Yanders wrote: ↑17 Jul 2023, 16:20
To mix it up, they need to give Toby a free rein not to have the 'stranglers sound', and more importantly get different producers involved.
The band only had aspects of the 'Stranglers sound' on keyboards in recent years. What they haven't had in the studio is the true Cembalet sound nor the Oberheim. I think we all agree that the best albums featured these synths and/or the Minimoog (and Hammond). They've had samples of them or approximated them with virtual synths and they've done ok in a mix. If they were exposed like the start of the 'Outside Tokyo' Cembalet they might be found wanting.
So I think Toby absolutely needs to have the Stranglers sound. Some of the newer synth sounds over the last 30 years have sucked frankly.
We can go over and over this,the band are continuing,and good on them for wanting to record new material,my usual Mantra is let's wait and see if it's going to be any good,if we have low expectation management,we may be surprised.Major Kudu.
jetblacksdad wrote: ↑17 Jul 2023, 17:13
Yes, since NC, the "sound" has been back but from the latter Hugh years and certainly JE era, Dave was a bit absent
I saw him describe it as "being left behind sonically"
Yes I think your right since NC "the "sound" has returned after Pau's departure when Baz toke over bringing back their strayed distinctive sound and returning this band and noticibly JJ and his awesome bass sound and volumes lol back to what was once was.
jetblacksdad wrote: ↑17 Jul 2023, 17:13
Yes, since NC, the "sound" has been back but from the latter Hugh years and certainly JE era, Dave was a bit absent
I saw him describe it as "being left behind sonically"
Yes I think your right since NC "the "sound" has returned after Pau's departure when Baz toke over bringing back their strayed distinctive sound and returning this band and noticibly JJ and his awesome bass sound and volumes lol back to what was once was.
No it hasn't, that's my point. We all said it was (kind of) but compare No More Heroes and it's successor Big Thing Coming. I'm referring to keys/synths not the overall band sound. Listen to the analog quality of the sound on say Ice Queen. It's all about the quality. But anyway...
It's a tough one with sound,stlye or the exact keyboard sound and equipment used decades ago and so on,this band has been going for nearly 50 years now for what to sound exactly how it did 40-50 years ago in sound,style and equipment?
They are all musicians and especially JJ who has been there since the year dot does he want to keep producing albums after albums of much of the same?
As a musician you want to broaden your scope in lyrics and especially sound and they have i think certainly tried hard to still keep loyal to their distinctive sound to an extent knowing what their fans wants,likes and expects, but why keep going for it to sound just like say the heroes album was over forty years ago.
I think it's producing something new,exciting and fresh that keeps them going still today and motivated at their craft.
I think as we now have a completely different set of musicians and minds let them create newness, but it's only my opinion and many will want it to sound like it always has done on the tin,which is why Hugh has liked being on his own creating newness and ideas of his own to sound different and not to continue on in the band doing the same old thing.
The mixture would be good for them I think only with your classic Stranglers sounding songs and some that are really different then I think that keeps everybody happy and I'm so looking forward to what Tobys input is going to be on any new album.
Last edited by toilerinblack on 19 Jul 2023, 19:09, edited 1 time in total.
Music has changed with sound and equipment for all bands will they really want to replicate the sounds and equipment that was available from back in the say late 70s?
Even though it's a bit different with say a band like the Stranglers it's their distinction that fans like and want to stay,so again a mixture I think is good ...classic,distinction and newness.
Last edited by toilerinblack on 19 Jul 2023, 19:20, edited 3 times in total.
I doubt they'd want to replicate the equipment (as I recall it, they couldn't wait to stop lugging the Hammond around, as it was heavy and didn't like being moved), but from interviews it seems that Toby is really trying to put some effort into getting the sounds to be closer to the original.
droopsnoot wrote: ↑19 Jul 2023, 19:09
I doubt they'd want to replicate the equipment (as I recall it, they couldn't wait to stop lugging the Hammond around, as it was heavy and didn't like being moved), but from interviews it seems that Toby is really trying to put some effort into getting the sounds to be closer to the original.
Well that's good if he wants to do that and still get that much closer to how Dave sounded back in the day,it's part of why them picking Tody was the right man for the job what with his full likeness and total understanding of Dave.
This whole thing with the Cembalet just feels like another attempt to convince people that they're still the same band that you remember from back in the day. "Hey, we've got the same keyboard, the one you know and love, it's still The Stranglers!" ... Umm, no.
There used to be a time when the synths and keyboards sounded fab and were front and centre, swapping with everything else (Waltz, JLNOE, Manna, Nubiles, Sleazy, Raven, MiB, Feline, MSD etc). Since 1990 the band has been more guitar-led. The ONLY time I recall a synth being integral to a track was the title track of Norfolk Coast. There's a nice part in Mercury Rising but I'm struggling to think of more. I'll maybe add the verse in Relentless but what else?
Since NC an 'emulation' of the Cembalet was introduced on tracks like Big Thing Coming and This Song. Mixed lower than before it did ok but it didn't really sound like the one on Heroes did it? Well, the next time they want that sound they can use the real thing. Big difference.
That along with Toby's enthusiasm and appreciation of analog synths - because frankly they sound better - is a great place for them to be right now (no not for the road but for the studio).
