Friday 26 June 2009
What to say?
When all is said and done, what is left is an amazing body of work which will still be standing as tall as it was on the day it was created for as long as music is listened to. As an artist, Michael Jackson was unique and impossible to ignore. May his soul be at peace.
Tuesday 7 April 2009
Number 9, Number 9, Number 9
So, according to Sky News, here in the UK The Beatles albums will be released this year on September 9 to coincide with the release of The Beatles: Rock Band game.
The Applelites have finally got their finger out and may just have helped to save the band’s reputation (in some respects). For I believe that The Beatles name has been slightly tarnished over the last few years and quite frankly it has been an embarrassment to them that their outstanding and distinguished catalogue hasn’t been released in solid gold versions let alone the relatively simple task of re-mastering the audio! Apparently it has taken four years to put this together? I ask the question, what have they been doing? I mean it only took the boys seven to write, record and release the stuff in the first place! I will say however that I cannot wait to see the package as there are some mouthwatering prospects in store. I am particularly intrigued by the ten disc Beatles In Mono project which will stand alongside the fourteen disc set. This is something we have all clamoured for since the discs were released back in 1987. It is shocking that they haven’t been available (legally) since before now. I believe that this is the absolute core of the band’s sound. It is how the vast majority of their records were sold. It is how the vast majority of the records were mixed and it is one of the main reasons they became popular. Stereo ripped the heart and soul out of those recordings, there is no doubt about that at all in my mind. So, to get the chance to hear these recordings straight from the master, shined up to a shiny thing with today’s powerhouse technology and perhaps more importantly to play it back on today’s brilliant players, is a prospect that I for one cannot wait for.
There is a downside to all of this though.
The fact is that there can’t be much more in the can for the band and so we might be close to the actual end of the road, release wise, and it may even be part of the reason why it has taken so long to get to this point, who knows? So we may as well enjoy it as it could be the last of the really big noises The Beatles can make and it comes as something of a relief. Whilst I did kinda nearly enjoy watching the Love documentary, I definitely won’t enjoy the game, because I am not interested in it even from a nosey parker point of view. It is just not what it’s about for me.
The other zillion dollar question for those interested of course is will we see a digital release online? I have been particularly excited by the prospect that the Beatles will take matters into their own hands in this department as it once more will elevate their status beyond the norm and it shows that the band won’t be pushed around by the biggest boy in the playground. It’s a separate issue to what I’m talking about here, but why should artists be held to ransom by the other apple? So, go Beatles, go!
All of that said, fans will ALWAYS want more and hey, I’m no different.
I’ve got two words for you - Hollywood and Bowl!
So, if you’re going to do it, do it absolute Apple!
The Applelites have finally got their finger out and may just have helped to save the band’s reputation (in some respects). For I believe that The Beatles name has been slightly tarnished over the last few years and quite frankly it has been an embarrassment to them that their outstanding and distinguished catalogue hasn’t been released in solid gold versions let alone the relatively simple task of re-mastering the audio! Apparently it has taken four years to put this together? I ask the question, what have they been doing? I mean it only took the boys seven to write, record and release the stuff in the first place! I will say however that I cannot wait to see the package as there are some mouthwatering prospects in store. I am particularly intrigued by the ten disc Beatles In Mono project which will stand alongside the fourteen disc set. This is something we have all clamoured for since the discs were released back in 1987. It is shocking that they haven’t been available (legally) since before now. I believe that this is the absolute core of the band’s sound. It is how the vast majority of their records were sold. It is how the vast majority of the records were mixed and it is one of the main reasons they became popular. Stereo ripped the heart and soul out of those recordings, there is no doubt about that at all in my mind. So, to get the chance to hear these recordings straight from the master, shined up to a shiny thing with today’s powerhouse technology and perhaps more importantly to play it back on today’s brilliant players, is a prospect that I for one cannot wait for.
There is a downside to all of this though.
