I was reading this article about how someone has purchased Elvis Presley’s former part-time home in Palm Springs and intends on turning it into a tourist attraction.
Aside from wondering why someone hasn’t already exploited this property, I got to thinking about Rock Meccas.
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Dude looks like Will Ferrell.
Here’s a song I used to skip half the time I listened to Magical Mystery Tour as a kid. Granted, when I was 7 years old I hadn’t done the sort of things to my brain that might have helped me better tune into this song, but even years later, after I should have had a better idea of what George was up to, the song dragged.
The Beatles, “Blue Jay Way” (German true stereo mix)
That started to change as I got used to the German true stereo version of Magical Mystery Tour. Now, it couldn’t drag enough. The bass is so friggin’ deep. It’s a wonder the entire band didn’t fall asleep to Ringo’s beat. George, for a rare time in his raised-consciousness phase, shows rather than tells what he’s going through.
Again, the true stereo mix lets the closely mic’ed strings be fully felt. You can hear the bizarre vocal effects as The Beatles themselves might have heard them in the studio. Athough I usually hate when a remastered ’60s album cleans everything up and offers me the opportunity to pick and choose what I want to hear (rather than slamming me in the face with the main hooks, as most great ’60s records were meant to do). In the absence of tremendous songs, the vague focus of the German mix becomes a strength.
More broadly, as we head to the finish line of side 1, although the band’s loss of Brian Epstein is often pointed to as a profoundly negative turning point in their overall quality, the sense of unease in side 1’s EP-collected recordings, especially as reflected in the true stereo mix, can be seen as a treat for Beatles fans. There’s a humanity to these mixes that I find refreshing after the monolithic studio wizardry that is Sgt. Pepper’s.
A few thoughts while I am abroad and without my beloved apostrophes. When I next check in, I hope to be delighted and instructed by your candid comments.
With which Rutles character do you most identify?
What artist – new or old – did you discover or learn to appreciate over the summer?
With fall approaching, what is your favorite fall song?
Over what unidentified sound on a record have you most frequently scratched your head (eg, the key sound in “Crosstown Traffic”, by Jimi Hendrix)? Do not be shy about sharing – perhaps another Townsperson can solve your mystery!
What rock biography or biofilm – if any – do you plan on approaching next?
What rock biography or biofilm – if any – do you dread approaching the most?
What rock-related technological leap did you make this summer?
I look forward to your responses.
The Beatles, “Flying” (German true stereo mix)
This psychedelic take on Booker T & the MGs has always been one of the coolest deep cuts among Beatles fans. If you don’t agree, you must have one of those Squaresville zip codes. The German true stereo version only adds to the song’s groove. Again, it’s all the stuff that’s slightly off that gets under my skin and gives me goosebumps. What’s off is more fully off on this release.
Gerry called in sick today so here’s a best-of rerun featuring the original line-up of CSNY.
Yet another way in.
