The Beatles Remastered - Part II

[phanan]

I agree with all of this. Yes, his intentions were certainly good, and it was certainly his headstrong ways that did more harm than good. Ultimately, if you assume the role as captain, you have to bear responsibility when you steer the ship into choppy waters. Who's to say that without the Get Back/Let it Be project the band would have broken up? Perhaps they would have just taken a short break, something they probably needed anyway.

Even after going through all that in 1969, they still could've just taken a break and gotten back together at some point. From what I've read, the major mistake that McCartney made was formally and publicly announcing that he was leaving the group, which pissed off Lennon to no end, as everyone knows that he intended to leave the band anyway but at least he kept it quiet and didn't make a big deal out of it. If Paul had just shut up and went on to do his own thing, like the others, I think there definitely would have been a reconciling a few years later.

In this scenario, you still get Abbey Road and Let It Be.

 

[lazarus]

Yeah, would the album really suffer if "Wild Honey Pie" was removed and "Savoy Truffle" was replaced by "Not Guilty?" Revisionist? Yeah, but who's really clamoring to hear those two tracks in particular? Not to mention the roaring version of "Revolution," "Hey Jude," or even "Lady Madonna..."

I think it's fair to say that had Not Guilty, Revolution, and Hey Jude been included on the album, it would make that album their undisputed best. I'm hesitant to mess with one of my favorite albums by putting them on there, though, even if the track order often seems arbitrary at times.

Also, Lady Madonna wasn't part of the White Album sessions, having been recorded months earlier in March '68.

 

[lazarus]

Even after going through all that in 1969, they still could've just taken a break and gotten back together at some point. From what I've read, the major mistake that McCartney made was formally and publicly announcing that he was leaving the group, which pissed off Lennon to no end, as everyone knows that he intended to leave the band anyway but at least he kept it quiet and didn't make a big deal out of it. If Paul had just shut up and went on to do his own thing, like the others, I think there definitely would have been a reconciling a few years later.

In this scenario, you still get Abbey Road and Let It Be.

Yeah, this makes a lot of sense.

 

[lazarus]

As far as revisiting Sgt. Pepper's, adding Strawberry Fields Forever, Penny Lane, and Only A Northern Song certainly would have put a different twist on it. I'll have to see what I come up with; I like laz's take, although I can't bring myself to move Lucy.

Well you could always do it this way:

Side One
1. Sgt. Pepper's
2. With A Little Help From My Friends
3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
4. Getting Better
5. Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
6. Within You Without You
7. Fixing A Hole
8. It's Only A Northern Song

Side Two
9. Penny Lane
10. Strawberry Fields Forever
11. She's Leaving Home
12. When I'm Sixty-Four
13. Lovely Rita
14. Good Morning
15. Sgt. Pepper's (reprise)
16. A Day in the Life

 

[U2girl]

Yes, Ringo would definitely have gone along for the ride no matter what. I think George would have too you know. Although later on he said how stifling The Beatles had become, I think had Lennon and McCartney been up for carrying on, he would have too.

I've been re-reading the Anthology a lot lately and Paul actually admits that for a good 4-5 months after it had ended, they still kept in touch and tested the waters about possibly getting back together. Nobody could quite believe it was all over.

I think John wanted it both ways. He kind of wanted to go off and do his own thing with Yoko but then return to the familiarity and security of The Beatles.

Eh, I think it was too stiffling for them after White album and Let it be tensions, no matter how good Abbey Road turned out. I also think that John was more interested in pursuing non-Beatles output for his music and too much bad blood between them due to money issues/egos/hiring Spector for Let it be when it was supposed to be a live, stripped down album.

They had a full decade of time between the Beatles splitting up and John's death to do a gig/album/write together.

 

[No spoken words]

For whatever it's worth:

I really enjoyed catching up on this thread. I've liked the give and take, etc.

 

[phanan]

Well you could always do it this way:

Side One
1. Sgt. Pepper's
2. With A Little Help From My Friends
3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
4. Getting Better
5. Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
6. Within You Without You
7. Fixing A Hole
8. It's Only A Northern Song

Side Two
9. Penny Lane
10. Strawberry Fields Forever
11. She's Leaving Home
12. When I'm Sixty-Four
13. Lovely Rita
14. Good Morning
15. Sgt. Pepper's (reprise)
16. A Day in the Life

I like it.

