Log In
Register
10.18am
31 March 2008
Offline
Yep, I agree completely. I think they were written by Kevin Howlett, a BBC radio producer who knows his stuff, but he chose to mention one of the least interesting aspect of The Beatles' recording techniques.
Bouncing down/reduction mixes were perhaps worth a mention on Sgt Pepper , but for the rest there's a whole load of other stuff to be discusses. They should have asked me to do it 
Can buy me love! Please consider supporting the Beatles Bible on Amazon
Or buy my paperback/ebook! Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs
Don't miss The Bowie Bible – now live!
11.21am
19 September 2010
Offline I agree completely. The Lennon ones are much better.
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
5.46pm
1 May 2010
Offline
To be honest, I read the first 2 and I said “Booo-ring” so I decided to rip all my CDs to listen in my computer. 
And for a long while, I had Beatles Bible song page from the song I was listening. As Joe said, it's much better 
Here comes the sun….. Scoobie-doobie……
Something in the way she moves…..attracts me like a cauliflower…
Bop. Bop, cat bop. Go, Johnny, Go.
Beware of Darkness…
6.11pm
14 December 2009
Offline Yeah, those remasters were disappointing in a number of ways. To read the “Let It Be ” notes and not see any mention at all about the tensions and miseries involved in its recording feels dishonest in some way. And would it have been SO difficult to include session details – recording dates, instrumentation, all those juicy details that Joe worked so hard to post on this very site?
[Plus I hate having to slide the discs themselves out of a cardboard sleeve, what the hell is that?! A good way to get 'em prematurely scratched, that's what it is. Far, far inferior to the plastic ones with the lock-on thing in the centre, if you ask me. If Apple's rationale behind that decision was to replicate the experience of sliding vinyl discs out of record sleeves, well, thanks but no thanks. And if they did it merely to save money, then “Screw you, you cheap bastards!” That nonsense is way-unworthy of history's greatest band.]
Paul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
6.17pm
1 May 2010
Offline I know what you mean with those cardboard sleeves. I don't listen my CDs very often (I have all my music in my computer) so I'm very careful when I use them.
I think they went to the ecofriendly package rather than a cheap one, don't you think? 
Here comes the sun….. Scoobie-doobie……
Something in the way she moves…..attracts me like a cauliflower…
Bop. Bop, cat bop. Go, Johnny, Go.
Beware of Darkness…
8.16pm
31 March 2008
Offline Quick tip: the CDs are easier to get in and out if you squeeze the top and bottom edges of the cases slightly.
The following people thank Joe for this post:
vonbonteeCan buy me love! Please consider supporting the Beatles Bible on Amazon
Or buy my paperback/ebook! Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs
Don't miss The Bowie Bible – now live!
8.55pm
19 September 2010
Offline Von Bontee said:
[Plus I hate having to slide the discs themselves out of a cardboard sleeve, what the hell is that?! A good way to get 'em prematurely scratched, that's what it is. Far, far inferior to the plastic ones with the lock-on thing in the centre, if you ask me. If Apple's rationale behind that decision was to replicate the experience of sliding vinyl discs out of record sleeves, well, thanks but no thanks. And if they did it merely to save money, then “Screw you, you cheap bastards!” That nonsense is way-unworthy of history's greatest band.]
That has always bugged me. I mean, the Beatles weren't people who screwed over the public, so why does its company?
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
9.30pm
Reviewers
14 April 2010
Offline paulsbass said:
Not sure if this has already been discussed, but after looking through some of the remasters I’ve GOT to express my disappointment with the liner notes!
I mean even Mark Lewinsons short comments on the Past Masters tracks are more informative and entertaining in contrast to these dull reports, how The Beatles used their four track recording device. And the process of “bouncing down” several tracks to one to create new space is described in at least five (!!) “recording notes”!! (Help , Rubber Soul , Revolver , Sgt. Peppers, White Album ) Can you imagine that?? Especially Revolver , one of the most remarkable recordings ever, and they give up a whole paragraph to the same thing they had described before TWICE!
And on the “White Album ” the describe the whole process AGAIN, because then they did NOT need it anymore!!
