Album Reviews

I of course stand by my sonic impressions. It's what I heard, but I do owe Sean an apology if I mischaracterized what he said, which I assumed was "on the record", but it's an assumption I should have first cleared with him. It's always my intention of evaluating sonics based upon careful listening and with no "agenda" for or against anyone or any company. I went back and listened again, and I stick with what I wrote. but I also think there's been an overreaction by some readers. I did not charge these were cut from digital. I wrote that's what they sound like for whatever reason or reasons.

There seems to be an overreaction to this review! Yes, I was disappointed by what I heard. It was not what I was expecting based upon the sound of the EP collection and the World Records box. This box doesn't sound as good as it should, as described below: flat perspective, dried reverb that doesn't translate into space and worst of all: a lack of textures to vocals and especially drums: all attack, little sustain, weak decay. Single after single comparisons produced disappointment. As I wrote below, I didn't listen to all of the box before writing. Last night I played "Come Together" and "Something" and the new box sound was very "clear" and not dynamically compressed. "Pretty good" I said to myself. Then I played the "World" box version, and no contest— a return of textures, space, subtlety, etc.. That said, this box does not "suck"! It could have been better but it doesn't "suck" and the packaging is spectacular! How many of us actually plan to sit there and play side after side? People complain about double 45rpm LPs because of the 4 turnovers! So, consider why you were or were not buying this box before saying "yes" or "no". As an "object d' art" (or however that's pronounced) this box is a 10. So please don't overreact to the review!

The Beatles The Singles Collection arrived the other day and it was opened with great anticipation and the embedded YouTube video was quickly produced in a single take before listening to a note. As you'll see when you watch, the packaging is "top shelf" and imaginative and Kevin Howlett's booklet notes are illuminating and useful. Using original artwork from around the world was a nice touch that every Beatles fan will appreciate!

Sean Magee cut lacquers at Abbey Road Studios so I emailed him about the source material and he wrote back: "The audio I used was the same as the Mono vinyl box that Steve (Berkowitz) and I did. It was decided that this was best the way to go in the wake of the Mono Vinyl box.

"Any eq was based on the original cutting notes made by Harry Moss and the eq Steve and I had arrived at and with a few minor alterations to allow for the 7” medium.

"Whereas Mono masters LP was a master created for the LP as one didn’t exist , the singles were cut from the masters as there was no need to unpick then to create a “master”. "Love me do was direct from digits as the 7” sounded better than from a tape dubbed from our needle drop which was used for the Mono masters LP. I tested both."

That gave me great hope for sound that would match the outstanding packaging. However, one credit in the booklet gave me pause: under "Vinyl Mastering: Sean Magee at Abbey Road Studios" was this: "Library and tape transfers: Ian Pickavance and Cary Anning". That seems to be at odds with Mr. Magee's production description of "cut from masters", unless that meant after transfer to digital from original tape masters, because unfortunately, that's what it sounds like (I'm leaving this in because it's what I originally wrote, and now we know those transfers were used as references not for cutting, though I don't recall any such tape transfer credit on the mono AAA album box, and that did set me off in the wrong direction. If this was cut directly from tape, I'll eat the box with a knife and fork! Okay, I take that back (glad I did!) because I like the packaging too much.

I compared the singles in this box with a few originals I have here on American labels Swan and VJ, released before Capitol "lowered" itself and decided to distribute The Beatles, figuring later Capitol singles would have been Dave "Dexterized" and so not be a fair or useful comparison. More importantly, I compared these to the World Records "The Beatles Collection" box set produced in 1978 by EMI for its mail order only division, which you'll see in the video.

Revisiting these old singles was of course an act of pure nostalgic joy and I came away realizing how key was Ringo Starr to the band's success. His drumming has a visceral, earthy, sexy quality that might have subconsciously driven the girls back then mad, more than Paul's goo goo eyes! I'm serious!

However, while the drums on the World Records set are texturally and timbrally rich, on the new box they sound flat, dead and cardboard-y. Mono can have depth as the World Records versions prove and the added reverb helps produce the space.

The new box sounds dry, flat and boring. All of the voices reside on a flat plane, attack is stunted, sustain minimized and decay almost non-existent—all of the telltale signs of bad digitization—obvious even on the early "primitive" tracks. After comparing a few I moved forward to "Baby You're a Rich Man" and after that comparison I stopped to write this. I was going to digitize a bit of both so you could hear it. I realize that somehow digitizing an already digitized single is oxymoronic (and some of you may think having a discussion about sound quality of Beatles singles is just plain moronic, but it's not!). The World box singles sound alive, exciting and packed with transient details and depth. The top end sparkles where appropriate—like on "Ticket to Ride", where the guitar jangle is intense and Ringo's toms have depth and texture. On this box that track is flat and just plain boring, but "Baby You're a Rich Man" is even worse. I have chosen not to digitize and put any of it up here for you to stream just to avoid possible legal issues.

To say I'm disappointed with the sound is an understatement. It's as weak as the packaging is strong. As a souvenir or attractive shelf item this set gets an 11. As something you'd want to play it gets a 5: middling. I don't know what happened here but it produced a dull top, rubbery bottom, congested midrange, flat, dry perspective and heavy dynamic compression. To my ears that sounds like uncritical digitization using a mediocre A/D converter and with plenty of dynamic compression added for the "kill". I just don't believe this set was cut from tape. I don't blame Sean Magee, he cut from what he was given, but I re-read more critically his email and it doesn't make clear that he cut from tape. It sure doesn't sound like it. Nor does it sound as if the tapes have simply deteriorated from the time the World Records box was produced in 1977. The sonic differences between the two are major: one jumps from the speakers and is filled with timbral and spatial detail that excites the senses and the other just lays between the speakers and bores.

As a Christmas present it's better than a lump of coal in your stocking, mainly because of the superb packaging, which makes it a worthwhile and welcome gift for any Beatles fan, but sonically, it's strictly fossil fuel.

This box is a major sonic disappointment that I don't believe had to be. Yes, the packaging is exquisite but someone wasn't paying attention to the sound.