The Beatles – Past Masters [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 fourth in a series. Previously: Pepper, Revolver, Magical Mystery Tour.

[13:55] Jake: back to the beatles

[13:57] Jake: i’m going to listen to the past masters now

[13:57] Jake: interested?

[13:57] Phil: can you wait ten min?

[13:57] Jake: oh yeah

[13:57] Phil: need to get my soup on

[13:57] Phil: brb

[14:08] Phil: OK, I am ready

[14:12] Jake: wanna do disc 2? i’m not that into disc 1 right now

[14:12] Phil: where does that start?

[14:12] Phil: it’s all one album on what I have

[14:13] Jake: day tripper

[14:13] Phil: We really should do the whole thing though, it’s all about rediscovery!

[14:13] Jake: true

[14:13] Jake: ok

[14:13] Jake: say go

[14:14] Phil: go

Love Me Do

[14:14] Jake: this is mono.

[14:14] Jake: and it’s apparently a needledrop

[14:14] Jake: since the masters have been lost

[14:15] Phil: right, which is interesting in itself

[14:15] Jake: yeah

[14:15] Jake: poor ringo, dissed again

[14:16] Phil: given what a machine EMI was/is I am surprised anything gets lost

[14:16] Jake: do you hear ANY diff with the drumming between this and the “official” version?

[14:16] Phil: yeah, it sounds tepid

[14:16] Jake: they redid it better, why keep the inferior version!

From Me To You

[14:16] Phil: big echo!

[14:16] Jake: wow, big difference sonically

[14:16] Jake: fake stereo

[14:17] Jake: sounds terrible

[14:17] Phil: yes

[14:17] Phil: guitars in left channel are cool to hear though

[14:17] Phil: guitar and harmonica sound cool together

[14:18] Jake: yeah, i suppose it’s cool to have these

[14:18] Phil: but the fake stereo has to go and that echo sounds digital, which I am pretty sure it is (from ’87)

Thank You Girl

[14:18] Phil: I love this song

[14:18] Jake: again with fake stereo

[14:18] Jake: yes, good overlooked song though

[14:18] Phil: just one step removed from a skiffle song

[14:20] Phil: whoa, what is that weird echo pan?

[14:20] Phil: hear it at the end?

[14:20] Jake: i don’t know but it’s weird

[14:20] Jake: cool harmonica bit at the end

[14:20] Phil: yeah

[14:20] Jake: not on the mono

She Loves You

[14:21] Jake: also mono: the stereo master has been lost

[14:21] Jake: so weird

[14:21] Jake: the two-track tapes lost

[14:21] Phil: very weird

[14:21] Phil: and you can totally tell on these

I’ll Get You

[14:23] Jake: “oh yeah, oh yeah”

[14:23] Phil: Oh yeah

[14:23] Phil: great harmonies

[14:24] Jake: george sounds great

[14:24] Jake: you can totally hear him in there

[14:24] Jake: even in mono

[14:24] Phil: George is awesome

[14:24] Phil: so cool

[14:24] Phil: snide

I Want to Hold Your Hand

[14:25] Phil: Paul coming in on vox sounds cool

[14:25] Jake: this is an exciting song

[14:25] Jake: i don’t care what anybody says

[14:25] Jake: the handclaps

[14:25] Phil: Yes, you can see how it sparked everything

[14:25] Jake: the guitars

This Boy

[14:27] Phil: Blew my mind the other day

[14:27] Phil: Oh yes…those harmonies

[14:27] Jake: yep

[14:28] Phil: Shit. Listen to that bass drum

[14:28] Phil: BOOM

[14:28] Phil: BOOM BOOM

Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand

[14:30] Phil: Kraut Rock

[14:30] Jake: silly

[14:30] Phil: marketing

[14:30] Jake: funny though that this is stereo

[14:30] Phil: yes

[14:30] Phil: wtf?

[14:30] Jake: oh wait, it’s she loves you that’s been lost

[14:30] Jake: or whatever

[14:31] Jake: still goofy

[14:31] Phil: goofy

Sie Liebt Dich

[14:32] Phil: Dudes did owe a lot to Germany

[14:32] Jake: i don’t speak german but these guys sound like they don’t either

[14:33] Phil: ha!

