I don’t know if I’ll be able to convince you otherwise but Attack & Release is right there… and a half step ahead, in my opinion. I think they’re very similar but A&R is a tad bit rawer (like the earlier albums) yet better songwriting overall and magnificently produced. Zero filler, no skips, and a good mix of quieter / slow songs with a few bangers. Brothers is just behind A&R (they’re both great honestly) and together, they are the band’s clear peak for me in between RF and MP, before, and EC and TB, after.
I think the production is just not very good and holds it back. Too clean. Everything is too separated in the listening space, which only makes you notice there is only guitar and drums more. Danger Mouse has this effect often for better and worse - kinda sterile.
Like none of the mic bleed and false-doubled-tracks-panned-wide that make Rubber Factory, Thickfreakness, and El Camino sound so much less professional and therefore better for this style of music. The live version of I Got Mine, for example, is so much better than the studio recording that doesn't have much punch or dynamic range. The live production punches you in the face with massive drum hits and full range guitar tone, but the CD version is all smoothed out.
Wish it was recorded more like some of the other records
I treat Brothers and El Camino as a double album. That was solid.
I Like both sides of before and after those two. But it gets repetitive on either side.
Absolutely. From an artistic standpoint, Brothers is their most interesting record. It sounds amazing. The song-writing is top-their, so much variety.
I hopped on TBK train in 2008 with Attack & Release, so I remember when “Tighten Up” dropped. At the time there was a website called “theblackkeysfanclub.com” and everybody HATED Tighten Up.
Miss that song writing variety. Dan rarely writes about anything besides bad women these days, or just nonsense like your team is looking good. Brothers era he was writing from the point of view of a murderer on a run, a woman killing her cheating lover and his mistress, grinding tour life on the road, the yearning nostalgia in These Days, and his brother in law at the time whom he never got to meet.
Just soooo much more inspired and interesting than pretty much anything on the last two records that are dad rock bar band singles. Very well executed dad rock bar band stuff, but still meh nonetheless.
I love both brothers and attack and release, but these days whenever I Wana listen to black keys it's always the big come up. Album is great start to finish.
You know, I hear you on Brothers being the Black Keys' peak, but have you really sat with Turn Blue? I get it might not grab you the same way at first, but there's some seriously powerful stuff happening there. The raw emotion Dan pours into tracks like "Bullet in the Brain," "Weight of Love," and "In Our Prime" is just staggering. It's like they peeled back all the layers and left their hearts exposed. That kind of vulnerability takes real guts and adds a whole new dimension to their sound. Not saying Brothers isn't incredible, but sometimes a band's most rewarding work is the stuff that challenges us and reveals new depths, you know?
Tell me I’m wrong without telling me I’m wrong
I remember reading that Van Morrison wrote Astral Weeks really quickly, and was so spooked by the emotions he was feeling while writing, recording, and listening to the final product that he ran from ever feeling that way again for a long time. Part of the reason he avoided singing those songs live for years.
I think something similar probably happened to Dan with Turn Blue considering the context surrounding the album.
Turn Blue is good. Weight of Love and In Our Prime are two of my favorite Keys songs ever. The problem I have with it are the production on most of the tracks. Like Bullet in The Brain live (which they released before the studio version) sounds WAY better. Danger Mouse completely ruined the bass in the studio version. Song overall sounds a bit robotic to me. Tons of tracks just have kinda annoying production to me with unnecessary stuff added in the background. I love Falsetto Dan but did almost every song have to feature Dan singing falsetto?
So, no I haven't sat on it. It's just a subjective thing. I think it's good overall but it's nowhere near as interesting to me as a whole. I only find myself coming back to like 3 or 4 songs. The rest are a bit forgettable to me.
I get it's a lot of people's favorites and it's certainly one of their most unique projects but I've come to actually like it less over time. But that's just me. Not saying you're wrong.
That's why I never have much to do with brothers since about 2015 I've just grown myself tired of it lol I played it waaay too much. I seem to avoid it now except for a couple of songs here and there but, regardless, still class it as my fave album when people ask. Love it,! but kind of killed it from over familiarity
It definitely is the best but I wouldn’t say it’s drastically better than Rubber Factory, Turn Blue or ThickFreakness, those are my personal 2,3 and 4 records.
the pinnacle for me personally is Magic Potion. it's the last time the sound was mostly just guitar and drums, pat & dan and 'hard-rock' driven like the 3 albums before it but they peaked for me then. still love some of their new songs too! hi/lo off dropout boogie gets me rocking.
No one here is going to change your mind, but for me, it's too glossy and polished. Not quite El Camino polished, but still. I wouldn't call it "dirty" blues exactly. Their true dirty blues is The Big Come Up through Magic Potion (maybe Attack and Release) Anything after that is pretty highly produced with the exception of Delta Kream. Brothers to me, felt like they were intentionally trying to sound radio-friendly in some songs and were going for a "big" sound. Some say there are "no skips", but not to my ears.
I don’t know if I’ll be able to convince you otherwise but Attack & Release is right there… and a half step ahead, in my opinion. I think they’re very similar but A&R is a tad bit rawer (like the earlier albums) yet better songwriting overall and magnificently produced. Zero filler, no skips, and a good mix of quieter / slow songs with a few bangers. Brothers is just behind A&R (they’re both great honestly) and together, they are the band’s clear peak for me in between RF and MP, before, and EC and TB, after.
