Should they try anybody else besides Don Was? Maybe produce their next album by themselves? Your thoughts?

Rick Rubin! Now that I would like......

Jack White, would be the answer.

absolutely....someone who won't "polish" off the rough edges and will turn down the drums and turn up the geetarz!

Jack Frost

Jack Straw

me

Hank Snow

No more Don Was please

Not Was?

Motley Crues latest album was a solid production. Why not make a few phone calls to Tommy Lee or Nikki Sixx?

I would have said so before A Bigger Bang, but he seemed to do a pretty good job on that. I think Mick and Keith were much more involved in producing it than Don Was, though, so maybe that's the reason. I would like to see Rick Rubin and/or Jack White get a shot, though.

Jack White or Neil Young, actually.

If the Stones came up with something that had the bluesy Jimmy Reed-esque grooves of "Greendale," I'd be over the moon.

Check out "Sun Green" from that album. The Stones are so long overdue for a boogie beat...

ablett, Adrian-L, Leonard Keringer: I concur!

Don Was--too late 80s/early 90s style.

Jack White, Rick Rubin--yes. Warm it up! the production is a little chilly and trebley for me. Turn up those guitars, soften the drums.

I do think getting rid of "pro" back up singers and other extras helped A Bigger Bang tremendously--they're going in the right direction. The new songs on 40 Licks had a warmer production--what happened?

Rick Rubin did produce a Mick solo album but that was long ago and production standards were still 80s-ish. I read that Mick and Rick had a falling out.

be interesting to see what Steve Albini (did a great job on PJ Harvey's guitar driven 2nd release) could do for their sound

Rick Rubin!

I think JOE HENRY might be a good choice..he's done Solomon Burke and a bunch of great stuff lately. encourages swampy blues and soul.. Soul being the thing I think is missing from "ABB"...

Ronnie Wood/Don Covay should be given a chance too..for real.

I don't know about Albini. He's great for real hard hitters--I love Shellac and The Jesus Lizard stuff but I think his sound would be too shrilly for the Stones. Honestly, I don't think ABB sounds too far off from ALbini's production. Wasn't so crazy about The Page/Plant album he did but that was more do to the session drummer and bassist they had.

Joe Henry, eh? MT played some very nice stuff on his first album...so there already is a Stones connection of sorts.

Adrian-L Wrote:
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> Jack White, would be the answer.


YES!!!!! Jack White is cool.

JumpingKentFlash

Hell yes. The industrial sound they opt for these days should be long forgotten and how about something novel like...the return of The Glimmer Twins at the helm. Never happen, I know.

Half Nanker Wrote:
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> Hell yes. The industrial sound they opt for these
> days should be long forgotten and how about
> something novel like...the return of The Glimmer
> Twins at the helm. Never happen, I know.


yeah, but a noble thought Half Nanker

"Industrial sound" is an excellent description.

I also think that the "hard-hitting" (Jagger's term) thing has been taken a little too far. So many of the tracks on "ABB" rock--but they don't roll, baby. Very strident, very militant sounding.

I mean, "Gimme Shelter" sounds heavier than God, but it's not forced. It rolls like a giant wave. Or an earthquake.

I hate to say this because I don't think their age is an actual impediment (yet), but it all sounds a little like "Viagra Rock"--just banging away. Like Jagger thinks that barking and growling and endless raw energy is the same as being vital. They need to loosen things a bit. I guess that's why I like "Let Me Down Slow" so much.

The Stones need a great boogie woogie piano player to swing with. Hell, to give him credit, I guess Chuck played on "Little Baby..."

Leonard Keringer Wrote:
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> be interesting to see what Steve Albini (did a
> great job on PJ Harvey's guitar driven 2nd
> release) could do for their sound

And of course he did a great job on Nirvan's In Utero and for many other bands. But I hate his production on Page and Plant's Walking Into Clarksdale from 1998 - he showed about zero feel for any sort of classic rock production on that one. Very dry, flat and boring. Makes me leery of him getting near the Stones.

Mick and Keith should not produce by themselves.....too much friction, a pissing match would ensue and everything would sound "great"

Although they do essentially do produce the albums I feel that a third party, a producer benefits them.

Re: Don Was. BANG sounds a lot different than Voodoo or Bridges. KR & MJ made sure the songs were not polished/over produced. I read were Keith stated "these songs were screaming "don't overproduce me"

Milo, NYC
Lookin' way out cross the field

I’m very fond of Daniel Lanois’ work. A raw sound, the instruments are well separeted. No wall-of-sound – less is more.
I think the ABB-sound is good, nothing to complain about. But Lanois would probably get even more edge of the guitars.

I like Lanois but maybe Rubin would be a better choice? Actually I think they should go for some unknown guy or gal and have a go at it.

Don has done an outstanding job on ABB by the way.

JumpingKentFlash

Don Was is the right man for the right band. He "understands" the music of the Stones more than any other producer. He produced Voodoo, BTB and ABB, the sound is all over great and focused on the guitar work. And also important particularly on ABB: The fantastic drumming of Charlie Watts is loud and clear and prominent in the mix.

Don Was really @#$%& up! There's a million better producers out there. I don't know what they see in him. Let the Glimmer Twins do the work themselves!