Got this in the mail today and I can confim that it is in fact legit. Well, I guess I cant prove it's the Abbey Rd session but it's definately an uncirculated early Who studio session - I don't know what else it could be. I haven't listen to it in any detail yet but here is a few comments...
- Sound quality is excellent mono. It's obvious a few generations down from the master but it still sounds very nice. It's definately a well recorded session. There is a fair amount of hiss and a couple of pops that sound like they could be from an acetate but I don't think so. Hard to say as I listened to it in my the car while people were talking to me!
- None of the tracks have vocals. There is harmonica, presumable Roger.
- The playing for the most part is pretty conservative but the band is tight. Maybe just a tad more agressive than the playing on the I'm the Face 45. Smokestack Lightning and Memphis, tennesse don't sound very Who like but I'm a Man does kinda take off during the middle section which has a nice improv.
More later...
Chris
The Who/High Numbers 1964 Abbey Rd audition tape
The Who/High Numbers 1964 Abbey Rd audition tape
Last edited by Chris M on Sat Mar 26, 2005 12:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
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lukpac
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Something I was thinking about...without vocals, is there any way to verify it's actually The Who?
"I know because it is impossible for a tape to hold the compression levels of these treble boosted MFSL's like Something/Anything. The metal particulate on the tape would shatter and all you'd hear is distortion if even that." - VD
lukpac wrote:Something I was thinking about...without vocals, is there any way to verify it's actually The Who?
Well, there are some sections where it is pretty obvious it's Townshend's guitar playing and some of the drum fills sound just like Moon - especially on I'm a Man. Entwistle stays in the background for the most part. I'm pretty conveninced it's them but it's odd there aren't any vocals.
Did some more listening over the weekend and while Smokestack Lightning, Walking the Dog and Memphis, Tennessee don't really sound much like the Who I'm a Man and one of the instrumentals in obviously Townshend, Entwistle and Moon.
The disc also has a pretty big upgrade (at least for me) of the '64 live show that has been booted forever. It's a good bit better than the "Who Remembers the High Numbers" boot. Strangely it has what sounds like a breakdown and excerpt from a different performance of Dance to Keep From Crying. It's obviously from the same gig though. Isn't this stuff sourced from a video?
If anyone wants a copy let me know...
Chris
The disc also has a pretty big upgrade (at least for me) of the '64 live show that has been booted forever. It's a good bit better than the "Who Remembers the High Numbers" boot. Strangely it has what sounds like a breakdown and excerpt from a different performance of Dance to Keep From Crying. It's obviously from the same gig though. Isn't this stuff sourced from a video?
If anyone wants a copy let me know...
Chris
"I've had 40 years experience with hearing tape and vinyl. I was recording tapes before you were born" - Grant
I've just got this and it's pretty impressive - is the live stuff the same as the previously-circulating 'live 1964' tracks? ('Who Remembers the High Numbers' etc) Similar tracklisting/content - maybe extra versions added; if it is the same, it is a good upgrade - not excellent studio quality by any means but *much* clearer sound, and extra 'chat/audience' at certain points, implying it's from a different/less edited source.
Allegedly from the promo film shot by Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert, it's definitley from a filming session, there's calls of 'Take One' or similar, and calls for re-starts, here and there. This director's voice certainly sounds 'posh/upper class' enough to be Stamp/Lambert...! The CD artwork features an (infuriatingly small) pic of a tape box with the tracks handwritten on it, implying again that the bootleggers have got to a vintage tape dub of some kind.
And the studio tracks definitley sounded Who-like to me, too - that really clanky trebly guitar sound matches that found in 'Lubie' 'Leaving Here' etc from official releases, and there's some very Moon-esqe drum fills dotted throughout. Worth a listen if you like early mod/R&B Who
Allegedly from the promo film shot by Chris Stamp and Kit Lambert, it's definitley from a filming session, there's calls of 'Take One' or similar, and calls for re-starts, here and there. This director's voice certainly sounds 'posh/upper class' enough to be Stamp/Lambert...! The CD artwork features an (infuriatingly small) pic of a tape box with the tracks handwritten on it, implying again that the bootleggers have got to a vintage tape dub of some kind.
And the studio tracks definitley sounded Who-like to me, too - that really clanky trebly guitar sound matches that found in 'Lubie' 'Leaving Here' etc from official releases, and there's some very Moon-esqe drum fills dotted throughout. Worth a listen if you like early mod/R&B Who