The fact is that there can’t be much more in the can for the band and so we might be close to the actual end of the road, release wise, and it may even be part of the reason why it has taken so long to get to this point, who knows? So we may as well enjoy it as it could be the last of the really big noises The Beatles can make and it comes as something of a relief. Whilst I did kinda nearly enjoy watching the Love documentary, I definitely won’t enjoy the game, because I am not interested in it even from a nosey parker point of view. It is just not what it’s about for me.
The other zillion dollar question for those interested of course is will we see a digital release online? I have been particularly excited by the prospect that the Beatles will take matters into their own hands in this department as it once more will elevate their status beyond the norm and it shows that the band won’t be pushed around by the biggest boy in the playground. It’s a separate issue to what I’m talking about here, but why should artists be held to ransom by the other apple? So, go Beatles, go!
All of that said, fans will ALWAYS want more and hey, I’m no different.
I’ve got two words for you - Hollywood and Bowl!
So, if you’re going to do it, do it absolute Apple!
Wednesday 18 February 2009
George Burton's Record Session with Steve Marinucci
This week's edition of George Burton's Record Session features an interview with Abbey Road website king Steve Marinucci. Steve talks about some of his favourite records and it's not all about the Beatles! Details about the show can be found here. The show will be played out on two other stations over the next few weeks and I will post info here about that when the time comes. Enjoy!
Tuesday 10 February 2009
And now...here they are!
The boys appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 is iconic. It’s right up there with the images of the Beatles getting off planes, the suits and the haircut. The impact is hard to understand today when we live an almost science fiction world with instant communications across phone lines and the internet. A world where it’s easy to post moving images up in the next five minutes and for the rest of that world to get access to them. What is more important than the appearance itself is the crater impact of it. I believe it was that single show that made The Beatles untouchable. By the time they finished playing All My Loving, the game was up! From that moment they couldn’t escape from success. All of the development in the preceding years of playing for hours on grimy stages all over Liverpool and Hamburg and then in the wider communities of Britain and Europe would culminate in this polished and irresistible performance. It’s not just the show of course. One has to look at their appearance at the airport. It is a slightly bemused Beatles who realise that they are “on” when they are at that famous press conference. They grabbed the opportunity and took it for all it was worth, but not in an obvious way. Like I say, they appear to be taken slightly by surprise by what meets them. Life would never be the same again for them. From here on in they would be carving out the route that few would follow. They would go on to define what pop would become from this platform. However, you don’t get the impression from any of the source films of the time, that they expected this. The Maysles film is I think the best Beatle film of all. It just captures that first US visit so perfectly. It’s the film of the dream ticket for musicians who want to make it big. It’s the measurement of that success. How many UK bands have tried to do it since? Perhaps more than the seventy three million who tuned into the Ed Sullivan Show!! The point about the Beatles at that point is that although it’s obvious that they are working the press rooms, the radio stations, the photographers and so on, they are not forcing it. That is one of the qualities I think endeared them the American public. They are genuine and real. There isn’t a hint of the pretentious about them. By the time they hit the States, it was game over. I think you also have to look at the often mentioned ‘post-JFK’ state that the US was in. After all of the optimism of that Presidency’s beginning, the impact of his assassination is still difficult to comprehend – even for a 21st century boy here in Blighty. So, when this breezy, striking, long haired, talented, self contained, black suited outfit from Liverpool drops by the Nation, as if by accident almost, it would seem that the US was “taken by enlarge” in a kind of Rutle way, if you know what I mean?
I believe that the Ed Sullivan Show appearance by The Beatles is one of the most important moments not only in rock’n’roll history but as part of the development of the modern world. When you look at the globalisation of the entertainment industry following these events, you have to say that it was The Beatles who lit that torch. The whole British Invasion was sparked by that single appearance. Swinging London, James Bond and the whole Sixties was lit up by that appearance. The chances are that all of the above would have happened somehow anyway, but without that show maybe not quite in the same way. And you know it bears thinking about that following these ground shaking events, Paul McCartney went back to his tiny bedroom in Forthlin Road and somehow tried to comprehend what had just happened, and perhaps more interestingly ponder upon what might happen next. What a trip!
