"Joe Chiccarelli - The Architect" - Gear Club interview / podcast (Morrissey mention)

An interesting interview with Joe about his time in the studio and various recording aspects of his work.
Morrissey mentioned re: building a song around his vocal (aprox 14:25 in to the podcast). Not finished listening to it fully to comment if there's more.

Full hour and a half podcast here:
https://www.gear-club.net/episodes/2019/2/1/49-joe-chiccarelli-the-architect

(Which is available as a download there too).

Regards,
FWD.

 

[celibate]

Strange comparison. Not unless Joe is writing songs with Morrissey too ?

Street could be an option as Lillywhite, both worked with Morrissey, or go further with Joe C. my strange part is that both guitarists , concerning making demoos, new songs, aren't creative that good, so new writing partner should be IMHO for Morrissey also inspiring,saying both guitarists have composed great songs, so not writing they're bad...

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

I've said it so much i'm bored with repeating myself but mozzas band is awful, a convoluted, clumsy, noisy mess, adding Joe's over elaborate production style to the mix, is like putting out fire with gasoline, it just makes a shit job 100x worse. Sometimes things just need to be kept simple!
I don't think i can bare another album like the last two. Surely morrissey knows they sound awful, i often wonder if he has that little internal voice saying ''this is shit'', either that or he's in denial.

Though subjective, partly nostalgic, for an older fan is bringing their personal experience in the form of memory that will of course color their
judgment in what they call bad or good in more recent music.

It’s a different world, and a younger listener may experience the last two albums differently and enjoy them as much as you enjoyed The Smiths or Viva Hate back in the day.
It’s perspective. Our (personal) world and where we are in life shapes our experience of the music, calling this good or this bad has more to do with the listener than the artist.





.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

I think he and reality parted company some time back.

Yeah, when he was 12 I think.

 

[Anonymous]

I've said it so much i'm bored with repeating myself but mozzas band is awful, a convoluted, clumsy, noisy mess, adding Joe's over elaborate production style to the mix, is like putting out fire with gasoline, it just makes a shit job 100x worse. Sometimes things just need to be kept simple!
I don't think i can bare another album like the last two. Surely morrissey knows they sound awful, i often wonder if he has that little internal voice saying ''this is shit'', either that or he's in denial.

The music for the last two albums has been very well received. It is the lyrics on LIHS that were questioned.

As a long term fan though, it seems like the latest albums (and musicians) are always slagged off far too much by some of the hardcore. Opinion then changes though as they become romanticized over time.

 

[marred]

Joe is largely responsible for two of the worst albums of Morrissey's career, World Peace and LIHS are unlistenable.

That's untrue. I've listened to them many times already. There could be something wrong with your sound system.

 

[ordinaryboy86]

That's untrue. I've listened to them many times already. There could be something wrong with your sound system.

I’d venture to say there’s something wrong with your ears.

 

[marred]

I’d venture to say there’s something wrong with your ears.

I think we all knew that was coming.

 

[gordyboy9]

Joe is largely responsible for two of the worst albums of Morrissey's career, World Peace and LIHS are unlistenable.

im not a man,forgive someone,staircase at the university,israel,home is a question mark,not the worst songs you could ever listen to.

 

[JoeSellMozza]

im not a man,forgive someone,staircase at the university,israel,home is a question mark,not the worst songs you could ever listen to.

Absolutely! And I find both albums clearly better than Kill Uncle, Southpay, Maladjusted und Ringleader, both production wise and for the melodies.

 

[ordinaryboy86]

im not a man,forgive someone,staircase at the university,israel,home is a question mark,not the worst songs you could ever listen to.

It depends what you’re comparing them too. In the grand scheme of Morrisseys entire catalogue, they are so plain & forgettable. Infact the entire two albums are duds, they should be consigned to the trash bin and permanently deleted.

 

[ordinaryboy86]

Absolutely! And I find both albums clearly better than Kill Uncle, Southpay, Maladjusted und Ringleader, both production wise and for the melodies.

At least those albums had character.

 

[Anonymous]

Absolutely! And I find both albums clearly better than Kill Uncle, Southpay, Maladjusted und Ringleader, both production wise and for the melodies.

