Posts Tagged Classic Rock

Beatles For Sale – An Overlooked Beatles Album

Dec 20

Posted by Harold Oliver Quesenberry in Music | No Comments

Beatles For Sale is an often dismissed Beatles album. I think that’s a true shame because while it’s undoubtedly not among The Beatles greatest LPs, it does have it’s good qualities and I do think it’s worth taking a close listen to.

In particular I think the eight original Lennon and McCartney songs on the record are very good (if not quite as good as the original songs on Help! and A Hard Day’s Night) What really stands out about these recordings is that they’ve got a certain connected feeling with them. I think they’d work wonderfully as an EP. And this is actually how I listen to this album anyway, I just skip all of the covers, usually.

Side one really starts off with a bang with the John Lennon penned originals “No Reply,” “I’m A Loser,” & “Baby’s In Black.” These are 3 nice tracks and all of them have a introspective mood that ties them together in a cohesive fashion.

I am not a big fan of the covers on this album, unfortunately. Even more unfortunately is that the not so great covers make up virtually half of the album (6 of the 14 songs are covers.) The only covers that I’ve got any patience for are “Rock and Roll Music and “Words of Love” But even those two are not as good as original Beatles songs.

The most famous of those Lennon/McCartney originals on the album is definitely “Eight Days A Week” which is a song that both John and Paul dismissed and the band never played it live. But despite that, it is a good tune. No, it isn’t among their greatest work, but it is catchy and the fade-in opening is really cool.

All of the songs on the CD sound far better on the new remastered discs than they did on the old 1980s CDs. I strongly recommend that you get The Beatles Remastered Stereo Box Set and The Beatles in Mono CD Box Set and give both the mono and stereo remastered versions of the album a thorough listen before you go about your business.

Harold Oliver Quesenberry is excited about the expected release of The Beatles Remastered Vinyl so he can buy them to go along with his box sets and his Beatles USB Memory Stick.

The Beatles Remastered Box Sets

Nov 29

Posted by Harold Laurence Quesenberry in Music | No Comments

The Beatles classic LPs were first remastered digitally for CD in the late’80s at that time digital mastering for CD was a relatively new art and since then a whole bunch has been learned about how to do it best but even more important is the incredible rate in technological advance over the past 20 years.

All of the leaps forward in technology and all of the information learned on how to most effectively remaster original analog tapes digitally have been put to use with the remastered Beatles releases of 2009. On September 9 The Beatles released both The Beatles Remastered Stereo Box Set and The Beatles in Mono. And both remastered box sets sound absolutely fantastic. If you’ve yet to hear ‘em, I recommend you get your hands on The Beatles remasters as soon as you can.

Which kind of Beatles remastered should you get? Well for me the answer was simple: “both of them” but if you can only choose one you will most likely want to go with the stereo box set because it includes all thirteen of their studio LPs and most folks will want to listen to the stereo versions more than the mono.

The Beatles in Mono is more for hardcore fans who want to listen for every single difference between the mono and stereo mixes (and with some songs they are really quite different from each other) and for those who want to listen to the Fab Four how they originally heard them (this obviously applies to the original fans who were there for The Beatles in the flesh back in the’60s.)

As of December 8, 2009 there’s a third choice: The Beatles USB Memory Stick. This USB flash drive includes the Beatles entire stereo remastered box set in a little stick that fits in the palm of my hand. How cool is that? It holds all of their CDs in 2 formats; high quality mp3s and better than CD quality 24bit FLAC.

That “better than CD quality” part is what will bring in a lot of audiophiles but for most people it’s the 320kbps mp3s that’ll be most interesting.

Harold Laurence Quesenberry recommends this Beatles Online Store for all of your Beatles shopping needs. There’s plenty of other Beatles stuff available besides The Beatles Stereo & Mono Box Sets.

The Beatles Stereo CD Box Set

Nov 22

Posted by David Quincy Jackson in Music | No Comments

The Beatles in Stereo Remastered CD Box Set was made available in September of ’09 it instantly became the standard for The Beatles discography.

