Overproduction (performance on CDs)

Subject: Overproduction.
From: GUEST,saulgoldie
Date: 21 Mar 26 - 04:47 PM

I'm listening to a CD of someone I heard at a house concert. At the concert, she was very slightly mic-ed and acoustic. I liked her words and her sound. On the CD, however, there is an whole lot of percussion and searing lead guitar and effects. I wanted to hear her the way she sounded at her concert.

I have noticed this phenomenon with many musicians. Is there some sort of unwritten law that the production folks absolutely must add these features? For me, it seriously detracts from my listening enjoyment. There is nothing I can do other than to just not listen. And, of course complain into void. Is it just me?

Saul

Subject: RE: Overproduction.
From: Helen
Date: 21 Mar 26 - 04:56 PM

It's possible that someone may have made a video of the concert and uploaded it on YouTube or similar. It might be worth doing a video search on the performer's name.

Subject: RE: Overproduction (performance on CDs)
From: Robert B. Waltz
Date: 21 Mar 26 - 07:54 PM

saulgoldie wrote: I have noticed this phenomenon with many musicians. Is there some sort of unwritten law that the production folks absolutely must add these features?

Producers have to do something to justify their existence. :-p

Performers sometimes don't really know what they sound like very well, so they let producers talk them into things they shouldn't do. :-( Plus, a recording has to pay for itself, so they may try to broaden the audience. That's always a balancing act between finding new fans and putting off the old fans....

There is a good general rule, I think: If they want to add piano/keyboards or drums, it's going to be a mistake. :-p

Subject: RE: Overproduction (performance on CDs)
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 21 Mar 26 - 08:02 PM

Or ...very slightly mic-ed and acoustic. = under produced and the CD is "better."

It's not you. It's all of us... together. Either perspective is a tiny, tiny minority of the whole which is 99.9% no opinion whatsoever. That's just the hard math of pop entertainment and why folks advertise.

On the bright side of pop... you get two (2) versions and the freedom to choose and opine... or not.

Subject: RE: Overproduction (performance on CDs)
From: The Sandman
Date: 22 Mar 26 - 03:21 AM

Good points, i feel a cd should be reprentative of the nights performance but perhaps without the chat

Subject: RE: Overproduction (performance on CDs)
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Mar 26 - 06:19 AM

Previous thread (over 20 years ago) on the same subject.

Subject: RE: Overproduction (performance on CDs)
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 22 Mar 26 - 07:16 AM

As a record collector, I agree. Many of the records I have bought don't reflect what I heard in live performances. I always prefer a record of a live performance even if the balance isn't quite right or there might be the occasional fluff, to one which has been recorded over several days and cobbled together from the best takes. I remember asking someone what it was like playing with a US artist as I had heard on record. " I never met him, they sent me the tape and I recorded my bit" he said and I thought, how sad. Not to have the proper interaction.
That's my uninformed opinion for nowt.
RtS

Subject: RE: Overproduction (performance on CDs)
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 22 Mar 26 - 11:03 AM

Good catch, Guest. And I agree with Roger, the live performance recordings are usually more engaging.

One exception to this remote artists on a recording is the Stand By Me | Playing For Change | Song Around The World wit live performances, but the point of those was the disparate performers. It was certainly refined by the mixer at some point.

Subject: RE: Overproduction (performance on CDs)
From: PHJim
Date: 22 Mar 26 - 01:00 PM

Q- How many folkioes does it take to change a lightbulb?

A- Five - One to screw in the new bulb and four to complain about it being electric.

Subject: RE: Overproduction (performance on CDs)
From: GUEST,Phil d'Conch
Date: 22 Mar 26 - 03:32 PM

Electric you say? There's a Mudcat complaint thread about that too: When does 'acoustic' become 'electric'?

Too loud? You got it: The fine line between MUSIC and NOISE!

Being a fan of Caribbean music, my personal favs are the complaints about Harry Belafonte's over produced cover of the Haitian folk classic Yellow Bird. Go ahead... give it a listen... I double-dog-dare you!