Robert John "Matt" Lang and his best albums as a producer

There's quite a lot of rock classical performersBut what makes them so? What is the secret of their success and "immortality"? Influence, legacy, a string of classic albums, finally! Some records are just "trending" for a certain period of time, while others stand the test of time and turn into something masterpiece, great, inspiring for many generations... But when we talk about these albums, we discuss how cool and virtuosic our favorite artists are, completely forgetting about the enormous contribution they also make. producers. Without their "keen sniff" for hit tunes, the fate of many classic records might have turned out differently ....

One such producer we'd like to talk about today is the Robert John "Matt" Lang. This is the man behind such masterpiece classic rock records as . "Hysteria," "Foreigner," and "Back In Black."! And before enjoying these albums, we suggest to get acquainted with Robert himself, the man who immortalized his name in the annals of rock even without being a rock star....

"Mr. Supersuccess."

During his years in the rock and music industry in general, this man has been dubbed the "Mr. Supersuccess."! Some also call him "the invisible genius", as if emphasizing the fact that Robert's name as a producer always remains in the shadows. But this is not very fair, and therefore - we offer to get to know him a little bit closer....

Robert John "Matt" Lang was born in 1948 in South Africa, the son of a South African and a German woman. His passion for music awoke in him early, and already at school he was known as a music lover and experimenter. According to Lang himself, he liked to compose melodies and rework existing ones - well-known hits. This brought him real pleasure, and could absorb him for hours, or even days! From childhood Robert also nurtured another great skill that would help him make his way in the music industry and gain useful contacts and collaborations in the future - and that is sociability. It was this character trait that allowed him to work with performers of many different styles in an equally relaxed and effective manner! Today, by the way, Lang is known for producing rockers Def Leppard and AC/DC, pop divas Britney Spears and Lady Gaga, as well as his wife Shania Twayne and Bryan Adams (and many others, of course).

As many musicians have noted, what has really always set Lang apart from most of his peers is his ability to find a new sound within a performer's chosen style, unconventional approach to seemingly elementary things, the ability to see something interesting where others would see only monotony and boredom... Thanks to his unusual thinking, Robert helped the same country artists to create hits that conquered the charts on both sides of the Atlantic! As many artists have confessed, Lang has always given them the impetus, inspiration, helped them to go beyond the boundaries, to move out of the box and create something new, unique and truly cool. He has helped artists find new waysnew formats, new sources of inspiration and new techniques. In short, he awakened them from the "tedious sleep of monotony"

Well, even if you've never met this person before, you've certainly heard his produced albums - because at least 3 of them are considered timeless classics. We propose to recall these cult records together and appreciate Lang's contribution on its own merit...

Def Leppard's "Hysteria" that swept across the globe

Perhaps in a career Def Leppard There is no album more talked about and still relevant among listeners than their iconic 1987 release «Hysteria»The record attracted attention with its bold futuristic sound, which contributed to the success of the singles. The record attracted attention with its bold futuristic sound, which contributed to the success of the singles. As a result, the album sold many millions of copies, and to this day it is still in various "most innovative/most listened to/most sold album" charts. And Def Leppard owes this success to Lang, or rather to his experimental production...

What's most notable is that Lang originally "washed his hands of it."it says. Under pressure and feeling he needed a break, Robert refused to produce the album, which was originally going to be called "Animal Instinct". But if you think that replacing a producer is a simple matter, you are sorely mistaken. "Leppards" changed several candidates, and none of them satisfied them: that boring look at the album, that raw sound, that emphasis on lyricism... In the end after a year Lang returned to the band and after a few more years the record was recorded and released. Its creation not only took a long time, but also turned out to be a mess. a lot of tragedies - Drummer Rick Allen lost an arm, vocalist Joe Elliott suffered a viral illness, and Lang himself was in a car accident!

"Brilliant Fourth."

I'm sure you've heard of the band foreigner - their first six albums reached multi-platinum status! Matt Lang produced them fourth record, which was remembered by the public for such hits as "Waiting for a Girl Like You" and "Juke Box Hero" (and a number of other compositions). To this day, they garner millions of listens, indicating that this music will live forever....

Produced in collaboration with band member and creator Mick Jones, this album brought the band to a new audience and cemented the title of "brilliant fourth".

AC/DC's "mournful" return.

Perhaps this album is so iconic that it needs no introduction: every music lover is perfectly familiar with this dark, but so snarling and top-notch with the return of AC/DC. It was a challenging period for the band: the record was the first without the original vocalist Bona ScottNevertheless, the band managed to cope with the pressure, pull themselves together and find a suitable new frontman who would become their new face. In terms of production, AC/DC had previously collaborated with Lang during the work on "Highway to Hell.".

However, it "Back In Black." Critics often call it one of the best rock albums of Lang's career!