The Beatles - "The Capitol Albums, Volume 1" - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

AKA · 08-20-2005, 11:32 AM

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 · 08-20-2005, 02:35 PM

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. · 08-20-2005, 03:26 PM

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!

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.

Penny Lane · 08-20-2005, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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."

No Brad. All 50 year olds are not saps!

AKA · 08-20-2005, 04:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Penny Lane

No Brad. All 50 year olds are not saps!

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

AKA · 08-20-2005, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve M.

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

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 · 08-20-2005, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKA

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

I agree!

Steve M. · 08-20-2005, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKA

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!

AKA · 08-20-2005, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve M.

Thnks! I'll have to seek them out!

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. · 08-20-2005, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AKA

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!

(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 · 08-20-2005, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve M.

(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 · 08-20-2005, 10:13 PM

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:

Quote:

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. · 08-20-2005, 10:15 PM

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 · 08-21-2005, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

Bizarre! I'll have to Google that.

Steve M. · 08-21-2005, 03:37 PM

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."

08-20-2005, 11:32 AM	#1
AKA Member Forum Star Join Date: Dec 17, 2001 Posts: 15,746	The Beatles - "The Capitol Albums, Volume 1" 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."

08-20-2005, 03:26 PM	#3
Steve M. Back on the road to reality Forum Superstar Join Date: Nov 07, 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 33,307	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! 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.
	__________________ I don't really get out a lot. When I do go out, I couldn't be happier. I love being in a nice milieu. I'm as happy as a clam. Just as long as I'm not in some club playing hip-hop. You hear that sort of thing in a lot of places. That's not my milieu. Rock and roll is good-time music. I love rock. So did my parents.

08-20-2005, 02:35 PM	#2
AKA Member Forum Star Join Date: Dec 17, 2001 Posts: 15,746	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

08-20-2005, 10:15 PM	#13
Steve M. Back on the road to reality Forum Superstar Join Date: Nov 07, 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 33,307	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.

08-21-2005, 03:37 PM	#15
Steve M. Back on the road to reality Forum Superstar Join Date: Nov 07, 2003 Location: New Jersey Posts: 33,307	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."