I really liked the productions that Jeff Lynne did with Roy Orbison.  I was in a very good Roy Orbison tribute band for a while and obviously spent time listening to lots of Roy Orbison songs.  I noticed how the production changed big time though when Jeff Lynne got involved.  Around 'You Got It' era etc..  Much bigger and better sound overall.  Big drum sound at last!

Neither Jeff Lynn nor Todd Rundgren could be considered "underrated" within the industry. But even though they are two of my all-time favorite producers I do not include them among the "greats", because they've spent a lifetime cultivating one particular style. Listen to a compilation of Tom Petty's greatest hits and you can easily discern which ones were produced by Jeff Lynn. George Martin, OTOH, was one of the greats because he produced such a broad spectrum of musical styles and ensembles with uniform skill and authenticity.
 
So who's under-rated? John Hammond comes to mind. Hammond was the polar opposite of a Jeff Lynn or a Todd Rundgren. Unlike them, he didn't record backing vocals during the night because he wasn't a singer. He just had a really good ear for quality, and a knack for finding raw talent that he knew could be polished in the studio.

I don't know how Phill Brown is rated, but his book 'Are We Still Rolling?' is a fascinating read.
 
Blurb about the book;
 
''From the author's first glimpse of a magical recording studio in the mid-1960s up through a busy career that continues to the present day, this rollicking story can only be told by those that were there. As the young tape operator on sessions for the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, and Joe Cocker at the famed Olympic Sound Studios in London, Phill learned the ropes from experienced engineers and producers such as Glyn Johns and Eddie Kramer. Phill soon worked his way up engineering sessions for Mott the Hoople, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, Bob Marley and many other lendary rockers. He eventually became a freelance engineer/producer and worked with Roxy Music, Go West, Talk Talk, and Robert Plant. But more than a recollection of participating in some of the most treasured music of the past 40 years, this is a man's journey through life as Phill struggles to balance his home and family with a job where drug abuse, chaos, rampant egos, greed, lies and the increasingly invasive record business take their toll. It's also a cautionary tale, where long workdays and what once seemed like harmless indulgences become health risks, yet eventually offer a time to reflect back on.''

great book!

-Great topic-. But count me as another who does not see how Jeff Lynne/Todd Rundgren could ever be considered under-rated, especially given Lynne's high profile with the Traveling Wilburys/ or any of the solo efforts he did for the members (i.e. Roy Orbison. Tom Petty, George Harrison)
 
That being said, he is not one of my favorites because despite his talent, I can tell it's a Jeff Lynne production in less then two bars into anything he does, starting with the Move. I think of a truly great producer as one who can get the most out of the artist's talent, the performance of a lifetime, as opposed to putting their stamp all over it. 
 
George Martin is the best example. The Beatles, Jeff Beck/Blow by Blow are all I needed to hear. His contributions are significant, but all you hear is the artist. He's hardly under-rated. 
 
John Hammond Sr. is anther great choice, but again hardly under-rated. I'm appreciating his "method" of being able to recognize talent and let it be, doing "little" more in most cases than provide insight/encouragement in a direction with a mind boggling track record (Bennie Goodman >> SRV). He did whiff a bit as a producer (imHo!!) on Aretha though as it took Jerry Wexler to put her in Muscle Shoals to realize her magic.
 
One of my all time favorites is Sam Phillips. He had a relentless drive to settle for nothing less than "different" as the "best" realization of the artists talent however crude and rudimentary it might be. His discoveries hardly need mentioning but I'm not sure he's as widely recognized as a producer. But still, not under-rated. 
 
Al Kooper is another interesting guy who's got his fingers all over some seminal moments in rock history. As a producer he can claim the first releases for Blood Sweat and Tears and Lynyrd Skynyrd. 
 
My candidate might be Pete Anderson and his work with Dwight Yoakum. Some of the best examples of perfect arrangements and sounds to enable an artist's full potential. I find there is a very noticeable difference since they parted ways. I've asked him twice now about his approach and it's that he "thinks like a musician first" and "works with great musicians". Oh, so that's all it takes?  .....
 
A related thread might be -the- single record which best captures the combination of an artist/producer. Something like Grace Jones/Trevor Horn. Or Nirvana/Butch Vig.  
 
Great topic though....

brian eno
pat fish
sonic boom
youth
jack white
dave fridman
 

I think it was Trevor Horn that made me realise that there even was a producer. A friend played me 'Adventures in Modern Recording' by The Buggles, (that would have been 1981)and I was blown away, especially by the track 'Vermilion Sands' . Up to that point I'd never heard anything sound as crisp, clean and deep as that. From then on I could pick out his work without being told he was the producer, starting with ABC's 'Lexicon of Love', which is still as good a pop record as you'll ever hear.

Whoever did the work on AU4's ...And Down Goes the Sky
 
It's a magical mix of dynamics and ambience with power when required. I can listen to it over and over...
 
If anyone is interested in hearing this, the album can be downloaded free from the band's site: http://www.au4.ca/
 
Dan

jamesg1213
I think it was Trevor Horn that made me realise that there even was a producer. A friend played me 'Adventures in Modern Recording' by The Buggles, (that would have been 1981)and I was blown away, especially by the track 'Vermilion Sands' . Up to that point I'd never heard anything sound as crisp, clean and deep as that. From then on I could pick out his work without being told he was the producer, starting with ABC's 'Lexicon of Love', which is still as good a pop record as you'll ever hear.

 
 
Trevor Horn.  
 

I've gotta say:  For me, the most underrated is the guy who mixed my last album, and is about to start on my new one.  Along with mixing, he's given some great tips for editing/arranging and taken my songs from around the 80% mark to better than I could have expected.
John Jamieson apprenticed under John Punter (another underrated producer, http://www.allmusic.com/a...mn0000235057/credits).  And given John P's resume, I'm not surprised that John J knows EXACTLY where I want to take a song.
 
I was having a beer the other day with a musician that's negotiating a major label contract at the moment.  We were talking about control of our music, and I said "If I'm paying for a recording, John's producing it.  Period."  And I meant it, there's nobody I'd rather have in the control room.
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