By Anthony Kuzminski
Buy the remasters at this link
Buy the wondrous Box of Vision (with all of the original LP artwork) here
What can be said of the Beatles? Hundreds (if not thousands) of books have been written about them and yet in the end, it all comes back to the music. These four young men changed everything. It may be a bit highfalutin to say they changed the world, but make me an argument they didn’t? Beneath the mysteries, legends and lore’s are thirteen studio albums and an assortment of the greatest singles to ever appear on any AM or FM dials. Somehow, they managed to do this all in less than eight years. By the time the Beatles had broken up in the spring of 1970, all of the members were still in their twenties. Talk about giving one a complex. In the past ten years alone their Beatles 1 disc is the top selling disc of the decade. People lament about the loss of the music industry but I often wonder if artists were allowed to create in the vista that the Beatles were able to if it would be any different. Regardless, with the release of their complete catalog remastered on 9-9-09 the Beatles have come full circle. While others were rushing to get the reviews of these remasters out in record time, I couldn’t do that, I had to listen to every last song on a CD player no less allowing me to revel in the brilliance of the Fab Four. While in my humble opinion these discs are at least a decade overdue, the good news is that the technological advances have allowed them to leap out of your stereo in ways I never imagined possible. The EQ isn’t done to the max for the sake of MP3 players either. These mixes breathe in an open field of sonic wonder I’m not sure I have ever heard. The 2002 Rolling Stones remasters and 2003 Bob Dylan reissues sound impressive, but these Beatles mixes are in an entirely different league all together. It’s like finding a film from the silent era completely restored up to the technological advances of 2009. I keep comparing these remasters to a film restoration, which is exactly what this campaign is all about. There are no remixes, 5.1 mixes or bonus tracks, but ultimately, it allows us to revel in the glory of the original LP’s the way they were always meant to be heard.
The Mono set, which is sold separately, is a breathtaking adventure as well. My biggest complaint is that it isn’t more affordable for the masses. The eleven album box will run you $250 and it’s still missing Yellow Submarine, Abbey Road and Let It Be (which were only recorded in stereo). That being said, through Magical Mystery Tour the Beatles and George Martin labored far more over the mono mixes than the stereo ones. Few people in the 1960’s had stereo systems that would allow the listener to fully revel in the glory of stereo. So which should you buy? It’s a tough call. I would go for the stereo set or individual albums first and grab the mono mixes later unless you grew up with the mono mixes. I for one am really enjoying the stereo separation and nuances being heard on the stereo set, yet I also love bits and pieces heard on the mono album that are not on the stereo mixes. It’s akin to unearthing a new reel for Orson Wells The Magnificent Amberson’s and having to choose the cut you have known for sixty years versus Wells original vision. Ultimately it’s a tossup for you to decide. For those of you lamenting the loss of LP sized artwork, have no fear, there is a solution for that as well. The Beatles Box of Vision (http://store.boxofvision.com) has been built to hold all of the remasters plus a LP sized book containing all of album artwork, collected together for the very first time. It can be bought directly at the Box of Vision website. Since the stereo and mono boxes sold out in record time, many fans have asked me how they would go about buying these remasters. They’re all essential but if you had to buy them one by one, where does one start? What would you buy first and what would go last? Here’s my guide to the 14 CD reissues from least essential to most essential.
14. Yellow Submarine
The ugly step-child of the Beatles discography, Yellow Submarine was a project the Beatles were contractually obligated to do. When their manager Brian Epstein died in the summer of 1967, the Beatles had very little knowledge of their business dealings and one of the items that came to light was that the band was slated to do an animated film that would include new songs. Upon finding out about this the Beatles are rumored to have said “Well, don’t expect the songs to be good”. Ironically, even though only four new songs were created for the animated film, none are complete throwaways. “Only a Northern Song”, “Hey Bulldog”, “It’s All Too Much” and “All Together Now” would have made a great EP and that is largely how I view the YS album, a EP with some instrumental tracks. However, the main reason for me including this disc at number fourteen is because, I still find the Yellow Submarine Songtrack released in 1999 to be far superior. That collection included fifteen Beatles songs from the film which were remixed. Whether you are a purist or not, the remixing was remarkable and if anything offered an alternate view of the tunes whereas this remaster reissues stays true to the 1969 release. While the album isn’t offensive in any way, it pales in comparison to the 1999 Songtrack. The liner notes on this latest reissues include both the UK and US ones from the 1969 LP. Ironically, the UK one is basically an album review of The Beatles aka The White Album which had been released two months earlier. Regardless, the CD packaging is colorful and joyous to look at, but if you could buy everything except one; this would be the one to skip, even if “All Together Now” is as alluring as anything they ever created13. Let It Be
You can hear the clutter that surrounded these sessions and it shows. I completely understand Paul McCartney’s disdain for Phil Spector’s mixes. I feel they added an unnecessary flash to the songs. Like Yellow Submarine, Let It Be was upgraded significantly in 2003 with the release of Let It Be…Naked; a release that was de-Spectorized and is missing the in-between song banter. This is a plus because it allows the songs to stand outside the overdubs. I often chose to listen to most of these songs in their single form or from assorted compilations. Let It Be…Naked allowed me to revel in the glory of these songs in a way I had never experienced. On the new remaster, the sound is pristine and everything sounds great but hearing “Maggie May” and “Dig It” remind me of the bitterness and lack of focus these sessions had. The accompanying booklet is full of many great photos yet it’s not enough to upgrade your copy of LIBN. The sound is great and is a vast upgrade to the previous CD version but I would always recommend the no-nonsense Let It Be…Naked to this mess of the original album.Writer’s Note: From here onward, ranking these records will be challenging. Please remember that I’m comparing the Beatles to the Beatles and even an album as disjointed as Let It Be would still be in the running for the Top-500 albums of all time.
12. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Do I really have the number-one album of all time according to Rolling Stone at the lowly Beatle position of twelve? Yes I do, mostly because anyone who’s a Beatle aficionado knows that despite some staggering songs (“A Day in the Life” & “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds”), Pepper is often regarded as a work as not quite as essential as their other albums. Without the two aforementioned songs, the album doesn’t hold up as strongly as people remember. “Within You, Without You”, “Fixing A Hole” and “When I’m Sixty Four” work within the context of the album but flounder on their own. This is a great record that set the template for concept album, but it has had too much attention thrown at it. That being said, the liner notes are wonderful and the Mono mix (found only on the Mono box set) is beyond trippy. Having never heard it before, it has opened my ears to the record in ways I never imagined.11. Help!
Help! is a far better record than people give it credit for. George Harrison’s “I Need You” is one of the most harmonious lovelorn ballads ever while McCartney’s “I’ve Just Seen A Face” is nimble in its acoustic guitar attack while Lennon’s ballad “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away” features a spine-chilling vocal and to date, Lennon’s most distressing songwriting. The title-track, “Ticket To Ride” and “Yesterday” are amongst the Beatles most recognizable tracks and the harmonious “You’re Going To Lose That Girl” features the band’s lush harmony vocals. The rest of the album cuts aren’t as strong as the second half of A Hard Days’ Night hence why this has a lower placement.10. Magical Mystery Tour
Often maligned by many because of the film’s poor reception, it’s a hidden and overlooked gem in the band’s catalog. The UK release was a double EP while the US version took the EP and made it into an LP with the non-album 1967 singles most notably “Strawberry Fields Forever’, “Penny Lane” and “Hello Goodbye”. Those three songs alone would warrant buying the record, but the film soundtrack also has the revving title-track, “The Fool on the Hill” and “I Am The Walrus”. This was the only time that a US version of a Beatles album surpassed the British release. The Beatles were still experimenting like mad men in a lab during this period and to hear it in one collection is the best legalized head trip possible.9. The Beatles (aka ‘The White Album’)
Here’s where I am going to get into trouble. I have always felt that the band’s self-titled (often renamed The White Album) is vastly overrated. While it’s a peculiar and intriguing double album, I find it hard to listen to in one on-going listen. Because of the lack of songs not found on the band’s major compilations, people tend to overrate this record just because the songs aren’t as familiar. I find it far too sporadic, self-indulgent and heralded by far too many. Is it a trippy mind-f**k? Hell yes. Considering this is the Beatles best selling record (because the RIAA double counts it due to the two discs), so many people already own this. The remaster is great with two separate booklets (one book and one fold out poster with lyrics) and an outer sleeve, the only of the remasters to have this. Yet as cynical as I am about this record, when “Helter Skelter” sent shockwaves through my headphones and I could feel McCartney’s bass pulsate against my ribs, I feel a tad bad about placing the record this low. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a great album, I just happen to like eight other Beatles albums more.8. Past Masters
Past Masters collects the thirty-three songs not found on other Beatles records in one tidy collection. If there is overlap, it’s because of a unique or different mix. Most people don’t view this collection as essential because it’s not as hit laden as Beatles 1 or as sexy as the 1962-1966 and 1967-1970 collections. Despite some filler, specifically two German-sung songs, it does tie up all loose ends including the rather wondrous Long Tall Sally EP which was only released in the UK. Then there are reminders of the intricate pop wonders of “From Me To You”, “She Loves You” and “I Want To Hold Your Hand”. There’s the roller coaster ride of adventure on “Day Tripper” and “Paperback Writer” to their latter day evolution on “Hey Jude”, “Don’t Let Me Down”, “Old Brown Shoe” to the breakneck intensity of “Revolution”, this isn’t a hits compilation and doesn’t flow like one, but the Beatles odds and ends prove to be so much more. Lesser known songs such as “The Inner Light”, “Thank You Girl” and the ever tender “Yes It Is” remind us that the Beatles B-sides were so much more than songs not up to snuff. This collection is essential if for no other reason than to hear “I’ll Get You” and “Rain”; two of the Beatles most extraordinary and dreamy songs that aren’t available anywhere else.7. Please Please Me
