The Beatles – Abbey Road [2009 Stereo Remaster] (EMI/Capitol)
The following is a conversation between two guys who’ve been yammering about music together for over 20 years. We no longer live a bike-ride away from each other, but fortunately technology allows us to still have virtual record parties. The fifth in a series. Previously: Pepper, Revolver, Magical Mystery Tour, Past Masters.
[15:30] Jake: time for abbey road today?
[15:31] Phil: NP: Beatles at the BBC
[15:31] Jake: ah nice
[15:31] Phil: I could do Abbey Road, yeah
[15:31] Jake: how’s it sound
[15:31] Jake: ?
[15:31] Jake: bbc?
[15:31] Phil: BBC sounds good…for a radio studio recording
[15:32] Phil: hold up, I’ll get ready
[15:32] Phil: five min
[15:32] Jake: word
[15:37] Phil: ok, ready
[15:37] Jake: say go
[15:38] Phil: go
Come Together
[15:38] Phil: “Shoot me…”
[15:38] Phil: creepy
[15:38] Jake: not as creepy as the bassline
[15:39] Phil: no, this and 10CC are the blueprints for my 70s Creep Out Mix
[15:39] Phil: in fact, I think Abbey Road is the invention of 70s music production and engineering
[15:39] Jake: i loved this song as a kid. thought the lyrics were so f-ing clever
[15:39] Jake: “got to be good looking cause he’s so hard to see”
[15:39] Phil: this is how 70s rock should sound
[15:40] Jake: a little slick
[15:40] Phil: and so much of it does–from a production standpoint
[15:40] Jake: got that coke sheen on it
[15:40] Jake: there would be no rumours without abbey road
[15:40] Phil: I dig that Memory man on George’s guitar
[15:40] Jake: is that what that is?
[15:40] Phil: that cool little delay/echo
[15:40] Jake: yeah
[15:40] Phil: sounds dope
[15:41] Phil: god damn those drums sound good
[15:41] Phil: I ask every drummer I know how you get that sound
[15:41] Jake: “aw!” – that’s a great “aw”
[15:41] Phil: again, this is so aided by the separation and space in the mix
[15:42] Jake: yeah and the cymbals sound so real
[15:42] Phil: yes, no cymbal wash here!
Something
[15:42] Phil: Some of Paul’s best…on a George song, no less
[15:42] Jake: we talked about this previously but the bass in this song is ridiculous
[15:42] Jake: you’d think it was showy
[15:43] Jake: but it’s not
[15:43] Phil: Oh wait…there’s a little organ part I’d not heard before
[15:43] Jake: i think that’s a synth
[15:43] Jake: no?
[15:43] Phil: here it in the verses?
[15:43] Phil: no, it sounds like a hammond
[15:43] Jake: oh there. yeah.
[15:43] Phil: that’s awesome
[15:43] Phil: Paul’s harmonies on the bridge is just perfect. God damned perfect
[15:43] Phil: soaring
[15:44] Jake: you could just concentrate on the bass of this song and be blown away
[15:44] Jake: lite rock guitar solo
[15:44] Jake: is this the blueprint for lite rock?
[15:44] Jake: !!!
[15:44] Phil: yes
[15:44] Jake: that’s not a good thing
[15:44] Phil: Seals and Croft owe their careers to george
[15:44] Jake: ha
[15:45] Jake: again though, ringo rules
Maxwell’s Silver Hammer
[15:45] Jake: this is another one of those songs i hated until i heard the remasters
[15:46] Phil: Yes. I mean listen to how weird it is
[15:46] Jake: love the moog!
[15:46] Phil: yes, it’s goofy, but it’s also WEIRD
[15:46] Jake: i love the moog melody that’s behind the second verse here
[15:47] Phil: yes, the whole moog part makes it
[15:47] Jake: why did paul make them do so many takes??
[15:47] Jake: how hard could it be?
