Was "The Other Side Of The Mirror" hindered by bad production?

[The Juggler]

I was just listening to Book Of Miracles today, and I love it. The crisp sounding production, the little intricate details that make it really fresh and warm sounding.

In my opinion, none of that is present in Juliet - it suffers from a bad production.

I feel that is a common problem on TOSOTM album. Some people are really into the full on 80's production which is fair, but I think it really makes the album worse.

When you read the lyrics of the songs from the album, it contains some of Stevie's best lyrics. Songs like Alice & Doing The Best That I Can are some of the best lyrics she ever wrote. But it's all clouded over by muddy and bombastic production.

Does anyone else feel this way? The album's production is very stale for me. Not just because it's from 1989, I like a lot of 80's music, but I feel Rupert Hine got it really wrong here and some of Stevie's best work has been lost behind poor production choices, namely Alice, Doing The Best That I Can, I Still Miss Someone, Juliet etc.

Anyone else agree?

[Jondalar]

Originally Posted by The Juggler

I was just listening to Book Of Miracles today, and I love it. The crisp sounding production, the little intricate details that make it really fresh and warm sounding.

In my opinion, none of that is present in Juliet - it suffers from a bad production.

I feel that is a common problem on TOSOTM album. Some people are really into the full on 80's production which is fair, but I think it really makes the album worse.

When you read the lyrics of the songs from the album, it contains some of Stevie's best lyrics. Songs like Alice & Doing The Best That I Can are some of the best lyrics she ever wrote. But it's all clouded over by muddy and bombastic production.

Does anyone else feel this way? The album's production is very stale for me. Not just because it's from 1989, I like a lot of 80's music, but I feel Rupert Hine got it really wrong here and some of Stevie's best work has been lost behind poor production choices, namely Alice, Doing The Best That I Can, I Still Miss Someone, Juliet etc.

Anyone else agree?

How is Doing The Best That Can some of the best lyrics she has ever wrote? It is one of the most repetitive songs she ever wrote. Juliet is one of the few songs that actually worked.

[The Juggler]

Well, maybe I should have been more specific. Obviously it doesn't reach the heights of anything pre 1983, but for me it's a very personal and honest song - I'm trying my best so leave me alone, basically. That's why I like it so much.

All opinions are subjective anyway.

[WatchChain]

I agree. "The Other Side of the Mirror" contains some great songs that suffer from gross 80's overproduction. I can't only blame Rupert Hine, the 80's was a horrible decade for music. Most of what came out of the decade is now unlistenable. Who the hell wants to listen to clangy synthesizers that sound like a carnival jack in the box?

But, for goodness sake, Rupert, couldn't you produce these tracks in a more timeless manner? Hey, I really appreciate that you guys rented and recorded in a fabulous castle and all that nonsense, but perhaps those funds could have been better spent on production values.

[sorcerer999]

Originally Posted by WatchChain

the 80's was a horrible decade for music. Most of what came out of the decade is now unlistenable.

Your opinion. Personally, I think the 80's "new wave" genre (The Cars, Blondie, Echo & The Bunnymen, Squeeze, and pre pop era B-52's, etc) still holds up extremely well, is still very listenable, with textures that many indie and alternative bands still "borrow" to this day.

The only artist whose work I enjoyed from the start of the decade to the end was Prince.

But I agree that there is A LOT of 80's music that is pretty unlistenable. Rick Astley, Debbie Gibson, and most "early Madonna" just to name a few. I'm a huge fan of the R&B genre, but like TOSOTM, even most of that suffered from cheesy horns and horrible synth.

As usual, just my opinion.

[UndoingTheLaces]

Keep in mind the era this was done in. After Rock A Little I think they were trying to market Stevie to a more adult contemporary audience. The music industry made a huge shift around that time and really put the focus on the youth market and a lot of late 80's music was really all about youth and looking like a fashion model. A lot of artists who were very rock and roll and somewhat edgy in the 70's and early 80's were being categorized to appeal to an older demographic. I'm sure Rupert was trying to produce something that would sell.

[The Juggler]

Originally Posted by UndoingTheLaces

Keep in mind the era this was done in. After Rock A Little I think they were trying to market Stevie to a more adult contemporary audience. The music industry made a huge shift around that time and really put the focus on the youth market and a lot of late 80's music was really all about youth and looking like a fashion model. A lot of artists who were very rock and roll and somewhat edgy in the 70's and early 80's were being categorized to appeal to an older demographic. I'm sure Rupert was trying to produce something that would sell.

That's interesting. It's funny that all those saxes and synthesizers sounds like the album was aiming towards an older audience, like mid 30's and up whereas her first three albums sound much younger (well obviously she was 7/8 years younger and her voice was much more youthful)

[Dodfather]

I think it's fine, just very of its time. The only one that is truly, truly horrific is I Still Miss Someone. It's made worse by the fact that Stevie can sing country and could have done a fantastic job covering this but that production just ruins it.

[michelej1]

I continue to love ROF, I Still Miss Someone and Fire Burning. The other tracks no longer get a lot of my attention, but when the album first came out, I thought it was quite solid overall and it got a lot of play from me.

I can still feel captured by the wispy, haunting nature of Rooms on Fire. Guess it's those long nets clouding my memory! And the maybe I'm just thinking that the rooms are all on fire whenever you walk in the room is one of her best romantic lines. I know a lot of people like "you can consume all the beauty in the room" a great deal, but for me the ROF line presents a similar sentiment, much better.

Also, it's no Wild Heart, but I think her vocals are pretty powerful on parts of this album, especially ROF.

Michele

[Macfan4life]

Oh my! LOL
Don't get me started I think Rubert Hine is a genius and the production was extremely good. I can remember getting TOSOTM tape at the record store and driving home listening to it in the car. I loved it right away. It was a HUGE bounce back from RAL. Real drums, real instruments, and Stevie's voice was back and strong. It was 1989 and I remember some critics saying the album relied on the 80's synth too much (like the wave sound on Rooms on Fire). That sound was coming to an end in 1989. But the album really is a magic album for me too. I think its one of her better albums lyrically. She wrote some amazing songs right before her lights went out for a long time. Long Way To Go is such a rocker. Two Kinds of Love is a great duet and Oooh My Love is fantastic too.
Doing the Best that I can is a repetitive song. I am not sure any producer could have come up with a better sound for the song. Its almost hypnotizing, hypnotic... and that lends to the effect of the song. It has a dark meaning and the lyrics are very literal. I think DTBTIC is a masterpiece and a highlight for the album. Its a mood and theme song. Some don't get it and I understand that.
But just for that song, I would give Rubert Hine producer of the year 1989 IMHO
I also completely disagree to lump this album with the unlistenable albums of the 1980's. She wrote the songs. Real instruments are used. Drum machine only used on one song. If anything, this album should stand out for being created in the 1980's. Tango was released 2 years prior and is much more 80's synth than TOSOTM.
I agree with Stevie, its a magic album. I really get that feel from the album. I feel it very personally unlike anything I felt from her prior album RAL.

[welcomechris]

In one word, Yes


Although Stevie has said that this is her favorite album that she has ever recorded and Rupert Hine was "magical" and did a "wonderful" job producing this album, the producing sucked on...

*Long Way To Go
*Two Kinds Of Love
*Fire Burning
*Cry Wolf
*Alice
*Juliet
*Doing The Best I Can

The Producing Was O.K. on...

*I Still Miss Someone
*Rooms On Fire
*Ooh My Love
*Whole Lotta Trouble