IS AND ALWAYS WAS

[JonEason]

Just got "Is and Always Was" from I-Tunes! It's only 7 BUCKS! Come on everybody, go get you some!

[connor0103]

i got it off itunes too. it kind of sucks.

[JonEason]

i liked it... not as much as fear yourself or rejected unknown, but i liked it. definately dug the new songs more than the reworked older ones. "mind movies" and "light of day" rule!

[connor0103]

yeah mind movies was good. i just don't really like how slickly its produced. it doesn't really mesh with his voice and his style. and i really didn't like the new version of i had lost my mind. the old version is perfect, he didn't need to do that.  worth getting though, just because its daniel (:

[D. Sulpy]

Well, Daniel's albums have been "slickly produced" since "Artistic Vice" - and that was 18 years ago.

That said, I'm not a huge fan of the production on "Is And Always Was" either. Most of the songs work just fine, but "Lost In My Infinite Memory" really suffers from over-production - where Daniel's song is overpowered by the production, rather than the production supporting the song.

Mark Linkous certainly put his mark on "Fear Yourself," but it never overpowered the music.

Just my $0.02.

[Stress Records]

If I could pick any producer in the world for Daniel it would be Rick Rubin.  Short of that I'd take Kramer.

[Henry Long]

I said the exact same thing to a friend today, Mr. Stress. Rick Rubin, 100%. Or possibly Daniel Lanois.

[ghostjr.]

My pick would be Joe Meek...but we know that aint gonna happen.

[zack26]

Kramer all the way.  I really like Brian Beattie too.  He kept things a little ragged and let Daniel's odd phrasings carry the songs.  Kind of like listening to the band trying to follow Dylan on Subterranean Homesick Blues.  You can tell they just aren't sure when he's gonna change chords. On Is and Always Was it often sounds as if Faulkner created all of the tracks first and then had Daniel sing over them - a bit too quantized.  Though I admit Is and Always Was is growing on me one song at a time - the last song is my current favorite.

[connor0103]

Well, Daniel's albums have been "slickly produced" since "Artistic Vice" - and that was 18 years ago.

That said, I'm not a huge fan of the production on "Is And Always Was" either. Most of the songs work just fine, but "Lost In My Infinite Memory" really suffers from over-production - where Daniel's song is overpowered by the production, rather than the production supporting the song.

Mark Linkous certainly put his mark on "Fear Yourself," but it never overpowered the music.

Just my $0.02.


yeah i guess i felt it was overproduced and kind of contradicted his spirit. whatever though, he should experiment with new stuff.

[connor0103]

whoops to above. never used a quote thing before.

[D. Sulpy]

I said the exact same thing to a friend today, Mr. Stress. Rick Rubin, 100%. Or possibly Daniel Lanois.

Yikes! I swear when I read the post about Rick Rubin, my first thought was: "...or possibly Daniel Lanois." 

[raphneck]

There's some good stuff here: Mind Movies, Tears, Without you, Light of Day, High horses. The production doesn't always fit for sure (like on Lost in my infinite memory) but the songs are good. Daniel's voice is not as good as it was .
I think i like this record better than lost & found but i prefer Fear yourself and Rejected Unknown in his last productions.

[lost_mind]

i love it! the songs are awesome...(except i'm not a huge fan of 'without you')
 The whole idea of the album is to hear it the way dan hears it in his head! it all sounds amazing and the lyrics are so good! if you listen to songs like 'rock n roll/EGA, life in vain and mountain top, they are very slick and i think he's kept it sounding fresh and current sounding. my favourites are 'mind movies','is and always was' and the amazing 'light of day'........best album closer ever!!!!

[mememe]

Is And Always Was Rules. It is the best album in the world.