Jude Cole is still there

[escalibur]

Am I the only one who actually doesn't like the guy at all? I don't have anything against him as a person (I don't even know him) but I'm just not a fan of his way how to produce LH records.

Last 2 LH's records were slighlty overproduced so that everything sounded 'too perfect'. Being heard that they might try something 'old' I tought that finnally we might heard something NNF-like but after reading their latest tweet about Jude I'm 99% sure the sound of the record will be very close to WWA and SAM.

I wouldnt be this pessimistic about this if many of the latest rock records werent almost destroyed by overproduction and few bands I basically cannot listen to anymore are Nickelback and Daughtry.


Yes I know 'the want to try different things' etc..but overproduction has nothing to do with it. I don't want Logic Pro sound I want the actual band's sound.


Damn you Ron Anniello, I miss you so much.

[dewey]

ive recently been listening to NNF a lot (just been in a Lifehouse mood lately), and that record is pure magic. it takes me back to 2001 and reminds me what a crazy year it was..... esp from seeing them open for M20 to seeing them headline in oct and again in dec.

i would kill for anything reminiscent of that record and sound.
when i was listening to "unknown" earlier i had a "wow, hard to believe this is what they USED to sound like" moment.

[escalibur]

Notice the first comment.

vs...

[gogonutz]

I think Jude's an incredibly gifted songsmith and he's a fine producer too. And if I remember correctly the band's co-producing their albums since the self-titled one. So I'm not sure if it's just Jude or if there are other things to consider. What I do think, and that's just a thought spin, not based on anything other than what I'm hearing in the songs/production, is that they might be caught in a loop where the approach has been similar for a long time. Why not bring in someone from the outside (which doesn't mean Jude has to go by the way), throw out a few ideas and see where it leads, that's exploring new things. I don't think they've been trying too many new things since the self-titled. Apart from 2 or 3 songs, the album songs all start to blend together after a lot of listens. While I think the songs seperately are still pretty strong, the albums don't have the same effect on me anymore as the early albums had. That is partially due to the production, but it also has to do with song choice, because I can hear a lot of exciting things in bonus tracks and unreleased b-sides from the same era, which I don't quite understand how those songs didn't make the album cut. Okay, some of them didn't fit, I agree, but many of them actually would have fit perfectly in my opinion.

I'm very curious as to what will happen with the new album, soundwise, productionwise, energywise and also very much lyrically, because I still miss the days when Lifehouse songs were songs that had you tripping over metaphors and imagery.

[escalibur]

Sure, but I have a feeling that Jude has playing 'too big role' in their projects because eg. he plays more guitar tracks on SAM than Ben. I don't know the actual reason for that but I don't think that's a great thing even when producer is ready to 'give his everything' for the band. All in all for me they should avoid overproducing and overpolishing the songs.

Their latest/current dirrection with the style of their records is quite disappointing because what's the point of 'wasting' half of the record for radio friendly songs if they won't be played on the radio anyway? I can understand that with singles but half of the record is pretty big part these days when we have ~10 pop artists and 'artists' who are dominating the charts. Wouldn't it be nice to suprise the masses by creating something totally different and maybe not that radio friendly what would still be played on the radio?

If they are really out of ideas or they are not sure which direction to choose then some break can be very good solution.

Also re-recording older b-tracks would be interesting to hear but there is a big possibility that many of them would sound too modern (or even overproduced) compared to their original sound.


It's a shame that it's almost impossible to have a conversation with them about this topic because this is definitely something I would like to know more about.

[LHfanMI]

I completely agree on the overproduction and over-touched-up in-studio part.

The song I will always point to is "I Want You to Know." It was such an amazing and raw track when Jason played it live. But after seeing it live 2 or 3 times, and then the record version, it's just absolutely overdone and terrible. It even comes across a little awkward to me.

I don't think Jude is the problem, though. I know he's worked with Rob Thomas and MB20 for I believe the duration of their mainstream existence, and with much success. I don't mean radio success, but just success to me personally and my ears. Plus, I always liked how Rob liked to finish out every album (for the most part) with a "live" piano-driven ballad. Kind of like LH did with Everything on SAM, but I would much have preferred a NEW song we haven't heard.

Anyway, that's just my opinion on Jude. I've been a fan of a lot of his work. I don't necessarily think he's the issue here at all...

Also, please correct me on this if I'm wrong, but I thought Jude played a role in NNF too. Or at least in "discovering" LH. I know I could be completely wrong on that front so don't tear me apart, but please do correct me if I'm mistaken!

