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Beatles.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

UPDATE (7/28): A few weeks ago, my ftp-thing decided to make all of the original files from these two original posts (from May) go away, banished to the land of wind and ghosts. Well, now they’re back. They’re not exactly new, but they are alive once more. Part two is here.

UPDATE (11/15): Bienvenue à mes visiteurs Français! (registration req., je pense)

It came to mind when thinking about this post that, contrary to logic, the Beatles are probably only important to a lot of younger music fans in an academic sense, i.e. as history. As in, one must like the Beatles, because they’re the Beatles. Which is a bit unfortunate. Perhaps more unfortunate is the fact that I’m making such a broad generalization. Either way, let’s get down to it. My personal Beatles history began in the spring of 1998, when, as a junior at Indiana University, I took Z320, a 10-or-so student seminar called “The Music of the Beatles.” And it was as cool as you’d think it would be. For an entire semester, for two hours on Tuesday and Thursday nights, we would dissect a Beatles album from start to finish, led by a professor from IU’s Music School who (duh) wins the Professor of the Year award about every year. His approach is what does it: it’s part archival numerology, Mark Lewisohn-style, part biography, Philip Norman-style, part music-theory, George Martin-style, and part rabid fan, RFK 1965-style. After that class, I could never experience the Beatles the same way again, and I’m glad for it.

That said, the best way to show my appreciation is to break the band’s recorded output into what Professor Gass (who I steal from just about any time I talk about music) calls “Beatle Moments.” The following, then, is a list of (some, but not all of) my favorite moments (not entire songs) from the Beatles’ recorded output. You’ll catch on. So, here goes, in no particular order:

Count-Offs. A decade before Dee Dee Ramone canonized it, “I Saw Her Standing There” (mp3) left Paul’s “One, two three, FAAH!” in, just blowing up little transistor radio speakers everywhere. Then, the same thing happened on Revolver, specifically on “Taxman” (mp3) but with the addition of some chemical inspiration. And then, it’s not really a count-off, but the very beginning of “A Hard Day’s Night” (mp3) just holds so much promise, looking back.

Sweet and Sour. By the time of Pepper, John and Paul had fully established their light and dark lyrical oppositional forces, and it comes across no better than on the chorus of “Getting Better” (mp3), with John’s “It can’t get no worse” casting a shadow over Paul’s trippy sunniness.

The “I’m Crying” part from “I Am the Walrus.” Which is just gorgeous, perhaps the best part of the song, and then leads back into his best Surrealist moment, the guttural, nasty “Yellow matter custard, dripping from a dead dog’s eye.” Just fooking brilliant (mp3).

The Opening 12 Seconds from “She Loves You.” Beginning with a quick bass drum roll, it then leads into what may be the most ebullient couplet ever recorded, with the “yeah! yeah! yeah!” part just summing up the release of a thousand stomachs full of butterflies. Then, the yeah yeah yeahs give way to Ringo’s cymbal crash, which, when it settles, exposes the first verse. Perfection. (mp3)

Studio Tricks. This one’s fun. Okay, let’s start with the guitar solo from “I’m Only Sleeping.” It’s obviously been reversed, but that’s not the whole story. George actually played the actual solo backwards, and then they flipped the tape for the master, making it a forward sounding lead break, but with just enough backwards sound to fit perfectly in one of John’s droniest songs. Listen to both of them (album version first, and then the original George take—acquired by just playing the song backwards) (mp3). Then, let’s look at the piano solo from “In My Life,” quite possibly my favorite Beatles song. It’s actually a sped-up George Martin take, played along with Ringo’s drums slowed down like 60%. Listen to what the original could have probably sounded like, then the master version (mp3). Next, the story’s been told a million times that, for the “Rain” single, John wanted the B-side to be the entire song backwards, because it would have been supremely trippy. Thankfully, the rest of the group talked him into just tacking a backwards version of the first verse at the end of the song. Hear it backwards and forwards (mp3).

Fun with Stereo. I’m probably not in the minority when I say that I prefer the mono recordings of their early stuff (pre-White Album, natch), but that doesn’t make it any less fun to play with the split channels and see what’s hiding in the mix. I used to do this all the time with the fader knob in my car. But, when you can separate the drums from the rest of the second chorus of “Strawberry Fields Forever” and see how amazing they sound, it’s just worth it. And I’m remembering how just scary this song is on headphones, too. Listen to it with mixed channels, and then with just John and Ringo (mp3). Next, let’s just separate John from the rest of everything for his first verse on “A Day in the Life” (mp3), because it’s just stunning. If you haven’t seen how George Martin reacts to it in the Anthology, it says more than I ever could. Finally, the backing vocals on “Paperback Writer,” (mp3) when separated out, are just the band saying “Frere Jacques.”

