The Beatles - The Beatles Stereo Box Set
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Free Music Notes for The Beatles Stereo Box Set
Free Music Review: I fell in love with this music all over again.
Hit: 5 Stars
This is the single most impressive remastered collection EVER. From sound quality to presentation to arguably the greatest body of music produced by a single band in popular history, I can't imagine anything surpassing this any time soon.
The packaging is gorgeous. The piano-black magnetic flip-top box opens to reveal the lovingly detailed albums. Yes, these are the first CDs to give you that feeling of having an "album." The gatefold holds the CD on the right, and has a pocket for the liner notes on the left. The individual liner notes include the original notes (the guy who wrote that kids in "AD 2000" will still love The Beatles nailed it on the head, no?), new historical notes placing the music in context to their history, and then recording notes which detail intricacies and interesting factoids about the actual recording of the album itself. I loved just holding these records...small yes, but as close to a mini-LP as I've experienced in a while.
The remastering is astonishing. Nothing short of miraculous. When was the last time listening to music gave you goosebumps? It will happen here, and often. I am as familiar with these 525 minutes of music as I am with my own heartbeat, and yet I was continually amazed at the sonics, the details. Instruments I've never noticed. Imperfections that make the performances absolutely "real." I did not think I could appreciate Beatle music any more than I already do, yet I feel like I'm starting over.
I fell in love with this music all over again.
Each album delivers its' treasures in their own way. The early ones...say, the first four...for the most part have that early stereo effect. Instruments on the left, vocals on the right (the recordings were done on two-track machines). As I understand it, no individual vocal or instrument has been enhanced in a remix. The tracks have been cleaned up, but the balance has been preserved. You won't get blasting drum beats or startlingly loud vocals. One more thing: you probably already know these are the original "British" releases...if you're looking for "The Early Beatles" or "Meet The Beatles" or "Something New"...well, you need to brush up on your Beatle history.
Their first LP, "Please Please Me", was famously recorded in one day. The opening, "One, two, three, FOH!" launching into "I Saw Her Standing There" has a crispness that immediately lets you know you are entering uncharted waters. This song has never sounded this good. The album breezes by...you'll marvel at the purity and clarity of these young voices...the gorgeous harmonies...each instrument clearly in its' place. We all know how Lennon was shredding his vocal cords by the time they got to "Twist and Shout", and you'll swear you can hear them fray right here.
"With The Beatles" open with a thrilling "It Won't Be Long", a song I could not have cared less about before. I felt that way about a lot of songs going through these records. "The Night Before", "You Won't See Me"...previously "neglected" songs regained a new life for me. On THIS album though, you get rockers, Broadway (Til There Was You), Motown covers...and again, it all sounds totally new. The guitars in particular...I think I can hear each individual string strummed.
"A Hard Day's Night" opens with that chord...MAN did they know how to get your attention when people used to put needles into grooves! When Lennon's voice breaks in "If I Fell", it somehow brought him vividly back to life. The feeling was powerful, and a little weird, I admit. My eyes kinda welled up with tears, and that was only the first time. Again, these astonishing multi-part harmonies just soar...and freakin' Ringo Starr rocks like all get out. If anybody's "status" rises because of this set, it'll be him.
"For Sale" is, for me, an odd mish-mash. There are songs from their pre-Beatles live marathons (like Kansas City), country-ish sojourns (Honey Don't), a Buddy Holly cover (Words of Love), blistering rockers (Rock and Roll Music), sweet ballads (I'll Follow The Sun...oh my God what vocals...)...but in the context of the first three records, here you see the guys going for something "more". This is the album that transitions into the creative leap that was to follow with the next three records. Here you'll also start to notice the creativity in McCartney's bass playing. He's just not keeping the beat.
"Help!" again opens with a heart-stopping chorus. A playlist of only first songs on Beatle records would be quite impressive, and not for those with medical problems. This album shows a consistency that is leaps and bounds above the last one. The Dylan influence (You've Got To Hide Your Love Away) isn't as "in your face" as some people have suggested. It just seems that these guys can do no wrong. Each song is filled with special moments...a little something you'll return to later. A harmony here, a drum lick there, a delicate Harrison guitar flourish...and then there's "Yesterday." Paul is right there in your car/headphones/living room, and when the strings come in, you'll wish they didn't.
