Beatles Catalogue Remastered

BottomFeeder
BottomFeeder Posts: 1,684
edited April 2010 in Music & Movies
Well, here are two reviews of the remastered discs and they're stellar. I'll wait for a few more reviews to come out, but I'm gonna land me some of these babies, that's for sure! Can't wait!

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/reviews/2009-09-03-beatles-music-review_N.htm?obref=obinsite

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/reviews/2009-09-08-remastered-beatles-catalog_N.htm

By the way, can anyone explain why the mono version of these discs seems to be the best way to go? I'm an audio novice, so I can't understand why mono could sound better than stereo. Thanks!
"Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then." Bob Seger
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  • pmckeealaska
    pmckeealaska Posts: 808
    edited September 2009
    I bought both box sets online but have to wait till the end of the month to get them...grrrr!

    I think one of the reasons the mono versions are getting some hype is that they were the versions the Beatles heard and were interested in while stereo was just an afterthought at the time. Plus, there are things (subtle to be sure) that can heard on the mono albums that are not on the stereo versions. If you're a Beatles fanatic like myself, then you want both. For most, I would suspect the stereo versions will suffice.
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  • Danny Tse
    Danny Tse Posts: 5,206
    edited September 2009
    So, for once, some good sounding remastered CDs?

    I will complete my Beatles collection with the remastered CDs, then go back and add the remastered CD versions of what I already have.
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  • BottomFeeder
    BottomFeeder Posts: 1,684
    edited April 2010
    Finally scored the stereo set tonight for my birthday. Can hardly wait to cue 'em up tomorrow!
    "Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then." Bob Seger
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  • danger boy
    danger boy Posts: 15,722
    edited April 2010
    congrats Brent on the remastered Beatles catalog.. and Happy Birthday!
    PolkFest 2012, who's going>?
    Vancouver, Canada Sept 30th, 2012 - Madonna concert :cheesygrin:
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  • virtualdean
    virtualdean Posts: 286
    edited April 2010
    BottomFeeder wrote: »
    Well, here are two reviews of the remastered discs and they're stellar. I'll wait for a few more reviews to come out, but I'm gonna land me some of these babies, that's for sure! Can't wait!
    By the way, can anyone explain why the mono version of these discs seems to be the best way to go? I'm an audio novice, so I can't understand why mono could sound better than stereo. Thanks!

    You can keep the mono. If stereo was perfected at the time you can bet they would have used it.

    My question is, Why go through all that work and NOT make an SACD hybrid version out of it??

    I love SACD. I love the choices. I love being able to switch between the CD, the SACD stereo and the SACD multichannel to compare, all on one disc.

    I will wait until they do so before I buy any more Beatles crap. I still haven't forgiven them for breaking up.
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  • Norm Apter
    Norm Apter Posts: 1,036
    edited April 2010
    virtualdean wrote: »
    You can keep the mono. If stereo was perfected at the time you can bet they would have used it.

    My question is, Why go through all that work and NOT make an SACD hybrid version out of it??

    I love SACD. I love the choices. I love being able to switch between the CD, the SACD stereo and the SACD multichannel to compare, all on one disc.

    I will wait until they do so before I buy any more Beatles crap. I still haven't forgiven them for breaking up.

    Your loss...

    Given that there was a 22-year gap between 1987 original issues and the 2009 remasters, I doubt we're going to see any new remasters/new formats any time soon. Shoot, this project took over four years to complete. Which in part explains why they did such a good job and why they sound so good...both the mono and the stereo. If you're a Beatles fan, you are doing yourself a huge disservice by not getting these (take your pick). "Any more Beatles crap? " Well, its not like the Beatles catalog has gone through numerous remasterings in the way that the catalogs of several other bands have. There's the crappy sounding original issues and then there's these (well, technically Love and the Remastered Yellow Submarine (1999) fit in between there, but as far as the regular studio albums it just comes down to these two sets. In short, they took a long time but they did it right.
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  • virtualdean
    virtualdean Posts: 286
    edited April 2010
    Norm Apter wrote: »
    Your loss...