I believe that the Ed Sullivan Show appearance by The Beatles is one of the most important moments not only in rock’n’roll history but as part of the development of the modern world. When you look at the globalisation of the entertainment industry following these events, you have to say that it was The Beatles who lit that torch. The whole British Invasion was sparked by that single appearance. Swinging London, James Bond and the whole Sixties was lit up by that appearance. The chances are that all of the above would have happened somehow anyway, but without that show maybe not quite in the same way. And you know it bears thinking about that following these ground shaking events, Paul McCartney went back to his tiny bedroom in Forthlin Road and somehow tried to comprehend what had just happened, and perhaps more interestingly ponder upon what might happen next. What a trip!
Tuesday 27 January 2009
George Burton's Record Session with guest Gerry Campbell.
"When I was at school, we used to get together in each others houses, bringing along all our latest records which were either bought, borrowed or nicked! It was a case of bringing something to play to your mates that you thought they would love. Each week I aim to have a guest who will bring some records for us and tell us why they picked them!
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Monday 19 January 2009
Revolution
As a child of the Sixties I’m very excited about the possibilities of Barack Obama’s Presidency. I have no Beatle comment today. I just wanted to make a brief statement to wish the people of the United States the very best of luck for the future at this time. I have nothing but good feelings about the Obama administration but I also realise that he has one of the most difficult jobs ahead. However, this is a bright man surrounded by bright people and when we look back at this point in history, I’m optimistic that we will see that there was an actual change in the direction this world has been taking. I’m sure I speak for most people when I say that we ALL wish him and his family the very best. It’s food for thought but, you know at the time I was born, the Civil Rights movement was in full swing and a little over forty years up the line the tide has turned, common sense has prevailed and genuine hope returns to the world.
Change can and does happen.
Peace and hope for the future.
Change can and does happen.
Peace and hope for the future.
Thursday 15 January 2009
Wednesday 14 January 2009
King John?
Have a look at this short article first....
I want to say straight off here, I am not particularly a fan of Bono or Bob Geldof. I admire what Geldof has achieved and I can take or leave Bono in any circumstances. However, Julia Baird reckons that people like Bono and Bob Geldof have only been able to take centre stage on the activism front because John isn’t here any more. It’s debatable in my opinion that anyone could put Geldof in the shadows! There is a man who won’t be told. It is true however that he is not unlike John in some senses. It’s probable that John was one of Geldof’s role models, although I don’t think his actions were taken just to be like him, like some sort of tribute act. Geldof acted on instinct and out of the same human decency and awareness that is inherent in most people, just as John did before him.
What is certainly more interesting to contemplate is to imagine what John’s role might have been in the Live Aid campaign, or indeed in the post 9/11 world we live in today. Sure, I reckon he’d have plenty to say, but would he have done so? It is my opinion that he would have been heartily involved in quite a few of the big issues that have occurred over the years since he passed. However, let’s get John into some perspective. He was an extraordinary and remarkable man on many levels and there is no doubt that when he talked, the world listened.
Nevertheless some of Julia’s quotes are difficult to second.
It feels to me like Geldof somehow just couldn’t help himself, as if he couldn’t keep his mouth shut on certain issues, if you know what I mean? In other words, an instinctive reaction to what he began to uncover in Africa. Bono, it seems is slightly more controlled in exactly which issues he gets involved in although there is still the sense that he is driven (at the core of it) by the right motive. This is a man using his very public position to raise awareness of issues which otherwise might be pushed under the carpet. I would say however that without the worldwide success of the Live Aid concert and his role in it, it is uncertain how much of that type of stuff Bono would have been able to get involved in. In any case, all of the high profile political manoeuvring that any of the three men got involved in didn’t exactly harm their public persona did it? The latter applying in particular to Geldof and Bono in particular. All credit to them for sticking with the programme as it were. Again, I think Bono would give John credit for “rock-stars” getting political and using their position in a positive way.
