Daniel Lanois' "Shine"

Discussion on new albums, developing listening skills, critical listening to others' work, as well as TOMB members' MP3 links, online recording critiques

Moderator: cgarges

bobschwenkler
gettin' sounds
Posts: 103
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2005 8:57 pm
Location: Olympia, WA

Daniel Lanois' "Shine"

Post by bobschwenkler » Sat Jul 07, 2007 6:50 pm

Anyone else here into this album?

I've been listening to it for a few years now in a musical (not technical) way and finally got around to really listening to how it sounds. I read in the Tape Op article with Lanois that it was tracked prety much with 57s and ribbon mics. It sure sounds like it was. Crazy thing about it is that if most other people had mixed this, it would probably not sound half as good as it does. The first track, snare and high hat close mics panned opposite of each other with bass drum in the middle, crazy wierd drum delays going on...

This album is, for me, a perfect example of what I would label as technically imperfect. None of the normal pop recording methods and sounds I expected to hear on such a famous producer's album. Drums which to me sound like sounds a beginner with a four track might get. Vocals that really do sound like a 57 mounted in a motorcycle helmet. But the album is so intimate and warm sounding. I wish more people made records like this. Or maybe they do and I just haven't found them...

Aside from things that shouldnt sound good but do, the bass on this album actually sounds incredible. The mix job is amazing. Some of the guitar sounds are almost euphoric.

I'm curious to hear any other points of view on this album.

oldsoulsound
ass engineer
Posts: 43
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:02 pm
Location: New York
Contact:

Post by oldsoulsound » Sun Jul 08, 2007 9:33 am

I love the intimacy of the vocals. It sounds like the gain is cranked up on the pre and compressor and he is just delivering this amazing up close sound. It's actually distorted on a few tracks. There is another release with some of the Shine songs on it called "Rockets" which has on it an alternate of the track "Power of one" which you can hear the vocal very punchy and distorted.

MoreSpaceEcho
zen recordist
Posts: 6671
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 11:15 am

Post by MoreSpaceEcho » Sun Jul 08, 2007 10:39 am

is that the last one he did? i have that here somewhere, i need to give it another listen. i only heard it once and wasn't really listening for technical stuff, but i do remember there being a lot of frightfully beautiful pedal/lap steel guitar...is that the one you're talking about?

bobschwenkler
gettin' sounds
Posts: 103
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2005 8:57 pm
Location: Olympia, WA

Post by bobschwenkler » Sun Jul 08, 2007 4:49 pm

This one is from 2001 I think. He has a newer instrumental album called Belladonna. They both have amazing lap steel playing and sounds. They're both worth checking out if you are into his music.

There is also the previously mentioned Rockets, which I think is primarily a compliation of live (show) recordings. I think that one came out somewhere in between the previously mentioned albums.

MegaMutt
audio school graduate
Posts: 17
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 11:21 am
Location: Ringwood, NJ
Contact:

Post by MegaMutt » Mon Jul 09, 2007 5:43 am

Dan is notorious for getting performances down rather than worry what mic. eq, pre he's using. I think that's what makes his work so amazing. I love the imperfections.

For his drum sounds, I read recently that he uses a couple of 47's overhead with a d12 for the kick.

Also, if you do a google search about the recording of Achtung Baby. Most of that album was recorded from a soundcraft live board. Bono's vocals were done with a beta58 iirc.

-r

MoreSpaceEcho
zen recordist
Posts: 6671
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 11:15 am

Post by MoreSpaceEcho » Mon Jul 09, 2007 7:36 am

belladonna is the one i have, i was confusing that one and shine. i listened to a bit yesterday, sounded really nice. dan sure likes his low midrange.

achtung baby is one of my favorite records ever...some of the mixes on there are bonkers if you're really listening...like there'll be almost no snare at all but you don't even notice until like the 1000th listen...

myphx
audio school graduate
Posts: 24
Joined: Fri Nov 28, 2003 7:55 pm

Post by myphx » Wed Jul 11, 2007 11:51 pm

Yeah, this is a beautiful album,....Doesn't he use drum samples on the intro to the first cut "I Love You", as well on the tune with that delta blues intro "As Tears Roll By"?