Here's my interpretation:

Side One
1. Sgt. Pepper's
2. With A Little Help From My Friends
3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
4. Getting Better
5. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!
6. Fixing A Hole
7. She's Leaving Home
8. Only A Northern Song

Side Two
9. Within You Without You
10. Strawberry Fields Forever
11. Penny Lane
12. When I'm Sixty-Four
13. Lovely Rita
14. Good Morning Good Morning
15. Sgt. Pepper's (Reprise)
16. A Day In The Life

It's really difficult having Within You Without You fit in, so I think leaving it at the beginning of Side Two is for the best, and then having Strawberry Fields Forever (itself a major musical shift from what they've done) follow it.

I moved She's Leaving Home back to Side One. I understand it's kind of depressing, but at least it's moved down another slot with Kite being ahead of it now.

Otherwise, not much different. Only thing is, if played all the way through, you have two Harrison songs back to back, which is unusual.

 

[lazarus]

Interesting.

If I burned my version onto a CD (and I probably will after musing over my order for another day or so), I'd definitely leave some extra dead space in-between tracks 8 and 9 to simulate the side change. It's something I've done with other custom burns and it's a nice way to bring back the traditional experience, especially when you're dealing with stuff before the era of CD-dominance.

One thing I should note is that my sides came out to 24.5 minutes and 25.5 minutes, respectively. I'm not sure if you timed yours but I was trying to keep them fairly even.

 

[phanan]

That's a good point; I didn't look at the timing. At first glance, Side Two is probably longer. I'll have to check.

 

[lazarus]

The two longest songs are ADITL and WIWY. Putting them on the same side takes up about 10-11 minutes, another reason I moved the latter to side one.

 

[phanan]

Yeah, there's a good four minute difference.

Switching WYWY and OANS would fix that.

 

[lazarus]

You're going to OPEN side two with Northern?

Not sure about that one. Maybe it would work better after Penny Lane, and then you avoid the two George songs in a row issue. Or maybe right before Good Morning.

 

[phanan]

I meant switching sides.

As for placement, not sure. After Penny Lane would be ok, or perhaps I'd lead off with Strawberry Fields, then OANS, then Penny Lane.

Although I've grown accustomed to hearing Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane back to back.

 

[namkcuR]

I tried doing a 4-Side White Album.

Side 1:

Helter Skelter
Birthday
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
I Will
Rocky Racoon
Blackbird

Side 2:

Back In The U.S.S.R.
Dear Prudence
Glass Onion
Long, Long, Long
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
What's The New Mary Jane?

Side 3:

Revolution
Not Guilty
Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey
Sexy Sadie
Happiness Is A Warm Gun
Julia

Side 4:

The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
Mother Nature's Son
Piggies
Good Night
Hey Jude(I might switch the placement of Good Night and Hey Jude, not sure)
Revolution 9

 

[LMP]

I think it's fair to say that had Not Guilty, Revolution, and Hey Jude been included on the album, it would make that album their undisputed best. I'm hesitant to mess with one of my favorite albums by putting them on there, though, even if the track order often seems arbitrary at times.

Also, Lady Madonna wasn't part of the White Album sessions, having been recorded months earlier in March '68.

I'd agree with that.

This is why I need to do some research soon.

I meant switching sides.

As for placement, not sure. After Penny Lane would be ok, or perhaps I'd lead off with Strawberry Fields, then OANS, then Penny Lane.

Although I've grown accustomed to hearing Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane back to back.

"Strawberry Fields" would make for a solid Side Two opener. I'm sort of with you on "Penny Lane" being directly after, in this case.

 

[impy13]

Not a bad tracklisting, Ruckman, but "Good Night" has to close it.

 

[lazarus]

Yeah. That's basically blasphemy right there.

Though he does get MAJOR points for axing both versions of Honey Pie.

 

[LMP]

Not a bad tracklisting, Ruckman, but "Good Night" has to close it.

Yeah. That's basically blasphemy right there.

Though he does get MAJOR points for axing both versions of Honey Pie.

Yes.

I wouldn't change anything from "Happiness" all the way to the end of Side Two. That shit's literally perfect. The acoustic "Gently Weeps" deserves a spot, and yes, "Good Night" is the closer. No ifs, ands, or buts. "Revolution 9" closing out the same Side as the ripping "Revolution" would be cool, if you need to move it to another spot.

 

[lazarus]

Yes.

I wouldn't change anything from "Happiness" all the way to the end of Side Two. That shit's literally perfect. The acoustic "Gently Weeps" deserves a spot, and yes, "Good Night" is the closer. No ifs, ands, or buts. "Revolution 9" closing out the same Side as the ripping "Revolution" would be cool, if you need to move it to another spot.