These new stereo mixes sound far superior to the old discs from the late 80s. When a listener compares these new remasters to the older discs it’s like the old CDs are under a pile of wet towels while the new discs sound warm and clear so that all of the instrumentation and vocals push through the mix instead of being swallowed up by whats around them.

The Beatles in Stereo CD Set isn’t the only Beatles box set that came out in September 2009 but it is the most popular since it can be enjoyed by the widest range of fans. The Beatles in Mono Box Set is excellent too but it appeals mostly to purists who need to hear the original mono mixes (and compare them to the stereo mixes) than to an music fan. Although there are definitely songs that sound better in mono than in stereo (especially many of the pre Magical Mystery Tour recordings) overall I believe the stereo set does sound best.

The great thing about The Beatles Remastered Stereo CD Box Set is that it allows you to get The Beatles entire’62-70 discography with just one order and considering the extremely high quality of most of their LPs, it makes sense to order them all at one time rather than purchasing some and then getting more later.

As well as the awesome music included in this set there are also some really cool visual elements, the- mini documentary (for each studio album) DVD is the most obvious. Along with the 50 minute DVD there are extended liner notes for each album (there’s some interesting information in these notes, particularly for fans who are new to the group) and some great unpublished photographs.

I’m such a big Beatles fanatic that I’ve ordered (or am planning on ordering) The Beatles in Stereo Set, The Beatles Mono Set, The Beatles Apple USB, and The Beatles Rock Band. But if I had to choose only one of these items, it would be the complete stereo box because it’s the best way to hear their music and after all, it’s the music that is the most important.

David Quincy Jackson thinks that you should Buy The Beatles in Stereo Box Set because it sounds amazing. He also strongly recommends picking up The Beatles Mono Box Set for a complete Beatles collection.

The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – Song By Song

Oct 26

Posted by James Ronald Wellingston in Music | No Comments

This album has become like a “museum piece” because of the way people talk about it with such reverence. Unfortunately this means that not enough people are focusing on what makes the album special in the first place: the music. This article is an attempt to take this album out of the museum and into the ears by focusing on it’s music instead of it’s “historical significance.”

01. “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” – This is a brilliant way to start the album and it really sets the mood for the entire thing. The “concept” of the album is really quite loose, without this song there is no concept album! One thing I really dig about this song is the crazy horns section. Can you imagine many “rock bands” of today having the imagination to include something like that in their song?

02. “With a Little Help from my Friends” – I know there are quite a few people who think that Joe Cocker really did the definitive version of this song, but I’m definitely not one of those people. I like Cocker’s version, but the original contains the real magic to my ears.

03. “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” – Now that the original mono version is available easily (with the release of The Beatles in Mono Box Set) it’s great to be able to hear what this album sounds like in mono (how it was “meant to be heard” originally.) And the heavy vocal effects on this song is probably one of the more interesting things about the mono mixes for me.

04. “Getting Better” – The “it couldn’t get much worse” lyric that Lennon added to this McCartney song is such a great example of the way that Lennon and McCartney made each others songs better even when they weren’t righting them “eyeball to eyeball” like in the early days.

05. “Fixing a Hole” – Possibly the best lyrics Paul McCartney ever wrote. Another one of my favorites on an album filled with favorites.

06. “She’s Leaving Home” – This song is very interesting to hear in mono because it’s actually sped up (and thus pitched up) in the mono mix. It has a lot more energy that way. Definitely worth a listen!

07. “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite” – How brilliant is it that these lyrics were taken entirely from an 1800s circus poster that Lennon came across? I believe a big part of real genius is being able to be inspired by things that most people wouldn’t notice. This is a good example of that.

08. “Within You Without You” – Speaking of “far out” how about we go all the way to India? Some people don’t like this song because it doesn’t fit with their preconceived notions of what music is supposed to sound like. To me this song is brilliant because of that very reason. We shouldn’t limit ourselves.

09. “When I’m 64″ – Some people don’t seem to get how “tongue in cheek” this song is. McCartney loved to mess around with different musical styles in this way. In fact I think Ween sort of ripped off their whole shtick from Paul McCartney. Listen to McCartney’s “fruity” songs (as George Harrison called them sometimes) from the perspective of Ween doing them and I think maybe they’ll click.