"Rubber Soul" and "Revolver" make the greatest double-LP that was never a double LP. These are two parts of a whole, I think, and there are things in these songs that will keep you interested forever. The bouncing piano of "You Won't See Me" with those classic pop back-up vocals. The dreamy guitars of "Norwegian Wood." The elegant simplicity of "For No One" and "In My Life" with that classical harpsichord bridge. The sweetness in "Michelle", "Here There and Everywhere" and "Girl." The Beatle-bob, head-shaking guitar power chords in "I'm Looking Through You." The startled opening of "Taxman." The what-the-hell "Tomorrow Never Knows" stuff. The drama of "Eleanor Rigby" and "Nowhere Man." These are routinely considered amongst the best albums ever made. It's impossible to argue.
Now we come to "Sgt. Pepper's". Quite possibly the most fun "best album of all time" to listen to. While there are loads of arguments as to which album is the best rock album ever (I'm kinda partial to "Born To Run"), are there any that changed what we consider pop music in one fell swoop? Yes, its' luster has been lost over time, but this sonic upgrade guarantees its' place in history. C'mon, "Sgt Pepper's" into "With A Little Help..." into "Lucy In the Sky..." is never forgotten once heard. The first time anyone heard that, they knew it was something special. Something amazing. That just doesn't happen that often. For those technologically oriented, the fact that this was recorded on a four-track recorder is impossible. Consider "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite" alone. One thing that stuck out: check out the horns on "Good Morning, Good Morning." They come driving out of your speakers like an out-of-control semi.
The Beatles start to get loopy with "Magical Mystery Tour." For the first time, there are things that seem like a waste of time. But the number of stone-cold classics makes you ignore stuff like "Flying." Again with the brisk intro of the title track...the guys let you know immediately you're in for a trip, and they remind you that they can rock with the best of 'em. These new remasters reveal details in "I Am The Walrus" and "Strawberry Field Forever" heretofore unheard. You can hear the sun shining in "Penny Lane." How is that possible? And it's "cranberry sauce."
I'm not as impressed with "The White Album" as I think most people are. Yes, it's still one of the great ones, but for the first time, I became impatient with the Beatles. That's a quibble, as the thrills of "Back In The USSR, the early metal of "Helter Skelter", the delicacies of "Blackbird", "Julia" and "Martha Dear", the singalong "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", the epics "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Dear Prudence"...FAR outweigh the tedium of "Wild Honey Pie" and "Revolution #9", the boring "Long Long Long", the novelty-ish "Why Don't We Do It In The Road?" The improvement in the sonics exaggerates these differences. Still, a most impressive collection...just not up to the last few.
"Yellow Submarine"? All together now. It's an aberration.
"Let It Be" again mixes a rare mis-step with some legendary tunes. This gives you a chance to re-evaluate Phil Spector's take on the Fab Four. You'll be thinking "If only..." a few times. Like if only he didn't syrup over "The Long and Winding Road" but I guess for that, you have "Let It Be...Naked." The poignancy of "The Two Of Us" will touch you. And yes, they passed their audition.
I have always considered "Abbey Road" to be their real last album. If you don't know, it was recorded after "Let It Be", but released first. This is another record on the short list of "best ever by anyone" and similarly, it's hard to argue. Harrison's contribution rival (surpass?) Lennon/McCartney's, and the side-long suite condenses the random joys of a 'Sgt. Pepper's'-like variety into half the time. Seriously, the last song is titled "The End"...isn't that how it should be? I say yes.
"Past Masters" blows my mind. This collection that organizes the Beatles non-LP singles contains some of the single greatest singles ever. Ever. EVER. "She Loves You", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", "I Feel Fine" (Niiiiiiice feedback!), "Day Tripper" (whip-cracking drums), "We Can Work It Out", "Lady Madonna"...
I want to "single" out two performances. First, "Paperback Writer". I previously enjoyed this tune, but now it vaults into one of my favorite Beatle songs. I had never appreciated the intertwined harmonies as much, nor the muscular rhythm section and snarling guitars. Of all the songs in the box, this is one that feels the most "different." Maybe it's just me.
And then there's "Hey Jude." I doesn't get any better than this. Paul and a piano, the rest of the lads folding in, and then the soaring ending. If you liked the song before, you'll love it now. if you loved it before, you'll weep.
