NOTE: This review is for the stereo remasters only, not the mono remasters.
So, is it worth it? That is, assuming you already own all or most of the Beatles on CD, is it worth it to buy these highly publicized remasters? Should you give Paul, Ringo, Yoko and George's family another $150? Answer: probably yes.
The remastering racket is tailor-made for music fanatics such as me. Often it is very difficult to tell the difference between an original release and the new and improved remaster. Remastering means going back to the original tapes and cleaning them up with modern technology so the result is much more detailed and usually brighter. Some bands continue to fill their pockets by issuing new Very Special Ultimate Deluxe Editions of their old albums every couple of years so people like me will rebuy what we already own. They will often also tack on a couple of Bonus Tracks to seal the deal. The Who are especially good at this recycling of material. Live at Leeds has been reissued in at least four different versions, each time adding more tracks from the show. I've bought every one of them.
The Beatles have been fairly restrained in allowing their original albums to be tampered with in new formats. They are still unavailable on iTunes for download. They were relatively late to the CD format, and since the initial release of the Beatles records on disc in the late 80's, they haven't really been touched since (the Anthology series, Love, 1, Let It Be...Naked are all beside the point, I'm talking about the original Beatles records). This is an eternity ago in sonic technology.
So finally, their 13 British studio albums (plus non-album singles/b-side collection Past Masters) have been meticulously remastered. The packaging is fantastic. Great vintage reproductions of the look of the original LPs, new liner notes about each record. No bonus tracks. Each disc has a DVD documentary on the making of the album.
But how do they sound? Pretty freaking awesome. The remastering difference is immediately noticable. Everything is improved. The quieter acoustic songs that once sounded a bit muddy on the early generation CDs now sound crisp and bright (tunes from "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" to "Julia" sound like new songs). Their sonic experiments can now be fully appreciated. I was listening to Lennon's confection "Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" this morning, and you can hear whole new sounds in the song that had been previously buried in the mix. The vocal harmonies shimmer even brighter on these discs. The horns on certain songs now pop ("Got To Get You Into My Life"), George Martin's delicate orchestration on so many of their numbers now sounds full and three dimensional where they once sounded flat. In short, these discs will open up the Beatles' music to your ears and take it to a new level.
The person who most benefits from these remasters is Paul McCartney. With the separation and focusing of each instrument in these remasters, Macca's bass just jumps out of these songs. He is so melodic, funky, subtle, virtuoso...whatever he needs to be for a particular tune. As I've been listening to these discs this weekend, I continually find myself focusing on McCartney's bass work. But then Lennon was always the spirit and revolutionary while McCartney was always "just" the consumate craftsman. Isn't that the party line? That's for a different discussion, I guess.
Typical Dez. I own all of the original Beatles discs, so I was hesitant to rebuy these. But I had to have a little taste. Just a taste. So I went out and just got Revolver, my favorite one. Wow. Hmm. I wonder how Sgt. Pepper sounds? I'll just go pick that one up too. Wait. What about The White Album? You can guess what happened. I finally said "screw it, I need 'em all" and to my wife's consternation, by the end of the weekend I had them all.
Bottom line: If you love rock and roll then you love The Beatles. If you are more than a casual fan, then you will want these remasters.
Please Please Me: **** out of *****
With The Beatles: ***
A Hard Day's Night: *****
Beatles For Sale: ****
Help!: ****
Rubber Soul: ****
Revolver: *****
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: *****
Yellow Submarine: **1/2
Magical Mystery Tour: ****
The Beatles ('The White Album'): *****
Abbey Road: *****
Let It Be: ****
Past Masters, vol. 1 & 2: ****
Remastering job on all of them: *****
4 comments:
Excellent review and I am more excited about the mono versions than the stereo remasters for the reasons you've mentioned. Thanks for the good work, Dez.
Wait a second. Am I to understand that not only did you buy all of the discs, but that you bought them all individually...instead of simply buying the box set?
Yes, you understood correctly. It comes out to the same price as the box set.
Sure, but you don't get the box, which has got to be worth at least a dollar or two. So, really, I came out ahead.
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