And the “Historical notes” on “Sgt. Peppers” mainly describe their frustration with playing live – I think it would have been much more appropriate to acknowledge the “historical” dimensions of this album!!
All in all “Historical” and “Recording notes” on all albums totally lack enthusiasm, emotion and depths.
Big missed chance.
Anyone agrees with that?
I agree the recording and historical notes could have been better. But as far as the true liner notes, I believe they are the originals (written by Barrow or whoever the Press Officer du jour was at the time), no?
Also, in fairness, the packaging was designed for individual sale not just box sets. The “powers that be” have no guarantee the consumer would read about the bouncing down that many times if said consumer only bought one of the discs. I do know what you are saying though, pb – I stopped reading them after AHDN .
Personally, I like the packaging but do agree that chances were missed. Or, we could just go with Von and say “Screw you, you cheap bastards!” That made me laugh.
The following people thank Zig for this post:
IveJustSeenAFaceoTo the fountain of perpetual mirth, let it roll for all its worth. And all the children boogie.
9.35pm
14 December 2009
Offline Yeah, definitely. I pretty much have to do that anyways, since i actually keep the discs in innersleeves – those little paper-and-cellophane envelopes that usually house CD-Roms – inside the cardboard, which (of course) makes the whole thing bulkier and even more of a hassle to remove, grr…
[Side note: I remember reading that Lennon used to regularly buy three copies of albums he liked: one to play, one to loan to a friend, and one to keep filed away on a shelf, in pristine shape (and possibly still sealed?). I wonder, if he'd lived to embrace the digital-music age, would he be apt to buy a single CD, save it to his hard drive then file it away, and just burn copies for whoever wanted one? Who knows…it's an idle question anyways…]
Paul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
9.38pm
19 September 2010
Offline The last time I actually listened to an actual CD was Anthology 1 , because I hadn't put it on the Computer yet.
As if it matters how a man falls down.'
'When the fall's all that's left, it matters a great deal.
3.53am
1 May 2010
Offline 
Von Bontee said:
[Side note: I remember reading that Lennon used to regularly buy three copies of albums he liked: one to play, one to loan to a friend, and one to keep filed away on a shelf, in pristine shape (and possibly still sealed?). I wonder, if he’d lived to embrace the digital-music age, would he be apt to buy a single CD, save it to his hard drive then file it away, and just burn copies for whoever wanted one? Who knows…it’s an idle question anyways…]
I didn’t know that!! I’m sure he would have a CD and then rip it into mp3 files or FLAC into this computer while tweeting and posting on his blog. 
damn now I got sad. 
Here comes the sun….. Scoobie-doobie……
Something in the way she moves…..attracts me like a cauliflower…
Bop. Bop, cat bop. Go, Johnny, Go.
Beware of Darkness…
8.48am
10 May 2011
Offline I think they're wery detailed (both of them).
My Music Blog.
One and one don't make two
One and one make one.
9.25pm
9 June 2010
Offline 
Joe said:
They should have asked me to do it.
That would have been awesome.
I like the cartoon for Magical Mystery Tour .
I think my favorite notes are the original liner notes for Beatles For Sale . They crack me up every time– especially the bit about the radioactive cigar-smoking child vacationing on Saturn!
If I seem to act unkind, it's only me, it's not my mind that is confusing things.
2.10am
Reviewers
1 November 2013
Offline I don’t have a hard copy of these, but I do have scans of all the notes, and I’ve only read through Please Please Me at this point and I found them fairly interesting. Nothing we BBers didn’t already know, but if I was a casual fan I’d be interested.
Oh, and the beginning here doesn’t make sense at first because of paulsbass. Thanks for quoting it, Zig!
The following people thank IveJustSeenAFaceo for this post:
Zig(This signature brought to you by Net Boy and Net Girl. Putting messages in modems since 1996.)
2.28pm
14 December 2009
Offline Yeah, lucky break that Zig quoted it in full. This was actually a worthwhile (if short) thread by Paulsbass – I wonder how many other useful posts of his got purged?
Paul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
