MULTI- INSTRUMENTALIST'S/THE BEATLES

OF ALL THE BEATLES,PAUL COULD PLAY THE BIGGEST
VARIETY OF INSTRUMENTS.HE COULD PLAY GUITAR,BASS,DRUMS,& PIANO.
ON HIS FIRST SOLO ALBUM-"McCARTNEY" HE PLAYED EVERYTHING ON THE
RECORD AND DID ALL THE VOCALS.THE RECORDING BOARD HE USED WAS
PRETTY PRIMATIVE AND ALTHOUGH IT COULD MAKE MULTI-TRACK
RECORDINGS-IT DIDN'T HAVE ANY MIXER-JUST A VOLUME KNOB.THE
MACHINE I USED TO RECORD "THE LOOK'S" AND MY ACOUSTIC TAPES
FUNCTIONED IN A SIMULIAR FASHION.WHEN YOUR WORKING WITH A
BOARD LIKE THIS-THE ONLY WAY TO GET A GOOD SOUND-IS BY
MAKING SURE ALL YOUR INSTRUMENTS ARE IN GOOD SHAPE AND ARE
PRODUCING THE BEST SOUND POSSIBLE AND MICROPHONE PLACEMENT-
AS WELL AS THE TYPE OF MIC YOU USE BECOMES THE MAIN-MIC
PLACEMENT IS REALLY THE WAY YOU MIX RECORDINGS LIKE THESE.
McCARTNEYS ALBUM HAD A REALLY NICE SOUND-SOME OF THE SONGS
WERE VERY PLAYFULL-BUT A FEW WERE PAINSTAKINGLY PRODUCED
AND SOUNDED EVERY BIT AS GOOD AS ANY OF "THE BEATLES" RECORDINGS.
THE MAIN ONE BEING "MAYBE I'M AMAZED" WHICH HAD A SOUND
AS GOOD OR BETTER THAN ANYTHING THAT HAD BEEN RECORDED
IN ONE OF THE TOP STUDIO'S OF THE DAY.IT WAS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
SOME CRITICS DIDN'T CARE FOR THE MORE PLAYFUL AND LOSELY PUT
TOGETHER SONGS AND INSTRTUMENTALS BUT I THOUGHT THEY WERE
GREAT.THOUGH RECORDING ALONE IS A TEDIOUS PROCESS THERE ARE
SOME ADVANTAGES.YOU HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER HOW THE SONG
FINALLY SOUNDS ONCE ALL THE PARTS HAVE BEEN RECORDED AND
YOU NEVER HAVE TO ARGUE WITH YOUR PRODUCER OR ANOTHER
BAND MEMBER ABOUT HOW EACH TRACK SHOULD BE PLAYED OR
RECORDED OR EVEN WHAT SONGS YOU CHOOSE RECORD.THIS IS
MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU MIGHT THINK.MANY GREAT BANDS
WHO MADE FANTASTIC DEBUT ALBUMS ON THIER OWN WITH A
SMALL AMOUT OF EQUIPMENT AND FOR A FRACTION OF WHAT IT
COST'S A MAJOR LABEL BAND TO MAKE A RECORD.
THESE RECORDS WERE SO GOOD THAT THE GROUPS WERE IMMEDIATLY SIGNED BY MAJOR LABELS,ONLY TO FIND THAT THE MAGICAL
SOUND THEY GOT ON THE RECORD THAT THEY MADE ON THIER OWN-COULD
NOT BE DUPLICATED IN A STATE OF THE ART STUDIO WORKING WITH A BIG-
TIME PRODUCER.IN FACT JUST THE OPPOSITE HAPPENED-THE EFFECTS
OF THE STUDIO EQUIPMENT ANF THE MANIPULATION OF THE BANDS SOUND
BY THE PRODUCER RUINED THE SOUND THAT THE BAND HAD WITHOUT A DOUBT
WORKED YEARS TO ACHIEVE.
McCARTNEY'S ALBUM MAY ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN THE FIRST LO-FI
RECORD EVER MADE.THAT IS-HE PURPOSELY RECORDED TRACKS WITH
A MINAMAL AMOUNT OF INSTRUMENTION AND THE ALBUM AS WHOLE
SOUNDS LIKE McCARTNEY'S HAVING ALOT OF FUN WITH THE LYRICS AND
JUST PLAYING SIMPLE BUT ROCKING GUITAR RIFF'S.THERE'S EVEN A DRUM
SOLO ! NOT TO MANY PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TRIED THAT.WORKING ON HIS
OWN McCARNEY WAS A BETTER DRUMMER THAN HE DISPLAYED ON THE
BEATLES TRACK-"BACK IN THE USSR".ALLTHOUGH IF YOU DON'T LISTEN TO
CLOSELY TO THE DRUMMING IT SOUNDS FINE.IF YOU BREAK OUT A PAIR OF HEAD-PHONES AND DO LISTEN CLOSELY YOU'LL McCARTNEY GET TOTALLY OUT
OF SYNC WITH JOHN AND GEORGE THE ONLY OTHER BEATLES WHO PLAYED
ON THE TRACK.
HE ALSO RECORDED WITH ONLY JOHN-THE SONG "THE BALLED OF JOHN AND
YOKO".NO MISTAKES ON HIS DRUMMING HERE-IN FACT THE WHOLE TRACK
IS NEARLY PERFECT WITH JOHN AND PAUL DOING SOME OF THIER BEST
HARMONY SINGING EVER.AT A TIME WHEN THE BEATLES WERE FALLING APART
IT'S VERY TELLING THAT JOHN AND PAUL COULD STILL GET TOGETHER AND
KNOCK OUT A NEAR PERFECT TRACK WITH COMPLETE INSTRUMENTATION.

WRITTEN BY PETE HOLLY-2009-COPYRIGHT-ALL RIGHTS RESERVED