Hello! Community Page
- www.newcritics.com Jump to website »
-
Subscribe -
Community
-
Top Commenters
-
Popular Threads
-
Recent Comments
- The RE agent drop in income story has other facets.Agents incomes are way down. The figures calculated are probably directionally correct overall. What makes things worse for the agents is that...
- This photograph reminds me of my childhood days when I use to get wet in rains & enjoy a lot.
- George Zimbell has done a marvellous job. The photographs are very good.
- Hero, and more) and periodically will have <a href="http://www.nfcuorginfo.com">nfcu</a> appearances by TNA stars such as the Motorcity Machine Guns, Samoa Joe, and Eric...
- Good post. Finds very interesting.
newcritics
the best in web criticism
Last weekend, various online elders celebrated the 40th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper, recalling their youthful joy upon first hearing the Mop Tops’ conceptual break-through. Very nice, I thought. Music is as good a marker as any, and Lord knows I have my own faves from Back When
... Continue reading »
2 years ago
Thanks for your column --
2 years ago
But I'm also the guy who thinks that our generation's "Village Green Preservation Society" was "English Settlement," our "Surrealistic Pillow" was "Marquee Moon," and our "Are You Experienced?" was the first 1:03 of "Wurlitzer Jukebox" by Young Marble Giants, believe it or not. Our "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" was the version of "Good Vibrations" that appeared in an ad for Dr. Pepper in 1978, our Dr. Pepper was Jolt Cola, and our LSD was this used kleenex I just chucked at my podmate, who's glaring at me and preparing revenge.
2 years ago
I'm actually listening to The Seeds' first album as I type. I think it was Morrissey who sang, "There must be something horribly wrong with me."
2 years ago
I'll ignore the Hillary-snark! (I like her - and shudder at the thought that any of the Republicans might become President).
2 years ago
By the way Dennis, its nice to be able to comment on your posts. See, we can be nice. I do appreciate that you answer all your emails, but there's something about comments...
2 years ago
2 years ago
In this respect, what Sgt. Pepper's brought to the table was the feeling this music had evolved to another kind of studio and another kind of headspace, an atmosphere. Somewhere other than the recording studio, yet precisely only possible in the recording studio. That sense of discovery, which the best music-culture artifact brings with it, I still get when hearing some of those tracks today, especially in sequence. But now it's part of my own recollection as well.
The outstanding sonic-fingerprint is crucial to the albums that stand out in your list - "Never mind the..." was argued about when it was released, specifically due to the fact it was such a production quality, not "punk" at all. But even though, sonically it precisely encapsulated the moment being expressed through the stance, the atitude. It's also hard to listen to the Pistols and Lydon's voice though, let's face it, unless you were "there".
As for "Smile" - yes, yes, but ... except for two songs, you can't even manage to sing any along with him! And that remains a VERY important psychological character for an iconic work. Brian Wilson is so divided and that album reflects it, it isn't inviting but more an empty smile like that on Wilson's face and the expression of his condition at that time.
He was an iconoclasts who wants mainstream affirmation but yet did not then. His "Smile" is never going to be a rewarding listen as "pop" culture, but as one you have to "listen" to, to think about. That's just another kind of category. Wilson recalls that, left to their own devices, certain performers are happy to convert the subtle complexities of their compositions to overly-complicated.
2 years ago
And Good Vibrations was actually conceived of for and recorded first during the Pet Sounds era. I always felt is was uncomfortably tagged on to Smile's meditations on Americana.
Interestingly, in the end, Smile is a much more radical and ambitious album. Sgt Pepper in the end comes off less like a "concept album" and more like a collection of great tunes. It was never high on my list of Beatles albums (the white album, Revolver, Help, Abbey Road, Rubber Soul and A Hard Day's Night are all records I listen to w/ more frequency). I understand the contemporaneous and historical fuss. But how often to people actually play the record, I wonder? (Like, who plays Tommy? for example).
2 years ago
Generally, I prefer the albums just before and after to Sgt. Pepper as a finished piece.
2 years ago
The genius of Geoff Emerick. My own reintroduction after a long separation was only last week, on the anniversary if its release, and what struck me was the buttery creaminess of Paul's bass. I've still got the bass line from "Getting Better" reverberating around in my head.
In this respect, what Sgt. Pepper’s brought to the table was the feeling this music had evolved to another kind of studio and another kind of headspace, an atmosphere.
"Revolver" fascinates me precisely because it's so clear that a quantum leap is just about to take place. You can hear them assembling the pieces -- Here's ADT, here's varispeed, here's Paul putting the bass on last, here's the Leslie speaker.... The element of play is very satisfying.
Frank, have you ever heard the mono mixes of Rubber Soul? Worth seeking out if you can find them. (I have a copy if you'd like it -- neddiejingo at aol dot com)
2 years ago
IMHO the fairest comparison would be that '67 mix of Smile, alongside the monophonic mix of Pepper. As this article notes, the mono mix was the one personally supervised by The Beatles and most if not all of the group and its inner circle expressed a preference for the mono mix. Perhaps now that Apple's being run by a reissue expert, EMI will finally release it.
Sorry to geek out so hard on everybody. I may have to blog about this just to get it fully out of my system. Damn you, Dennis, DAMN YOU!
2 years ago