Post by Dr Winston on Oct 5, 2009 17:33:08 GMT 1
Is this new box set really worth getting? Are these newly remastered Beatles CDs really that much better than the old Beatles CDs that most Beatles fans have been listening to for the past 20 years? In a word: Yes.
I don't think people realize just how poor the sound on the old Beatles CDs was. These new remasters reveal new details and allow all of the glory of this music to be heard as it was meant to be heard. I suppose it's like watching a film in HD after you had only see it on an old VHS tape.
The Drums
Perhaps the biggest difference can be heard in the drums. On the old CDs, Ringo's drumming was often buried in the mix and difficult to hear. Now you can really hear the drums so much more clearly and they become more of a part of the songs.
The Bass
Probably my favorite thing about these new remasters is how much more well defined and fuller the bass sounds. This is great, because Paul McCartney's bass parts on most of The Beatles songs were absolutely fantastic. McCartney is the greatest bass player of all time and you can hear his amazing playing more clearly than ever before on these new remastered CDs.
The Vocals
The Beatles had a lot of harmonies in their music and now finally with The Beatles Stereo Box Set you can hear each part of those harmonies clearly. You now know if it's John, Paul or George singing. They sound so good.
Some new things I have heard on the Stereo Remasters:
On 'Please Please Me' (song), you can clearly here John sing the wrong lyric in the final verse and then give a slight chuckle in his delivery of the subsequent "come on".
Everything about 'A Hard Day's Night' (album) sounds so clear and fresh.
The handclaps on 'Eight Days A Week' are fantastic, and Ringo is heard clearly now snapping away at the latches on a suitcase throughout 'Words of Love'.
Rubber Soul just comes alive. On 'Girl' you can hear extra sounds in the background, and the "Ting" in 'Nowhere Man' is now very clear.
On 'Magical Mystery Tour' (song), the bus is extra loud and goes from speaker to speaker.
That crazy 'cowbell' rages throughout 'Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey'.
On 'Blackbird' you can you hear Paul's foot tapping out the steady beat, and just listen to Yoko Ono and Maureen Starkey sing on 'The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill'.
The 'shoot me...' intro and bass on 'Come Together' sound amazing, as does the whole of Abbey Road.
Which to buy?
In my opinion the albums Please Please Me and With The Beatles are best heard in their Mono versions. On the remastered Mono they sound much more fuller, it's as if you are in the Cavern listening to The Beatles playing live!
The rest of the albums generally sound better in Stereo, apart from a few later songs which I actually preferred in Mono, (eg: Eleanor Rigby and Helter Skelter).
For the Beatles novice and first time buyers The Beatles Stereo Box Set is a must. It is the most popular Box Set. But, for the true Beatles fan both Box Sets are essential to appreciate the subtle differences in each song.
I don't think people realize just how poor the sound on the old Beatles CDs was. These new remasters reveal new details and allow all of the glory of this music to be heard as it was meant to be heard. I suppose it's like watching a film in HD after you had only see it on an old VHS tape.
The Drums
Perhaps the biggest difference can be heard in the drums. On the old CDs, Ringo's drumming was often buried in the mix and difficult to hear. Now you can really hear the drums so much more clearly and they become more of a part of the songs.
The Bass
Probably my favorite thing about these new remasters is how much more well defined and fuller the bass sounds. This is great, because Paul McCartney's bass parts on most of The Beatles songs were absolutely fantastic. McCartney is the greatest bass player of all time and you can hear his amazing playing more clearly than ever before on these new remastered CDs.
The Vocals
The Beatles had a lot of harmonies in their music and now finally with The Beatles Stereo Box Set you can hear each part of those harmonies clearly. You now know if it's John, Paul or George singing. They sound so good.
Some new things I have heard on the Stereo Remasters:
On 'Please Please Me' (song), you can clearly here John sing the wrong lyric in the final verse and then give a slight chuckle in his delivery of the subsequent "come on".
Everything about 'A Hard Day's Night' (album) sounds so clear and fresh.
The handclaps on 'Eight Days A Week' are fantastic, and Ringo is heard clearly now snapping away at the latches on a suitcase throughout 'Words of Love'.
Rubber Soul just comes alive. On 'Girl' you can hear extra sounds in the background, and the "Ting" in 'Nowhere Man' is now very clear.
On 'Magical Mystery Tour' (song), the bus is extra loud and goes from speaker to speaker.
That crazy 'cowbell' rages throughout 'Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey'.
On 'Blackbird' you can you hear Paul's foot tapping out the steady beat, and just listen to Yoko Ono and Maureen Starkey sing on 'The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill'.
The 'shoot me...' intro and bass on 'Come Together' sound amazing, as does the whole of Abbey Road.
Which to buy?
In my opinion the albums Please Please Me and With The Beatles are best heard in their Mono versions. On the remastered Mono they sound much more fuller, it's as if you are in the Cavern listening to The Beatles playing live!
The rest of the albums generally sound better in Stereo, apart from a few later songs which I actually preferred in Mono, (eg: Eleanor Rigby and Helter Skelter).
For the Beatles novice and first time buyers The Beatles Stereo Box Set is a must. It is the most popular Box Set. But, for the true Beatles fan both Box Sets are essential to appreciate the subtle differences in each song.
