Arthur Baker vs Rick Rubin

every good run-dmc track + every good ll cool j track + two good slayer albums + "99 problems"

vs.

confusion + some wack early electro overrated by the readers of jockey slut

"it's tricky" vs "planet patrol"
"walk this way" vs "planet patrol"
"my radio" vs "planet patrol"
"christmas in hollis" vs "planet patrol"

FUCKING BANGLES "HAZY SHADE OF WINTER" vs "planet patrol"

ie ARE YOU FUCKING NUTS??????????

CUETEST

Baker's low profile increases his cool points, while Rubin's interchangeable back-to-basics productions for the stars decrease his.

I'll take Baker. Barely.

someone make a list of definitive baker productions.

http://www.record-producers.com/roster/arthurbaker/arthurbaker.pdf

Stewart's version of "People Get Ready" is nice.

We should also cite his remixes of Diana Ross' Swept Away and Hall & Oates' Big Bam Boom, the misbegotten synth-horns he squeezed onto Dylan's Empire Burlesque.

Ooh, I didn't know he produced this, such a great single. Sure, Rick Rubin is more important and influential, but I just don't like his style as much as Baker's, is that a crime? I couldn't care less about Beastie Boys or "Walk This Way" or metal or "Chocolate Salty Balls". And what the hell is "Deloused in the Comatorium", some prog LP? Some of Rubin's LL Cool J and Run-DMC are admittedly nice, but "Planet Patrol" is one of my favourite records of the eighties.

it's not too bad but not 1/2 as funky as you'd hope. post-chic nile productions are a bit 80s-generic for my taste.

judging from their 80s work I'd call a tie between Baker & Rubin. subsequent Rubin productions have really soured me on his aesthetic, those po-faced Johnny Cash albums were bad enough but Neil Diamond? sheesh

hahaha. i that's exactly what everyone else was asking when it came out. best thing ever on ILM.

my vote ...

Rick Baker & Arthur Rubin

Certainly can't vouch for how "hands on" Rubin is / was.

They were certainly both involved in 80s records I loved an awful lot.

And yeah, Planet Patrol were hot. I love the way they used the spare tracks on the Planet Rock multitrack for "play at your own risk" - recycling the rhythm track, and losing the Kraftwerk lift.

MAYBE THE strangest pairing was Arthur's work with New Order. The dance master with the UK underground teasers (cough!). The liaison resulted in 'Blue Monday' and 'Confusion'. Arthur looks back without relish.

"They wanted to work with me. I didn't really know New Order although I knew Joy Division and liked some of their stuff. They sent me 'Blue Monday' and their album way before it came out and asked if I wanted to work on any of the songs. I didn't like 'Blue Monday' at all. I said it sounded like old Sylvester disco. I was shocked when that record came out. People would say I was involved in it and I would deny it because I didn't like it. I would say 'I wouldn't make shit like that'.

"They sat around in their hotel. Everything I'd read about them said they were musical geniuses, but they weren't any better musicians than I am and I'm no musician at all. I just play and sequencers and that's all they were doing."

/////////

'how "hands on" Rubin is / was.'

His definition of producing has nothing to do with 'hands on'. I remember a quote from him because I found it odd. He basically said he sees *zero* correlation between technical skill and the qualities a good producer needs. Since he says he has zero technical knowledge it makes you wonder how those earliest records got made and I've never reader read anything specific about that.

What he says he does now is first hang with the artist (go the to the record store, walk together on the beach). The way he describes it sounds really guruish, even for L.A. He wants to be like the X+1th member of the group and give advice, especially on songs. He comes up with a vision for the album and then the job is to chip away until that is achieved. He says it's a democratic process though and he doesn't push it too hard if he meets resistance. Others do the recording, mixing, etc. He says his whole life is 'A-B'ing (listening and deciding). He has a really good stereo and he can do this at his house while meditating and between swims. After doing this over and over the result is sent to his favorite mastering engineer as well as others. These are listened to competitively and his favorite guy always wins supposedly due to his unsurpassed equipment. However, some recording pros think the albums sound so distorted that in the case of the Red Hot Chili Peppers they petitioned the record company urging them to release competent versions.

j/k vahid OTM. rubin eazzzy

new order (obviously)
freez (gotta admit this one)
loleatta "crash goes love" (dissing sylvester??)
new grandmaster flash lp (on ninja tune??? good for a laugh, actually...)
hall & oates
mastering on "low rider" by war
remastering bowie's "fame", nkotb "hang tough", neneh cherry "buffalo stance"

okay and yeah there's all that "walking on sunshine" / "planet patrol" / "play at your own risk" and so on but like other people noted:

1) john robie
2) aldo marin
3) jonzun crew
4) newcleus
5) kraftwerk
6) latin rascals

and so on and so forth

Jazzy Jay interview:

http://www.jayquan.com/jazzy.htm

C: What was your creative input on “Planet Rock”?

“Planet Rock” was actually a routine we used to do with “Super Sperm,” “Trans-Europe express” by Kraftwerk and “Numbers” by Kraftwerk. We put the routine together and gave it to John Robie who did most of the programming and that later became “Planet Rock.”

J: What was Arthur Baker’s input?

Arthur Baker was like the conductor. He had less to do with our stuff than anybody but he took more of the credit and money. When you got a bunch of guys that’s not really involved with this business and you put them in a situation where they’re exposed to money, you think getting four thousand dollar checks is big money but you don’t realize he’s getting fifty, sixty, seventy thousand dollars

And considering the 1st two Run DMC albums were produced by larry larr, and only one Run DMC album was Rick Rubin (you can't front on Tougher than Leather, even if it's not a perfect album), Rubin can't be credited with Run's career totally.

that's pretty much the desert island disc, except it's missing "it's like that" and "down with the king".

also rick rubin produced BABY GOT BACK you fools!!!

CASE CLOSED, MOTHERFUCKERS

Rubin has never made any Miami Bass songs - only proto-bass ala Rock the Bells. Being the 1st release of Mix's on (Def) American, the story tells itself. Another label owner crediting himself to secure extra publishing.

Best Run DMC is easily the debut album. Shit not only changed my life, but, uh, all Hip-Hop. The non-Disco/non-Electro Hip-Hop sound begins with the Sucker MC's/It's Like That single.

Tuomas otm

Agreed except for the Deloused In The Comatorium diss. Although as much as I like that record it's hardly a make-or-break credential for either side to have.
Vahid certainly wins points for style though.