Beatles US albums to be released in January
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stuartshire:
Most of these are already available on Capitol albums 1 and 2 , although strangely not Yesterday and Today It stops at Rubber Soul... P.s. i thought Hard Days Night was a United Artists release. The strikes me as a bizarre re-release.Re-mastered again ?
Yes, rather bizarre to me too. Capitol butchered their albums moving cuts from here to there, only having 11 cuts per album instead of 14, etc. And remixing the songs. Not sure why they remixed them...for American audience expectations??? Did we want to hear songs in a different way or what? Specifically? I never really liked the American 'Revolver'. At all. They left off some critical songs that made it the great album it is. And to have Hey Jude and She Loves You on the same album....sort of an after thought is just strange. The style of the Beatles had changed immensely over a few short years. I see no need to buy any of these releases.
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Beatles4Ever&Ever:
stuartshire:
Most of these are already available on Capitol albums 1 and 2 , although strangely not Yesterday and Today It stops at Rubber Soul... P.s. i thought Hard Days Night was a United Artists release. The strikes me as a bizarre re-release.Re-mastered again ?
Yes, rather bizarre to me too. Capitol butchered their albums moving cuts from here to there, only having 11 cuts per album instead of 14, etc. And remixing the songs. Not sure why they remixed them...for American audience expectations??? Did we want to hear songs in a different way or what? Specifically? I never really liked the American 'Revolver'. At all. They left off some critical songs that made it the great album it is. And to have Hey Jude and She Loves You on the same album....sort of an after thought is just strange. The style of the Beatles had changed immensely over a few short years. I see no need to buy any of these releases.
I think you mean Hey Jude and Can't Buy Me Love. She Loves You isn't on it. The idea behind the Hey Jude album (originally called "The Beatles Again" when released - my first copy had that title on the label) was to cull together stray songs which were never on a Capitol or Apple album in America. Somehow that included Can't Buy Me Love and I Should Have Known Better, though other B-sides and non-Capitol tracks were left off, such as I'm Down. Yes, a strange little release at the instigation of their manager at the time, Allen Klein. A great cover though, with two shots from the last photo session ever taken of the group. A little known fact is that the Capitol releases in the U.S. were basically the work of one man named Dave Dexter Jr. He was an American producer who worked for Capitol and he actually thought that George Martin's productions weren't good enough for American record buyers. That they lacked an oomph or a punch or something American listeners needed. He changed the sound and the mix based on the assumption that he knew best, and the record company let him do it. He is also the one who initially turned down The Beatles for Capitol Records for almost a year, and he is the one who compiled the shortened and altered albums themselves. For doing all this to the Capitol albums, you will see his name credit in small print on each one. The Beatles themselves finally put an end to this in their 1966 contract with Capitol, when they made the company (and Dexter) stop tampering with the sound and running order of their albums, so all album releases from Sgt. Pepper on were the same on both sides of the Atlantic.
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In case you haven't seen the email, these releases are now available for pre-order through iTunes (no other digital service). I just read through the descriptions of each album to see how they're selling this. They don't really explain why A Hard Day's Night and Something New have some overlap in songs (I guess the whole United Artists deal was too complicated, they assume). But it does confirm that these are not all the original US stereo mixes: they mention that the mono versions of "I Feel Fine" and "Yes It Is" are drenched in reverb, when, as we know, the stereo ones were also reverb-y at the time, but apparently since they were "fake stereo," Apple is deciding to use the British stereo in these cases. Thanks, beatlesfanrandy, for singling out Dave Dexter. Judging from the breadth of his work, and Yesterday and Today in particular, this Dexter was the original serial killer by that name, or should I say butcher!
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favoritething:
In case you haven't seen the email, these releases are now available for pre-order through iTunes (no other digital service). I just read through the descriptions of each album to see how they're selling this. They don't really explain why A Hard Day's Night and Something New have some overlap in songs (I guess the whole United Artists deal was too complicated, they assume). But it does confirm that these are not all the original US stereo mixes: they mention that the mono versions of "I Feel Fine" and "Yes It Is" are drenched in reverb, when, as we know, the stereo ones were also reverb-y at the time, but apparently since they were "fake stereo," Apple is deciding to use the British stereo in these cases. Thanks, beatlesfanrandy, for singling out Dave Dexter. Judging from the breadth of his work, and Yesterday and Today in particular, this Dexter was the original serial killer by that name, or should I say butcher!
