As Requested, The FLOOD-Produced Albums Poll

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Vote for your favorite Flood-produced or -engineered album. I'm not sure whether to ask you to vote based on "best/favorite album" or "best/favorite Flood production or engineering job," so I'll let you decide how to vote and then argue amongst yourselves in the comments section.

I mostly took the poll options from Wikipedia, which is by no means comprehensive but includes most of Flood's significant projects. Hopefully it's not missing anything big...

Over to you, ILM.

Poll Results

OptionVotes
Depeche Mode - Violator 11
PJ Harvey - To Bring You My Love 11
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral 9
The Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness 7
U2 - Achtung Baby 5
Pop Will Eat Itself - This Is the Day, This Is the Hour, This Is This 4
PJ Harvey - Is This Desire? 3
Curve - Doppelgänger 3
The Charlatans - Between 10th and 11th 3
Ministry - With Sympathy 3
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Your Funeral...My Trial 3
U2 - Zooropa 2
New Order - Movement 2
Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine 2
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - From Her to Eternity 2
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Good Son 2
Erasure - The Circus 1
U2 - The Joshua Tree 1
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - The Firstborn Is Dead 1
Placebo - Meds 0
The Smashing Pumpkins - Machina/The Machines of God 0
Erasure - Loveboat 0
JJ72 - I to Sky 0
The Duke Spirit - Cuts Across the Land 0
U2 - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb 0
The Killers - Sam's Town 0
Soulwax - Any Minute Now 0
a-ha - Analogue 0
The Smashing Pumpkins - Adore 0
The Silencers - A Blues for Buddha 0
Nitzer Ebb - Ebbhead 0
Erasure - Wonderland 0
Depeche Mode - Songs of Faith and Devotion 0
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Tender Prey 0
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Kicking Against the Pricks 0
The Sneaker Pimps - Becoming X 0
U2 - Pop 0
PJ Harvey - White Chalk0


stephen, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 17:00 (eighteen years ago)

omg this is impossible

HI DERE, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 17:01 (eighteen years ago)

For the record, I voted for best Flood production (as opposed to best overall album): To Bring You My Love.

stephen, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 17:03 (eighteen years ago)

a-ha - Analogue

never heard this but im obsessed w/ their first two recs - good y/n??

and what, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 17:05 (eighteen years ago)

I dunno, the first third of that list is more engineering works IIRC. I don't think ahe actually produced any Nick Cave album.

baaderonixx, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 17:07 (eighteen years ago)

Easy choice though, both for quality and for the production itself: Violator

baaderonixx, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 17:08 (eighteen years ago)

Same here, except that it's To Bring You My Love for me.

JN$OT, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 17:13 (eighteen years ago)

I dunno, the first third of that list is more engineering works IIRC. I don't think ahe actually produced any Nick Cave album.
-- baaderonixx, Tuesday, October 30, 2007 12:07 PM (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

"Vote for your favorite Flood-produced or -engineered album."

I don't think any of the Cave albums are going to be major contenders anyway in the poll; if anything, the Cave voters will split among the six albums up there as there's no consensus "best" early Cave album (to my knowledge).

stephen, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 17:15 (eighteen years ago)

Errr, I think 'Tender Prey' and maybe to a lesser extent 'Your Funeral...' are pretty widely considered his best.

Anyway, nice to see that Duke Spirits album in there. I was sad it didn't get more attention.

baaderonixx, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 17:27 (eighteen years ago)

"your funeral, my trial" or "the first born is dead" is my favourite album on the list but i'll vote for "to bring you my love" as the production blows me away.

stirmonster, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 17:38 (eighteen years ago)

Glad to see a couple of you agree re: To Bring You My Love. god the production is just stunning, from the first track immediately onward - the way that guitar comes in just blows my mind. and her voice resonates just so. great headphones record as luck would have it.

re: Cave, my favorites have always been Let Love In, The Boatman's Call, and the newest double-disc record. don't really care for the older material on the same level...

stephen, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 19:50 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sET1lhBMNiU

da croupier, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 19:56 (eighteen years ago)

I probably should have voted for To Bring You My Love but whatever

da croupier, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 19:59 (eighteen years ago)

I thought Movement was Martin Hannett- wasn't Flood just an engineer on those sessions?

