I met Brendan when I was 13 years old in 1974. He lived down the road from me. We went to the same high school. I loved music, and the awesome music of that time. The first time I went to his house, there were guitars, amps, drums, musical instruments everywhere. I was fascinated. He picked up a stratocaster and started playing Stairway to Heaven note for note. I was blown away. I was hooked. I've been playing guitar, bass and drums ever since. Now I'm 60. I've lost touch with him over the years. He used to borrow my bass to play with The Georgia Satellites on Monday nights at a club called Hedgens in Atlanta back in the early eighties. Those were good times.
I knew Brendan back then as well. Lived next door to Gary. He was cool but didn't spend his time just hanging out. He already knew what he wanted, and was playing lead guitar in clubs when just in high school. Had the opportunity to see his first studio. He had this pet duck that had the run of the place.
Brendan resides in this niche of the music industry that I find to be absolute perfection. He’s not well known by the general populace so he can have a normal life but his body of work is world class and extensive. That, to me, is the pinnacle. You don’t have to worry about your music’s “fad” dying, you don’t have to watch your mouth at all times and worry about goofy things like cancellation as much, you can go places and not be bothered…but at the end of the day, you’re still as high level as ANY of the faces on the cover of Rolling Stone and you’re not a paper pushing, suit wearing executive whom everyone hates. How does it get any better than that?
my favourite thing about Brendan's work is that it sounds like your stood in the room with the band... rage, incubus, soundgarden etc. he has steered all my influences in a creative direction one of a kind.
The thing I love about Brendan the most is he doesn't put his own stamp on bands he produces. He allows the artist to remain faithful to how they sounded before he got involved with them. He brings out the best in the musicians he works with, he's not trying to change or make them the flavor of the month such as Bob Rock has done in the past with other bands. No disrespect of Bob I just like brendan's approach because he keeps the integrity of the artist still intact. ✌
THAT is a very insightful comment Nathan! And its true. His mission was to get the best of the artist and he once told me that if he did his job he would leave no fingerprints.
Steve Rennie Thank you very much for the compliment. Coming from someone like yourself that really means a lot. I've always admired how great producers can just bring the best out in the artist and like you said not leave a fingerprint. When I look at Brendan's work and even guys such as Andy Johns or even one of my favorites Michael Barbario. Those guys somehow bring the best out in everybody they work with and like you said they leave no finger prints. Also the names of the producers I just mentioned have an affinity for having the bands play live together in one room. Plus they somehow keep the instrumentation sounding real and correct and by that I mean the guitars still sound like guitars and the drums still sound like drums. They don't sound like some compressed, sampled, pro tooled garbage like you here on current stuff of today. Cheers!🥂
Humble dude who doesn't care for the praise. He loves his job and that's it. He is an absolute pro in his technical skills and dealing with his clients. This is why he is highly sought after. Nothing beats talent coupled with absolute professionalism.
King's X Dogman is one of the most huge sound I ever listened on a record. It fits so well these incredible songs, that produced , to me, the best record of the 90's, and maybe of the last 30 years.
@Stef Vidal, That ones up there fat & big live sound. "Black the Sky" & "Flies and Blue Skies" great tunes! Tough call though? Black Crowes-Shake Your Money Maker,Red Hot Chili Peppers-Blood Sugar Sex Magik,Stone Temple Pilots-Core,Purple,,Pearl Jam-Vs.,Rage Against the Machine-Evil Empire,Korn-Issues, just to name a few to the mix of his catalog in the 90's.
Went to see the Wallflowers over 20 years ago. Some dude was just killing on lead guitar. I was like...who the hell is that guy?! It was Brendan O'Brien.
Haha, now that would make for a story of 'Twins Separated at Birth' who went on to dominate the world of rock music production!! Two of my absolute favorites you mentioned right there.
I've become a big fan of O'Brien's work over the last few years. His work on AC/DC's "Black Ice" and now "Rock Or Bust" is the best I have heard the band sound since the days of Mutt Lange.