10. “Lovely Rita” – I definitely enjoy this song as well but I must say that I do think tracks #10 and #11 are the least interesting tracks on the album.

11. “Good Morning Good Morning” – There’s some interesting time changes in this one. I also love the Jimi Hendrix style guitar leads by Paul McCartney.

12. “Sgt. Pepper’s (Reprise)” – This one is even better than the album opener. It rocks something fierce!

13. “A Day in the Life” – In my opinion this is the best song ever written. An absolutely epic way to end the album.

Both of the Beatles Remastered CD Box Sets are recommended so that both the mono and stereo mixes of Sgt. Pepper can be heard. The The Beatles Mono Box Set is quite a revelation.

categories: The Beatles,Classic Rock

5 Great Post Beatles Solo Albums

Oct 13

Posted by Jackson Q. Weller in Music | No Comments

by Jackson Q. Weller

People love to off handily dismiss the solo work of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison and say that they were no good after The Beatles. And while it is true that they never quite reached the same level as The Beatles (but who has?) they really did release a number of great albums after “the greatest band of all time.”

In this article I highlight five such albums that I recommend you give an honest listen to. Are any of these albums a match for Revolver, The White Album, or Abbey Road? No, not in my opinion. But not many albums are in that league! While these albums may not be true classics, they are (in some cases) very close to that status.

Paul McCartney – McCartney (1970) – I love this album. I love it’s “homemade DIY” charm. It sounds like a great singer/songwriter/musician just recording for the fun of it rather than to really please anyone in particular. Some people see that as unfocused. I see it as charming. I think if a mostly unknown artist had recorded this same album it’d be considered a real “gem” by hipsters but since it’s Paul McCartney it’s too often overlooked.

John Lennon – Mind Games (1973) – A lot of people have heard the title track but I think the rest of the album is mostly unknown to people until they hear it. This makes it quite a “revelatory” experience to a Beatles fan in my opinion. It’s a good album and works really well as an album (rather than just a collection of songs.)

George Harrison – All Things Must Pass (1970) – This one was a huge revelation as showed what a prolific songwriter George was He had a lot of songs built up from his time with The Beatles that he wasn’t able to get onto Beatles albums thus this triple album came into being (the 3rd LP being instrumental jams.) Unfortunately he never came close to matching this album the rest of his career, in my opinion.

Paul McCartney & Wings – Band on the Run (1973) – This was Paul doing his “perfect album” thing (in the Sgt. Pepper / Abbey Road vein) and he does it very well. Of course it’s not as good as those legendary Beatles albums, but it’s still really really good. The title song is brilliant. But there’s a lot of other really good stuff on the album too including “Let Me Roll It” which is a real classic.

The Fireman – Rushes (1998) – This is Paul working with Youth under the name “The Fireman.” It’s an experimental electronic ambient album that you are either going to think is really interesting (like I do) or a complete snooze fest (this sort of cerebral music is definitely not for everyone.) But what it does show beyond a shadow of a doubt is that Paul McCartney is not the simple pop balladeer that so many uninformed people try to make him out to be.

Please note that these are just five of the best solo albums by John, Paul, & George. I am not saying that these are the best five, just five of the best. There are a lot of other solo albums by the former Fab Four that you should also check out.

About the Author:

It’s because of the greatness of The Beatles music (heard in The Beatles in Stereo & The Beatles in Mono box sets) that the solo work of John, Paul, & George is so often overlooked.

The Beatles In Stereo – Review Of The Stereo Beatles CD Box Set

Sep 28

Posted by Henry J. Jamison Jr. in Music | No Comments

by Henry J. Jamison Jr.

If you already own all of The Beatles albums in stereo on CD already then you may be wondering if it’s really worth it to buy them all again because they’ve been remastered and repackaged in The Beatles In Stereo Box Set.

The appeal of The Beatles Mono Box Set is easier to understand. This is the first time these mono mixes have ever been released on CD and in the case of mono version of The White Album, it’s the first time it has ever released in the US in any format.

