Okay, this might sound weird coming out of me, but I was visiting my mother not too long ago, and was messing around with her iPod, when I came across a song called "Van Lear Rose" by Loretta Lynn. I think I've listened to that song about 40 times since then, and the rest of the album (titled Van Lear Rose) was just as good. I never really liked her style of country before, but I love this album on a completely heart-felt basis. The album was produced by Jack White (who also contributed as a guitar player), and it shows. It goes back to the old days of a heavy country rhythm, with complicated, yet unobtrusive guitar parts. It doesn't hurt that this woman can give modern soul singers a run for their money in putting emotion and power in her vocals.

I think he did a lot of good. If it was any other country producer, it'd sound like your typical Toby Keith/LeAnn Rimes crap. Instead, he actually realized what made the woman famous, and worked with it. Granted, I realize that producers can make a lot of bad . I consider a good producer as someone who can make a good album that meshes the tracks into one coherent whole. I can't stand this crap from the past few years where you have two singles and ten other tracks that are unlistenable (This is what we call a Rick Rubin move).

Yeah, it's weird how most people don't notice producers unless they do a terrible job. Chances are that most bands' original versions of songs sound like crap (I'm saying most, not all), then a producer steps in and says "Hey maybe we should, you know, play in the same key. Just a thought." I honestly can't think of another reason that the Killers sound so good on their albums but sound like a train wreck live.