Remixing The Beatles' Albums
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Let's face it, many people today listen to music by means of earphones or headphones. You can't listen to the Beatles' music using these. They weren't designed or mixed or balanced - whatever the right word is - for headphone listening. That's why I'm not very interested with the recently remastered Beatles catalog. They're just basically the same except for the first four albums which come in stereo. I think it's time to remix all the Beatles' songs like what they did in "Love" and "Yellow Submarine" soundtrack albums.
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I think from Sgt. Pepper on, the stereo mixes are pretty good, but you're right, before that, they're often rather atrocious. That's why I prefer the mono Revolver, for one thing. The Beatles really didn't pay attention to the stereo mixes that much; stereo was still seen very much as a gimmick, the way 5.1 is seen today, just something to impress a few people who have the equipment to play it. I think someday they may do total stereo remixes like what you're saying, but it won't be for awhile.
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I absolutely adore the "recently" remastered updates. I was hearing things I'd never heard before. That being said, it could be my stereo equipment and headphones at the time of original listening were so poor in comparison to today. Maybe the advent of new "hardware" was making the "software" leap and bound to even newer frontiers. But I have no complaints. No amount of technology can polish a shite of a song. With the Beatles, even if restricted by the technology of the time, their songs defy technical nuances and limitations. As good as any brush-up might be, all it's doing is putting A Day in the Life up from 99.97% to 99.98%.
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jessiemillano:
Let's face it, many people today listen to music by means of earphones or headphones. You can't listen to the Beatles' music using these. They weren't designed or mixed or balanced - whatever the right word is - for headphone listening. That's why I'm not very interested with the recently remastered Beatles catalog. They're just basically the same except for the first four albums which come in stereo. I think it's time to remix all the Beatles' songs like what they did in "Love" and "Yellow Submarine" soundtrack albums.
Listen to them in mono. No issues with left/right separation.
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If ever they would remix all the albums, they should be just an option. The old mix should still be available as they are edgier. I must admit "Love" and "Let It Be... Naked" sound soft on big speakers but listening to them on headphones blows my mind.
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jessiemillano:
If ever they would remix all the albums, they should be just an option. The old mix should still be available as they are edgier. I must admit "Love" and "Let It Be... Naked" sound soft on big speakers but listening to them on headphones blows my mind.
Totally agree. I'm all in favor of more remix albums, but the key is that it should be left "pure" as LOVE was (only mixing/mashing/layering bits of existing songs into each other). This keeps is distinct and more completely Beatles, especially since anyone with DJ equipment and software could remix a Beatles song into sounding barely recognizable. Apple is above this and they've proved that they could make it found fresh without losing the essence of everything in each track. Releasing more remix albums would also help to continue to reintroduce their music to new generations, especially with the rise of Electronic Dance Music (EDM). It's an exciting and innovative idea
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I mean they should do a modern mix: vocals, drums and bass in the center, guitars on left and right. Just compare the Sgt Pepper's and Love versions of "A Day In The Life." The latter sounds better on headphones but the former sounds better on loud speakers.
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jessiemillano:
I mean they should do a modern mix: vocals, drums and bass in the center, guitars on left and right. Just compare the Sgt Pepper's and Love versions of "A Day In The Life." The latter sounds better on headphones but the former sounds better on loud speakers.
They did modern mixes of John's solo albums in the early 2000s (before they went back to the original ones for the 2010 boxed set), so perhaps they'd be open to doing it with the Beatles' albums too. The marketing would be tricky, though, ensuring that the consumer understands what they're getting. We already have UK and US versions of Rubber Soul out there, for example, with different track listings, so then having a third one out there with a different mix could be a bit challenging.
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Thanks for the info.
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Yep all for it. Give it the Yellow Sub Songtrack treatment.
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jessiemillano:
I mean they should do a modern mix: vocals, drums and bass in the center, guitars on left and right. Just compare the Sgt Pepper's and Love versions of "A Day In The Life." The latter sounds better on headphones but the former sounds better on loud speakers.
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jessiemillano:
If ever they would remix all the albums, they should be just an option. The old mix should still be available as they are edgier. I must admit "Love" and "Let It Be... Naked" sound soft on big speakers but listening to them on headphones blows my mind.
That's why all the 2009 remasters are the original mixes. And they are in both the original stereo and mono. So we have those mixes down digitally forever. But there are also surround-sound remixes of almost every Beatles' track. They were all remixed in 5:1 for the Yellow Submarine and Beatles Anthology DVDs. So I think eventually we'll start seeing versions of their albums in surround-sound as well.
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Does anyone like the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL) mixes?
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jl4761:
Does anyone like the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL) mixes?
I have The White Album in that (in vinyl) as well as the original release in vinyl. Haven't listened to it in probably 40 years!
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Nancy R:
jl4761:
Does anyone like the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL) mixes?
I have The White Album in that (in vinyl) as well as the original release in vinyl. Haven't listened to it in probably 40 years!
You're missing a lot Nancy R, you ought to listen to it again! I own all of them on MFSL Vinyl not to mention 5 complete BEATLES MFSL CD Bootleg collections. In my opinion, they all sound better than the 2009 Remasters.
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jl4761:
Nancy R:
jl4761:
Does anyone like the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL) mixes?
I have The White Album in that (in vinyl) as well as the original release in vinyl. Haven't listened to it in probably 40 years!
You're missing a lot Nancy R, you ought to listen to it again! I own all of them on MFSL Vinyl not to mention 5 complete BEATLES MFSL CD Bootleg collections. In my opinion, they all sound better than the 2009 Remasters.
I do still have a turntable, so will have to give it a spin!
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Nancy R:
jl4761:
Nancy R:
jl4761:
Does anyone like the Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL) mixes?
I have The White Album in that (in vinyl) as well as the original release in vinyl. Haven't listened to it in probably 40 years!
You're missing a lot Nancy R, you ought to listen to it again! I own all of them on MFSL Vinyl not to mention 5 complete BEATLES MFSL CD Bootleg collections. In my opinion, they all sound better than the 2009 Remasters.
I do still have a turntable, so will have to give it a spin!
Give it a spin and crank the volume up, let me know what you think of it. Take care.
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jessiemillano:
Let's face it, many people today listen to music by means of earphones or headphones. You can't listen to the Beatles' music using these. They weren't designed or mixed or balanced - whatever the right word is - for headphone listening. That's why I'm not very interested with the recently remastered Beatles catalog. They're just basically the same except for the first four albums which come in stereo. I think it's time to remix all the Beatles' songs like what they did in "Love" and "Yellow Submarine" soundtrack albums.
Totally agree!! The first two albums I can't listen to at all in stereo......the voices all on one side of the mix and the instruments on the other. I wish those two had never been released in stereo. It is waaaay past time to remix all of them so they sound as good as "LOVE" and "Yellow Submarine Songtrack". I defy anyone to listen to, oh say, "Nowhere Man" on the "...Songtrack", compare it the "official" one on "Rubber Soul" and not conclude that it's tons better. It's just so much richer...fuller...you name it. It's better in every way possible. That's how good the "Rubber Soul" album could sound. It's still rather primitve to me...the remasters helped a little on most of the albums, but not nearly enough. We know how great they could sound...as good as if they were released for the first time now...using today's technology. I just don't buy this...."Oh, but that's how they were recorded and we must be true to that....." I want all the music to SOUND as good as it possibly can...and it doesn't......yet.
