The latest addition to the Beatles' remastering project is the "1962-1966" and "1967-1970" (Red and Blue) albums, which were just released this week.
The way the originals "1962-1966" and "1967-1970" discs were released, well at least the Red one, anyway, was certainly questionable. Why wasn't it one disc when all the tracks fit on one side? The CD lineups from the first CD versions have prevailed here, though the price initially seems to be well below what the original CDs were.
The four mono tracks on the earlier CDs -- "Love Me Do," "Please Please Me," "From Me to You" and "She Loves You" on the first Red CD are still mono here, despite the fact that "Please Please Me" and "From Me to You" were released in stereo on the remasters. And on the "1967-1970" album, the stereo version of "A Day in the Life" without the crossfade of the "Pepper" album is present, the same way it was on the earlier CD.
On "All My Loving" on "The Beatles 1962-1966", the original CD sounds a bit muddy with the vocal in the center. On the remastered, the vocal is moved to the right with a distinct sharper sound. The difference in tracks ranges from subtle to more pronounced, as with "All My Loving," but there are some changes. You can hear some of them in the video comparison on the left.
The booklets have some additional pictures, but not many as most were in the old booklets, too. The notes in each album by Bill Flanagan are really for the general public, really the target audience for the albums, and they don't contain anything most of us don't already know.
Completists and probably anyone who didn't spring for the remasters plus casual shoppers will probably go for these. But next year, we'll still hope for the video DVD that's high on our wishlist.
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Comments
Make your own from the remasters set and save yourself some bucks.
I'll second that !!!!
I still have the plastic from my original CDs and they were $26 at Tower. The new ones are going for about half that at Amazon.
Just curious: What video DVD is high on your wish list? Are you referring to Let it Be, or to a DVD collecting all of the Beatles' "videos." I think a DVD of their videos would be great. I know some people say "Well, they're on anthology," but I don't always want to fastforward through anthology to get to the videos.
Anyway, which DVD do you mean?
The one collecting all the Beatles videos. I think that's one everyone would like to have.
Yes, a DVD of their videos would be FAB. And may I suggest (although Apple never seems to listen to anyone but Apple) that this DVD could conclude with their rooftop concert. Please. Pretty please. And I'd like it in blueray. That's not asking too much, is it?
I think the DVD should start with "Hello Goodbye" (lip sync in "regular" clothes), then start all videos in chronological order (insert "Hello Goodbye" in Sgt. Pepper outfits at the end of 1967) and end with "Hello Goodbye" (non-lip sync version). Hence, "Hello Goodbye" for real !
There are a handful of "Let It Be" videos to include near the end, including rooftop footage. . .
Please advise if the version of "I Feel Fine" on the remastered CD is preceded by the whisper/chatter that was present on the original UK vinyl pressings. It was not on the original CD reissues.
It's not on this version, either.
What about the VINYL remasters? I have not heard a thing about their release since last year...Anyone?
If 1962-1966 is about 63 minutes, and 1967-1970 is about 99.5 minutes, then this entire collection could almost fit onto 2 80 minute CDs . . .(162.5 minutes total).
Another question: I noticed in the Red photo booklet, that cigarettes were airbrushed out of George's and Ringo's hands (in the MBE photo). Was that the case with the original CD? Or did they just do that for this version.
I don't like that they did that, by the way. Photographs are part of the historical record and should not be tampered with.
Are the remastered tracks in the red and blue compilations the same as on the original albums last year, or have they been remastered again?
Are there any different versions than the ones released last year (apart from A day in the life)? The original 1973 albums had at least different mix of the Strawberry fields than MMT-album (according to some sources). Is the different mix presented here again, or is it the same as the one released last year?
I wonder why Please please me and From me you are mono? They are, of course, two track recordings but so was All my loving, that has been included in stereo? It seems that somebody hasn't really thought this through...
Well, as I noted, "A Day in the Life" is not the "Pepper" remastered album version as it doesn't have the cross fade-in. And the mono tracks were on the original CD.
