Beatles

Lovers of original British vinyl had to hand it to Capitol: they collected the "B" sides and British EP tracks and packed them onto Beatle LPs of their invention, keeping the track total skimpy to help create even more LPs. One could buy the EPs to complete the collection but they were less convenient to play though the laminated picture sleeves added value.

This 3 LP set, which duplicated the tracks o the double CD found in The Beatles in Mono CD box set was assembled from 15IPS analog tape copies of the mono master tapes, which was the only practical way to do it. Don't worry though, the sound doesn't suffer, especially if your only reference is mono American Beatle albums.

These sound so much better than the American originals you have to wonder what Capitol did to so screw them up. I remember first hearing "I Want to Hold Your Hand" when it first came out on the original Capitol mono and thinking "are those cymbals? And if so, what did they do to make them sound like that?" That being an indistinct, shimmery blur. Here the clarity is astonishing.

The same is true throughout. These singles and "B" sides were mostly mixed and EQ'd for 45rpm release to really "cut through" on the radio and in juke boxes and that they will do on you stereo (or your mono) in most pleasing ways. On "I Call Your Name" you'll scream "More cowbell!" even though there's just enough and it rings with startling clarity and believability.

The tracks duplicate the mono CD box so you get the original "Love Me Do" with Ringo on drums and no tambourine (transferred from vinyl because the master tape had been destroyed), the take of "From Me to You" with the harmonica intro, the two songs sung in German that The Beatles did not want to do, but did at Brian Epstein's insistence, the exceptional "Yes It Is", "Day Tripper", "We Can Work It Out", and all of the rocker-covers like "Matchbox", "Bad Boy" and "Slow Down". "I Feel Fine" and "She's a Woman" were issued in electronically reprocessed for stereo awful sound in America and in a mono version that can't compare to the clarity and directness of this version.

There's also a real stereo version on the UK "hits" package that has some other unique stereo mixes. That record A Collection of Beatles Oldies (Parlophone PCS 7016) deserves an all analog reissue!

Sides 3 and 4 include the later mixed-to-mono singles "Lady Madonna", "The Inner Light", "Hey Jude", and "Revolution". Side 5 are unique mono mixes of "Yellow Submarine" tunes never before issued in mono: ""Only a Northern Song", "All Together Now", "Hey Bulldog", and "It's All Too Much". Side 6 is "Get Back" (with Billy Preston), "Don't Let Me Down" (with Billy Preston) (covered so well by Doug Dillard and Gene Clark), "Across the Universe" and of course the capper "You Know My Name (Look up the Number)".

For Beatles fans what could be more enjoyable than sitting down and listening to the singles as originally intended, (direct, sharp and juke-box bright on top) cut from analog tapes and sounding as fresh and new as if they were recorded yesterday?

The triple gate fold packaging (the same used for the two BBC compilations) features actually readable annotation from Kevin Howlett explaining the track derivation and some great photos.

If ever there was a more powerful demonstration of analog's superiority, compare these 3 LPs with the double CD set in The Beatles in Mono CD box. The rich harmonica on the LP of the primitively recorded "From Me to You" sounds hard and annoying on CD. The reverberation that floats free and surrounds the instruments dries up and evaporates. The picture is flat and un-involving and on this CD when you play "I Call Your Name" and you scream out "MORE COWBELL PLEASE" you'll mean it. Just play that cowbell for anyone who will listen and then play the record. Game over!

Tomorrow: The book and the box in perspective.