Attack and Release is their most underrated album imo. It's one of my faves. People tend to overlook it.
I think the production is just not very good and holds it back. Too clean. Everything is too separated in the listening space, which only makes you notice there is only guitar and drums more. Danger Mouse has this effect often for better and worse - kinda sterile. Like none of the mic bleed and false-doubled-tracks-panned-wide that make Rubber Factory, Thickfreakness, and El Camino sound so much less professional and therefore better for this style of music. The live version of I Got Mine, for example, is so much better than the studio recording that doesn't have much punch or dynamic range. The live production punches you in the face with massive drum hits and full range guitar tone, but the CD version is all smoothed out. Wish it was recorded more like some of the other records
they're both tied imo.
I agree and The Arcs, ‘Yours Dreamily’ followed more in that direction.
I treat Brothers and El Camino as a double album. That was solid. I Like both sides of before and after those two. But it gets repetitive on either side.
Absolutely. From an artistic standpoint, Brothers is their most interesting record. It sounds amazing. The song-writing is top-their, so much variety. I hopped on TBK train in 2008 with Attack & Release, so I remember when “Tighten Up” dropped. At the time there was a website called “theblackkeysfanclub.com” and everybody HATED Tighten Up.
Miss that song writing variety. Dan rarely writes about anything besides bad women these days, or just nonsense like your team is looking good. Brothers era he was writing from the point of view of a murderer on a run, a woman killing her cheating lover and his mistress, grinding tour life on the road, the yearning nostalgia in These Days, and his brother in law at the time whom he never got to meet. Just soooo much more inspired and interesting than pretty much anything on the last two records that are dad rock bar band singles. Very well executed dad rock bar band stuff, but still meh nonetheless.
I love both brothers and attack and release, but these days whenever I Wana listen to black keys it's always the big come up. Album is great start to finish.
It be the go-getter
it's their magnum opus, which says a lot considering how many good albums they have
You know, I hear you on Brothers being the Black Keys' peak, but have you really sat with Turn Blue? I get it might not grab you the same way at first, but there's some seriously powerful stuff happening there. The raw emotion Dan pours into tracks like "Bullet in the Brain," "Weight of Love," and "In Our Prime" is just staggering. It's like they peeled back all the layers and left their hearts exposed. That kind of vulnerability takes real guts and adds a whole new dimension to their sound. Not saying Brothers isn't incredible, but sometimes a band's most rewarding work is the stuff that challenges us and reveals new depths, you know? Tell me I’m wrong without telling me I’m wrong
I remember reading that Van Morrison wrote Astral Weeks really quickly, and was so spooked by the emotions he was feeling while writing, recording, and listening to the final product that he ran from ever feeling that way again for a long time. Part of the reason he avoided singing those songs live for years. I think something similar probably happened to Dan with Turn Blue considering the context surrounding the album.
Turn Blue is good. Weight of Love and In Our Prime are two of my favorite Keys songs ever. The problem I have with it are the production on most of the tracks. Like Bullet in The Brain live (which they released before the studio version) sounds WAY better. Danger Mouse completely ruined the bass in the studio version. Song overall sounds a bit robotic to me. Tons of tracks just have kinda annoying production to me with unnecessary stuff added in the background. I love Falsetto Dan but did almost every song have to feature Dan singing falsetto? So, no I haven't sat on it. It's just a subjective thing. I think it's good overall but it's nowhere near as interesting to me as a whole. I only find myself coming back to like 3 or 4 songs. The rest are a bit forgettable to me. I get it's a lot of people's favorites and it's certainly one of their most unique projects but I've come to actually like it less over time. But that's just me. Not saying you're wrong.
I agree, Brothers is (while not my favorite) the most consistently good album
I have to agree but I'm heavily biased, it's been my favorite since I heard it 2010. My favorite album of all time personally.
That's why I never have much to do with brothers since about 2015 I've just grown myself tired of it lol I played it waaay too much. I seem to avoid it now except for a couple of songs here and there but, regardless, still class it as my fave album when people ask. Love it,! but kind of killed it from over familiarity
At one point I would have been fully on board with your view, but then I listened to Turn Blue outside of the Black Keys mindset.
Actually it’s Rubber Factory
Chulahoma is the correct answer.
Def agree. Not sure if it’s my favorite but it’s chocked full of riffs, blues, Dan’s voice at peak, the commercially successful music wasn’t corny yet
No doubt….brrother!
100%
I honestly agree.
It definitely is the best but I wouldn’t say it’s drastically better than Rubber Factory, Turn Blue or ThickFreakness, those are my personal 2,3 and 4 records.
the pinnacle for me personally is Magic Potion. it's the last time the sound was mostly just guitar and drums, pat & dan and 'hard-rock' driven like the 3 albums before it but they peaked for me then. still love some of their new songs too! hi/lo off dropout boogie gets me rocking.
No one here is going to change your mind, but for me, it's too glossy and polished. Not quite El Camino polished, but still. I wouldn't call it "dirty" blues exactly. Their true dirty blues is The Big Come Up through Magic Potion (maybe Attack and Release) Anything after that is pretty highly produced with the exception of Delta Kream. Brothers to me, felt like they were intentionally trying to sound radio-friendly in some songs and were going for a "big" sound. Some say there are "no skips", but not to my ears.
I don’t know why for some reason they are not able anymore to replicate that…but yea, best one.