[15:47] Phil: Listen to how crisp and clear the high hat sounds
[15:47] Phil: Paul is nuts
[15:47] Phil: and it pays off
[15:47] Phil: “Maxwell must go free!”
[15:48] Jake: john’s like, really? again?
[15:48] Phil: “Um, I have some grass over here. Is it cool if I smoke a J and make out with Yoko while you guys sort this out?”
[15:48] Jake: totally
[15:48] Jake: george is like, i hate your guts, paul.
Oh Darling!
[15:48] Phil: Fuck yeah
[15:49] Jake: i love when paul sings in this voice
[15:49] Jake: i also love the background vocals
[15:49] Phil: oh yes, if I were producing him this is all we’d do
[15:49] Phil: “Let’s do another stomper!”
[15:49] Jake: you can hear them and they sound like dudes singing
[15:49] Jake: not just noise
[15:49] Jake: and that crunchy guitar. gotta be an sg, right?
[15:49] Phil: Awesome fills from Ringo going into the bridge
[15:50] Phil: love that
[15:50] Phil: Oh yes, I think that must be an SG. Maybe that brown Tele
[15:50] Jake: this is a perfect mix though.
[15:50] Jake: everything in its place
[15:51] Jake: again with the ringo
[15:51] Jake: so awesome
[15:51] Phil: Yes, and such an old skool piano stomper like Paul’s been trying to do forever
[15:51] Jake: totally
[15:51] Jake: “ahhhhhhhhhh”
[15:52] Phil: I love that you can here the high harmony John throws in on the backing vox
[15:52] Jake: yep
Octopus’s Garden
[15:52] Jake: another one i hated before the remasters
[15:52] Jake: listen to those guitars
[15:52] Phil: “Where’s Ringo? I have another kids song…”
[15:53] Jake: you will soon be the voice of thomas the tank engine
[15:53] Phil: great backing vox again
[15:53] Phil: I guess we can thank Brian Wilson for upping the Beatles’ game on harmonies
[15:53] Jake: come on. they were on it from the beginning
[15:53] Jake: “this boy”
[15:53] Phil: “We can’t let this tubby surfer show us up on our own gig!”
[15:53] Jake: ha ha
[15:54] Jake: the instrumentation saves this song
[15:54] Phil: Yes, but the thick harmonies (more than even 4-part) come BACK after Pet Sounds
[15:54] Jake: it’s actually cool
I Want You
[15:55] Jake: ok
[15:55] Jake: here we go
[15:55] Jake: 1987
[15:55] Phil: I think I can actually smell that green carpet
[15:55] Jake: we are lying on my mom’s floor, heads together, speakers aimed at our ears
[15:55] Phil: where’s Boo?
[15:55] Jake: scared because the music is too loud
[15:56] Jake: just got this cd
[15:56] Jake: had only ever heard your dad’s cassette copy
[15:56] Jake: which we had analyzed for paul is dead clues
[15:56] Phil: yes, and it was full of skips from the record
[15:56] Jake: ha
[15:57] Phil: remember?
[15:57] Jake: no.
[15:57] Jake: “she’s so…”
[15:57] Jake: that organ
[15:57] Jake: HEAVY!
[15:57] Phil: First time I heard this album (on that tape) was driving to Chicago for spring break in the Pat Robertson mobile
[15:57] Jake: ha
[15:57] Phil: this is such a bad ass little musical interlude
[15:57] Jake: listen to that guitar.
[15:57] Phil: jamming!
[15:58] Phil: Oh shit! Listen to that organ getting down!
[15:58] Jake: is that billy preston?
[15:59] Jake: getting funky now.
[15:59] Phil: I just saw a clip on YouTube of Billy working this song out with John.
[15:59] Jake: nice
[15:59] Phil: Audio only with photos, sadly
[15:59] Phil: but still…
[15:59] Jake: boo
[15:59] Phil: She is so heavy, isn’t she?
