CD: Beatles, The - The Beatles (The White Album) [2009 Stereo Remaster] The Beatles (White Album) (2009 Stereo Remaster) - Disc 1 of 2 The Beatles (White Album) (2009 Mono Remaster) - Disc 1 of 2 The Beatles (White Album) (30th Anniversary) - Disc 1 of 2 The Beatles (White Album) - Disc 1 of 2 © 2009 Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/EMI Records Ltd. © 1987 Capitol Records, Inc. © 1998 Apple Corps Ltd. Originally Released November 22, 1968 CD Edition Released either August 24, 1987 or September 21, 1987 30th Anniversary Limited CD Edition Released November 24, 1998 Remastered CD Edition Released September 9, 2009 AMG EXPERT REVIEW: (Box Sets) The Beatles always stood apart from their peers, a self-evident statement that sadly extended to the treatment of their catalog in the digital age. Where all their peers from the Byrds to the Who have had their catalogs remastered and reissued in deluxe editions, sometimes several times, the Beatles remained stuck in the early days of digital, their 14 albums plus Past Masters singles collection remaining untouched since 1987. Anniversaries came and went, but no remasters arrived until the release of the video game The Beatles Rockband pushed a long-overdue revamping of the band's entire catalog into the stores on 9-9-09. This reissue campaign corrects almost all the problems of the original 1987 CDs: the sound and artwork are improved, and all the original mono and stereo mixes finally see the light of day. Naturally, it's possible to quibble about some details of the presentation, particularly the decision to split the reissue into two separate box sets, one covering the stereo mixes and one the mono mixes, with only the stereo mixes available as individual discs (it's still possible to complain that the albums do not add era-specific singles or outtakes, but such expansions were never really in the cards), but both boxes still constitute the best Beatles by far. Crucially, it's also inarguably the best-sounding Beatles music ever released, robust and rich even on the earliest rock & roll. None of the albums have been remixed -- although Help! and Rubber Soul retain Martin's 1987 mixes, the original stereo mixes are bonuses on the mono set -- so this doesn't shock the way the Yellow Submarine soundtrack did with its reimagined stereo mixes. Nevertheless, these remasters surely do surprise with their clarity and depth, with each album feeling bigger and fuller than the previous CD incarnation, but not artificially so. It's not that these are pumped up on digital steroids; it's that the veil has been lifted, so everything seems full and fresh. Appropriately, there's more to savor from Help! onward, as the Beatles' productions grew ambitious, but Please Please Me, With the Beatles, and A Hard Day's Night all have a strong punch, while Beatles for Sale is warmer than the previous disc. (Stereo Box Set) As a package, the stereo box is slightly unwieldy -- it's a large, vertical set with two stacks of discs in slick cardboard sleeves piled on top of each other. No extra book is included with the set, but each disc has its own booklet with dry, straightforward liner notes detailing the recording process instead of analyzing the music. If anything about the set could be called disappointing, it's the mini- documentaries attached to each disc as Quicktime files and collected on a DVD bonus for the box. "Mini-documentary" may even be stretching what these are: they're three to five infomercials about the albums, not much more informative than the notes themselves. Nevertheless, these do offer annotation, something sorely lacking from the first CDs, and they do replicate the original notes -- in the case of Magical Mystery Tour, including the entire storybook; in the case of Pepper, all the 20th anniversary annotation is added -- finally bringing the Beatles to the same standard for reissues that every other major (and most minor) bands have had for years now. And the story, at least for the stereo box, is not the packaging -- it's the glorious sound that makes this such a treat. There's also no question that those who waited 22 years to hear a better version of the Beatles will not be disappointed (although they may still wonder why it took so long for the Fabs to be treated as they deserve). (Mono Box Set) The stereo set may be the official canon, but what Beatlemaniacs have really craved is the mono box. This limited-edition box is laden with new-to-CD mixes, including the genuine rarities of the previously unreleased mono mixes of the four new songs from Yellow Submarine, and its packaging is gorgeous, filled with mini-LP replicas with stiff cardboard sleeves of every album from Please Please Me to The Beatles, complete with replicated gatefolds and packaging inserts, all