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Post by celticflower on Feb 9, 2012 9:11:27 GMT -5
I agree that the title was suggesting that it was a bad thing to begin with that Jude is still here (as a producer, a person, or any other suggestion) without the sad smiley it(like Julia said) becomes less of a personal attack on Jude as a person (I really do not know the guy but from what I've seen on FB he's a really generous, cool person) but more a discussion about which direction LH is heading and where they come from. oh and we should always trust Wikipedia, that's a given:p (sorry for the sarcasm). I agree about the big labels, but as an established artist you can always venture into a different direction/;abel if you do not like what the label is suggesting.
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Post by gogonutz on Feb 9, 2012 14:42:25 GMT -5
Sorry man, didn't mean to take away the meaning of the topic, but it just seemed more respectful to leave the smiley out. I understand the smiley wasn't necessarily directed towards Jude but towards a certain feeling of disappointment with the direction/sound/production of the latest record(s). But just to prevent (further) misunderstandings, I thought it best to let the smiley off.
As for the big labels issue. It's not so easy (not even for established bands) to just walk away and try something else. It would normally cost them in money and reputation. Because labels are still powerful and if you just walk away, they will not make life easy for you. So it has to be negotiated, which takes time. Besides, they gave you a contract (which basically means they sponsor you) so they want to earn back that money and make some more on top of it. So they actually do have a lot to say about the (creative) process. This battle between autonomy of the process and financial backing is as old as the music industry itself and there still isn't really a great way around it.
There are more and more opportunities for HQ recordings than just the fancy recording studio's and financial backing can come from private sponsors or merchandise revenue, as well as the different outlets where you can have your fans sponsor you, which, for established bands that aren't TOO big, is a very interesting venture. The development of using the potential of your fanbase is an interesting one and it allows you to easily reach the people that earn you the most. The loyal fans are your basic income and the 'fringe fans', the ones that come and go, are the added bonuses. And as you can easily implement touring, merchandise, contests, etc. etc. in this process, you can build an expanding dynamic that can sustain your musical career.
However, there are definitely limitations to that and you will still need connections in the entertainment industry, but I know of several bands and artists that made smart moves to work with upcoming talent in other media (TV, film, theater, dance, books, etc.) Then, you don't necessarily have to rely on the 'big guns' to get out there. It does take a little more work, but with the added bonus of freedom and fresh perspectives, it might be worth it.
Then again, it still is the one approach vs the other, and neither of the approaches is right or wrong, just different and I know the label market is a confusing and complicated one that does offer somewhat of a safety net, which is not unimportant for musicians as their musical careers are their livelihood.
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Post by celticflower on Feb 11, 2012 3:15:54 GMT -5
good point about the contract! and the way a band make a commitment/builds rep.. you're right, if you sign for so many years, you have obligations as well as privileges. I do think that as a band you need to make some decisions early on on how far you are willing to go in adapting your image for the sake of fame or which steps you are willing to take to make it in the industry. not that it's a bad thing per se. I would forget my lyrics too, to be honest:p
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Post by gogonutz on Feb 11, 2012 5:24:07 GMT -5
They usually don't really lie about the lyricists, but sometimes there are co-writers that don't get a mention. However, usually the writers are all listed (i'm not sure about any registration-like thing, but they usually are pretty fair when it comes to the different contributions to a song). I would imagine that in some cases they are tricky and will add someone's name even though his or her contributions to the songwriting were limited at best, just to add a little allure to it, but generally, the songwriters get realistic credits.
About forgetting the lyrics, this is quite a normal process. Especially for songs you haven't played or practiced in a long time. Which happens to bonus songs and non-album tracks a lot. This is why a lot of bands usually play many of the same songs. I'm sure if they would take time to practice those songs again they'd come back in a flash, but to remember all those songs right off the bat is hard. Especially if you have a long list of songs you have written and I'm sure Jason has written many, many, many more songs than just the ones we heard of. So yeah, I can imagine he forgot a number of those, or at least won't be able to recall them right away.
