| re: Watershed - Hitless Wonder | |
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Posted by: |
Jsteinfan 02:04 pm UTC 10/30/12 |
| In reply to: | re: Watershed - Hitless Wonder - Vin 02:30 am UTC 10/30/12 |
| I have a nice newspaper review of this book along with some of my thoughts, Pretty much agree with Scaramouche. Also to note, Steven Rinkoff is still a big watershed fan and has attended several of their shows. I really loved the writing style of Joe Oesteriech. I don't want to spoil the book, I think every steinfan should buy a copy and help support Watershed. I actually read the book twice! Kate is most def a Saint! > I had the chance to talk to Watershed after a gig in > Boston back in 95 or 96, and they totally indulged my Jim > centric questioning. They mentioned the band Silverchair, > specifically, as being the band that Epic opted to put all > of their marketing money into at the time, to the > detriment of Twister. > > I think it would have been a mistake for Jim to have > written a song for them, just because Jim's style is so > NOT who Watershed are as a band. Even if it were a hit > and sold records, it would have been misleading to the > consumer. > > Still pisses me off that the band didn't make it big. > Green Day and Hootie & the Blowfish broke at around the > same time, and I'd say Watershed is much better than > Hootie, and as good as Green Day. > > > > > Just finished reading Joe Oestriech's 'Hitless Wonder' > > (thanks to JSteinfan for the heads up). > > > > Great read! Joe's wife Kate seems to have the patience of > > a saint, and their gofer, roadie, driver, mechanic, > > manager, Mike 'Biggie' McDermott, is a real character. > > > > Now listening to the 'Twister' album with a whole new > > perspective, and 'Sad Drive' is still a great song. > > > > In regards the album... > > > > Watershed first came to the attention of Don Ketteler (via > > a CD promo mail out), who then got Jim involved. > > > > They ended up having four managers (Steinman, Ketteler, > > David Sonenberg & Danny Lawson), and along with their A&R > > at Epic records (Frankie La Rocka), all seemed to pull in > > different directions regarding the production. > > > > Jim wanted slick pop, much in the vein of Billy Squier's > > Signs of Life (which is Watershed's favourite Squier > > album), but Epic were pushing for a live raw punk sound. > > > > Jim was only in the studio about once a week. It shows, as > > nothing on the album really sounds like a Steinman > > production (to me). > > > > Strange, but Steve Rinkoff doesn't get mentioned once, > > even though he seems to have been the lead producer & > > engineer, whereas Danny Lawson gets mentioned at lot, but > > I've never heard of him before or since (regarding > > production). > > > > On the insistence of Danny Lawson, Jeff Bova was paid > > $5,000 to play a simple piano part (over and over again). > > The band didn't even like the part and left it buried in > > the mix (not sure what song). > > > > Possibly due to The Spin Doctors second album flopping, > > Epic seemed to tighten their purse strings and no funds > > were forthcoming for extensive promo or a video (for 'How > > Do You Feel'). > > > > Promo copies of 'How Do You Feel' were shipped to radio > > stations without any mention of Jim's involvement, which > > the band & Jim thought was a mistake. > > > > > > > > Bearing in mind the release was riding the coattails of > > Bat 2, I think Jim should have co-written the lead single > > with the band and/or (totally) produced it. If Epic had > > then made a big song & dance of this fact, I think the > > single/album may have stood a chance. > > > > > > | |
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