Anyone Heard the "All Things Music Pass" Remix?

[Anderton]

Saw a link to this in Lefsetz's newsletter. Wow. Bobby Whitlock was on the original sessions, and he savaged what happened to them. Is this an Apple music problem? In terms of "improving" older recordings, should we just...Let It Be?

 

[video:youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soM5B6q39Ls

[KuruPrionz]

I got about 2 minutes in. Bobby seems a bit grouchy.

 

I have no opinion, I haven't made any comparisons. I haven't heard the original in decades and I won't be buying the remix.

I doubt they will sell many.

 

I'll say this and leave it be. When those songs hit the radio, My Sweet Lord, and is it Give Me Love?, I was hearing a new style of slide guitar playing that became a major influence in pop music that followed. Instead of playing blues like Elmore James or Muddy Waters (I do love that stuff too!!!), and not quite into the Hawaiian sound but influenced by it, George also managed to add an Indian flavor and an interesting melodic twist and well thought out harmony guitar parts.

 

There were other pop hits that came out after that with emulations of George's slide style and it continues to influence to this day.

 

This is much later, off George's last album. Nobody played slide like that before George (that I know of anyway).

 

[Anderton]

Good point about his slide guitar playing...often imitated (Todd Rundgren), never duplicated.

 

As to the album, I have the CDs, those are good enough.

 

But I have to say, as soon as I heard "My Sweet Lord," my brain's instant go-to was the Chiffons "He's so fine, doo-lang, doo-lang, doo-lang."

 

Then again...on his "electronic music" album, Bernie Krause's name appears to have been scratched off the artwork. Hmmmm....

[Chip McDonald]

Sounds fine. Does it sound "better"?

 

Middle is more compressed? Acoustic sounds like it has a delicate deesser on it (someone feels Natural Acoustic Guitar has too much transient information.....?) above 3k? Middle has a forward low mid to it, and the mix compression has a slower attack and shorter release, it's meant to "pump" on beat I suppose?

Horn is now in the middle, super up front. Vocal dry, up front. Sides are tamped down.

 

I prefer the old mix. I think in a thick production like this, ultra dry, up front vocals sounds detached from the song. And I like the way the horns bloom dynamically on the chorus on the sides - it's a response to the vocal melody, and by having it restrained it is less emotional.

 

Among other things.

 

 

I'm curious to hear Certain Name Engineers remix things in an artistically different approach, but this is kind of like George Lucas color correcting _Star Wars_ Ep. IV so that all of the outdoor scenes have the same color temperature.

 

 

/$.10

[Anderton]

I'm curious to hear Certain Name Engineers remix things in an artistically different approach.

 

Me too, like the way some musicians do cover versions that give a totally different twist to a song.

 

One of my favorite experiences was when writing a book on mixing and mastering with Cubase SX. To underscore that there are many valid mixes for any given song, a musician named George Toledo offered the tracks for a song of his (which I liked a lot), and I asked Sound, Studio, and Stage members if they wanted to do a mix. IIRC there were about 20 mixes, and I loved every one of them. Each was unique, and shined a different light on the song. Very cool.

 

However, this might work only on songs where people don't have an existing attachment. Otherwise they'll reject the mix as not being what they remembered.

 

(And I wonder why the video was pulled...hmmm...)

[Chip McDonald]

I'm curious to hear Certain Name Engineers remix things in an artistically different approach.

 

Me too, like the way some musicians do cover versions that give a totally different twist to a song.

 

I was hoping for more from the Beatles archives. I'm not particularly interested in hearing what George Martin's son does with a mix, versus Michael Brauer.

 

I want to hear Michael Brauer mix the Beatles.

I want to hear Brendan O'Brien mix Led Zeppelin. Or Electric Ladyland.

I want to hear Trend Reznor mix _Computer World_ by Kraftwerk. Or _The Wall_.

 

 

Or Richard Dodd remix _Synchronicity_ by the Police, with no reverb. I want the original Z.Z. Top without reverb. The original mix to Fiona Apple's _Extraordinary Machine_; there is no precious reason to only offer one version of something that is ephemeral in the form of electrons.

 

 

Not just milquetoast remixes of unknown provenance. Or worse yet, borderline Uncanny Valley things like the Beatles situation where "wait a second.... the hat isn't as loud as it was on the original?". Or Jeff Lynne's "let's see how close we can remake a perfect recording" with _Out of the Blue_ , or Sharon Osborne/whoever retracking the drums and bass on _Blizzard of Oz_ (which made me think I was going crazy one day showing a Randy Rhoads solo to somebody and thinking I'd totally imagined the bass and drums NOT being what I was hearing...).

 

 

s if they wanted to do a mix. IIRC there were about 20 mixes, and I loved every one of them. Each was unique, and shined a different light on the song. Very cool.

 

Could you have made a composite mix that sliced out maybe quarter note chunks out of each?

[Nowarezman]

I listened to the first five tunes in the car - will give another close listen on the studio monitors maybe over the weekend.