The Middle Eight. They essentially invented it, and here are a few of my favorites. First, one of Paul’s most overlooked songs, “Things We Said Today” from A Hard Day’s Night. The middle eight gets worked back into the rest of the song with some slick wordplay (mp3). Then, John’s best one, from “You’re Gonna Lose That Girl” (mp3). The “I’ll make a point” part is one of my all-time favorite parts from any song, and then the second time around, when George’s guitar comes in, it’s just magic—like the guitar is doing a “nah-nah-nah-nah-nah” to the guy who, yes, will lose his girl to John. Then, George’s best song and best middle eight, from “Something” (mp3). Then, John’s waltz-time interruption to Paul’s “We Can Work It Out” (mp3), complete with harmonium. Finally, John’s dizzying childhood flashback in the middle of “She Said,” (mp3) which just collapses (thanks to Ringo) back into the verse.

John’s Vocal Thing. More specifically, John’s best “ahhhh” moments. I’ve always loved that music was such a release for John—he’d had far and away the most fucked-up life of any Beatle, and was the least enthused about the fame (some would argue George, and I’d agree sometimes)—and it was always released in these great, somewhat cathartic moments. Here are a few: First, my all-time favorite, and one of my favorite Beatles moments—the “aaaaaahhhh” right before the third chorus of “Ticket to Ride.” Just heartbreaking (mp3). Then, there’s the one from “Girl” (mp3). Then, there are two that aren’t as much “aaaaahhhhh”, but still qualify: the “oooohhhooohhoooohhoohhhh” from “Eight Days A Week” (mp3) and the just stunning falsetto ending to “In My Life” (mp3).

Paul’s Vocal Thing. My favorite vocal tic from Paul is his propensity to “whoooo!,” which falls in line with the fact that he had an unhealthy Wilson Pickett fascination. They tend to be buried in the mix, which makes them all the better—like they’re struggling to get out. Here are two: from “Sgt Pepper” (at 19 seconds in) (mp3) and “Me and My Monkey” (14 sec.) (mp3).

Eric Clapton’s solo from “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” The beginning of “Classic Rock,” right here. Also the starting point for Duane Allman’s part on “Layla” (mp3).

Ringo’s Stick Work. Massively underappreciated. One of the most efficient, colorful rock drummers of all time. Disliked mostly by those who prefer Peart, Bonham or Moon. Here are two of my favorites, which are also slightly similar. The post-Ronettes open to “What You’re Doing” and the proto-Chemical Brothers open to “Tomorrow Never Knows” (mp3), a title that came from Ringo himself.

Paul’s Lead Break from “Taxman.” A month or so earlier, Roger McGuinn said his opening lead from “Eight Miles High” was inspired by Ravi Shankar and John Coltrane. Paul took the inspiration. The best part is when the verse comes back in, and the guitar fills in behind George. Also only a single channel to highlight the guitar (mp3). And yes, it’s Paul, not George.

The “Saving all your money for a rainy day” line from “Ballad of John and Yoko.” Because it ends with “Last night the wife said, ‘Oh, boy, when you’re dead, you won’t take nothin’ with you but your soul…Think!’” which still gives me goosebumps, even when I type it (mp3).

The First Verse of “Hey Bulldog.” Just plain nasty, and legend has it, directed at Paul, who harmonizes (mp3). Also, the best from Yellow Submarine.

Paul’s Codas. If anyone could wrap up the nasty breakup with a pretty bow, it’s cheesy old Paul. Honestly, I still get teary when I listen to both of these. First, the “one sweet dream” part of “You Never Give Me Your Money” (mp3), which was a precursor to Paul’s later Wings errors, but here, just perfect. Then, the best of all: “You and I have memories, longer than the road that stretches out ahead,” directed at John, from “Two of Us” (mp3).

Oh, yeah, leave your favorites in the comments. I’m already thinking of so many I missed (the openings to “I Me Mine” and “Helter Skelter,” the middle of “Day Tripper,” John’s opening line from “Mr. Moonlight,”….)

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