protected in resealable plastic sleeves. As pure physical product, this satisfies any collector itch, but this also is arguably the better-sounding of the two sets, providing ample evidence that the Beatles did spend more time on mono mixes during much of their career. For generations of listeners raised on stereo mixes, there are plenty of surprises here, from the faster versions of "She's Leaving Home" and "Don't Pass Me By" to the numerous little differences that pop up on Pepper, The White Album, and Revolver, all adding up to dramatically different experiences. Sometimes, the density of mono just has more force -- "Lady Madonna" rolls like a freight train, "I'm Down" hits to the gut -- and sometimes the colors just seem more vibrant; in either case, there's enough emotional difference to make this worthwhile for the dedicated, and depending on taste, it may even be preferable. But there's no question of one thing: of the two sets, as a package, the mono box is a thing to behold. And there's also no question that those who waited 22 years to hear a better version of the Beatles will not be disappointed (although they may still wonder why it took so long for the Fabs to be treated as they deserve). -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine AMG EXPERT REVIEW: By the time the Beatles reconvened to record the followup to Sgt. Pepper, they had already begun to splinter, with each member doggedly pursuing a musical vision that didn't necessarily jibe with the others'. It also didn't jibe with what the group achieved on their groundbreaking 1967 album, either. If the Beatles were consciously trying to distance themselves from the layered, whimsical sound of Sgt. Pepper, they couldn't have done better than The Beatles, also known as the White Album due to its plain white cover. Although it's blessed with the same studio trickery and segued sequencing, none of the songs replicate the sophisticated pop synthesis of that record - - in fact, very few of the songs on the long, sprawling double album sound as if they're full-fledged band efforts. Each song is an entity onto itself, each song tries a different style. There is no internal logic, as there was on Sgt. Pepper -- the White Album simply sprawls forth, touching on anything that it can imagine. For some, particularly fans of the seamless Pepper, this makes for a frustratingly scattershot record, but for other listeners, the White Album is a singularly gripping musical experience. There certainly is filler littered throughout the record, but all the filler has a purpose, contributing to the overall feel of the album. Furthermore, the filler isn't so much filler as it is disconnected ideas, all executed brilliantly and elaborately. No idea, not even the minute- long dissonant rant "Wild Honey Pie" or the simple vamp "Why Don't We Do It In the Road," tis simply thrown away -- it's milked of all of its possibilities. Perhaps this is because each member was so possessive of their own musical ideas that they wanted to devote all their energies to their own track -- it's certainly the reason why the record became a double album, simply because no one had the desire to sort through the material to craft a single record. Then again, the White Album needs to spread out, it needs to have its loose ends and detours, because what is interesting about the album is its sprawl. Never before had a rock record been so self-reflective or ironic about rock -- unlike Zappa, who wore his satire on his sleeve, the Beatles deliver the Beach Boys send-up "Back in the USSR" and the British blooze parody "Yer Blues" straight-faced, so it's never clear if these are affectionate tributes or the wicked satires they are. Also, it's inherently fascinating to hear McCartney develop the charming domesticated tunesmithery ("I Will," "Blackbird," "Mother Nature's Son") that would later distinguish his solo work while Lennon rocks ("Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and Monkey") and rants ("Revolution 1," "Happiness is a Warm Gun," "I'm So Tired") into his own solo style. That's hardly the extent of their contributions, however. Lennon also turns in two of his best ballads with "Dear Prudence" and "Julia," tscours the Abbey Road vaults to create the musique concrete collage "Revolution 9," tpours on the schmaltz for Ringo's closing number "Good Night," tcelebrates the Beatles cult with "Glass Onion" and, with "Cry Baby Cry," trivals Syd Barrett for British childhood psychedelia. McCartney doesn't reach quite as far with his efforts, simply because he values songcraft too much, but his songs are continually stunning, from the music hall romp "Honey Pie" to the mock country of "Rocky Raccoon," tfrom the ska-inflected "Ob-La- Di, Ob-La-Da" to the proto-metal roar of "Helter