I have had it up to here waiting for the Beatles catalogue to be remastered

hence why I could never imagining Bogart, Cooper, etc. I dislike the taste of tar-encrusted ashtrays.

Dear kids, there used to be smoking "sections" in restaurants and even planes and hospitals (!). Everything everywhere smelled like stale cigarette smoke. Signed, an old person.

P.S. Don't recall smoking in supermarkets and movie theatres, but there must have been.

I’m wondering when recording studios started instituting no-smoking rules, or at least when it became apparent that smoking could (and did) seriously damage mixing boards, tape machines, the tape itself, etc.

― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, December 14, 2021 7:15 AM

Hey! Now they did have that sign posted in the documentary that said "PLEASE PUT CIGARETTES OUT IN ASH TRAY".

i'm finally watching this non-ambiently, i'm in the middle of episode two and it's very good and much better than let it be. surprised at how much of a narrative there really is tying these eight hours together: watch a band try and fail and then try again and then sort of succeed re: getting their shit together literally at all

one distinct difference between the two is, iirc, let it be really lingers on the grueling "maxwell's" rehearsals at twickenham, possibly as a shorthand way to develop the tension between paul and george, whereas the sessions come off far more varied and dare i say ramshackle in this film

The narrative arc is well developed and/or imposed by Jackson, it really does have a shape. Which makes sense, given that they had created this ridiculous film/recording schedule for themselves. It's like someone gave Jackson the raw footage from a reality show.

Every event seems less harsh than what hundreds of books and interviews have sold us. It's not how life or bands work, right? No event triggers withdrawal -- a long weariness, the telling yourself to count to three, the inside jokes you no longer find amusing, that's what Jackson shapes here.

Good point.

It's like everything you have read about the "Let it be" sessions has turned out to be incorrect.

Sounds a bit suspicious when you say it like that.

the walrus was Paul!

Alfred otm

Also, I suspect that a large part of the reason that vintage tube gear and those old consoles required so much upkeep and maintenance (by lab-coated engineers) was because their innards kept filling up with smoke and resin and dust - hence they were designed with the patch bays comparatively open, so as to be serviceable on site by the aforementioned technicians.

That may in fact have played a part in the introduction of solid-state gear.

Like, in 35 years of making music I have owned (checks notes) three mixers. Do you know how many times I've opened them up and cleaned every component with a Q-Tip? Zero.

BUT - old gear was designed to be modular and user-serviceable, partly because that made technological sense but also partly because they lived in rooms full of cigarette smoke and weed and cocaine and, I dunno, probably also kinky sex. Also they were in older buildings that were less sterile and more prone to accumulate dust and gunk and mouse droppings.

BRB, I will now go obtain several doctorate degrees in materials science and electrical engineering so that I can write an exhaustive scholarly treatise on the disparate effects of Marlboros vs. Players vs. Gauloises on recording equipment, with a detour into European vs. American rodent species, a sidebar on cocaine granularity, plus the viscosity of different sexual lubricants in the period 1964-1979

, I dunno, probably also kinky sex

Ya got me thinking of sweet sweet Paul-George hate fucks.

bang bang

(Mal on anvil, obv)

Paul was physical
Studied homophysical

All schlongs must pass

i'm finally watching this non-ambiently, i'm in the middle of episode two and it's very good and much better than let it be. surprised at how much of a narrative there really is tying these eight hours together: watch a band try and fail and then try again and then sort of succeed re: getting their shit together literally at all

one distinct difference between the two is, iirc, let it be really lingers on the grueling "maxwell's" rehearsals at twickenham, possibly as a shorthand way to develop the tension between paul and george, whereas the sessions come off far more varied and dare i say ramshackle in this film

― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Tuesday, December 14, 2021 10:34 AM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

The narrative arc is well developed and/or imposed by Jackson, it really does have a shape. Which makes sense, given that they had created this ridiculous film/recording schedule for themselves. It's like someone gave Jackson the raw footage from a reality show.

― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Tuesday, December 14, 2021 11:11 AM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

narrative + reality show otm. It comes off to me as a v modern streaming style show (which it is). Might have even leaned in a little more to that by making it 50+ minute episodes instead of 2.5 hr parts, but I'm struggling to think of additional cliffhanger/storylines/resolutions they could have used.

answering the question about whether Ringo really did fart

Head fake editing at the end of Episode 1 to make you think they are going to Libya, only for George to quash that in the cold open of Episode 2.

i dont think anyone thought they wete going to libya except MLH

*were

Ob-la-di ob-la-da li-by-a, bra

Head fake editing at the end of Episode 1 to make you think they are going to Libya, only for George to quash that in the cold open of Episode 2.

Yes, it's like watching a James Bond film and knowing that Bond isn't going to die but you go along with it anyway.

Having only used dials and sliders all my life in radio, I was fascinated by those submarine levers Glyn and Alan, et. al. were pushing.

Marmalade's cover of "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da" was actually at Number One in the UK singles chart during January 1969 (Wilson Pickett's "Hey Jude" was also a lesser hit during the month), while The White Album was at Number One in the albums chart. Also, the Yellow Submarine soundtrack LP was released in in the same month, although thus far into my viewing I've yet to hear anybody mention it.

There's a parallel universe in which MLH gets his way, they still break up, the concert gets mythologized as being the cause, and "Playing Sabratha" becomes a byword for the writing being on the wall.

they should've made heather the lead singer of the beatles

heather rules

Nice interview with Gile Martin on Let It Be:

https://www.goldminemag.com/features/the-making-of-the-beatles-let-it-be

It clears up a few things - for example, the box set was always done with Peter Jackson's new film in mind, and Martin didn't want to be repetitive, so a lot of stuff was probably dropped simply because it was already in the film.

