Album Reviews

On the All Things Must Pass  Remix “The Quiet Beatle” Gets the Final Word (Revised lacquer cutting info)

Michael Fremer  |  Aug 9, 2021

All Things Must Pass 50th Anniversary Edition
George Harrison
 
Capitol/Apple Records 8 180g LPs or 5 CD, 1 Blu-ray set
Produced by: Originally produced by George Harrison and Phil Spector, Dhani Harrison (Executive Producer), David Zonshine (Product Producer)
Engineered by: Ken Scott and Philip McDonald
Mixed by: Paul Hicks
Mastered by: Alex Wharton (vinyl mastering by GZ Media)
 
MUSIC
SOUND
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.

True, he didn’t say much at press conferences, but after a series of early unusual and not particularly distinguished originals like “Don’t Bother Me” (“So go away, leave me alone, don’t bother me”) that sharply contrasted with Lennon-McCartney’s cheery love fests, and “You Like Me Too Much” a catchy “like song” on the Help! soundtrack with a few creepy sentiments (“I will follow you and bring you back where you belong”) he bloomed as a songwriter (Lennon is said to have helped Harrison with the very personal “I Need You” also on Help).

Harrison returned to negativity with the memorable distorted fuzz guitar accented “Think For Yourself”, which he once said might have been inspired by “the government’. Harrison was the Beatle who more directly complained politically in song about England’s oppressive tax structure (“Taxman”) and the country’s rigid class system (“Piggies”) well before Lennon got on his political high horse. On Revolver Harrison expressed in song his writing frustrations (“I Want to Tell You”). He brought his deeply personal religious convictions to many of his sitar-drenched songs and on “Love You Too” merged the spiritual and the carnal. “I Me Mine”, which finally made it onto Let It Be explores similar territory.

Often overlooked because the album is sort of an “outlier” are “It’s All Too Much” and “It’s Only a Northern Song,” two gems from The Yellow Submarine Soundtrack. The same is true of “Blue Jay Way”, one of Harrison’s most atmospheric and memorable tunes, originally found in the U.K. on the 2 7” E.P. Magical Mystery Tour.

Good as these were, Harrison’s best on Beatles albums songs were yet to appear: “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, “Something” and “Here Comes the Sun”.

After consuming the sprawling eight LP box set containing the remixes of the original three LP set and five LPs of demos it’s easy to imagine that Harrison might have written “Here Comes the Sun” in anticipation of liberation from The Beatles and the beginning of his solo album career, though Harrison wrote it after “playing hooky” from an Apple business meeting and hanging out at Eric Clapton’s house.

Page three of the full-sized perfect bound book contained within the slipcase along with the three and five LP boxes begins with a George quote: “Even before I started, I knew I was gonna make a good album because I had so much energy. For me to do my own album after all that—(italics, mine) it was joyous. Dream of dreams.”

After all of what? After competing with and being overshadowed by the Lennon/McCartney songwriting team? We’re left to surmise the meaning of after all that but clues are sprinkled throughout the book’s spare annotation. The choice made here was to mostly let the music speak for itself rather than include detailed notes like on the Lennon reissues. Quiet. Very George-like. The track by track notes are short but useful for those who have not read George’s autobiography or are not familiar with the history and drama.

Ringo played on All Things Must Pass, John got a birthday message. Paul McCartney is not mentioned here. That can’t be an accidental omission, can it? Even when Harrison managed to get his songs included on Beatles albums, he was given less time to produce them than did the ones penned by Lennon/McCartney. Bob Dylan probably helped George with his songwriting more than did his Beatles partners.

We learn from quotes in the book that “My Sweet Lord” was not inspired by (or a rip-off of) The Chiffon’s “He’s So Fine” but rather was inspired by The Edwin Hawkins Singers’ version of “Oh Happy Day” (written in 1755 by Philip Doddridge). More galling to Harrison was that the Rolling Stone review of All Things Must Pass claimed that “Isn’t it a Pity” sounds borrowed from both “I am the Walrus” and “Hey Jude”, when in fact it was written in 1966 before either of those songs and had been “floating around” since the Revolver sessions but rejected.