Sound quality is the key with The Beatles in Stereo set. While the mixes aren’t new, sometimes they sound so much more clear that they might as well be.

One comparison that should help you understand the improvement in sound quality with these remastered CDs is the comparison from VHS to DVD and then from DVD to Blu-Ray. To my ears, this difference is at least as big of a jump as VHS to Blu-Ray is a jump in video quality.

But I actually this it’s a far more revelatory experience than seeing a movie in high definition because hearing each of the parts of The Beatles music clearly really adds a lot more depth to the appreciation of the music more so than seeing a crisper version of a movie adds more appreciation to the viewing of that movie.

Hearing these newly remastered Beatles CDs is like hearing them for the first time. Yes, the improvements in warmth & clarity are that big!

I’ve read that they worked on these remasters for years to get them just perfect and that work has really paid off because they managed to capture all of the original analog warmth of the original master tapes while also managing to make them more clear so that all of the parts of the music are easier to hear.

Paul’s bass (and he wrote a lot of awesome bass parts with The Beatles) and Ringo’s drums are probably the biggest winners in these new remastered versions because the bass and the drums really cut through these songs like never before.

I was worried that they would lose the original ambiance and warmth of the music in an attempt to “modernize” the music. I was also worried that they would take part in the horrible “loudness wars” that are ruining the sound quality of most modern music. It turns out I had nothing to be worried about. These newly remastered stereo mixes sound absolutely fantastic.

About the Author:

The Beatles Stereo CD Box Set includes every album The Beatles released from 1962 through 1970 and the Past Masters double disc set of non album tracks.

The Beatles Mono Mixes Album Box Set: The Orignal LP Mono Mixes On Compact Disc For The First Time

Jul 26

Posted by Roger R. Temperton in Music | No Comments

by Roger R. Temperton

In the late ’60s stereo mixes became the standard and mono was left behind as a part of history. But up until then mono was king and The Beatles spent almost all of their time on the mono mixes. The stereo mixes were little more than an afterthought in comparison.

It makes sense to consider these original mono mixes as the albums as they were “meant to be heard.” These are the mixes that the band (and the producers and engineers) were focused on. That’s why so many Beatles fans are so thrilled to finally get to hear these mixes on CD when they are released for sale on September 9th, 2009.

The Beatles Mono Box Set is coming out on 9/9/9 and it will include the band’s first 10 studio albums in their original mono mix on CD for the first time ever. Along with those 10 studio albums, the box set will also include the original stereo mixes of Help! and Rubber Soul along with a non-album song compilation called Mono Masters.

The Beatles final three studio albums (Abbey Road, Let It Be, & Yellow Submarine) are not included because they were never mixed in mono. By 1969 mono had been completely phased out.

So why are Help! and Rubber Soul included in a stereo mix along with their mono mix? Because these original mono mixes (the ones released on LP in 1965) have actually never been released on CD before (because new stereo mixes were made in the ’80s when the albums were first put on CD.) They are included in this box set because this box set is really all about preserving the history of The Beatles original 1960s releases.

For many years now someone would have had to find an original vinyl copy of Help! and Rubber Soul in order to hear their original stereo mixes, that could be quite difficult (and quite expensive) to do. With this new Mono Box Set, it will be easy.

Mono Masters is a collection of all of The Beatles non-album tracks and as it’s name implies, all of the mixes on this album are mono mixes.

“She Loves You,” “Ticket to Ride,” & “We Can Work It Out” are among the many huge Beatles hits that never made it on a Beatles studio album and are thus included in the Mono Masters set.

If you only want to buy a few specific Beatles albums in mono (such as The White Album & Sgt. Pepper) then you are plum out of luck. These CD versions of the mono mixes of The Beatles albums are only available as a part of this Mono Box Set.

About the Author:

You can order The Beatles Remastered Box Sets online now to make sure you get what you want. The Beatles Mono CD Box Set is a limited edition with only 10,000 copies produced so you should order ASAP if you really want it.

