The Beatles - The Beatles Stereo Box Set
|
List Price: Our Price: $179.98 You Save: $80.00 (31%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $144.87 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for The Beatles Stereo Box Set
Free Music Review: Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Beatlemania lives on!
Hit: 5 Stars
Who could have ever thought it would have been possible? 09/09/09 has become a red-letter date in the history of Beatle-dom. It could be the repetitive nature of the phrase "Number Nine, Number Nine" featured in the track "Revolution 9" from "The White Album". Or, even the bit of dialogue "dial 9-9-9" from the 1965 motion picture "Help!" However, 09/09/09 has become important for a far better reason.
After more than 22 years of having The Beatles' albums on CD, we are finally treated to the definitive box set of Beatles music. This time, the folks at EMI and Apple finally got things right for a change. While having Beatles CDs is a thrill, it is now even more-so with this brilliant audio collection. For the very first time, their entire recorded output has been remastered for the 21st century, complete with unique liner notes and special digipak-packaging to boot. With the exception of the "Past Masters" set, each disc also contains a brief mini-documentary about that album. These short bits can only be utilised with the assistance of a computer's disc drive. However, the box set does include a bonus DVD disc featuring all of these short sequences together so you can enjoy it on your very own DVD player. What you have here are the original British Beatles albums just like what had been released before; only now, the listener can enjoy the first 4 albums - "Please Please Me". "With The Beatles", "A Hard Day's Night", "Beatles For Sale" - available in true stereo for the very first time. Combined with the remaining 9 albums recorded by the group between 1965 and 1970, this is a masterpiece set, and a special treasure trove of timeless, classic songs that changed the entire structure of popular music as we know it today.
Each CD is carefully and painstakingly put together in a very special 3-border fold-out, which allows the CD to be housed in a slot on the far right-hand side (except for the double discs, which have their CDs fitted inside the packaging). Each title also comes with a special CD booklet containg many unreleased photographs that represent the time when each album was originally released, plus well-written liner notes (including the original notes from the first 4 albums). The "Yellow Submarine" booklet contains both the original UK and US back cover notes together for the very first time. And, what a thrill it is to finally be able to have the photo/comic-strip booklet from "Magical Mystery Tour", that was initially issued in the American LP in 1967, in an official CD release for the very first time. The "White Album" packaging includes the original poster, in a CD sized reproduction, that features the photo collage on one side, and the album's song-lyrics on the other side. This marks the second time that this poster was made available in a "White Album" CD release, following the 30th anniversary reissue from 1998.
The sound quality of the songs are, without a doubt, the very best that I have ever heard before. For the first time, the audio quality of each track is sharp, crisp, crystal clear and truly an audiophile's dream come true. It should also be noted that the songs "Love Me Do" (both versions), "P.S. I Love You", "Only A Northern Song", "She Loves You", "I'll Get You" and "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)" are all presented in their original monaural mixes, whereas the remaining songs are all in true stereo. Even "I Am The Walrus" still has its orignal mix of half-stereo/half-duophonic, just like the first time around. All in all, this box set far surpasses all other box sets that have come before.
And, the bonus DVD of the mini documentaries is also well-produced. Each segment features audio comments from The Beatles themselves along with George Martin. This DVD gives a fascinating insight into why these classic albums have stood the test of time so well, and continue to be so popular, even into the 21st century.
Many current and legendary artists have called The Beatles a major influence. One listen to this music and you too will see why. Beatlemania will live on forever!
Free Music Review: BUILT TO LAST A LIFETIME (AND THEN SOME)
Hit: 5 Stars
What is there left to say about the Beatles that hasn't already been covered hundreds of times? Probably not much, so how do I approach an attempt to convince you that you need to (absolutely need to) check out at least a few of the newly re-mastered Beatles releases? There are any number of tactics, including those that are personal and those that are psychological, and I'm feeling game enough to try both. From a personal perspective, I presently own 6,748 CD's and/or LPs. That's way more than most people, although I know a few people who are even crazier than I am. When you own that much music, you begin to notice that there are entire sections of your collection that are seldom played, or neglected entirely. To be quite honest, I'd say that nearly half of my collection falls into that category. It's not like I regret owning this peripheral stuff, but I simply have no desire to make time for it. Another 25 or 30% fall into a category where I wish I had the time to get to know them better, but real life makes it difficult, if not impossible, to play this stuff as often as I would like. I will probably die before I get to know these albums well enough to be truly familiar. Another 15% or so consist of records that I refer to reasonably often, and know well enough to discern in advance what I like and don't like about them. That leaves less than 10% - in my case, approximately 600 LP's - that I consider essential to my collection, and even of those, there are very few that I have the time for listening with regularity. The Beatles albums (all of them) sit at the apex of this silly mathematical formula, and represent some of the music that I listen to more than any other. Now that forty years or more has passed since their initial release, and another twenty has passed before anybody attempted to improve them sonically, why would I hesitate to snatch up the re-mastered Beatles collection, especially since the newly improved re-masters are stunning in their clarity and the revelations that they offer?
