anything about the Beatles ...

[Mocho]

@ burnsbhm & mocho

you guys must be audiophiles silly questions lang po ha mga kapatid..malaki po ba talaga pagkakaiba sa quality ng vinyl over tapes(chrome or metal) and cds?

how about the hisss thing that we usually hear from vinyl & even tapes? thanks

My friend way back then has a copy of the Star Club album which I also copied before and a cd copy(mp3 format) for the Tony Sheridan.. the latter is way far better in sound quality.
 

Nyaah, audiophile  . Regular listener lang ako, haha. Nacompare ko lang kasi yung mp3's ripped from vinyl copy of the Help album from the CD copy (correct me if I'm wrong), dun sa mp3-vinyl mas litaw yung pagka-stereo, sa mga cd music kasi ngayon halos pantay yung left-right channels (you can listen listen to whole song using only, let's say the right part of you earphone), dun kasi sa mp3-vinyl nung beatles talagang hiwalay yung vocals sa instruments via left & right channels which makes for a more 3D stereo sound. It also helps na maganda yung mp3 player ko (an old sony mp3 walkman), a good pair of earphone & a higher mp3 bitrate. As for the sound quality ng vinyl from cd (I'm not an audiophile), pero sabi nung mga experts mas warm daw yung sound ng vinyl from cd & sabi pa ng iba pag iko-convert mo into digital music yung vinyl mo, use FLAC format imbes na mp3 dahil hindi raw kayang icompress ng buong buo nung mp3 format yung music from vinyl, downside lang yung FLAC format can take up huge storage space (usually 40-50 mb per song).

Yung hissing (& popping sound) na naririnig mo sa vinyl ay yung needle na tumatama usually sa dust particles at mga gasgas mismo nung vinyl (natatanggal 'to pag kino-convert yung vinyl to digital), yung tape hiss naman ay yung magnetic head na nagri-read mismo sa surface ng tape.

[slowhandpal]

Abbey Road (AR) is my ultimate pop album. Wala ka nang hahanapin pa. Cover pa lang classic na. Of course some will dispute to this. But AR is not an ordinary pop album. I say better than Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, MJ's Thriller or Carole King's Tapestry. AR contributed to shape up pop music. It set the standards.  

Sgt Pepper's may have accomplished this. But to me, the album marked a time when there was only then a thin that separarted pop and rock music. This is why Pet Sounds would catch up as one best albums of the rock period.

Paul was applauded for this. Many thought that it was his whole idea that AR came about. Probably, because John was no longer interested in making albums but to put up with a hit song; hence, 'Come Together.' George just developed. It was an end and a beginning of something. Even as they were about to disband, Beatles managed to put up a happy album that defines a period in music after the Sgt Pepper's or the psychedelic era.

It was a nice farewell from the band who gave their nerves to make good music.

It simply showcased their enormous talent as a group & individually.

My favourite songs on this album

1. Here comes the sun- Written at Eric Claptons garden, after the tensions in Let it be George probably is seeing a new beginning. Nice melody, acoustic guitar works and Drum fill ins.

2. Octopuses garden- Originally written in the key of C which Ringo always do for convenience, George transposed it later to the key of E. Nice music & lyrics. Superb guitar solo, drums too.

3. Come together- Nice music & lyrics. Superb bass lines, guitar solo & drums.

4. Something- The most beautiful love song ever written for Frank Sinatra which he mistaken as Lennon Mc Cartney song. Nice work on bass, guitar solo & drums too. This song was inspired by James Taylor Something in the she moves.

5. Oh darling- Nice melody. Nice vocal rendition by Paul, bass, guitar riffs & drums are awesome.

6. Her majesty- This song is not actually intended for official release. Very short song but it has a complete version.

7. Because- great vocal blend, music & lyrics too. Inspired from a classical sonata. Great orchestration by George Martin

8. Sun king/ Mean Mr. Mustard/ Polythen Pam/ She came in though the bathroom window. guitar & drum works are very very good

9. Golden slumbers/ carry that weight/ The end. One of the songs by Paul I really love. Who can ignore the drum solo by Ringo & the guitar solos which Paul, George & John displayed here.

Had Her majesty been deleted, their farewell song would have been The end. Mere coincidence do you think or they did it deliberately?

