The tricky thread about listening to the Beatles while *altered*... | Page 2 | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

Now that we’ve got the ball rolling, I’ll toss in my 2 cents.  

From this point on I think we’ve established that drugs are BAD.  Don’t do them.  

But some people do, and here is where they can talk about how they interpret the Beatles’ music while under the influence.

Yes, I do enjoy my vaporizer a few times a month.  The Beatles are my music of choice, especially anything from Rubber Soul on.  

The first thing that always strikes me is how my brain isolates Paul’s bass lines and the interplay with Ringo’s drums.  The complexity of the bass parts are staggering, especially given the type of bass that was generally being played in rock music.

And once you really start paying attention to Ringo’s drum fills, you really start to appreciate what a groundbreaking drummer he really was.  “Hello Goodbye ” is a great example of that.  Sure, you can notice this stuff while stone cold sober, but it makes a very deep emotional connection while a little baked.

The 2009 Sgt. Pepper remaster is, of course, incendiary.  What what you start to pay attention to are all the tiny sound effects, noises and background stuff that’s going on.  

And don’t get me started on ‘Abbey Road ‘. I usually start thinking about the conditions of how the album came about and how they all sort of knew that this was them going out on a high note (pun not intended).  Once we get to “The End “, I’m a blubbering mess of joyful tears.

On a deeper level, I listen to even their earlier recordings and I become totally gobsmacked that THIS MUSIC HAPPENED.  It was made 40-50 years ago on recording equipment that I have on my iPhone.  The Beatles invented everything we love about rock music and nobody has ever equalled them in creativity or production.  12 albums in 8 years.  Pure perfection.

I’ll ruminate more on this later…  Anybody else want to share their experiences or thoughts?

Speaking of those harmonies, I’m listening to “Two Of Us ” right now (and yes…  Altered…).  And John and Paul’s harmonies are so natural and playful.  It really feels like they’re enjoying each other’s company which, considering the circumstances, is such a wonderful thing.

Eilwynn said
LOL, yes!  Interesting, though… for me as someone who’s interested in the brain in relation to music.

…and on that note, I will continue.

Two things I’ve noticed in that state.  One;

The way I engage to or detach from certain albums.  ‘Beatles For Sale ‘ feels like such a foreign album.  I love the songs, but I feel like there’s something blocking me from swooning over it like, say, ‘Rubber Soul ‘ or ‘A Hard Day’s Night ‘.

‘Sgt. Pepper ‘ of course feels so vibrant and alive and when I listen to ‘The White Album ‘ I feel like I’m sitting amongst the boys as they’re knocking out these goofy and folksy songs.  It’s a palpable sensation of inclusion, but with a hint of sadness…  The album that most shocked me was ‘Abbey Road ‘.  It feels dark and inaccessible, like it’s daring me to listen to it. “I Want You” becomes this very eerie thing that grows in intensity as the white noise in the background slowly gets louder.  And the Moog synthesizer in “Because ” gives me this odd unsettled feeling.  On the upside, the bass and drums (and the overall structure) of “Here Comes The Sun ” completely blow my mind in their complexity and the medley is a complete spiritual cleansing. 

And two; Anyone who’s partaken will be aware of the time distortion.  I first noticed it years ago as I listened to side two of Pink Floyd’s ‘Meddle’.  The 23-minute “Echoes” felt like it ran on for several hours, but not in any way that became tedious or non-engaging.

Beatle-wise, I first noticed it on ‘The White Album ‘.  The shorter interstitial moments seemed to linger far longer than I remembered before, as I was able to take my time to pay attention to all the bits and pieces that made up the songs.  The side one 3-song volley of “Back In The USSR “, “Dear Prudence ” and “Glass Onion ” became a trifecta of pure bliss.

And yes…  “Revolution 9 “.  While the running time of almost 9 minutes felt like closer to an hour, my brain *really* understood exactly what it was that Lennon was doing.  The soundscape of noise, samples and effects began to feel like a true statement.  I really should check out “Two Virgins ” “Unfinished Music No. 2” and “The Wedding Album ” like this to see if the thoughts and feelings carry over.  

I think that perhaps the reason that these recordings so alienate most people is that they were composed under the influence of *something*, and sometimes things like this can only be understood when you’re messed up.