CD: The Beatles - PAST MASTERS [Disc1] Past Masters (2009 Stereo Remaster) - Disc 1 of 2 Past Masters - Volume One Past Masters - Volume Two © 2009 Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/EMI Records Ltd. © 1988 Capitol Records, Inc. Originally Released March 7, 1988 CD Edition Released March 7, 1988 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: (Volume 1) When Capitol decided to release the original British editions of the Beatles' albums instead of the bastardized American versions, they were left with a bit of a quandary. Since the Beatles had an enormous number of non-LP singles, some of their greatest hits -- from "I Want to Hold Your Hand" through "Hey Jude" -- would not be included on disc if Capitol simply served up straight reissues. They had two options: they could add the singles as bonus tracks to the appropriate CDs, or they could release a compilation of all the non-LP tracks. It should come as no surprise that they chose the latter. In fact, they took it one further, issuing two separate compilations of non-LP tracks, which is fairly appropriate since the Beatles released far more singles and EPs in the first two years of their recording career than they did in the last five. Past Masters, Vol. 1 covers those first two years and, to be fair, there are some cuts that are unnecessary for anyone outside of the hardcore -- only a handful of people will be able to spot the difference in the alternate "Love Me Do," while German versions of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "She Loves You" aren't even good for a chuckle. Still, the sheer number of astounding singles makes this essential, even with its faults. These 17 songs capture the exuberance of Beatlemania while confirming their talents as popcraftsmen ("This Boy," "Yes It Is") and proving that they could rock really, really hard ("I Feel Fine," "She's a Woman," the peerless "I'm Down"). Apart from the cuts that are merely rarities, this is a near-perfect compilation that captures the energy and spirit of the Beatles' early years. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine AMG EXPERT REVIEW: (Volume 2) Picking up in 1965 where Past Masters, Vol. 1 left off, Past Masters, Vol. 2 collects the 15 non-LP tracks that the Beatles released in the last five years of their career (not counting the singles that were released on Magical Mystery Tour). If Vol. 2 is more eclectic than its predecessor, it isn't quite as thematically consistent, but it does hit greater highs with a greater frequency. Indeed, some of the greatest singles in pop history are here: "Day Tripper," "We Can Work It Out," "Paperback Writer," "Rain," "Lady Madonna," "Hey Jude," "Revolution," "Don't Let Me Down," and "The Ballad of John and Yoko." All of the aforementioned are staples in the Lennon/McCartney canon, and while George Harrison's two contributions aren't as familiar, "The Inner Light" is arguably his best Indian excursion and "Old Brown Shoe" is a charmingly jaunty tune that points toward his solo career. In the middle of all this, single versions of "Get Back" and "Let It Be" appear (the former is stiffer than the LP version, the latter is better than its counterpart), along with the alternate (and superior) "Across the Universe" and the silly yet strangely irresistible "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)." Overall, the compilation feels a little disjointed, mainly because it covers so much ground so quickly, but that takes nothing away from the quality of the music, since many of these songs rank among the best, most inventive recordings of the pop/rock era. -- Stephen Thomas Erlewine Amazon.com Editorial Review (Volume 1) Although they were probably the band that most transformed rock from a singles medium to an album-oriented form, the Beatles also released many singles and EP tracks that never made it onto albums. In the U.S. , Capitol turned the group's early LPs, through Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, into compilations, more or less, throwing the hit singles onto the vinyl to augment the album tracks. When the label later released the U.K. albums on CD, it posed a problem: What to do with the non-LP singles? Past Masters, Volume 1 compiles 18 of those singles, including some of their best-known tracks, running from "Love Me Do," "She Love You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," and "This Boy" to "I Feel Fine" and Paul's homage to Little Richard, "I'm Down." Essential stuff. --Bill Holdship Amazon.com Editorial Review (Volume 2) What can you say, really? When you get right down to it, it's the greatest band in the history of pop music, the most influential, the best writers, and whatever other superlatives you can think of. Given their phenomenal output, and their huge chart success, it's no surprise that this second volume proves every bit as rich as the first. John, Paul, George, and Ringo had that rare chemistry that moved musical mountains, with more great songs than many people have had hot dinners, and they're still affecting the course of popular music. Thirty years later, all the paths they hinted