[burnsbhm]

@ burnsbhm & mocho

you guys must be audiophiles silly questions lang po ha mga kapatid..malaki po ba talaga pagkakaiba sa quality ng vinyl over tapes(chrome or metal) and cds?

how about the hisss thing that we usually hear from vinyl & even tapes? thanks

My friend way back then has a copy of the Star Club album which I also copied before and a cd copy(mp3 format) for the Tony Sheridan.. the latter is way far better in sound quality.
 

There is a HUGE difference! Especially if you have a high end hi-fi system.
This is in relation strictly to Beatles recordings. Although cd quality have improved over the years (the way to remix reocrdings for cd release is very different from lp release), the precision of digital data is still obvious to people. One obvious characteristic of digital sound is how the bass travels from the speaker to your ears. The bass sounds so "in your face" while in analogue sources, the bass kinda creeps slowly before reaching your ears. I guess you can say that to digital sound overall.

You must remember, what you are hearing in cds, mp3s are COMPUTER DATA. It is a "reflection" or "image" of a real sound source. Therefore it still sounds artificial.

Have you ever noticed on the advent of digital photography and photoimaging that a person can look really really good in digitally enhanced photos? Removing scars, pimples and other imperfections. That is my analogy on digital sounds - it is too good to be true. When you compare it to vinyl, the source hiss, the sometimes wow and flutter actually adds to the overall enjoyment of the sound because you are hearing a pure signal not a digitally enhanced data.

Mp3s? They even sound thin compared to cd because it is compressed and has sound quality loss due to compression. Listen very very carefully, you will hear a lot of times a kind of flanging sounds here and there - that's the compression.

The loudness war in digital music did not help too. Almost all cds today that you can buy in record bars are very loud and too compressed one can feel fatigue after listening to one hour of straight music. That doesn't happen in vinyl.

[slowhandpal]

Across the universe..

On February 4, 2008 "Across The Universe" became the first track to be beamed directly into space. It was transmitted through NASA's antenna in the DSN's Madrid Deep Space Communication Complex, towards the North Star, Polaris, 431 light-years from Earth. The broadcasting of the Fab Four song was done to mark both NASA's 50th birthday and the 40th anniversary of "Across The Universe." Paul McCartney described the transmission as an "amazing feat" adding, "Well done, NASA. Send my love to the aliens!" (Thanks to our Beatles expert Pattie for assisting with these. Check out her website at luvmedeux.com.)

@ burnsbhm & mocho, thanks.   I'm having a hard time pronouncing your handle burns, truly...

[ninejuicyjulius]

@slowhandpal: Was John present in the guitar-licking (lol) in The End? All the while, I thought it was all Paul and George trading licks. Of course, Ringo was not so much of a guitar player. Or is it Mr. Slowhand again?

[burnsbhm]

@slowhandpal: Was John present in the guitar-licking (lol) in The End? All the while, I thought it was all Paul and George trading licks. Of course, Ringo was not so much of a guitar player. Or is it Mr. Slowhand again?

On The End, the three Beatles traded two bar licks each. If I am not mistaken, Paul comes first then John then George. The order of the solo is on the liner notes of my Anthology 3 LP. I'll get back to you once I read the liner notes again. Wala ako sa bahay e.

[burnsbhm]

@ burnsbhm & mocho, thanks.   I'm having a hard time pronouncing your handle burns, truly...

Call me Bryan, .

[ninejuicyjulius]

On The End, the three Beatles traded two bar licks each. If I am not mistaken, Paul comes first then John then George. The order of the solo is on the liner notes of my Anthology 3 LP. I'll get back to you once I read the liner notes again. Wala ako sa bahay e.

Ah oks. Nabasa ko somewhere out there, absent daw si John during the recording sessions for the 2nd Abbey medley (Golden Slumber, Carry That Weight, The End) kaya I assumed walang participation si John dito. Pero mukhang mali lang yata ako ng basa. lol

Thanks anyway, fellas.

[plasticsoul]

Had Her majesty been deleted, their farewell song would have been The end. Mere coincidence do you think or they did it deliberately?

As far as the book "The Love You Make" is concerned, "The End" is the last song. Of course this is not true. The writer was just trying to make  a statement:

"The Love you take is equal to the love you make...", which according to the writer were the last words of the last song of the last album by the Beatles.