+Jake Cravotta you're fuckin brain dead. of course somebody who likes that useless fuck mutt lange would think this guy's a good producer. how could you dis-like Flick Of The Switch? nevermind fuckin Ballbreaker, and I'm not even gonna go IN to Stiff Upper Lip, produced by The Great George Young. Black Ice and Rock Or Bust, they sound good, but are garbage compared to the 2 albums before them
+ImperialRadioYT - My oh my, I was only expressing my opinion (9 months ago at that). You don't know me in the least and you think I dislike the albums you mentioned? Wrong on all counts lad... and my brain, while it ages every day, yes, is far from dead. I love Stiff Upper Lip, and Ballbreaker has some amazing cuts and I would die for any AC/DC period of the garbage that rules the airwaves today. That includes Mutt's recent works with mainstream music. I can't list all my favorite AC/DC albums and songs cause it's just to much to type for someone who thinks I'm an Alzheimers candidate. But trust me, AC/DC has become a religion not a band for me. I simply appreciate what Brenden O'Brien did for the band these past two outings and obviously the boys in the band think so as they are loyal to the core to those who treat them right and understand their sound. Cheers!
Saw him in the 70s with Pranks at the Mad Hatter and Front Page in Underground Atl. He had to be 16 .Saw him later with The Samurai Catfish Band playing with a broken arm. Glad to see he's done OK for himself. Wonder how the rest of the band survived they were all outrageous.
Easily the most thorough, original and detail-oriented producer of the past 25 years. Just break down Chris Cornell's "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart" with the mandolin intro, perfectly mixed soft harp plucks and orchestral hits at :28 to :41, the reverse guitar, the hand claps. Want to learn to produce or just use Pro Tools? Just break down a Brendan O'Brien song and try to recreate it, you will then see the genius.
Beautifully worded and exactly correct. I could use the ability to switch off the "verbose" mode. It is made painfully clear w/ O'Brien and others, why I cringe and personally find bedroom/home studio "producers" who don't play an instrument: or it's all virtual instruments via keyboard controller: all of which has it's time and place...this is the class of producer/engineer I was trained to be. Still working, developing my abilities & wish I were recording anything I liked as aside from my own or my bandmate's songs.
King's X albums Dogman (1994) and Ear Candy (1996) Talk about taking a band which was already superb and elevating them to a whole new level, this is the dude
This guy is a waaaaaaayyyyyy better producer than Rick Rubin. Rubin's sound sounds a little to distorted for my liking but otherwise a great producer. I'd just rather go with O'Brien and be on the safe side!
Could not agree more. Metallica's Death Magnetic listen to on a good system or as you said a good set of Hi fi headphones sounds like crap. You can hear everything peeking out and everything is definitely running in the red. Sometimes that's a good thing, but not on that record and when is the last time Rick Rubin put out a good record that had some serious bottom end? Oh yeah that would be blood sugar sex magic by the chili peppers and guess who engineered it Brendan O'Brien. Go figure!
Rubin also seems to hate using effects. There are some terrible lead guitar parts on Chili Peppers albums (specifically Californication) that would have been fine if they just had some reverb or delay on them. They sound like dry DI parts.
