The Beatles Stereo Box Set

A well done re-master, and a product of its own ground-rules
(I have purchased the STEREO box set of the remastered Beatles' catalog of recrodings and am reviewing that set here. I have not heard the MONO box set and am not comparing it to the stereo set here.) Also, I'm reviewing the recordings themselves and not the packaging per se. "Reviewing" these remastered recordings is hard to do since everyone, on account of their individual aural listening skills, tastes, and technical expertise, will react somewhat differently to these recordings. I suspect there is even some divergence of opinion over details, however slight, among the team of engineers at Abbey Road who did this remaster, though I have no reason to doubt the abilities and dedication of any of them. For what it sets out to do--and this is what I mean by "ground-rules"--this set of recordings is an excellent end-product. What these recordings offer in terms of sonic results: 1. You can hear EVERYTHING and you can hear it CLEARLY. 2. The soundscape is very clean and noise-free. 3. The vocals, instruments (and especially the percussion sounds and Paul's bass guitar) seem clean, detailed, nuanced, and true-to-life in unsurpassed ways. 4. If I had to choose a few adjectives to describe the sound overall I would say the recordings are "unvarnished," "acoustically correct," and "accurate." 5. All four Beatles' vocals sound true to their well-known voices, both generally and in all the details. 6. The conversion from analog to digital has been well done, and while I can hear the difference from original vinyl issues, the sound is not COLD, although the amount of realism in all the sonic aspects does make this remaster sound a bit "clinical," though in a good sense of that word. (I've heard prior Beatles recording issues sound more rip-roaringly energetic at times, but not more true-to-life.) It seems to me that recording engineers have a tough job, because a big part of what they have to do (and do right) is technical; instruments and voices must sound realistic (if that is indeed the goal, which it is not always--e.g., John Lennon's vocal on TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS, which was originally processed/re-recorded through a Leslie speaker) Another aspect of what recording engineers (and record producers) have to do, and upon which there is probably much greater divergence of opinion, is the ARTISTIC shaping of a recording. Sonic 'realism' is NOT always the only goal when making a recording, although it is usually the starting point. My own feeling is that remixing is a whole discussion unto itself, as is stereo vs. mono (and not just with respect to The Beatles, but with all music that straddles the mono/stereo transition period). Personally, I have no problem enjoying these stereo remasters, just because they are in stereo, any less than I can enjoy monoaural counterparts, though I am well aware of John Lennon's preference for monaural Beatle end-product (from one of his interviews). My reason for liking stereo is because it gives a better sense of 3-D, which is the world around us and the world in which The Beatles lived and performed. (LIkewise, I welcome 5.1 mixes for their dimensional realism as well.) And so I have no particular quibble with stereo vs. mono, and am happy that listeners do have the choice to purchase either the (mostly) stereo vs. the (mosty) mono set. For those who can afford it, both can be purchased and enjoyed for what they are. The issue of the wide separation of vocals vs. instruments in the stereo set is a question better resolved by addressing the issue of remixing, I think, something this remastering project did not set out to do. My own preference in this area arises from listening to the LOVE soundtrack, which I feel generally has an edge over this remastered set, in that it attempts to do something DIFFERENT than simply re-master the catalog en masse: there is an ineffable warmth and liveliness to the LOVE recordings that mere (but excellent) remastering alone cannot accomplish. Here I have no blame to lay upon the engineers who remastered this new stereo set, but rather a wish for the additional sort of touch that George and Giles Martin might have brought to this project had they been (able to) have been involved as well. It's the difference between technical excellence--which this set has in spades--and technical excellence in the service of the interrelated and more subjective art of remixing. What I find myself wishing for the Beatles recordings is two things: 1. Pure Beatles sound; faithful reproduction of their performances--which this set does very well 2. Artful blending of all the elements in a way that captures the artists, their time, and the world they wrote about. It is in this second area that I feel there is still work to be done with The Beatles' catalog, though again I cannot fault the engineers who laid down certain ground rules for the kinds of processing these recordings would receive (their choices were sensible ones). But my sense is that there is still a little something missing here, and it is definitely in the 'arty' area of record production. Being an informed amateur when it comes to recording/engineering techniques, I don't mind the amount of limiting applied to these recordings, though I would not want any more than has already been added. Unlike some others, I don't hear clipped volume levels that are then 'unclipped' by turning down the overall volume; the engineers have been more careful than that. All in all, this set is a NICE way to experience The Beatles' catalog, and it attains its own objectives based on the ground-rules set out by the engineers beforehand. I give the set four stars rather than five because, as the LOVE soundtrack demonstrates, there is still additional 'magic' to be had from this music with the addition of some careful and appropriate re-mixing of the sort that Giles and George Martin were able to do.