"Dexter!" I love it!
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favoritething:
In case you haven't seen the email, these releases are now available for pre-order through iTunes (no other digital service). I just read through the descriptions of each album to see how they're selling this. They don't really explain why A Hard Day's Night and Something New have some overlap in songs (I guess the whole United Artists deal was too complicated, they assume). But it does confirm that these are not all the original US stereo mixes: they mention that the mono versions of "I Feel Fine" and "Yes It Is" are drenched in reverb, when, as we know, the stereo ones were also reverb-y at the time, but apparently since they were "fake stereo," Apple is deciding to use the British stereo in these cases. Thanks, beatlesfanrandy for all the information, especially for singling out Dave Dexter! Judging from the breadth of his work, and Yesterday and Today in particular, this Dexter was the original serial killer by that name, or should I say butcher!
Thanks to you both....beatlesfanrandy and favoritething...for all the information. And to know that someone named Dexter was behind it all (such power) is TOO appropriate! Not in a good way! Easily the 'original serial killer...butcher'. Hilarious!!!
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favoritething:
It's official! http://www.thebeatles.com/news/ladies-and-gentlemen-beatles All in stereo and mono, except for "Hey Jude" and "The Beatles Story", which are in stereo only. All released individually at first, except "Story", which is only in the box. "Yesterday and Today" will have the butcher cover, and a card inside with the trunk cover. Amazon US link here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00H8XF9I0?tag=ilovethatsong-20 And the individual ones are there also. The question is: have they been re-remastered since the 2004-2006 boxes from '64-'65?
I read somewhere that they used the remastered 2009 versions to compile this set, with, perhaps, some tweaking to approximate what the American versions sounded like. It may...or seems to be...primarily just a matter of sequencing the songs to match the American releases in the 60s and to have the different album covers. :
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toris:
I still find it bizarre that back in the days of the Greatest Band that there were different releases happening between the US and the UK (and by extension us in Oz).... All legalities, I am sure.... We followed the way of the UK... so all the albums I bought were to the UK order...it's a convict thing...I do love that they are recognising the Butcher Cover on the re-release of the US albums. I do wonder if there is a hidden photo underneath if you put a steamer to the cover.
No, but there is a copy of the steamer version that can be 'glued' over the Butcher Cover.
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There is a very interesting and illuminating discussion of what the Box Set will and will not contain and what we can expect at the following site: http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/box-set-alert-meet-the-beatles-again-the-us-albums-box-set/
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Thanks, B4EE, good articles, though it's still not 100% clear which songs will be using the 2009 mixes. They're definitely replacing the "duophonic" stereo and the "fold-down" mono US mixes with the 2009 British ones, but some of the mixes WILL, in fact, be the US mixes with the extra reverb, according to the album descriptions in iTunes. I have a feeling we won't know for sure till after this box comes out, and some ambitious Beatles fan (not me!) will examine all the mixes and let us know!
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ill probably only get the yesterday and today cd along with maybe hey jude and the AHDN soundtrack
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favoritething:
Thanks, B4EE, good articles, though it's still not 100% clear which songs will be using the 2009 mixes. They're definitely replacing the "duophonic" stereo and the "fold-down" mono US mixes with the 2009 British ones, but some of the mixes WILL, in fact, be the US mixes with the extra reverb, according to the album descriptions in iTunes. I have a feeling we won't know for sure till after this box comes out, and some ambitious Beatles fan (not me!) will examine all the mixes and let us know!
My take on the mixes is that the releases in the two Capitol Years box sets will be the same, namely from Meet The Beatles to Beatles VI. Those box sets have American mixes for the most part except for Help! and Rubber Soul. Help!, Rubber Soul, Revolver, and Hey Jude will all have the 2009 remixes as those mixes were not really tampered with in the first place. Yesterday and Today will be a hybrid of 2009 remixes and American mixes. There were especially differences in the Lennon songs taken from Revolver which was not even released yet.
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beatlesfanrandy:
favoritething:
Thanks, B4EE, good articles, though it's still not 100% clear which songs will be using the 2009 mixes. They're definitely replacing the "duophonic" stereo and the "fold-down" mono US mixes with the 2009 British ones, but some of the mixes WILL, in fact, be the US mixes with the extra reverb, according to the album descriptions in iTunes. I have a feeling we won't know for sure till after this box comes out, and some ambitious Beatles fan (not me!) will examine all the mixes and let us know!