Some a A-hole reviewer on the Pitchfork music site gave it a lukewarm rating simply because "........It's the kind of music my dad would like."

foodforthemoon
ass engineer
Posts: 42
Joined: Mon Jul 21, 2003 7:04 am
Location: Midwest, amongst amber waves of ...something
Contact:

Post by foodforthemoon » Thu Jul 12, 2007 7:27 am

myphx wrote:Some a A-hole reviewer on the Pitchfork music site
Isn't that a bit redundant?

User avatar
tonejunkee
gettin' sounds
Posts: 122
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2004 5:32 pm
Contact:

Post by tonejunkee » Thu Jul 12, 2007 7:30 am

thanks for bringing this up. This may be the only CD I've physically worn out from playing. Incredible production and performance. this guy knows how to use the sm57/58 from his experience with bono. i read somewhere that his favorite vocal mic is a sony c37.

bobschwenkler
gettin' sounds
Posts: 103
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2005 8:57 pm
Location: Olympia, WA

Post by bobschwenkler » Thu Jul 12, 2007 7:41 am

myphx wrote:Yeah, this is a beautiful album,....Doesn't he use drum samples on the intro to the first cut "I Love You", as well on the tune with that delta blues intro "As Tears Roll By"?
I haven't heard any samples on the first track. There is a crazy L/R panned drum delay that sounds like it also has some sort of filter sweep on it too. I'm curious to know how they got that sound.

I don't recall hearing any on "As Tears Roll By" either, sound like real drums to me.

One of the instrumental tracks has a drum machine type beat in it though.

User avatar
dubold
steve albini likes it
Posts: 367
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2004 3:59 pm

Post by dubold » Thu Jul 19, 2007 7:25 am

a good friend and i spent some time on a car trip listening to this record and talking about the sounds... all gear aside, one thing that really stands out to me about this record is that it's not the kind of mix designed to make you think there's a band in front of you. "standard" methods like overheads panned left and right, kick in the center, snare on one side and toms panned... nope. instead, there's much more of a soundscape going on. with that in mind, there's almost no limitations to what you can do, since the mix isn't supposed to be a substitute for seeing a band on stage. That, to me, is one of the most enjoyable things about listening to shine.

seeing daniel lanois live was pretty amazing too. Brian Blade gets a lot of respect from me.

evangelista
audio school graduate
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Feb 13, 2007 1:45 pm

Post by evangelista » Thu Jul 19, 2007 9:37 am

The U2 album that featured the Soundcraft and beta58 was Zooropa, IIRC. The kick, snare and vox were recorded through Neves.

Achtung was mostly Neve and the vocals were a 57.

Not that I'm any kind of authority, mind you. I've just spent way too much time reading up on U2.

Ivan

MoreSpaceEcho
zen recordist
Posts: 6671
Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 11:15 am

Post by MoreSpaceEcho » Thu Jul 19, 2007 11:01 am

do you have links for any of that U2 stuff? achtung baby is one of my favorites ever.

bobschwenkler
gettin' sounds
Posts: 103
Joined: Wed Nov 09, 2005 8:57 pm
Location: Olympia, WA

Post by bobschwenkler » Wed Jul 25, 2007 7:50 am

Brian Blade's drumming is amazing on that record. I'd love to see them play live. He's so tasteful that it just blows my mind on some of those songs.

MegaMutt
audio school graduate
Posts: 17
Joined: Thu Feb 02, 2006 11:21 am
Location: Ringwood, NJ
Contact:

Post by MegaMutt » Wed Jul 25, 2007 9:55 am

I just read an old article with Dan where he said Actung was recorded with a Soundcraft board w/ some neve outboard pre's. Also read that most of the Edge's guitar on that album was recorded from a practice amp they had in the control room...

As for Shine, it's my favorite album of the last few years. That swirly drum delay is most likely an eventide or ams delay.

Brian Blade is a drum god. I was fortunate enough to be in the front row for Dan's Carnegie Hall show last year and then meet him afterwards. All I have to say is that it was insanely inspiring...

-rich

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 27 guests