Sgt. Pepper PBS special this Saturday

Saturday, June 3, at 8:00 on PBS:

http://www.pbs.org/program/sgt-peppers-musical-revolution/

Looks like it might be interesting!

walrus

I plan to tune in.
Lots of good memories around that album....one song in particular is dripping with nostalgia for me (I wonder if she thinks about it when she hears it). eaceful:

Joe

Must catch it. Also gotta say the new Pepper remix sounds glorious in 24/96 via Blu-ray or DVD. (Haven't listened to the surround mix yet, just the two channel.) My impression is that the mix takes its cues in terms of effects amounts and volume balance from the old mono mix.

-Dave-

Thanks for that, Walrus! I will plan on watching it. These guys were the best songwriters of the century without a doubt. Insanely, unbelievably good.

Well, this was a pretty cool show. Not what I expected - a different sort of "technical" discussion including how The Beatles put Pepper together using the recording technology of the day. Very well done and definitely a different look at a topic that has been discussed in infinite ways already.

However, I think the writers of the show assumed The Beatles knew more about music theory than they did. My sense is they would be chuckling over some of the show's assertions regarding "modes" and key changes...

walrus

I was most disappointed that the local station inserted ten minutes of fund-raising efforts into the mix every twenty minutes or so. I understand the need and I support the station but it sort of screwed with the flow.

Mini-rant....over and out! :emptiness:
Joe

killdeer43 said:

I was most disappointed that the local station inserted ten minutes of fund-raising efforts into the mix every twenty minutes or so. I understand the need and I support the station but it sort of screwed with the flow.

Mini-rant....over and out! :emptiness:
Joe

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+1.

The two "hosts" on my station could not have been more tiresome. Switched over to the Cup finals!

walrus

killdeer43 said:

I was most disappointed that the local station inserted ten minutes of fund-raising efforts into the mix every twenty minutes or so. I understand the need and I support the station but it sort of screwed with the flow.

Mini-rant....over and out! :emptiness:
Joe

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Yeah, PBS does that a lot. I've learned to record their programs so I can fast-forward through all the hype.


And no, I am not a leech; I do contribute occasionally

I too am annoyed by PBS on air fundraising. I do contribute which gives my opinion some kind of validity I struggle with how things might be better. Increased government funding is one possibility, of course, but that certainly goes against recent trends that have cut funding. Bundling the begging into a chunk of time at the beginning or end of a program makes it too easy for a viewer to ignore. A shorter break - 30-60 second spots every 10 minutes or so would be acceptable but makes it too much like commercial TV. I would like some understanding of how big the potential market really is. How much to they raise because of the interruptions, that they would not raise in some other way, and how much do they lose from people who would contribute except they got annoyed before they picked up the phone.

Of course, with patience, the point is moot because almost everything broadcast with beg-a-thon interruptions is rebroadcast at a later time without them. Then the only problem is when the show was made deliberately to support fund raising and so the show itself has shout-outs to call the number on your screen.

Agreed. At least they were "selling" copies of the Pepper remix with a donation! The answer (for me), is obvious - get a sponsor for these shows! I'm sure numerous corporations would have considered sponsoring the Pepper show, and of course shows like "Sesame Street" and so on. But then, of course, is it really "public TV"? And, then that begs the question, given the landscape today of cable TV, Internet TV, amazon, etc., do we need "public TV" any more?

BTW, frono, although I'm not a bassist, that part of the show where they dissected McCartney's bass line of "Lucy In The Sky" was extremely interesting!

walrus

walrus said:

But then, of course, is it really "public TV"?

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Corporate contributions also serve to let the public know the corporation is interested in "giving back".

walrus said:

And, then that begs the question, given the landscape today of cable TV, Internet TV, amazon, etc., do we need "public TV" any more?

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YES. All that stuff's driven by entities with a profit motive.
Although I'm also thinking of radio: There's ONLY ONE 24/7 jazz station left in the entire country and it wouldn't even be there if it was a commercial entity.
Fortunately for all you folks outside the Bay Area it streams its programming:
KCSM.org
And there's a huge difference between shopping on the 'net and on getting suggestions driven by your searches, from entities with a profit motive, and having a real human decide what to play and whose motive is to give as much exposure to the broadest range of "flavors" as possible.

Support your local PBS stations.
Pledge drives are far less annoying than 20 minutes of commercials repeated in an hour long show.
And it's not like they're continuous, out here at least, they're only seasonal.

Oh, I have supported PBS (although admittedly not recently), but I still don't like the mindless banter during the "pledge" interruptions - but that's what my remote is for!

Bottom line - this particular show was very entertaining and informative!

walrus

Ah, I missed it. totally forgot. But, Sgt Peppers is like my least fave Beatles efforts. Ok, ok, running away...

No need to run, even though Pepper is my fav Beatles album and has been since it came out. I grew up with friends who thought I was off in this regard (and maybe other regards too). Used to it! One of my favorite things about the album is the vocal harmonizing, both the kinds/styles of harmonies chosen and also the degree to which McCartney sings on Lennon songs & vice versa.