[15:59] Jake: great primal scream there
[15:59] Jake: this is awesome.
[16:00] Jake: this is the only kind of prog rock i can stomach
[16:00] Phil: This outro is the blue print to The Wall
[16:00] Phil: who knew???
[16:00] Phil: God damned scary!
[16:00] Jake: badass
[16:00] Jake: heavy indeed.
[16:00] Phil: who left the door open?
[16:00] Jake: it’s windy in here!
[16:01] Jake: so huge
[16:01] Phil: hear that weird-o bass shit going on in the way back?
[16:01] Jake: yeah
[16:01] Jake: paul making a racket
[16:02] Jake: damn.
[16:02] Jake: that wind sound is perfect
[16:02] Jake: and it’s done
Here Comes the Sun
[16:03] Jake: the storm has passed
[16:03] Jake: and here comes the sun.
[16:03] Phil: Thank God George is here to lighten everyone up
[16:03] Phil: Listen to this!
[16:03] Jake: seriously
[16:03] Jake: did i just hear someone f up the guitar part?
[16:03] Phil: God damn if Neil wasn’t right that CD technology was a bunch of shit back then
[16:03] Jake: of course
[16:04] Phil: I mean, this sounds like music!
[16:04] Jake: i listened to some dvd-a’s and sacd’s at sab’s, and they sound really good.
[16:04] Jake: high def audio
[16:04] Phil: I love those hand claps
[16:04] Jake: yes
[16:04] Phil: is it time to sell the cars and get some hi-fi audio gear???
[16:05] Jake: let’s wait for a year or ten when they release this on whatever the high def audio format is then
[16:05] Jake: this is good enough for now!
[16:05] Phil: good idea
[16:05] Jake: better than ever.
[16:05] Jake: sounds so great.
[16:05] Phil: man does it
Because
[16:06] Phil: this and Pepper are the best of the bunch
[16:06] Phil: I mean this is fantastic
[16:06] Jake: 9 vocals.
[16:06] Phil: Thanks, Brian!
[16:06] Jake: ok, i’ll give you that.
[16:07] Jake: this makes me feel like i’m on drugs a little
[16:07] Phil: I zoned out for a minute listening to this
[16:08] Jake: i might be drooling a bit
[16:08] Phil: Ok, here we go…
[16:08] Jake: there’s actually a lot of moog on this
[16:08] Jake: on this album
[16:08] Phil: right
You Never Give Me Your Money
[16:09] Jake: another lovely paul song
[16:09] Jake: do you consider this part of the medley? because it’s a whole song
[16:09] Phil: I consider it the beginning of the medley
[16:09] Phil: for no good reason
[16:09] Jake: such a sad melody
[16:10] Jake: yeah, i guess this whole song is a bit of a medley in itself
[16:10] Jake: or a suite
[16:10] Phil: and such a perfect combo of elements. The right guitar parts and tone…the right vocals…all of it
[16:10] Jake: yeah
[16:11] Jake: “one sweet dream”
[16:11] Phil: this “one sweet dream” bit gives me goose bumps
[16:11] Phil: always has
[16:11] Jake: here’s where we were hearing the clues
[16:11] Jake: i still love that shit
[16:11] Jake: paul bass!
[16:11] Phil: god damn yes
[16:11] Jake: love that descending guitar thing too
[16:11] Phil: and RINGO!
[16:11] Jake: “yes it did! ah ah”
[16:12] Phil: anyone who disses Ringo will now be punched in the nose
[16:12] Jake: absolutely
[16:12] Jake: this album proves his drum god status
[16:12] Phil: yes
Sun King/Mean Mr. Mustard/Polythene Pam
[16:13] Phil: ohhhh, panning guitar
[16:13] Phil: neat!
[16:13] Phil: let’s smoke some grass!
