"All Things Must Pass" - Wall of Sound helps or hurts?

[Dennis S]

I think Harrison's songs are as good as Lennon/McCartney's. Also, he "owns" the diminished chord.

Another thing - did Paul seem like he wasn't one of the guys at the Concert for George?

[moviebiz]

Yoyodyne ArtWorks wrote:
Let It Be was a disaster from a musical perspective, the Beatles were sick of it and (with the exception of McCartney) didn't much care what Spector did to it.

If memory serves, Let It Be was recorded between The Beatles (AKA The White Album) and Abbey Road, but was shelved because the band didn't like the material and/or Glyn John's various mixes. After Abbey Road was released, Spector remixed the album so The Beatles could fulfill their contractual obligations.

Yoyodyne ArtWorks wrote:
To hear how truly brilliant Harrison was as a composer, listen to Eric Clapton's arrangements of George's songs on "Concert for George." The striking melodies, unusual time signatures...Eric brings the full glory of "Beware of Darkness" to life. I wish Clapton had sung "All Things Must Pass" for the actual concert, the rehearsal video shows Eric's vocals were far more powerful than McCartney's.

I completely agree. The Concert for George was a fabulous performance. Clapton's rendition of While My Guitar Gently Weeps was absolutely fantastic.

[Yoyodyne ArtWorks]

Dennis S wrote:
Another thing - did Paul seem like he wasn't one of the guys at the Concert for George?

It certainly seemed that way to me. When he was introduced by Ringo, Ringo did not welcome him to the stage with a hug or handshake, he quickly retreated to his drum kit at the back of the stage.

I think McCartney's decision to begin "Something" (considered by many mainstream fans as George's best song) on the uke was extremely ill-advised, and if we're being paranoid, a passive-aggressive way for McCartney to sabotage a beautiful song. The more I read and learn about McCartney, the more I think such wild speculations may not be so wild.

moviebiz wrote:
If memory serves, Let It Be was recorded between The Beatles (AKA The White Album) and Abbey Road, but was shelved because the band didn't like the material and/or Glyn John's various mixes.

That's essentially correct, there were miles of tape from the Let It Be sessions and nobody wanted to go through and salvage an album from them. Spector was willing and so got the assignment. The Beatles knew the end was coming, and it's said that a prime impetus for recording the Abbey Road album was to end on a high note; nobody wanted the mess that was Let It Be to be their swan song. It took so long to whip Let It Be into shape that it was their final release, but Abbey Road was the last album they recorded.

[wurm]

I don't agree with you on "Something". While I agree that it may not have been the best way to start the song, it added a nice personal touch, and I think it was brilliantly done how it built as it went along. On subsequent viewings I find myself paying attention to that aspect of it, and it is very well done.

All that said, when McCartney hits those piano keys at the beginning of "While My Guitar...", I practically get goosebumps in anticipation of the way they polish that gem of a song. I'm sure George was smiling down on them. When one considers the amount of talent on that stage and how everyone seems to have checked his/her ego at the door to perform as a unit, it's even more impressive. As I said, I agree with what you stated earlier, it's one of the absolute best performances I've seen captured on film.

My son sort of laughs when he sees me watching the DVD every couple of months. It's a far more enjoyable couple of hours than most of the movies I could be renting.

[Yoyodyne ArtWorks]

wurm wrote:
My son sort of laughs when he sees me watching the DVD every couple of months. It's a far more enjoyable couple of hours than most of the movies I could be renting.

It's pure magic; that concert alone makes it worth owning a DVD player, and the behind-the-scenes stuff makes a remarkable tribute even greater.

[Joey Cupcakes]

There are a lot of great songs on that record but the production is indeed quite over the top at times...

[Dennis S]

Does the remastered CD sound fantastic, quality-wise? The copy I've been listening to is a little distorted.

[Joey Cupcakes]

I think the remastered CD, like many modern CDs, has been over-compressed and limited in order to make it too damn loud. They did some nice EQ and remix work and then squashed the dynamics and life out of it. I still listen to my original issue, which ain't that great a mastering job, but it's still better than having everything on the record being louder than everything else on the record...