[14:33] Phil: they knew how to say “take your shirt off”

[14:33] Jake: good enough

[14:34] Phil: Paul said it with his eyes

[14:34] Phil: John didn’t ask

Long Tall Sally

[14:34] Phil: Oh hell yes: Long Tall Sally

[14:34] Phil: I stopped listening to this stuff a while ago

[14:34] Phil: I am back

[14:35] Jake: yeah

[14:35] Jake: it is good

[14:35] Jake: so energetic

[14:35] Phil: great screamer

[14:35] Jake: i mean, sometimes i think the who and stones have made us think the beatles were soft

[14:35] Phil: of course

[14:35] Phil: listen to this and I’m Down and they can eat it

[14:35] Jake: they were clearly not going for maximum r&b

[14:36] Jake: but dude. little richard

[14:36] Jake: come on

[14:36] Phil: oh yeah

[14:36] Phil: they owe him some coin

I Call Your Name

[14:43] Jake: cowbell!

[14:43] Phil: makes you nod your head, doesn’t it

[14:43] Phil: Some great George solo

[14:43] Phil: loved that electric 12-string

[14:43] Jake: oh yeah

[14:44] Phil: who doesn’t?

Slow Down

[14:45] Jake: hey, you wrote this song

[14:45] Jake: !

[14:45] Phil: hey!

[14:46] Jake: john’s got a great scream

[14:46] Phil: oh yeah

[14:46] Phil: scary

[14:46] Phil: “Weeeeelllll…”

[14:47] Phil: His vox on this song are killer

Matchbox

[14:47] Jake: beatles loved carl perkins

[14:47] Phil: Oh yeah

[14:48] Phil: wanted to have his babies–like Visser

[14:48] Phil: It’s sound advice though: If you don’t want my peaches, honey, please don’t shake my tree

[14:48] Phil: Can’t argue with that

[14:48] Jake: country rock

[14:49] Phil: alt.country

[14:49] Jake: the stones and who wouldn’t get how great country music was until the 70s

[14:49] Phil: right

I Feel Fine

[14:49] Jake: perfect intro

[14:49] Phil: f-ing awesome

[14:49] Jake: god the high hat

[14:50] Phil: Ringo leaps ahead musically

[14:50] Jake: that riff though

[14:50] Jake: so fucking cool

[14:50] Phil: that’s a weird drum part

[14:50] Phil: so great

[14:50] Jake: i’d say it swings!

[14:51] Phil: indeed

[14:51] Jake: this is a perfect song

She’s a Woman

[14:52] Phil: Paul channeling Elvis

[14:53] Phil: liking the separation

[14:53] Jake: and little richard

[14:53] Phil: yes

[14:53] Phil: they were the same person, no?

[14:53] Phil: did YOU ever see them together?

[14:53] Jake: ha

Bad Boy

[14:55] Jake: this is my favorite john lennon vocal ever

[14:55] Jake: EVER

[14:55] Phil: tough!

[14:55] Phil: this guy will beat your ass

[14:55] Phil: for early stuff I love this and Mr. Moonlight for John’s vocals

[14:56] Jake: “til she’s ready to poop”

[14:56] Phil: poop!

[14:56] Jake: love that

[14:56] Phil: great back-beat on this song

[14:56] Phil: awesome keyboard back there

[14:56] Phil: probably that wacky Vox they had on stage

[14:57] Jake: i don’t hear it

[14:57] Phil: oh, it was way back there in the solo

[14:57] Jake: ah

Yes It Is

[14:57] Jake: i love this song

[14:57] Phil: When John gets down in this song it kills

[14:57] Phil: you know what I am talking about

[14:57] Jake: i love that volume pedal

[14:57] Jake: h likes it too

[14:57] Jake: he goes “waaah waaah”

