50th Anniversary all things Beatles White Album

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by tinnox, Feb 8, 2018.

  1. beatleroadie

    beatleroadie Forum Resident

    Was Paul's notebook specifically for Rishikesh and when he got back he switched to another one? It could be that he kept writing in that same notebook throughout summer and fall of '68, and in that case Maxwell may have been written in the notebook after they returned from India?
     
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  2. BuCo

    BuCo A guy who can't have enough Super Deluxe box sets

    Location:
    New York City
    The first instance of Honey Pie being written down by Paul is on a page in the songbook after the page with Maxwell's Silver Hammer, so I doubt it.
     
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  3. beatleroadie

    beatleroadie Forum Resident

    Very cool then. I wonder if he was picturing Mal swinging a hammer against an anvil even in the calm environs of the meditation camp then ;)
     
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  4. During the presentation on YouTube that aired recently, I think Giles made a point of saying that the Mellotron patch actually was from the same instrument used on the original recording - now in Paul's possession apparently. Being that the Mellotron is basically an analog tape-based sampler (or more accurately, a sample playback instrument), I would imagine the original patch itself is fairly noisy, and they kept the volume lower on the recording so as not to make the noise so noticeable.
     
    Last edited: Nov 9, 2018
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  5. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Where is the appropriate thread then?
     
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  6. cublowell

    cublowell Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    This remix is everything I'd hoped it would be. On first listen, only I'm So Tired & Julia seemed a bit off, everything else is a huge improvement to me over the original stereo mixes. Back in the late 90s I mowed lawns for a month as a 16 year old to save enough money to buy a bootleg CD-R needledrop copy of the mono White Album...which was my favorite until now. I didn't even have to sweat at all for this one.
     
  7. ascot

    ascot Senior Member

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    First impressions of the 2018 remix.

    "Dear Prudence" is one of my absolute favorite Beatle songs and the new mix just feels odd. This is more of a total remix than trying to duplicate the original and I just wasn't into it.

    I felt disc one was pretty solid overall from "Glass Onion" through "Martha." I also noticed the panned Yoko vocal on "Bill" as Arnett mentioned earlier. You can tell John and Yoko were recorded on the same track so panning this one line seems unnecessary.

    "I'm So Tired" is another favorite that felt a bit off. "Blackbird" was lovely and things are pretty good to the end of the disc. The pig sounds at the end of "Piggies" seemed too dry and it felt like the song abruptly ended.

    They faded "Don't Pass Me By" too soon which is sloppy. "Why Don't We Do It..." rocks hard while "I Will" and "Julia" are simply beautiful.

    Disc two was more inconsistent for me. "Birthday" just didn't gell in this new mix and it feels like the vocals are missing some reverb or something. It's the same for "Yer Blues" just lacking the oomph on John's voice.

    Things got better through "Mother Nature's Son," "...Monkey" and "Sexy Sadie." Ringo's drums are mixed into stereo in places during "Sadie." "Helter Skelter" was fine until the very end. Ringo's "blisters" comment doesn't roar out like the original. "Long, Long, Long" benefits greatly from the remix and is pulled from the mud. Well done, Giles.

    "Revolution 1" was my least favorite of the new mixes. The edge is gone and it feels like a parody of itself now. We did get an extra second or two on the fade for what it's worth. "Honey Pie" was fine but then "Savoy Truffle" sounded imbalanced every time the title line came around. "Cry Baby Cry" also felt a bit weak on first listen.

    "Revolution 9" had some work done. I think it's the original mix but parts of the track were EQ'd or made louder. "Good Night" was fine.

    Overall I give it a C. Many tracks had parts where I felt something was too far forward in the mix. Some songs sounded pretty darn close to the original even if something had been placed elsewhere in the stereo balance. It was only my first listen so I know my opinion will change over time.
     
  8. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Few songs ?
     
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  9. TheLazenby

    TheLazenby Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    Pittsburgh
    Did "Cry Baby Cry" always have an accordion underneath the last couple choruses? That sounded *very* different to me....