A DVD collects the "mini-documentaries". These tasty little treats (each one available individually on its' respective album) are 3-4 minute long visual liner notes, if you will. They are tantalizingly brief, with some terrific photos/videos, "backstage" chatter, and salient comments from all involved. There's some stuff that you'll recall from the "Anthology" films, but there's also a whole lot of new stuff, and that stuff is pretty sweet. I thought it was pretty cool that if you watch them in order..."play all"...they placed Abbey Road last. Nice touch for diehards.
There. I'm done. There is no possible way that if you've read this far, you could in any way be disappointed with this box. The Beatles will change your musical life. Again.
Free Music Review: Ohhh, LOOK out! He has mono (and stereo).
Hit: 5 Stars
Fact: The stunning reaction to the mono set took nearly everyone by surprise.
Fiction: You made the wrong choice by buying the stereo set.
Fact: The vocals/instruments separation in some of the stereo albums is wider than the actual crosswalk shown on the Abbey Road cover.
Fiction: You made the wrong choice by buying the stereo set.
Fact: The mono set's enthusiasts' reviews have a lot of merit and are based on more than mere nostalgia.
Fiction: You made the wrong choice by buying the stereo set.
Being a 57-year-old Beatles fan has its advantages, not the least of which is having some perspective on the two current remastered sets from EMI. (By the way, I bought from Amazon the individual stereo CDs -- except for the YS soundtrack -- at low prices and applied the money I saved toward the mono box set, which I had intended to get all along.)
I don't consider myself a Beatles completist. Still, at one time or another over the years I have had and embraced the original Vee-Jay, Swan, and Capitol 45s; nearly all the mono and stereo albums from Capitol (the stereo versions of which I had rebought at least twice by 1980); various British, German, and other European imports (mono and/or stereo, depending on the album); reissued British EPs on vinyl; all the 1987 EMI compact discs; the three "Anthology" sets; the "YS Songtrack" and "1"; the Capitol box sets from a few years ago (which I really like); and now these terrific EMI remasters. And while I have never bought any Beatles bootleg CDs, over the years I have listened to other fans' exhaustive box sets of "Let It Be" and the BBC sessions, all kinds of live shows from around the world, and other entries in the band's unofficial output.
I mention this not in an attempt to impress anyone. There are many of you out there who have heard and own far more Beatles music than I ever have or ever will. But it underscores (1) the substantial amount of music the boys created in a short span of time; (2) the seemingly countless formats and mix variations -- some subtle, some striking -- of specific songs and of the albums themselves despite there being just "a" mono mix and just "a" stereo mix; and (3) the soul connection I have to this body of music. I wish I had experienced one of their live concerts during Beatlemania. But in early December of 1963 I did whip my head around at the dinner table to catch the CBS Evening News report on the growing Beatles phenomenon in Great Britain. That was my first clue. A month later, my mom and I watched a segment on the Beatles that the wry Jack Paar aired on his Friday night TV show in January 1964. And my folks, my kid brother, my grandparents, and I watched the Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964. I was hooked.
I should also point out that I'm not an audiophile; my whole sound system didn't cost me more than $3,000. That won't buy speaker wire in some high-end systems. But an actual audiophile (a guy half my age whose expertise and opinions I truly respect) helped me configure my listening room so that my 4-speaker system helps deliver warmth, clarity, presence, and punch whether the music is presented in mono or stereo and regardless of what kind of music it is.
I have listened to these 2009 remasters a lot in the past couple of months. Oh, I mixed in some Byrds and Beach Boys, some blues and jazz, and some country and folk here and there. But I have focused on these remasters.
Overall, I prefer the stereo mixes. And I'm not a stereo-only proponent anymore than I am a mono-is-best proponent. But I like the way the electric guitars ring and chime (especially George's Ric 12-string, which inspired another of my R&R heroes, Roger McGuinn) and the way the acoustic guitars hum. I like how Ringo -- one of my all-time favorite rock drummers -- cracks and thumps his drums. I like how Paul's bass lines, too often buried in the mix in previous vinyl and CD incarnations, prove once and for all just how good the guy was all along. I like how John's rhythm guitar sounds and how his vocal inflections emerge. Most of all, I like how those tight harmonies, whether they're based on the Everly Brothers' vocal arrangements or something the boys and George Martin created from scratch, fill this room. These stereo remasters make this very familiar music sound so fresh and vibrant and clear that I want to buy a round of drinks for the team of engineering professionals who spent four years of their lives to give us this Digital Age treasure-trove.