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Post by escalibur on Feb 18, 2012 10:08:30 GMT -5
I just remembered something. I thought I saw Jude make a reference to Lady Gaga in terms of 'Nerve Damage'. All I kept thinking was did they really write a hate song to Lady Gaga? Might be. I understood that Here Tomorrow Gone Today is about Britney? |
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Post by Minka on Feb 18, 2012 12:20:57 GMT -5
lol now that's interesting, Dana where did you saw that with Jude? And LH actualyl like Gaga, at least they said so a few times in interviews. Where did you heard it's about Britney? You two are starting rumors here, I admit it's pretty funny  |
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Post by celticflower on Feb 19, 2012 5:28:13 GMT -5
somehow I doubt that it's about Britney, but then again, maybe Jason just got sick of questions like what is your song about and he mentioned miss spears *or is it mrs so and so again?* I think it's more of a combination of things that Jason sees around him and experiences
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Post by futuregames on Jan 28, 2013 8:07:18 GMT -5
I certainly don't dislike the guy as I don't know him, I've never met him and he seems pretty nice in interviews that I've watched on YouTube. Saying that, I do think it would do the band the world of good to spread their wings and work with another producer on their next album. They've talked about the recording of Almeria and how they felt they needed to evolve and change with the record but I just don't see how they can when they continue working with Jude Cole over and over again. That's surely got to place some restraints on them artistically. They need someone different, someone they've never worked with before who can bring fresh ideas to the table and really push the band to evolve and try new things. Maybe it's hard since Jude is their manager and they may feel obligated to have him produce because of that. Or maybe they're just content with working with him as they obviously work well together and have a great relationship. I just think the band needs to get out of their comfort zone and rock the boat a little.
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Post by breathing on Jan 28, 2013 10:00:47 GMT -5
It's interesting to read this discussion and see what everyone thinks, especially as I think it was started before Almeria was released?
Anyway, I've often wondered what caused them to go from the NNF and SCF lifehouse, of imagery and deep lyrics, to the poppy LH on the self-titled album. I never considered it might be the producer, but perhaps you are right. I agree with everyone else that the self-titled album was the weakest, and it sure was a shock when first listening to it. It was enjoyable, but it wasn't the LH I'd come to know. It felt too poppy, radio-ready and over-produced, it wasn't the raw sound I loved. I felt that who we are went back to the deep lyrics a bit more, and SAM, to me, combined all of their sounds and albums in one. There were a few songs I don't care for on SAM, but it had some edgy, rocky sounds, just like I love. When I heard LH saying that almeria was named so, as the album sounded like a western, I expected lots of songs like Right back home (which I think is great.) However, the album doesn't seem as bluesy, or country-western as I thought, and seems a lot like the self-titled, so I agree with earlier comments that I don't think they've changed their sound much since then.
I'd love to know what changed, where the deep lyrics and raw sound has gone - is it something the band want? Did it change when band members did? (I often wonder if Sergio leaving changed things a lot)
Anyway, sorry, I'm waffling on a discussion about Jude Cole!
I will always love LH, and I do enjoy some songs on Almeria, but to me, they don't feel like the LH i fell in love with, and I wonder if it is the over-producing? And whose decision this may have been? Or whether this sort of sound is what the band wanted to move towards?
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Post by escalibur on Jan 28, 2013 12:53:54 GMT -5
After seeing this video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9JS6REn-6M I can understand why Jude is still there. Pay attention to him and Jason. Yeah..I think Jason has found another father. Good for him bad for us who are missing what Ron Aniello has made with them. |
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Post by aminta on Jan 28, 2013 14:19:58 GMT -5
That interview made me think a lot. It's honest . It looks like Jason found himself on crossroads with that album and Jude just tried to help him, inspire him. They all seem to have a lot of confidence in him and it looks like he makes Jason feel secure. But I would prefer Jude to focus on being a manager and a friend. I share the opinion they should all look for a new producer for the next record, somebody with a fresh perspective, someone from the outside who could look at their work from a distance. But it's all up to them to come to this conclusion  |
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Post by celticflower on Jan 28, 2013 14:28:14 GMT -5
I like the interview, but I also think that Jude's role is expanding, a bit too much for my taste
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Post by klein on Jan 31, 2013 18:25:12 GMT -5
Jason needs to take a break from song writing and music instead of burning himself out more and more with each album. He shouldn't NEED that much of Jude's help and if his life is so boring he's got nothing to write about maybe it's time to take a break and live a little and then come back a few years later with new inspiration and new ideas.
I agree a new producer is necessary too. They have done some good things with Jude (I actually liked the self-titled for songs like Blind, Come Back Down etc.), but I think they've kind of driven themselves into a corner musically and Jude is the wall. It's time for a fresh start.
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. I'd also like to know if anybody has an HD copy of Lifehouse at Pinkpop 2003. BY far their best concert ever