George Harrison: Search & Destroy

How I ranked his Beatles song.

Ron woods version of Far East man is better than Harrison’s

You’re insane, Blue Jay Way is godhead

I have to agree with Alfred, it's dreadfully dull.

Also posted in another thread, archivist Ron Furmanek was asked to remix the Magical Mystery Tour soundtrack (sound as well as music) around 1988 for home video release. George Martin was present for the final mix sessions, and when Furmanek played him the backing tracks to "Blue Jay Way," Martin laughed and said "this is rubbish! Did we release this??"

I also agree with the majority on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" - flat out great. But the rest of the Beatles don't get enough credit - never mind Clapton, just listen to everything they add to George's ghostly demo. It really gives you a sense of what they all gained from working collectively, and what was sorely missed when they split apart.

WMGGW is mediocre shit

*some mediocre shit

Bobby Whitlock doesn't like it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soM5B6q39Ls

Ron woods version of Far East man is better than Harrison’s

Bobby Whitlock doesn't like it.

I haven't compared the remix to the original mix directly, but it's kind of surprising if the remix is actually more muddy. I'm generally skeptical of revisionist mixes anyway so I wasn't looking forward to the new mix - I only wanted the demos and outtakes. Remixing live albums can be successful (like the recordings used for the Band's Rock of Ages/Live at the Academy, the recordings used for the Rolling Stones' Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out), but that's rarely the case with studio albums, not unless it's a simple three-track reduction. There are exceptions like the seven original cuts Richard Hell was able to remix for last year's Destiny Street Remixed, but they're a tiny minority.

And WMGGW is still awesome. :P

I'm still listening through that video because it's a long rant, but it's pretty dickish. They're talking about the Über set (which they got as a gift), and as pointed out elsewhere, that giant set was done more as a memento or gift to friends and colleagues. It's fine if they don't like the mix, it's a frequent complaint for people to criticize new mixes, but it was also a gift sent to them by the Harrison family, and they're going out of their way to post long YouTube videos trashing it and insulting the people who gave it to them. They even allude to what's apparently irritation by the Harrisons at prior videos they posted insulting or criticizing them. That's pretty fucked up.

He (and his wife) come across like some bitter, graceless cranks.

Oh shit, I just skimmed through with the audio muted. Definitely did not want t hear anyone talk for an hour straight though

Couldn’t watch more than a minute or so. Recently read him complaining about something like too many out-of-tune guitar overdubs from Duane Allman on Derek and the Dominos. He did stick up for Rita Coolidge’s claim to a coda co-writing credit on “Layla” though.

There are exceptions like the seven original cuts Richard Hell was able to remix for last year's Destiny Street Remixed, but they're a tiny minority.

The 1995 The Who Sell Out remix was reasonably well done, but not dramatically different from the original. Other ‘90s Who remixes are either indistinguishable from the originals (most of Who’s Next), miss the mark (Quadrophenia), or take too many liberties (Who Are You).

The Replacements’ Dead Man’s Pop is astoundingly great, though the original mix of Don’t Tell A Soul wasn’t exactly a high bar to clear.

Yes to this last

The Who is a good case because they more or less remixed their entire catalog at one point or another. The Live at Leeds recordings have been mixed several times with varying results, but the last time (which is available only as a download as a hi-res file) gets it right. The crackling noises were only on the bass track, so the only way to get rid of it is to process Entwistle's bass track through a modern day digital de-clicker and make a new mix. Beyond that, I actually like the Who Sell Out remix you mention - it's not just a remix, incorporating the bonus material does everything Dave Marsh claims and brings the original concept to complete and satisfying fruition. Beyond that, I think the rest of their remixes are completely disposable - the three you mentioned, but also the new mixes of My Generation, Tommy, The Who by Numbers, Face Dances, etc...not worth it at all.

Dead Man's Pop is really good, especially with the outtakes that I wish they put on the album. But the alternate mix of Pleased to Meet Me (which to be fair wasn't a new mix, just an alternate set of vintage mixes) was for collectors only.

I have never heard of Bobby Whitlock in my life but based on this video alone, the man is a f'n moron. Not to disparage stroke survivors but he seems like he's had a stroke that has removed his facilities and rendered him partially brain dead. I wouldn't trust his review of a waffle house.