“One, two, three, faw!” is how the Beatles long play recorded output began with Paul McCartney chanting off a few numbers. No normal person would have this record this high up in their list, but it’s often ignored. In fact, it’s disregarded more than any other Beatles record. It’s tentative, some of the songs are amateurish and yet considering ten of the songs were recorded in a nine-hour period, one can feel and hear the youthful exuberance they bring to each recording. Even tracks like “P.S. I Love You” has a nostalgic and yearning fluidity to the delivery. Plus, not to mention this record houses “Misery”, “Please Please Me”, “Love Me Do”, “I Saw Her Standing There” and the my-voice-is-shot “Twist & Shout”. The album is full of youthful exuberance and is more essential than anyone realizes. The new remaster is exceptional revealing layers to these songs never heard before. Considering the stereo version has never properly been available on CD, this is a must-buy.6. With the Beatles
I normally would rank their second record higher, but I amazingly found the mono mix to be warmer and less jarring. Everyone always talks about the Beatles latter day records, but most don’t realize the momentum and the importance of this record. In America it was released in a different manner with “I Want To Hold Your Hand” as Meet the Beatles but I still prefer the UK version. Full of originals evoking sweet sentiments (“All My Loving”), raging hormones (“It Won’t Be Long”) and some choice covers (“Till There Was You”, “Please Mr. Postman” & “Money”) this record is every bit as important as their latter days records that many tend to over empathize. This was a band coming into their own and the difference between Please Please Me and this record is that Beatlemania had begun and what we hear over these fourteen songs is a band aware of their success, but this isn’t enough, they want more. They want to be more than superstars, but an ever evolving group of musicians. If the mono release of this version was available separately, this would be in the top-three.5. Beatles For Sale
The Beatles made better records than this one, but the remastered stereo sound on Beatles For Sale is a revelation and is largely why this one ranks so high. Often deemed a rushed album for the holiday season in 1964, it’s largely overshadowed by the soundtracks that came before and after it (A Hard Day’s Night & Help!), but this LP is full of so many chestnuts, that’s it is an undeniable record. The way the performance of “No Reply” builds until Lennon unleashes an anguished vocal to Lennon’s profound confessional “I’m A Loser” to McCartney’s infectious “I’ll Follow The Sun”, the album has a charming and earnest quality to it. It’s also one of the last records where I felt the harmony vocals by John and Paul would be at the forefront of every song. Starting with Help! the songs found the vocals to truly be solo numbers, standing more on their own versus the quixotic charm of Lennon and McCartney’s harmonies found on the first four releases. Never again would their music be as romantic and innocent as it is on Beatles For Sale. Many don’t give the album the credit it deserves because of the large amount of covers, but listening to Lennon’s “Rock N’ Roll Music” is as provocative as Berry’s original, as is “Words of Love”, originally done by Buddy Holly. If this wasn’t enough, the album houses “Baby’s In Black” and possibly the greatest love song the band ever wrote and recorded- “Every Little Thing”. Paul McCartney’s bass are an integral part of the mix, something missing on previous releases. One can hear the varied instrumentation of the band as they were the biggest band in the world. What is often deemed a throwaway record is anything but and this new remaster proves it.4. A Hard Day’s Night
The first four Beatles albums in released on CD in 1987 were done in mono and have never been heard in stereo before. The first two releases lack the punch I felt the stereo upgrade would have, but on their third record, A Hard Day’s Night the Beatles were recording for a motion picture an d here the stereo mix feels more appropriate than the mono one. While this is a semi-inconsistent record, it houses a few of their greatest songs. The title-track and “Can’t Be Me Love” are the obvious hits, but it’s the films other tracks that jump out at you. The non-film songs include McCartney’s “Things We Said Today”, a sobering track led by a sprightly acoustic guitar, one of their great lost gems. “You Can’t Do That” features some radiant Rickenbacker duels while “Anytime At All” heatedly kicks off side-two in a stampede manner. Then there are the tracks from the film which are often overlooked in favor of the two aforementioned number-one hits. There’s a pair of pleading love letters from Lennon and McCartney (“If I Fell” & “And I Love Her”), both featuring some of the most tender acoustic guitar found on any recording. Then there’s “I Should Have Known Better”; the greatest non-hit of the Beatles catalog. The way John Lennon croons this one, you feel like you know him. Music has a non-explanatory effect on people, where it provides a sense of euphoria that’s inexplicable. It speaks to your inner child and twists and turns your insides until your face muscles erect a smile. One writer recently said that this was where we knew there was more to the Beatles than the screams and pandemonium. These were artists and this was a prime example of what an artist John Lennon would become…and the Beatles as well. The way the harmonica leaps out of your speakers/headphones is musical crack and the primary reason this remaster ranks as high as it does. You haven’t experienced the Beatles until you have heard this song in remastered form.3. Abbey Road
