Doctor Kite
Aug 26, 2003, 04:52 AM
I'm Back, with some bootleg reviewing goodness and a day to spare. I was able to get the covers for this off of Bootlegzone and handily they had the dates for each tracks, so i've been able to tie things into Mark Lewishon's Beatles Chronicles, which has been of immeasurable help to me in doing this review. Also many of the tracks have several takes, i think i've got the right start and end points for each, but if there are any mistakes please excuse me (But feel free to correct me too!) Anyway on with the review.
1) Paperback Writer (Wednesday 13 April 1966)
Take 1: This breaks down fairly quickly and the guitar intro quickly becomes very different to the usual version.
Take 2: Quite similar to the normal version. The guitars lack a little crispness though. Towards the end Paul does a Rocky Raccoon style "paperback writer".
2) Rain (Thursday 14th April 1966)
Unkown Take: In comparing this takee to the original i am going to have to quote Monica Geller "There as different as Night.... and Later that Night". I aadmit i haven't listened to the Normal version of Rain in a while but i am sure there is barely any difference, if any at all. According to Lewishon there were ovedubs of Bass, tambourine and vocals done the next day. The difference to me was not detectible though (but my source for the normal version of Rain was taken from an MP3).
3) Mark 1 (=Tomorrow Never Knows, 6th April - 16th May 1966)
Initially the track starts out as being quite similar to the normal track (though the effect on John's voice is abscent). However at the end of the first verse the tape loops etc become much more promintent (though at times they have an odd echo and there is occassionally a little fading in and out) and John's vocals much less so. The song also ends quite abruptly, presumably the end of the take.
Quite an interesting track.
4) Strawberry Fields Forever (Thursday 4th November 1966)
Take 1: This would be further along from the Demo on the Anthology 2 Disc. The mellatron parts are mostly present. John's vocals appear to be double tracked on "nothing to get hung about". "Always Know Sometimes think it's me" has some bizarre backing "aahss" (presumably Paul and George).
5) Strawberry Fields Forever (Monday 24th November 1966)
Takes 2 through 4: again the melatron is present (though slightly abridged in places), John's delivery of the vocals is quite different too, softer and less stacato like.
6) Strawberry Fields Forever (Thursday 29th November 1966)
Take 5: Seems to break down pretty quickly (well instantaneously really!)
Take 6: Very similar to what the sound of the first 60 seconds of the normal version, perhaps a little slower. Some of the instrumentation has a lighter echoey sound to it, towards the last SFF there is a hand clap and the outro is longer than in the normal version.
Take 7 (George Matrin Clearly announces this take!): It has an AHDN style guitar strum as an intro, but otherwise very similar to the normal version's first 60 seconds, albiet the sound is a little heavier. This take slightly speeded up is what was used for the first 60 seconds of the final mix that we all know and love.
7) Strawberry Fields Forever (remake, Remix 25 [from 15 & 24] Friday 9 December 1966)
Incredibly fast and frantic take, the orchestration is insane!
8) Strawberry Fields Forever (remake, remix 26 [from take 25] Thursday 15th December 1966)
Again very fast. Lennon's vocals are like being punched in the face by a lead fist filled with helium. This track slowed down was added to take 7 above to give the final song.
9) A Day In The Life (Reduction Mix, take 4 into 5,6,7, Friday 20th January 1967)
Take 4: Not to different to the normal version, a lot of the elements are their. Though it is clearly a guidleine. Pauls bass is much more prominent. The "He Blew his mind in a car" section has the POB bathroom tile sound to it and the bass sounds heavier still. The take cuts out on the "having read the book" line.
Take 5: Breaks down
Take 6: The "I read the news today oh boy" section is very similar, though muffled. From "He blew his mind out in a car" it's less muffled. The orchestral climax seems weighted towards the lower bass sounds rather that the higher pitched sounds.
Take ends at the "woke up" bit, according to Lewishon Paul mucked it up and said a naughty word (bad paul!)
