― Bob Six (bobbysix), Thursday, 13 April 2006 18:45 (7 years ago) Permalink
― kyle (akmonday), Thursday, 13 April 2006 18:48 (7 years ago) Permalink
― QuantumNoise (Justin Farrar), Thursday, 13 April 2006 19:36 (7 years ago) Permalink
Ah yes, the Beatles. I say buy the albums.
― QuantumNoise (Justin Farrar), Thursday, 13 April 2006 19:37 (7 years ago) Permalink
― Lotta Continua (Damian), Thursday, 13 April 2006 20:09 (7 years ago) Permalink
It would be nice if they released the red and blue anthologies so that they were in modern slimline 2CD cases rather than the FUCKING MASSIVE and HORRIBLE ones that they are in now.
― Raw Patrick (Raw Patrick), Thursday, 13 April 2006 21:53 (7 years ago) Permalink
― Michael Lambert (Michael Lambert), Thursday, 13 April 2006 22:01 (7 years ago) Permalink
Are the people not interested in paying for pricey new editions of things really the target market for remastered versions of CDs that are available in droves in used CD stores the world over?
Seriously, I don't see what's so much better (and less cash-cow-ish) about retaining Past Masters and Anthology. OK, so it's kind of cool to have all the singles in one place, but it also robs them of context AND presents a somewhat confusing picture for buyers, who can't figure out which album it is that has "I Want To Hold Your Hand" on it. The PM sets are also really oddly-balanced, anyway - not quite a greatest hits, not quite an odds-and-sods. The Anthologies are just plain obnoxious, especially the first one with all the talky-talky bits.
I guess I'm just coming from a perspective where, if they just remaster the CDs I'll take a pass because I have the LPs already. But if they sweeten the deal I just might think it over, at least for a couple, assuming they went ahead and added more outtake/live stuff. Granted, they would still be kind of weirdly-sequenced albums with one or two singles at the front followed by a bunch of obscurities.... okay, maybe keep Past Masters after all. But I REALLY think it makes more sense to get the unreleased and live material wedded on to the appropriate albums - if nothing else, it means getting MORE of it, right?
― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 13 April 2006 22:13 (7 years ago) Permalink
What is an example where he has ever done this?
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 13 April 2006 22:19 (7 years ago) Permalink
Secondly, Paul has little need to turn himself up anyway. He took a lot of care, recording his bass lines on a single track and spent ages getting the sound right. Why not? It's his friggin songs for fuxake!
― everything, Thursday, 13 April 2006 22:24 (7 years ago) Permalink
― Shakey Mo Collier (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, 13 April 2006 22:27 (7 years ago) Permalink
― everything, Thursday, 13 April 2006 22:31 (7 years ago) Permalink
anthology 2 is the best, what with the stoned cracking-up version of and your bird can sing and the gorgeous demos of strawberry fields. 3 is good for the white album stuff, and 1 is probably the only time any americans (me included) will ever hear any morecambe and wise.
― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Thursday, 13 April 2006 22:38 (7 years ago) Permalink
Well, they are getting slightly more plentiful. In fact, I got most of my collection used. But, then again, I've been lucky. The worst thing about used Beatle cds is that stores priced higher than average (i.e. in the US 10-12 dollars vs. 7-9). Shopping around helps, and the prices have leveled off (and no doubt will continue)
I will concur regarding the Anthologies and the BBC, but--to cite my earlier post--alot of the people who bought them probably realized that they didn't listen to them as much as the regular LPs.
― Chairman Doinel (Charles McCain), Thursday, 13 April 2006 22:40 (7 years ago) Permalink
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 13 April 2006 22:41 (7 years ago) Permalink
Neil Aspinall is probably the one to blame.
Anyway, seems like some good news is finally coming up.
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 13 April 2006 22:59 (7 years ago) Permalink
― Doctor Casino (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 13 April 2006 23:03 (7 years ago) Permalink
While I agree that they need remastering, I don't neccessarily agree with your version of what they sounded like. The first four, sure, but the rest, particularly from "Sgt. Pepper" onwards, used state of the art remastering technology at the time, and sounded really impressive back then.