The Prophets Of Rage album doesnt come close to his earlier work. A sign of the declining music industry maybe (as in not enough budget to make it as good as old RATM/STP whatever) Also ''mastered for itunes'' is a shame, I put the Evil Empire album on CD the other day, first time in years - feel the lows and airy high end!! Bulls On Parade sounds a lot better on CD for one thing! Rick Beato need to interview Brendan like his CLA interview :)
I met Brendan's father...I worked at R.Wood pottery in 2007-8-9? ... one afternoon while I was rolling out clay on the table a silver haired vacation dude came up to my table while his wife was shopping.... he asked me what my deal was...why was I working in a pottery studio..I told him I was a painter and a musician in local rock bands.. he told me that his son was a musician...and "kind of famous " for recording musicians...I asked him his son's name..BRENDAN O BRIAN!!!! IM THE ONLY PEARL JAM FAN IN THE ELEPHANT 6 COLLECTIVE #NMH,##NEUTRALMILKHOTEL, . BRENDAN O'BRIAN RECORDED NO CODE!!! His dad hung out and watched me make clay plates while his family shopped? Crazy world
Pearl Jam : Vs, RATM : Evil Empire, Train : Drops of Jupiter, Incubus : If Not Now, When?, The Killers : Battle Born, Bruce Springsteen : Devils & Dust, Papa Roach : Lovehatetragedy, Korn : Issues
what would the nineties sound like without this man? in a sense, he created them...for me: RHCP blood sugar, STP core and others, pearl jam vs., vitalogy, ratm evil empire, Korn issues, soundgarden superunknown...
He also produced The Fray's "Scars & Stories" which is one of the best albums I've ever heard and ever made too, I think. This guy is just genius at the business, and the albums he worked on are proof of that
Hey Brendan, It is Stan White, your neighbor in Tucker buddy! Been happily married for 35 yrs. and we have 2 successful kids in Atlanta. We live in Anderson. SC. Hit me up sometime. My wife, Cindy White, is on FB.
I met Brendan when I was 13 years old in 1974. He lived down the road from me. We went to the same high school. I loved music, and the awesome music of that time. The first time I went to his house, there were guitars, amps, drums, musical instruments everywhere. I was fascinated. He picked up a stratocaster and started playing Stairway to Heaven note for note. I was blown away. I was hooked. I've been playing guitar, bass and drums ever since. Now I'm 60. I've lost touch with him over the years. He used to borrow my bass to play with The Georgia Satellites on Monday nights at a club called Hedgens in Atlanta back in the early eighties. Those were good times.
I knew Brendan back then as well. Lived next door to Gary. He was cool but didn't spend his time just hanging out. He already knew what he wanted, and was playing lead guitar in clubs when just in high school. Had the opportunity to see his first studio. He had this pet duck that had the run of the place.
Brendan resides in this niche of the music industry that I find to be absolute perfection. He’s not well known by the general populace so he can have a normal life but his body of work is world class and extensive. That, to me, is the pinnacle. You don’t have to worry about your music’s “fad” dying, you don’t have to watch your mouth at all times and worry about goofy things like cancellation as much, you can go places and not be bothered…but at the end of the day, you’re still as high level as ANY of the faces on the cover of Rolling Stone and you’re not a paper pushing, suit wearing executive whom everyone hates. How does it get any better than that?
my favourite thing about Brendan's work is that it sounds like your stood in the room with the band... rage, incubus, soundgarden etc. he has steered all my influences in a creative direction one of a kind.
The unofficial 5th member of STP. Brilliant producer. Really grasps the art of making great records.
Absolutely
My favorite rock producer of all time.
Best drum sounds known to man.
Alan Parsons as well...
this guy played those timeless solos on Black Crowes' Hard to Handle. Those solos are top notch in every way.
I never heard that story, those solos are great!
Wiki says “Shake Your Money Maker”: Brendan O'Brien - engineer, mixing, “a potpourri of instruments". 🤔
The thing I love about Brendan the most is he doesn't put his own stamp on bands he produces. He allows the artist to remain faithful to how they sounded before he got involved with them. He brings out the best in the musicians he works with, he's not trying to change or make them the flavor of the month such as Bob Rock has done in the past with other bands. No disrespect of Bob I just like brendan's approach because he keeps the integrity of the artist still intact. ✌
THAT is a very insightful comment Nathan! And its true. His mission was to get the best of the artist and he once told me that if he did his job he would leave no fingerprints.