[14:57] Phil: great song

[14:57] Phil: reminds me of Bill

[14:58] Phil: we used to sing this in his basement

[14:58] Phil: practicing harmonies

[14:58] Jake: yeah

[14:58] Phil: I was John, natch

[14:58] Phil: Bill was a good teacher for that sort of stuff

[14:58] Jake: i hate in the anthology version of this how it starts out acoustic and then they blend in the full band version

[14:59] Phil: yeah

[14:59] Jake: JUST PLAY THE WHOLE ACOUSTIC VERSION

[14:59] Phil: fer real

[14:59] Jake: i don’t care if it falls apart

[14:59] Phil: we HAVE the full band version

[14:59] Jake: yeah

[14:59] Jake: “oh yes it is!”

[14:59] Phil: that was it

[14:59] Phil: that part

[14:59] Jake: oh yeah

I’m Down

[15:00] Phil: here we go!

[15:00] Phil: kill it, Paul

[15:00] Jake: yes.

[15:00] Phil: I have no idea what he’s saying in half this song

[15:00] Jake: they decided “why pay little richard royalties when we can write our own song?”

[15:00] Phil: works for me

[15:02] Jake: that’s the end of disc one

[15:02] Jake: glad we listened to it

Video: The Beatles – “I’m Down” (Shea Stadium)

Day Tripper

[15:03] Jake: best riff ever?

[15:04] Phil: this is a perfect song

[15:04] Jake: don’t love how the vocals are recorded

[15:04] Jake: is that echo, or what?

[15:05] Phil: don’t know

[15:05] Jake: this is MULTI-track though, isn’t it?

[15:05] Phil: I love that crescendo: “Ahhh ahhhh ahhhhhhhhhhhh!”

[15:05] Jake: oh yeah

[15:06] Phil: yes, the vocals are a bit muddled

[15:06] Phil: muddy

[15:06] Phil: I’ll listen in mono and see what gives

We Can Work it Out

[15:06] Phil: One of my fave Macca songs

[15:06] Jake: another great song

[15:06] Phil: I love this song

[15:07] Jake: love that air organ, or whatever it is

[15:07] Phil: yes

[15:08] Phil: tried to get that on “Such Sweet Sorrow”

Paperback Writer

[15:09] Phil: best bass on tape

[15:09] Jake: the bass finally gets the respect it deserves

[15:10] Jake: frere jacques

[15:10] Jake: love that

[15:10] Phil: I have no idea what you are talking about

[15:11] Phil: speak english

[15:11] Jake: the backing vocals. they’re saying “frere jacques”

[15:11] Jake: you’ve never heard that?

[15:11] Phil: they do?

[15:11] Phil: no

[15:11] Phil: never

[15:11] Phil: not even just now

[15:11] Jake: let’s go back

[15:11] Jake: ready?

[15:11] Phil: go

Paperback Writer (again)

[15:11] Jake: i’ll point it out

[15:12] Jake: get ready for it

[15:12] Jake: right there

[15:12] Phil: I hear it!

[15:12] Phil: hahahahahaha

[15:13] Phil: that’s really funny

[15:13] Jake: smoke pot smoke pot

[15:13] Phil: bunch a highons

[15:13] Jake: tit tit tit tit

[15:13] Phil: hilarious

Rain

[15:14] Jake: RINGO!

[15:14] Jake: this has to go on the ringo list

[15:14] Jake: the whole damn song

[15:14] Phil: oh yeah, a showcase for ringo

[15:14] Jake: jesus, he’s awesome

[15:14] Phil: yes, awesome

[15:15] Phil: and gets so little respect from the masses

[15:15] Phil: Like he was lucky to have been there

[15:16] Jake: seriously

[15:16] Jake: oh but that bass!

[15:16] Jake: damn!

[15:16] Jake: so perfect

[15:16] Jake: nair!

Lady Madonna

[15:17] Phil: I can’t believe Lady Madonna was recorded around the same time as Revolver

[15:17] Phil: it sounds so much later to me

[15:17] Phil: White Album

[15:18] Phil: which I know wasn’t THAT much later in the timeline, but musically it seems further down the road

[15:18] Jake: is there nothing between pbwriter/rain and this?

