I have had it up to here waiting for the Beatles catalogue to be remastered

Anyone else notice that, for the first time in forever, reviews of the Beatles albums are including exposition that wasn't previously needed because of assumed familiarity with the material and backstory? That these albums are 40+ years old and people don't know as much as they used to about the group is the flip-side to the bearded dude from the Fleet Foxes being just 14 when Kid A came out, I suppose.

BTW, I forgot that "bearded dude from the Fleet Foxes" is a bit like saying "that black guy from the Temptations."

i wish the mono albums were available separately. but then i dont see why they couldnt have put mono and stereo on each cd (apart from a few at the end of their career obv).

I want to find some do-eyed teenager and put on Helter Skelter.

it worked for Charlie Manson

Picked up Revolver and The Beatles yesterday, and listened to them last night on my stereo, turned up fairly loud. Can definitely hear some differences on the former compared to the '87 CDs -- a LOT more presence in the bass, the vocals are a little livelier, the tinniness on the VERY trebly guitars has been reduced ("She Said, She Said" on the old masters was sometimes painful to listen to). Didn't notice as much on the latter, but tbf I was tired and drunk by that time.

Kinda wished I had never downloaded the bootleg vinyl rips (Fabulous Sound Labs were my favorites), because they've diminished my excitement for the remasters. I hear a few little differences here and there but overall they're pretty comparable. In some cases, the vinyl rips still sound warmer to my ears. Still, they blow the 87s out of the water and it's nice to have the official releases.

has anyone listened to Magical Mystery Tour yet? My favourite and IMO the worst of the 87s

It sounds great (they all do). But again, I was comparing my vinyl rips to the remasters last night and my favorite song from the new MMT, "Baby, You're a Rich Man," didn't sound quite as good as the vinyl version I have. Kind of a buzz kill.

OK, listening to The Beatles on headphones at work, and Paul's bass on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" is literally giving me chills. The confident staccato plucking combined with just a little bit of distortion, heard more clearly than I've ever heard it, and played seemingly all on the treble pickup of the Rickenbacker, is just blowing me away. And using the root-fifth configuration in such a unique (for him) way . . . I could listen to that a hundred times in a row.

Tonight, BBC4:

21:30–22:40 The Beatles: The First US Visit
The Maysles brothers' film of The Beatles' first US tour in 1964, when Beatlemania ignited (R)

22:40–23:10 Filming The Beatles' First US Visit: Albert Maysles
Director Albert Maysles discusses the access he enjoyed to The Beatles on their US Tour.

23:10–00:40 Help!
Restored version of the Beatles film. Ringo becomes the intended sacrifice of a scary cult

Tomorrow, BBC4:

22:30–23:30 The Beatles on Record
Film charting how The Beatles developed as musicians and matured as songwriters. (R)

23:30–00:30 Electric Proms: Paul McCartney
Sir Paul headlines with a one-off concert for the Electric Proms.

00:30–01:30 ... Sings the Beatles
A journey through the classic and curious Beatles covers in the BBC archives. (R)

01:30–02:30 Storyville 2009-2010, How the Beatles Rocked the Kremlin
Documentary which tells the unknown story of how the Beatles helped to destroy the USSR. (R)

Heard my first remastered track when I was in hmv earlier. Sadly it was Ob La Di, Ob La Da, but it still sounded great, especially the bass

Oh man Ob La Di Ob La Da is fucking great.

I just cannot get over how much these remasters are making me love songs I'd grown tired of long ago, "Ticket To Ride" being today's revelation. On the other side of the coin, wow, "Act Naturally". I'd almost completely forgotten about this song, but I'm loving it now.

act naturally pales in comparison to buck owens though IMO

but yeah compared the Abbey Road CD to my orig. Apple pressing...

honestly -- and I almost NEVER say this -- i think it's totally comparable in terms of sonics....like the remasters sound GREAt...and, with the lack of surface noise and some high end crackle being the tie breaker....I would actually prefer to listen to the new CD instead of my vinyl....

i can't think of the last time i said that.