Right or wrong you could interpret the album title All Things Must Pass to be about The Beatles. At the time and even now it seems a kind of morbid title for an album and the cover photo doesn’t help! Yet on two LPs Harrison delivers some of his finest songs, many of which are as uplifting as “Here Comes the Sun”, but some like “Isn’t it a Pity” and “Art of Dying” clearly are not. Side 1 is genius programming giving you a tender intro with “I’d Have You Anytime”, co-written by “Bobbie” Dylan, “My Sweet Lord”, the liberating “Wah-Wah” and back down to earth with “Isn’t It a Pity”. It covers all of Harrison’s bases. The album’s emotional highs include “What is Life”, which has an early 60’s Motown-ish or Brill Building joyful energy, complete with horns and strings.

No sense in a full play-by-play of a 50 year old album so I won’t, other to say over time it becomes better and more consistently great though the “bonus” 3rd record’s jams remain pretty monotonous. It’s almost as if Harrison was saying “OK, The Beatles did a double? I’ll one up them with a 3 LP set”.

The Remixed Set Presentation

I got the 8 LP set containing the original 3 LPs in its own box that duplicates the original plus a second box containing the 5 LPs of demos presented in chronological order, plus the really well presented book all of which fits into a large slip-case. There are 70 tracks in total including 47 bonus demos, outtakes and jams, 42 of which are previously unreleased.

The paper stock, the cover art—everything about the physical presentation gives The Electric Recording Company a run for its authentic packaging money. It’s physically impressive in every way as was the pressing quality. Eight LPs and not a single pop, click or other defect. A few of the records were slightly “dished” but summertime shipping makes it impossible to lay blame and it was easy to flatten them with a reflex clamp and/or vacuum hold down. I also was sent the equally well-presented Blu-ray box set that allowed me to compare the high resolution mixes at 192/24 bit resolution with the CDs and the CDs with the LPs. I also gave the 5.1 mix a listen.

Before getting to the sound, the 5 LPs of “umastered” (but recorded at Abbey Road so they intrinsically sound good) demos presented in chronological order are a real treat for any George fan who loves this album. You learn so much listening to the raw takes and for those alone, the set is worth picking up if you’re inclined to dig.

The Remixed Sound

Consistency between formats was impressive assuming you like what Paul Hicks did here. The original U.K. Apple pressing begins with a warm, though deep bass shy take of “I’d Have You Anytime”. The better my system got over the decades the better George’s voice sounded and the more it pleasingly revealed itself from within the “deep” mix. The “My Sweet Lord” original is also bass shy but has a pleasing sparkle on top and then all hell breaks loose on “Wah-Wah”. What a joyful “get even” with the Beatles bind he’d been in mess. What a cast of characters! Ringo, Billy Preston, Clapton, Badfinger and Bobby Keyes. It was the first track recorded for the album. It’s bright, it’s underwater, it’s undisciplined and it’s a big break loose party ostensibly celebrating a guitar pedal, but really about much more, that Spector mixed for its global effect. Resolving detail was not on his mind. 50 years of playing it always produces a smile, emotional release and sometimes laughter. George wasn’t happy with the mix.

I pored through the book before listening to any of this and it made clear that Hicks and George’s son Dhani decided to bring clarification to the re-mix. In going through all of the individual stems they found buried instruments, or that what they thought was one instrument was actually something else or even a synthesizer, though few listening to the original mix heard many if any synth parts. At one point Hicks says something like “Once you hear (that), it’s hard to unhear it.”

The goal on Hicks’ masterful Plastic Ono Band Remix was to bring forward and make more natural John Lennon’s voice, which had been pushed to the back because Lennon didn’t much like the sound of his own voice. The mix was successful.