Also, none of the multitracks were properly backed up until Martin did Love. Since he was going through them anyway, he made backing up everything part of the project, just to have it be useful (it didn't sound like he expected Love to be much of a release). The new mixes have been generally done from these digital transfers rather than the original analog multitracks, so I'm guessing backing everything up made Apple/the Beatles/etc.'s decision to have him remix albums later on a whole lot easier.

god the rooftop concert is so fucking dope

^^^
After all the fucking around, they just go out and kill it.

I'm repeating myself, but I absolutely love the sound of the Let it Be material. Billy Preston really added something groovy to them.

Sorta surprising that Billy isn’t on more than just two tracks on Abbey Road; I Want You and Something. It’d be great if he was on the whole thing.

ok i'm done listening to every beatles album and song, time to listen to a ton of yoko

I got to meet Giles Martin in at a Rock Band: Beatles event, the whole game was made possible because of the reissues, they were digitizing all the multitracks so they could pull the "stems" for the game.

he was super enthusiastic, he was definitely the one that was the main liason with Harmonix the developer.

very nice and personable, was dressed in an understated casual way where you can just sense that the clothes cost a zillion dollars even though they aren't flashy.

as a young man he resembled a dapper Paul Simonon

top beatles songs according to brad

i want you (she's so heavy)
no reply
you won't see me
got to get you into my life
all my loving
the long one (if that's allowed)
she said she said
your mother should know
i should've known better
long long long
and your bird can sing
sexy sadie
hey bulldog
here there and everywhere
you're going to lose that girl
i'll follow the sun
we can work it out
cry baby cry
old brown shoe

A bit from a larger list:

1. Things We Said Today
2. I’m Down
3. A Hard Day’s Night
4. Here Comes the Sun
5. It Won’t Be Long
6. This Boy
7. Don’t Let Me Down
8. Twist and Shout
9. Ticket to Ride
10. Strawberry Fields Forever
11. We Can Work It Out
12. I Want to Tell You
13. Boys
14. No Reply
15. She’s a Woman
16. Two of Us
17. I Want You (She’s So Heavy)
18. Don’t Bother Me
19. You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away
20. For No One

beatles rockbamd was super fun & really well crafted i thought

meanwhile im gonna work on my list!

VG beatles

no reply
any time at all
golden slumbers
ive just seen a face
something
i want you (she’s so heavy)
help
til there was you
eleanor rigby
blackbird
in my life
all my loving
here comes the sun
i should’ve known better
and your bird can sing
eight days a week
ticket to ride
penny lane
she’s leaving home
let it be

Fuck it. In no particular order:

If I needed someone
Norwegian wood
You never give me your money
Eleanor Rigby
Ticket to ride
Happiness is a warm gun
Hey Jude
Tomorrow never knows
Eight days a week
Strawberry fields forever
Here there and everywhere
I feel fine
It won’t be long
I want you (she’s so heavy)
A hard days night
Everybody’s got something to hide except for me and my monkey
What you’re doing
A day in the life
I’m only sleeping
Got to get you into my life

20 favourites off the top of my head

Glass Onion
If I Needed Someone
A Day in the Life
Dear Prudence
Good Morning Good Morning
It Won't Be Long
Here Comes the Sun
Girl
The Night Before
For No One
I've Got a Feeling
Back in the U.S.S.R.
We Can Work It Out
Things We Said Today
Julia
Act Naturally
In My Life
Paperback Writer
Penny Lane
And Your Bird Can Sing

Good stuff.

In no particular order except the first seven or eight are probably my top seven or eight

I am the walrus
The long and winding road
A day in the life
Two of us
While my guitar gently weeps
Strawberry fields forever
Across the universe
This boy
All my loving
We can work it out
Bring for the benefit of Mr Kite
Happiness is a warm gun
Cry baby cry
And your bird can sing
You never give me your money
Revolution 9
Things we said today
Long, long, long
Fixing a hole
Tomorrow never knows

By the way, anyone who's on this thread should really listen to this in-depth interview with Peter Jackson about the film - apologies if already mentioned. I'm not sure who it was upthread who said he'd been quoted as saying he wasn't into music, but I don't know how that squares with this interview. It'a an amazing listen – real fan service – and I'm only through the first part:

http://somethingaboutthebeatles.com/224a-the-making-of-get-back-part-one/

Roughly chronological top 20:

There's a Place
I'll Be Back
Every Little Thing
Ticket to Ride
I'm Looking Through You
We Can Work It Out
Paperback Writer
Rain
For No One
She Said She Said
I Want to Tell You
A Day in the Life
Getting Better
She's Leaving Home
Dear Prudence
Sexy Sadie
Martha My Dear
Long, Long, Long
I Want You (She's So Heavy)
You Never Give Me Your Money

I thought they looked like they were all genuinely having a blast on the rooftop. It is funny, though, that the police arrived just in time to shut them down before they ran out of material or had to go through the songs a third time. I was thinking up ways they could have delayed the two young cops further.

It was cool they came back the next day, kept screwing around, and came up with the album version of Let It Be.

Sad this is over and I don't get to live in 1969 anymore :(

Nice to see affection for "Long Long Long." If I'd praised it to my fellow Beatle maniacs in high school, I'd have gotten long long long stares.

The sound of that song was so muffled on my 1987 CD, I always dismissed it. But it blew me away when I got the mono box set - its a mini-epic.

^^ same experience with original White Album CD.

These lists are great. Good to see the love for “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”- which I’ve seen dismissed on ILM as proto-heavy metal.

Does no one rate “I’m Down” ? When Paul said “Remember when we go send to rock?”, I picture him having that one in mind. There’s a great description somewhere by George of John playing the keyboards for that one with his elbows/forearms, and saying he thought John was cracking up under the pressure.