What can you say about Abbey Road the Beatles swan song recording (although Let It Be was released later, Abbey was recorded last), Abbey Road is one of the most perfect records ever recorded, plain and simple. Most people tend to agree with this assertion as demonstrated by the early sales of the remasters, which found AB outselling all the other albums. It houses a stunning opening declaration by Lennon (“Come Together”), arguably the best Ringo self-penned Beatles song (“Octopus’s Garden”), two masterstrokes by George Harrison (“Something” & “Here Comes the Sun”) and the ending medley of tunes by Paul McCartney (“Golden Slumbers/”Carry That Weight”/”The End”). The sound on this album is downright righteous, there is no other way to express it. The vibrancy of Harrison’s acoustic on “Here Comes the Sun” radiates while “Polythene Pam” is burgeoning with surreal power on the side-two medley and then there’s Ringo’s drum solo during “The End”. If you still have a stereo system (even if you don’t), find a spot where you can be alone, set the CD to the 19-second mark and prepare to be dazzled, illuminated, awestruck and flabbergasted for about twenty seconds. The sound is so dynamic and vigorous, it feels as if you’re inside Ringo’s bass drum with a series of firecrackers assailing your ears; one of the greatest albums ever without question.2. Rubber Soul
What can anyone say about Rubber Soul? It’s a flawless masterpiece still capturing the innocence of the band as they begun to take immense strides towards maturity. Meeting Bob Dylan encouraged them to write in a more profound manner. “Nowhere Man” and “In My Life” stand are highpoints in Lennon’s career. Looking inward, he was doing more than connecting at this stage in his career, but truly exposing his life to the listened. The album also has a profound sense of adventure demonstrated by “Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)”, with George Harrison’s signature sitar. “I’m Looking Through You” has a folk feel with a smile inducing chorus while Paul McCartney’s slow and sweet “Girl”. What makes this period of the Beatles so entrancing is that their sense of melody is still with them and yet with each brush stroke, they were pushing the envelope in ways no one deemed possible. Nearly forty-five years after it was first released, Rubber Soul sounds as fresh and novel as the day it was released. This new remaster brightens the acoustic guitar (out in full force on this record). Considering what a classic this album is, the new sound makes you feel as if you are hearing the record for the first time.1. Revolver
Revolver is simply the greatest collection of songs ever assembled and put on a piece of vinyl, tape or compact disc. The growth shown on Rubber Soul was taken to a level no one knew was possible on Revolver. This is what made the Beatles such a staggering group, they continually defied expectations with every record. While Pepper may be a more adventurous work, Revolver is far more unswerving. It kicks off with George Harrison’s first fully realized masterpiece (“Taxman”), it has Ringo’s best song (“Yellow Submarine”), a pair of breathtaking declarations of love from McCartney (“Here, There And Everywhere” & “Got To Get You Into My Life”) and John Lennon’s continual revelations of the psyche (“I’m Only Sleeping”). On Revolver the band found the perfect balance of top tier songwriting and experimentation. Here the envelope was pushed primarily for the sake of the song. “Tomorrow Never Knows” wouldn’t be the same if it was merely done on an acoustic guitar, yet it doesn’t feel like they over stepped their boundaries. The string section of “Eleanor Rigby” was revolutionary at the time, as the band is largely absent replaced by a string section. The way the double string quartet leaps out of the speakers makes you wish every album remastered had a sound this incendiary. Revolver has never sounded better, the piano on “For No One” glistens, the psychedelic of Harrison’s sitar is dreamlike on “Love You To” and the way Ringo’s drums showcase a depth never heard before while showcasing Starr’s rhythm talents on “She Said She Said”. People like joking about Ringo, but one listen to “She Said She Said” and you won’t be laughing, because I don’t know anyone who could even try to mimic this drum track. If you can only afford one remaster or one Beatles album, look no further than Revolver, without question the best rock n’ roll record ever created.Anthony Kuzminski is a Chicago based writer and Special Features Editor for the antiMusic Network and his daily writings can be read at The Screen Door and can be contacted at thescreendoor AT gmail DOT com.