Here the goal was to clarify and expose Spector-buried musical threads and to produce greater overall coherence as well as to restore the original mix’s clearly attenuated bottom end. When I removed the first LP from the sleeve I noted the GZ stamper information but no mastering credit. I thought that meant GZ cut lacquers, which is what I first reported especially since there are no lacquer cutting credits in the box set's credits. Whoever did cut lacquers also chose to not identify him or herself in the lead out groove area, so I mistakenly assumed GZ did the cut. There's a comment near the end from GZ correcting my mistake so I'm correcting it here. GZ did not cut lacquers. We do not know who did. However the vinyl sounds very similar to the other formats. I apologize to GZ Media for my mistake.

I was happy to have the CD/Blu-ray set too so I could be sure of what I was hearing when I played the LP set. The various formats sound remarkably close to one another timbrally and dynamically so clearly the producers were on top of the vinyl mastering choices.

After the first play on vinyl my first thought was “Uh oh, many buyers with warm-ish sounding systems are not going to like this” and sure enough a few emails arrived shortly after the set was released complaining of “bass overload”. One arrived today complaining that the set sounds like a “4 Men With Beards” mastering and that’s about as nasty a comparison as can be made.

I’m listening downstairs on a pair of costly speakers being reviewed that have been measured in-room and while I can’t be shown the measurements. I was told something that hardly surprised me: they measured pretty much “flat” and are full-range. These speakers do not have mid-bass bloat nor are they particularly warm sounding. The top end is fully extended thanks to Accuton diamond tweeters not known for their high frequency reticence. Just when you think these speakers are bass-shy if you play something that goes really deep (try Terje Isungset’s Winter Songs), you get body slammed.

If you are well-familiar with the original All Things Must Pass mix, listening to this new mix you will hear familiar tunes as never before. Hicks has restored the bottom end and skillfully stitched together and exposed heretofore congealed and/or buried musical threads to produce a superior musical balance. Harrison’s voice sounds rich.

As an archeological dig the remix gets at “11”. You’ll hear the album as if listening to a sonic microscope but there’s a tremendous price paid for the neat and orderly presentation. The top end is incredibly dull. There’s no sparkle or air. Horns are dull, transients are dull, there is mid-bass bloat that casts a thick warmth over everything. You have to crank it way up to restore any life whatsoever to the proceedings. And the level of compression is absurd. It’s DOA.

The CDs sound the same. The Blu-ray played upstairs on my home theater system sounds the same. The records played downstairs sound the same. The once joyous “Wah-Wah” turns into mudville.

When I read some of the hysterical praise for this remix I just have to wonder who these people are and what they are listening on. A Salon writer says it’s a “feast for the ears”, claiming “…the original album shimmers into life with the wider sonic palette made possible by technologies that would have been unimaginable five decades earlier.” That’s just unimaginable bullshit. Nothing in this remix “shimmers”. In fact, you could argue that the goal was to remove all “shimmer” to cut the reflections and allow you to see further into the goings on. If so, mission accomplished.

He adds “Hardcore audiophiles and Beatles historians will surely revel in the profundity of outtakes and production notes”. I’m not sure what that even means if anything.

To paraphrase an old metaphor, while I’ve been a consistent fan of Hicks’s remixes, here he zeroes in on the trees, but completely loses the forest. I really don’t understand it.

Soft, overly-compressed, dull and completely lacking in top end sparkle, this remix is anything but a “feast for the ears” unless you really crank it up and then it becomes listenable as an archeological dig, especially if getting “inside” is your goal, but it’s drained of all emotional content that’s in abundance on the demos, so get this for the superb packaging (gets an "11" packaging, annotation and overall presentation) and listen to those 5 LPs and you'll appreciate George Harrison's brilliance and better understand his end of Beatles predicament as never before.