Only this is 20 years ago and a lot has happened since then.
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 13 April 2006 23:08 (7 years ago) Permalink
― tremendoid (tremendoid), Thursday, 13 April 2006 23:25 (7 years ago) Permalink
I think the Anthologies are a pretty good distillation of the best stuff that makes up the two major bootleg series (ultra rare trax and, uh, whatever the other one is called; they have most of the same stuff on them). I could do w/out the talking on the first cd.
― kyle (akmonday), Friday, 14 April 2006 17:44 (7 years ago) Permalink
― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 14 April 2006 19:58 (7 years ago) Permalink
― Lotta Continua (Damian), Friday, 14 April 2006 20:34 (7 years ago) Permalink
― ryan_w, Friday, 14 April 2006 20:46 (7 years ago) Permalink
― kyle (akmonday), Friday, 14 April 2006 20:52 (7 years ago) Permalink
xpost
― dave k, Friday, 14 April 2006 20:56 (7 years ago) Permalink
― billstevejim (billstevejim), Friday, 14 April 2006 21:57 (7 years ago) Permalink
― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 14 April 2006 21:58 (7 years ago) Permalink
― billstevejim (billstevejim), Saturday, 15 April 2006 00:59 (7 years ago) Permalink
― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Saturday, 15 April 2006 01:05 (7 years ago) Permalink
i mean it does take the piss doesn't it?
― pisces, Wednesday, 8 August 2007 12:18 (5 years ago) Permalink
lo-lo-lo-looooots of piss, sir! :(
― t**t, Wednesday, 8 August 2007 15:19 (5 years ago) Permalink
I bought Help for £1 in a charity shop the other week. It was cheap because the cover was ripped (and taped up again) and the vinyl's a bit crackly, but it's not scratched at all. Even with the crackles it sounds great - a lot better than the CD versions, The Night Before especially gaining an awful lot of character and energy. I too am amazed there's no proper CD remaster, I guess because people are still buying the current shonky versions.
― The Wayward Johnny B, Wednesday, 8 August 2007 17:54 (5 years ago) Permalink
This footage http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=compleat+beatles of 'The Compleat Beatles' (snappy 1984 cheaply-made proto-ANTHOLOGY movie, shot on film and narrated by Malcolm Mcdowell) is making me anticipate this happening all the more.
― pisces, Wednesday, 5 September 2007 13:02 (5 years ago) Permalink
It will happen before or since, but apparently at still takes time.
I expected they'd at least do "Sgt. Pepper" in June this year to coincide with its 40th anniversary, but they did't.
― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 5 September 2007 13:06 (5 years ago) Permalink
But at least, with the current trend for remasters, the ultimate edition will be better. I hope they will do like The Bee Gees and Monkees remasters, and put out 2CDs with the stereo version + bonus tracks in stereo on one and the mono version + bonus tracks in mono on the other one.
― Geir Hongro, Wednesday, 5 September 2007 13:07 (5 years ago) Permalink
they never do anything right with the beatles catalogue, they're sure to disappoint someone. i say live with the ebbett's bootlegs for now.
― akm, Wednesday, 5 September 2007 13:41 (5 years ago) Permalink
Maybe something with the Apple/iPod stuff later today.
― caek, Wednesday, 5 September 2007 14:06 (5 years ago) Permalink
that's been the rumour, but it was the rumour a few months ago also. anyway, it's been confirmed that the albums have been remastered (by bruce spizer, in some interview last month), but not packaged or manufactured yet, and no confirmation on whether they'll have a mono/stereo split or what, or when they're ever going to come out.
― akm, Wednesday, 5 September 2007 14:12 (5 years ago) Permalink
macca and ringo 'secret gig' rumoured volume one of lewisohn triple-volume biog coming at xmas
its hotting up again on the fabs front. a bit.
― pisces, Tuesday, 6 May 2008 02:13 (5 years ago) Permalink
macca and ringo 'secret gig' rumoured
At long last their tribute show to the White Stripes.