Skelter." Clearly, the two main songwriting forces of the Beatles were no longer on the same page, but neither were George and Ringo. Lennon & McCartney stuck to the traditional allotment of two Harrison songs per LP, but it's clear from "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," the canned soul of "Savoy Truffle," the haunting "Long Long Long" and even the silly "Piggies" that he had developed into a songwriter that deserved wider exposure. And Ringo, who was allowed to record his first original song ever, turns in a delight with the lumbering, country-carnival stomp "Don't Pass Me By." All of it's impressive on it's own terms, none of it was quite meant to share album space together, but somehow The Beatles (a singularly ironic title, considering the fractured state of the band), creates its own style and sound through its mess. And, in its own way, it was nearly as influential as Sgt. Pepper, since scores of post-punk bands picked up on various threads running throughout the record, and many of the great albums in rock history -- Exile on Main Street, London Calling -- approximated the same great sprawl that makes The Beatles so unique. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine Amazon.com essential recording Better known as the "White Album," this remastered version of the Beatles' 1968 classic was meant to be the record that brought them back to earth after three years of studio experimentation. Instead, it took them all over the place, continuing to burst the envelope of pop music. Lennon and McCartney were still at the height of their powers, with Lennon in particular growing into one of rock's towering figures. But even Paul could still rock, and the amazing thing about "Helter Skelter" was that he had vocal cords at the end. From Beach Boys knockoffs to reggae to the unknown ("Revolution #9"), this has it all. Some records have legend written all over them; this is one. --Chris Nickson Amazon.com Product Description 30th Anniversary Limited Edition features deluxe packaging faithful to the original vinyl release and digitally remastered sound. Half.com Details Producer: George Martin Contributing artists: Eric Clapton, George Martin, Yoko Ono Album Notes Each copy of this limited edition is sequentially numbered. The packaging recreates the original double-gatefold sleeve and includes the original poster as well as the individual photos of each band member. The Beatles: George Harrison (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, violin, organ, bass, tambourine, firebell); John Lennon (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, harmonica, saxophone, piano, organ, harmonium, bass, 6-string bass, maracas, tambourine, tape loops); Paul McCartney (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, flute, flugelhorn, piano, Hammond organ, bass, drums, bongos, timpani, percussion); Ringo Starr (vocals, piano, drums, bongos, maracas, castanets, tambourine). Additional personnel includes: Yoko Ono (vocals); Eric Clapton (electric guitar); Mal Evans (trumpet, tambourine); George Martin (piano, harmonium); Chris Thomas (harpsichord, Mellotron); Maureen Starkey, Patti Harrison (background vocals). Recorded at Abbey Road Studios and Trident Studios, London, England between May and October 1968. This reissue of THE WHITE ALBUM has been digitally re-mastered. It comes packaged with replicated original U.K. album art, an expanded booklet containing original and newly written liner notes, and rare photos. Limited quantities of the CD are embedded with a brief documentary film about the album. Audio Remasterers: Sam Okell; Sean Magee; Steve Rooke; Guy Massey; Paul Hicks. Liner Note Authors: Mike Heatley; Kevin Howlett. THE BEATLES (generally known as "The White Album" because of its cover) was a sprawling two-record set, highlighting the distinct personalities in the group as they matured and moved further away from each other. With the four Beatles playing like session men on each other's songs, the making of the album was fraught with tension. John Lennon's songs included a bitter take on people who read too much into the Beatles' lyrics ("Glass Onion"), reflections on loneliness and alienation ("Yer Blues," "I'm So Tired"), and the avant garde sound collage "Revolution 9." George Harrison's songs offered black humor ("Piggies") and tender sadness ("While My Guitar Gently Weeps," with Eric Clapton on guitar). Paul McCartney provided both light, lyric songs ("Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," "Honey Pie"), and rockers ("Back In The U.S.S.R.," the explosive "Helter Skelter"). Ringo Starr made his solo songwriting debut with the goofy country/ska lilt of "Don't Pass Me By" and sang the album closer "Good Night." Industry Reviews Ranked #8 in NME's list of the 'Greatest Albums Of All Time.' NME (10/02/1993) Included in Vibe's 100 Essential Albums of the 20th Century Vibe (12/01/1999) Ranked #7 in Q's 100 Greatest British Albums - ...