 

Right off, the vocals were so much cleaner, forward, clearer. I'll take that improvement. Also on the guitar leads and riffs, same thing - so much more crisp and present.

 

When the big multi-album came out, there were lots of mixed feelings about the Phil Spector oceans of reverb treatment. So, rather like Let It Be, the production quality has never satisfied a lot of people from day one. I always felt that the original mix worked on some tunes, not on others - and I feel the same way about this re-mix, remaster.

 

On the more intimate songs, like I'd Have You Anytime, I really like the new version a lot. Actually made me tear up a bit, hearing George so live and present. Also on the originals, some of the big numbers were just swamped in all the reverb and lost a lot of punch - like Wah Wah. I also like that one redone.

 

But not My Sweet Lord. That one, in the original, needs that dreamy, atmospheric, feathery sound - it's part of the worshipfulness of the tune, if you can relate to that concept.

 

Personally, I don't like treating pop songs like museum artifacts that must be preserved in a vacuum and never touched. I don't like any music treated that way, really. Classical music, jazz, for example, are all about new performances, new insights, new angles to view the original. Any song I've ever recorded, not one has ever felt like it's some final perfect thing.

 

And I like to see the old stuff brought out and create some little buzz in the present era.

 

This is fun, that's all. And a bit instructive, too - to hear the reworkings. I'm a fan.

 

nat

[Anderton]

Personally, I don't like treating pop songs like museum artifacts that must be preserved in a vacuum and never touched. I don't like any music treated that way, really. Classical music, jazz, for example, are all about new performances, new insights, new angles to view the original. Any song I've ever recorded, not one has ever felt like it's some final perfect thing.

 

And I like to see the old stuff brought out and create some little buzz in the present era.

 

This is fun, that's all. And a bit instructive, too - to hear the reworkings. I'm a fan.

 

I think the problem people have is when the "new" version is a replacement, not a supplement. For example, many consider the Beatles' mono recordings to be superior, including Sgt. Pepper's. There was a boxed set released of the mono versions, so you had a choice. Something I would find interesting is remixes that go "backward," like remixing something done in stereo in mono, or done as an LCR mix.

 

I guess for me the bigger issue is that I'd rather hear something new than a new version of something old, but that's a personal preference, not something consequential.

[Anderton]

And as to remixes, I also wonder about the motivation behind doing them. Was there a groundswell of people saying "It's really too bad about the mixes on George Harrison's album, I sure wish someone would redo them"? A cash grab? People feeling genuine respect for George Harrison, and believing that his music had not been done justice the first time around? Someone with nothing better to do, and wanted to play with some new toys? An attempt to reach a new generation? I have no idea.

[area51recording]

I've always felt it would be cool to take an iconic song, and have several high profile guys remix it and compare the results, strictly as a sonic experiment.....

[Anderton]

I've always felt it would be cool to take an iconic song, and have several high profile guys remix it and compare the results, strictly as a sonic experiment.....

 

With the Cubase book experiment mentioned above where people did remixes of a song, what floored me was how the mixes could be radically different, yet the essence of the song came through. It's more like you saw different facets of the same song, based on what resonated with the person doing the mix.

[Nowarezman]

And as to remixes, I also wonder about the motivation behind doing them. Was there a groundswell of people saying "It's really too bad about the mixes on George Harrison's album, I sure wish someone would redo them"? A cash grab? People feeling genuine respect for George Harrison, and believing that his music had not been done justice the first time around? Someone with nothing better to do, and wanted to play with some new toys? An attempt to reach a new generation? I have no idea.

 

Interesting question that I can't answer. Personally, I've always wished someone would re-do The White Album, Let It Be, and All Things Must Pass. From the time I first heard them, just a kid, I felt the production wasn't up to usual Beatle standards. So these remakes are odd dreams-come-partially-true for me in a way.

 

These remakes I assume are profitable. It's something of a tradition now that you end up re-buying old catalog material. First you replaced your mono 45s with stereo albums. Then you typically rebought your favorite stereo albums once the old ones were too scratched or warped or stolen or flat broken. Then you might have bought a few copies of the albums on 8-track for the car. Then you bought, or more likely, recorded the albums onto cassettes for playing on decks, Walkmans, etc. Then you started all over again buying the catalog when the CDs first came out - this was the first "hearing it for the first time in all it's glory with no hiss, no scratches, no rumble, etc." Then they remastered the whole shebang and I ponied up for all of those.

 

Now they've moved to actual remixing and another remastering go. Feels like they are getting near the bottom of the barrel. Rather like all the books that Christopher Tolkien produced out of his father's voluminous notebook and paper scraps and letters and what-not. Even I lost interest with those once they got to the extremes of producing heavily notated versions of partly-legible fragments of discarded versions.

 

But who knows? The immersive listening thing is getting a head of steam. Might be another go-round on the way. While we wait for that, there's still thousands of legacy catalog albums to scour and give the remix/remaster treatment - IF it's worth it from a business standpoint.

