A production being too good.
That was EXACTLY my first thought when I put "Mer De Noms" by A Perfect Circle in my stereo.

Anyone else think that the new Lamb of God album sounded absolutely horrible with the shiny production? There's a good example of it. Heavy as heck album with pop production didnt work.

Totally disgree with you. I love everything about that cd and think it sounds wonderful. Opinions, opinions.

I dont think something can be overproduced, but produced incorrectly. Like the new BLS cd is way too produced. It lacks the emotion coming from the instruments. Devin's stuff is very produced, but done correctly. their are certain effects or whatever (dont know how to produce) that can be overused and make the whole thing sound bad.

I agree with the gist of this thread, but I'd like to add that if an album seems overproduced or otherwise has a sound that doesn't precisely suit the songs, then that certainly does not mean the production is "too good"; rather, it's not good enough.

I think it's important to distinguish between "too good" and "too complex". Apply 400 tracks of Alien multilayeral mindfucking to, say, a White Stripes song (as someone mentioned) and it just doesn't work. Equally, a 4-track acoustic recording of "Skeksis" wouldn't have been the way to go. It's both a case of knowing how far to take something, and also when to stop. Especially now technology is at a point where, during the whole music creation process, you're unlikely to hit any limitations other than your own--how good you are at what you do, and how much time you're willing or able to spend doing it.

What the heck is "good production"?

What the heck is "good production"?

being able to understand the aspects of the song

Anyone else think that the new Lamb of God album sounded absolutely horrible with the shiny production? There's a good example of it. Heavy as heck album with pop production didnt work.

Totally disgree with you. I love everything about that cd and think it sounds wonderful. Opinions, opinions.

I concur. "Ashes of the wake" is awesome album with adequate production. Actually I like it's sound better than "As the palaces burn". This is very tightly, precise played music - so it needs clarity in production.

I hate hearing term "pop production" used as insult for well produced metal records. Good, crisp production shouldn't be associated only with pop.

^^ that's my opinion, because I hate buzzing guitars ("welder custom" model), lack of bass and rattling drums.

I personally think nothing about Lamb of God was ever good...

I think overproduced = too clean, what would happen if Neurosis used the super clean production of a prog metal band like Dream Theater? It would sound terrible - a lot of bands just need to raw sound to convey emotion, while others (mostly in the progressive/tech realm) need it to be super clean so you can hear every note clearly. Personally my favourite production has been on Indukti's SUSAR and Trephine's Trephine just because on those albums it is clear but energetic and fits the bands's perfectly.

Personally my favourite production has been on Indukti's SUSAR

You know Indukti, that's cool . They're completely and utterly awesome, hope they will be as widely recognized as Riverside soon.

Personally my favourite production has been on Indukti's SUSAR

You know Indukti, that's cool . They're completely and utterly awesome, hope they will be as widely recognized as Riverside soon.

I love them ever so much. I hate bands that can write great 10 minute songs because they pass just as fast as any other bands 4 minute songs

Yes, lots of bands overproduce their music. Sometimes it sounds very processed and un-authentic on CD, and sometimes it just sets the fans up for a major dissappointment at live shows.

Especially in the metal industry I think something can be over produced, i'm not one of these die hard freaks that think its not good if it doesn't sound like its recorded in a garage with a motorway next to it, but some stuff can sound too polished.

Depends on the music though, dragonforce wouldn't be the same if it sounded rough. But as people said on this forum, if City was remastered it wouldn't be the same, the wall of noise in some songs make them what they are, OMFG is amazing but at points it's nigh on impossible to discern the instruments from each other.

If you want the definition of the term 'Over Produced' look no further than Bob Rock. Motley Crue's 'Dr. Feelgood' and Metallica's Black Album are prime examples. It's like Bob sits down and makes a band sound so sterile and lifeless. I read in the Motley Crue book "The Dirt" that he would make the musicians do 80 or 90 takes on one vocal part or one guitar lick. There is something to be said for letting a band's natural raw sound and ability shine through but if you force it then it sounds like processed product.

The Lamb of God analogy is a good one as the production was the first thing I noticed about that album. Everything was enviously perfect, and to a point sterile. Everyone in this thread has made good points, but the best one has to do with "does the production suit the music". Just as in art, the delivery is as important as the substance. Imagine how ruined picasso's art would be if he used CG to make it, or imagine Star Wars's special effects being done by the animators at walt disney ala 1940's. Point Made.
As for having the wrong production, I hardly think it's a band's decision the great amount of the time, more often the record label's misguided choice. Or it could be the skill and versitility of the engineer. When it is the "artist" or band making an innappropriate choice in production styles it's usually because of immaturity, and having no "vision" of how they want their music to sound.

Terria wouldn't be Terria without it's sparkling production, and Emperor's Anthems wouldn't be the classic it is without the murky production it had. But country will always be annoying with good or bad production... ugh....
lmao

Can a car be too fast?

When fundementals like brakes and suspension are up the chuff.

"The Devin is in the detail"

did you see what I did there?

Such thing as 'too good' doesn't exist. Can production be too clean? Hell yes. Don't kill me for being such an ass.