Production/Mix of CB

[GNR_Green]

How does everyone deal with the mix and production sound of Contraband?  Like or not like?

Personally, I think they've tried to do something to make it sound raw or whatever, but they've got it all wrong.  The vocals and the lead guitar are so quiet compared to the bass and rhythm guitar.  What's that all about?  What idiot thought it would be better to be able to hear rhythm over the lead???  It makes it hard to hear the solos and some of Slash's playing.  It's also difficult to hear Weiland, surely the vocals should be on top of everything else.  Even the drums are too low down.

I played it on a good stereo and made the sound as 'light' and 'sharp' as I could but still the bass and rhythm were overpowering.

[tomass74]

I think the music is mixed great. But I also think that at times the vocals are mixed to low.  

[vicarious existence]

I think that the vocals are fine, but I agree about the leads. Many times throughout the album I have to kind of stuggle to hear the leads that Slash is playing during verses and stuff. At first I thought that it sounded like Dave and Slash were playing the same exact chords a lot of the time. But only after paying close attention did I hear some of the leads better underneath the loud rhythm.

That's one of the things that I thought made GNR's production better... I like it when the leads are overpowering the rhythm and not the other way around (hence why they're called "leads"...). I hope they drop this nu-metal producer and get someone else for the next album.

[darkmonth]

It's got good production.  If you dont like it, well, tuff.  Because most of us do.  They ain't changing for you.