Michael Beinhorn built a career recording more alternative names, such as Soundgarden, Hole and Marilyn Manson
Michael Beinhorn became one of the great producers of so-called alternative rock in the 1980s and 1990s. The professional worked with the Red Hot Chili Peppers on their last two albums before breaking out with Blood Sugar Sex Magic — The Uplift Mofo Party Plan It is Mother’s Milk — in addition to the Soundgarden — on the multiplatinum album Superunknown —, Marilyn Manson, Hole, among several others.
Having followed the evolution of music over the decades, Beinhorn is a good name to hear in relation to the current moment. And the diagnosis made by the producer, specifically with regard to pop, is not good at all.
In an interview with the channel Rick Beato at the YouTube (via Ultimate Guitar), Michael opined that current pop music does not have the same effect as it did in the past. In his view, everything is geared towards generating a catchy hook, like a strong chorus — which takes away from the natural artistic proposal of a song.
Initially, Beinhorn pointed out that the so-called “music industry” doesn’t even have music as its main product. What would this product be, then? He answers:
“I don’t know if I can name it. It sounds like music. It has all the superficial elements of music. People play notes, people sing notes, there are words accompanying the melodies, there are beats, rhythms… but it doesn’t have the same effect that music had in the past. It doesn’t have the same type of communicative element. It doesn’t resonate emotionally with people.”
In the professional’s opinion, music capable of resonating with a person presents a notable difference. It’s something that, in his words, “you can feel in your body and it becomes so sticky to the point that you can’t get rid of it, staying there for years and years, probably for the rest of your life.” This is, according to him, different from a song that has “great melodies to the point where you can’t stop listening, but which doesn’t have a central communicative element”.
What pop artists lack
The argument then reaches its main point: for Michael Beinhorn, today’s artists are no longer interpreters of their own songs. It’s not unheard of, but for him, it’s become even more blatant at the current time.
“There are singers like Frank Sinatra, who did not create their own music, but were performers. Artists are not really performers now. It’s not that they don’t write their own songs: they don’t perform anything. They basically go and sing the song, follow the melody just right and go. And that’s it. It doesn’t give you, as a listener, much room to be able to empathize, to connect emotionally with what’s being sung. You hear the person’s voice, there’s a sound you like, sonically and that’s all.”
Michael Beinhorn and the lack of tension
When directing your reflection to the area you work in, Michael Beinhorn pointed out the importance of a music producer in this process. For him, a professional in the field must give their own artistic touch to the general sound of a song or an album — not just record correctly, following the melody and trying to find a catchy chorus every time, as if it were something mathematical.
“Today’s songs are completely melodic hook-oriented. There’s always one, all the time. There’s no tension or release happening.”
For example, Beinhorn He mentioned what is perhaps the most famous song he produced: “Black Hole Sun”of Soundgarden. It may be difficult to classify it as a pop song, but it is a fact that it became a hit and entered the popular imagination. And whether at the time or today, it is a composition that does not follow “easy” pop standards.
“’Black Hole Sun‘ is one of my favorite examples of a song where you feel a lot of tension and maybe a little release. In most of the song, you’re waiting for that release. And the genius of Chris Cornell, as a songwriter, is his ability to carry you along — because you’re waiting for a catharsis that eventually comes, but it comes when he decides it will come. And along the way, you get little details here and there, like the battery Matt Cameron. It’s something so tasty and immaculate, but with a lot of tension. And there’s nothing like that in current pop music.”
Source: Rollingstone
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