My take on the mixes is that the releases in the two Capitol Years box sets will be the same, namely from Meet The Beatles to Beatles VI. Those box sets have American mixes for the most part except for Help! and Rubber Soul. Help!, Rubber Soul, Revolver, and Hey Jude will all have the 2009 remixes as those mixes were not really tampered with in the first place. Yesterday and Today will be a hybrid of 2009 remixes and American mixes. There were especially differences in the Lennon songs taken from Revolver which was not even released yet.
My understanding is that it's not that simple, though. There were certain songs throughout the early years (but not all) that had duophonic, or fake, stereo on the US albums, and others where the US mono mix was just the stereo mix combined into one channel. Here's one clue, from the iTunes description of Beatles '65: "The album is presented in both mono and stereo mixes; note the added reverb on the mono version of 'I Feel Fine'." So, that indicates to me that they're using the UK stereo mix (without reverb) for the stereo version, because the original Beatles '65 album (as well as the "Capitol Years" stereo) definitely has the added reverb on the stereo version.
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favoritething:
beatlesfanrandy:
favoritething:
Thanks, B4EE, good articles, though it's still not 100% clear which songs will be using the 2009 mixes. They're definitely replacing the "duophonic" stereo and the "fold-down" mono US mixes with the 2009 British ones, but some of the mixes WILL, in fact, be the US mixes with the extra reverb, according to the album descriptions in iTunes. I have a feeling we won't know for sure till after this box comes out, and some ambitious Beatles fan (not me!) will examine all the mixes and let us know!
My take on the mixes is that the releases in the two Capitol Years box sets will be the same, namely from Meet The Beatles to Beatles VI. Those box sets have American mixes for the most part except for Help! and Rubber Soul. Help!, Rubber Soul, Revolver, and Hey Jude will all have the 2009 remixes as those mixes were not really tampered with in the first place. Yesterday and Today will be a hybrid of 2009 remixes and American mixes. There were especially differences in the Lennon songs taken from Revolver which was not even released yet.
My understanding is that it's not that simple, though. There were certain songs throughout the early years (but not all) that had duophonic, or fake, stereo on the US albums, and others where the US mono mix was just the stereo mix combined into one channel. Here's one clue, from the iTunes description of Beatles '65: "The album is presented in both mono and stereo mixes; note the added reverb on the mono version of 'I Feel Fine'." So, that indicates to me that they're using the UK stereo mix (without reverb) for the stereo version, because the original Beatles '65 album (as well as the "Capitol Years" stereo) definitely has the added reverb on the stereo version.
There was one song that I thought the "Americanized" version sounded better. That was She's A Woman. The original just sounded flat. Guess it'll be fun to have all the versions out there to compare.
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favoritething:
Thanks, B4EE, good articles, though it's still not 100% clear which songs will be using the 2009 mixes. They're definitely replacing the "duophonic" stereo and the "fold-down" mono US mixes with the 2009 British ones, but some of the mixes WILL, in fact, be the US mixes with the extra reverb, according to the album descriptions in iTunes. I have a feeling we won't know for sure till after this box comes out, and some ambitious Beatles fan (not me!) will examine all the mixes and let us know!
Much to my surprise, I discovered that I may actually prefer the American mixes on the majority...perhaps on all... of the Beatles songs!! About ten years ago, when Capital issued two volumes of the Beatles American albums on CD...the first 8...I purchased those two volumes and then didn't pay much attention. Barely listened to even a couple of them. Yesterday I listened to them again....all of them...and thought them (all the songs) more powerful than the official versions. The rockers rocked harder (the American version of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" sounded tons better than the official version; totally kicked its butt) and ALL the songs seemed to be just slightly faster which added to their power. I always thought "You Won't See Me" on "Rubber Soul" sort of dragged towards the end. Not on the American version. At all. And it was nice to hear "It's Only Love" on that album. I always think of it as a "Rubber Soul" song. Suddenly I was hearing the Beatles as I had as a kid and teenager!! And I loved it. Maybe it's the reverb than makes the songs sound stronger/more powerful. I don't know. I was just totally surprised that I liked them THAT much. I didn't mind the sequencing as I once had. Gave up my grudge against Capital Records. Their first two albums really really rocked. Hard. They all did. That's how they had conquered America.