[15:18] Phil: see what I mean?

[15:18] Phil: seems weird, doesn’t it?

[15:18] Jake: yes

[15:19] Jake: wait a sec

[15:19] Jake: singles-wise, nothing

[15:19] Jake: but there was a TON between

[15:19] Phil: But when it was recorded

[15:19] Phil: lady madonna was in the same session as Hey Bulldog, no?

[15:19] Jake: pb writer: 13 April 1966

[15:20] Jake: lady madonna: February 1968

[15:20] Phil: released, right?

[15:20] Jake: released in march

[15:20] Jake: recorded in feb

[15:20] Phil: I need to know when it was recorded and what else was recorded around then

[15:20] Jake: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Madonna

[15:20] Phil: Recorded Feb ’68

[15:20] Phil: hmmm

[15:20] Phil: so it is a ways down the road

[15:21] Phil: in both senses

[15:21] Jake: yeah

Inner Light

[15:21] Jake: another george trip to india

[15:21] Phil: I loved this song when I first heard it

[15:21] Jake: this is my least fave of the three

[15:21] Phil: it’s energetic

[15:21] Jake: remember when past masters came out?

[15:21] Phil: sure I do

[15:21] Jake: hearing this shit for the first time

[15:22] Jake: amazing

[15:22] Phil: Vikki had it before I did

[15:22] Jake: aw yeah, vikki had it

[15:22] Phil: fer real

Hey Jude

[15:22] Phil: D sings this all the time

[15:22] Phil: he loves this song

[15:22] Phil: makes me proud

[15:22] Jake: don’t make it bad.

[15:22] Jake: you were made to go out and get her

[15:22] Jake: don’t be afraid

[15:22] Jake: i think paul was singing to you about vikki

[15:23] Phil: and then channeled through your mama

[15:23] Jake: what?

[15:23] Phil: she was the one whom told me not to be a dope

[15:23] Phil: “It’s so obvious, Phil…”

[15:23] Jake: oh

[15:23] Jake: ha

[15:23] Jake: i thought you meant my mom told you to seal the deal

[15:24] Phil: ha, jesus…

[15:24] Phil: imagine

[15:24] Phil: good god

[15:24] Jake: shit i’ve got to go in 5 min.

[15:24] Phil: me too

[15:24] Phil: last song

[15:25] Jake: kinda fitting

[15:25] Jake: good song to go out on

[15:25] Phil: yes

[15:25] Phil: epic

[15:26] Jake: you know it didn’t get this song at all? elvis

[15:26] Jake: his version sucks

[15:26] Phil: yes

[15:26] Phil: got stuck on the “Ju ju juudy judyy…”

[15:26] Phil: he loved that bit

[15:27] Phil: missed the rest of the song

[15:27] Jake: i can dig that

[15:27] Jake: my favorite part

[15:27] Jake: is the part

[15:27] Jake: where paul goes: “jude? hey jude? WAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

[15:27] Phil: yeah like he lost Jude for a minute and then found him again

[15:28] Jake: totally

[15:28] Phil: I love the yeahs at the end

[15:28] Jake: or he’s got something really important to tell him

[15:28] Jake: and that turns out to be: “WAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

[15:28] Phil: hahahahahahahaaaaaaaaaa

[15:28] Phil: he’s losing his shit

[15:28] Phil: OK, I am out

[15:29] Jake: me too.

[15:29] Phil: I am currently away from my computer.

We picked up where we left off a few days later…

Revolution

[15:23] Jake: goddamn that guitar and scream are perfect

[15:23] Phil: I hear the lead guitar is “tougher” on the mono mix

[15:23] Phil: this sounds pretty evil already

[15:23] Jake: did you know that ALL singles in the US were mono?

[15:23] Jake: isn’t that crazy?

[15:23] Phil: “Something” even?

[15:24] Phil: the Abbey Road stuff?