Reading the article one gets the sense that Julia Baird somehow can’t see past John and nurses a certain bitterness that others have picked up his mantle. The reality is that the world doesn’t depend on the Beatles opinions any more. John’s comments may be given some sort of extra attention because of the regard he is held in today, but in reality he would just be another rock star waxing lyrical about something “we” should care about. Yes, John was a great man, an amazing wit and an cosmic uber intelligence, but he was a songwriter at the end of the day and the world just doesn’t listen to songwriters in the way that it used to does it? Including Bono and Geldof! For their part, they have never let go of the original ideal. It is now twenty years plus that they have been banging on the same drum, so one has to give them that credit. Julia leaves us with the assertion that “the two of them together don’t make John, in my opinion”.
Er….and…er…your point is?
Further she is "sure he would have been against the war in Iraq and various other things” and that "he would have been campaigning, protesting and marching.”
I’m sure she is bang on the money that he would have been against that and any other war, but would it have been to the same extent as it was during the Vietnam war? I have my reservations about that. John would be a much older and mellower man by this point, so would he have gone out with one fist in the air and a banner in the other? Mm…again, I have my doubts about the marching thing, but he may have taken a more measured approach to protesting and would probably have used the internet to the advantage of his cause rather than hitting the streets.
The gist of the article is that Bono and Geldof ain’t John Lennon and that the two of them combined don’t make a single John. Well, that is right in many respects but the point is, are they trying to be John? No, they are not. John isn’t and wasn’t the “king of the world” for all time; then, now and forever. There is always going to be someone bigger than you in the playground, someone who will take the ball away from you and run with it.
I want to say straight off here, I am not particularly a fan of Bono or Bob Geldof. I admire what Geldof has achieved and I can take or leave Bono in any circumstances. However, Julia Baird reckons that people like Bono and Bob Geldof have only been able to take centre stage on the activism front because John isn’t here any more. It’s debatable in my opinion that anyone could put Geldof in the shadows! There is a man who won’t be told. It is true however that he is not unlike John in some senses. It’s probable that John was one of Geldof’s role models, although I don’t think his actions were taken just to be like him, like some sort of tribute act. Geldof acted on instinct and out of the same human decency and awareness that is inherent in most people, just as John did before him.
What is certainly more interesting to contemplate is to imagine what John’s role might have been in the Live Aid campaign, or indeed in the post 9/11 world we live in today. Sure, I reckon he’d have plenty to say, but would he have done so? It is my opinion that he would have been heartily involved in quite a few of the big issues that have occurred over the years since he passed. However, let’s get John into some perspective. He was an extraordinary and remarkable man on many levels and there is no doubt that when he talked, the world listened.
Nevertheless some of Julia’s quotes are difficult to second.
It feels to me like Geldof somehow just couldn’t help himself, as if he couldn’t keep his mouth shut on certain issues, if you know what I mean? In other words, an instinctive reaction to what he began to uncover in Africa. Bono, it seems is slightly more controlled in exactly which issues he gets involved in although there is still the sense that he is driven (at the core of it) by the right motive. This is a man using his very public position to raise awareness of issues which otherwise might be pushed under the carpet. I would say however that without the worldwide success of the Live Aid concert and his role in it, it is uncertain how much of that type of stuff Bono would have been able to get involved in. In any case, all of the high profile political manoeuvring that any of the three men got involved in didn’t exactly harm their public persona did it? The latter applying in particular to Geldof and Bono in particular. All credit to them for sticking with the programme as it were. Again, I think Bono would give John credit for “rock-stars” getting political and using their position in a positive way.
Reading the article one gets the sense that Julia Baird somehow can’t see past John and nurses a certain bitterness that others have picked up his mantle. The reality is that the world doesn’t depend on the Beatles opinions any more. John’s comments may be given some sort of extra attention because of the regard he is held in today, but in reality he would just be another rock star waxing lyrical about something “we” should care about. Yes, John was a great man, an amazing wit and an cosmic uber intelligence, but he was a songwriter at the end of the day and the world just doesn’t listen to songwriters in the way that it used to does it? Including Bono and Geldof! For their part, they have never let go of the original ideal. It is now twenty years plus that they have been banging on the same drum, so one has to give them that credit. Julia leaves us with the assertion that “the two of them together don’t make John, in my opinion”.
Er….and…er…your point is?
Further she is "sure he would have been against the war in Iraq and various other things” and that "he would have been campaigning, protesting and marching.”