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 6 May 2008 02:18 (5 years ago) Permalink
At long last their tribute show to the White Stripes godheadSilo.
― David R., Tuesday, 6 May 2008 02:53 (5 years ago) Permalink
Beatles Remasters
― smash your phonograph in half, Tuesday, 6 May 2008 02:56 (5 years ago) Permalink
I posted that link before realizing that it is kind of a goldmine.
― smash your phonograph in half, Tuesday, 6 May 2008 03:25 (5 years ago) Permalink
Damn, wish I had a bigger hard drive...
― Z S, Tuesday, 6 May 2008 03:31 (5 years ago) Permalink
(no penis jokes plz)
if pressed for time, go for white album disc 5 - kinfauns demos
then rubber soul through magical mystery tour, mono versions
― Milton Parker, Tuesday, 6 May 2008 03:31 (5 years ago) Permalink
Are the demos the same as the ones that show up on the Anthology, or are these different? And how do they compare in quality?
― Z S, Tuesday, 6 May 2008 03:36 (5 years ago) Permalink
makes me wish i had decent external speakers for my laptop. my beatles records are not very "nice" copies. all US pressings, mostly stereo. they do sound great in mono though.
― ian, Tuesday, 6 May 2008 03:42 (5 years ago) Permalink
mono mixes = the mixes, up until the white album
xpost same ones, but complete & good quality. it's them camped at home with a 4 track, learning the songs as they track them but having fun, sounding much more like a band than the album
http://www.bootlegzone.com/album.php?name=vigo_183§ion=1
― Milton Parker, Tuesday, 6 May 2008 03:46 (5 years ago) Permalink
i really wish that circus mashup album didn't suck so bad.
― Creeztophair, Tuesday, 6 May 2008 04:59 (5 years ago) Permalink
thanks for the links, man it's hard to parse the discussions of mastering engineer dorks
― ums (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 14 November 2012 17:11 (6 months ago) Permalink
haha, seriously.
― tylerw, Wednesday, 14 November 2012 17:13 (6 months ago) Permalink
the chicago tribune thing is funny, too, because they basically can't come to consensus.
fuck it, i might just buy sgt peppers or something and check one out
― ums (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 14 November 2012 17:26 (6 months ago) Permalink
i mean i'd love original pressings too, oh for a world where beatles UK orig pressings were just laying around in used record shops for 25 bucks
mm copies of the white album that are tatty but play ok go for 100 quid in Mono, excellent copies you're looking close to £200.
― piscesx, Wednesday, 14 November 2012 17:40 (6 months ago) Permalink
The Chicago Tribune story is pretty useless when you consider that the listening test was done on a $165,000 stereo system. Most of us don't hear music that way.
― Jazzbo, Wednesday, 14 November 2012 17:50 (6 months ago) Permalink
Bought a $1 copy of "Yesterday and Today" last weekend. It's a little bit warped but there is like one skip on the entire record and it sounds damn fine anyways.
― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Wednesday, 14 November 2012 17:55 (6 months ago) Permalink
i feel so dumb, in the 90s when i first started buying records you used to see beatles shit around more, just figured they'd always be around for a decent price, should have bought them all up
not to mention the literal fortune i could have made if i would have bought up every dollar bin prog record in like 96/97
― ums (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 14 November 2012 17:56 (6 months ago) Permalink
As I read more posts on the Hoffman forums, the problems seem to mostly center around the quality of the US pressings themselves, rather than the mastering. Lots of reports of warping, off-center records, and something called "non-fill" which, according to wikipedia, is "where the vinyl biscuit does not sufficiently fill a deep groove during pressing (percussion or vocal amplitude changes are the usual locations of these artifacts). This flaw causes a grinding or scratching sound at the non-fill point."