[15:24] Phil: that’s a crime

[15:24] Jake: i dunno

[15:24] Jake: looking for a source

[15:24] Jake: i like how the double track vocals just sort of come in and out

[15:24] Jake: love that solo

[15:24] Phil: yes, much clearer now that it’s double-tracked

[15:25] Phil: and that solo KILLS

[15:25] Phil: all howling

[15:25] Jake: and the piano sounds great back there

[15:25] Phil: yes, and the drums sound more “room” miced than close miced

[15:25] Jake: all right!

Get Back (single mix)

[15:26] Jake: i can never remember what the difference is

[15:26] Jake: between this and the album version

[15:26] Phil: I like the interplay of the guitar and Billy’s electric piano part

[15:26] Jake: yes

[15:26] Phil: the separation helps on that

[15:26] Phil: little trills and punches

[15:27] Phil: “ooh, get back Joe!”

[15:27] Phil: that piano part is phat

[15:27] Phil: plain and simple

[15:27] Phil: gives this song that needed bit of soul

[15:27] Jake: yeah, great decision to bring in an outsider

[15:27] Phil: like the ray Charles song it wants to be

[15:28] Phil: right there is where they switch to studio tracks, no?

[15:28] Phil: right to the fade

[15:28] Jake: no idea

Don’t Let Me Down

[15:29] Phil: Maybe my favorite Lennon vocal

[15:29] Jake: i love this song

[15:29] Phil: loose harmonies

[15:29] Jake: and paul is so great on it

[15:29] Phil: so f-ing boss

[15:29] Phil: such a great performance all-around

[15:30] Jake: oh yeah

[15:30] Phil: listen to George’s guitar in the verses

[15:30] Phil: that is god damn perfect arranging!

[15:30] Phil: so tight

[15:30] Phil: Paul and George playing that counter melody on the “I’m in love for the first time…”

[15:31] Phil: this song is perfectly constructed

[15:31] Phil: Macca’s bass sounds so dope

[15:31] Phil: the haters can eat that!

[15:31] Jake: the overdriven vocals on and “she done me”

[15:31] Jake: love that

[15:32] Phil: here comes The Scream

[15:32] Jake: paul!

[15:32] Jake: both of them screaming

[15:32] Phil: that scream and the chick wiggin’ out on “Gimme Shelter” are two of my favorite freakouts on record

Ballad of John and Yoko

[15:33] Phil: John was right

[15:33] Jake: this songs scoots!

[15:33] Phil: you know it ain’t easy

[15:33] Jake: this is all john and paul

[15:34] Phil: I oike those wiggly guitar parts going back in forth in the right and the left channels

[15:34] Phil: sounds like Paul’s drumming

[15:34] Jake: “only trying to get us some peace! christ, you know it ain’t easy”

[15:34] Jake: i love that

[15:34] Jake: i love paul’s bg vox. he sounds INTO it.

[15:34] Phil: I can hear Carlos and Pete doing this

[15:34] Jake: that maraca sounds very present in this

[15:35] Jake: oh man, i’d love to hear a Libs cover of this

[15:35] Jake: it’d be perfect

[15:35] Phil: can’t you hear it??

[15:35] Phil: awesome

[15:35] Phil: right down to that guitar outro

Old Brown Shoe

[15:36] Phil: Ringo is awesome on this song

[15:36] Jake: why do the vocals sound like that?

[15:36] Jake: so lo-fi?

[15:36] Phil: great fills and cymbal crashes

[15:36] Phil: I have to wonder if the vocal is from a rehearsal track

[15:36] Phil: maybe George just dug his performance so they kept it

[15:36] Phil: it’s distant

[15:36] Jake: george never got any respect

[15:36] Phil: almost off-mic

[15:37] Phil: “hey!

[15:37] Jake: they didn’t let him use the good room

[15:37] Phil: I love the sound of that guitar through a leslie

[15:37] Jake: oh yeah

[15:37] Jake: and there’s an organ back there

[15:37] Phil: interesting how clearly you can hear the second guitar flwon in on the end of that solo

[15:38] Jake: yeah. it’s right there.

