Eric Margan - Midnight Book
I’ve been revisiting this album. It really is wonderful. Incredible songwriting and arrangement. It’s also a good example of an album of great songs paired with disappointing production techniques, at least to my ears. For example, the opening track has potential to be extremely dynamic and exciting. Instead, it starts loud and ends up sounding claustrophobic. There’s so much going on in the arrangement, it needs some space! I heard some early unmixed versions of the tracks — the sounds were great. Not sure where the smashing happened.
It’s also a testament to why I don’t like bottom-of-the-snare miking. It seems out of place and floppy with the chamber-esque music on the album. You want more snare sound? Get a drum that gives it to you.
But really, it’s a great album. Definitely pick this sucker up. To each his own, I just think it could have really blown people away with huge sound. Not saying I’ve done this any better in the past. The Human Condition is awful in this respect. It is something I am becoming more aware of through lots of listening and schooling.
For now, enjoy your earbuds.