When it comes to music, I am a liner note reader (which could be one of the many reasons I want the physical CD or other medium in my hand, rather than just downloading the songs).  I get an odd pleasure from seeing connections between one release and another.  Sometimes they are in completely different genres, or 30 years apart.  But you recognize a rhythm section, or the feel of a particular producer, or the lyrical style of a songwriter.  It can be obvious, or I can turn out to be completely wrong.  And sometimes obscure facts come to me years later.  Adrian Belew helped write “Oh Daddy” off of “Rumors”?  Who is that singing background vocals on this song?  Gary Wright contributed keyboards to George Harrison’s Cloud 9 album?

For whatever reason, I’ve been mentally building a great appreciation for the diverse production skills of two “studio genius” types in the last 12 months: Todd Rungdren and Jerry Harrison.  I’ll buy a CD, enjoy it, and realize the production is similar in some ways to something else…then lo and behold, discover that it was produced by a familiar name.

Jerry Harrison is of course best known for his work with The Talking Heads, and that was where he learned his production chops.  It’s impossible to determine, in a collective setting like that, how much influence one person has over the final product, and in this case you also have the strong personality of David Byrne to deal with.  But a quick look at some of the other work Harrison has done beyond the scope of The Talking Heads or his solo projects reveals just how terrific the results can be when he is teamed with a musical act he doesn’t butt heads with (always the danger of trying to act as producer).  In his position as producer, Harrison has helped a number of artists create their best work (and occasionally their only successful releases).  There are obscure acts like the one-shot “super-group” Neurotic Outsiders, or the one-hit wonders Crash Test Dummies (Harrison produced their only successful album God Shuffled His Feet).  You’ll find his name on work from No Doubt, the Pat McGee Band, the Violent Femmes, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd.  My favorite production projects by him have to be his albums with Live (notably Throwing Copper and The Distance to Here), The Raw and the Cooked by The Fine Young Cannibals, Villains by The Verve Pipe, and I’d Rather Eat Glass by Bijou Phillips (youngest daughter of Papa John Philips).  And I still consider Outside Looking In by The BoDeans to be their finest album, due in large part to the open, acoustic feel Harrison painted across the songs.

On the other hand, Todd Rungdren’s work should be much more familiar to you.  From his first production work – The Great Speckled Bird’s self-titled album, Rungdren has found himself at the helm of a number of albums which are considered either the best of an artist, or the most commercially successful (or both).  And his choice of projects is widely varied.  In terms of commercial success, there’s We’re an American Band and Shinin’ On by Grand Funk, two albums that stand the test of time and helped move the band forward from a three-piece to a full-sounding four piece (with the addition of the great Craig Frost on keyboards, who later created the magical piano work on most of Bob Seger’s best known songs).  Then there’s the original Bat Out of Hell by Meat Loaf.  For my generation, that’s an album hard to tire of.  Rungdren worked during the difficult late-Apple Records period with Badfinger, producing their third album and two songs off their fourth before giving up.  From the debut album by the New York Dolls to progressive Steve Hillage’s album “L” you can find his handiwork.  And let us not forget Skylarking by XTC and Forever Now by The Psychadelic Furs.  Not everything Rungdren touches turns to gold, but many are regarded as classics or the band’s personal favorites (Next Position Please by Cheap Trick and Remote Control by The Tubes are excellent examples).  Again, I’m leaving out all his solo work and Utopia albums, because they’re obvious.

So the next time you’re enjoying a CD, read through the liner notes, and make a note of the songwriters, musicians, and producers.  Maybe you’ll see some loose ends begin to tie together.  I’d love to hear comments from ES readers, either on these examples or on their own favorite industry names (musicians, producers, songwriters, etc.)