I believe that "Please Please Me" is in mono because the stereo version contains a mistake - someone fluffs a lyric late in the song and makes John chuckle. So the mono version is a better performance.
The original mono single of "From Me To You" began with a harmonica overdub that was left off of the later stereo remix, so the stereo mix doesn't sound like the "hit" version.
Also, because "She Loves You" only exists in mono, Apple may have decided to start off with a consistent block of mono tracks rather than switch back and forth between mono and stereo.
At the time the Red and Blue albums were put together, the first four CDs were in mono because George Martin wanted them that way. I think that had a lot to do with it, too.
I like the promo videos ending with the rooftop idea. Is it too late in the year for a Christmas release?
On the cig shot, Paul agrees with Anon. If I remember right, he got that Abbey Road poster pulled because they axed the cig.
Mikko Suhonen asked was there any different versions "other than" a Day in the Life.
I reread your reply to Mikko, Steve. I guess that's was just your way of saying "No" to are there any other versions.
And why again did they move Paul's vocal on "All My Loving" to the right? All lead vocals belong in the center. What do you mean it was "muddy" in the center. I can't imagaine any lead vocal sounding better coming out of one side, one speaker. That's the very thing I hate about "Day Tripper/We can Work It Out." I'm pleased to hear they didn't use stereo versions of the early songs. They sound terrible in stereo...again with the vocals way on one side and instrumentation way on the other; with nothing in the middle.
I think the moving of the vocal in AML is because the original 1963 mix (and the 2009 remasters) have it this way. The centered vocal mix is from 1993 (1973?) , and perhaps is now labeled as 'wrong'.
Perhaps also in some (or all) cases the mixes in this 2010 edition are different from the 2009 remasters. I randomly chose Yellow Submarine (stereo version), extracted audio with Easy Audio Copy (uncompressed) and found there are differences in wave form and frequency spectra. The music is as always: We all live in a ....
I think what they could have done, which would have been a nice touch, is present all the songs in mono up to the White album tracks as I think that these are the superior mixes. It would have been controversial but it would have let fans who didn't get the mono box have something a little different and would have restored the primacy of these mixes. What does everyone else think?
I don't think there'd be enough of a market for that. In terms of "something a little different," it would be interesting to compile a 1- or 2-CD set of the mono mixes that differ most significantly from the stereo mixes - without regard to "hit" status. Likely to happen? Heck no, but there is some precedent - Capitol's 1980 "Rarities" compilation included a few mono mixes.
Another thing Apple/EMI could do if they feel generous - when the catalog finally becomes available for download, include the mono versions. That would keep the material available, without the expense of keeping two versions of every album in print.
I READ IN AN INTERVIEW WITH GEORGE MARTIN, THAT HE WAS BROUGHT IN TOO LATE IN THE ORIGINAL RELEASE ON CD, AND THOUGHT THE SOUND QUALITY OF THE STEREO VERISONS OF 1-4 WAS TOO POOR TO RELEASE THAT WAY, AND SO HE INSISTED THAT THEY BE RELEASED IN MONO. HE HAD TIME TO WORK ON THE NEXT 3 AND IMPROVE THE MIXES ENOUGH FOR RELEASE. THIS REVELATION CAME RECENTLY, AFTER DECADES OF THE STORY AS " THAT'S THE WAY THEY WERE RECORDED" bs FROM ALL PARTIES. I'M STILL CHAPPED ABOUT IT 25+ YEARS LATER. EVEN THE CAPITOL RELEASE OF THE AMERICAN VERSIONS WAS MORE PLEASING TO ME, THAN THE MONO FIRST 4 THEY PUT OUT.
Steve, at the time the Red and Blue albums were released on CD first time, the Red album had songs that were released in mono on the regular Beatles albums, but in stereo on the Red album. All My Loving, Can't Buy Me Love, A Hard Day's Night, And I Love Her come to mind.
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