(Bobby Whitlock removed his video critique, which had been embedded here. Not sure why, though it was pretty tough:

Music Direct Buy It Now

COMMENTS
hlmiii's picture
Submitted by hlmiii on Wed, 2021-08-11 15:58

As someone who has spent 5 decades purchasing around 30 different issues of this LP in trying to find the most revealing, most engaging, least distorted, and least muddy issues of Mr. Harrison's masterpiece, I would offer the following suggestions:

Vinyl - the original 1970 German pressing of the box. Catalog No. 1C 172-04 707/8/9
This is the clearest vinyl pressing available, overall. It has some well-defined bass, some transparent midrange, and some extension on top.

CD/digital - the second Japanese CD issue of the LP. Catalog No. CP28-5459-60
This has the best sound of any CD, with the arguable exception of the 2000 reissue that George oversaw. It has more clarity and transparency than any other CD. I have very serious doubts that the 2000 reissue is a straight copy of the master tape; there are many aspects about it - attractive as they are - that sound notably different than any other issue, before and after.

On vinyl the RSD issue and the pressing that followed it 3 years later are very good.

Ken Hoffman produced a mastering in 2000 for DCC release at the request of DCC and the Harrison Estate. The project was terminated after Hoffman finished his work. It is easily THE reference for ATMP - it doesn't turn the recording into an audiophile treat, but it succeeds at all of the aspects that are such a disappointment in the new issue.

Tom L's picture
Submitted by Tom L on Fri, 2021-08-13 10:57

1. So the Hoffman DCC version was never released?
2. When you refer to the "2000 reissue that George oversaw" do you mean the 2001 CD release on GnOM, US catalog number CDP 7243 5 30474 2 9? I have that version and have always wondered why it seems different in some places from my old LP version.

Keen Observer's picture
Submitted by Keen Observer on Wed, 2021-08-11 16:15

Its b-side was “Love You Too”.

Audiophilehi's picture
Submitted by Audiophilehi on Wed, 2021-08-11 19:06

So I couldn’t stand listening anymore to my 50th Anniversary of ATMP with the dull murky compressed sound I was getting and decided to shut off my 2 JL Audio f113 subwoofers. Hey wait a minute this doesn’t sound all that bad anymore. Granted it still a bit foggy on the low and and yes the overly compressed sound is still there but now it’s listenable to me now just a bit thin sounding due to my speakers being 5 feet from the front wall.

Now I decided to turn on the subs but back down the level and frequency a bit. Now it’s sounding even better. I’m guessing Mr Hicks has small mini monitors while he remastered ATMP.

So I recommend if your not thrilled with the sound and have a subwoofer or 2 to either shut them off or back down the level and frequency. If you have no subwoofer and your speakers are close to front wall pull them out a foot or two if you can and the sound of ATMP will improve to now I don’t mind listening to it. As always YMMV.

Jazz listener's picture
Submitted by Jazz listener on Wed, 2021-08-11 19:29

spend half an hour reconfiguring your system each time you play it and the sound becomes kinda tolerable…maybe, again it depends on your system. Drain a few whiskies beforehand as well and it becomes fair to middling…

PeterPani's picture
Submitted by PeterPani on Thu, 2021-08-12 00:20

with 6 tubed mono amps for each driver. You are right, some records sound perfect by turning up or down the volume of the bass drivers in my D700, similary to the corrections on your subwoofers. I even made a remote control for level correction for my two mono amps that drive the bass cones to can level them from my listening place. Mostly I need this for playing shellacks when no equalization-curve on my phono-preamp fits.

Audiophilehi's picture
Submitted by Audiophilehi on Wed, 2021-08-11 19:38

Nope…I only have to spend 1 minute turning down the level and frequency.

