Beatles

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Beatles
John Lennon’s New Mind Games: The Ultimate Mixes & The Out-takes 180g 2LP Set Offers Alternate View Into His Oft-Overlooked 1973 Near-Classic Solo Album, With Mostly Great Results
Mark Smotroff  |  Aug 01, 2024

Periodically, artists will issue an album that unintentionally divides their audience, as John Lennon did with his October 1973 solo LP, Mind Games. A new 2LP set dubbed Mind Games: The Ultimate Mixes & The Out-takes, released on July 12, 2024, may change some of that perspective, as it aims to bring listeners more inside Lennon’s 1973 recording sessions at New York’s Record Plant studio. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see if this new edition of Mind Games is worth the investment. . .

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The Beatles’ 1964 U.S. Albums in Mono 180g 8LP Box Set Offers All-Analog Updates That Will Appeal to Enthusiasts and Newbies Alike
Mark Smotroff  |  Dec 06, 2024

In the Beatleverse, it is generally well known and quite accepted that the mono mixes of the early Beatles recordings are considered superior to the stereo counterparts for many reasons. Thus, a new box set assembling 21st century recreations of the U.S. Beatles albums in their original monaural sound has a special sort of appeal — and that’s where the 1964 U.S. Albums in Mono 180g 8LP box set, which was released by Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe on November 22, 2024, comes into play. Read Mark Smotroff’s review to see if The Beatles’ 1964 U.S. Albums in Mono 180g 8LP box set is fab enough to put on your holiday-purchase list, or if you should buy each album individually. . .

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Beatles
Abbey Road Studio's Sean Magee Talks About Mastering The Beatles LP Box
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 13, 2012
I spoke today with Sean Magee about the just released Beatles LP box set. Magee's resume is impressive. He's cut both lacquers and DMM and does a great deal of AAA cutting for Pure Pleasure among other labels.
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Beatles
"Past Masters" Still Masterful
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 29, 2012
The Beatles' early output was as confusingly presented as it was prolific. That was true on both sides of "the pond." In America, Capitol Records at first decided to pass on The Beatles. In the U.K. singles didn't make it onto albums.
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Beatles
"Let It Be" Is a Mixed Bag Reissue
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 28, 2012
This album stiffed when first released in the Spring of 1970. While it was hyped as the "last Beatles album" everyone knew it was recorded before Abbey Road, even if they didn't know the messy history behind it. And by the time the album was released the Beatles had broken up.
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Beatles
"The Beatles": Why Don't We Throw It in the Road? (When Everyone is Watching)
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 26, 2012
I've fed you another piece of misinformation fed to me by someone involved in this project but I can't remember whom: at first I was told RTI pressed these records. But that had to be walked back. Then I was told, no Rainbo pressed but RTI plated. Now I've been told by RTI's Don MacInnis that, no RTI didn't plate them either. Sorry about that.
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Beatles
"Magical Mystery Tour": It's Getting Hard to be Someone (But It All Works Out)
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 25, 2012
Authenticity required this album to have a "Capitol" label since it was not originally issued in the U.K. There, the five tunes on side one comprised a double 7" EP issue containing the songs from the "Color Television Film called 'Magical Mystery Tour'".
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Beatles
Best Ever "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band"?
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 22, 2012
Back in 1996 EMI contemplated a newly-remastered 30th anniversary CD edition of "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. While the company later issued a 30th anniversary edition of The Beatles (The "White" Album) complete with a transparent slip case, black inner sleeves and the poster and photos originally included in the vinyl version, the 30th anniversary Sgt. Peppers... was never released. I know about it because I was peripherally involved.
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Beatles
"Revolver" On Target Or A Misfire?
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 19, 2012
Of course Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band was The Beatles' and George Martin's creative and technological pinnacle and the album most cite as their greatest, but there's plenty to be said for Revolver being their best and most consistent collection of songs and performances.
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Beatles
"Producing "Sgt. Pepper" Was Like Producing A Peter Sellers Album"
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 18, 2012
Yesterday was a waste case for listening. I powered up the stereo and what came out was so bad I couldn't review anything. I'm not kidding. I tried everything: various turntables, cartridges, digital and nothing sounded good......So I went upstairs and watched this fascinating BBC documentary on the life and times of George Martin. There's been an anti-George Martin backlash of late from people who think he takes too much credit for their success, but watching this makes obvious that these people are making stuff up. He certainly doesn't here.
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Beatles
Is "Beatles For Sale" Sellable?
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 17, 2012
This fourth Beatles album didn't exist in America because it didn't contain any hit singles. In England, hits were singles, sometimes issued as four song E.P.s. In America hits were the bait to get teens to buy albums, but in England you got fourteen songs for your money. In America you got twelve but you got the hits.
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Beatles
Rubber Souled Out?
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 16, 2012
As expected, Rubber Soul, sourced from George Martin's 1987 16 bit, 44.1k remix sounds like a CD. Why should it sound like anything else? That's from what it was essentially mastered.
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Beatles
An Abbey Roadblock?
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 14, 2012
If you're looking for a quick and easy answer to the question "How good is The Beatles box set?" you've come to the wrong place. Each album deserves to be evaluated individually and that's what I intend to do, though the lesser ones (if there is such a thing among Beatles albums) will get less attention.
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Beatles
"A Hard Day's Night" Among the Best of the Box, But Why?
Michael Fremer  |  Dec 07, 2012
It's June of 1964. Beatlemania is sweeping America. You've just graduated high school and are getting ready for college. You're trying to grow up, you're listening to jazz, but you've been pulled into this teen craze by the music. Not since Elvis, the Everly Brothers and Roy Orbison has your world been so rocked.
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Beatles
Beatles Box Arrives!
Michael Fremer  |  Nov 13, 2012
The Beatles box arrived today, oh boy.
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