[burnsbhm]

Ah oks. Nabasa ko somewhere out there, absent daw si John during the recording sessions for the 2nd Abbey medley (Golden Slumber, Carry That Weight, The End) kaya I assumed walang participation si John dito. Pero mukhang mali lang yata ako ng basa. lol

Thanks anyway, fellas.

Ok, I just got home and holding my Anthology3 triple LP. I will quote the liner notes to "The End":

"No other group has delivered such an apt farewell as the Beatles: except for the brief "Her Majesty" thrown into the Abbey Road master tape almost as an afterthought, the last song on the Beatles' last recorded album was titled "The End". Owing to the way the Beatles recorded it, only one of the seven basic track takes of this piece has vocals - the master, Take 7. The version presented here is a new remix, however, embracing numerous elements omitted during the mix sessions for Abbey Road. In particular, there is considerable more guitar, and a further appreciation of the "sparring" section can be gained - from 19 until 55 seconds in, Paul, George and John, in that order, take turns to play two bars of the guitar solo. The 30 piece orchestral overdub, taped at tremendous cost considering it lasts less than 20 seconds, also appears more prominently in this new mix."

And there you have it. From the liner notes done again by Mark Lewisohn. This is the official word on The End guitar solo.

[slowhandpal]

Ringo doesn't like drum solos. At first he doesn't want to perform one in The end song. But the three Beatles successfully persuaded him to do it since the song requires it. After recording the track they realized that it created few more bars to fill, not with lyrics this time but instrumental. John suggested what if they'll fill it with guitar solos from them. Paul volunteered to take the opening and John said he already have in mind the notes for the last two bars. George was left with no choice but to take the middle but he'll put guitar riff as the song ends. After rehearsing an hour or two, they nailed it. George Martin once commented that the Beatles were just so professional on this session.

By the way, the classic drum solo.. were played by Paul's great drummers on his tours.. The great Phil Collins & Mike Portnoy too but for me.. Nobody does it better that Ringo!

[slowhandpal]

Mojo Mag Oct. 2009

Does Mc Cartney remember recording the take it in turns guitar solos that arrive just before the end, split-in order between him, George and John? Yeah, absolutely. Studio two. Great fun. Competitive? Yeah but in a cool way. Mc Cartney says, "John's is sort of rough and ready, George is more lyrical, mine is in between."

[plasticsoul]

Re: The End

In his interview with the RStone Mag after the Beatles 'break up', John said that the order of guitar solo on the said song was Paul, George and him. He even complained that his could hardly be heard. If you are familiar with the Beatles sound, it is not so hard to identify who's who on that song. George's part was most prominent as evidenced by his (more) lyrical solo and sound. This is not to underestimate the other two guys, as they themselves were multi-musicians. Paul could have been a better lead guitarist had he been given the chance. Or, George and John could have been better bassist or a drummer. But, as John would put it, the deadlines made it hard for them to 'specialize'. Anyway, he was not interested in getting technical about his guitar playing. To him it's enough that he could play (even preferred himself than George). He would not improve, he admitted.

[ninejuicyjulius]

I was watching the Free As A Bird music video. Natuwa lang ako kasi ang daming allusions to their songs/albums na makikita sa video. Swabe pa 'yung mga transition. Digs ko ang editing. Iniisip ko lang 'yung point ng last scene na may tumutugtog na matanda sa stage. It could be When I'm Sixty Four. 

[burnsbhm]

Re: The End

In his interview with the RStone Mag after the Beatles 'break up', John said that the order of guitar solo on the said song was Paul, George and him. He even complained that his could hardly be heard. If you are familiar with the Beatles sound, it is not so hard to identify who's who on that song. George's part was most prominent as evidenced by his (more) lyrical solo and sound. This is not to underestimate the other two guys, as they themselves were multi-musicians. Paul could have been a better lead guitarist had he been given the chance. Or, George and John could have been better bassist or a drummer. But, as John would put it, the deadlines made it hard for them to 'specialize'. Anyway, he was not interested in getting technical about his guitar playing. To him it's enough that he could play (even preferred himself than George). He would not improve, he admitted.