Steve Rennie Thank you very much for the compliment. Coming from someone like yourself that really means a lot. I've always admired how great producers can just bring the best out in the artist and like you said not leave a fingerprint. When I look at Brendan's work and even guys such as Andy Johns or even one of my favorites Michael Barbario. Those guys somehow bring the best out in everybody they work with and like you said they leave no finger prints. Also the names of the producers I just mentioned have an affinity for having the bands play live together in one room. Plus they somehow keep the instrumentation sounding real and correct and by that I mean the guitars still sound like guitars and the drums still sound like drums. They don't sound like some compressed, sampled, pro tooled garbage like you here on current stuff of today. Cheers!🥂
Humble dude who doesn't care for the praise. He loves his job and that's it. He is an absolute pro in his technical skills and dealing with his clients. This is why he is highly sought after. Nothing beats talent coupled with absolute professionalism.
I came after Rick Beaton 90s episode from his channel.
The albums this guy was responsible for producing are some of the best i've ever heard..
Early STP albums are a testament to that fact..
also pearl jam
superunkown
Incubus
Rage against the machine
And the list goes on 💪👍
finally decided to see what this guy looks and sounds like...loved his work for years and years.
Same
King's X Dogman is one of the most huge sound I ever listened on a record. It fits so well these incredible songs, that produced , to me, the best record of the 90's, and maybe of the last 30 years.
@Stef Vidal, That ones up there fat & big live sound. "Black the Sky" & "Flies and Blue Skies" great tunes! Tough call though? Black Crowes-Shake Your Money Maker,Red Hot Chili Peppers-Blood Sugar Sex Magik,Stone Temple Pilots-Core,Purple,,Pearl Jam-Vs.,Rage Against the Machine-Evil Empire,Korn-Issues, just to name a few to the mix of his catalog in the 90's.
@@216Numbskull PJ's Vs has to be added to that list. Sounds raw, tight and HUGE! It's the album that really turned me onto Brenadan
@@MoreMeRecording I agree, it's on my list. XD
Went to see the Wallflowers over 20 years ago. Some dude was just killing on lead guitar. I was like...who the hell is that guy?! It was Brendan O'Brien.
He plays exzellent guitar on dan baird stuff
is it just me? or does Brendan O'Brien and Butch Vig look a lot alike? O.o
Haha, now that would make for a story of 'Twins Separated at Birth' who went on to dominate the world of rock music production!! Two of my absolute favorites you mentioned right there.
If Butch Vig and Butch Walker had a baby
They’re the same guy. This version talks faster.
Bob Ezrin also did Destroyer from Kiss.
Rick Beato brings me here ahahha ;).
In my opinion, Brendan O'Brien is the fifth member of Stone Temple Pilots.
He’s a member of most bands he recorded
100%
They blew it by not using him on that self titled record. Love STP, but that was a huge misstep.
I've become a big fan of O'Brien's work over the last few years. His work on AC/DC's "Black Ice" and now "Rock Or Bust" is the best I have heard the band sound since the days of Mutt Lange.
+Jake Cravotta you're fuckin brain dead. of course somebody who likes that useless fuck mutt lange would think this guy's a good producer. how could you dis-like Flick Of The Switch? nevermind fuckin Ballbreaker, and I'm not even gonna go IN to Stiff Upper Lip, produced by The Great George Young. Black Ice and Rock Or Bust, they sound good, but are garbage compared to the 2 albums before them
+ImperialRadioYT - My oh my, I was only expressing my opinion (9 months ago at that). You don't know me in the least and you think I dislike the albums you mentioned? Wrong on all counts lad... and my brain, while it ages every day, yes, is far from dead. I love Stiff Upper Lip, and Ballbreaker has some amazing cuts and I would die for any AC/DC period of the garbage that rules the airwaves today. That includes Mutt's recent works with mainstream music. I can't list all my favorite AC/DC albums and songs cause it's just to much to type for someone who thinks I'm an Alzheimers candidate. But trust me, AC/DC has become a religion not a band for me. I simply appreciate what Brenden O'Brien did for the band these past two outings and obviously the boys in the band think so as they are loyal to the core to those who treat them right and understand their sound.
Cheers!