7 Paul McCartney Written Piano Based Tracks With The Beatles

Jul 15

Posted by Jason R. Bohener in Music | No Comments

by Jason R. Bohener

Perhaps it’s because of Paul McCartney’s idolization of Little Richard that he played piano in quite a few of The Beatles tunes but unlike Little Richard, The Beatles usually used piano for ballads (although there is “Lady Madonna” which is certainly not a ballad.) This article is a look at seven Beatles songs which feature a piano as the main instrumentation.

“Hey Jude” is definitely a classic. It was a huge hit single all around the world in 1968 and now in 2009 it remains one of The Beatles best known and loved songs. It’s length (over 7 minutes) was groundbreaking at the time and for many years it was the longest #1 single of all time in both the UK & US.

“Let It Be” is many people’s favorite Beatles song and it may be considered the most obvious example of a Beatles piano song so of course it’s included here. Even 40 years after it was recorded, “Let It Be” still resonates. And I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s still being listened to regularly in 2049.

“The Long & Winding Road” is a pretty ballad that was overblown by Phil Spector’s over the top production on the version released in 1970. The more stripped back version heard on Let It Be… Naked allows you to hear McCartney’s true intention for this song (and lets you hear the piano that’s pretty much drowned out in the Spector version.) I really like the little organ solo on the stripped down version.

“For No One” wasn’t a hit single like the previous three songs but for many Beatles fanatics it’s one of their greatest songs. It’s a great example of the kind of song casual Beatles fans are missing out on by just sticking to the “Greatest Hits” compilation albums.

“The Fool on the Hill” is such a great song. I think part of what makes it so great is that it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what kind of song it is. Plus there’s the flutes. You can’t go wrong with flutes like that.

“Lady Madonna” is a rarity in that it’s piano based Beatles song that isn’t a ballad. It’s a fun upbeat song that features a great bass part and a saxophone. And the song is so catchy that it became a hit not only for The Beatles in the ’60s but also for Sublime in the ’90s with “What I Got” which took the melody from this tune almost note for note.

“Good Day Sunshine” is another great piano based tune from The Beatles awesome 1966 album Revolver. Along with the piano licks (which are really a good time) I also really enjoy the inventive drumming on this track. Show some love for Ringo Starr.

About the Author:

Learn to play piano like Paul McCartney (who played most of The Beatles piano parts) with Rocket Piano Lessons. You should definitely give Online Music Lessons a try because they are a great alternative to private tutors.

The Beatles Top Three Albums

Apr 19

Posted by Marvin Marks in Music | No Comments

by Marvin Marks

The Beatles released 13 studio albums during their career, that’s including the Magical Mystery Tour EP (which was released as an LP in the US and is considered an album in the Beatles official releases now) and the Yellow Submarine album which only contained four new songs.

When making this list I first dropped 7 of those thirteenout of consideration to leave me with these six which I list chronologically: Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour, The White Album, and Abbey Road. A Hard Day’s Night & Let It Be were thought about as well but in the end I don’t think they quite stand up with the others on this list.

My final selections for the top 3 Beatles albums (at least right now) are The White Album, Sgt Pepper, and Revolver. That’s not taking anything away from Rubber Soul, Magical Mystery Tour, or Abbey Road as they are all fantastic LPs, but for me these are the very best of The Beatles.

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – For some people this is The Beatles at their most overrated. I definitely disagree with that point of view. I think every song on this album is an absolute gem and I think the way it all works together is perfection. It’s not the kind of “concept album” that hits you over the head with it’s concept (that gets very old fast, see Jethro Tull or Rush.) Instead it’s a very natural concept that works because it’s loose. Most concept albums get very old by the end because they are hammering the same story down your throat the whole time. With Sgt. Pepper every song is so different than the last it’s like a constant discovery.

Revolver – Fourteen amazing songs. No it doesn’t have the cohesiveness of Abbey Road or Sgt. Pepper. It doesn’t have the sprawling genius of The White Album. But what it does have is four just absolutely incredible songs. One could make a very strong argument that this is the very best collection of songs The Beatles ever recorded. They were just overflowing with genius at this time and it was coming out in so many new and exciting ways. Who had ever heard anything like “Tomorrow Never Knows” in 1966? No one.

