The Beatles always stood apart from their peers, a selfevident statement that sadly extended to the treatment of their catalog in the digital age. Where all their peers from the Byrds to the Who have had their catalogs remastered and reissued in deluxe editions, sometimes several times, the Beatles remained stuck in the early days of digital, their 14 albums plus Past Masters singles collection remaining untouched since 1987. Anniversaries came and went, but no remasters arrived until the release of the video game The Beatles Rockband pushed a longoverdue revamping of the band’s entire catalog into the stores on 9909. This reissue campaign corrects almost all the problems of the original 1987 CDs: the sound and artwork are improved, and all the original mono and stereo mixes finally see the light of day. Naturally, it’s possible to quibble about some details of the presentation, particularly the decision to split the reissue into two separate box sets, one covering the stereo mixes and one the mono mixes, with only the stereo mixes available as individual discs (it’s still possible to complain that the albums do not add eraspecific singles or outtakes, but such expansions were never really in the cards), but both boxes still constitute the best Beatles by far. Crucially, it’s also inarguably the bestsounding Beatles music ever released, robust and rich even on the earliest rock roll. None of the albums have been remixed although Help and Rubber Soul retain Martin’s 1987 mixes, the original stereo mixes are bonuses on the mono set so this doesn’t shock the way the Yellow Submarine soundtrack did with its reimagined stereo mixes. Nevertheless, these remasters surely do surprise with their clarity and depth, with each album feeling bigger and fuller than the previous CD incarnation, but not artificially so. It’s not that these are pumped up on digital steroids; it’s that the veil has been lifted, so everything seems full and fresh. Appropriately, there’s more to savor from Help onward, as the Beatles’ productions grew ambitious, but Please Please Me, With the Beatles, and A Hard Day’s Night all have a strong punch, while Beatles for Sale is warmer than the previous disc.really craved is the mono box. This limitededition box is laden with newtoCD mixes, including the genuine rarities of the previously unreleased mono mixes of the four new songs from Yellow Submarine, and its packaging is gorgeous, filled with miniLP replicas with stiff cardboard sleeves of every album from Please Please Me to The Beatles, complete with replicated gatefolds and packaging inserts, all protected in resealable plastic sleeves. As pure physical product, this satisfies any collector itch, but this also is arguably the bettersounding of the two sets, providing ample evidence that the Beatles did spend more time on mono mixes during much of their career. For generations of listeners raised on stereo mixes, there are plenty of surprises here, whether it’s a slower “She’s Leaving Home” or a faster “Don’t Pass Me By,” or numerous little differences that pop up on Pepper, The White Album, and Revolver, all adding up to dramatically different experiences. Sometimes, the density of mono just has more force “Lady Madonna” rolls like a freight train, “I’m Down” hits to the gut and sometimes the colors just seem more vibrant; in either case, there’s enough emotional difference to make this worthwhile for the dedicated, and depending on taste, it may even be preferable. But there’s no question of one thing: of the two sets, as a package, the mono box is a thing to behold. And there’s also no question that anybody waiting 22 years to hear a better version of the Beatles will not be disappointed (although they may well still wonder why it took so long for the Fabs to be treated how they deserve).

- Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Product Specification :

Release Date :09/09/2009
Format :Audio CD
UPC :4988006873612
Label :Emi Japan
List Price :703.98

powered by Yahoo shopping