Beatles remasters - any thoughts?

[Anonymous]

chebby:
MENISCUS:

Hey chebs, Stacking your amp on top of your CD player is a bit questionable don't you think ?

will be bring the purists out in an attack of the vapours.............

Hey Bluetorric, there is a photo of yours that shows the same arrangement with your Supernait and CD5 player.

I wouldn't trouble yourself about the purists. I don't.

That is very true chebs, that was many moons ago before I was re-educated by the many top experts that frequent these hallowed pages, after all I know nufin

...........

 

[Anonymous]

Also, I am struggling whether to buy these re-masters on CD or wait for the vinyl, brings back memories of as a lad my first ever LP was " With the Beatles " and it possibly seems only right that these should be purchased in the format that was originally intended..............

 

[Pete Shields]

Ok, so from the people out there who like the Beatles, the remasters are getting nothing but rave reviews.

It looks like I'm going to have to buy them all in the stereo box set. I'll tell the wife i'm buying it for the children (they love the Beatles - we live 100yds away from Penny Lane after all).

Been to Tesco this morning and they have the individual CD's but not the box set. Looks like the general internet price is £170. Does anybody know of any supermarket/shop that's selling them for this price.

 

[chebby]

Unless you are a collector/completist or intend to resell on ebay then why not get all the ones you like for £9.50 each from the supermarket and save money?

A CD storage box for £5 from WH Smiths or Rymans will hold them nicely.

Collectors are only going to buy sealed/unused boxes in future (thats what collectors are like) so if you play them, then they will only be worth the used value of the CDs themselves.

 

[Anonymous]

chebby:
Unless you are a collector/completist or intend to resell on ebay then why not get all the ones you like for £9.50 each from the supermarket and save money?

A CD storage box for £5 from WH Smiths or Rymans will hold them nicely.

Collectors are only going to buy sealed/unused boxes in future (thats what collectors are like) so if you play them, then they will only be worth the used value of the CDs themselves.

To buy them all seperately (that's if you want them all) it will cost about £138. Boxed set £154.99 - for the extra £17 you get the DVD, the dedicated box and from certain stores a poster.

And if you buy online the postage probably works out cheaper for the box set.

 

[laserman16]

pwiles1968:

Purchased the Love CD after reading comments on this thread and it is fantastic, will buy a few of the re-masters but not sure which ones as I currently only have the Past Masters CD which is ok but nothing special, If you were to buy just 2 or 3 of the re-masters which ones? I am more in to acoustic/vocals than the pop stuff.

Does anyone know if the re-masters will go on to Vinyl?

Whilst I have not heard any of the remasters yet, I don't know whether you should compare the Love cd to them as AFAIK this was created by a lot of track mixing and multi-layering and using bits of tracks not heard before.

BTW I think the Love cd is great but then I'm an out and out Beatles nut anyway.

 

[matengawhat]

mine have just arrived so that's my evening sorted!!!!

 

[pwiles1968]

laserman16:

Whilst I have not heard any of the remasters yet, I don't know whether you should compare the Love cd to them as AFAIK this was created by a lot of track mixing and multi-layering and using bits of tracks not heard before.

BTW I think the Love cd is great but then I'm an out and out Beatles nut anyway.

Sorry should have been more specific I thought the Recording/Mixing Quality was outstanding, the Music is also good but I do realise it is a remix and not necessarily comparable to the originals. Just wanted to know for acoustic/vocals which are the best Re-Mastered Beatles albums to go for.

 

[pete321]

Why didn't they take this opportunity to release them as hybrid SACDs?

 

[Clare Newsome]

Because , sadly, too few people would care/buy them.

 

[plastic penguin]

Hoo har!

Let me dig out my Rutles album........

 

[Clare Newsome]

Well considering how much we've all spent on the remasters, this would be apt:

 

[the record spot]

Just bought Revolver from HMV in Edinburgh, sounds pretty nice. Volume knob on the amp sitting at 8 o'clock, so there's been a bit of limiting applied. It doesn't seem too excessive though - good to hear this stuff. Nearly bought the Mono box, but at £199 and no job currently, the threat of walking the door and me getting kicked out of it again not long afterwards cooled my spending desires pretty quickly.

Made do with a "new old stock" Hillage "For to Next - And Not Or" instead. Result!

 

[pete321]

Clare Newsome:Because , sadly, too few people would care/buy them.

1-0 to The Rolling Stones!

 

[Anonymous]

pwiles1968:

Does anyone know if the re-masters will go on to Vinyl?

I heard that the vinyl version is due for release in November.............

 

[Anonymous]

Why does Taxman on the remastered Revolver CD sound so awful on my fairly new stereo system (Rotel RA04, RCD06, Monitor Audio BR5, Atlas Equator Interconnects, QED Silver Anniversary Bi-Wire Cables)?

Is it the CD, or my system?

Taxman has muffled guitar and drums coming out of one speaker and overly defined vocals coming out of the other. I don't remember my vinyl sounding like this. The rest of the tracks on the album sound fine, but the first track is definitely sounding odd. My old copy of Revolver on CD sounded very much the same in this regard. I thought the remastered CD would sort this out out.

In fact, my stereo system seems to make some poorly mastered albums from the 80s sound rough as well. The Smiths 'The Queen Is Dead' is a case in point.

Any comments would be most appreciated.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

laserman16:pwiles1968:

Purchased the Love CD after reading comments on this thread and it is fantastic, will buy a few of the re-masters but not sure which ones as I currently only have the Past Masters CD which is ok but nothing special, If you were to buy just 2 or 3 of the re-masters which ones? I am more in to acoustic/vocals than the pop stuff.