10) All You Need is Love ( Take 58 Live TV Broadcast, Sunday 25th June 1967)
Clearly a rehearsal take. There are some weird echoes at times, presumably because of the hall the track was recorded in. On the first take there is some jangly piano. On the take proper it's more moderated but there is also what sounds like a harpsicord playing too. The track sound like it was MONO and Lewishon confirms that there was a mono mix done there and then. John's vocals and Paul's Bass dominate, the orchestration and drums have muchless detail. George Martin can clearly be heared giving out instructions, less clear (but still audible) is Pauls "Ready when you are uncle George!".
11) I Am the Walrus (Take 9; Tuesday 5th Spetmeber 1967)
Basically an instrumental take laying down the rythm trakc. It sounds really tinny and lacks the glorious strings of walrus. Surely that would have been a better take to use?
12) Aerial Tour Instrumental (=Flying, Unknown Take, Friday 8th Septmeer 1967)
Quite different to the normal version. There appears to be a swanney whilstle playing through most the track, as well as a banjo/Ukelele? bit. In addition to this there is also a totally new bit abscent from the normal trakc and a saxaphone bit ending with at "yeah!".
13) Hello Hello (=Hello Goodbye, Take 1, Monday 2nd October 1967)
Similar to the version of walrus. Basically laying down the piano for the track. Again i could have done with more orchestration here.
So Is It Any Good?
It's certainly a worthwhile listen (unless you really hate SFF. But then you would clearly be made and thus your opinion wouldnt count;)). I'd also say it's a desireable CD worth getting at some stage. However it is certainly not an essential item, much more could have been made of Rain, A Day in the Life, Walrus and Hello Goodbye.
In addition to this, the anthology 2 outtakes (and outfakes) actually give almost as good a picture of the evolution of SFF as this CD does, although it's nice to have that picture enlarged apon there are better bootlegs out there (and indeed the various takes of SFF can merge into one unless you really concentrate - at which point it can simply be repetative and too much like work).
That said the "Mark 1" track is interesting and gives the listener a better grasp of the tape loops and the All You Need is Love track is also very nice, capturing the flavour of the day quite well and also the Mono take is in and of itself quite interesting.
Final rating: 3 out of 5.
[ Aug 26, 2003, 05:54 AM: Message Edited By: Doctor Kite ]
1) Paperback Writer (Wednesday 13 April 1966)
Take 1: This breaks down fairly quickly and the guitar intro quickly becomes very different to the usual version.
Take 2: Quite similar to the normal version. The guitars lack a little crispness though. Towards the end Paul does a Rocky Raccoon style "paperback writer".
2) Rain (Thursday 14th April 1966)
Unkown Take: In comparing this takee to the original i am going to have to quote Monica Geller "There as different as Night.... and Later that Night". I aadmit i haven't listened to the Normal version of Rain in a while but i am sure there is barely any difference, if any at all. According to Lewishon there were ovedubs of Bass, tambourine and vocals done the next day. The difference to me was not detectible though (but my source for the normal version of Rain was taken from an MP3).
3) Mark 1 (=Tomorrow Never Knows, 6th April - 16th May 1966)
Initially the track starts out as being quite similar to the normal track (though the effect on John's voice is abscent). However at the end of the first verse the tape loops etc become much more promintent (though at times they have an odd echo and there is occassionally a little fading in and out) and John's vocals much less so. The song also ends quite abruptly, presumably the end of the take.
Quite an interesting track.
4) Strawberry Fields Forever (Thursday 4th November 1966)
Take 1: This would be further along from the Demo on the Anthology 2 Disc. The mellatron parts are mostly present. John's vocals appear to be double tracked on "nothing to get hung about". "Always Know Sometimes think it's me" has some bizarre backing "aahss" (presumably Paul and George).
5) Strawberry Fields Forever (Monday 24th November 1966)
Takes 2 through 4: again the melatron is present (though slightly abridged in places), John's delivery of the vocals is quite different too, softer and less stacato like.
6) Strawberry Fields Forever (Thursday 29th November 1966)
Take 5: Seems to break down pretty quickly (well instantaneously really!)
