The Beatles - "The Capitol Albums, Volume 1"

[AKA]

I know I've publically vowed many times to never buy the Beatles' "Capitol Albums Vol. 1" box set (a few times on this very forum), but yesterday, after nine months of keeping that very solemn promise, I caved. I know, I'm weak.

I have to say, after about five tracks on the first "album," I turned it off. I couldn't take it. I know set this holds a lot of sentimental value for those who grew up listening to the Beatles this way, but gah! What a sonic mess. It sounds like my speakers are being listened to underwater... by Marlee Matlin.

I think the box set will gather dust on my shelf, before I can find some poor 50-year-old sap who will buy it for "sentimental reasons."

[AKA]

Here are some samples. In all cases, the US version is first, followed by the same portion of the song from an original UK mix.

"She's A Woman" - US vs. UK stereo mixes
Source for UK stereo mix: The CD EP Collection (Apple; 1992)

http://home.comcast.net/~ohnothimagen/saw-compare.mp3

"I Feel Fine" - US vs. UK stereo mixes
Source for UK stereo mix: 1962-1966 CD (Apple; 1993)

http://home.comcast.net/~ohnothimagen/iff-compare.mp3

"She Loves You" - US fake stereo mix vs. UK mono mix
Source for UK mono mix: The CD EP Collection (Apple; 1992)

http://home.comcast.net/~ohnothimagen/sly-compare.mp3

[Steve M.]

Listening to the Beatles's pre-Pepper Capitol albums is like watching Hamlet with Act III, Scene 1 (the scene with Hamlet's "To Be or Not To Be" soliliquy) deleted. The Beatles and Elvis Costello have had their catalogues restored to the U.K. discographies, but we're waiting for the Rolling Stones's pre-Satanic Majesties catalogue to be restored! :mad:

And when will Nick Lowe's Pure Pop For Now People be released here with its original (i.e., real) U.K. title. . . Jesus of Cool? Oh, that's right, never. Thanks, Pat Robertson. :p

[Penny Lane]

I know I've publically vowed many times to never buy the Beatles' "Capitol Albums Vol. 1" box set (a few times on this very forum), but yesterday, after nine months of keeping that very solemn promise, I caved. I know, I'm weak.

I have to say, after about five tracks on the first "album," I turned it off. I couldn't take it. I know set this holds a lot of sentimental value for those who grew up listening to the Beatles this way, but gah! What a sonic mess. It sounds like my speakers are being listened to underwater... by Marlee Matlin.

I think the box set will gather dust on my shelf, before I can find some poor 50-year-old sap who will buy it for "sentimental reasons."

No Brad. All 50 year olds are not saps! :lol:

[AKA]

No Brad. All 50 year olds are not saps! :lol:They are if they prefer to listen to the US Beatles albums/mixes over the original UK ones. ;)

[AKA]

...we're waiting for the Rolling Stones's pre-Satanic Majesties catalogue to be restored! :mad:

Actually, the UK versions of Out Of Our Heads, Aftermath and Between The Buttons are on a store shelf near you, in hybrid CD/SACD format!

Still no UK Rolling Stones or Rolling Stones No. 2 yet, though.

[Penny Lane]

They are if they prefer to listen to the US Beatles albums/mixes over the original UK ones. ;)


I agree! :lol: :wave:

[Steve M.]

Actually, the UK versions of Out Of Our Heads, Aftermath and Between The Buttons are on a store shelf near you, in hybrid CD/SACD format!


Thnks! I'll have to seek them out! :) :wave:

[AKA]

Thnks! I'll have to seek them out! :) :wave:Not a problem, Steve. ABKCO reissued all their pre-Sticky Fingers material in this format in late 2002. It was remastered by Bob Ludwig, who did a great job. Beggars Banquet appears in its correct speed for the first time ever, and Let It Bleed, which was originally intended not to have gaps between the songs, but for one reason or another went to presses with pauses between tracks, is finally presented in its intended seamless form.

Just a warning - the US versions of Out Of Our Heads, Aftermath and Between The Buttons were also a part of this reissue campaign, so make sure you're buying the UK versions.

Here's the official site for the reissues: http://www.abkco.com/rollingstones/

[Steve M.]

Not a problem, Steve. ABKCO reissued all their pre-Sticky Fingers material in this format in late 2002. It was remastered by Bob Ludwig, who did a great job. Beggars Banquet appears in its correct speed for the first time ever, and Let It Bleed, which was originally intended not to have gaps between the songs, but for one reason or another went to presses with pauses between tracks, is finally presented in its intended seamless form.

Just a warning - the US versions of Out Of Our Heads, Aftermath and Between The Buttons were also a part of this reissue campaign, so make sure you're buying the UK versions.

Here's the official site for the reissues: http://www.abkco.com/rollingstones/

Thanks, I'll have to pay close attention to that. I do have Let it Bleed on SACD. I had it on cassette before, and the SACD has all the inner sleeve credits and the cassette (which broke, hence I replaced it) didn't. I never knew, before I got the SACD, that the bass on "Live With Me" was actually played by Keith Richards! :eek: :lol:

(What about Around and Around? I thought that was one of the British Stones LP's, but it's not mentioned in the Stones's autobiography at the end.)