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beatlesfanrandy:
favoritething:
beatlesfanrandy:
favoritething:
Thanks, B4EE, good articles, though it's still not 100% clear which songs will be using the 2009 mixes. They're definitely replacing the "duophonic" stereo and the "fold-down" mono US mixes with the 2009 British ones, but some of the mixes WILL, in fact, be the US mixes with the extra reverb, according to the album descriptions in iTunes. I have a feeling we won't know for sure till after this box comes out, and some ambitious Beatles fan (not me!) will examine all the mixes and let us know!
My take on the mixes is that the releases in the two Capitol Years box sets will be the same, namely from Meet The Beatles to Beatles VI. Those box sets have American mixes for the most part except for Help! and Rubber Soul. Help!, Rubber Soul, Revolver, and Hey Jude will all have the 2009 remixes as those mixes were not really tampered with in the first place. Yesterday and Today will be a hybrid of 2009 remixes and American mixes. There were especially differences in the Lennon songs taken from Revolver which was not even released yet.
My understanding is that it's not that simple, though. There were certain songs throughout the early years (but not all) that had duophonic, or fake, stereo on the US albums, and others where the US mono mix was just the stereo mix combined into one channel. Here's one clue, from the iTunes description of Beatles '65: "The album is presented in both mono and stereo mixes; note the added reverb on the mono version of 'I Feel Fine'." So, that indicates to me that they're using the UK stereo mix (without reverb) for the stereo version, because the original Beatles '65 album (as well as the "Capitol Years" stereo) definitely has the added reverb on the stereo version.
There was one song that I thought the "Americanized" version sounded better. That was She's A Woman. The original just sounded flat. Guess it'll be fun to have all the versions out there to compare.
I think the US version of "She's A Woman" sounds muddy with the reverb; the cymbals are just a constant splash. When I first heard the UK version I was amazed at all the space in the song, but it does sound a bit tinny. One US mix that I definitely prefer is "Money"! Really rocks!
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This scathing review of the new box set may well be definitive: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-beatles-us-albums-how-the-classics-were-butchered-9059809.html
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Beatles4Ever&Ever:
This scathing review of the new box set may well be definitive: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/the-beatles-us-albums-how-the-classics-were-butchered-9059809.html
Well-written, although he seems not to be aware of the discrepancies between the US mixes as released in the '60s versus the ones on this set. At least one commenter rectifies that. Still, Andy Gill's phrase "unmitigated Capitol-ist crassness" is rather classic. Unfortunately, a lot of the commenters take the opportunity to bash American music fans in general. Not really fair.
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In case anyone's shopping for these, I'm noticing that Amazon is the cheapest for the box, followed by Best Buy in the middle, and then Walmart is surprisingly the most expensive of the three. For individual titles, all three retailers are within 11 cents of each other. I just can't justify the price of the box right now. I expect I'll get Y&T for sure, and possibly Revolver, Hey Jude, and/or AHDN.
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favoritething:
In case anyone's shopping for these, I'm noticing that Amazon is the cheapest for the box, followed by Best Buy in the middle, and then Walmart is surprisingly the most expensive of the three. For individual titles, all three retailers are within 11 cents of each other. I just can't justify the price of the box right now. I expect I'll get Y&T for sure, and possibly Revolver, Hey Jude, and/or AHDN.
The box set would be worth it for The Beatles Story which will not be sold as an individual CD. That album has been out of print for decades! Otherwise if you have the 2009 remasters, what's the point? It will be very interesting to see how these sell. If Yesterday and Today really is released with the Butcher Cover, I could see that going to No. 1. We'll find out tomorrow!
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beatlesfanrandy:
favoritething:
In case anyone's shopping for these, I'm noticing that Amazon is the cheapest for the box, followed by Best Buy in the middle, and then Walmart is surprisingly the most expensive of the three. For individual titles, all three retailers are within 11 cents of each other. I just can't justify the price of the box right now. I expect I'll get Y&T for sure, and possibly Revolver, Hey Jude, and/or AHDN.
The box set would be worth it for The Beatles Story which will not be sold as an individual CD. That album has been out of print for decades! Otherwise if you have the 2009 remasters, what's the point? It will be very interesting to see how these sell. If Yesterday and Today really is released with the Butcher Cover, I could see that going to No. 1. We'll find out tomorrow!
Yes, I have a strong feeling that album is going to hit the chart on its own, and probably a few others: Meet The Beatles!, Hey Jude, maybe one or two others. Should be fascinating!