Troll
07-28-2006, 10:21am
Thanks for Spock from the other board for finding this.
VH1 Classic had a special tonight called "Hanging with Def Leppard". They of course talked about working with Mutt. They mentioned that they would start writing a song and then by the time they got into the studio with Mutt, the song would sound different than the one they initially started writing it. Also, they mentioned about some of the keys the songs are sung in. An example they gave was "Love Bites", and the fact that there is so much going on in the song, that it was hard to do live. They also mentioned a song from Back in Black that was sung in a high key, and that also was not easy for AC/DC to perform over and over again live. Mutt would make a comment that it would be great for the album, and Joe Elliot added "but not good for the soul"
some other comments from Joe Elliot...
Who cares what critics think
"Exactly. I don't care. I'm just aware. I don't care whether it's raining, but I can explain to you for an hour how it's miserable because it is. It's just something I'm aware of. I'm not holding any bitterness towards anybody. I also understand that sometimes, if a journalist is given six albums to review in four days, he can't possibly get his chops down to the whole meaning of what somebody's spent 18 months doing. He's given, by his editor, 48 hours to review Alannis Morrisette's next album. At the same time, he's got to hoover the apartment, feed the cat, do his laundry, whatever, and be listening to this record. I don't believe that anybody ever sits down, locks the door, turns the lights off, puts on headphones, and goes, "Right. I'm going to listen to this uninterrupted."
- "Over-production"?
"I think what that is is a journalist who had two minutes to finish his article when he can't think of a better way of saying it. It's big production. It's huge. It's using studio technology to your benefit. You don't go in and play live and then just take the tapes and get them mastered. You have to create."
and Mutt is considered a "bandmember"
http://www.defleppardfrequency.com/...rMuttLange.html
ROBERT JOHN LANGE (Mutt) is practically synonymous with Def Leppard. He is largely responsible for producing the sound that put the band on the rock n roll map. In addition, Mutt's superior sound production skills have elevated his status to that of a legendary genius in the music industry.
Originally from Mufilira, South Africa, Mutt got his start in music in the early 70's with a band called Hocus and as singer in The Arthur Brown Band. In the late 70's, he had some production success in the British music scene with a top ten single called 5.7.0.5 by City Boy. Soon after that, he began to work with several other bands around the world. One of those bands/albums was AC/DC's Back In Black to which he was able to create a commercially acceptable big arena rock sound.
Upon hearing Def Leppard's single Hello America, Mutt was impressed with the vocal harmonies and recognized their potential. He also saw an opportunity to continue his quest for the edgy yet accessible rock music sound. Due to the band's immaturity, he had his work cut out for him on the High n Dry album. He was happy with several of the first songs the band had written and the process went by quickly; only two months. Significant changes were made to Bringin' on the Heartbreak, dynamics on all tracks were severely tweaked and vocalist Joe Elliott began to learn how to sing.
That education would intensify immensely during the recording of Pyromania and Hysteria. His meticulous bit by bit recording formula tested the bands patience on several occasions, however they persevered. With Mutt Lange's production and co-writing, both albums would become Def Leppard's most successful to date.. and thankfully so.
Mutt has worked with Def Leppard on a few tracks since, but has for the most part moved on to help produce several very successful artists like Bryan Adams, The Corrs, Britney Spears, The Backstreet Boys and most notably his wife, country music super star, Shania Twain
VH1 Classic had a special tonight called "Hanging with Def Leppard". They of course talked about working with Mutt. They mentioned that they would start writing a song and then by the time they got into the studio with Mutt, the song would sound different than the one they initially started writing it. Also, they mentioned about some of the keys the songs are sung in. An example they gave was "Love Bites", and the fact that there is so much going on in the song, that it was hard to do live. They also mentioned a song from Back in Black that was sung in a high key, and that also was not easy for AC/DC to perform over and over again live. Mutt would make a comment that it would be great for the album, and Joe Elliot added "but not good for the soul"
some other comments from Joe Elliot...
Who cares what critics think
"Exactly. I don't care. I'm just aware. I don't care whether it's raining, but I can explain to you for an hour how it's miserable because it is. It's just something I'm aware of. I'm not holding any bitterness towards anybody. I also understand that sometimes, if a journalist is given six albums to review in four days, he can't possibly get his chops down to the whole meaning of what somebody's spent 18 months doing. He's given, by his editor, 48 hours to review Alannis Morrisette's next album. At the same time, he's got to hoover the apartment, feed the cat, do his laundry, whatever, and be listening to this record. I don't believe that anybody ever sits down, locks the door, turns the lights off, puts on headphones, and goes, "Right. I'm going to listen to this uninterrupted."
- "Over-production"?
"I think what that is is a journalist who had two minutes to finish his article when he can't think of a better way of saying it. It's big production. It's huge. It's using studio technology to your benefit. You don't go in and play live and then just take the tapes and get them mastered. You have to create."
and Mutt is considered a "bandmember"
http://www.defleppardfrequency.com/...rMuttLange.html
ROBERT JOHN LANGE (Mutt) is practically synonymous with Def Leppard. He is largely responsible for producing the sound that put the band on the rock n roll map. In addition, Mutt's superior sound production skills have elevated his status to that of a legendary genius in the music industry.
Originally from Mufilira, South Africa, Mutt got his start in music in the early 70's with a band called Hocus and as singer in The Arthur Brown Band. In the late 70's, he had some production success in the British music scene with a top ten single called 5.7.0.5 by City Boy. Soon after that, he began to work with several other bands around the world. One of those bands/albums was AC/DC's Back In Black to which he was able to create a commercially acceptable big arena rock sound.
Upon hearing Def Leppard's single Hello America, Mutt was impressed with the vocal harmonies and recognized their potential. He also saw an opportunity to continue his quest for the edgy yet accessible rock music sound. Due to the band's immaturity, he had his work cut out for him on the High n Dry album. He was happy with several of the first songs the band had written and the process went by quickly; only two months. Significant changes were made to Bringin' on the Heartbreak, dynamics on all tracks were severely tweaked and vocalist Joe Elliott began to learn how to sing.
That education would intensify immensely during the recording of Pyromania and Hysteria. His meticulous bit by bit recording formula tested the bands patience on several occasions, however they persevered. With Mutt Lange's production and co-writing, both albums would become Def Leppard's most successful to date.. and thankfully so.
Mutt has worked with Def Leppard on a few tracks since, but has for the most part moved on to help produce several very successful artists like Bryan Adams, The Corrs, Britney Spears, The Backstreet Boys and most notably his wife, country music super star, Shania Twain