    "Revolution 9" seems odd to these ears - the timing seems off on some of the loops? Things pop up and leave at the wrong times, if that makes sense.
     
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  10. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Only way to get glossy photos, thicker paper is original UK 1968.
     
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  11. TheLazenby

    TheLazenby Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    Pittsburgh
    Oh yeah, one nice thing I noticed is that the particularly harsh edits in "Sexy Sadie" and "Yer Blues" have been smoothed out.
     
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  12. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Japan OBi import version ?
     
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  13. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Triple oh fantastic!!!
     
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  14. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    The new 2018 remix for most songs seems to get the s o l i d approval nod.
     
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  15. TheLazenby

    TheLazenby Forum Resident In Memoriam

    Location:
    Pittsburgh
    Good Lord, what's with the botched edit in the Esher "Glass Onion"?!

    I'll be replacing THAT with the A3 mix....
     
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  16. Duophonic

    Duophonic Beatles

    Location:
    BEATLES LOVE SONGS
    Agreed, I noticed that right away lol
     
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  17. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Nice to read the WA has a more favorable reception here than last years hearts club band.
     
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  18. Clark V Kauffman

    Clark V Kauffman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Des Moines, Iowa
    So I'm trying to round up all the "stray" White Album alternate takes (or radically different mixes) that have been officially released but aren't on the new boxed set.

    Obviously, most of the alternates come from "Anthology 3" but I can't simply grab all of those tracks since some (like "Rocky Raccoon") are the exact same take as found on the new boxed set, and there are some other alternate takes found on other albums (like the alternate "Inner Light" backing track found only on the Wonderwall CD).

    In any event, here's what I came up with in terms of officially released White Album alternates not on the new box. All are from "Anthology 3" unless otherwise noted. What am I missing?

    1. Don't Pass Me By (Take 3 & 4)
    2. Blackbird (Take 4)
    3. Good Night (Take 34)
    4. Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da (Take 5)
    5. Cry Baby Cry (Take 1)
    6. Sexy Sadie (Take 6)
    7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Take 1)
    8. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Take 1, with strings, from the 'Love' CD)
    9. Hey Jude (Take 2)
    10. Not Guilty (Take 102, same as on the boxed set, but a much different mix and edit)
    11. Mother Nature’s Son (Take 2)
    12. What’s The New Mary Jane (Take 4)
    13. I Will (Take 1)
    14. I’m So Tired (Takes 3, 6 & 9)
    15. Why Don’t We Do It In The Road? (Take 4)
    16. Julia (Take 2)
    17. The Inner Light (Alternate take, instrumental, from expanded 'Wonderwall' CD)
    18. Lady Madonna (Takes 3 & 4)
    19. Across The Universe (Take 2)
    20. Across the Universe (Take 7, same take as the master, but a much different mix)
     
  19. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    With that band you would expect a delivery blemish, mines was kinda kink
    f r e e. :)
     
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  20. DrJ

    DrJ Senior Member

    Location:
    Davis, CA, USA
    Yes.

    No offense meant, but I have to say I'm kinda stunned at some of the comments on the remix like this one...makes me wonder, what kind of gear have people been listening to this album on previously? The accordion (or actually I think a harmonium) has always been at that point in "Cry Baby Cry" and easy to discern in the original mix, albeit not foregrounded. I'll be interested to hear the new mix to see if it's that much more prominent.

    Someone mentioned they'd "never heard" the Spanish guitar at start of "Bungalow Bill" for goodness sake!
     
    Last edited: Nov 10, 2018
  21. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Good observation.
     
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  22. DrJ

    DrJ Senior Member

    Location:
    Davis, CA, USA
    I haven't listened yet but I'm puzzled by the comment about "no tape hiss" on Martha since others have said there is still a ton.
     
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  23. Bern

    Bern JC4Me

    Location:
    Allegan, Michigan
    All 6 worked fine for me.
     
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  24. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Wouldn't mind the original mix done one - step MoFi 45RPM ( 4 Discs)style some time in the f u t u r e.
     
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  25. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    That's a lotto white
    lookee lovely display.
     
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