Saw him in the 70s with Pranks at the Mad Hatter and Front Page in Underground Atl. He had to be 16 .Saw him later with The Samurai Catfish Band playing with a broken arm. Glad to see he's done OK for himself. Wonder how the rest of the band survived they were all outrageous.
I saw you play in Pranks at Gold Key apartments when I was 16 in 1978. Loved it
IDk 🤷🏻 Rick ... Siamese Dream... I've never heard guitars 🎸 like that before man... Jimmy Chamberlain on the drums man
WOWWWWW changed my life!!
He has done fantastic work with ACDC
yep, they do... both great producers!
I heard that Brendan played the killer solo on Too Hard to Handle.
If so he has another great skill
Yep, I would love to watch the whole thing!
Easily the most thorough, original and detail-oriented producer of the past 25 years. Just break down Chris Cornell's "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart" with the mandolin intro, perfectly mixed soft harp plucks and orchestral hits at :28 to :41, the reverse guitar, the hand claps. Want to learn to produce or just use Pro Tools? Just break down a Brendan O'Brien song and try to recreate it, you will then see the genius.
Beautifully worded and exactly correct. I could use the ability to switch off the "verbose" mode. It is made painfully clear w/ O'Brien and others, why I cringe and personally find bedroom/home studio "producers" who don't play an instrument: or it's all virtual instruments via keyboard controller: all of which has it's time and place...this is the class of producer/engineer I was trained to be. Still working, developing my abilities & wish I were recording anything I liked as aside from my own or my bandmate's songs.
King's X albums Dogman (1994) and Ear Candy (1996)
Talk about taking a band which was already superb and elevating them to a whole new level, this is the dude
FeelingShred now Mastodon
only Dogman is Brendan's production, ear candy isn't.
I'd pay 1500 for 4 days of Brendan O'Brien lol!
Imagine
One of the BEST! Amazing producer!
Trivia: Brendan O'Brien was the first voice actor for Doctor Neo Cortex and for Doctor Nitrus Brio in Crash Bandicoot
Is this the same Brendan?
Yeah that's guy voiced in naughty dog
That's a different Brendan O'Brien
Thanks for this interview.
Butch Vig's little brother? Seriously though this guy knows what he's doing. See Mastodon's Crack the Skye for reference 👌
Or just the new Mastodon album for that matter.
This guy is a waaaaaaayyyyyy better producer than Rick Rubin. Rubin's sound sounds a little to distorted for my liking but otherwise a great producer. I'd just rather go with O'Brien and be on the safe side!
Loud is cool but can get annoying when listened closer, specially with hifi earphones
Could not agree more. Metallica's Death Magnetic listen to on a good system or as you said a good set of Hi fi headphones sounds like crap. You can hear everything peeking out and everything is definitely running in the red. Sometimes that's a good thing, but not on that record and when is the last time Rick Rubin put out a good record that had some serious bottom end? Oh yeah that would be blood sugar sex magic by the chili peppers and guess who engineered it Brendan O'Brien. Go figure!
Rubin is a joke now.
@@nathanwalsh3028 I think even BSSM is a pretty thin sounding record, tbh.
Rubin also seems to hate using effects. There are some terrible lead guitar parts on Chili Peppers albums (specifically Californication) that would have been fine if they just had some reverb or delay on them. They sound like dry DI parts.
Great interview with a living legend. Very humble, considering the amazing albums he's produced.
The Prophets Of Rage album doesnt come close to his earlier work. A sign of the declining music industry maybe (as in not enough budget to make it as good as old RATM/STP whatever) Also ''mastered for itunes'' is a shame, I put the Evil Empire album on CD the other day, first time in years - feel the lows and airy high end!! Bulls On Parade sounds a lot better on CD for one thing! Rick Beato need to interview Brendan like his CLA interview :)
great stuff!!
korn - issues, stp - purple/tiny music, ratm - evil empire are the best lp's ever. They sound so alive and intense!