[AKA]

(What about Around and Around? I thought that was one of the British Stones LP's, but it's not mentioned in the Stones's autobiography at the end.)

I've honestly never heard of an album with that title. I know that they do a cover of the Chuck Berry song of the same name, and that it can be found on the U.S. 12x5 album.

I don't think it ever appeared on a British LP.

[AKA]

You weren't hallucinating. There was an Around And Around album, but it was a German compilation released in the '70s. Looks like it was just an oddity lost to time.

Here's what All Music has to say about it:

Issued in Germany in the mid-'70s, this 12-song LP has a lackluster front cover (but the back shows the band on-stage circa 1965 with a police officer trying to pull a girl off of Mick Jagger, so you know it's cool). There are better compilations covering this period in their music, but the song lineup is pretty much excellent; all hard, early rock & roll and blues, mostly drawn from their early singles and EPs.

Tracklist:

Around And Around
Good Times, Bad Times
It's All Over Now
Empty Heart
Confessin' The Blues
Not Fade Away
Bye Bye, Johnny
You Better Move On
I Wanna Be Your Man
2120 South Michigan Avenue
If You Need Me
Poison Ivy

[Steve M.]

Thanks, I knew I wasn't going crazy. Neither was Dave Marsh, who mentioned the album in his Rolling Stones reviews for the second edition of The Rolling Stone Record Guide. He also mentioned the cover. :)

[AKA]

Thanks, I knew I wasn't going crazy. Neither was Dave Marsh, who mentioned the album in his Rolling Stones reviews for the second edition of The Rolling Stone Record Guide. He also mentioned the cover. :)

Bizarre! I'll have to Google that.

[Steve M.]

By the way, here are some Beatles CD reissues I'd like to see, just for the hell of it:

Beatles For Sale - with the yellow Australian cover, depicting individual photos of the Fabs in concert

And Now - The Beatles, a 1964 German release on Odeon

The Beatles In Italy, a 1965 compilation of songs released only as singles in Italy (the cover show s the Beatles holding champagne glasses; John Lennon erroneously referred to this record as a live album)

The Essential Beatles, a 1971 Australian anthology

Twist and Shout and Long Tall Sally Capitol's two Canadian albums (Beginning with Something New, Canadian LP's correpsonded to the U.S. catalog.)

Conzoca Beatles, the first Capitol album in Mexico. (The title means "Meet The Beatles" in Spanish.)

Por Simepre Beatles ("Beatles Forever" in Spanish), a greatest-hits compilation issued in Spain and the first LP anywhere to feature George's "The Inner Light."

[Dean Winchester]

I'm surprised Capitol/Parlophone hasn't thought of doing a definitive 2-disc collection, similar to "Forty Licks" by the Stones. Imagine the sales of the sucker if they merged the 1962-1966 and 1967-1970 albums (I know 67-70 runs over 80 mins but 62-66 runs well under if, the two can meet halfway) and made it one two-disc "The Definitive Collection" type cd. Considering One just surpassed 10 million in sales, I think taking things one step further would also really make a killing though maybe not as much as "One" did.

[AKA]

The last thing the Beatles need right now is more compilations on the market, although a rumored 2 (follow-up to 1) is on the works.

No, the powers that be need to work on remastering the proper UK catalog. Hopefully that will be their next project after the Let It Be DVD comes out.

[AKA]

Hey Steve,

I just got word that ABKCO has discontinued this remastered series as hybrid SACDs. They have, however, been reissued as standalone CDs (same great mastering, just no SACD layer) in jewel cases instead of jewelcases. Just make sure you get the versions that say "DSD mastered." They should also have a 2002 copyright date (or later).

[Steve M.]

Thanks! :wave:

[Dean Winchester]

The last thing the Beatles need right now is more compilations on the market, although a rumored 2 (follow-up to 1) is on the works.

No, the powers that be need to work on remastering the proper UK catalog. Hopefully that will be their next project after the Let It Be DVD comes out.

what if the 2-disc set is all remastered? lol.

With the exceptions of Madonna, Janet Jackson and U2, just about every major hit-making/huge-selling artist from the 60's, 70's and 80's has some comprehensive "The Essential...", "Gold", "The Definitive Collection", "Anthology" type of 2-disc hits collection besides The Beatles. I think one with remastered sound would be a massive blockbuster.

[Vince 887]

The one thing I like about the Beatles' Capitol Albums Vol 1 is that you get stereo mixes of songs for the first time on cd ...On certain songs like I feel fine they applied alittle too much echo.... I hope they finally issue an expanded version of the film Let it Be on DVD and that they issue their catologue on DVD 5.1 mix and throw in some extras like the promotional films they made.

[AKA]

The one thing I like about the Beatles' Capitol Albums Vol 1 is that you get stereo mixes of songs for the first time on cd ...On certain songs like I feel fine they applied alittle too much echo.... I hope they finally issue an expanded version of the film Let it Be on DVD and that they issue their catologue on DVD 5.1 mix and throw in some extras like the promotional films they made.

The Let It Be DVD is the next project. Release date is up in the air.

[musicradio77]

I haven't listen to these three Beatle songs yet where Mono and Stereo combined on your first post. I clicked on one of the links, it doesn't work.:(