What about a Yelp review of the Waffle House

Just googled him and seems he played on this record and with Clapton so perhaps he's just a drug casualty. Maybe he's right, maybe he's wrong. He does sound like he's not fully capable mentally.

I didn't want to mention it, but yeah, it does look like he's had a stroke, damage from past drugs or both. Whitlock did do a lot of great stuff 50 years ago, especially on Layla, but it's pretty sad he's resurfaced shitting all over something that isn't worth shitting over.

To be clear, I love the album (at least the album proper, not the jams), but it's just a reissue. The remix may be dubious, but there's like a million albums getting anniversary remixes now.

What about the deep, previously unreleased cuts?

Beyond that, I actually like the Who Sell Out remix you mention - it's not just a remix, incorporating the bonus material does everything Dave Marsh claims and brings the original concept to complete and satisfying fruition.

I do like that remix, but I was never of the opinion that the concept on the original was abandoned: the album mirrored the shift (in the US, anyway) from hyperactive AM to “heavy” and reflective FM.

The new mix sounded really nice when I was listening to it yesterday, not drastically different but I think “Isn’t it a Pity” sounded a lot clearer. And I liked the devotional songs that didn’t make the album, “Om Hare Om” is a cool tune!

For some reason I've adored this self-produced throwaway recorded for the excellent Best of Dark Horse comp. Happy birthday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJB7cl5Ww8E

Hadn’t heard “Poor Little Girl” before. Not bad. Kinda catchy chorus

I’m fairly certain this thread would’ve stalled ca. 2009 were it not for Alfred.

Um….

What about the deep, previously unreleased cuts?

I finally got around to the set last week, and I think the two discs of demos are great - I wish they got their own standalone release. The disc of outtakes felt pretty disposable. It's funny to hear "Isn't It Shitty" done as a joke to the tune of "Isn't It a Pity," but otherwise there is close to nothing on there I'd want to revisit. The one exception is probably the acoustic "Woman Don't You Cry for Me" but you already get a great version of that on Early Takes, Vol. 1 (what happened to "volume 2"???). To be fair it's much longer on the ATMP super deluxe set, so I guess it has that going for it.

Haha.

Man, do I like Cloud Ninem

Alfred has some kind of love/hate relationship with George.

No longer!

I can't resist him.

Just realized via the “end of the line” video that GH is kind of the lead on that

This is pretty:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6s3v-XLfa0

Dig those white teeth

cloud nine has hooks galore. “Fish in the sand”, “this is love”

"Fish" is one of his best.

hooky chorus but the production and instrumentation sound hasn't aged too well

sounds fine to me but I've no problem with Lynne's production, and thanks to Harrison's mitigating influence it's less burdensome.

George Harrison was rather unimpressed with the new releases in December 1965: "Take it off, it's crap," "It's crap. Take it off," "That's enough," "I don't like it," and the succinct, "Rubbish." pic.twitter.com/WLhKHdtwaH

— John F. Lyons (@JohnFLyons2) April 26, 2022

Are you sure that wasn't an outtake from A Hard Day's Night?

when wasn't George "rather unimpressed"

He never dropped that attitude. Even when the guy stabbed him he had something dismissive to say.

He said, "...That's enough. I don't like it".

To be fair, those records in question WERE crap, and he liked a few things like the one by the Zombies. (Plus his responses turned out to be much longer.)

George during this era was the band's resident American R&B expert.

Thought he said “I don’t think he was here to audition for The Traveling Wilburies.”

"good if it's English, mediocre if it's American", oof brutal

George during this era was the band's resident American R&B expert.

― So who you gonna call? The martini police (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, April 26, 2022 10:13 AM (fifteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

Yep. I believe he was the one who pushed most for them to try recording at Stax, and he had the idea for the "Respect"-like unison guitar & bass line in "Drive My Car" (and ended up playing bass on it).

A couple years earlier when he visited his sister in southern Illinois, he bought records by Bobby "Blue" Bland, Booker T. & the MGs, and James Ray, the latter of which had "Got My Mind Set On You."