I think the jarring transition of Rev.9 into Good Night is too perfect to mess with, no?

The only things I would do to the official order are:

1. Drop Not Guilty in right before Revolution 9. Harrison's shredding at the end would blend nicely into the chaos of the sound collage. Move Savoy Truffle to Side Three to even out the time better, maybe between Monkey and Sadie. It's cheesy but I don't have the heart to cut it.

2. What's the New Mary Jane could either work as the Side Two opener, or maybe in between Why Don't We Do It In The Road and I Will. I'm pretty sure Side Two is the shortest one (at approx. 22 minutes) and could fit the extra song.

3. Replace Revolution 1 with the electric version.

 

[impy13]

3. Replace Revolution 1 with the electric version.

Well, obviously.

 

[the tourist]

Listening to 1 now after having been listening to tons of Beatles in the last week and I've come to the conclusion that the remasters sound amazing in comparison. Especially the low end. So much more crisp now.

 

[LMP]

I think the jarring transition of Rev.9 into Good Night is too perfect to mess with, no?

The only things I would do to the official order are:

1. Drop Not Guilty in right before Revolution 9. Harrison's shredding at the end would blend nicely into the chaos of the sound collage. Move Savoy Truffle to Side Three to even out the time better, maybe between Monkey and Sadie. It's cheesy but I don't have the heart to cut it.

2. What's the New Mary Jane could either work as the Side Two opener, or maybe in between Why Don't We Do It In The Road and I Will. I'm pretty sure Side Two is the shortest one (at approx. 22 minutes) and could fit the extra song.

3. Replace Revolution 1 with the electric version.

It is, but I was speaking more about him keeping the "Hey Jude"/"Good Night" tandem intact than the original tracklisting. I dig the original closing set as well.

When I get a hold of the Anthology tracks, I'll try my hand at one of these. And yeah, Number 3 is a no brainer.

I hate to harp on it, but I'm curious to know what you think of the adjustments I made to my Sgt. Pepper tracklist.

 

[phillyfan26]

I really wish I could get these remasters. Tiny download limits for the loss.

 

[lazarus]

I hate to harp on it, but I'm curious to know what you think of the adjustments I made to my Sgt. Pepper tracklist.

Well it works better, and would be a fun listen, but I'm not a fan of the idea to begin with. When I do these fantasy reworkings, I try to keep them as conservative as possible, and try to refrain from using stuff from different sessions. Even my "controversial" placement of Mr. Kite in the #3 slot is something the band originally planned, for example.

 

[LMP]

Peef, you don't know anyone off-campus where you can go to download stuff?

Well it works better, and would be a fun listen, but I'm not a fan of the idea to begin with. When I do these fantasy reworkings, I try to keep them as conservative as possible, and try to refrain from using stuff from different sessions. Even my "controversial" placement of Mr. Kite in the #3 slot is something the band originally planned, for example.

I see where you're coming from. I try to ground myself when it comes to these sorts of alternate mixes, and my relative lack of knowledge on these sessions kind of decisions, but sometimes they end up working better than you'd expect.

 

[If you shout...]

I just want to say a few things, none of them meant to be standoffish/look-at-me-ish, all of them entirely genuine, and all of them informed by the fact that I formed these opinions on my own, in my bedroom, in a vacuum, as a child.

1) My favorite/the best song on Sgt. Pepper's is clearly "Lovely Rita." Oh, how I adore it.

2) I do not HATE "Wild Honey Pie." I just think that it's a weaker track on the album.

3) I actively love "Honey Pie."

 

[lazarus]

Man, your Beatles opinions seem to get more ridiculous with each passing day. Lovely FUCKING Rita? It's the worst song on there, along with Good Morning. I don't know how you could even defend that with any level of dignity.

You may have formed that opinion as a child, but one of the benefits of getting older is the wisdom and freedom to change your mind. If you find a time machine, go back and slap some sense into your younger self.

 

[If you shout...]

Not a big fan of "Good Morning," for what it's worth.

 

[lazarus]

I'm surprised you have an animosity for Cornershop. They seem to have the mix of experimentation and tunefulness that you like in SFA and The Beatles, to name a couple.

Did you just hear Brimful of Asha one time too many?

 

[If you shout...]

You hit the nail on the head, my friend. I also saw them live, in like '97, and it was painful. A total clusterfuck. My animosity from that gig has now carried me for almost 15 years.