[15:38] Phil: I like that old-timey piano in my right ear

[15:38] Jake: yep

[15:38] Jake: that low guitar part (bass?) is awesome

[15:38] Phil: the whole mix of this song is weird, like it was a demo mix that they decided to release

Across the Universe (chirpy version)

[15:39] Jake: this is hippie drivel

[15:39] Phil: ha

[15:39] Jake: come on

[15:40] Phil: nothing’s gonna change my world…wanna bet?

[15:40] Jake: oh man

[15:40] Phil: is this only John?

[15:40] Jake: i don’t like those little girly background vocals either

[15:40] Jake: could be

[15:41] Phil: backing vox are Apple Scruffs, no?

[15:41] Phil: I am so out of practice on my Beatle mythology, it’s sad

[15:41] Phil: 16 year old me would be so disappointed

[15:41] Jake: ha. you’d be laughed out of beatlefest

[15:41] Phil: rightly so

[15:41] Phil: but I’d get laid afterwards

[15:42] Phil: still a weird song and I’m not moved to like it anymore than ever

[15:42] Jake: ha

[15:42] Jake: me neither

[15:42] Phil: no Sgt. Pepper revelation here

Let It Be

[15:43] Jake: single version

[15:43] Phil: Paul really does have a lovely voice

[15:43] Jake: i know this has a different guitar solo than the album version

[15:43] Phil: it goes without saying…but I said it

[15:43] Jake: but again it’s one of those things i never notice

[15:43] Jake: (the guitar solo, not the voice)

[15:43] Phil: yes

[15:43] Jake: the voice is 100% awesome

[15:44] Phil: Piano, electric piano, guitar>>>pipe organ

[15:44] Phil: nice

[15:44] Jake: it’s easy to forget what a good song this really is

[15:45] Phil: yes and what a subtle, but important addition Billy was to these songs

[15:45] Phil: George had the best tones, period

[15:46] Phil: those bad ass SGs

[15:46] Jake: john had the best coat though

[15:46] Phil: yes

[15:46] Jake: on the rooptop

[15:46] Phil: furry

[15:46] Jake: that awesome fur thing

[15:46] Phil: George’s was sweet too though

[15:46] Jake: looks like he got attacked by a yeti

[15:46] Jake: i love that

You Know My Name

[15:47] Phil: Enter: Vikki

[15:47] Phil: reminds me of her every time

[15:47] Jake: should we just talk about her ?

[15:47] Phil: she had Past Masters before I did

[15:47] Jake: yep

[15:47] Phil: yes, I am

[15:47] Phil: anyhow…

[15:47] Jake: i so clearly remember you playing this for me without telling me who it was

[15:48] Phil: I remember taping her CD and playing it in Monte

[15:48] Phil: “Guess who this is…”

[15:48] Jake: ha

[15:48] Phil: It was so weird to have a Beatles song we’d never heard before.

[15:48] Jake: yeah

[15:48] Phil: I mean, we were EXPERTS

[15:48] Jake: and such a goofy song

[15:48] Jake: paul is hilarious

[15:48] Phil: they were goons

[15:49] Jake: exactly

[15:49] Phil: I mean, they put this out as a legit B-side

[15:49] Phil: WTF?!?!?

[15:49] Jake: yeah

[15:50] Jake: i recently read that john wanted to release this with “what’s the new mary jane”

[15:50] Jake: as a plastic one band single

[15:50] Phil: did he not want to sell records?

[15:50] Phil: I am sure EMI loved that idea

[15:50] Jake: they even sent out a press release

[15:50] Jake: and assigned it an apple records catalog #

[15:50] Phil: ooops

[15:51] Phil: <end>

[15:51] Jake: yeah, but they put THAT on the b-side of the lovely let it be

[15:51] Jake: i mean, come on

[15:51] Phil: John always roughing up the edges

[15:51] Jake: john was clearly done with that band

[15:52] Phil: he was always a bit of an over compensator

[15:52] Phil: all the screaming and howling and willful weirdness

[15:52] Phil: God love him…

[15:52] Jake: indeed

[15:53] Phil: too bad he’s in hell

[15:53] Jake: ha

Video: The Beatles – “Rain”

 

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