Reddy Kilowatt's picture
Submitted by Reddy Kilowatt on Thu, 2021-08-12 00:28

I have an original German pressing from 1970 in nice shape to compare to the new remastered LP's. First I listened to the whole recording, both lp's but not the Apple Jam yet. So far I've chosen 4 songs to focus on for a comparison- If Not for You, Run of the Mill, My Sweet Lord and Isn't it a Pity. My system consists of an Aesthetix Mimas integrated, Wilson Sabrina's, SME 10 with a Koetsu Black and a Sutherland 20/20 with the linear power supply. I compared one song at a time, switching back and forth between the two records. First of all, they are quite different sounding, let's say like apples to oranges. The difference is immediately noticeable. In my estimation both are equally enticing and enjoyable. The German original pressing is truly a great original recording and pressing, easily the best original I've heard, but I haven't heard the original British. It(German) definitely sounds more up front, "in your face", very vivid, like sitting on the first row in a concert hall. It sounds like it's on the verge of being overloaded, particularly George's vocals. It's rather flat,it has very little depth. Playing the new reissue, I notice I've got to raise the volume some to do a fair comparison. I like listening to this record loudly- 72 on the volume level for the German pressing and 74 on the reissue. In my opinion this is a record that needs to be played loudly to be fully enjoyed! How can you listen to My Sweet Lord softly?? The remix has lowered the
distortion level significantly overall, across the board, lessened the near "overloaded" vocals, added very noticeable depth to the soundstage, increased bass clarity significantly and allowed new details in the mix to come forth, including the synthesizer in a few tracks. Because the vocals have been softened it needs to be played louder than the original. I really enjoy it when played loudly. Played at a soft, casual or background level, or even a moderate level you won't appreciate the benefits of the remaster. It's not perfect- it seems to lose some dynamics overall, so there is some tradeoff. Maybe the vocals could have been boosted a very slight bit more. Overall, it's definitely an improvement over the original mix in many important ways. I consider it a must own for any fan of this music. And like Mikey says, the vinyl is impeccable. I'd give it at least an 8/10, likely a 9/10 rating for sound when played at a good level. I'm going to be buying the CD/Bluray set also so I can hear all the out-takes without buying all that extra vinyl. In a nutshell, I'd say it sounds like moving from the front row of a concert venue to 30 rows or so back. Further back you get a greater sense of space and the sound is not so in your face. I hear more of an overview of the sound.It's a much different sound and I like it. A thumbs up for me, but keep in mind I'm a big fan of George and particularly this music.

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Thu, 2021-08-12 11:41
Your input.
GeorgeZ's picture
Submitted by GeorgeZ on Thu, 2021-08-12 00:49

Dear Mr. Fremer,
No master plates (nor DMM neither lacquer ones) for this box set were cut in our studios at GZ Media. Could you please correct your statement in your article? Thank you.

"When I removed the first LP from the sleeve I noted the GZ stamper information but no mastering credit. That means the producers chose to leave that to GZ Media’s mastering engineers."

No mastering credits in runout don't mean cutting at GZ was done in all cases. We can't refuse an externally cut master plate without mastering/cutting credits in runout. It is strange that the person who cut the plates didn't want to have his/her initials or a sign present there but it is his/her choice.

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Thu, 2021-08-12 11:43
I will fix it now. It is strange that no one is credited either in the lead out groove area or on the box set's notes. So I was forced to surmise.... I'll take care of this!
cabbage7's picture
Submitted by cabbage7 on Thu, 2021-08-12 08:53

Hi Michael:

Thanks for your review of this remix/re-issue of Harrison's opus. Very bummed that the remix effort proved to be a failure, but very glad I read the review first and didn't waste the money!

I always hated Spector's "wall of mush" production for these songs. A much leaner approach to this material would have served it so much better. I was hoping the remix effort would remove some of the sludge and give the listener a better feel for Harrison's vision...oh well.