[Minka]

I’d like to have more rawness and the live feeling in the new CD too. Lifehouse is such a great live band and I think they should show this more in their records. I do highly enjoy the new rock side of LH and I hope they keep this, but I understand why they have to make also radio friendly songs, I don’t think this is a bad thing and I enjoy this side too, but like Koen I’d love to have lyrics with a bit more meaning, deep and full of metaphors and I think the B-Sides have more of that than the rest of the songs.

I also agree on Ben and I have said quite often before, that I would want Ben to play guitar on the records and not Jude, sure Jude is good, but I feel like Ben is left behind in the recording process and it’s just a waste of his talent, when I saw/heard Ben for the first time live, I was extremely impressed with him, you can see and hear how much passion he puts into his music and him not playing on the album makes me sad and it’s just a shame they’re not use this talent in the studio too. I don’t know what the reason behind this is, but I’d like to know that.


Escalibur, it's easy to blame Jude for that, but we don't know what is behind that, all we can do is maybe hint the band at this topic thru Twitter and/or FB and maybe they will read it, maybe they would have something to say to this or at least think about it, maybe not, but it's worth a try.

[escalibur]

Maybe you could send them a message?

As strange as it might sound I don't use FB or Twitter at all so making a account just for that is probably not worth because I'm 99% sure I wont get any answer from them.

If course Jude might not be a problem because in most cases producers do just what they are asked for and maybe someone else wants them to sound more 'pop'. Yes Jude has been around since NNF but he wasn't head producer at least according Wikipedia.


About Ben yes he plays guitar good enough to participate on the record even for me Sean is still the best guitarist they ever had so far. Notice in Quasimodo clip I posted above Serge's bass 'solo' part in the intro. These little details are those things what I miss atm.


Let's hope that upcoming record will be raw or at least more raw than 2 previous ones.

[Minka]

Yes Sean & Serge were great and I've seen them back then also live a few times, but I think Byrce & Ben bring something fresh and interesting into the band and I like the band how they are now much more.

Sure, I'll tweet them.

[aminta]

I think Jude isn't the person to blame for the commercial sound. I think Jason has a lot of impact on the way he wants Lifehouse albums to sound like and if it's the way he chose to express what he wants to say or us to hear ... it's his right. I don't have much hopes for another No name face material, although that album turned my life upside down. We all grew up and Jason is in a different place in life now, so am I, and I don't see a way back, it's a natural thing. I'd love to hear more songs with a deeper, mystical meaning but I don't see Angeline as one of those. I agree with those of you that many songs they played live or recorded earlier (You, me and the people or Crash and burn) sound better to me in their original form. At first listening of Smoke and Mirrors I was annoyed by all the ooh's and aaah's in the overproduced "It is what it is", I didn't take "Here Tomorrow gone today" too well and the Halfway gone remix raped my ears but I believed in that material again once I heard it live, it's so much different and it sounds great. Also thanks to Ben, I agree he should record more in the studio with the rest of the band but who knows, maybe he wants to have some time off for his other projects.

[Kimpossible]

Personally, I love every single LH song - NNF or S&M. I'm just really excited to hear what they will come up with and I'll probably learn to love it anyway, even if I don't have a rainbows-and-unicorns-jump-out-of-the-stereo-because-of-how-much-I-love-it-moment right away. No matter how much I love NNF and their 'early' work, I don't think I'd want them to still have that exact same sound because quite frankly, I think I'd get bored - and so would they.

I fell in love with LH because of the entire package - both the 'old' and 'new' songs. Being a younger fan, I only got to know them right after WWA came out, so the 'pop' and 'rock' side were already both there, so I guess I don't have that nostalgic feeling as much as you guys do anyway.

Also, I don't think there's anyone to 'blame' (such a negative word!). Jude probably has a certain influence on the outcome of the album (well yes of course he has, he's the producer!) but in the end it's a Lifehouse album and they all work on it together. I don't think Jude could get the guys to do something they didn't wholeheartedly agree on, or am I being really naive now?

