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.