[rhymesgalore]

Hi,
on every recording i heard of this song, the single piano notes - which hit right after the initiall synthesizer part - sound distorted. Anyone else experienced this, or did i just heard crappy recordings?

 

[ralphp@optonline]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhymesgalore Hi, on every recording i heard of this song, the single piano notes - which hit right after the initiall synthesizer part - sound distorted. Anyone else experienced this, or did i just heard crappy recordings?

I don't have a copy of "Baba O'Riley" with me at work that I can play to check out whether or not the piano is actually distorted but if it is indeed distorted then it is so on purpose. Just what that purpose might be, I have no idea but there is no good reason for the sound to be distorted.

Glyn Johns, the recording engineer, was one the best engineers of the time and is responsible for the great sound of many classic rock recordings, such as the Stones' "Beggar's Banquet" and Pete Townshend/Ronnie Lane's "Rough Mix", just to name two of his demo quality works.

 

[elrod-tom]

Those aren't piano notes you're hearing...it's a bass guitar with special strings. I know a lot of folks who thought that was the case (myself included) for a long time. Trying to remember where I saw it....but I'm sure that's the case.

 

[rhymesgalore]

Quote:

Originally Posted by elrod-tom Those aren't piano notes you're hearing...it's a bass guitar with special strings. I know a lot of folks who thought that was the case (myself included) for a long time. Trying to remember where I saw it....but I'm sure that's the case.

that would totally explain the slight distortion noise........ thx for the answer^^

 

[Febs]

If you're talking about the instrument that enters at roughly 0:30, that is definitely a piano, not a bass, most likely playing octaves with the left hand. He's pounding the piano part pretty loud, so if I had to guess, I would say that the noise you are hearing is a mechanical rattle caused by something on the piano vibrating as the notes are struck.

Edit: if you have any doubt that it is a piano, listen to the glissando at 3:02.

 

[MayorSimpleton]

I've just been listening to this and I have to say (could be wrong), but I agree with Febs post. Also, the bass proper kicks in while the 'piano' section is still going - could be overlaid but that would be a bit weird. I play a bit of bass myself, and I don't know of any strings that would make that noise by themselves, they'd need plenty of processing.

Pluck

 

[elrod-tom]

Do any of you have access to the Who's "The Kids are Alright" on DVD? I'm pretty sure that this is where I picked up on this in the first place. I want to say (can't remember) that it's a Danelectro bass with special strings...he'd used it before (the opening riff for "My Generation"). I'm remembering that they talked about this specifically.

EDIT: Listen to the same notes (joke = 3 chords?

) at about the 1:00 mark...there's a lot more clarity at this point. I think that you'll agree that it sounds much less like piano and much more like something else (bass strings?).

 

[Febs]

From what I've read, Entwhistle tried to use the Danelectro for My Generation, but kept breaking strings, so he ended up using a Fender Jazz with a pick.

It still sounds like a piano to me at the 1:00 mark. But, again, listen to the glissando at 3:02. That is unmistakenly a piano.

 

[zowie]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ralphp@optonline I don't have a copy of "Baba O'Riley" with me at work that I can play to check out whether or not the piano is actually distorted but if it is indeed distorted then it is so on purpose. Just what that purpose might be, I have no idea but there is no good reason for the sound to be distorted. Glyn Johns, the recording engineer, was one the best engineers of the time and is responsible for the great sound of many classic rock recordings, such as the Stones' "Beggar's Banquet" and Pete Townshend/Ronnie Lane's "Rough Mix", just to name two of his demo quality works.

I don't think Who's Next is well recorded at all by the usual audio quality standards like freq. response, dynamics, detail, etc. I'm basing that on the MCA Heavy Vinyl edition, which was a significant improvement over the muddy standard domestic pressing (although that was supposed to be much worse than the standard UK pressing). Obviously the engineering worked well from an artistic standpoint.