[Deleted]

Hahaha... yeah, it's all Jude's fault... that Lifehouse is so AWESOME! Jude's amazing! If you don't like their current sound, it doesn't mean it was a "mistake" lol A lot of people DO like it. And their last record got them touring Europe on the success of "Halfway Gone" ... which I'm guessing is not most people's "favorite" Lifehouse song, but has grown on most of us (I liked it from the get-go so it didn't have to grow on me)

IDK... this is a debate that goes on before every record and that's cool. I think Lifehouse will continue to find their voice as they go along. They sound SUPER confident and excited about this record. I don't have a second of doubt that it's going to be amazing and I'm open to whatever comes of it, because what I love about Lifehouse songs are the variety and I'm hoping that they are able to capture the magic of their music that none of us could even remotely possibly anticipate. We'll always have "No Name Face" and "Stanley Climbfall" as well as the Self Titled, WWA, and S&M... and we're lucky that Lifehouse will always perform their amazing songs live for us... so they will always live on!

I think all of the different feedback here is interesting and even constructively helpful as suggestions, but there's no "fault" in music ... it's art... it's interpretation.... either you like it or you don't... either you connect with it or you don't. It's not wrong or right. It's just what people prefer.

Obviously Jude is someone that Lifehouse/Jason feels ultra compatible with musically or he wouldn't co-write so much with him or have him be so involved in production. If anything, Lifehouse may not have been able to keep going if it WEREN'T for Jude in my opinion.

I don't think they are going to be a post grunge band again. I think they are moving in the direction of country rock... that's just the vibes I've been getting off new songs and even a lot of bonus tracks that we all love. Maybe that is going to be a newly inspired vehicle for some of these metaphorical/imagery filled lyrics that we all agree we love. I don't care so much about every song being thick with imagery... I think that can get a little heavy too... I just care that there is emotion and feeling in each song that I can relate to... and so far... Lifehouse has never let me down in that department.

I'm really looking forward to hearing more!!! I'm so excited for the new tour too!

[Kimpossible]

AMEN CHRISTY

[Deleted]

Jan 29, 2012 12:24:31 GMT -5 Kimpossible said:

AMEN CHRISTY

Kim... can I come over to your house when we first listen to the new Lifehouse music? ... I can't wait to see the unicorns and rainbows start flying everywhere!!!! hahahaha

[escalibur]

Jan 29, 2012 12:11:01 GMT -5 @skrappydoo said:

Hahaha... yeah, it's all Jude's fault... that Lifehouse is so AWESOME! Jude's amazing! If you don't like their current sound, it doesn't mean it was a "mistake" lol A lot of people DO like it. And their last record got them touring Europe on the success of "Halfway Gone" ... which I'm guessing is not most people's "favorite" Lifehouse song, but has grown on most of us (I liked it from the get-go so it didn't have to grow on me)

IDK... this is a debate that goes on before every record and that's cool. I think Lifehouse will continue to find their voice as they go along. They sound SUPER confident and excited about this record. I don't have a second of doubt that it's going to be amazing and I'm open to whatever comes of it, because what I love about Lifehouse songs are the variety and I'm hoping that they are able to capture the magic of their music that none of us could even remotely possibly anticipate. We'll always have "No Name Face" and "Stanley Climbfall" as well as the Self Titled, WWA, and S&M... and we're lucky that Lifehouse will always perform their amazing songs live for us... so they will always live on!

I think all of the different feedback here is interesting and even constructively helpful as suggestions, but there's no "fault" in music ... it's art... it's interpretation.... either you like it or you don't... either you connect with it or you don't. It's not wrong or right. It's just what people prefer.

Obviously Jude is someone that Lifehouse/Jason feels ultra compatible with musically or he wouldn't co-write so much with him or have him be so involved in production. If anything, Lifehouse may not have been able to keep going if it WEREN'T for Jude in my opinion.

I don't think they are going to be a post grunge band again. I think they are moving in the direction of country rock... that's just the vibes I've been getting off new songs and even a lot of bonus tracks that we all love. Maybe that is going to be a newly inspired vehicle for some of these metaphorical/imagery filled lyrics that we all agree we love. I don't care so much about every song being thick with imagery... I think that can get a little heavy too... I just care that there is emotion and feeling in each song that I can relate to... and so far... Lifehouse has never let me down in that department.

I'm really looking forward to hearing more!!! I'm so excited for the new tour too!

Uhm.... ok maybe it's better that I just say let everyone have their opinions and tastes.


Anyway has anyone noticed the list of the songs they are recording?

I'm not sure can i see properly but I think I can see "Wish" and "Rock Me" ?

a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/394016_10150476652649025_18222514024_8469017_231603314_n.jpg (you have to zoom to actually see the list)