Thursday, September 5, 2013

Pop & Hiss: Isolated Vocals and Instrumentals

The LA Times Music Blog, Pop & Hiss, pointed me to some wonderful minutes of musical happiness this morning.  There's a treasure trove of isolated vocal and instrumental tracks taken (somehow) from Beatles master recordings that have been uploaded to YouTube.  I could go on and on about my favorites but as I haven't yet listened to them all, let me just signal that they were, and now are again, great -- to my mind.

There are moments when each of the Fab Four emerge as a wondrous vocalist, masterful musician, as a leader of the band -- and the insight into the construction of their music is just plain cool.

The only trouble here is due to a lack of musical knowledge to begin with -- for instance, I read the comments raving about Paul's isolated bass line, and so I listen again, and... am whelmed into boredom.  It goes without saying that I don't play the bass guitar, but it also should be noted that I'm not so dim that I don't recognize a great bass guitar performance.

Okay.  So a great bass guitar performance has to have a single-mindedness midst what seems, by comparison, a babel of catchier noise.

Still.

There is a comfort, though, in not being in agreement with YouTube commentators.  Such a fun crowd of open-minded thinkers, raised, one and all, on the tenets of Emily Post.  I admit that something comes over one... something along the lines of "well, yes, actually -- if Billy decides to jump off the bridge, that may top off my decision to take the leap, too."

Anyway, go to YouTube and search "Beatles isolated tracks." It's one more shot at the Magical Mystery Tour.  Just don't read the comments.










© 2013 L. Ryan

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