http://louderthanwar.com/blogs/martin-rushent-ripMartin Rushent RIP
By louderthanwar on Jun 05, 2011 in Blogs, Featured
For me the best producer of the punk period has died.
Rushent, born in 1948, produced the Stranglers first three albums – creating that classic sound that was clear, punchy, dark and sleazy and groundbreaking all at the same time. With The Stranglers third album, ‘Black And White’ Rushent with engineer Alan Winstanley created a soundscape that was post punk before the term was even thought of.
He had a trademark sound. Each instrument had its place. he could make the complex sound simple and harnessed The Stranglers weird imagination and pop nous into something totally original and very commercial making them the best selling band of their period with a bass sound that launched a generation of bass players.
He also produced Generation X, whose records sound far more clear cut and timeless that anyone dares to admit, perhaps sounding like the perfectly produced punk records – far better sounding than most of their hipper contemporaries. He made Gen X sound like a tough punk rock pop band with a razor sharp guitar sound that were also willing to experiment.
On top of this he also produced Buzzcocks – is this enough of a track record! Buzzcocks sound perfect to this day. He also worked with XTC and 999.
He started as an engineer in the early 1970s as an engineer working on records by T. Rex, David Essex, Fleetwood Mac, Yes and Shirley Bassey amongst others.
After he punk he produced the Human League’s multi million selling records, which when you listen to them now, have all the hallmarks of his sound that he perfected with the Stranglers; the seperation of the instruments, that chunky bass, the keyboards placed perfectly – the hallmarks of his genius sound.