― 5-Hour Enmity (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 15 November 2012 21:43 (6 months ago) Permalink
http://www.tonepublications.com/analogaholic/review-the-new-beatles-box/
― scott seward, Friday, 23 November 2012 22:43 (6 months ago) Permalink
"Lots of reports of warping"
i see this a lot with new vinyl in general. don't know if its because people are rushing things because of high demand for vinyl or if its because people putting out vinyl now are getting sloppier but its pretty common with new reissues and new underground records i see. like, to the point where i am used to it.
― scott seward, Friday, 23 November 2012 22:47 (6 months ago) Permalink
Thanksfor that link skot, seems like a pretty rational assessment
― U.S. State Department, Office of Rare Psych (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 23 November 2012 23:18 (6 months ago) Permalink
Thanks for posting that review, Scott.
The majority opinion on the Hoffman forums seems to be that EMI cheaped out by going with Rainbo for the US pressings, which is (apparently) the source of warping, surface scuffs/noise, and off-center pressings. Supposedly, in order to get this out by x-mas, corners were cut. I suspect it's less about the high demand for vinyl than it is about rushing things to make sure the box got on the market asap.
If EMI was serious about chasing the audiophile market with these, they would have gone all-analog with the mastering/pressing process, and they wouldn't have used George Martin's much-maligned 1986 stereo remixes of Rubber Soul and Help! (which, to me, is the biggest problem with this new set). But going all-analog would have cost money, and EMI knew that most potential buyers wouldn't necessarily know or care that these are, for all intents and purposes, vinyl copies of CDs.
There's a similar vinyl Who box out now, and while I'd love to hear Endless Wire on vinyl (which puts me squarely in a tiny subset of the distinct minority of those who would love to hear Endless Wire, period), I can't for the life of me imagine that, like this Beatles set, it's anything more than a rush-job cash-grab by the record company.
― and I scream Fieri Eiffel Tower High (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Friday, 23 November 2012 23:22 (6 months ago) Permalink
Endless Wire was released om vinyl, btw. I think it's easily attainable.
― Thus Sang Freud, Saturday, 24 November 2012 03:17 (6 months ago) Permalink
I haven't heard any of the new vinyl but anyway. The Beatles remasters rock, both the stereo and mono boxes. They did it right. Hard to complain, really, about any of it. There might be a thing or two, ok, like the funky intro to the stereo version of A Hard Day's Night, but whatever. There is more bass overall, on the stereos, but that's a good thing. The vocals and the ambience are vastly improved across the board, I think.
Past Masters is still a thing (versus including the singles etc. on the appropriate albums) and I'm cool with that. I would have been cool if they'd put the singles on the albums but ultimately, that sort of compromises the integrity of the album as a unit, a standalone statement. The singles likewise were standalone statements, but collecting them together (with the EP-only tracks) does make sense. Listening to PM gives an accelerated experience of the growth of the Beatles, which isn't a bad thing, in fact the opposite, it can be quite mind-blowing.
The Anthologies are still out there, for them that wants them. I got each of mine on release day, vinyls and CDs. It was a big deal at the time, at least the first one (talky bits and all). Honestly? Some of the bootlegs sound better but the official versions are extremely welcome, after-the-fact fuggery and all. The iTunes versions of the Anthology stuff seem to be remastered, they sound better. It would be nice if the series could be remastered for cd also. Maybe a good excuse to include some more stuff, Carnival of Light, 104-minute version of Helter Skelter, etc.? Who knows.
― Doctor Flange, Saturday, 24 November 2012 04:23 (6 months ago) Permalink
Wow, didn't realize that it was/didn't think to look; thanks!
xp
― and I scream Fieri Eiffel Tower High (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Saturday, 24 November 2012 04:34 (6 months ago) Permalink
these shitty new ones will just make a decent original White Album in mono go even *higher* in price then i guess.
― piscesx, Saturday, 24 November 2012 12:07 (6 months ago) Permalink
Volume One of the triple volume Mark Lewisohn biog expected in October, and due to clock in at 1856 pages in the special 'author's edition'!http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beatles-Complete-Story-Special/dp/1408704781
more here http://www.examiner.com/article/beatles-author-lewisohn-says-epic-group-bio-will-go-where-none-has-gone-before
― piscesx, Friday, 1 February 2013 21:06 (3 months ago) Permalink
lol vol. 1. does the first one go up to 1962 or so?
