Suede - Dog Man Star (1994) (1 Viewer)

[Cornu Ammonis]

OK. First listen. On speakers.I'm usually more Slade than Suede..but I'm here for this.

I think there’s a fair bang of that stomp running through this.

I’m quite surprised that so many people find “Introducing the Band” to be so weird or weak, I think it’s great - like a 70s glam band in slow motion and the lyrics are great: “I want the style of a woman/The kiss of a man”

Also is that a Throbbing Gristle reference when he sings about a “Fifty knuckle shuffle” elsewhere on it? I know Brett’s a Neubauten fan anyway.

 

[GO]

The production on this album is tragic. It's the worst sounding great album I've ever heard. It's especially awful on cans. It sounds it's best on my little Google nest. So at least they succeeded in mono compatibility.its also muddy. As fuck.
It's partly the fault of the arrangements though, theres too much going on and they tried to make it all fit but it doesn't. At least it's not limited to death like Oasis.

Despite all that I love it and will be listening to it going forward...and will have more to say when I'm back at the computer.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Interesting, I like the production for the most part, it sounds dark, deep and rich to my ears although I agree it's a bit too busy at times, in terms of guitar overdubs, they don't all sit quite right. But it's a very minor complaint from me. I was listening to Coming Up yesterday and the production on that is definitely weird. It's full of snappy songs with big choruses and it sounds like... I don't know what, coked up brit-pop dancing maybe. They should have just recorded that whole album live.

Anyway, I agree with Prefuse on The Power being weak, but it's relative. The verses are still lovely and I like those kinda harmonies that Brett does on the second verse, it's very silky. It's just the "give me give me give me the power bit" that crashes to earth a bit. Still a decent tune. There's this synth or ebow or feedback or something that comes in as he starts singing la la la la, I like that bit. It just pushes things slightly over the edge. I really like Still Life though. I think I read that they had trouble deciding whether or not they should include the orchestra or not and later regretted including it. It's a bit much.

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

Out of interest, what’s bad about the recording/production? It sounds great to my ears.

 

[ann post]

I'm in the +1 to the production being a bit shit camp - I'll comment on it when I get another listen.

 

[GO]

Out of interest, what’s bad about the recording/production? It sounds great to my ears.

The drums are buried ..sometimes . Theres far too much reverb on everything its just turned the whole thing to mush.Yet theres a strange hollowness in the centre. It kinda sounds like the way big outdoor concerts sound from the next field over. Thats not something I would particularly enjoy.
Obviously its a stylistic choice they made but Its not to my taste.. or maybe I'm just not quite sophisticated enough to appreciate it.. I find it a struggle to follow the tunes sometimes cos its so unfocussed. My brain doesn't know whats going on.

I still like it though.

 

[Cornu Ammonis]

I’d have to bear this in mind when I’m next listening.

 

[GO]

Great album with unsatisfactory production. I give it 4/5.

I can hear all the influences....if not all of the lyrics... clear Scott Walker and Bowie vibes but still an original record.

Super record though. Glad to have begun assimilating it

 

[prefuse]

Its does sound like an old overplayed cassette tape in places.

 

[sleepy]

I still haven’t listened to it this time round. So the last time I heard it was on cassette a long time ago. I remember it sounding pretty muddy but I put that down to it being on cassette.

 

[GO]

I've been reading up on this album and my take on the production is nothing new. And theres other things I noticed that I failed to mention because I didnt want to be too nit picky. But theres audible distortion on some of the vocals as well. Its a ramshackle mix at best.

Bernard Butler should remix it

 

[prefuse]

I've been reading up on this album and my take on the production is nothing new. And theres other things I noticed that I failed to mention because I didnt want to be too nit picky. But theres audible distortion on some of the vocals as well. Its a ramshackle mix at best.

Bernard Butler should remix it

I'm surprised that hasn't happened already.
Dogmanstar remixed by Bernie & Bert.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

Listening again now, I'm hearing all sorts of problems I never noticed before

 

[GO]

I just don't understand all the fucking reverb. Amateurish

 

[prefuse]

This is Bret's, if he could do it all over again, alternate dogmanstar tracklist

Introducing The Band
We Are The Pigs
Heroine
The Wild Ones
Daddy's Speeding
My Dark Star
Killing Of A Flashboy
This Hollywood Life
New Generation
The Living Dead
The 2 Of Us
The Asphalt World
Still Life

 

[prefuse]

I would have included whipsnade. It was a b side of we are the pigs.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

I was listening to Sci-Fi Lullabies the other day and thought they had made all the right choices in terms of what went on b-sides vs the albums. All those songs are great but maybe don't fit the flow of the albums. But I don't know any more. I'm going to give Bret's alternative version a go some day.

 

[rettucs]

I was never a fan of yer man's voice but this is less bad than I expected

 

[pete]

this is tough going. it's just.... meh.

 

[Nate Champion]

I'm ten minutes in here, and I can hear what @GO means about the production... maybe Anderson/Butler are going for some shoegaze cred. I don't know. I'll return again.

I've been getting into Suede lately. The Drowners is surely one of the most sublime indie tracks... ever. Yet I never heard it on an indie dancefloor in my life.

I bought that Sci-Fi Lullabies for about 25p in a charity shop a while back. It's got some of those sublime "knees gets weak" moments that The Drowners offers.

I also bought Coming Up in a charity shop in Terenure for a euro the other day... was blasting it all day. It's deadly. [Suede would have meant nothing to me in my secondary days when Soundgarden et all ruled the teenage roost].

I think the problem with the production on this album is they're trying to make it a bit full-on with the guitars - also a little 60s-ish with the reverb - to appeal to the shoegaze lot. They seem to be playing against their songwriting strengths, and trying to represent themselves as something they can't pull off or don't fully buy into. Maybe I'm wrong.