Another Wilco/Ghost is Born thread....

[XXGABEXX]

I really think the record is a sleeper. It's one of those records that seems ho-hum until you're in the right situation with it playing in the background and suddenly it all comes in focus.

Also known as a 'way-homer'.

[MusicMan]

Wilco is easy listening Rock N' Roll.

[Bear]

This thread made me decide to put this record back on today. I realized something when I was listening to it.

[Red Rockets Glare]

Right. Thanks! I get where you're going here...makes sense now. Much appreciated advice....I seriously appreciate it. This'll give me something more to fool around with this weekend!




heylow

didja try it heylow?

[bedbug]

This thread made me decide to put this record back on today. I realized something when I was listening to it.

I love it when I realize things.

[JASIII]

Ok, I'll bite, "what did you realize????"

[heylow]

Right. Thanks! I get where you're going here...makes sense now. Much appreciated advice....I seriously appreciate it. This'll give me something more to fool around with this weekend!




heylow

didja try it heylow?

Ahh! As a matter of fact, I did!

I didn't have a Figure 8 mic, so I had to go out and pick one up on limited funds. A friend of mine who works at a music store gave me a pretty ridiculous deal on a SP B3 which has switchable patterns. It would have been nice to have had a ribbon....maybe later....I put the big ol' clown nose on the thing, which darkened it up quite a bit.

The results...VERY cool. Odd. I found that if you utilize just a tad of the bleed from the kick and snare, it actually works out quite well and DAMNED if doesn't remind me of a mono version of the sound used in Wilco's "I'm a Wheel". I'd probably mic the toms if I were to use it in session.

Honestly, if you played your tom micing cards right, you could probably make it all happen in stereo....say if you used good condensers with nice off axis coloring.

I actually ended up using it in tandem with 4047s as OHs and Mike's SM91 trick. Those 2 extra mics brought out an interesting spark in the sound.

I'd post the results but it's a huge hassle to do that here....I purposely keep the computer and recorder hard to interface. Keeps me from selling my soul!

Hey...again...THANKS! for the tip....it's a f@#kin' good one!



heylow

[Red Rockets Glare]

Right. Thanks! I get where you're going here...makes sense now. Much appreciated advice....I seriously appreciate it. This'll give me something more to fool around with this weekend!




heylow

didja try it heylow?

Hey...again...THANKS! for the tip....it's a f@#kin' good one!



heylow

sounds like you found the spot I was talking about for sure.
Welcome!

[aworryingthing]

aside from the obvious problems (namely, that the songs aren't as good as from their previous output and tweedy's recent operation and detox stint seem to have taken the rasp out of his vocals), has anyone noticed that the pianos on AGIB don't sound like real pianos at all? they're pretty flat and lacking in depth--strange when you consider that the guitars on this album (acoustic and electric) sound so great.

the drums don't sound like they're coming from the same sonic space as the rest of the music. the band might have performed much of the album live but the recorded output doesn't convey this sonically: the album lacks natural reverb and natural bleed.

it's also a shame that a gifted drummer like glenn is playing rather rudimentary parts. all the more shameful that the band fired ken croomer because they wanted someone who was more creative and versatile.

and 'i'm a wheel' is shite.

i was expecting this album to sound more like the 'more like the moon' EP. the title song is absolutely gorgeous and perfectly executed (other than for a bad drum edit at the end of the song). it would easily have been the best song on the 'ghost' album.

all this said, i'm looking forward to hearing what wilco will do with nils cline on board for the next album. he's a moster guitar player. his guitar solos put jeff's aimless noodling back in its place.

[Bear]

Ok, I'll bite, "what did you realize????"

UTFSF!

[auralman]

has anyone noticed that the pianos on AGIB don't sound like real pianos at all? they're pretty flat and lacking in depth--strange when you consider that the guitars on this album (acoustic and electric) sound so great.

Oh, it's real. It's just that we're not too used to hearing a 50 year old 9 ft. Steinway in perfect condition mic'd up with a matched pair of 582s running through Pultec MB1s. I spent a lot of time in that room - I know that sound. Personally, I think they sound good - wide, like a modern solo piano sound was superimposed over a 70s fleetwood mac recording, but overall, nice. That's just what that piano sounds like. It's the anti-Yamaha.

[JASIII]

1. what surgery did Tweedy have?

2. Bear, I'm hungover and slow today, wtf are you talking about?

[Russian Recording]

has anyone noticed that the pianos on AGIB don't sound like real pianos at all? they're pretty flat and lacking in depth--strange when you consider that the guitars on this album (acoustic and electric) sound so great.

Personally, I think they sound good - wide, like a modern solo piano sound was superimposed over a 70s fleetwood mac recording, but overall, nice. That's just what that piano sounds like. It's the anti-Yamaha.

The piano sound was actually one fo the things that really shocked me because it soudned so "unimpressive". Ive recorded several 9 ft Steinways with B & Ks and Hardy's in really nice rooms here at Indiana University... the piano on the Wilco record sounds really disjointed and seperated. I can "feel" a gap in between the left and right side of the stereo image rather a full realistic sonic picture of the instrument.

mike

[auralman]

The piano sound was actually one fo the things that really shocked me because it soudned so "unimpressive". Ive recorded several 9 ft Steinways with B & Ks and Hardy's in really nice rooms here at Indiana University... the piano on the Wilco record sounds really disjointed and seperated. I can "feel" a gap in between the left and right side of the stereo image rather a full realistic sonic picture of the instrument.
mike

Is there one track where it wasn't doubled? That caught my ear right away - it's double tracked in stereo quite often throughout the record. Maybe that's what you're referring to?

I was surprised they did this - I thought Tweedy's whole point on this record was to "capture what really happened"? Unless they brought in another piano?
Werd.

[aworryingthing]

jeff went into surgery for his chronic migraine problem this past year. it was some nasal surgery.

it's definitely affected his vocal tone. some might say that he's singing clearer or that the wonderful tube mics at sear sound is the cause of the change in tone. i think that it's the effect of the surgery and it's for the worse. the thing that made the wilco sound was his raspy voice. even live, you can hear that his voice has changed significanly.

i forgot to mention yet another problem with 'ghost': the lyrics.