Tony Visconti says he wouldn't mind working with Morrissey again; not in touch - Irish Times

Tony Visconti: ‘The thing with Phil Lynott was that he was visibly dying’ - The Irish Times
The veteran record producer on Bowie, Morrissey and his problem with Steve Albini

Excerpt:

Morrissey’s great knack
Speaking of Morrissey, Visconti worked on his 2005 album, Ringleader of the Tormentors. Does he intend to work with the prickly Mancunian-Irish singer again? “I wouldn’t mind working with him again, and I’m very proud of the album we did, but we are not in touch,” he says. “I don’t know. He’s off on something else. That’s all I can really say. He has a knack of pushing people away from him. It’s the way he lives his life."
 
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Ringleaders was a good album I liked it better then Quarry. Quarry was an album of songs written over a few years time period the songs were written and played live way before they were put on album that’s why when you listen to Quarry you don’t get a certain style of how the songs sound where you do with ringleaders with the Italian theme to it. You can tell with certain albums with Morrissey and even the Smiths were they’re songs that were written over a period of time and then put together for an album compared to when they stayed in studio and hammered out the album all at once.

We are of like minds MSO. However, I will say that I believe YATQ is a stronger album as a whole. ROTT for me was a bit hit and miss. The first five songs are great then I skip to Pigsty and then done. The sound quality kind of ruined it for me. Who Put the M dvd showcases many of the songs from YATQ and Morrissey's raw emotional displays in songs like Let Me Kiss You take my breath away every time I watch it. YATQ was a powerhouse of a return that most likely will never be matched. Waiting so long for new music and then IBEH. I listened to it from beginning to end for months!

You and I are in complete agreement regarding his releases post ROTT. Many here like the new stuff and maybe it is because they did not grow up listening to the incredible music of The Smiths and early solo work, but rather are younger and had to go back to listen to his earlier works. Although music exists for all time, there is something about living in the moment. I can't imagine what it would have been like to see the Beatles live on the Ed Sullivan show when they were a new mop topped band out of England appearing for the first time in the US. Perspective is the key here as it is with most if not all things in life. I am just happy I was there from the beginning as far as Morrissey is concerned.
 
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He may have remastered the Bowie albums but he didn't master this, check the credits. Unless Tony all of a sudden works for free, which he doesn't.

Well, I'm certainly not going to debate you on a topic I have first-hand knowledge of. I never alleged Visconti mastered the album on his own. Regardless, most anyone who's heard the album can agree, it sounds like shit and the mastering is dreadful. If anything in Moz's back catalog screams for a decent remaster, it's Ringleader.
 
I agree completely here and thank you Tom for explaining my frustration with both records. How disappointing it was to hear an incredible song like Now My Heart is full only to feel like I had foam ear plugs in my ear! YATQ production has been referred to as being "tinny" here, but I prefer a clean, crisp sound where the vocals and instrumentation is separated and well defined. Maybe this is why it is one of my favorite solo records. Songs like IBEH, and First of the Gang are so clear and powerful that they took my breath away. Your Arsenal has a similar affect on me.

Shoot me a PM and I'll send you a less hazy version of Vauxhall.

I'll never understand the mastering choices of Vauxhall. I have one friend who actually prefers the sound of the record, claiming it's like a dream you can't quite achieve clarity on. I of course disagree and think the limp, muffled sound does a disservice to some of Morrissey's strongest songs.

I quite like the mastering on YATQ, it's probably Morrissey's best, strictly in terms of mastering. Jerry Finn insisted the album be recorded old school, on analog tape. I think that decision really pays off as the album has a very analog-friendly sound with excellent instrument separation and dynamic range. It probably could benefit from some bottom-end, but only a tad. I think it's pretty perfect as-is. If you haven't done so, listen to the album on vinyl, preferably with a tube amp. It's a wonderful listening experience.

It's a shame, but I think a lot of Morrissey's material suffer from poor mastering. If you listen to a sampling of his work on high-end headphones, a lot of the flaws are exposed. Just this week I was listening to "Lost," a favorite song of mine on a pair of Sony Z1Rs, and it sounded like garbage. It's a stereo track that sounds like mono. Everything is muffled together, even the vocal is blurred at many points. There's not a hint of dynamics or separation, which is sad, because there's a lot going on in that track.
 
Shoot me a PM and I'll send you a less hazy version of Vauxhall.

I'll never understand the mastering choices of Vauxhall. I have one friend who actually prefers the sound of the record, claiming it's like a dream you can't quite achieve clarity on. I of course disagree and think the limp, muffled sound does a disservice to some of Morrissey's strongest songs.

I quite like the mastering on YATQ, it's probably Morrissey's best, strictly in terms of mastering. Jerry Finn insisted the album be recorded old school, on analog tape. I think that decision really pays off as the album has a very analog-friendly sound with excellent instrument separation and dynamic range. It probably could benefit from some bottom-end, but only a tad. I think it's pretty perfect as-is. If you haven't done so, listen to the album on vinyl, preferably with a tube amp. It's a wonderful listening experience.

It's a shame, but I think a lot of Morrissey's material suffer from poor mastering. If you listen to a sampling of his work on high-end headphones, a lot of the flaws are exposed. Just this week I was listening to "Lost," a favorite song of mine on a pair of Sony Z1Rs, and it sounded like garbage. It's a stereo track that sounds like mono. Everything is muffled together, even the vocal is blurred at many points. There's not a hint of dynamics or separation, which is sad, because there's a lot going on in that track.