I completely agree with you regarding Kill Uncle and Southpaw Grammar. If Morrissey were to have released either of those albums over the past few years they would have been slated until the end of time. Nostagia has improved their reputations in some people's eyes.

 

[Eldritch]

I think Chiccarelli is a vast improvement on Jerry Finn, whose work never suited Morrissey in my opinion. As for Visconti, I think Ringleader is my least fave Moz album this millennium, but that's probably more due to the material than him. After all, his work of Bowie's Blackstar was great and adventurous, whereas Ringleader was part of the chug rock trilogy with the Finn-produced albums.

 

[Mayfly]

I think Chiccarelli is a vast improvement on Jerry Finn, whose work never suited Morrissey in my opinion. As for Visconti, I think Ringleader is my least fave Moz album this millennium, but that's probably more due to the material than him. After all, his work of Bowie's Blackstar was great and adventurous, whereas Ringleader was part of the chug rock trilogy with the Finn-produced albums.

Yeah, I agree that Joe C's production was a welcome change after the chug rock trilogy. He certainly pulled Morrissey out of that dull phase, and gave him a more contemporary and varied sound. One can argue that the results are a mixed bag. Istanbul, Staircase, Wish You Lonely are definitely among my favorites of this millenium. But on other occasions, I feel that Joe is trying too hard to save a song by adding layers of instruments and technological blips (e.g. My Love..., Who Will Protect Us…). As someone said, there is only so much you can do with weak material (if you can't convince Morrissey to ditch it).

 

[Anonymous]

Joe has given us the most imaginative Morrissey sound since the Stephen street era. Just remember the mediocre crap that was 65% of morrisseys's songs in the 95-2010 era and be grateful that he's finally found someone to move him on from the dismal, meat-and-potatoes landfill indie that was becoming his signature sound.

 

[ordinaryboy86]

Joe has given us the most imaginative Morrissey sound since the Stephen street era. Just remember the mediocre crap that was 65% of morrisseys's songs in the 95-2010 era and be grateful that he's finally found someone to move him on from the dismal, meat-and-potatoes landfill indie that was becoming his signature sound.

Good joke

 

[Anonymous]

I've said it so much i'm bored with repeating myself but mozzas band is awful, a convoluted, clumsy, noisy mess, adding Joe's over elaborate production style to the mix, is like putting out fire with gasoline, it just makes a shit job 100x worse. Sometimes things just need to be kept simple!
I don't think i can bare another album like the last two. Surely morrissey knows they sound awful, i often wonder if he has that little internal voice saying ''this is shit'', either that or he's in denial.

Who else is he going to get to wear the matching outfits or no outfits at all for that matter? It's really hard to get good musicians who will bow to your every whim you know!

 

[Anonymous]

Joe has given us the most imaginative Morrissey sound since the Stephen street era. Just remember the mediocre crap that was 65% of morrisseys's songs in the 95-2010 era and be grateful that he's finally found someone to move him on from the dismal, meat-and-potatoes landfill indie that was becoming his signature sound.

I'll take the landfill indie over the fake Spanish flourishes and bombastic adult contemporary sounds of LIHS. Sounds like Pat Boone trying to be hip.

 

[vegan cro spirit 111]

doesn have any producers but himself. Why? because "New Voodoo Records and Tapes"
aka Mr Cometrys
basement, cant afford it. 0 green in the bank.


No + No = another self 'production.'

 

[Whodunnit@theWoolHall]

An interesting interview with Joe about his time in the studio and various recording aspects of his work.
Morrissey mentioned re: building a song around his vocal (aprox 14:25 in to the podcast). Not finished listening to it fully to comment if there's more.

Full hour and a half podcast here:
https://www.gear-club.net/episodes/2019/2/1/49-joe-chiccarelli-the-architect

(Which is available as a download there too).

Regards,
FWD.

Not a fan of JC. No dynamics in his mixing. No depth. Everything is up front and brick walled to death so there's no power in the mix either.

SS still did Morrissey's best solo work. Playboys is a world class mix where Morrisseys voice has its own space but isn't smacking you between the ears. The drums have heft and power, the bass is at the correct level and dynamics abound.