at have yet to be explored, which is about as high a testament as can be given. --Chris Nickson Half.com Details (Volume 1) Producer: George Martin. Compilation producer: Mark Lewisohn. Album Notes PAST MASTERS VOLUME ONE is a compilation of singles, B-sides and other tracks that did not appear on the Beatles' original British albums. The Beatles as a general rule did not include their singles on their albums in the UK. The Beatles: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr. Recorded between September 4, 1962 and June 14, 1965. Includes liner notes by Mark Lewisohn. Along with its sister volume, PAST MASTERS VOL. 1 gathers singles, oddities and B-sides together and saves the dedicated Beatlemaniac considerable time and money hunting down this uncommon material. Like the "Red Album," VOLUME ONE covers the first half of the Beatles career from 1962 to 1965. Such was the enormous success of the Fab Four's breakout singles "She Loves You" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand" that their vocals were recut for German versions ("Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand" and "Sie Liebt Dich" respectively), which were originally slated for the West German market (and are included on this collection) before being released in the States. Always mindful of their influences, the Beatles in their early phase were also notable for their choice of cover songs. Carl Perkins, Larry Williams and Little Richard were all paid tribute to eventually. While Ringo Starr sang "Matchbox" and John Lennon handled "Slow Down" and "Bad Boy," Paul McCartney channeled Richard Penniman. His take on "Long Tall Sally" induces goosebumps and the influence clearly carried over to "I'm Down." Half.com Details (Volume 2) Producer: George Martin. Compilation producer: Mark Lewisohn. Contributing artists: Billy Preston, Brian Jones, Nicky Hopkins Album Notes PAST MASTERS VOLUME TWO is a compilation of singles, B-sides and other tracks that did not appear on the Beatles' original British albums. The Beatles as a general rule did not include their singles on their albums in the UK. The Beatles: John Lennon (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, percussion, sound effects): George Harrison (vocals, guitar); Paul McCartney (vocals, piano, bass, drums, maracas, sound effects); Ringo Starr (drums). Additional personnel includes: Brian Jones (saxophone); Nicky Hopkins (piano); Billy Preston (organ); Mal Evans (sound effects). Recorded between October 16, 1965 and January 4, 1970. Includes liner notes by Mark Lewisohn. All tracks are stereo except "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)." Along with its sister volume, PAST MASTERS 2 gathers singles, oddities and B-sides together and saves the dedicated Beatlemaniac considerable time and money hunting down this uncommon material. Like the "Blue Album," VOLUME TWO covers the second half of the Beatles career from 1965 to 1970. During this time period, the Fab Four stopped touring and focused their energies on studio recordings. The results included some of the Beatles' more experimental forays, like their first use of backwards tape ("Rain") and the breaking of the singles time barrier ("Hey Jude"). There are alternate versions of well-known songs ("Get Back," "Across The Universe"), and songs influenced by Fats Domino ("Lady Madonna") and Indian culture ("The Inner Light"). The most unusual tune included on this collection is "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)." This highly unusual recording was started in May 1967 and shelved before getting completed in November 1969. The result was an avant-cabaret number conceived by John Lennon, featuring mumbled vocals, Brian Jones' saxophone playing and sound effects replicating the inside of an after-hours club. 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. -- RELATED INFO ------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------- from WikiPedia.org REMASTERED RELEASE Both volumes of Past Masters were released on a two-CD set as a part of The Beatles remastered catalogue on 9 September 2009, with two tracks previously issued in mono only compiled in stereo: "From Me to You" and "Thank You Girl." It is also included in The Beatles Stereo Box Set. A mono compilation titled Mono Masters was included as part of The Beatles in Mono box set. YEAR: 2009 01. Love Me Do [0:02:25.67] 02. From Me To You [0:01:57.08] YEAR: 1963 03. Thank You Girl [0:02:03.45] YEAR: 1963 04. She Loves You [0:02:21.25] Mono YEAR: 1963 05. I'll Get You [0:02:06.31] Mono YEAR: 1963 06. I Want To Hold Your Hand [0:02:26.40] 07. This Boy [0:02:16.06] YEAR: 1963 08. Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand [0:02:25.61] YEAR: 1964 09. Sie Liebt Dich [0:02:19.30] YEAR: 1964 10. Long Tall Sally [0:02:02.65] YEAR: 1964 11. I Call Your Name [0:02:08.71] YEAR: 1964 12. Slow Down [0:02:56.64] YEAR: 1964 13. Matchbox [0:01:58.56] YEAR: 1964 14. I Feel Fine [0:02:19.51] YEAR: 1964 15. She's A Woman [0:03:02.66] YEAR: 1964 16. Bad Boy [0:02:20.45] YEAR: 1965 17. Yes It Is [0:02:42.31] YEAR: 1965 18. I'm Down [0:02:33.67] YEAR: 1965