Pop quiz, hotshot!

[madbean]

Can you correctly identify the three traits both of these recordings share to make them truly "organic" and exceptional? There may be more than three, but I am talking about what I personally think are the three most obvious. Consider it an exercise in listening. This is just purely for fun to see what people have to say about it.

[brucer]

I'm failing tremendously at successful builds tonight, so why not try this?

Basic 4:4 time?

Composed in rehersals?

Compelling, accessible, narrative lyrics?

Gradual entry of instruments and building lyrical intensity to crescendo followed by coda?

Trident studio reverb, layered mixing and subtle use of double-tracking?

George is playing a Mustang?

Dunno? 

[peAk]

There's actually people out there that do not like The Beatles.

Crazy, huh?

[alanp]

Very little to no reverb, and close miking. Lots of treble and relatively small bass, compared to modern recordings.

Plus, of course, the fact that it's a group that has practiced *extensively*, and can act in gestalt.

[somnif]

Having the musicians playing in the same room at the same time (rather than assembling the recording piecemeal from extensively manipulated tracks)

[EBK]

1. John Lennon
2. Paul McCartney
3. George Harrison

[Muadzin]

There's actually people out there that do not like The Beatles.

Crazy, huh?

Guilty of that. I fully understand and recognize their importance to the evolution of rock 'n' roll and popular music, I just can't stand them. I'll take the Rolling Stones over them any time.

[juansolo]

There's actually people out there that do not like The Beatles.

Crazy, huh?

Guilty of that. I fully understand and recognize their importance to the evolution of rock 'n' roll and popular music, I just can't stand them. I'll take the Rolling Stones over them any time.

Yup. Same sentiment.

[matmosphere]

There's actually people out there that do not like The Beatles.

Crazy, huh?

Guilty of that. I fully understand and recognize their importance to the evolution of rock 'n' roll and popular music, I just can't stand them. I'll take the Rolling Stones over them any time.

Yup. Same sentiment.

I don’t get the stones at all.

The Beatles Grew up in bad neighborhoods, started playing when they were young (15) and kept at it and worked their butts off. They didn’t have any chance to come up out of poverty from my understanding. They were scrappers and got in fights a lot because they grew up in rough areas.

The Stones met at art school. And yet they have the tough guy image not the Beatles.

Lemmy got it.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zb8ncTSTiIs

[alanp]

What I really don't get is all the hero-worship Elvis got. As far as I know, he was a fat guy who died on the toilet, and sang songs like "Wooden Heart", and "In The Ghetto".

[jimilee]

What I really don't get is all the hero-worship Elvis got. As far as I know, he was a fat guy who died on the toilet, and sang songs like "Wooden Heart", and "In The Ghetto".

Blue collar men during that time didn't pay much attention to their wives, they just worked and drank beer.


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[juansolo]

I don't think it's that. I totally understand the importance of the Beatles, I just didn't particularly like them. There are odd good tunes, but otherwise they just don't do a lot for me. The Stones I appreciate more because they're a blues/rock outfit which is more the type of music I like vs the Beatles which were more of a pop act. Nothing to do with background or attitude.

There are loads of old acts that are revered to the point of worship that I can think of that I'm not as bothered for. I think I'd really like Led Zeppelin for example, if I could handle Robert Plant's voice for more than a couple of songs (they would have been incredible with Ann Wilson on vocals... Just sayin').

[madbean]

You guys be derailing my thrad!

That's cool though - I like reading people's take on things. I go through phases with the Beatles and right now I'm in the "god-like" camp. Specifically after I listened to both of these recordings through headphones the other day.

Here's what struck me:
1) Heavy, deep bass - esp in Hey Jude. It's not a clean recording but to me it's just got so much bottom esp. considering we are not talking about distorted guitars, etc. I love it.
2) The way the mid-range/upper mids contrast with that bottom. Esp. how the vocals sit in the mix relative to the bass and drums. To me, it's like a sheet of paper going in an envelope. A perfect fit.
3) The lack of over-compression we so often have to tolerate in modern recordings. Which isn't to say there isn't any happening (I can hear a bit on the drums here and there but that also could be due to the delivery format).

Anyway, I say over and over I'm no golden-eared pony boy but both of these just really caught me off-guard me when I listened to them the other day.

[peAk]

What I really don't get is all the hero-worship Elvis got. As far as I know, he was a fat guy who died on the toilet, and sang songs like "Wooden Heart", and "In The Ghetto".

ugh. Amen.

Overrated

[madbean]

What I really don't get is all the hero-worship Elvis got. As far as I know, he was a fat guy who died on the toilet, and sang songs like "Wooden Heart", and "In The Ghetto".

ugh. Amen.

Overrated