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Thu, 2021-08-12 11:43
Stream it. You might like it...
Hosta3's picture
Submitted by Hosta3 on Thu, 2021-08-12 16:22

Indeed I read and listened to the critique on "All Things Must Pass" but to these 68 year old ears, I had to try. When I received my copy I dutifully cleaned the first disc with my Degritter, cued it up and had a listen. Sorry to add on that this mastering is very short of expectations. Very thin and no where near Audiophile quality. Other than the bass, the instrumentation sounds like it was behind a veiled curtain. Cranking up the volume helps somewhat but the fidelity sounds smeared. Won't bother cleaning the other two discs and will just put the box set on my shelve and call it a $65.00 mistake.

Beto's picture
Submitted by Beto on Thu, 2021-08-12 17:25

I had just ordered my 3-cd version of the release when I started reading all the bad reviews here. I thought, "Oh, I have wasted my money." When I got the cd, I put it on with much trepidation, thinking I would not even finish hearing it all. But lo and behold, I liked it a lot. Yes, there's some boominess as Mr. Fremer points out, but the pluses outweight this. George's voice come out so much clearer (and it's not "weak" as somebody states). Guitars have more rock and roll bite; drums more oomph, brass/strings more definition. I do not find the original songs over compressed; in fact, I have to turn up the volume more as if I were listening to vinyl. The third cd, which are alternate takes, etc., it's really over compressed. Still, the musicality is such that I can live with it. Some of the songs have quite different arrangements and/or extended guitar solos I wish had been incorporated.

The only time when I miss Phil Spector's reverb is in the more acoustic oriented songs, which lose their big sound.

DrJB's picture
Submitted by DrJB on Thu, 2021-08-12 17:44

From Aug 7, 2021:

"It's a very warm sounding record, maybe too much so in places. Klaus Voorman's bass is solid but it lacks the pop and midrange drive of Geddy Lee, Paul McCartney, or John Entwistle, so having it up front doesn't work on all of the songs.

Clearly, this was done on a digital audio workstation since it's reported that there are over 100 versions of the songs. That may be the achilles heel of the whole project. When you are comparing so many versions, your ears can totally lose their reference points and you end up dealing with relative tone rather than absolute.

Also, some slap delays and reverbs were permanently printed to various tracks. In the case of the delays, they may have been intended to have reverb added to soften the attack of the slaps. Without this it sounds like mistakes were made in production decisions--which I'm certain they were,

So I'm not over the moon with the sound of this reissue like many others will be. The reverb was the sound of the moment in 1971, and it made this album unique. Without that distinguishing feature, it all sounds pedestrian to my ears--like a flawed recording with too much bass and too many layers instead of a bombastic Phil Spector record."
________________________________

So, yeah. I agree with your comments Michael. I have a VPI Prime with a Grado Reference 3 low output into a Sutherland/Yamaha/BW 705/REL and I'm pretty disappointed--thought it might be the Grado woodie, but with the Hana that I have on my spare armwand, there is no improvement. I'd love to get my hands on the stems and load them into UA's Luna DAW with their amazing plugins and analog workflow. This is another product that begs the question: When will consumers be allowed to construct their own remixes from the original unmolested tracks?

DrJB's picture
Submitted by DrJB on Thu, 2021-08-12 23:09

Yeah. It's a crap mix. I captured a section of Beware of Darkness in Izotope's Tonal Balance Control. First two are 2021 vinyl mix. Last two are 2001 audio CD. See below for details. All of the songs on Disc 1 and 2 of the vinyl set had the same overall profile. I didn't look at any other CD track profiles other than Darkness.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/FCquWzoTNPD8g8Ry5

https://photos.app.goo.gl/K82K4t3uZUtNvuXV7

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5MCfpTKtKRfPc9Ts6

https://photos.app.goo.gl/7N9NXNmQRzkSMxGC7

VINYL: VPI Prime/Grado LO Ref 3/Sutherland pre/Yamaha integrated. CD: OPPO UDP 205. All samples were captured using UA Apollo x8 into UA Luna DAW on a 27" iMac, 128 GB RAM, 3.8 GHz 10 Core Intel i9 at 192KHz 24 bits. The same analog input on the Apollo (Record out from the Yamaha) was used for both samples.

