Beatles Capitol Box (OT, yes it is)
Date: December 26, 2004 18:39
bought it for myself for xmas, for a couple reasons: the extant Beatles (UK) cds, which are even more than the Stones' UK versions (which sometimes came out AFTER US counterparts, & the RS frequently recorded in the US)are the 'official' artist-sequenced versions, but have not been upgraded since 1987, & I wanted improved sound & both stereo/mono mixes; second, I grew up w/the US albums & wanted to have them again. Good news: the sound is WAY better than the '87 cds. Bad: the cheap cardboard cover repros are no more faithfull than the Abkco RS jacket-repros (back covers altered, or 'adapted' - new font for songs, no timings, composer credits etc as on origs)& the 48 page book contains only a brief intro by Mark Lewisham, so neither the 'uk' cds nor the new US Capitol cds contain any annotation about recording/release dates, who plays what, or if this version/mix differs from the uk counterpart. I've never been a Beatles fan the way some are (or I am w/ the RS) but I do have all the records on cd &/or vinyl thru the Anthologies. I never bought any books ($$$). Odd how neither Beatles or Stones get the sort of quality cover-repros & booklet annotation given (say) Byrds (Legacy/Sony), Beach Boys (same label as the fab 4), Hendrix, Free, Cream (the DCC cds), or many others on Legacy or Sundazed or Rhino Traditions. And I recall the exquisite audio & graphic resolution on Sony's 1997 Japanese Miles Davis cardboard cover cds - on these Beatles covers what 'fine print' that remains (i.e. "File Under: Beatles, Pop Groups") is a grey smudge. Anyway, "remastered from the original american masters" - what does that mean (I havent heard any fake stereo, but only checked a few cuts on "Meet...") - I assumed the Capitol tracks were from the same masters as the UK ones, just resequenced (& for a time given 'reprocessed stereo' treatment) for the US.
John R
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2004-12-26 19:59 by john r.