George Martin: The Fifth Beatle

Hi Michael, it’s understood that you don’t hate him.

I feel that many here treat him excessively harshly. I believe he is passionate and takes great care. His end result is highly successful with so many. The internet reviews, such as those on Amazon, make that clear. I find his remix of Sgt Pepper to be a fascinating alternative.

Give me Beatles in any which way and I’ll be happy. If I could push a magic button, I would want to see a greater dynamic range on the remix.

I don’t believe that the blame rests on Giles’ shoulders. His dad had control in the sixties. The politics of today severely limit Giles and I suspect that much of the dynamics squishing is not his choice.

He carries his father’s torch with love and care.

 

Hi John,
I guess what pissed me off most was his inane comment about wanting to emulate the stereo mix as mono...or whatever. I don't care for his work on Pepper at all. I still stick by my opinion that he will ruin the Beatles catalog if he continues...as years go by they will become the retail norm...and the original albums will be out of the retail market...period.

 

Basically confirmed what many of us already know - that it was John singing them. Giles had access to all of the isolated tracks and remixed Pepper.

 

No, the mistakes were all his.

I'm not a Giles apologist. I'm a Giles realist.

BTW, I think the re-use of ADITL from Love was on 1+, not Sgt. Pepper. Of course, other will quickly jump on this if he used that mix for both...

 

No, Yoko should be the "Wind Beatle".

 

By that logic I'm the 65.0243.122th Beatle. Being born in 1964 gave me an instant disadvantage but I made up for it with buying their LPs and posting about them in this forum.

 

You 'n me, both, brother...

 

Perfect position. Aren't there only seven levels?

 

Yep, see I make mistakes too!

 

Stop bitchin and go out and buy up whatever original Beatles mixes that you dont have now. I would bet that you have them already.

I'm with John B. I like Giles's work and hope that the entire catalog gets remixed. The MAJORITY of the many Beatle fans love his work as evidenced by the reviews and sales. The continuous criticism and even personal attacks on Giles are tiresome.

There is this thing that is called "commercial reality". There are no recording artists out there (except for the self produced/recorded bedroom types) that can release product that dont reach a competitive degree of loudness. What many audiophiles fail to understand is that artists and record company management have been trying to release records that are louder, or at least as loud, as their competition, for a very long time. This includes the 60's! The reason why recordings continue to be mastered loud is because its what customers want. The commercial reality is that your average music consumer is not an elitist cork sniffer, but one that reacts on an immediate basis as to "how does that song sound". Go back and read the studies that proved that humans PREFER music that is louder than not as loud!!!!!

What has changed is the medium (vinyl can only get "so loud" before stylus tracking is compromised vs. CD which can support a loud master) and digital audio technologies in limiting. Yes, a lot of mixes become non or less musical in pursuit of loudness, and with all that I have stated above, I prefer less limited masters.

Note I said "limited" and not "compressed". There is a difference.

 

I've linked this on quite a few threads.... but, it's 'coz I LOVE IT!!!
I give George credit for co-making this WONDERFUL SINGLE....
Sounds like The Residents!

 

Welcome to humanity..

 

Wouldn't a negative number refer to someone who is an anti-Beatle and their degree of anti-Beatleness? That said, who would be the -12th Beatle?

 

Other contenders, besides Allen Klein, for being a "Negative-#" Beatle:
Magic Alex
Dick James (he was okay until he screwed John and Paul by selling their songs off to Sir Lew Grade)
Yoko
Bernard Purdie
Imelda Marcos

And whoever the person was who thought up the Magical Mystery Tour film ...

 

Interesting, wouldn't that mean that Paul McCartney has both positive and negative Beatleness rating?

 

That was my little joke ...

 

Well, that moniker could also apply to George - The Crabby Beatle
and John - The heroin-addicted and couldn't care less Beatle
Maybe only Ringo would escape. He was never really negative as a Beatle. During Let It Be he pretty much looked and acted like he didn't really want to be there, and that he hadn't taken a shower in a fortnight, but other than that he always seemed willing to go along with whatever was happening or suggested by the others.

 

At one point Ringo did quit The Beatles for a few days because of all of the stress, so I guess that could be his negative Beatleness time, although it could actually be a positive since it might have encouraged the other to deal with some of the issues that drove him away (of course he did return to the group a few days later and they put some flowers on his drum set to welcome him back).

 

Magic Alex was a fruit loop but not anti- Beatles AFAIK.

Does Michael Jackson have a negative number?

 

He was a con artist, and likely got his hands on a good chuck of $$$ from Apple for his Electronics division. He also has been blamed by some (Cynthia Lennon is one person) for concocting the anti-Maharishi rumors in India.

But yes he wasn't specifically anti-Beatles. He just took them for a ride, so to speak.

 

Think I recall reading about the Maharishi rumors. Anyway I see your point - and sadly he wasn't alone in trying to fleece the fabs.

 

Yes, he has to get assigned negative points for fleecing them.

 

that's worse than I thought....at least we have the old records to go back to. Played an original Abbey Road -2/-1 stampers last night...sweet

sean

 

Well, say what you like about the Beatles

 

Everyone knows that Apu Nahasapeemapetilon is the true fifth Beatle.