That said, I do like several of the mono mixes nearly as much and maybe more. Sgt. Pepper is thrilling to hear in its mono presentation. It really is. It's different enough from the stereo mix to draw my wife in from another room to exclaim, "I don't remember THAT being on there!" Another mono mix which arguably tops its stereo counterpart is Please Please Me. This seminal Beatles long-player has never sounded so good. Plus, like its 1987 EMI precursor, the title track -- my favorite of the band's early rockers along with "Twist And Shout" and "I Saw Her Standing There" -- is the version that's free of the fluffed vocals on the last verse. That alone was going to ensure I'd be buying the mono box set in addition to the stereo remasters. "Anna," "There's A Place," "Love Me Do" -- these and other tracks also sound great in mono. (I'm not sure any degree of remastering will spur me to like "Ask Me Why," with its "woo-woo-woo-woo" and "I-I-I-I" refrains, but that's just me.)
The mono remasters of With The Beatles and Beatles For Sale are also top-notch. (Though, again, new and improved sound still won't compel me to listen to "Mr. Moonlight" on a regular basis.) And, The Beatles (the "White Album") in mono is different enough from its stereo counterpart (and so rock-solid) that it too warrants a favorable comparison.
Still, the stereo mixes overall will remain the versions I most often pop into my CD player. They are exhilarating to listen to. So, if you bought the stereo set but have been mentally kicking yourself after having read all the rave reviews of the mono mixes, please know that you chose wisely. You really did. If your curiosity about the mono set hasn't subsided and you can afford to get it, do so. There are enough differences between the two mixes -- beyond their obvious channel separation -- that you'll gain a deeper appreciation for the talent and energy that went into creating each mix back in the day. But -- and this is my one big caution to you -- if you're unaccustomed to listening to classic rock and pop music in mono, you may find it a bit of a jolt to your senses. To your ears, mono Beatles music may indeed sound "muddy," "flat," and "dead" as termed by some fans who've posted reviews in one or both of the two box set forums. Personally I enjoy both mixes being offered in these 2009 remasters. That's because regardless of the artist or the genre of music we're talking about, mono and stereo mixes have both been part of my listening experience since I was a little kid back in the late 1950s. But that may not be true for you; your experience may be based more on one or the other. And so, as much as I dig the mono PPM and mono Sgt. Pepper, as much of a kick as I get from hearing both the subtle and dramatic differences between all the songs and albums presented in both mixes, these great-sounding stereo discs have now formed the core of my Beatles collection.
Ultimately, YOUR tastes and YOUR preferences are all that matter. Not my take on "mono vs. stereo" and not anyone else's. The fact that you are passionate about the music the boys and Sir George created all those years ago is reason enough to rejoice that you and I and millions of other Beatle people the world over finally have these dynamic remasters.
Free Music Review: Long and Winding Thoughts on the Dawn of a New Day
Hit: 5 Stars
My first Beatles acquisition, (on an extremely low def and low quality EMI cassette), was Abbey Road. Grade Ten seems like a long time ago in Calcutta and quite honestly I did not know what to make out of it. Growing up in the eighties, slickness of its production attracted me more than anything else. Also I thought the cover was kind of interesting ...
It would not be another few years or so till I picked up two more Beatles recordings - this time recorded on both sides of a TDK D90 tape from a Vinyl source ... Rubber Soul & Revolver, thanks to my friend Kalyan Roy, a collector of records and a musicologist, who knew more about The Beatles than anyone else in my close friend circle.
Listening to Revolver & Rubber Soul, my world changed.
I was already very much into Dylan, Stones, Grateful Dead, Floyd and Zeppelin & the likes, and I had dabbled with Folk-Rock, Jazz & Blues a bit; but this was something different .. like the Gods from heaven creating something so immortal for us the humans, something so eternal & timeless. The impeccable sense of melody, movements of rhythms across the bars, a sense of brevity that directs exactly when & how to stop, and the precise use of words, pronounced with such clarity that even clichéd expressions sounded dramatic, wrapped ever so gently around the effortless melody. Not to mention harmonized voices of morning doves, like rain falling on a hot summer day, or the comfort of a warm quilt in cold & dreadful winter.
