Latest 5 Reviews Here is what people are saying about the The Beatles - With the Beatles
"The change is barely discernable"
2009-11-03
- Reviewed By User: A3IIA13ONHKSOF
For me the ostensible improvement is barely discernable. It was not really that important. I was actually looking to replace old CDs. The phenomenon of the Group is the point for me. These four guys found themselves in a musical zone that few can even contemplate. Therefore it is a good collectors item.
If ever there was a person to earn the title of "5th Beatle"....it would surely have been George Martin and Brian Epstein....and NOT New York radio DJ, Murray the K.
Martins invaluable knowledge of musical theory and arrangement, as well as his vast overall familiarity with each of the instruments and vocalizing; plus his willingness to bet on a longshot and take risks.
It was Brian Epsteins original interest in the band that convinced them to change their appeance/image and got them in the doors at Parlophone in the first place.
When you listen back to 1962 to the Decca Tapes, the Tony Sheridan recordings and the Star Club in Hamburg,Germany.....It doesn't take a genius to figure out that NOBODY transcends from being a barely competent musician to the Beatle level in only 14 or 15 months. Also keep in mind that short of Paul McCartney, no one in the band had any formal musical training.
I believe this is where George Martin and Brian Epstein come into the picture....Their guidance and vision took a group of 4 very ambitious young men who were extremely talented; yet raw and and transformed them into the biggest band of the century. In very short order, they became better than any of their peers. The bands appearance took on a new look....as well as their sound..
In the studio....Martin undoubtedly helped them to polish their vocal and musical skills...showing them the tips and secrets only the pros were familiar with. It was Martin who helped them accelerate their prowess of the piano and organ...as well as giving them tips on how to accentuate their playing style on guitar, bass and drums..This is the job of a good producer....to get the most out of the performer and to capture it all on tape.
So.....If there ever was ANYBODY who deserved to be referred to as a "5th Beatle"....It would have to be George Martin and Brian Epstein. These 2 men were every much a Beatle as the 4 who you saw on all the records and cd's.
When I think back to all the hoopla that was associated with Beatlemania....I am really convinced that it wasn't all hype at all....These guys (with the help of Brian and George) really deserved all that attention and they truly were a phenomenon and destined to be the BAND OF THE CENTURY.
If you doubt me....just listen to the music.
***************************************
This album came to be during the height of the British invasion upon America portion of the bands career.
The playing and singing have improved consistently and their writing is very compteant.....It is difficult to distinguish the cover tunes from Beatle originals....They have the uncanny ability to make any song they play...a Beatles original...Funny that not many bands had the ability to pull that off successfully......The Stones couldn't do it...and The Who came close with a few tracks they did on Live at Leeds.
My biggest criticism of this effort is that the hokey STEREO mix is B.S. and they should have stuck with the mono versions..The Past Masters orinal version has She Loves You and I'll Get You in true mon..Besides...The mono mixes have more punch and the singles sound more like you remember them sounding on the radio. The Remaster is in stereo...unfortunately...the only place to find true MONO mixes of This Boy and I Want To Hold Your Hand...are on the MEET THE BEATLES disc in the Capitol Album Box Set Vol 1......and with a slight bit of remastering...you too can achieve dazzling results from your old original mono cd's.
All in all....forget the remaster..unless just for the packaging....The MONO mixes are the way to go
"Better In Mono?"
2009-10-14
- Reviewed By User: AWKXG21AC77LT
Although I have Meet the Beatles on 7" Reel in Stereo from its
very early release, I never bought the first 4 CD releases in
Mono. This is a Brazilian copy made in 1990 by EMI. So, maybe
it was a better version. It sounds clean, full bodied. Natural
highs and plenty of deep bass. The reason for me to change to
Mono now, I finally agree with George Martin on the oddity of
vocals on one track and instruments on the other, at least for
this one. Bought the remastered Please Please Me and find it OK
in Stereo, don't ask me why. My guess is I didn't have a Stereo
LP version of PPM and only played the Mono version for 40 years.
This Amazon buy was very inexpensive, brand new and arrived fast.
"Please Please Me with This CD!"
2009-10-09
- Reviewed By User: A1D7H6N1G7RRTI
Listening to "With the Beatles" remastered was a beautiful experience, especially through headphones. I could really hear a dramatic difference between the remastered version and the 1988 original CD of "With the Beatles."
For one thing, the remastered version is in two-channel stereo, rather than the mono of the original CD. So was the original "Meet the Beatles" American version of the LP that I bought and listened to so avidly back in 1964. It was great to hear that music in stereo once again. And so clear! I felt I was in the studio engineer's booth, listening to a "live" performance on studio monitoring headphones.
The final song, "Money" is offered in full stereo, something never heard previously.
There is also a fascinating little video where you see the Beatles at the time they were making the album, and they actually talk about making "With the Beatles "
The photos and liner notes that come with the disc are superb.
I plan to add at least two more remastered CDs in this series to my collection because I was so pleased with the new "With the Beatles" package, even though I already own all the Beatles titles on the 1988 CDs.
My suggestion would be to pick out your favorite Beatles album, purchse the remastered version from Amazon.com (good price!), sit back, relax, and listen, especially if you've got headphones (and I don't mean ear-buds) to enhance the experience.
I don't see how you could go wrong.
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"The change is barely discernable"
"The mono mix is still superior"
"Better In Mono?"