Take 6: Very similar to what the sound of the first 60 seconds of the normal version, perhaps a little slower. Some of the instrumentation has a lighter echoey sound to it, towards the last SFF there is a hand clap and the outro is longer than in the normal version.
Take 7 (George Matrin Clearly announces this take!): It has an AHDN style guitar strum as an intro, but otherwise very similar to the normal version's first 60 seconds, albiet the sound is a little heavier. This take slightly speeded up is what was used for the first 60 seconds of the final mix that we all know and love.
7) Strawberry Fields Forever (remake, Remix 25 [from 15 & 24] Friday 9 December 1966)
Incredibly fast and frantic take, the orchestration is insane!
8) Strawberry Fields Forever (remake, remix 26 [from take 25] Thursday 15th December 1966)
Again very fast. Lennon's vocals are like being punched in the face by a lead fist filled with helium. This track slowed down was added to take 7 above to give the final song.
9) A Day In The Life (Reduction Mix, take 4 into 5,6,7, Friday 20th January 1967)
Take 4: Not to different to the normal version, a lot of the elements are their. Though it is clearly a guidleine. Pauls bass is much more prominent. The "He Blew his mind in a car" section has the POB bathroom tile sound to it and the bass sounds heavier still. The take cuts out on the "having read the book" line.
Take 5: Breaks down
Take 6: The "I read the news today oh boy" section is very similar, though muffled. From "He blew his mind out in a car" it's less muffled. The orchestral climax seems weighted towards the lower bass sounds rather that the higher pitched sounds.
Take ends at the "woke up" bit, according to Lewishon Paul mucked it up and said a naughty word (bad paul!)
10) All You Need is Love ( Take 58 Live TV Broadcast, Sunday 25th June 1967)
Clearly a rehearsal take. There are some weird echoes at times, presumably because of the hall the track was recorded in. On the first take there is some jangly piano. On the take proper it's more moderated but there is also what sounds like a harpsicord playing too. The track sound like it was MONO and Lewishon confirms that there was a mono mix done there and then. John's vocals and Paul's Bass dominate, the orchestration and drums have muchless detail. George Martin can clearly be heared giving out instructions, less clear (but still audible) is Pauls "Ready when you are uncle George!".
11) I Am the Walrus (Take 9; Tuesday 5th Spetmeber 1967)
Basically an instrumental take laying down the rythm trakc. It sounds really tinny and lacks the glorious strings of walrus. Surely that would have been a better take to use?
12) Aerial Tour Instrumental (=Flying, Unknown Take, Friday 8th Septmeer 1967)
Quite different to the normal version. There appears to be a swanney whilstle playing through most the track, as well as a banjo/Ukelele? bit. In addition to this there is also a totally new bit abscent from the normal trakc and a saxaphone bit ending with at "yeah!".
13) Hello Hello (=Hello Goodbye, Take 1, Monday 2nd October 1967)
Similar to the version of walrus. Basically laying down the piano for the track. Again i could have done with more orchestration here.
So Is It Any Good?
It's certainly a worthwhile listen (unless you really hate SFF. But then you would clearly be made and thus your opinion wouldnt count;)). I'd also say it's a desireable CD worth getting at some stage. However it is certainly not an essential item, much more could have been made of Rain, A Day in the Life, Walrus and Hello Goodbye.
In addition to this, the anthology 2 outtakes (and outfakes) actually give almost as good a picture of the evolution of SFF as this CD does, although it's nice to have that picture enlarged apon there are better bootlegs out there (and indeed the various takes of SFF can merge into one unless you really concentrate - at which point it can simply be repetative and too much like work).
That said the "Mark 1" track is interesting and gives the listener a better grasp of the tape loops and the All You Need is Love track is also very nice, capturing the flavour of the day quite well and also the Mono take is in and of itself quite interesting.
Final rating: 3 out of 5.
[ Aug 26, 2003, 05:54 AM: Message Edited By: Doctor Kite ]