Drive My Car, Norwegian Wood, Eleanor Rigby and For No One amassed emotion in my young heart akin to reading a beautiful poem, like Wordsworth, or Tagore and our very own Sunil Ganguly. To this date I envy people who would explore Beatles and hopefully have the same feeling I did all those years ago for the first time. Slowly I started collecting the vinyl albums and picked up most of them second hand in Free School Street, just off Park Street in Calcutta, my hometown. Some I bought brand new, like the White Album, which ranks among the best double albums ever made, with Blonde & Blonde, Tommy, Physical Graffiti & Exile on Main Street.
Thankfully, the circle of friends I grew up with liked western music, poetry, art in general - with no regard of political or geographical boundaries. It was a different time, a different place with different dreams & expectations. Mass consumer driven globalization had not invaded India - in a way we lived in a country very different from the India to today - with its Contact Centers & Shopping Malls; we appreciated art as it was available - in whatever shape & form; White Album wowed & fluttered (faulty manufacturing!), the wax on Let it Be was wavy, the stylus on my record player fought hard to be in groove with Blue Album. Sgt Pepper, thankfully, was in pristine order, in tune with the music; my friends around the globe has written millions of words explaining Pepper's beauty; world will survive alright without more of the same from yours truly here. One thing I did miss though - having Pepper in a Monaural format - and that has changed now; the wait has been worth its while.
Abbey Road remained a personal favorite; I did write a review a few years back on Amazon & have nothing more to add. I do not think Abbey Road could have been made more perfect - it is spotless the way it is - from a band at its very peak - maybe, just maybe, if they had gone on, their work would have suffered - a fall from an often unattainable (for most people that is) peak.
As we have heard from so many times before, music in its best form can change your life. A piece of wisdom I need to pass on to my daughter, barely three and half months old. I guess I may have to wait more than a few years for that conversation :) Hopefully the Beatles catalogue will be released on iTunes to pique her interest by then.
I left India in the early nineties - my Beatles collection on Vinyl, whatever is left of it, is gathering dust. I have not had the heart to throw them away; maybe someday I will bring them here.
I never bought one Beatles Compact disc in spite of their availability; I borrowed some from time to time from the local library when we lived in Calgary, Alberta (an exceptionally well funded library with a fascinating collection of music & books). I just did not like how they sounded on CDs - lifeless & flat at best. Without the oomph of the bass & jangle of the twelve strings they sounded pale in comparison with my old Vinyl records, even if they were always not in the best of condition. I did buy all the Anthologies, Live at the BBC, 1 & Love - them being new issues & not original studio releases I did not have a benchmark to compare; plus I felt such releases were of historic significance.
Love was a revelation of sort as to what can be done with the master tapes by tweaking things here & there; remixing as they call it ... as long as they are in right hands (we attended the show at Mirage in Las Vegas which was a great experience)
Enough of the past and appreciate bearing my ramble, let's talk about what we have here. Two impeccably mastered sets, one in stereo and one in mono, attractively packaged and bravely priced in spite of such recessionary times. Personally I would have preferred both the stereo & mono versions in one packaging as a double (not single) disc for each of the studio recordings and Revolver onwards as a triple disc set including a DTS version; also as a bonus: DVD of Let it Be, repackaged and re-mastered with all its historic glory (Paul, are you listening?!).
I will stay away from the price issue. It is expensive, no doubt about it, but we have also waited many years. I guess the price point is where the demand & supply curves have met. And yes, I find them expensive.
Sound is the crux of the matter here.
So here it goes: It is like a veil has been lifted; like you are looking at a Rembrandt or a Picasso that was covered in dust all this time and someone ever so gently has wiped all the dust and the ashes of the past. It is like finally, the fog that covered Blue Jay Way, has given way to bright sunlight. The sound of the music is like never I have heard before. Up, Front and Personal - there, I can see John sharing the microphone with his friends, and George playing the chords. All in my head, all in my ears, and all in my mind - it is like listening to the Fab Four for the first time - all those years ago. Only much clearer, a clean sound - perhaps like it was intended to be. Clean, Crisp - I will say it again, a revolutionary improvement over the 1987 releases.