Never been much of a Beatles fan, and only ever had Abbey Road on vinyl about 9 years ago, but Here Comes the Sun is absolutely amazing on these things. Probably just not remembering it that well, but there's a lot more going on than I remember.

yeah, i think people just equate "Here Comes the Sun" with the twinkly acoustic guitar riff at the beginning, but it gets pretty intricate/arranged as it goes on.

was just trying to convince my wife to buy the box set for an anniversary present. "For both of us!" (She is--horror of horrors--not that big a Beatles fan). If not for me, than for our newborn daughter. ;)

Ringo becomes the intended sacrifice of a scary cult

"scary" !

ha.
its a light weight family friendly comedy.
the restoration though makes the thing look like austin powers is about to appear at any minute, so extreme are the colours.
very enjoyable though.

The Beatles: The First US Visit
The Maysles brothers' film of The Beatles' first US tour in 1964, when Beatlemania ignited (R)

That film is so amazing.

Struck by how "Cry Baby Cry" is missing part of that slightly underwater, damaged sound it has always had. It's still there, but it's not as muddy as it has always been before, because the vocals have been brought up so sharp in front of it. It's supposed to sound more far away than this. I won't be convinced that it's not.

That said, there's so little to bitch about here. I'm still deciding whether I prefer stereo or mono on some of these, but my mind is definitely made up on Help -- mono. So much better than the stereo mix. I anticipate this being a problem with the stereo mixes of a lot of this, that in mono they sound present and confident, and in stereo the instruments seem to be wandering around in an apartment that's just a bit too large for them. But honestly it may be judged track by track instead of album by album.

Anyway I'm thrilled with this.

"Love Me Do" listened back to back in stereo and mono are totally different songs. In the mono version, the Beatles are your friends. In the stereo version, they've gone all Hollywood on you, and you wonder why they never call anymore.

The Beatles: The First US Visit
The Maysles brothers' film of The Beatles' first US tour in 1964, when Beatlemania ignited (R)

That film is so amazing.

Absolutely. Saw it for the first time last Saturday and was blown away. For some reason the part that has stuck with me is when they are mid flight and Ringo is acting the fool for the attendant press, then it cuts to a subdued McCartney - who is such a ham throughout otherwise - and he says quietly "I'm not even in a laffin mood". That phrase has been in my head all week now.

Working my way through the remasters box still. My god, A Hard Day's Night is the jangliest, guitariest album ever. So super-shiny clean and breathless.

Struck by how "Cry Baby Cry" is missing part of that slightly underwater, damaged sound it has always had. The vocals have been brought up so sharp in front of it.

I noticed that too (on the mono version). I like it though tbh. I really like it. But yeah Lennon's voice is so close and in your ear.

Guys, "Yer Blues." I mean, seriously. Jesus.

xpost - Yeah David. I was particularly struck by Lennon scratching his nose with his middle finger at the camera. They just could not be bothered by the press or other idiots they had to talk to. The film captures so much.

As usual, I am late to this party, but I think I am actually going to hold out & buy them on CD as a box (haven't decided on whether to go w/ stereo or mono yet), but this thread + Pitchfork reviews now has me totally psyched. Tom, Scott & Mark (if yr reading this), FANTASTIC job w/ the P*fork review series. It is rare that you ever encounter any new insight into the old-guard mythology of The Beatles, but you guys pulled it off beautifully.

Kenan, re; the too big apartment - turn it up. Seriously. Crank that shit.

fuckin "Helter Skelter" holy shit

if you have most of these albums on stereo/mono vinyl already would you still buy the cds?

"21:30–22:40 The Beatles: The First US Visit
The Maysles brothers' film of The Beatles' first US tour in 1964, when Beatlemania ignited (R)"

can someone tape that for me?

hope i can still get the mono boxed set by the time i've saved up enough money to buy the damn thing!

re the US film, i too saw that on saturday.
and noticed that in the second half John is hardly in it.
in fact only in the performance sections, never the off duty stuff do you see wheer the others are mucking about (hotel room stuff)
wonder what the back story is .. maybe the second film tonight will go into detail ..

As a Beatles collector of some 30 years standing, I had grown slightly jaded about all of this. I mean, yeas I was up for the remasters but

I got both boxes when they came out, primarily because I always knew I would and who the hell was I kidding to try and pretend otherwise? Anyway, I have just cherry picked tracks across both

Oops - hit submit to early. Where was I? Oh yes, I was up for the remasters but I was also tired and cynical.

And as I was saying, I got both boxes and cherry picked tracks mainly from all your suggestions upthread, playing them directly against the 87 versions. Every single one was infinitely better and, as has been mentioned, was nearly as warm as the vinyl versions.