Snake Oil In A Box
The biggest Beatles red flag of all time. Check it. 1987 mixes being "remastered" by two guys supposedly "trusted to do the job" that apparently "took four years" who claimed Macca, Ringo and Sir George were "too busy to check in". All those factors added up clearly indicate a marketing hype probably not seen since Geraldo's upcoming look into Al Capone's vault.

Everything I hoped for
I got my box set in the mail today and opened it up - it was like Christmas! I loved the way the box worked and although the outer cover, "the dust jacket" is only cardboard, the main box that holds the cds is strudy and thick. The packaging & booklets that go with each cd are great!! It was a special treat for me to hear the first 2 albums as I have never owned Meet the Beatles or the first album, so there were a bunch of songs on these two albums I had never actually heard! Loved it! I bought a BOZE sound machine to get a better listening experience and it all sounds great! Lots of Bass and clear as a bell! No hiss or tinny sounds at all! Worth every penny!!

Don't Believe The Naysayers
If you, like me, were scared by some of the negative reviews of The Beatles in stereo, you need not be worried. Everyone has their idea of what The Beatles sound like (or what they SHOULD sound like). One could debate for eternity what COULD have been done with the process of remastering (and some would add remixing) of these masterpieces. But to me, it's simple. I am hearing things I never have heard before on these tracks. The clarity is incredible! As Sir Paul says, it's like hearing John right in the room with you. One reviewer even said this was not an improvement on the 1987 CD releases!! I have no idea what he is listening on, maybe an old boom-box from his basement. I knew immediately that this would be a controversial set. It is quite different from any Beatles CDs you've heard before. But that's the truly amazing part. Even now, in a new century, we can still be rediscovering these songs. And I've heard the mono mix as well (have the set). I actually prefer the stereo, except for the mono mix of Twist and Shout, Helter Skelter and Sgt. Pepper's (all of it). For some reason Pepper's is just too different of an experience on the stereo remaster. But all this is minor compared to the joy in getting to hear The Beatles reinvented yet again. If you can't imagine that you'll want to experience that, don't pay for the ticket, this ride's not for you. Let the audiofiles nitpick about what they want these CDs to sound like. But for the vast majority of the public, this is The Beatles for a new time. Don't be put off by the negative reviews. One guy even said he was going to return his set unopened he was so upset by the reviews. You're missing out dude! The talent involved in this project knew exactly what they were doing. Thanks Paul and Ringo!!!

REMASTERS much better than the 1987 cds
these REMASTERING type of things are sometimes all hype but i do believe that these cds are a big improvement over the 1987 versions,listen to them side by side with the originals there is a big difference in the sound quality anybody with half an ear can hear that,listen to a song like I WANT YOU(shes so heavy)from ABBEY ROAD is riddled with distortion and horrid clarity issues the new version is pure and clear.YESTERDAY from HELP! has never sounded better.i think some sound better than others,i dont notice a great difference in SGT PEPPER but ABBEY ROAD, REVOLVER, THE WHITE ALBUM,and the earlier cds that have been mixed in to stereo are a night and day difference than the 87 cds.give your ears a real treat and listen to the GOLDEN SLUMBERS/CARRY THAT WEIGHT/THE END medley its breath taking at some points.hey if your happy with your cds from the 80s keep em.but for real music fans buy the remasters its truly a worth while experience.