The Mono which were mastered by the Beatles themselves apparently with more care, devotion and caution (after all most people listened to The Beatles using Mono equipment in the sixties) sounds fantastic; I would suggest, if you can afford, buy both versions - it is an acquisition of sorts - something you can keep and enjoy for years to come.
If one is on a budget, buy up to Help in Mono, and in Stereo for the balance of the recordings. I don't think I will ever listen to the first five records in stereo again - as far as these are concerned - Mono is King!
My sincere appreciation for all the hard work to the engineers at the Abbey Road studio for making these releases see the light of day - something both audiophiles and Beatle fans alike have waited for such a long time.
One request, if I could be so upfront, please release `Let it Be' on DVD - such a historic document of the modern art should not be confined to You Tube streaming only.
Jai Guru Deva Om!! Now we can safely say, nothing's gonna change my world ...
Free Music Review: I Don't Want To Spoil The Party....SO I WON'T!
Hit: 5 Stars
Well whatdaya know? My first review ever for a Beatles album or ALBUMS in this case. Why have I never written a review for a Beatles album? Because like most of you, I've known these records so well during the course of my lifetime, what am I going to say that hasn't been said a million times before? I mean it's pointless really. However, this new remastered box set provides me with a fresh start and has marked the first time in my Beatle loving life that I was able to buy their actual albums on the day of release! Now THAT was a fun experience! When The Beatles were first issued on CD in 1987, I was 10 years old and barely knew what a CD was, much less how they worked. But I did know my Beatles! I had fallen in love with them at the ripe ole age of 3 and by age 10 could sing every song forward and backward plus rattle off any bit of Beatle trivia you cared to know. Quite a privilege to have an original '64 Beatlemaniac for a mom, eh? Not that it took any prodding from her. The magic of The Beatles' music took hold of me at first listen and I was immediately hooked for life.
For anyone who says these new remasters don't sound better than the original '87 releases, may I suggest an ear wax removal kit available at your nearest supermarket (or perhaps some EMITEX). The packaging is awesome, the black box is gorgeous, and I love the way you can remove the albums with the pull of a black ribbon. Just don't pull them out onto the floor! I've read some complaints about the cardboard digi-paks that the new CD's come in. Before this set was released I read that the CD's would come in limited edition "eco-friendly" packaging, so I'm guessing that these CD's will eventually be issued in standard jewel cases down the line. I have no problem with digi-paks, as long as I remove the CD gently! It would be too long to review every CD individually so I'm going to review their catalog by year, that should be quicker. Here we go!
1963: PLEASE PLEASE ME & WITH THE BEATLES - So crisp, so clear, so SEPARATED! Now I don't have a problem with the stereo mixing of "With The Beatles" because I grew up on the stereo versions of the American Capitol albums which were "Meet The Beatles" and "The Beatles' Second Album." However, there is no doubt that "Please Please Me" sounds better in mono. The stereo mix is really good though and works better if you're listening to it on a big stereo system.
1964: A HARD DAYS NIGHT & BEATLES FOR SALE - The Beatles' were using four track tape machines by the time of their third album so there was a lot more room for a proper stereo mix. I've always known both of these albums in stereo and these remasters sound fantastic! They sound so good that I've finally been able to accept the British formats of both these records!
1965: HELP! & RUBBER SOUL - The turning point for The Beatles. Why? Marijuana. Thank you Bob Dylan. I'll admit while both of these CD's sound better than ever, there is something a little "off" to my ears concerning their remastering. I think it has something to do with the fact the 1986 digital mixes, prepared by George Martin, were used for these remasters. I've listened to the original 1965 stereo mixes that are included on the mono CD's and I think they sound better personally.
1966: REVOLVER - The next turning point for The Beatles. Why? L.S.D. Thank you Beatles' Dentist. You are supposed to be immersed in this album when you play it and this remaster makes that easy. "Love You Too" comes on like a stampede from the far east and "Tomorrow Never Knows" swirls around you in technicolor.
1967: SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND & MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR - What a year for The Beatles and what a couple of amazing albums! Like "Revolver," both of these will submerge you in their new remastered state. The "Henry The Horse" break in "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite" sounds out of this world. The stereo panned coach sounds in "Magical Mystery Tour" will make you feel like you're getting ready to be run over by it!