I wouldn't hesitate, but that's me. So then, why would you? This brings us to the psychological aspect of my argument. Maybe you already own the entire collection, and don't want to shell out money for something you already own. Fair enough, but if you own all of the Beatles albums, then that provides evidence that you are a fan, and if you are a fan, you will not believe the depth and detail that you hear when you play the re-mastered version of "Rubber Soul," or "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," or any other. As a fan, you are denying yourself access to a drastically improved version of music that you already love, and that is self denial at best, or at worst, masochistic.
It is more likely, though, that you are a casual fan. Maybe you like the Beatles and own an album or two, but spend most of your music money on something or someone else. If that's the case, you need to look at the stuff you purchased in the past forty years and ask yourself how relevant it is to you. Do you listen to all of it, or is your ratio of `keepers' similar to mine? I'm willing to bet that the Beatles are among your favorites, too, so why in the world would you not buy a stunningly improved version of an album that you are certain to enjoy for the rest of your life?
That leaves the `deniers' and the `indifferent'. If you're indifferent, then you probably don't like music anyway, so I don't need to talk to you because you aren't even reading this. If you are in denial about liking the Beatles, then, psychologically speaking, you are truly a tricky case. If you really believe that the Beatles aren't so great, or that (fill in the blank) is so much better, or maintain some other justification for dismissing music that changed the world and remains as relevant as anything recorded in the 20th century, then two possibilities exist. Maybe you're simply a contrarian, and nothing will convince you, or maybe you never really heard the Beatles as they should be heard. Now is your chance. A++ Tom Ryan
Free Music Review: FINALLY!!!
Hit: 5 Stars
After the death of Michael Jackson, arguably the biggest music news of 2009 was the release of a remastered Beatles catalog. In 1987, The Beatles' albums were released for the first time on CD in groups throughout the year and have been shunned by Beatlemaniacs and audiophiles alike ever since. Compared to the original vinyl, the 1987 CDs lacked punch, clarity, and in short: didn't do The Beatles justice. Other bands from the British Invasion era like the Rolling Stones and The Who as well as later acts like AC/DC and U2 have come out with remastered versions of their classic albums, but The Beatles' discs remained untouched. Now, twenty-two years later, The Beatles have finally succumbed to the benefits of modern technology and the results are incredible.
For the first few albums, the differences are less noticeable which is most likely due to the limitations of the original recordings. However, the harshness of the lead vocal parts is gone and there is a much better balance and clarity among all of the instruments. The most noticeable change early on is in the bass and the vast improvement there is present throughout every album. For the best example of this, listen to the new remaster of "When I'm Sixty-Four" on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Sorry vinyl fans, until the vinyl remasters are released, this new CD version will be king of Paul McCartney's bass lines. After the first four discs, the improvements become significantly more noticeable with each album that follows. Help! opens with the title track and right away the differences between the original CDs and the remasters are staggering. The lead guitar, swallowed under the mix almost completely in 1987, is now crystal clear. Everything seems brighter, more present, and significantly more defined. For me, it felt like I had been listening to The Beatles play from the house next door for 22 years and I finally invited them over to my place to perform.
As a violinist, one of the things I was most looking forward to in the new remasters was improved string section clarity. The differences are first noticeable on tracks like "Yesterday" where the cello is especially more present, but where the string detail really shines is on Revolver. "Eleanor Rigby" was always a feature track for strings, but they never felt like the feature on the original CDs. In 1987, the CD mastering techniques forced the string section behind the vocals in such a way that they were present, but often neglected in the mix. Thanks to the efforts of Guy Massey, Steve Rooke, and Allan Rouse among others, the new remasters give the string section a new life worthy of any string player's praise and adoration.
In my opinion, the greatest difference is heard on the final chord of "A Day in the Life." The crescendo build up is legendary, but the final piano chord fade out is heard like it has never been heard before on the new remastered version of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. There is so much more clarity in the overtones of the pianos that, with the right pair of headphones, one can hear certain notes on each of the three pianos used for the recording ring out just a bit more than others; a feat that could never be fathomed in 1987.
Die hard Beatles fans will most likely want to pick up the mono version of the box set along with the stereo set, but for the vast majority of listeners who have been listening to the 1987 CDs for the past two decades or even fans who have never updated their original vinyl collection, the stereo remasters are absolutely worth the investment. For over forty years, The Beatles have been regarded as one of the greatest bands ever and their new remasters should do nothing but further solidify that reputation.
Free Music Review: Sound Savor: "Moments of Clarity"
Hit: 5 Stars
My first inclination when adding the remastered versions of The Beatles catalog was to immediately delete the old C.D. versions from my i-Tunes library to free up space. However, after listening to the new C.D.'s (about one a day as a special treat) I discovered the difference of my newfound treasure.
