People generally go a bit crazy when some new Beatles material, however miniscule, appears. So the announcement of a completely remastered catalogue, both mono and stereo, with rare photos and unheard studio verite, was understandably met with a rather high level of fanfare, only matched by the announcement of some animated characters and the accompanying Rock Band game, (not to mention custom instruments).
Although, somewhere between excitement and disbelief, we forgot that there is actually no new music to be heard on these 15 albums. Still, we retained the tiniest of hopes that they had included a hidden track or two. More so, one swiftly forgot that the stereo set has not been re-mixed, thus providing little relief for those who found themselves annoyed by the guitar-solo-in-one-ear of say, Honey Don't.
No new music perhaps, but the small snippets of studio talk included in the accompanying Dvds, are precious gems for all Beatlemaniacs. Like John Lennon's witty "Stop it you disgusting middle-aged squares" from the Abbey Road sessions, or Paul McCartney's "Keep that one, mark it fab" from the same disc.
The mono collection is the true must-have for Beatles fans, as most of the band's recording were meant for the format, although the new stereo Cds' certainly have their share of uniqueness. All good then? Actually...
Having distinctively swapped the often overly treble-heavy soundscape of the original CD's for a more balanced, bass-heavy one, the stereo remasters offer a generally favourable rendition of the collective outings of the most acclaimed music group of all time.
Marvel, for instance, at the revamped I Am The Walrus, how the psychedelic transition ahead of "Sitting in an English garden/waiting for the sun" has been given a more spacious atmosphere, befitting of the song's paradoxical madness. Or McCartney's vocals on Oh Darling, his heartfelt delivery, supported by more prominent harmonies, now sounding cleaner than ever.
The bass certainly is given a more favourable and modern place all over, its boost providing a more solid foundation than before. McCartney's often-discussed lines on Something, for example, no longer seems as out-of-place (as some argued), the musical brilliance of We Can Work It Out is now more prominent, focus is re-drawn from the duelling vocals of Lennon and McCartney onto the song's infectious groove. Not to mention the riff on Paperback Writer, sounding rougher and heavier, although still being lodged firmly in the right ear with the harmonies occupying the left.
But, yes there is a but, this also seems to be the remasters weak spot. Some elements, especially on the early records, have been given a prominence which ultimately does not benefit the songs. Hand claps for example, threaten to ruin Roll Over Beethoven, the same - to a certain extent - for the otherwise spotless Eight Days A Week. The maracas on Wait is arguably overly rattly; Ringo's hi-hat on a few tracks on A Hard Day's Night (most notably Can't Buy Me Love) is just that tad too sharp.
However, these minor quibbles pale in insignificance to the enhanced overall quality of the re-mastering. Lennon's vocal on Girl, for instance, sounds simply divine; McCartney's Eleanor Rigby, always one of his finest hours, along with album successor I'm Only Sleeping, are breathtaking.
With the added bonus of the short documentaries, possibly the true heroes here, the marketing bonanza that surrounds this boxset is truly justified. The Beatles, after all, have always been in a league of their own.
Words by Brand Barstein, whose favourite three Beatles songs are:
1. I Am The Walrus
2. She Said She Said
3. A Day In The Life
8:20 AM | 09/09/2009
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the ONE thing all the fans seems to misunderstand is that these remasters were not meant to copy any vynyl format, but THE ORIGINAL STUDIO TAPES. Unfortunately, we can't A/B those two
Posted by bill lettang at 3:02 AM | 16/10/2009 | Report Abuse
the ONE thing all the fans seems to misunderstand is that these remasters were not meant to copy any vynyl format, but THE ORIGINAL STUDIO TAPES. Unfortunately, we can't A/B those two
Posted by bill lettang at 3:02 AM | 16/10/2009 | Report Abuse
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