Who's been Morrissey's best producer?

[Maurice E Maher]

Bit of a subtle one, this. Try not to think of the quality of the songs themselves (the melodies and chords, the singing and the words) but just the production. The type and blend of instruments used, the overall sound – that kind of thing. You can vote for two.

PS Whoops - Ouija Board actually produced by Langer/Winstanley not Street (who wrote the music). Thanks to Jamie for pointing this out!
I think people forget how much of Bona Drag was neither written nor produced by Street...

 

[Jamie]

N.b., Street co-wrote "Ouija Board, Ouija Board," but it was the first Clanger/Winstanley production.

I can't come down on decision between Street, Ronson, and Lillywhite. You can't dispute the continuity from the Smiths days and the early-days burnish Street gave the material. Ronson was the perfect producer for the nascent Lads. And, despite the stick it often gets from some quarters, I find Lillywhite's production on Vauxhall to be the best overall listening experience of Morrissey's solo career. Southpaw, just a year or so later, provides a remarkable listening contrast from the same minder.

Tony Visconti knocks on the door, but the poor mixing and mastering of the album undid it. Chiccarelli's bells & whistles felt to me too often like lipstick on a pig. The material did not resonate with me to begin with.

 

[Anonymous]

Probably joe or Jerry. Refusal was Iffy but quarry was great. I really dislike vauxhalls sound and southpaw but find maladjusted to be excellent clear and crisp. Also c and a produced some great singles. It's kind of a difficult question also because of budgets and tech available

 

[mcrickson]

Joe & Street. I love the sound on "World Peace." It'd be cool to think what "Ringleader" could've sounded like with that sound.

 

[Anonymous]

Joe & Street. I love the sound on "World Peace." It'd be cool to think what "Ringleader" could've sounded like with that sound.

Have to agree about ringleader. If I could somehow give negative points to tony regarding ringleader I would

 

[joe frady]

Mr Street.
Without a doubt of a shadow.
Etch him a please please postcard pronto S-T-E-V-E-N

 

[Anonymous]

It's a really difficult one to judge, without having full access to all the stages the songs went through, from first versions that the band entered the studio with to the final product. However - just on the basis of the transformation of 'Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself', from the leaked early studio version as a basic 'rock' song, to the final lush production on 'Vauxhaul', I'd have to throw my hat in Lillywhite's corner.

 

[Anonymous]

It's a really difficult one to judge, without having full access to all the stages the songs went through, from first versions that the band entered the studio with to the final product. However - just on the basis of the transformation of 'Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself', from the leaked early studio version as a basic 'rock' song, to the final lush production on 'Vauxhaul', I'd have to throw my hat in Lillywhite's corner.

Vauxhal is a weird one to me. I like that songs sound, I don't know who's responsible for the composition change, as well as the more you ignore and speedway but songs liek Billy bud and hold on to your friends I find to sound odd and trebley. I'm not a techie so I'm groping for descriptive terms but they sound sorta cheaply digital sounding. Thin maybe and some not great sounding guitar effects. Also seemed to have less of a low end in the sound overall than arsenal. Southpaw was better in terms of sound productions but I can't separate my negative feelings to the songs to be fair to it