[16:13] Jake: i’ll separate it on my vinyl copy right here
[16:14] Phil: man, another organ part I hadn’t heard (or noticed) before
[16:14] Jake: i guarantee that 95% of the original issues in in existence have marijuana residue on them
[16:14] Phil: bongos!
[16:14] Jake: john the italian. or whatever.
[16:15] Jake: what the fuck does that mean?
[16:15] Phil: let’s get our resident Italian on the job
[16:15] Phil: listen to that huffy bass on Mean Mr. Mustard
[16:15] Phil: uh oh…
[16:16] Phil: John’s vocals sound too distant on Polythene Pam
[16:16] Phil: wassup?
She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
[16:17] Jake: “Oh look out!”
[16:19] Jake: oops i got a call
[16:19] Phil: [pause]
[16:19] Jake: done now
[16:19] Jake: let’s start over at bedroom
[16:20] Phil: ok, one moment
[16:20] Phil: say go
[16:20] Jake: go
[16:21] Phil: I absolutely love how much clearer the acoustic guitars sound on these new masters
[16:21] Jake: such a different style of harmonizing than on let it be
[16:21] Phil: tighter
[16:21] Jake: i can’t get over the drums and the bass though
[16:22] Phil: man, they must have really been sick of each other to split after making a record like this
[16:22] Jake: i know
[16:22] Jake: oh yeah!
[16:22] Jake: see that’s a break.
Golden Slumbers
[16:22] Jake: paul f-ing rules
[16:23] Jake: ringo
[16:23] Jake: listen to him
[16:23] Phil: I love that scene in Imagine when John explains to that dirty hippy that Carry That Weight is one of Paul’s lines
[16:23] Jake: i like that paul’s vox are not double tracked on this
[16:23] Jake: sounds so much more personal
[16:23] Phil: “Well, he was singing that for all of us, but yeah it was his song…”
[16:24] Jake: i love that whole scene
Carry That Weight
[16:24] Jake: “you hungry?”
[16:24] Phil: “um…YES”
[16:24] Phil: dude’s been living in his garden for days
[16:24] Phil: weird
[16:24] Jake: damn. those horns
[16:24] Phil: but this album blew his mind
[16:24] Jake: how could it not?
[16:25] Phil: couldn’t think straight after hearing this album
[16:25] Phil: I can relate
[16:25] Jake: BOY!
[16:25] Phil: such a Beatle line
[16:25] Jake: i love how you can hear each of them
The End
[16:25] Phil: oh shit
[16:25] Phil: bring it!
[16:26] Jake: whoever engineered this recording deserves a medal of honor
[16:26] Phil: yes
[16:26] Jake: the drums alone
[16:26] Phil: a knighthood too
[16:26] Jake: all that
[16:26] Jake: john!
[16:26] Jake: paul!
[16:26] Phil: makes it howl
[16:27] Jake: george!
[16:27] Jake: oops
[16:27] Jake: i think i had them in the wrong order
[16:27] Phil: I am sure bigger dorks than us will correct you
[16:27] Jake: yes
Her Majesty
[16:28] Jake: nothing really to say about that
[16:28] Phil: it is what it is
[16:28] Phil: and there we have it
[16:28] Jake: would’ve been interesting to hear it between Mustard and Pam though
[16:29] Jake: but yeah.
[16:29] Jake: right there is reason enough to justify the whole remastering project
[16:29] Phil: oh yeah
[16:29] Phil: no doubt
Video: The Beatles – The Making of Abbey Road
The Beatles: Amazon, Insound, wiki
Previously: Pepper, Revolver, Magical Mystery Tour, Past Masters.
“…the Pat Robertson mobile…”
???
Also, gotta agree on the Abbey Road remaster – it does sound *awesome*.
My mom’s 1982 Buick Skylark with a “Robertson for President” bumper sticker.
Listened to it this weekend and was very impressed. Did not get a chance to do an A/B with 1 or put it up against the original vinyl, but I will.