 

[elrod-tom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Febs It still sounds like a piano to me at the 1:00 mark. But, again, listen to the glissando at 3:02. That is unmistakenly a piano.

Right...I didn't mean to leave the impression that there was NO piano in that track. At the beginning, however, I'm pretty certain that's bass guitar.

 

[pds6]

It is a piano (electric). Check-out: The Who, Live at the Royal Albert Hall (right around the 1:00 hour mark).



Edit: I'm sorry. I am talking about the DVD (Live at the Royal Albert Hall). At the one hour mark you see the piano being played.

 

[Voltron]

Man, there are a lot of issues cropping up in this thread based on one simple question. I love it because it was a good excuse to listen tom Who's Next on vinyl and to get out the Kids Are Alright DVD. So, here are a few thoughts on the issues raised.

To the OP, rhymesgalore:

I am sure Febs is right that these are piano notes, without any electric bass notes from Entwistle. I listened several times to my vinyl version, the Polydor 3-record set which has incredible sound and is the definitive collection of Who's Next material. There is no distortion on this version, although I think Febs is also right that Pete is pounding the keys pretty good.

The Polydor set includes the original album as released, the mixes from the first recording session at Studio One in NYC with Kit Lambert producing with engineer Jack Adams on the second, live recordings not released previously from the Young Vic theater in London that was intended as a warm-up for Pete's Lifehouse project, and a few other recordings of music from that era/project.

Oh, and I think Febs may be 3-for-3 because the consensus seems to be that the Danelctro bass never worked out because of string breakage even after Entwistle bought 3 new Danelectro guitars to finish the recording. Several sites say the third time was a charm, others disagree, but one guy says he has the Entiwistle interview where he says he finally gave up and used a Fender Jazz and a less complex solo to get the recording done. Who knows, though.

To E-T:

I don't think there is any bass over those first piano notes in the album recording. Although my turntable doesn't have a time counter on it I tried to listen for the later part you mention at 1:00 (I am kinda old-school when it comes to The Who and don't have anything on CD except Live at Leeds deluxe set and Tommy on DVD-A

). I think the later piano notes and bass notes are overlaid. As I am sure you know, the version of Baba O'Reilly in The Kids Are Alright is a staged "live" version in the Shepperton Studios that was recorded for the movie. In that version, Entwistle plays bass right over the same first piano notes, unlike the original recording. I have the Special Edition DVD, and although it is easy to hear that he does it, there is also a special isolated track version in the extras that just plays the bass track and shows the camera shot on Entwistle for both BO'R and Won't Get Fooled Again. He clearly comes in right over the first piano notes. As to any live discussion of the controversy here, I didn't find anything in TKAA but I didn't watch every scene through.

To Zowie:

I don't really agree that the album was not recorded well on the criteria you mention or any others really. It was recorded by Glyn Johns as Ralph pointed out and the sound quality is really excellent for a rock album from that era. I really think that you need to give a listen to the Polydor vinyl release--the owner of The Analog Room, which is a great record store/cigar lounge in San Jose, CA, dislikes that MCA heavy vinyl version you mention and thinks that this Polydor set has them all beat for SQ and content.

To pds6:

Although I love your avatar, I think that the original version is a regular old grand piano. I don't have that live version at the Albert Hall, but I would assume that they would use an electric piano for a concert where the piano is played live.

Did I get them all? Anyway, thanks again for the excuse to wallow in some Who for awhile.

 

[compuryan]

i just listened to it. it has the distingt sound of an acoustic piano. (not electronic)

 

[pds6]

Quote:

i just listened to it. it has the distingt sound of an acoustic piano. (not electronic)

I was talking about the DVD and not the original recording. Sorry for the confusion.

I also think it is an acoustic piano.

 

[Todd R]

Definitely a piano.
The distortion sounds like the mic gain was too high and the recording tape was overloaded on the peaks.
CD Re-release MCAD-11269