No Luke on TLFR

My pain problem with Luke -- and I'm not sure how much input he had on it-- was that I didn't like the overall sound of the songs. While the songs might be fine, the production values were very dry, very unexciting. I don't really want over-production ala a Faith Hill album, but a little more energy and fidelity to the sound wouldn't hurt anyone. I also don't like the direction Jon's voice took. Now, I know his voice has changed, but there was also a stylistic change that was to the negative on Crush(headed back in right direction on Bounce).

I'm hoping with someone fresh in there the producer can point things out like: "You know what, a little less nose in your singing Jon" or "let's put a little more passion back into the music."

I'm all for fresh ideas and anyone who will challenge the band to be better/different than their "play-it-safe" forumla. "Born to Be My Baby" as a waltz? It might suck, but it's definetly different. Go for it.

I blame the guys for the songs, but I blame someone like Luke Ebbin for making great rock songs sound like pop songs, he was the one that made the guys use more drum computers and such nonsense, they had no idea of it before and that was much better

we were talking about which songs made the cut, not the production. luke ebbin doesn't force the guys to put songs on an album at all.

That's the problem. It looks like Luke Ebbin didn't force guys to do anything. Producer should push the band forward, make them work to their best abilities. And it didn't seem like he was pushing them at all. He seemed too content with everything. You want that song on the record? Whatever. I'm sure they'd have listened good advice.

I don't know may be I'm wrong. But 2 records with Ebbin really different from everything else this band has done. Different in the sense that they seem lazy. They are not bad records, they are just lazy records. We still can see the talent the band possess but it's not utilized entirely. And I think the problem was that Luke was too content.

In my opinion, the only songs Ebbin over-produced were Say it isn't So (can't stand that wistle noise at the end of the solo) and Next 100 Years (messing around with the intro guitar). I don't mind the others.

What about Save the World? That song sounds sooo cheesy.

because that's how it was written! luke ebbin didn't write the song!

Not only. Vocal delivery is very cheesy. That was like the cheesiest Jon's voice has ever sounded.

My input on this topic...Pat Leonard, the producer of TLFR, is the brother of someone I work with.