The difference between the old and new C.D.'s was (and is) striking. A comparison in my I-tunes library was obvious: The new master of 'With The Beatles (Remastered)' is richer and clearer. I don't have the most discerning ear, but the new versions are definitely better. With each C.D. I tried it out on the C.D. player, in the car stereo, and on the I-pod.
Here are some startling examples: "Michelle" in the I-pod blew me away: 'Rubber Soul (Remastered)' surely has a magnificent texture to begin with, but the new sound is even more terrific! (The rewards of listening to the new versions on the i-Pod are immediate.) When listening to "Strawberry Fields Forever," in the car, the cellos became so distinct, it isn't an exaggeration to say they are now tangible as well as audible. Upon further listening I discovered "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" doesn't sound as murky, and the brass on "Martha My Dear" has superb clarity. These were the times when I was floored by the difference. All the rest of the sound tests found the collection still detectably worthwhile, only not quite as ear-blowing.
Originally, I came upon the news of the remastered works of The Beatles as a mixed blessing: I was skeptical of the quality, yet I embraced any improvement of my favorite rock band's portfolio. Nevertheless, it isn't hard to think of each new advance in technology as another scheme to get consumers to start all over--and make everyone richer once again. I resolved to try `Revolver (Remastered),` my favorite Beatles' album, and then get another one every year thereafter. (I was a bit miffed because about a year or so before the remastered recordings arrived, I had just finished replacing every album in this boxed set on C.D.. That's a different story, but I'm sure many people can relate to my predicament.)
I was first enticed to get the boxed set when Amazon sent a video advertisement heralding the new selections. I did a comparison between "Here, There, and Everywhere" from their preview sampler and the one in my library, and I felt the need to move more quickly on the bonanza.
Fortunately for me, Santa Claus came early, and an unnamed benefactor solved my problem of coveting a truly memorable step up in Beatles' music history. I hope he's as good to you--either from the giving or receiving end--as he was to me.
Thanks for reading, and happy holidays!
Rocky Raccoon :>)
(PS The Amazon sampler and description are enticing, but, if you're not convinced, I encourage you to read 'Rolling Stone's concise and convincing review of the boxed set--available online.)
Free Music Review: Showing my age
Hit: 5 Stars
I've been reading a lot of the reviews submitted for both the stereo and the mono sets; which is better, etc.
I truly appreciate a lot of the information and specific songs, parts, variances that many of the more expert listeners have submitted.
I'm just a life long hack who loves this music still and have been content to listen to them via LP, cassette, 8 track, 1980s cds and the new superduper, no phony baloney remastered sets.
I bought the stereo set and a friend has given me mono tracks for Sgt. Pepper and an assortment of songs that some of the previous reviewers have given as examples. (Thank you for that!)
I also have the Capitol Releases that feature those cds remastered in stereo and mono. So, I think I'm set.
Again, I'm no expert but as a life long fan listen for certain parts that sound clearer (If I Needed Someone) in stereo or sound fuller in mono (I've Just Seen A Face). I'm still tyring to figure out which sound does Sgt. Pepper greater justice.
I find it funny that the mono vs stereo debate has accelerated since the sets were released.
My generation ( 12 years old in 1964) thought that stereo was the ultimate way to listen to any music. We couldn't wait to get everything in stereo!
Then cds started to crop up in the 80s and I noticed a certain emptiness in "the middle". You know, clear vocals and instrumentation but something sounded hollow within the songs. I mean, I could hear vocals, instrumentation and certain nuances in guitar solos ( I never knew Paul did the bass part vocally in "I Will" until I downloaded the song from my 80s cd and put it on my Ipod).
Still, some things have not improved with all of the technology we've gone through. The drum break in "Got To Get You Into My Life" never has had the kind of loudness and pop that I've heard when I've seen it done live by tribute bands like the Fab Faux or 1964-The Tribute. That "pop" I'm listening for has never been there. So, maybe that's the way the boys recorded it. Too, bad, it sounds better with the louder drum break.
Whatever your preference, both sets improve upon what was previously available. The importance to a true Beatles fan is that they're both available to us even if some of us can't break down the sound quality as expertly as others out there. I thank those that can and have used their advice and comments to learn something new about this beautiful music that I've been listening to for over forty years. I still have my original LPs. I ruined them by picking up the needle and placing it songs that I preferred to hear out of order. I tried to be careful, but, when one is young, distracted or not fully conscious, the hand slips. I'd like to think that my generation paved the way for needle play for the legion of hip/hop, rap, house djs that followed us. Take that, youngsters!
God rest my father's soul. He was Cuban, didn't speak English well, didn't understand the British Invasion and said it would never last like Sinatra. Still, I'd catch him humming "Yesterday", "And I Love Her" or "Something" around the house.
Hey Pop, guess what? My music held up, too. Strawberry Fields Forever.