I’m sure she is bang on the money that he would have been against that and any other war, but would it have been to the same extent as it was during the Vietnam war? I have my reservations about that. John would be a much older and mellower man by this point, so would he have gone out with one fist in the air and a banner in the other? Mm…again, I have my doubts about the marching thing, but he may have taken a more measured approach to protesting and would probably have used the internet to the advantage of his cause rather than hitting the streets.
The gist of the article is that Bono and Geldof ain’t John Lennon and that the two of them combined don’t make a single John. Well, that is right in many respects but the point is, are they trying to be John? No, they are not. John isn’t and wasn’t the “king of the world” for all time; then, now and forever. There is always going to be someone bigger than you in the playground, someone who will take the ball away from you and run with it.
Tuesday 13 January 2009
Monday 12 January 2009
Thursday 8 January 2009
Downloads?...pah!
A belated Happy New Year to everyone…I’ve been stuck in the studio recording over the holidays and am just getting the chance to surface now! Hope you all had a happy holiday.
I was interested to read Paul’s comments about the i-tunes situation, which led me to wonder just how many industrial Beatle fans care about when the catalogue will be available on the service? I, for one do not give a flying monkey about it! Let me tell you why I don’t care and what I’d prefer to see.
Firstly, the download thing: Yes, I love the technology and convenience of being able to download music because it is instant. You don’t have to travel anywhere to pick up a reasonable sounding file, so for me it’s ok for the less important purchases.
I can just sit in front of my computer and peruse at my leisure. I don’t have to sit in the car, bus or train. I can just download, pop it in the media player of my choice and there it is…sounding….all mp3-ish with no artwork – great eh? In a word, it does a job. No more and no less. In terms of sound quality, it’s not the same, but it IS the modern equivalent of the cassette to me. I really hate the sound of mp3’s and/or anything else close by, like the itunes format. Another point not to like about i-tunes is the hassle of conversion. I bought an album by The Paramounts (who would go on to become Procul Harum) from i-tunes and it was a royal pain right in the neck. I wanted to play it on other devices you see! My punishment was then locating a suitable conversion programme, installing it on my machine, learning how to use said software, then converting the music to the format I wanted and then …well…do you know what? I just couldn’t be bothered playing the album after that. I just wanted to go and lie down in a darkened room, speak to my analyst and try to get over the trauma of it all. I just want to play the music! I DON’T WANT TO PLAY THE I-TUNES GAME. Am I the only one here with this view? I’ve said it before…I used to go to the record store, buy the record or cd, pop it in the player or on the turntable and BANG! … “It was twenty years ago today…”
Music to my ears…instantly!
No software upgrades, installs, learning curve, file conversion. Nothing but sweet music, sweet music.
Which brings me to this issue of the Beatle catalogue on i-tunes. Let me say right off. It is emperor’s new clothes syndrome right here in my opinion folks. Does anyone actually care about the availability of Beatles music for i-tunes? What? You can’t take the CD’s and convert it yourself? Why would anyone want to degrade the quality of the music? Mp3’s and the like are a lossy format and are less than the full dime. I can spot a low quality mp3 from fifty paces. They sound terrible to my ears. If you don’t know the difference, try taking any CD track you like and convert one to say…128mbps MP3 and do an A and B comparison. The high end is all crunchy and sounds like the aforesaid bad old days of the cassette to me. Even the so called higher end ones are detectable.
But I digress.
What I want from the Beatles is NOT availability on i-tunes, or acrobatic shows in places I am extremely unlikely to get to or indeed any of that nonsense. No. What I want is cleaned up, re-mastered, extended releases of the catalogue which changed my life thank you very much. I don’t want drippy “file” versions of the most important catalogue in popular music, I want full fat, all singing and all dancing physical releases which I can play ANYWHERE. I will choose how I want to access that material and what conversion processes I want to put it through to suit my life. If I want to make all the good work the musicians, writers, producers, engineers and mastering engineers sound less than good, then I will choose that route. When you have the physical disc, you have the best range of choices from there. Keep it as is for your CD player at full bandwidth quality, re-convert it for your portable or whatever.