Well if you play an Epiphone Casino on an overdriven Fender amp, you will definitely have that scooped mid, spongy tone that will be quite drowned a bit compared to George's Rosewood Telecaster that has that very punchy tone.

[brianwilson]

(Sorry, I'm not promoting piracy) but I have downloaded some Beatles albums that were directly ripped off from original vinyls, the guy was really nice enough to convert all his vinyls to mp3 and share it through torrent. Sound quality, amazing...

Kay Dr. Ebbetts ba yan? 

[audio deft]

Ringo doesn't like drum solos. At first he doesn't want to perform one in The end song. But the three Beatles successfully persuaded him to do it since the song requires it. After recording the track they realized that it created few more bars to fill, not with lyrics this time but instrumental. John suggested what if they'll fill it with guitar solos from them. Paul volunteered to take the opening and John said he already have in mind the notes for the last two bars. George was left with no choice but to take the middle but he'll put guitar riff as the song ends. After rehearsing an hour or two, they nailed it. George Martin once commented that the Beatles were just so professional on this session.

By the way, the classic drum solo.. were played by Paul's great drummers on his tours.. The great Phil Collins & Mike Portnoy too but for me.. Nobody does it better that Ringo!

speaking of ringo's drum playing, ang fave ko sa mga gawa nya yung pasok ng drums sa "hey jude". parang na elevate yung song to another level as soon as nag umpisa yung palo nya. or sometimes, i feel nagkaroon ng better color and texture yung song. of course, yung classic climax nung kanta is divine. but every now and then, i say to myself,  ringo's drum playing there really is just one of a kind. inspiring

[burnsbhm]

speaking of ringo's drum playing, ang fave ko sa mga gawa nya yung pasok ng drums sa "hey jude". parang na elevate yung song to another level as soon as nag umpisa yung palo nya. or sometimes, i feel nagkaroon ng better color and texture yung song. of course, yung classic climax nung kanta is divine. but every now and then, i say to myself,  ringo's drum playing there really is just one of a kind. inspiring

He never did the same thing twice! Listen to all the Beatles records and he never repeated any drum pattern, fills and small licks here and there. In fact there is only one drum solo in his entire Beatles career - NOT TWICE. His disadvantage (lack of amazing technique) becomes his advantage (ever notice he never did a drum roll?).

He was never a technician, he was not necessarily a groove meister either (a la Jeff Porcaro). But one thing that is very very admirable about Ringo is his drumming is ROCK STEADY! Very very solid and very very steady. Even magnificent technicians get inspiration from Ringo Starr, Ringo keeps them back to earth.

[slowhandpal]

He never did the same thing twice! Listen to all the Beatles records and he never repeated any drum pattern, fills and small licks here and there. In fact there is only one drum solo in his entire Beatles career - NOT TWICE. His disadvantage (lack of amazing technique) becomes his advantage (ever notice he never did a drum roll?).

He was never a technician, he was not necessarily a groove meister either (a la Jeff Porcaro). But one thing that is very very admirable about Ringo is his drumming is ROCK STEADY! Very very solid and very very steady. Even magnificent technicians get inspiration from Ringo Starr, Ringo keeps them back to earth.

Yes I observed his playing very carefully, Ringo doesn't repeat fill ins in every song. napansin ko agad yon sa If I feel pa lang, then onwards.

.. hi Bryan.. parang may drum solo sa Birthday aa 10 measures ata yon..

Ringo said in a magazine that his son Zakk is more technical than him, but it doesn't necessarily mean that Zakk is a better drummer than him (Ringo).

[burnsbhm]

Yes I observed his playing very carefully, Ringo doesn't repeat fill ins in every song. napansin ko agad yon sa If I feel pa lang, then onwards.

.. hi Bryan.. parang may drum solo sa Birthday aa 10 measures ata yon..

Ringo said in a magazine that his son Zakk is more technical than him, but it doesn't necessarily mean that Zakk is a better drummer than him (Ringo).

Shucks ! You got me there. Although it is not necessarily a drum solo in a strictest sense of the word. Kasi it sounds more like a transition to a next segment of the song.

Zakk to Ringo is like Jason to John Bonham. Jason and Zakk have more technique and skills. But no one can say that they are more influential than their daddies!