Dmitry Solomon...add pearl jam-vs.,vitalogy; RHCP blood sugar.. how would '90 sounds without him? he is the ear of the age, he co-founded it..
Evil Empire.....insane drums and bass
Purple was great for it's time also! Drum sound was sicker than 'In Utero' - but ffs 'The Evil Empire' - That drum sound.... even to this day.
where can we see the uncut interview? i couldn't find it on your livestream page.
This guy made the pearl jam sound
What about his guitar work on Dan Bairds "Buffalo Nickle" album...Lil Bit for one
wooooooo espectacular ... hiiiii from ECUADOR.......... WONDERFULLLLLLL
I met Brendan's father...I worked at R.Wood pottery in 2007-8-9? ... one afternoon while I was rolling out clay on the table a silver haired vacation dude came up to my table while his wife was shopping.... he asked me what my deal was...why was I working in a pottery studio..I told him I was a painter and a musician in local rock bands.. he told me that his son was a musician...and "kind of famous " for recording musicians...I asked him his son's name..BRENDAN O BRIAN!!!! IM THE ONLY PEARL JAM FAN IN THE ELEPHANT 6 COLLECTIVE #NMH,##NEUTRALMILKHOTEL, . BRENDAN O'BRIAN RECORDED NO CODE!!! His dad hung out and watched me make clay plates while his family shopped? Crazy world
Great story, small world.
“I like to work” ++
stp core...enough said
timtim 1 Such an amazing album. We could be friends.
timtim 1 , agreed. Masterpiece
The DeLeo brothers are genius
Pearl Jam : Vs, RATM : Evil Empire, Train : Drops of Jupiter, Incubus : If Not Now, When?, The Killers : Battle Born, Bruce Springsteen : Devils & Dust, Papa Roach : Lovehatetragedy, Korn : Issues
N. Gin?
what would the nineties sound like without this man? in a sense, he created them...for me: RHCP blood sugar, STP core and others, pearl jam vs., vitalogy, ratm evil empire, Korn issues, soundgarden superunknown...
He also produced The Fray's "Scars & Stories" which is one of the best albums I've ever heard and ever made too, I think. This guy is just genius at the business, and the albums he worked on are proof of that
This dude was the catalyst for Soundgarden's Superunknown.
He came in to mix the record - Michael Beinhorn produced it. An incredible album either way
Yeah, Superunknown was superbly mixed, but Michael Beinhorn and Adam Kasper were the guys in the studio with the band.
Brendan should mix the sound of this video...it's terrible
I'll mention that to him next time I see him.
Hahahahaha
crash...?
RATM evil empire
the best record of the Universe all time. Unbelievable!
Andy Wallace on that also (track 1 & 2) but yes, Brendan is God. Kings X also!
@@moonkef I thought Andy Wallace mixed the whole record (except for "Year of tha Boomerang")
Favorite album of all time
I would like to hear Brendan explain why Bruce Springsteen’s “Magic” has such an awful mix? Was it screwed up in mastering?
Hey Brendan, It is Stan White, your neighbor in Tucker buddy! Been happily married for 35 yrs. and we have 2 successful kids in Atlanta. We live in Anderson. SC. Hit me up sometime. My wife, Cindy White, is on FB.
This Guy is responsible of the UNREPETEABLE SOUND OF THE 90s, Period.
That guy is Crash Bandicoot?
No. Same name, different person. This is the one who voiced Crash Bandicoot: ua-cam.com/video/zD3-SL8wATk/v-deo.html
The list of credits is a mile long
Crash! :D
I don't believe this is the same guy.
Can't keep my eyes off of that 335 with P-90s..
He looks like Butch Vig.
BREAKING NEWS! ... ACDC to record non ACDC written song "AUSSIE GIRLS " written by Australian songwriter Gary Shaw!
think i may have an ear an eye and mind that would be half ass not too sucky at doin a similar thang ;)
Failure again! Capture Him! Prepare the Female Bandicoot
i don't know if this brendan who was voiced actors in crash bandicoot characters or other brendan.