Out of tune instruments drive me nuts

I've not listened to Europe '72 in a really long time, and had forgotten how out of tune Jerry's guitar is on more than one song. It's particularly bad on Jack Straw and You Win Again. Arrrgh.

I don't recall any other albums, live or studio, with such egregious tuning issues. But there must be more . . .

 

The Shaggs and Jandek would make your head explode.

 

Live Hendrix can make you wish that tuning pedals had been invented sooner. Dylan's "Highway 61 Revisited" could also have benefitted.

 

Speaking of Grateful Dead, I can't listen to many of the live vocals for the same reason. They sang flat or off tune more often than not.

 

Well . . . yeah. I certainly noticed that too. Then I became more than a bit of a "Deadhead" and grew to overlook this. Except for Donna; I cut her no slack and am not a fan of any Donna-prominent tracks. But my wife, who is not, can't (won't) listen to their live stuff at all for this reason. I really can't blame her.

 

Chapel of Love (Dixie Cups) - the celeste is totally out of tune with the rest of the recording. It's about a quarter step out.

I Got You (James Brown) - Everything is out of tune on this record. The bass, the guitar, the horns, none of them match up.

Amazing that A&R guys don't catch such glaring mistakes at the sessions.

 

Some of my favorite music, including Europe 72, is out of tune. I'm thinking Floyd's Apples and Oranges, and lots of classic Kinks off the top of my head. Yeah Dylan too. Some of my desert island stuff. So what?

 

Even though I have (near) perfect pitch, I prefer things a little out of tune to Auto-Tuned up the wazoo any day.

 

1:23-1:34 in the Beach Boys' "All Summer Long" link below is an example of an out of tune instrument that drives me nuts:

 

One thing that's always irked me in an otherwise superb song is whatever that weird chimes/music box thing is that's playing on Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" (it's subtle, but most noticeable during the verses in the left channel if you listen for it). I don't know if it's a tuning issue per se, but half the time it sounds like it's playing random notes, and I can't figure out what it's contributing to the song at all.

 

I posted in another thread today my appreciation of "Wild World" by Cat Stevens. And that's despite the out-of-tune G string on the acoustic, very noticeable a few seconds before the vocals first come in...

 

I do not recommend you to listen to The Rolling Stones ...

 

Don't listen to Jefferson Airplane Live At The Fillmore East 1969

 

Yeah it took me a long time to get into the Dead for that reason... now I overlook it. I overlook Donna too, because quite frankly, how can I not, all of the guys can be just as awful... and some more than others.

As far as out of tune instruments... "Do it in the Name of Love" by The Monkees (or Micky Dolenz & Davy Jones as it originally came out) is just one of many released studio recordings that comes to mind when I think of out of tune guitars... I'm sure I'll think of more.

The Rolling Stones seem to have a lot of out of tune guitars in the earlier recordings.

 

Perhaps the worst out of tune I've ever heard
But probably everybody on stage and in the audience were so stoned that nobody noticed

 

none of this ever bothered me as I was enjoying the music too much to care.

 

I'll just leave this here.

portsmouth sinfonia, 'blue danube waltz' (1973)
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featuring Brian Eno and Gavin Bryars, among others. amazing stuff.

 

Thank God I'm tone deaf and don'teven notice.

 

I listened to "The Ballad Of Frankie Lee And Judas Priest" the other day and although it's a great song, I think his guitar was a bit out of tune on this one.

 

Dylan was a repeat offender. "Down the Highway" off of Freewheelin' also has a guitar string that's pretty seriously out of tune. But, ya know, it matches the singing!

 

This is one of the most obvious out of tune in the studio ever (not only Dylan but in general!)

 

So where's the long-promised AF box set?

 

I've got a pretty good ear, but I've never noticed anything sounding out-of-tune on any of those examples.

 

Sorry, not hearing it at all.