[slowhandpal]

I was watching the Free As A Bird music video. Natuwa lang ako kasi ang daming allusions to their songs/albums na makikita sa video. Swabe pa 'yung mga transition. Digs ko ang editing. Iniisip ko lang 'yung point ng last scene na may tumutugtog na matanda sa stage. It could be When I'm Sixty Four.  

Added lyrics to the song..

Whatever happened to the love that we once knew, could we really live without each other? when did we lose that touch that seem to mean so much..

Nagkahiyaan pa raw si Paul at George dito sa karagdagan lyrics.

By the way, John & Paul are the most successful song writers of all time but somehow I read that they do not write songs together?  They're not the Okay let's sit down and write a song type.. How they manage it?

[burnsbhm]

Added lyrics to the song..

Whatever happened to the love that we once knew, could we really live without each other? when did we lose that touch that seem to mean so much..

Nagkahiyaan pa raw si Paul at George dito sa karagdagan lyrics.

By the way, John & Paul are the most successful song writers of all time but somehow I read that they do not write songs together?  They're not the Okay let's sit down and write a song type.. How they manage it?

By contract! Then have an agreement of sorts when they signed to [sausage] James that all their compositions whether written together or separately will be credited to both.

Although a lot of times they ask help from each other to help out find a more suitable chord, lyric, riff or a bridge.

Sadly, [sausage] James duped them in 1969. But that's another story.

[audio deft]

guys, correct me if my observation is off, pansin ko kasi sa songwriting style ni john and paul, john has a more creative lyrics. magaling ang word playing. and sometimes nga medyo abstract both yung lyrics and music. si paul naman yung medyo romantic. a lot of emphasis sa melody. sa lyrics nya simple and medyo straight to the point. thus, it may be one of the reasons bakit mas maraming hits ang mc cartney penned songs........ i was looking at the tracks of the 1 album, and i noticed mas maraming number one si paul.

[slowhandpal]

guys, correct me if my observation is off, pansin ko kasi sa songwriting style ni john and paul, john has a more creative lyrics. magaling ang word playing. and sometimes nga medyo abstract both yung lyrics and music. si paul naman yung medyo romantic. a lot of emphasis sa melody. sa lyrics nya simple and medyo straight to the point. thus, it may be one of the reasons bakit mas maraming hits ang mc cartney penned songs........ i was looking at the tracks of the 1 album, and i noticed mas maraming number one si paul.

malalim sumulat si John para sa akin.. lalo na Imagine, Happy Christmas (War Is Over), Give peace a chance, Julia, across the Universe, All You Need Is Love, Because

By the way I watched the American Idol few nights ago, mas madami kinanta songs ni Paul. 1)The Long & winding Road 2)Let It Be 3)All My Loving 4)Can't Buy Me Love 5)Hey Jude 6)Eleanor Rigby kay John naman, 7)Come Together  Jealous Guy 9)Across The Universe

Ang pinakamagandang pagka cover Jealous Guy.. sumunod na yong ibang naka bold letters (for me only)

[ninejuicyjulius]

guys, correct me if my observation is off, pansin ko kasi sa songwriting style ni john and paul, john has a more creative lyrics. magaling ang word playing. and sometimes nga medyo abstract both yung lyrics and music. si paul naman yung medyo romantic. a lot of emphasis sa melody. sa lyrics nya simple and medyo straight to the point. thus, it may be one of the reasons bakit mas maraming hits ang mc cartney penned songs........ i was looking at the tracks of the 1 album, and i noticed mas maraming number one si paul.

Sa tingin ko naman, not necessarily "more creative" si John kaysa kay Paul. I think, mas eccentric lang. LOL

Actually, I see Paul as more fitting for the title "King of Pop." Characteristic kasi ng pop ang catchy, infectious melodies e. Parang kahit gaano ka-cheesy ang lyrics ni Paul, kapag nilagyan niya ng melodies niya, pakshet, ANG HUSAY. Case in point: SILLY LOVE SONGS. At ang basslines sa kantang ito, mismo!

If I am not mistaken, Lennon's Help was originally meant to be slow. His Revolution came out in the White Album as slow. But Paul insisted to apply a faster tempo for these songs. At swak nga talaga ang mabilis. For me, of course.

Still, I will always be a Lennon fan. And George next.