Further, whilst I have no doubt about the impact The Beatles catalogue will make when it becomes available online, the fact is that most of the horses have already bolted. At this point they’ve hedged their bets and held on to the money too long. The race is over already. The Beatles should have been leading the way when the online thing started, not following the pack, which is what they will be doing now. Most of the modern world just won’t care about the releases. As for the Beatles core audience? They want the shiny new improved catalogue with a few extra bells on top for good measure. No more, no less.
Did I say Happy New Year?
I was interested to read Paul’s comments about the i-tunes situation, which led me to wonder just how many industrial Beatle fans care about when the catalogue will be available on the service? I, for one do not give a flying monkey about it! Let me tell you why I don’t care and what I’d prefer to see.
Firstly, the download thing: Yes, I love the technology and convenience of being able to download music because it is instant. You don’t have to travel anywhere to pick up a reasonable sounding file, so for me it’s ok for the less important purchases.
I can just sit in front of my computer and peruse at my leisure. I don’t have to sit in the car, bus or train. I can just download, pop it in the media player of my choice and there it is…sounding….all mp3-ish with no artwork – great eh? In a word, it does a job. No more and no less. In terms of sound quality, it’s not the same, but it IS the modern equivalent of the cassette to me. I really hate the sound of mp3’s and/or anything else close by, like the itunes format. Another point not to like about i-tunes is the hassle of conversion. I bought an album by The Paramounts (who would go on to become Procul Harum) from i-tunes and it was a royal pain right in the neck. I wanted to play it on other devices you see! My punishment was then locating a suitable conversion programme, installing it on my machine, learning how to use said software, then converting the music to the format I wanted and then …well…do you know what? I just couldn’t be bothered playing the album after that. I just wanted to go and lie down in a darkened room, speak to my analyst and try to get over the trauma of it all. I just want to play the music! I DON’T WANT TO PLAY THE I-TUNES GAME. Am I the only one here with this view? I’ve said it before…I used to go to the record store, buy the record or cd, pop it in the player or on the turntable and BANG! … “It was twenty years ago today…”
Music to my ears…instantly!
No software upgrades, installs, learning curve, file conversion. Nothing but sweet music, sweet music.
Which brings me to this issue of the Beatle catalogue on i-tunes. Let me say right off. It is emperor’s new clothes syndrome right here in my opinion folks. Does anyone actually care about the availability of Beatles music for i-tunes? What? You can’t take the CD’s and convert it yourself? Why would anyone want to degrade the quality of the music? Mp3’s and the like are a lossy format and are less than the full dime. I can spot a low quality mp3 from fifty paces. They sound terrible to my ears. If you don’t know the difference, try taking any CD track you like and convert one to say…128mbps MP3 and do an A and B comparison. The high end is all crunchy and sounds like the aforesaid bad old days of the cassette to me. Even the so called higher end ones are detectable.
But I digress.
What I want from the Beatles is NOT availability on i-tunes, or acrobatic shows in places I am extremely unlikely to get to or indeed any of that nonsense. No. What I want is cleaned up, re-mastered, extended releases of the catalogue which changed my life thank you very much. I don’t want drippy “file” versions of the most important catalogue in popular music, I want full fat, all singing and all dancing physical releases which I can play ANYWHERE. I will choose how I want to access that material and what conversion processes I want to put it through to suit my life. If I want to make all the good work the musicians, writers, producers, engineers and mastering engineers sound less than good, then I will choose that route. When you have the physical disc, you have the best range of choices from there. Keep it as is for your CD player at full bandwidth quality, re-convert it for your portable or whatever.
Further, whilst I have no doubt about the impact The Beatles catalogue will make when it becomes available online, the fact is that most of the horses have already bolted. At this point they’ve hedged their bets and held on to the money too long. The race is over already. The Beatles should have been leading the way when the online thing started, not following the pack, which is what they will be doing now. Most of the modern world just won’t care about the releases. As for the Beatles core audience? They want the shiny new improved catalogue with a few extra bells on top for good measure. No more, no less.
Did I say Happy New Year?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