― tylerw, Friday, 1 February 2013 21:07 (3 months ago) Permalink
ahahaa, i was kidding but: "He said the first volume, which will be out around this time next year, will cover up through 1962."
― tylerw, Friday, 1 February 2013 21:08 (3 months ago) Permalink
Hahahaha
― hibernaculum (Jon Lewis), Friday, 1 February 2013 21:21 (3 months ago) Permalink
He is the George RR Martin of rock biographers. Poor dude.
― hibernaculum (Jon Lewis), Friday, 1 February 2013 21:22 (3 months ago) Permalink
1856 pages that take you up until the music starts getting made! that 'authors cut' will set you back £120, normal edition; £30.
― piscesx, Friday, 1 February 2013 21:24 (3 months ago) Permalink
How much is that in people money?
― Gollum: "Hot, Ready and Smeagol!" (Phil D.), Friday, 1 February 2013 21:37 (3 months ago) Permalink
Can't wait for the sexposition in the film version. Also, this probably means he'll keel over half-way through the volume that covers '66.
― HAPPY BDAY TOOTS (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Friday, 1 February 2013 21:39 (3 months ago) Permalink
I'm excited to find out how many olives the Beatles ate.
― EZ Snappin, Friday, 1 February 2013 21:42 (3 months ago) Permalink
irl lols
― HAPPY BDAY TOOTS (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Friday, 1 February 2013 21:44 (3 months ago) Permalink
Ringo = inordinately fond of "neeps"
― hibernaculum (Jon Lewis), Friday, 1 February 2013 21:49 (3 months ago) Permalink
Chapter 6Harrison's cousin was born and raised in Shropshire, the only child of a couple who owned a local pub called ...
― tylerw, Friday, 1 February 2013 21:52 (3 months ago) Permalink
Great detail about the color of all the assistants' tunics shirts at each Abbey Road session.
― HAPPY BDAY TOOTS (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Friday, 1 February 2013 21:53 (3 months ago) Permalink
Holy crap what.
blah blah RELEASE Carnival of Light! blah blah blah
― Emperor Cos Dashit (Adam Bruneau), Saturday, 2 February 2013 04:07 (3 months ago) Permalink
Stereo Vinyl box set review from Stereophile.
http://www.stereophile.com/content/listening-123
spoiler: not as good as the absolute best releases of the Beatles on vinyl.
Mono box set still out there in the either, waiting for that algorithm at Apple corps. to decide when we're all ready to spend silly money on Beatles stuff again...
looking forward to the Sterephobe review.
― my opinionation (Hamildan), Thursday, 21 March 2013 11:01 (2 months ago) Permalink
Like most Americans at the time, I first heard the Beatles on Capitol vinyl that wasn't displaced by CDs until the late '80s, and Capitol though nothing of mucking with the music (adding tons of reverb, wildly altering the stereo mix, etc.) as well as the album titles and tracks. All of the "real" British CDs, LPs, and downloads sound dry compared to what I grew up with.
I don't know how legit some of the Stereophile points are - yes, a modern vinyl reissue doesn't sound like an original 1960s pressing played on modern equipment, but what was there to play it back upon their original release that compares to what we have now, in terms of phono cartriges, turntables, amps, speakers? What 1964 turntable/cartridge combo could capture the nuances of a good post-'80s setup?
― Lee626, Thursday, 21 March 2013 12:24 (2 months ago) Permalink
yeah hard to say. haven't bought this yet because of reservations like that article.
i did think White Album sounded like absolute shit on the CD reissues for whatever reason, esp the Mono version (which i generally liked the mono CDs esp on the early albums)
― ums (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 21 March 2013 19:26 (2 months ago) Permalink
there were lots of great turntables in 1964! most people didn't own them though.
― scott seward, Thursday, 21 March 2013 19:36 (2 months ago) Permalink