 

AI will probably make it possible one day to dial up different singers for classic tunes. "Alexa, play Something by the Beatles, Ray Charles singing,."

 

I'd be interested in that!

 

nat

[Joe Muscara]

And as to remixes, I also wonder about the motivation behind doing them. Was there a groundswell of people saying "It's really too bad about the mixes on George Harrison's album, I sure wish someone would redo them"? A cash grab? People feeling genuine respect for George Harrison, and believing that his music had not been done justice the first time around? Someone with nothing better to do, and wanted to play with some new toys? An attempt to reach a new generation? I have no idea.

Supposedly, or allegedly, whichever you prefer, they have been doing remixes to optimize for the new medium and/or listening environments. We all know CD sounds better than "mp3" or streaming, and people probably listen more on earbuds and house speakers (TV systems, smart speakers, etc.) than classic "hifi" stereos like we used to.

 

But other people think it's a cash grab. Frankly, why bother remixing (and spending that time and money) if you're adding bonus tracks? Isn't that enough of an enticement? OTOH, it was a gig for a mixer and a few other people, and we shouldn't be complaining about that, right?

[Anderton]

Supposedly, or allegedly, whichever you prefer, they have been doing remixes to optimize for the new medium and/or listening environments.

 

But isn't that locking companies into the demographic that bought the original? I'm not sure people who were born in 2000 are sitting around wishing they could hear a remix of a George Harrison album, let alone want to buy a big-bucks box set.

[Nowarezman]

Supposedly, or allegedly, whichever you prefer, they have been doing remixes to optimize for the new medium and/or listening environments.

 

But isn't that locking companies into the demographic that bought the original? I'm not sure people who were born in 2000 are sitting around wishing they could hear a remix of a George Harrison album, let alone want to buy a big-bucks box set.

 

I would think you're right about the younger listeners (barring the inevitable exceptions.)

 

But people of all ages still stream 60s and 70s stuff - I have no idea how many and to what extent, but they exist. And if Spotify spins My Sweet Lord, new version, where the kick and bass are bigger and the singer is clearer, maybe just maybe the streamers will *favorite* the new version. Whereas the old version sounds really dull and old to current ears.

 

But what do I know.

 

nat

[Anderton]

And if Spotify spins My Sweet Lord, new version, where the kick and bass are bigger and the singer is clearer, maybe just maybe the streamers will *favorite* the new version. Whereas the old version sounds really dull and old to current ears.

 

That's an excellent point. It could be a situation where something gets a second life with a new demographic.

[dmitch57]

I am not usually a fan of remixes, but All Things Must Pass is a bit of a special case. Harrison himself is on record, repeatedly, expressing his distaste for the original mixes. I totally agree with him. Phil Spector overproduced that record into oblivion with too much reverb and too many overdubs.

 

My understanding is that Harrison's son Dhani oversaw this remix project in an attempt to get the best possible record out of the original session tapes (which, to my ears, based on the remix, were very well recorded).

 

I think the remix sounds fantastic. There is so much more clarity. I'm hearing instruments I never noticed before. (The organ in the intro to My Sweet Lord. The piano in If Not For You.) I've been listening to it a lot this week and I love it. I got a 96/24 hi-res version. It's reference quality audio all the way.

[Anderton]

Harrison himself is on record, repeatedly, expressing his distaste for the original mixes.

 

That puts a different slant on things, for sure.

 

I totally agree with him. Phil Spector overproduced that record into oblivion with too much reverb and too many overdubs.

 

Distancing oneself from Phil Spector is probably a side benefit.

 

My understanding is that Harrison's son Dhani oversaw this remix project in an attempt to get the best possible record out of the original session tapes (which, to my ears, based on the remix, were very well recorded).

 

I think the remix sounds fantastic. There is so much more clarity. I'm hearing instruments I never noticed before. (The organ in the intro to My Sweet Lord. The piano in If Not For You.) I've been listening to it a lot this week and I love it. I got a 96/24 hi-res version. It's reference quality audio all the way.

 

ATMP was never a favorite album of mine...maybe your post explains why. I think I'll take a chance on checking it out

[Chip McDonald]

And if Spotify spins My Sweet Lord, new version, where the kick and bass are bigger and the singer is clearer, maybe just maybe the streamers will *favorite* the new version. Whereas the old version sounds really dull and old to current ears.

 

It just occurred to me.

 

They're gaming Spotify. It shows up as "latest release"; from a functional standpoint, media owners will all start doing this in order to keep their subjects "up front" and not stagnant. It's the equivalent of coming out with Yet Another Box Set on Spotify, for acts that have an established catalog, it makes sense since you can't "un-release" an established record to "re-release" it to get it in front of people.

[Strays Dave]

Bobby Whitlock's YouTube channel previously had his negative review of the All Things Must Pass remix. Apparently he was intimidated into taking the videos down. I don't know the details - they dance around it in this video.