my number four behind BD, WH and RAL. Yes that has a lot to do with the fact that they are recordings of her old demos, but a big part of it is because of the way they turned out with her current vocal register and how close they are to the original demos. I LOVE THAT! There are a few songs that I still don't care for (The Dealer, I Don't Care) but for the most part I was just so impressed how some of these songs turned out. The song itself of 24 Karat Gold is just exactly what it is titled...it's GOLD! And classic Stevie! I thought for sure WatchChain would be a slow R&B jam and was so shocked,surprised and impressed how much of an Eagles-esque rock song it turned out to be. If You Were My Love and All The Beautiful Worlds stayed faithful to the original early 80's outtakes, and the synth alone on ATBW really was the icing on the cake that was sorely missing from the original. I even love she still wailed at the end. Belle Fleur was the biggest change in regards to how the song was structured, with the new intro and outro, yet Dave still let the song remain true to itself incorporating the original demo into the meat of the song. I could go on for hours and hours and paragraphs and paragraphs about this record, but you get my point. This album still makes me happy nearly 2 years later. But I respect the opinions and am able to understand why some people can't get past the "flaws". These "imperfections" honestly don't bother me though. I really want that last Fleetwood Mac album with Stevie songs, but I also want another SFTV part 2. Just my opinionated two cents. I'll shut up now. |
#12
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Hey, no apologies necessary, and I appreciate your thoughts about 24 Karat. I just wanted to add that my problems with the album have nothing to do with the production or sound of it, but the sheer monotony. Maybe when I give the CD a shot again I'll be able to differentiate the songs more. But like I said I appreciated reading your thoughts.
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#13
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I do not understand how any fan could not adore 24KG. The songs are mostly vintage Stevie and the production is consistent, unassuming, and showcases her songwriting and her mature voice with all its strengths and flaws. To me it is probably her best, in that it has none of the weaknesses that plague her previous solo albums: crappy uneven production, the throwaway vocals, the questionable song choices and songs written by others, the overly self-indulgent content, and embarrassing attempts to be a rock star. Instead we get a surprising collection of mostly treats. No wonder it is her most well-reviewed album ever. The only tracks I endure or skip are the unholy trio of I Don't Care, Hard Advice, and Watch Chain, the latter thank God a bonus track along with the equally painful Twisted.
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#14
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#15
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Can someone elaborate on production issues?
I think Stevie was a little too safe musically on this album, contributing to a sort of monotonous and unoriginal sound throughout. She rarely takes risks with her voice or improvises anymore and that was something that really separated her from the pack before. But I think the songs themselves are great and even though I find some songs cringe-worthy -- I Don't Care for example -- overall the album grew on me and I can find merit in everything. Like even in IDC there's that last verse where she's just making up lyrics as she goes and while it doesn't save the song, it shows that she can still be inspired.
__________________
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