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Fri, 2021-08-13 08:59
The original CD was released in 1988. I have some comparisons produced by Mark Block of the NJ Audio Society I'll publish later.
DrJB's picture
Submitted by DrJB on Thu, 2021-08-12 23:18

https://photos.app.goo.gl/f9dVN4v3X5QvzyxC9

JJCalvillo's picture
Submitted by JJCalvillo on Fri, 2021-08-13 11:43

Not being a sound tech, I'm not sure what the photos mean. Looks like the high and Mid-high frequencies, anything 2,500 hz, are lacking. Pretty much what Michael and others have described.

DrJB's picture
Submitted by DrJB on Fri, 2021-08-13 14:20

The charts show the average distribution of audio frequencies from low to high at a specific time interval in the song. The suggested curve is indicated by the green shaded field. An engineer would use this as a guide to ensure that no frequencies are dominating the mix, making EQ adjustments on both individual tracks, as well as the master bus to achieve a balanced mix. The mastering engineer would also tweak the frequency balance to fit different media formats--vinyl, CD, streaming, SACD etc. The white lines represent the average relative frequency of audio information across a longer time interval, not a split nanosecond, thereby avoiding a loud bass note or a momentary transient. These types of tools are not a substitute for a good pair of ears but they can help confirm or reveal what's happening in a mix.

On the 2021 vinyl version of ATMP, played on my well sorted:-) system, the bass frequencies are dominant compared with the high frequencies which drop below the suggested levels. An unusual curve does not always indicate a bad mix because some gifted producers like Jeff Lynne have their own preferred sonic signatures. You can, however, see that, in this case, the frequencies drop sharply at 1.5 KHz and they continue to drop well below the suggested range in above 6 KHz. This would indicate attenuation of the high end in a region clearly audible to most listeners. Most troubling is the fact that the bass appears to move sharply upward below 40 Hz, an area that typically is not particularly "musical"--exceptions apply of course.

With the 2001 CD version of the same portion of the song, you can observe more evenly distributed frequencies. The drops at 70Hz and 1.5KHz are not unusual for music where analog tape as well as optical, FET and tube powered EQ's and compressors were used during the recording, mixing and mastering process.

Hicks may have proven that attempting to "correct" a 50 year old recording to achieve a modern sound where the songs can sonically stand along side those of current artists in a playlist (stated goal of Dhani H.) is tricky at best. Paul Hicks and Dhani Harrison may have done us all a favor in the long run by colorizing a black and white classic with less than stellar results. This will have an impact on future projects. The Beatles (White Album) 2018 mix showed what can be done when the integrity of the original is the top priority.

By the way, colorizing can be spectacular with certain material as evidenced in Peter Jackson's 2018 "They Shall Not Grow Old." I'm not suggesting that I'm a total luddite when it comes to rejigging old audio.

George Harrison expressed his dislike of the reverb soaked original, so I totally understand the goal here. The remix of Pearl Jam's 10 which suffered from some of the same issues seemed to work fairly well according to some listeners. But I think that the desire to make this "modern sounding" like The War On Drugs' Deeper Understanding or something like it just doesn't translate, especially when you had the grandiose Phil Spector involved on the original with his dense instrumentation.

The best remix/remastering engineers, as we know, apply a light touch to subtly enhance clarity or to restore the sound of an original master that has suffered the slings and arrows of degradation caused by our common enemy, time.

Now, how about a AAA redux?

Paul Boudreau's picture
Submitted by Paul Boudreau on Fri, 2021-08-13 07:57

On a slightly humorous note, in a fit of something-or-other I bought the super-duper wood box version, which just arrived. I had no idea how big the box would be - it turns out to be huge! Now to figure out where to put it.

ncpd's picture
Submitted by ncpd on Fri, 2021-08-13 12:30

Michael,

Thank you for your review. I've taken many of your recommendations over the years and I always enjoy challenging myself to see if I can hear what you hear despite the gap between our equipment and your years of critical experience.