Tom you have quite the knowledge and understanding of music production. Are you in the business in some form? You hit it spot on about the bottom of YATQ. What a layman might call a bit of bass could have been used, but still the clarity of the vocals and instrumentation are what I love about the record. And yes Vauxhall in its released form has a dreamlike quality to it, but it distances me from the emotions that these songs are so full of. Like a piece of ripe fruit that is just out of reach. Very frustrating.

My vinyl days are behind me as are eight track and cassette tapes for that matter...yes I am that old. :) Hard to believe he could put that much work into creating such incredible lyrics and then leaving the final product up to others. I wonder if he even considers the final output or if he is simply satisfied with the recording of his words. The words are in fact not everything but the delivery of them also holds so much weight. It would be like a master chef serving a wonderful meal on a dirty plate. Thank you again for your insight. Much appreciated!
 
Shoot me a PM and I'll send you a less hazy version of Vauxhall.

I'll never understand the mastering choices of Vauxhall. I have one friend who actually prefers the sound of the record, claiming it's like a dream you can't quite achieve clarity on. I of course disagree and think the limp, muffled sound does a disservice to some of Morrissey's strongest songs.

I quite like the mastering on YATQ, it's probably Morrissey's best, strictly in terms of mastering. Jerry Finn insisted the album be recorded old school, on analog tape. I think that decision really pays off as the album has a very analog-friendly sound with excellent instrument separation and dynamic range. It probably could benefit from some bottom-end, but only a tad. I think it's pretty perfect as-is. If you haven't done so, listen to the album on vinyl, preferably with a tube amp. It's a wonderful listening experience.

It's a shame, but I think a lot of Morrissey's material suffer from poor mastering. If you listen to a sampling of his work on high-end headphones, a lot of the flaws are exposed. Just this week I was listening to "Lost," a favorite song of mine on a pair of Sony Z1Rs, and it sounded like garbage. It's a stereo track that sounds like mono. Everything is muffled together, even the vocal is blurred at many points. There's not a hint of dynamics or separation, which is sad, because there's a lot going on in that track.

WtF? its rock and roll not thelonious monk.
you are the type that looks down on digital but will pay 5o bucks for the same digital distorted on vinyl.:crazy:
 
Indeed it does leave his hands last, he's a very hands-on producer, trust me on that one. He has final approve. I stand by the fact that it was his decision to overly compress Ringleader for the benefit of loudness. At the very least, he approved it. Anyone who says Visconti doesn't have a hand in mastering is incorrect. He recently remastered all the Bowie albums for the latest Bowie box set (poorly).

WtF? Producers never mastered, what are you on about? Moz approved what there was to approve, its a Moz album not a Visconti one.FFS
 
WtF? its rock and roll not thelonious monk.
you are the type that looks down on digital but will pay 5o bucks for the same digital distorted on vinyl.:crazy:

Never said I looked down on digital, dummy. However, not all digital is created equal, and I do think recording in analog makes a difference.
 
Well, I'm certainly not going to debate you on a topic I have first-hand knowledge of. I never alleged Visconti mastered the album on his own. Regardless, most anyone who's heard the album can agree, it sounds like shit and the mastering is dreadful. If anything in Moz's back catalog screams for a decent remaster, it's Ringleader.

He didn't master it at all.

There's more to this production and mastering mallarky than compression you know.

I wouldn't go down the route of I'm not going to debate with you because you know what you're talking about otherwise I'll have to flash me papers up on here lol. I'm happy to debate but don't try one upmanship, you'll look silly.
 
He didn't master it at all.

There's more to this production and mastering mallarky than compression you know.

I wouldn't go down the route of I'm not going to debate with you because you know what you're talking about otherwise I'll have to flash me papers up on here lol. I'm happy to debate but don't try one upmanship, you'll look silly.

Wow, I guess you were in Italy with us, I had no idea... Trust me, if this went any further, you're the who'd look silly, not I sir. Thankfully it will not.
 
Tell us about the processes that a mastering engineer goes through Tom and what their general role is, while you're at it tell us what the mixing engineer does. Just a basic outline will do.
 
Tell us about the processes that a mastering engineer goes through Tom and what their general role is, while you're at it tell us what the mixing engineer does. Just a basic outline will do.

As someone who has served both roles on various projects, I'll simply say that I don't need to justify myself to the likes of you. It won't bruise my soul if you doubt my credentials or personal insight on Visconti's work.
 
As someone who has served both roles on various projects, I'll simply say that I don't need to justify myself to the likes of you. It won't bruise my soul if you doubt my credentials or personal insight on Visconti's work.

Cool, I work on both too, I'll leave you and your inflated ego to it, you talk the talk but don't seem to know as much as you think. It was a simple question that somebody who knows their stuff could answer in a minute.
 
Cool, I work on both too, I'll leave you and your inflated ego to it, you talk the talk but don't seem to know as much as you think. It was a simple question that somebody who knows their stuff could answer in a minute.

Can one of you please tell us who's who in the zoo ?
 
I won't get in to the minutiae of production merits, but I will say:
The person that helped do a great job on the reissue 2003 version of the Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders from Mars double live album I bought and adored as a kid is a different person now. His use of strings & orchestra is great, but awful when put through processing that is the equivalent of listening to music through headphones with a bobblehat on.
Don't start me on the 'luring sailors to the rocks' Kirsteen / Tony dynamic :)
Regards,
FWD.
 

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