The White Album – If I have to choose just one Beatles album, it’s this one. And that’s not just so I get 30 songs instead of 13 or 14! Although that must have quite a bit to do with it. I think perhaps if the first LP of this double album was it’s own album it’d still be my favorite album. The second LP isn’t quite as great to me but it has some really great moments too. And it’s really the whole sprawling masterpiece that I love. It’s just such an endlessly enjoyable album. I never grow tired of it.

One can make a great argument that some other Beatles albums other than the ones I’ve chosen should be in the top three. In particular Rubber Soul & Abbey Road. I actually went through a period where Abbey Road was my favorite album. And it can be argued that Rubber Soul has more certifiable “classic” Beatles songs than any other LP. It’s hard to go wrong with songs like “In My Life” & “Nowhere Man.” It’s not easy choosing just three Beatles albums, there’s something about all of their albums that I love.

About the Author:

If you are looking to buy Beatles albums online then Marvin Marks recommends going to the Beatles Mall which includes a huge selection of Beatles stuff for sale including Sgt Pepper.

The Beatles Best Three Albums

Apr 17

Posted by Marvin Marks in Music | No Comments

by Marvin Marks

The Beatles released thirteen studio albums during their career, that’s including the Magical Mystery Tour EP (which was released as an LP in the US and is considered an album in the Beatles official releases now) and the Yellow Submarine album which only contained four new songs.

When choosing The Beatles best three albums it came down to a choice among the following six for me: Abbey Road, Sgt Pepper, Revolver, The White Album, Magical Mystery Tour, & Rubber Soul. Sure Let It Be has it’s moments and A Hard Day’s Night is fantastic as far as their early albums go, but for me these six albums do stand above the rest.

To get my list down to only three I had to lose three more great Beatles albums. This wasn’t an easy task. But in the end I had to get rid of Rubber Soul because of a few too many clunkers in the midst of amazing songs like “Nowhere Man” and I had to get rid of Abbey Road because it’s just a little too “clean” and I had to get rid of Magical Mystery Tour because too many of it’s best songs were really released previously (see “Strawberry Fields Forever” & “Penny Lane.”)

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – For some people this is The Beatles at their most overrated. I disagree strongly with that point of view. I think every song on this album is an absolute gem and I think the way it all works together is perfection. It’s not the kind of “concept album” that hits you over the head with it’s concept (that gets very old fast, see The Who’s Tommy.) Instead it’s a very natural concept that works because it’s loose. Most concept albums get very old by the end because they are hammering the same story down your throat the whole time. With Sgt. Pepper every song is so different than the last it’s like a constant discovery.

Revolver – The hipster’s choice as the greatest Beatles album. I think that’s partly because Revolver isn’t quite as well known to the general public as most of the other top choices for best Beatles album (Sgt. Pepper, Abbey Road) and possibly just because it just contains so many absolutely fantastic songs. It’s quite likely to be The Beatles best collection of songs ever even if it’s not their most cohesive album.

Great arguments can be made for including some of the other Beatles albums instead of the ones I’ve chosen. Hell I once went through a period where I was convinced Abbey Road was their best album. That’s part of what makes The Beatles so astonishingly great. This isn’t an easy question with them like it is for most bands.

About the Author:

If you are looking to buy Beatles albums online then Marvin Marks recommends going to the Beatles Mall which includes a huge selection of Beatles stuff for sale including The White Album.

Great Legends of Rock You Don’t Know!

Apr 11

Posted by Matthew James in Music | No Comments

by Matthew James

The seventies was a great era for music because it truly was a ground breaking time for bands Nothing was (stolen|copied|rehashed and everyone had their own sound even though, as always in music, the 70′s copied and everyone had their own sound even though, as always in music, the 70′s was in flux.

It is the same with guitar heroes. Almost every guitarist, no matter what age, has heard of or listened to Hendrix, Clapton, or Jimmy Page but there are other extremely talented and influential guitarists who are less well known that should have legend status as well. Two such examples are Richie Blackmore from Deep purple and Michael Schenker from UFO. You will find some modern players such as Kirk Hammet and Dimebag Darrel were heavily influenced by Michael Schenker, but Schenker has not really achieved THE “god like” status some of his contemporaries like Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton have.