So, I was fairly pleased, but not totally blown away, when I realised I hadn't listened to the 'new' Twist and Shout in mono. Holy cow! This is red hot and fucking gorgeous - this is the closest we are going to get to hearing them in full pelt at the Cavern or Hamburg. Astonishing stuff - I feel as though I've come back home and it's bloody good to be back. It's like discovering that your first love really was as beautiful as you remembered.

hey the mono version of Helter Skelter doesn't have the "I've got blisters on my fingers" part

http://www.norwegianwood.org/beatles/disko/

full mono vs stereo differences site there. click on any album and away you go. for instance on Helter Skelter you get this =

Helter Skelter

basic recording- 9 Sep 1968
additional recording- 9,10 Sep 1968
master tape- 8 track
mono-mixed: 17 Sep 1968. edited.
stereo-mixed: 12 Oct 1968. edited.

The basic song runs about 3:10 to a pause shortly after Paul's distorted vocal, too close to the microphone. Mono then is edited into more of the same take, with sound effects noises, and fades at 3:36. Stereo is edited instead to a different part of the take, fading out and then back in again, with another edit, ending finally at 4:29 after Ringo shouts "I've got blisters on my fingers!".
Is the distorted vocal "Can you hear me speaking-- woo!" or "My baby is sleepi

This film's great.

I loved George's solo on I Wanna Be Your Man.

I was watching George all the way through those performances, he's so expressive. I just loved seeing everyone's faces really, fans and all, I kind of wanted to know what happened to all those people - 100,000 follow-up films, please. What I'd really like to see too is footage of the moments before they exited the plane, I wonder what was going on in there. Jeez, I'm quite overwhelmed, it's just weird seeing people watching them for the first time on tv and reacting exactly the same way as I am forty five years later.

Long, Long, Long is killing me dead btw.

Yes! That & she's leaving home are so beautiful.

Remastering appears to have fixed what seemed to be a HUGE dB dropoff between "Helter Skelter" and "Long, Long, Long" so you don't have to crank it to hear the latter.

re the US film, i too saw that on saturday.
and noticed that in the second half John is hardly in it.
in fact only in the performance sections, never the off duty stuff do you see wheer the others are mucking about (hotel room stuff)
wonder what the back story is .. maybe the second film tonight will go into detail ..

MAYSLES: "Well, essentially John was hip-deep in teenage trim every offtage moment."

"21:30–22:40 The Beatles: The First US Visit
The Maysles brothers' film of The Beatles' first US tour in 1964, when Beatlemania ignited (R)"

can someone tape that for me?

hope i can still get the mono boxed set by the time i've saved up enough money to buy the damn thing!

― messiahwannabe, Thursday, September 10, 2009 6:52 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

YOUshouldseeitontheTUBE

It would be great if people raving about their favorite bits could specify if they are listening to the mono or stereo, although i guess the default is stereo

All my raving from now on will be regarding stereo flac downloads, as I cannot afford to buy it (and am not sure whether I would, considering I own all the proper studio albums on vinyl somewhere, and many of the other '87 CDs.)

call me crazy, but i actually like to sometimes listen for myself to see if i agree with the various posters!

All my raving is on the stereo versions, right or wrong. All I can say is that I've "grown up" on the '87 discs and I'm more used to hearing them this way. Works for me.

yeah, this whole stereo v. mono thing is something i haven't reckoned with--i look forward to sitting down with the mono box and digging the vaunted "authenticity". when i read that blurb from some engineer or other saying that the mono of sgt pepper is the "real" one, i ran out and bought the whole damn box--i am a consumerist pushover

Husband threatened leg breakage (mine) if I purchased the stereo box. (He knows my junkie ways and saw the need for edicts to be passed. Trust me, it's a wise course of action. I know myself too well). Bought Abbey Road, Rubber Soul & Sgt Pepper yesterday...told husband, who jokingly called me a junkie then revealed he was planning on getting me the stereo box for christmas. [*cries*] We've negotiated an arrangement wherein I buy 1 album a month. It's not ideal but it's something. I still am interested in this mono box though. Having never listened to them on vinyl (yes yes I know), I'm really interested in the compare/contrast now. And this thread has geeked me out something fierce!!!

Am completely obsessed with Abbey today. Yesterday it was Rubber Soul. But Abbey. DAMN. I know I'm repeating a thousand previous posts but it's like hearing it for the first time. And the side b medley just shines.