I think PBS, and also advertisers, face a conundrum: people mostly tune out ads (and fundraising), so what do we do? I think they're all looking for "the thing" that'll work. I'm a big Doctor Who fan, and find BBC America's ad approach as obnoxious as it gets: frequent breaks, often in the midst of high drama moments, that utterly ruin the flow of the episodes. This current season it's been so bad that I've given up watching at all on the day of broadcast. Instead I wait a few days until my cable company's On Demand service starts showing the eps ad-free. At the same time BBC-A's business model relies on ad revenue, so what are they supposed to do?

Personally I'd prefer an a la carte pay-to-play approach. I subscribe to YouTube Red for this reason. Pay a monthly fee in exchange for no advertising. For me it's worth it. I'd give BBC-A some buck$ in exchange for ad-free Dr. Who. Etc.

-Dave-

Quantum Strummer said:

No need to run, even though Pepper is my fav Beatles album and has been since it came out. I grew up with friends who thought I was off in this regard (and maybe other regards too). Used to it! One of my favorite things about the album is the vocal harmonizing, both the kinds/styles of harmonies chosen and also the degree to which McCartney sings on Lennon songs & vice versa.

-Dave-

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Well, I should care more about the album even just for its historic significance. It changed everything from a recording/production perspective. I think McCartney cited Beach Boys Pet Sounds as a major reason for the album. Was interesting to learn the album concept was Paul's idea. I also recently learned that George was the first who wanted to leave the band. They quite touring in like 1966 which is amazing to me. Their best work came after touring ended. I was born around when Sgt Peppers came out and looking at old photos of my folks and understanding what Boston suburbs were like back then, that album would have scared my folks. My Dad was still listening to Elvis and the Everly Bros back then He liked the old Beattles, but would not have even given Peppers a listen. Now his younger brother on the other hand...

killdeer43 said:

I was most disappointed that the local station inserted ten minutes of fund-raising efforts into the mix every twenty minutes or so.

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Well for those of us with irritable bowels, those fund-raising breaks don't come soon enough, and truthfully could last a little longer that ten minutes.....nthego:

Tommy

tommym said:

Well for those of us with irritable bowels… nthego:

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Now there's a consideration I hadn't factored in! I take back all my griping. :wink-new:

Wood, Pepper among other things marks the beginning of Paul's attempts to hold the band together as it began to fragment. I imagine the notion of pretending to be another band was part of that.

My mom, who loved all the earlier AM radio-friendly Beatles stuff, seemed mostly mystified by Pepper, and according to my dad was a little troubled by her "wee laddie" (me) listening to songs with possibly drug-referencing lyrics like "I'd love to turn you on." Not that she ever said anything against the album or any of its songs to me.

(My mom was born in Scotland and had a thick Scots brogue her entire life. She also "got" the lads from Liverpool right away and was thrilled to see them take off in "the States.")

-Dave-

Westerly Wood said:

I think McCartney cited Beach Boys Pet Sounds as a major reason for the album

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It was an influence. Interesting trivia note is that Brian Wilson made heavy use of the Wrecking Crew when recording that album.

Westerly Wood said:

I also recently learned that George was the first who wanted to leave the band.

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Got tired of butting heads with Paul over what he should play and whose songs made the album.
Actually Ringo quit first in '68 during recording of the "White Album". George didn't walk until '69.
See Ringo and George's Wiki pages.
George was actually getting more respect from other bands than he was from his own band.

Westerly Wood said:

They quite touring in like 1966 which is amazing to me.

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They already knew that the new material wasn't going to be performable live, the writing was already on the wall with Revolver:horn sections, tape manipulation, Indian musicians...

Westerly Wood said:

Their best work came after touring ended.

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Depends on who you ask and when. I think Revolver's still their best although Yellow Submarine is close or equal because of George's tunes and John's "Hey Bulldog".
It just hit me maybe Pepper's is so low on my list because there's only one George song on it.

Quantum Strummer said:

Wood, Pepper among other things marks the beginning of Paul's attempts to hold the band together as it began to fragment. I imagine the notion of pretending to be another band was part of that.

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Now that's an interesting take.
I always got that it started with Epstein's death in '67, for the first time nobody was wakin' 'em, up tellin' 'em what the day's schedule was anymore.
I got that the "fragmenting" started around the time of the "White Album" sessions, but that's just my memory of things and sources.
And truthfully I've read little of Paul's take on things from the times.
What I DO remember is that when the "White Album" came out there were no signs of cracks in the foundation, they put out Yellow Submarine and Abbey Road before we knew it was already all too late.
In fairness to Paul the Let It Be Wiki Page has this to say about the situation in early 1969 during the recording sessions for what became Let it Be:
"McCartney tried to organise and encourage his bandmates, but his attempts to hold the band together and rally spirits were seen by the others as controlling and patronising."
I don't recall the cracks becoming evident until the release of McCartney and the announcement of the breakup in April '70.

Oh no, not Yellow Submarine. They might as well written Puff the Magic Dragon...actually, Puff rocks in comparison.

Westerly Wood said:

Oh no, not Yellow Submarine. They might as well written Puff the Magic Dragon...actually, Puff rocks in comparison.

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Actually meant the soundtrack album, the song itself first appeared on Revolver and yeah I'm kind of sick of it now myself.
But the soundtrack album rock has that other material that makes it worth it.