1968: THE BEATLES (THE WHITE ALBUM) - Not much can be said other than that the details are now clearer than ever and the entire double album now packs the wallop you've always wanted it to have! Still can't get rid of that tape hiss on "Martha My Dear" though. If I had to find any downside to the remaster, I guess it would be that there seems to be a little too much low end on the acoustic songs. "Blackbird" seems to "boom" too much when it needs to "lilt." That might just be the fault of my old stereo system though.
1969: YELLOW SUBMARINE & ABBEY ROAD - "Only A Northern Song" is presented fully in mono for the first time, no more of that fake stereo! And George Martin's orchestral score has never sounded more breathtaking....because that's the side of the record everyone played to death, right? For the original experience, listen to "Yellow Submarine." For the remixed experience, listen to "Yellow Submarine Songtrack" from 1999. "Abbey Road" is everything other reviews have said it is. Simply amazing. The looped coda to "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" sounds like a hurricane is coming straight for your house. The medley sounds absolutely majestic.
1970: LET IT BE - And so they did. Recorded in Jan. of 1969, with bits recorded in April of '69, Jan. of 1970, and a holdover all the way back from Feb. of 1968 ("Across The Universe"), it's far from a final, unified statement from the band. That would be "Abbey Road." However, I did not think the remastering of THIS album was going to be a highlight of the box set for me, but it was, in a way I did not expect nor would have expected. This remaster brought back the feeling that I felt when I listened to this album as a young child. The amazing thing is I did not know how long I'd been away from this feeling until I played this remaster. I broke down in tears on three different occasions. In reality, the Spector-ized "Let It Be" is actually kind of like "The White Album" really, with individual moments scattered throughout.
1962-1970: PAST MASTERS - EVERYTHING sounding great on this combined set! The "Long Tall Sally" E.P. has never rocked harder. But my ears are STILL to used to the American mixes of "I Feel Fine" and "She's A Woman" with all that reverb! And "Sie Lieb Dich" may prove to be better than the English "She Loves You" of all things! Disc two sounds amazing.
THE MIN-DOCUMENTARY DVD: In short, A WASTE! If you own "Anthology" these "mini-docs" don't add anything new to the story. In some cases, they get a few things WRONG! Like using photos from the "Revolver" sessions for the "Rubber Soul" documentary. Why couldn't they have included a DVD of all The Beatles' promo films for their singles? THAT would have been a good idea.
There you have it. The Beatles' Stereo Box Set. One of the best music purchases I've ever made plain and simple. I may have to share my favorite four uncles with billions of others around the world, but they're my four uncles and they're YOUR four uncles as well. And the music they made for US will be a part of our lives until the day we leave here. Thank you Uncle John, Paul, George, and Ringo.
Free Music Review: Beatles Heaven
Hit: 5 Stars
I enthusiastically verify that the gist of all the positive reviews (about 57 of 'em prior to mine) is true, and then some. The music is crystal clear, and has a wonderful depth, warmth, and striking presence: allowing the listener to distinctly hear or "pick out" the different parts: both instruments and vocals. This is especially true (as we would expect) of the stereo versions, with their inherent separation, but also almost as much of the mono mixes (I've been listening to both mono and stereo yesterday and today: no pun intended). The music is filled with energy. It's exciting, alive, shiny, and shimmering: the aural equivalent of a bright rainbow. I'm absolutely thrilled, since The Beatles have always been my favorite band.
Another common theme in previous reviews and many professional critical reviews I have read is that one hears things they never heard before. Very true: almost in every song if one listens closely enough (and especially with headphones). That is a special thing because it provides a feeling that these 40+ years-old records still are "new."
I always liked Ringo's drumming a lot, but I've come to appreciate him quite a bit more, now that I've properly heard what he has done in these marvelous songs. He's renowned (especially among fellow drummers) for his "fills": the little drum runs at the end of a section of the song, usually just before it repeats a verse or goes into a chorus or bridge. One hears these with perfect clarity now. I find myself following his drums in particular in each song, more so than the guitars, because they could always be heard in earlier recording mixes, and immersing myself in the animated wonder of his playing.
The drumming is so great in some songs, that I have started liking them much more than I ever did (Drive My Car -- never one of my favorites -- is one example: the funkiness of the drums and bass together are really something).