Does anyone know if the re-masters will go on to Vinyl?

Whilst I have not heard any of the remasters yet, I don't know whether you should compare the Love cd to them as AFAIK this was created by a lot of track mixing and multi-layering and using bits of tracks not heard before.

BTW I think the Love cd is great but then I'm an out and out Beatles nut anyway.

All I can say is that I am astounded! I was sceptical. I thought that I could buy them and try a couple and then sell them on/take them back. I just played Strawberry Fields, Yesterday and Paper Back Writer to the missus using old and new cds - both lossless through DAC. I didn't even need to ask her as she shouted it out that the difference was ridiculous. I really am amazed. It makes me think that a lot of modern recordings are very lazy and it also makes me want to offer any RS6 knocker round to my house because these new Beatles albums really show my system off. Well played Abbey Road.

 

[Pete Shields]

I suppose you're right Chebby/Stumpy21.

Maybe i'm after the box set for the sake of it.

My current 1987 Beatles CD collection starts at Help, missing out magical mystery tour, and the white album and the past masters along the way. May be best to start with these and/or revolver/abbey rd . I've also got Let it be naked as well as the original Let it Be, so I'll probably give let it be a miss initially. To Tesco tomorrow!

 

[fatboyslimfast]

Finally got my Beatles in Mono last night.

Sound quality is stunning. Really stunning. At one point in a song, above his drumming you can hear Ringo clearing his throat. Not a highlight musically I'll grant you, but an indication of just how incredible these CDs sound.

And as for geek-appeal, good god.

All the albums are in faithfully reproduced cardboard sleeves, even flip-backed like the originals where necessary.

They all come with polythene inner sleeves, and cardboard replica inner sleeves with the "a chipped stylus may permanently damage your record" etc markings on them.

Beatles for Sale, Sgt Pepper, White album (which is beautifully embossed rather than printed, and top-opening) and Mono Masters are all gatefold.

The labels on the CDs themselves are also time-correct. Please Please Me has the original Gold/
Black Parlophone label (as sought-after by vinyl collectors), going through the Yellow/Black from With the Beatles to Sgt Pepper, then Capitol for Magical Mystery Tour (as it was never released as an album in the UK, only an EP), then Apple for the White Album. Mono Masters D1 is Y/B and D2 is apple.

Someone has spent a lot of time and effort on this boxed set - well worth the money.

Nice one Apple Corps!

 

[Clare Newsome]

pete321:
Clare Newsome:Because , sadly, too few people would care/buy them.

1-0 to The Rolling Stones!

Back when the Rolling Stones SACDs were released much earlier this decade, there was a far greater chance of people owning a player capable of playing them than today - universal DVD players were relatively plentiful, and Sony's support for SACD was widespread. Right now, SACD - in terms of releases (classical aside) and players - has never been more niche. A real shame.

 

[the record spot]

Clare, with recently released Pioneer, Onkyo and the Marantz 7003/8003 CDPs all SACD capable, will there be any likelihood of an "life in the old dog yet" review at some point? There's probably a more positive spin you could apply than that one admittedly...!

 

[Clare Newsome]

Well we're certainly reviewing the products - and their SACD capabilities - plus Andrew's covering them in even more depth in Gramophone, because of the format's far greater appeal to classical-music fans.

But until we see signs of major, mainstream SACD releases, the format will remain of niche appeal.

So, while I can't see us running a specific group test just based on a player's ability with SACD, we will highlight SACD performance of capable players, so if that matters to you, you know what the best buys are for your budget.

There may, for example, be a player that's a four-star player as an all-rounder - maybe due to pricing, say - but would be perfect for SACD fans as it excels in that area.

 

[Pete Shields]

Revolver and Abbey Road it is (and the best of Supertramp for some unknown reason). Tesco didn't have the white album.

Wife out tonight, kids to bed early.......listening experience awaits. Will then add my opinion to the thread.

 

[Fenton Beasley]

Pete Shields:
Revolver and Abbey Road it is (and the best of Supertramp for some unknown reason). Tesco didn't have the white album.

Wife out tonight, kids to bed early.......listening experience awaits. Will then add my opinion to the thread.

Have you put cotton wool in the kid's ears?

 

[Charlie Jefferson]

fatboyslimfast:Finally got my Beatles in Mono last night.

Sound quality is stunning. Really stunning. At one point in a song, above his drumming you can hear Ringo clearing his throat. Not a highlight musically I'll grant you, but an indication of just how incredible these CDs sound.

And as for geek-appeal, good god.

All the albums are in faithfully reproduced cardboard sleeves, even flip-backed like the originals where necessary.

They all come with polythene inner sleeves, and cardboard replica inner sleeves with the "a chipped stylus may permanently damage your record" etc markings on them.

Beatles for Sale, Sgt Pepper, White album (which is beautifully embossed rather than printed, and top-opening) and Mono Masters are all gatefold.

The labels on the CDs themselves are also time-correct. Please Please Me has the original Gold/
Black Parlophone label (as sought-after by vinyl collectors), going through the Yellow/Black from With the Beatles to Sgt Pepper, then Capitol for Magical Mystery Tour (as it was never released as an album in the UK, only an EP), then Apple for the White Album. Mono Masters D1 is Y/B and D2 is apple.

Someone has spent a lot of time and effort on this boxed set - well worth the money.

Nice one Apple Corps!

Completely echo your comments, FBSF.

It's a wondrous thing. Sonically revealing and so tactile in it's presentation.

So many of the albums, so familiar since childhood, reveal a hitherto only glimpsed rawness and grit in the way they played and sang.

Great stuff.