It is the same with “guitar heroes”. Almost every guitarist no matter what age has heard of or has listened to Hendrix, Clapton. Jimmy Page etc but there are other extremely talented and influential guitarists who are less well known that should be in the legend status as well. Two such examples are Richie Blackmore from deep purple and Michael Schenker from UFO. You will find some modern players such as Kirk Hammet and Dimebag Darrel were heavily influenced by Michael Schenker, but Schenker has not really achieved “god like” status such as some of his contemporaries like Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton. Here’s a quick list of unknown gems of musical genius that are worth a listen:

Deep purple: Guitarist: Richie Blackmore: Choice albums: Made in Japan and Deep Purple in Rock Songs: Highway Star, Child in Time. Some of the most blistering guitar work you will ever hear recorded in the early 70′s and held the Guinness Book of Records title as the loudest recording ever made!

This decade produced excellent music and it is not just the big name bands. Learn more about all the bands and expand your music tastes. You’ll thank me when you did and you will be rocking out all night.

About the Author:

Matt knows a lot about sound and stereo and has been mixing music for over a decade. For more information about stereo and sound, visit his site about used guitars and check out the guitar lessons.

1968′s The White Album: The Four Sides

Mar 27

Posted by David J. Jackson in Music | No Comments

by David J. Jackson

The Beatles followed up the over the top psychedelic imagery of 1967′s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour with 1968′s White Album which featured a plain white cover (which is where the album gets it’s name as it’s real name is actually simply The Beatles.) In some ways the music on the album is more stripped back and less elaborate than that on those previous two albums but that certainly doesn’t mean it was a step back. In fact it’d be pretty easy to make the argument that with “Revolution 9″ the band was stepping so far forward that we still have yet to reach where it’s at 40 years later. This article is about the four sides of that incredible double LP.

Side 1 is mighty impressive. In fact I think if I had to choose just one side as the best (and I don’t have to) I’d probably have to go with it. The one-two punch of “Back in the USSR” to “Dear Prudence” is truly outstanding and then there’s “Glass Onion” and “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da.” Sure some would say that “Wild Honey Pie” isn’t such a great song, and it’s not really in the classic sense. It’s a cool little experimental track that I think works for what it is. “The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill” isn’t among my favorites although it has it’s quirky charms. And then it finishes off in very strong fashion with one of George Harrison’s greatest songs “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” followed by John Lennon’s amazing “Happiness Is a Warm Gun.” Holy cheeses. Side 1 of the White Album is truly amazing. My favorites right now are “Dear Prudence” and “Happiness Is a Warm Gun.”

Side 2 is as beautiful as Side 1 is brilliant. “Blackbird” has to be one of the most ultimate acoustic guitar songs ever written. “I Will” is a stunning ballad. “Julia” is poignant and touching. “Martha My Dear” is a great tune with a unique vibe to it. Not that the entire side is dedicated to beauty. There’s the raw “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?” and the somber “I”m So Tired” along with the silly (and very charming) “Rocky Raccoon.” Really I don’t think this side makes a single misstep with the possible exception of “Don’t Pass Me By” which does limp through the finish line a bit!

Side 3 is a combination of the quiet and pretty (“Long Long Long” and “Mother Nature’s Son”) with the loud heavy rockers (“Helter Skelter,” “Yer Blues,” & “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey.) Like the rest of the sides on this album, it seems to have it’s own identity. It’s own feeling. In a lot of ways it’s the side that keeps on revealing more and more over the years.

Side 4 is arguably the least even side. It sort of seems to be where they put everything that didn’t work on the other sides. And if I had to I would say it’s the “worst” side of the four (but again, I don’t have to!) That being said, to me it’s just as essential as the other three sides. It’s a part of The White Album. That is for sure. I’m not one of those people that talks about how much they don’t like “Revolution 9″ in fact I quite dig it. I think it’s fantastic that The Beatles put something that absolutely bizarre and out there on their album and I do enjoy listening to it when I’m in that special place. “Cry Baby Cry” is among my favorite songs on the album too.

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