I've always been a big Stereo Guy, but I must say that my thinking has undergone a considerable transformation in listening again to the older mono Beatles songs that I had prior to this release, and doing A/B song comparisons. The mono songs -- the rockers above all -- hit you right between the eyes. They have an impact and (as lots of people say) "punch" to them that the stereo can't quite match. This is proportionately more true the earlier the recordings are. But there are exceptions. The stereo versions have such good sound that many of the rockers don't lose much (examples: I Saw Her Standing There, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, which are powerful in both stereo and mono).
The albums A Hard Day's Night and Beatles for Sale also sound surprisingly good in stereo, for 1964. For some reason the 1965 stereo mixes don't seem as good as the ones the year before (with lots of antiquated "ping pong" mixes). Something changed, and it was for the worse, I think.
The mono has the drums (like everything else) in the center, which makes them more prominent; more in balance, in my opinion: sometimes seeming even twice as loud, as should be the case with a rocker. Paperback Writer is far better in mono: no contest. If we compare the gut-busting flat-out rockers of The White Album (Birthday, Helter Skelter, Green Onion, Back in the USSR, etc.), the difference isn't as great as in the earlier, pre-1967 music, but mono still retains the edge. Revolution (the single) is awesome in mono: a terrific powerhouse. It sounds "gutted" in stereo (as even John Lennon stated after hearing the 1973 Blue Album), but packs a "two-fisted" punch in the powerful stereo version on "Love" that can give the mono version a run for its money.
Mono also sounds much better through speakers than in headphones (I have Sennheiser HD280 pro). It's the difference between "very good" and "perfect." The music doesn't sound like it is in the middle of your head when it comes through separated speakers. The element of physical separation of two channels (even if they are playing the same thing) adds quite a bit.
In the earlier songs, for my taste, the drums in the stereo mixes are too often lost in the overall soundscape, in one channel only, and flat-sounding (the very last thing drums should ever be). The Beatles "kick [...]" in the mono rockers. There is a power and forward drive there that matches any rock band, bar none. John Lennon once said in an interview that the Rolling Stones were "never" a match for The Beatles, even in the power department. He was right. The Fab Four could rock with the best of them, and it sounds best in mono. I never thought I'd say that, but I'm a new believer. The stereo sounds excellent overall, though, and is significantly superior for the softer, more melodic songs, and songs with harmony singing. A lot of the reason the mono mixes sound better is because of the inadequate mixing of many of the earlier stereo versions, in my opinion. The engineer(s) who did the Yellow Submarine Soundtrack understood this (particularly evident with Nowhere Man and Eleanor Rigby, which are much better than any of the box set versions).
I also agree with the general consensus that the later albums in the catalogue (meaning, from 1967 to 1969) sound comparatively better. This is, no doubt, due to the higher quality of the original recordings: better equipment as they went along, and more tracks. My own greatest discoveries came in listening to Sgt. Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour, and The White Album (in both stereo and mono). The same is largely true of Revolver, too. And Your Bird Can Sing and Doctor Robert in stereo were thoroughly enjoyable, with lots of new sounds heretofore unnoticed.
Thus far, having listened to most of my favorite songs, I have been most struck by I am the Walrus and Strawberry Fields. The "psychedelic," almost avante garde sound effects and musical sounds of this period are spectacular in the new sets. Walrus (in stereo) was astounding. It has a sparkling energy and excitement and rocks more. It's amazing. Strawberry Fields had almost as striking of an impact, as did Tomorrow Never Knows, with all its bizarre tape loops and hypnotic rhythms and weird vocals. It rocks harder and is more captivating than ever. Come Together has even more of the semi-spooky, funky, "swampy" vibes that have always made it the unique song that it is.
The guitars sound uniformly excellent, not over-recorded and tinny, as was too often the case in the old recordings. They're wonderful in, for example, Day Tripper and Ticket to Ride and Taxman and Dear Prudence, and the twangy, Byrds-like If I Needed Someone, and in my favorite Harrison solo and one of my top five Beatles songs, Let it Be (the vastly superior album version). They sparkle on The White Album, which has been notorious in the past for being too trebly and thin. Great, innovative music ought to challenge and stretch the listener, and these sets, in an almost magical fashion, bring back the joy of discovery that we had when we first heard all these songs.
Every person can discover the wonders here in their own fashion, according to their own tastes and preferences. But I know one thing for sure: a "splendid time is gua-d-anteed for all."