When George Harrison, the youngest Beatle, passed away November 30th, 2001 at age 58, Allan Kozinn’s front page New York Times obituary referred to him as “the quiet Beatle”, which during the group’s touring years, is what the self-effacing youngest member of group was often called.
Before I get further into this follow-up review, a short disclaimer: other than the US Apple/Capitol singles of “We Can Work It Out”/“Day Tripper” and “Hey Jude”/“Revolution” (which, as expected, sound lousy), I don’t have any Beatles 7” singles other than this new The Singles Collection box. All my Beatles listening is on LP (the 2014 mono series, the Giles Martin remix LPs, and a few mono and stereo UK and European pressings) and the occasional lossless digital format, therefore from these recordings I’m used to great sound quality. My expectations for The Singles Collection (generously gifted to me by AnalogPlanet editor Michael Fremer) were likely different from most others’: sure, I expected the all-analog lacquer cuts to sound good, but sound quality on 7” singles isn’t the first thing I think about. With the 7” format, it’s primarily about the musical content, collectibility, packaging (when applicable), and finally, sound quality.
Ever since the publication of The Beatles, The Singles Collection box set review, it's been gnawing at me. I went into this hoping and expecting the new set to better or at least equal the older set but that clearly was not the case. However, it's also true that had I not had the World box with which to compare the new box, I'd probably not have been so negative. Nonetheless, the second and more complete listen confirmed the initial conclusion that the new box sonically disappoints.
I have been assured by co-producer Guy Hayden that this 45rpm box was cut directly from TAPE and that whatever transfers were done (hence the credit) was done as they were for the AAA mono album box, to use as a reference before actual cutting in order to preserve the tapes.
The Beatles The Singles Collection arrived the other day and it was opened with great anticipation and the embedded YouTube video was quickly produced in a single take before listening to a note. As you'll see when you watch, the packaging is "top shelf" and imaginative and Kevin Howlett's booklet notes are illuminating and useful. Using original artwork from around the world was a nice touch that every Beatles fan with appreciate!
2012 wasn’t all that long ago and culturally not that much has changed, yet from that year to the September 27th release this year of the 50th anniversary edition of Abbey Road is how long The Beatles made records.
Malachi Lui: First and foremost, let’s note that while this is a review of Quality Record Pressings’ version of the Beatles “White Album” 2018 stereo mix, it’s really more of an excuse for me to humiliate Michael in the best ways as much as possible (laughs).
(For those who don't know, QRP pressed the 2 LP set worldwide. Optimal in Germany, pressed the 4 LP box set worldwide, containing the original 2 LP set plus the 2 LP Escher demos).
Michael Fremer: Always up for that! It’s a way of life.
ML: If you weren’t up for it, then I’d force you to be!
Here's a video in which AnalogPlanet editor Michael Fremer "unboxes" the 4 LP and and Deluxe 6 CD+Blu-ray boxes containing Giles Martin's The Beatles remixes, the Esher Demos and in the case of the Deluxe set, a great deal more!
If you want to quickly know if you’re going to like Giles Martin’s The Beatles remixes start with “Long, Long, Long”. If you don’t like that one, you’re probably not going to like the rest, but for me, that remix in particular is far superior to the one on the two original “Top Loader” U.K. pressings I have: more transparent and more spacious, with a holographic George front, center and three-dimensional as he’s not presented on the original.
November 9, November 9, November 9: On November 9, Apple Corps/UMe will release multiple deluxe editions of The Beatles, the seminal self-titled double album affectionately known, due to its stark packaging, as “The White Album.”
It all started as a misheard request for a condiment, Paul McCartney recollects in one of the introductions to the box's sumptuously produced book. During a flight back from America, the band's roadie Mal Evans asked Paul to "pass the salt and pepper", which he misheard as "Sergeant Pepper".
As the 50th anniversary approached of the 1967 release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Apple Corps and its president Jeff Jones set about deciding how best to mark the occasion (or not).
Today at The World of McIntosh Townhouse Producer Giles Martin Introduced his new "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Band" 50th anniversary stereo mix. Apple Corp and UMe introduce the new 50th anniversary box.
Yes, this is slightly off topic, but at AXPONA 2016 Prudence Farrow Bruns, who inspired John Lennon to write "Dear Prudence" signed copies of her book "Dear Prudence The Story Behind the Song" and I thought you'd enjoy watching our "The Marketplace" encounter.