[Out of] boundless enthusiasm and creeping paranoia - comes [their] most peculiar record.. ..Childish, colorful, antiquated and faintly macabre... Q (06/01/2000) Ranked #10 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time - ...THE WHITE ALBUM is an exhilarating sprawl - some of the Beatles' most daring and delicate work... Rolling Stone (12/11/2003) AMAZON.COM CUSTOMER REVIEW (Mono Box Set) A Cheapskate's (Relatively) Guide To The Mono and Stereo Re-Issues, 09. 10.2009 By James N. Perlman Introduction: The following is pretty much a full review of both the mono and stereo reissues largely written in real time as a series of e- mails to an old friend who once owned a legendary record store here in Chicago. The story of the reissues really comes down to the technical limitations of two-track, four-track, eight-track, etc. recordings and the relative complexity of the music of the Beatles. Listening occurred on what would be considered an audiophile system with Quad 988's as the speakers. Please Please Me: The sound on the mono is just amazing. You can hear the echo in the room as John sings Anna. The vocals just soar. Ringo was just so good, even at this early stage and so was Paul. They supported and framed the songs so perfectly. And just think, in twenty- one minutes, or so, Twist And Shout! Stereo can't hold a candle to this, if for no other reason than the left/right "stereo" found later in With The Beatles, Rubber Soul and Revolver. With The Beatles: As with Please Please Me, the mono sounds so, so, nice. As the stereo has that annoying left/right "stereo," no contest: mono hands down. A Hard Day's Night: Seems better and more enjoyable in stereo. I think the reason is that they now had four tracks so George Martin could do proper stereo mixes and still have a mostly fresh first generationish sound. Remember, there were only two track available for Please Please Me. However, when they got to Rubber Soul and Revolver, four tracks weren't enough, which required, in some instances, numerous dubs of the four tracks to another four track tape, merging the four tracks to one track, thereby opening up three new tracks. While this degraded the sound somewhat it also made it difficult to back-track and do the after-thought stereo mixes, which is why we have the atrocious "stereo" of Rubber Soul and Revolver. Consequently, the reason the monos of these albums rule has mostly to do with technical limitations. While the mixes on A Hard Day's Night are true stereo mixes, they carry George Martin's idiosyncratic, but really right, decision to put the vocals in the center, the rhythm section to the left and the other instruments to the right. I always have loved how Martin took care to isolate the brilliant work of Ringo and Paul so many times instead of just following the convention of placing the drums in the center. This is why one of Martin's memoirs is entitled: "All You Need Is Ears." The Beatles For Sale: Comments, preference and reasons for preference similar to A Hard Day's Night. Help: Well, thank God we have three different versions to compare to make life ever so easy. First, mono is the definitive mix, that's a plus. As a minus, while it sounds richer, it is also a bit muddy compared to the stereo mixes. As for the stereo mixes, the remaster of George Martin's '87 remix does show some limiting in this new incarnation. A bit a hard to dial in the right volume. Sounds fuller, but that's the limiting. Not sure I care for this version too much. As for the '65 stereo version, that comes on the same disc as the mono version, as this album is somewhat acoustic, the absence of the limiting that was done to the new stereo remix/remaster is a plus. The delicacy is there in I Need You. Overall, the "old" stereo is prettier than the "new" stereo. One can argue over whether the "new" stereo or the ""old" stereo is better, I come down on the side of the "old" stereo, I like pretty. But as you get both the mono and the "old" stereo on the single mono disc, the cheapskate in me screams if you had a pistol to your head and only had to purchase one version of Help, it would be the "mono" disc. Rubber Soul: Mono over stereo, if for no other reason than the left/rt channel mix that plagued Please, Please Me, With The Beatles and Revlover. Revolver: There is a section of Run For You Life where Ringo is just so muscular and explosive in the mono that is missing in stereo and this is before we get to the issue of the left/right "stereo" of the stereo mix. Plus, there is just this overall richness of sound to the mono that is missing in the stereo. That said, it is a bit cooler to hear Tomorrow Never Knows in stereo. But, overall, mono. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: The things you have heard are correct about the mono mix, the clarity and control over the notes, instruments and vocals is all there. Overall, it just sounds better, fuller and richer than the stereo, plus it is what the boys intended. Oddly, the thing that was most breathtaking was She's Leaving Home; just a full, gorgeous, sound. In stereo, it just sounds relatively wrong; thin compared to the mono. That said, because Day In The Life is such a mind-f the stereo is the definitive version of this song. Magical Mystery Tour: While Pepper's sounded better in Mono, MMT sounds better in stereo. The Beatles (The White Album): Both versions have their merits, you need both. If you can only go for one, it's the stereo. Abbey Road: The defining moment of these reissues, and why it took four years, may be found on AR's I Want You (She's So Heavy). Because they couldn't take the tape hiss out without compromising the sound, they didn't. But when it came to John's final "she's so heavy" which was over saturated and clipped previously, they were able to take the clipping out, and for the first time, you can hear all of John's vocal. Second side now, Here Comes the Sun and now Because. Wonderful sound throughout. Can't wait for Ringo at the end. Let It Be: It is what it is. I prefer the Naked in vinyl. Mono Past Masters: Right now, listening to the The Inner Light, which I hate, but it sounds so, so, so good in mono that I may actually like it. And, look out, Paul's bass piano notes in Hey Jude are right there as is Ringo's tambourine. Can't wait for Revolution plus the mono songs from Yellow Submarine. The mono Past Masters would have been perfection if they had added a stereo Let It Be and The Ballad Of John and Yoko. After all, the "stereo" Past Masters is actually a mixture of stereo and mono. So kids, here's where we end. Your core, oddly enough, should be the mono box set. Augment this with the stereo Hard Day's Night, The Beatles For Sale, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Magical Mystery Tour, The Beatles, Abbey Road, Let It Be and stereo Past Masters. Addendum: As I live in Chicago, and have access to one of the country's remaining great stereo stores, that also boast three incredibly knowledgeable owners and an original Sgt. Peppers British Stereo pressing, following posting this review I went over there to compare the original vinyl with the two new CD reissues. We listened to the reference system, Naim Audio electronic and Quad speakers. There was total agreement on what we heard. First, Pepper's mono CD had better tonal balance than Peppers stereo CD. Pepper's stereo CD had better coloration than the mono, but this was defeated by the harshness of the sound (more on harshness shortly). Thus, overall, between the two CD's we preferred the mono CD. All that said, the stereo original British vinyl pressing crushed both. It had both tonal correctness and coloration. Now as to the harshness issue, please be mindful that I have listened to these discs on two audiophile systems. Something like harshness is likely to be more prevalent the higher up you get in the stereo food chain. Thus, someone who doesn't have an audiophile system may not experience the harshness at all, but it really is there. This may render some of the stereo CDs more listenable for these people than they were for me, at least when it comes to Pepper's. 9/12/09 THANKS TO ALL: The past few days, following the posting of my review, have been a lot of fun. So many people have taken the time to write me, quite a number saying the review was flat-out the best review of any sort they have read. Others shared memories and feelings about how important this music is to them. Amazingly, two old friends, one in Boston one in Paris, reconnected, after a number of years, as a result of the comments section following the review. All in all, it has been a very rewarding experience. I thank Amazon for providing this opportunity, and those of you present and future who have/will take(n) the time to play. YEAR: 1968 01. Back in the U.S.S.R. [0:02:43.34] 02. Dear Prudence [0:03:55.58] 03. Glass Onion [0:02:17.63] 04. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da [0:03:08.72] 05. Wild Honey Pie [0:00:52.73] 06. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill [0:03:14.12] 07. While My Guitar Gently Weeps [0:04:45.00] 08. Happiness Is A Warm Gun [0:02:44.41] 09. Martha My Dear [0:02:28.43] 10. I'm So Tired [0:02:03.37] 11. Blackbird [0:02:18.29] 12. Piggies [0:02:04.20] 13. Rocky Raccoon [0:03:33.08] 14. Don't Pass Me By [0:03:50.34] 15. Why Don't We Do It In The Road? [0:01:41.12] 16. I Will [0:01:45.70] 17. Julia [0:02:56.50]