Telephone thing, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:09 (eighteen years ago)

yes, which is why the poll says, at the very top:

"Vote for your favorite Flood-produced or -engineered album."

stephen, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:13 (eighteen years ago)

forgot to change the thread title i guess

stephen, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:13 (eighteen years ago)

What did he do on Downward Spiral? Engineer?

Jordan, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:18 (eighteen years ago)

er, he didn't produce The Joshua Tree.

Also voted for To Bring You My Love.

Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:38 (eighteen years ago)

This should be a poll for how many people actually read the poll question.

HI DERE, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:42 (eighteen years ago)

flood didn't produce the unforgettable fire, it was always burning since the world was turning.

da croupier, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:43 (eighteen years ago)

What about the records where Flood made the tea, or changed the light bulbs? Or phoned the producer or engineer who was nominally on the job?

I mean, this guy is CRUCIAL, right?

PhilK, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:49 (eighteen years ago)

You don't get to call yourself 'Flood' for over 20 years if you're not.

da croupier, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:51 (eighteen years ago)

D'oh. That'll learn me to skip straight to the poll options.

Telephone thing, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:52 (eighteen years ago)

This should be a poll for how many people actually read the poll question.
-- HI DERE, Tuesday, October 30, 2007 3:42 PM (9 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

actual lols ^^

stephen, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:54 (eighteen years ago)

Yes, I tried to get away with being called Flood, but I was soon rumbled......

xpost etc.

PhilK, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:57 (eighteen years ago)

What about the records where Flood made the tea, or changed the light bulbs? Or phoned the producer or engineer who was nominally on the job?

IIRC, his poor tea-pouring skills are the reason for his being nicknamed "Flood."

Paul in Santa Cruz, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 21:10 (eighteen years ago)

he drinks so much tea that he's constantly using the toilet. Hence, "Flood."

Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 21:11 (eighteen years ago)

Gotta be "Violator". But those first two Erasure albums are way better than the Canon claims.

Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 02:13 (eighteen years ago)

probable winner: JJ72

Simon H., Wednesday, 31 October 2007 02:19 (eighteen years ago)

I prefer the They Might Be Giants album Flood to any of these.

Guayaquil (eephus!), Wednesday, 31 October 2007 03:00 (eighteen years ago)

I kind of hate Flood but I adore the production on PJ Harvey's "Is this Desire?"

Turangalila, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 03:03 (eighteen years ago)

lol jj72

that could have been a great album.. if the songs were any cop

electricsound, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 03:03 (eighteen years ago)

curve or placebo. what was his involvement with "movement"??

electricsound, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 03:05 (eighteen years ago)

he did a not very good Frank and Walters album as well.

keythkeyth, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 03:08 (eighteen years ago)

I voted for Your Funeral...My Trial. It's the band's high-water mark and it is marked by a certain franticness that Flood managed to capture nicely.

kwhitehead, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 03:11 (eighteen years ago)

what was his involvement with "movement"??

Engineer. Two more of his earliest efforts aren't listed here -- Untitled and Torment and Toreros by Marc Almond, both excellent, over the top albums.

Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 03:13 (eighteen years ago)

So "Wonderland" was, in reality, his first production job then?

Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 08:59 (eighteen years ago)

I think I'm going to be contrary here, and say "The Good Son". Although the production on "To Bring You My Love" is incredible.

aldo, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 11:36 (eighteen years ago)

So "Wonderland" was, in reality, his first production job then?

No -- Torment was a full coproduction credit with Marc and the Mambas.

Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 12:50 (eighteen years ago)

There is also a Gary Numan album missing from this list (Hybrid).

Which I would have voted for in a heartbeat. So I'll vote for Violator instead I guess.

Trayce, Thursday, 1 November 2007 04:31 (eighteen years ago)

this thread belongs to meds

Charlie Howard, Thursday, 1 November 2007 05:28 (eighteen years ago)

off that list i go pretty hate machine, but it's kind of hard to call that a flood album. to bring you my love is probably the best representation of his thing.

tipsy mothra, Thursday, 1 November 2007 05:32 (eighteen years ago)

pretty hate machine has *awful* production, though..!

stephen, Thursday, 1 November 2007 15:23 (eighteen years ago)

I voted for The Charlatans (easily their best record)

Elvis Telecom, Thursday, 1 November 2007 15:54 (eighteen years ago)

Didn't he produce at least one of Cabaret Voltaire's Virgin albums?

