Butch Vig & Opinions on Foo Fighters and Paul Simon

Jim and Greg talk with Butch Vig about acting as producer, and therapist, to some of the biggest names in the business, including Nirvana, Sonic Youth and Smashing Pumpkins. Later they review the Vig-produced album by the Foo Fighters.

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Teens spend a lot of time sullenly listening to music in their rooms. Heck, we'd be worried if they didn't. But according to a recent study, there is such a thing as too much music. Jim and Greg speak to Dr. Brian Primack, an assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He found that teens who listened to music more than they read or watched TV, were at a higher risk of having major depressive disorder. Does this contradict all of the other scientific evidence that point to music's therapeutic properties? Not necessarily. Dr. Primack is quick to point out that music may not be the villain here - rather it may be something depressed people are drawn to for comfort. So continue to encourage little Johnny and Sally's listening...just pull out the headphones to check on them once in a while.

Butch Vig

vig

Next you'll hear Jim and Greg's 2008 conversation with producer  Butch Vig. He has worked on some of the most notable records of the past two decades including Siamese Dream by the Smashing Pumpkins, Dirty by Sonic Youth and Nevermind by Nirvana. In addition, he's a founding member and drummer for the band Garbage. His most recent production effort is the new album by the Foo Fighters, which Jim and Greg review later in the show. Butch talks to our hosts about some of his more memorable recording sessions. He quickly learned that a producer is as much a therapist as anything else. And he confirms the idea that geniuses are not always the easiest people. Luckily the end results make it all worth it.

Wasting Light Foo Fighters

Wasting Light (Bonus Tracks) - Single

Was Butch Vig's hard work worth it on the Foo Fighters new record Wasting Light? Yes and no, say Jim and Greg. The album is excellently produced, trimmed of all fat, and will sound great on the radio. But no amount of production can make Dave Grohl's lyrics any better. The songs on Wasting Light are formulaic and clich'e. Jim and Greg don't deny Grohl is a tremendous drummer, and they recommend his other post-Nirvana projects like Probat and Them Crooked Vultures. But when it comes to songwriting...it's a Trash It.

So Beautiful or So What Paul Simon

So Beautiful or So What (The Collectors Edition)

Greg puts it well: When you think Paul Simon, you don't think "charming." That's why his new album So Beautiful or So What is such a surprise. Perhaps he should have swapped titles with his last release. Both Greg and Jim point to Simon's humor. He is not breaking any musical ground, but he's in fine form vocally and he wrestles with big, existential questions in a wry, down to earth way. Consider these critics charmed. So Beautiful or So What gets a double Buy It.

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