All Things Must Pass?

[JonUrban]

Thank you for the review on this. I saw it awhile back and was curious.....

I only gave it a quick run through. I will delve a little deeper and report back. Maybe I'll post a few under-a-minute samples here as well. Stay tuned.

 

[JonUrban]

Back on this Boot. Well, it's not as bad as I remembered. I just popped the big tunes, "My Sweet Lord", "Isn't It a Pity" and "All Things Must Pass" on the PC and listened and watched. There is actually a decent surround mix here, mostly with the vocals. The center has the main vocal and the background vocals are actually in the rears. Neither are super up front, but there is definite separation there.

So I take it back, whoever did this upmix did a decent job after all. However, since we all know the album to be a loud Spectorized mix, it's not easily upmixed into super discrete instrument placements, but I can tell you that this version is not brickwalled. Here's a look at the title song in Sound Forge:

 

[JonUrban]

My Sweet Lord - with the Krishna chorus in the rears!

Isn't It a Pity (First Version)

 

[JonUrban]

Here's 20 seconds of My Sweet Lord, 5.1 bootleg mix. Not really that bad.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Here's 20 seconds of My Sweet Lord, 5.1 bootleg mix. Not really that bad.

So is this a solid recommendation, Jon .... or a TEASE?

 

[MarkerB]

Here's 20 seconds of My Sweet Lord, 5.1 bootleg mix. Not really that bad.

Thanks! What a treat. Interesting and spacious, although... it sounds like it could still be an upmix. Is that what "bootleg" means in this context?

The "My Sweet Lord" passage you chose is one of the sparsest arrangements in the album, without even the lead guitar part. Any possibility you could select a passage with more instrumentation going on, so we could get an idea of the discreteness of the mix? Maybe "Awaiting on You All", since it has a lot of brass parts?

I hope I don't sound ungrateful. I really want to know if I should start scouring the earth for a copy!

 

[MarkerB]

Oops. Sorry. I missed the intervening posts about how it's an upmix. Amazing how you by adding and subtracting you can get so many "new" channels.

 

[kap'n krunch]

My Sweet Lord - with the Krishna chorus in the rears!

View attachment 47306

Isn't It a Pity (First Version)

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Thanks Jon... as a booteg, it should be free..but then..legal matters kick in!!! If the mixer went at such lengths to do it so well he should have gotten in touch with George's estate.. or maybe he did!!!!

 

[sjcorne]

I fear that much of this reverb is burned into the multitracks, considering Spector's approach.

Unfortunately that seems to be the case, according to this blurb from the book in the Imagine Super Deluxe Set:

 

[kap'n krunch]

as with the Six Million Dollar Man...the technology exists(to clean Phil's mess up)...we can do it!!!

 

[J. PUPSTER]

as with the Six Million Dollar Man...the technology exists(to clean Phil's mess up)...we can do it!!!

Pretty sure iZotope's RX-7 got some kind of de-reverb plugin thingy, haven't tried it though

 

[4-earredwonder]

as with the Six Million Dollar Man...the technology exists(to clean Phil's mess up)...we can do it!!!

The Six Million Dollar Man, Kap ..... Methinks you've been watching too much Westworld!

OTOH, Evan Rachel Wood is the new Wonder Woman and the Capucine for a new millennium

 

[MarkerB]

Unfortunately that seems to be the case, according to this blurb from the book in the Imagine Super Deluxe Set: [snip image]

Ah, yes. Thanks for corroborating something I vaguely remembered.

That's nice insight into "Imagine". I didn't know Lennon was technically minded enough to push for dry tracking, or even know the difference. He always seemed excessively naive about the technology, at least from tidbits I've heard from various Abbey Road sessions. Maybe he learned a bunch when he was on his own.

 

[JonUrban]

So is this a solid recommendation, Jon .... or a TEASE?

Tepid

 

[proufo]

I lean towards "Don't mess with it".

 

[holland123]

Tepid

Great word Tepid, I would take that as if you are a super huge mega fan of this album it may be worth it, for the rest of us if you can snag it a price well south of $50 it may be worth it, otherwise ..... Hey hey, Just noticed the covid-19 mask on your avatar Jon - Good one

 

[surroundsoundman]

Certainly, but Lennon and Harrison were both enamored of Spector for at least the first half of the 70s. We have to all suffer for that!

Speaking of which.... does anyone remember "Magic Alex"?

Magic Alex was crazy, but during his early tenure at Apple (records), he mentioned the concept of recording music with lasers... Pretty impressive.

 

[Sashaaa]

George Harrison said he regretted the amount of reverb all over the album, and I completely agree. Phil Spector is a disaster as a producer. I love the album in theory, but find it difficult to listen to anymore.

I fear that much of this reverb is burned into the multitracks, considering Spector's approach.

Except... who am I kidding? I would still buy a surround release! 24 tracks means a lot of stuff could come out of the din, if it were mixed fairly discretely.

This is one of my favorite albums of all time... I think if it wasn't for Phil Spector's production this album may just loose half of it's power and uniqueness. The wall of sound gave tracks like "my sweet lord" that last 10% to make it perfect, in my opinion of course. It was a genius move to use the wall of sound as much as he did on this album, especially with all of the reverb. Just because it doesn't sound as "clean" or "hifi" as other production styles doesn't make it bad.

 

[quadtrade]

The problem is George reported there is not much Spec did not record without all that reverb plastered over everything. Great if you want to experiment after , but that was not easy those days. Not enough tracks. So they have an issue to redo it without so much sputz. George was even doing redos himself. He was not happy with it in later years.

 

[surroundsoundman]

Magic Alex was crazy, but during his early tenure at Apple (records), he mentioned the concept of recording music with lasers... Pretty impressive.

Magic Alex one of the first employees of Apple, also promised things like an Artificial Sun, X-ray force fields to protect The Beatles in their homes, 72 track recorders, etc. He was a Con Man who took advantage of both the Rolling Stones and The Beatles. He even tried to broker the sale to The Beatles a non existent Greek Island. He passed away in 2017.