Tom D., Thursday, 1 November 2007 15:55 (eighteen years ago)

I voted for Violator, as that seems to be the point where what Flood does really started to come through. The guy seems to work with groups to incorporate these really dirty sounds in the middle of very lush and expensively detailed mixes. Adding that kind of dirt to Depeche Mode's pristine synth pop sound and having it work so well was pretty amazing and quite different.

That dirty sound is a big part of the huge hits NIN and U2's made with Flood.

I agree that the PJ Harvey's To Bring You My Love showcase's Flood's audio tricks well, but Violator's sound was a bit more unexpected.

earlnash, Thursday, 1 November 2007 23:24 (eighteen years ago)

no love for Downward Spiral?

The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall, Friday, 2 November 2007 01:47 (eighteen years ago)

I likeit, but it doesnt feel like a Flood thing to me, you know?

The Curve album is the most Floodish to my mind. But I like Violator better by miles.

Trayce, Friday, 2 November 2007 01:59 (eighteen years ago)

"Violator" - no contest for me.

rockapads, Friday, 2 November 2007 18:17 (eighteen years ago)

xxpost fantastic record

stephen, Friday, 2 November 2007 18:20 (eighteen years ago)

downward spiral - no questions asked. for me the only competitor is violator. i do love that album, but...

rj

rj swansin, Friday, 2 November 2007 22:44 (eighteen years ago)

"I voted for The Charlatans (easily their best record)"

This is so untrue.

PhilK, Friday, 2 November 2007 22:55 (eighteen years ago)

Was going with To Bring you My Love, then saw it had lots of support, same with Violator, so I gave my one small vote to Your Funeral... My Trial, which is my favourite Cave album. This was an almost ridiculously impossible poll though.

Lostandfound, Friday, 2 November 2007 23:48 (eighteen years ago)

I'll burn in hell for voting Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie, but allow me to surf that lake of fire.

Love "pretty hate machine" but like it was said, he hardly brought anything to the table on that one - you can listen to Trent's 4-track demo tapes and pretty much hear everything on the album nearly realized, minus some lo-fi crunch.

DJ Logan5, Saturday, 3 November 2007 08:11 (eighteen years ago)

I like "Mellon Collie". And Flood did an excellent job on "Porcelina...." in particular. But "Violator" remains my pick, of course.

Geir Hongro, Saturday, 3 November 2007 16:12 (eighteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

ILX System, Sunday, 4 November 2007 00:01 (eighteen years ago)

Didn't he produce at least one of Cabaret Voltaire's Virgin albums?

yup. he co-produced "the crackdown" and "micro-phonies"

stirmonster, Sunday, 4 November 2007 07:02 (eighteen years ago)

this thread belongs to meds

-- Charlie Howard, Thursday, November 1, 2007 5:28 AM (3 days ago) Bookmark Link

it really does, though not to the record of that name.

That one guy that hit it and quit it, Sunday, 4 November 2007 11:36 (eighteen years ago)

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

ILX System, Monday, 5 November 2007 00:01 (eighteen years ago)

i notice charlie didn't actually vote for meds

electricsound, Monday, 5 November 2007 00:04 (eighteen years ago)

surprised there's so much ILM love for The Downward Spiral (though i think it's a great album, mind - it's just not something i'd expect to be an ILM favorite)

stephen, Monday, 5 November 2007 00:15 (eighteen years ago)

bugger. how did i miss this thread?

grimly fiendish, Monday, 5 November 2007 00:20 (eighteen years ago)

haha, no i didn't actually vote for meds. never got round to hearing it. though i recall i was in paris at the time of it's release and the french were getting pretty excited about it. strange that the band's stayed so popular in france (and nowhere else?)

interesting set of results, and a pretty good poll, mainly due to the diversity of the records listed

Charlie Howard, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 12:44 (eighteen years ago)

The top 3 is exactly right.

HI DERE, Tuesday, 13 November 2007 14:28 (eighteen years ago)

Didn't he produce the Balloon record? Came up random on my mp3 the other day, actually a lovely record.

zaxxon25, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 14:43 (eighteen years ago)

A tie??? BOOOOoooooo

The Cursed Return of the Dastardly Thermo Thinwall, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 20:26 (eighteen years ago)

Going into the studio with Flood next week: http://sigur-ros.co.uk/news/

StanM, Thursday, 15 November 2007 07:25 (eighteen years ago)

nine years pass...

My top ten.

the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 12 May 2017 01:36 (nine years ago)


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