ATMP is one of my favorite albums. I never tire of it. I came to it digitally first (via Redbook CD from the early 2000s) and am now working my way back to trying to find a great vinyl version. Few albums in my collection have such distance between my love of them musically and my disappointment in them sonically. The CD is not great. Bright, harsh, thin. I want to turn it up and yet I don't. I tried the 40th anniversary vinyl (Pressed at Rainbow I believe) after reading numerous positive reviews. For my mileage, the surface noise overshadowed my ability to consider the remastering changes. I have the 2017 Capitol release and it's pret-tay good. But again, not great.

I so wanted this 50th release to be the one. But after reading your review and putting on the 24/192 files, you are spot on. So much bass bloat. I do like the placement and clarity of George's vocals but it's hard to get past bass being the first thing I hear on every song. Comparing "Wah Wah" to my CD version was shocking. Would that I could blend the top end of the CD with the bottom-end weight of this reissue.

Finding an ATMP release I love sonically will continue to be my white whale I guess. I was encouraged by your follow up article. Any further clues to identify a Peckham cut on the secondary market?

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Fri, 2021-08-13 13:35
Would be any U.K. pressing with a 1U prefix matrix number and possibly beyond but definitely the 1U
JMNIC66's picture
Submitted by JMNIC66 on Fri, 2021-08-13 21:36

George would have flipped his Beatle Wig! The remix for me is pointless. I found that the 30th anniversary release and also the 2014 release were better sounding and more faithful to the original. I purchased the 8 LP Boxset and the highlight for me is the 5 LP box with the demos' and outtakes. Great packaging too. Thanks for the review Michael.

dudley07726's picture
Submitted by dudley07726 on Sat, 2021-08-14 12:21

Really enjoying this mix. This and the demos/outtakes make this all worth it.

Intermediate Listener's picture
Submitted by Intermediate Li... on Tue, 2021-08-17 11:37

Offers his somewhat more positive take on recent YouTube video. His results varied with different amps and speakers. Also interesting Van Gelder and Spector/Abbey Road comparisons.

I recently ordered NM “Winchester pressing” Apple STCH 639. Does anyone know that one?

Mark Cherrington's picture
Submitted by Mark Cherrington on Tue, 2021-08-17 15:54

I certainly hear the differences you're describing, but I find I actually prefer the new version to the old. What's really interesting to me is that i haven't really listened to this record much since it came out in 1970 (it always seemed depressing to me), so when I went to listen to the new version, I was operating on my memory of what it sounded like back then, and the new version fit that memory. Then I listed to the original, and it did not fit my memory at all. I don't know what that means--other than proving my memory is unreliable--something I'm discovering more and more every day. And while the midbass is certainly stronger than it was, I don't find it muddies things up, at least to my taste on my system. Wouldn't it be boring if we all liked the same things?

stillyawning's picture
Submitted by stillyawning on Fri, 2021-08-20 13:02

Thanks for saving me $85 bucks..I ordered but didn't open it (5 lp edition) . After reading the comments I sent it back for a refund..Read an old The Tracking Angle mag with Mick Jagger on the cover..It was such a good job on reviewing all the Stones titles up to the release of the mag..

fruff1976's picture
Submitted by fruff1976 on Mon, 2021-08-23 06:23

I like the sound of this new version better than my 30th Anniversary. Maybe try listening to it first before sending it back, or not giving it a chance.

ForgetYourself's picture
Submitted by ForgetYourself on Tue, 2021-08-31 20:23

I received the Deluxe LP box back in August and hadn't opened it yet. So glad I read the review. I have 5 days to deliver to my local UPS store for a full refund. I also bought the CD at the same time (opened it when I got it) and tonight I compared it to my original US pressing. All I can say is Wow, they are so dissimilar. So I just want to say Thanks!

Pages

X