Well, personally, I thought making things loud was fine and dandy. But then reality hit...very hard. I started getting complaints. Very bad for business. Short end of a long rant, I had to adjust.
People aren't cattle asking for more loudness. Especially A&R. If they get it and like it, great. But it isn't that simple.
From my experience, most DIY, local, indie stuff likes to be pounded. Most commercial stuff is way quieter. But after real world excercises, I learned that this dileneation is not sufficient.
Case 1: Loud cut CD playing over loud PA speakers in a club. Then followed by less processed/quieter CD playing over loud PA speakers in a club. This version of course gets the volume dial treatment to make it as loud as the first. Not surprisingly, this quieter version is not only fuller, more impact, and damn well sounds easier on the ears when loud than the loud cut CD. The loud cut CD sounds like a wash of sonic garbage at these insane PA volume levels!(What goes around comes around!)
Case 2: Consumers buying a loud cut CD are having trouble with it in some of their older but favorite CD players. Particularly discmans.
Case 3: Loud cut CD getting broadcasted. You can imagine the rest.
I have been whipped very hard for it. It is not to say ME's can get away with this without consequences. I was just lucky this didn't escalate for me. I am now confidently saying I'm more conservative. But IF and WHEN a client asks for the insane levels, I'll oblige.
I think I've embarressed myself enough.
Thanks,
-John