Great performance, lousy engineering

I like all the songs on the CD, but I can't listen to it on the good equipment I have. It sounds OK in the car and other "low resolution" listening environments, but with good equipment, it just sounds flat and lifeless.

There are also some technical problems with the disk. Two songs have obvious compressor pumping problems. The cymbals and drums "suck out" and get quieter when they are supposed to get louder. Overall, the songs/CD is compressed too much for real enjoyment. That's what's causing it to sound flat and lifeless.

I wrote Howard himself about the problems and he was kind enough to write back. This is what he wrote me:

"Dear Chris,

Thanks for your your email.
Everything you hear on a hojo record has and always will be exactly as I intended it to be.
If the cymbals are over compressed that's because I wanted it that way! this is not the result of incompetence!
Everyone has a different way of hearing things, which is great, but there is no "absolute right" in music, as I'm sure you know.
It is great that you care enough to let me know your concern, but please be assured that the records sound like they should, and I will continue to try to get new and interesting sounds on my records, and be vigilant about sonic integrity. Please feel free to comment at any time, we all make mistakes sometimes and they need pointing out.
Good Luck with your mastering facility you obviously have the "ears' for it.
Thanks
Howard Jones"

I know there is no "absolute right" in music, but NO ONE should destroy good music with poor engineering. I want to hear music as it was played/perfomed, with whatever engineering "enhancements" needed to make it sound better. I don't appreciate it when a song or songs on a CD have been processed to the point of ruin to make them LOUD. I want to listen to music, not "audio goo".

Chris Hudec

Perhaps it was better live...

The liner notes state that this album was basically a recording of the band and arrangements created for a tour, with the disc being something of an afterthought. It sounds that way. The material is sparkling, as always, and a nice blend of 'greatest hits' and new material from one of the best pop songwriters around. Unfortunately the arrangements and production quality don't hold up to the source.



The band is very tight, but the arrangements sound like they were intended for a live concert crowd, with plenty of "extended breakdowns", solos, and groove sections. These sorts of things are great for pumping up an audience, but fall a little flat on a CD.



The production of the recording, whether Mr. Jones intended it as such or not, almost makes it unlistenable. Compression is applied as an effect where it seems out of place, and the whole album is bathed in "look what I can do!" style delays and reverbs, which cause some of the tracks to be extremely muddy. Vocals get buried under their own echoes, organs playing the backing chords drown out guitars playing the leads, and the late Kevin Wilkinson's final, strong drum tracks are either mashed into your ear or made to sound like they're coming from a cavern. The album has no 'overall sound' to it... each track displays moments of clarity followed by sonic atrocities.



There are a few gems on the disc, but for the most part it seems a little haphazard and homemade compared to the artist's prior catalog. A good buy for the diehards, but others might be better off waiting for the next tour.