    Given that there was a 22-year gap between 1987 original issues and the 2009 remasters, I doubt we're going to see any new remasters/new formats any time soon. Shoot, this project took over four years to complete. Which in part explains why they did such a good job and why they sound so good...both the mono and the stereo. If you're a Beatles fan, you are doing yourself a huge disservice by not getting these (take your pick). "Any more Beatles crap? " Well, its not like the Beatles catalog has gone through numerous remasterings in the way that the catalogs of several other bands have. There's the crappy sounding original issues and then there's these (well, technically Love and the Remastered Yellow Submarine (1999) fit in between there, but as far as the regular studio albums it just comes down to these two sets. In short, they took a long time but they did it right.

    True, you are correct that I will probably never see it. Perhaps I used the word crap facetiously. We all know the Beatles were great. Were. Now they are ancient history with a huge time gap between then and now during which I listened to ALL their stuff too many times. I'm over them.
    Only an SACD collection would revive my interest.
    I'll give it a listen two or three times at my Brothers house no doubt on his high end system, (he is a Beatles diehard fan) but I doubt I will buy it myself.
    Too many sacd's out there to collect.

    Enjoy.
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  • BottomFeeder
    BottomFeeder Posts: 1,684
    edited April 2010
    I'm having so much FUN listening to these discs! The fact that they're well recorded just makes it sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much better! If you are a fan at all, you gotta pick these up. They run about $280 or so, but I got mine on ebay for $85 & others are too.
    "Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then." Bob Seger
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,461
    edited April 2010
    Congrats man, and enjoy!

    I am still holding my breath and waiting for the VINYL:D
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,461
    edited April 2010
    Keiko wrote: »
    I was at a record store yesterday and they had a preowned MoFi vinyl box set selling for 800.00. Appeared to be well cared for, in very good condition. If I had the dough, I probably would have bought it. I'm pleased with the CD remasters.

    I am definately interested in that. do you know if the store will ship?:)
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  • Norm Apter
    Norm Apter Posts: 1,036
    edited April 2010
    BottomFeeder wrote: »
    They run about $280 or so, but I got mine on ebay for $85 & others are too.

    Don't want to burst your bubble, but tonight I was reading elsewhere (another forum) about the issue of Beatle countefeit boxes esp. on Ebay. Someone was saying that a Mono box going for $159 is most likely counterfeit. Of course the stereo runs a bit cheaper than the Mono box, but at $85 there might be a chance that its not authentic. Seems pretty low....like maybe below- cost low.

    Anyway, I'm not sure if your box has arrived yet, but if it has you might want to see if you can compare it to one that you know is authentic (if thats a concern to you). Anyway, I hope its the real thing but I thought you should know about this trend if you didn't already.
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  • headrott
    headrott Posts: 5,496
    edited April 2010
    Keiko wrote: »
    I was at a record store yesterday and they had a preowned MoFi vinyl box set selling for 800.00. Appeared to be well cared for, in very good condition. If I had the dough, I probably would have bought it. I'm pleased with the CD remasters.

    I have copies of the MFSL records mastered onto CD. IMO they sound better than the current remasters in some ways. There is obviously more noise, and the high end is better on the remasters but the MFSL CDs have much better bass and tonal quality. If you can find these (they are now extremely hard to find) they are worth getting. The people that mastered them did a fantastic job and even a fantastic job making "mini-LP" versions of the MFSL LP covers. Get them if you can find them.

    Greg
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  • reeltrouble1
    reeltrouble1 Posts: 9,312
    edited April 2010
    BottomFeeder wrote: »
    Finally scored the stereo set tonight for my birthday. Can hardly wait to cue 'em up tomorrow!

    cool beans, you will likely be doing a beatles fest for quite sometime, they really are excellent, especially on a hi-fi, for me there later stuff is timeless, some of there early stuff too, heck, Big House (my band) plays Daytripper and the kids love it, beware Maxwell's Silver Hammer and things that go bump.......

    RT1
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