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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2019 20:14:30 GMT
I've been an avid Beatles listener for 36 of my 39 years of life on this Earth. There isnt a song i don't know, there isnt an album i cant name the tracklist for and i thought i'd buying the 50th Anniversary editions of Sgt. Pepper, The White Album and now, Abbey Road, would enhance my enjoyment further. It hasn't.
Here's why.
The problem for me started with the first one, Sgt. Pepper
I listened thoroughly to that album and every time i wanted a Sgt. Pepper fix, i'd reach for it. It had a great sense of 'modern' to the new mix and there can be no argument against the new levels of SQ they have managed to uncover via the wonder of digital processes.
I couldn't wait for the White Album to land, and again i marvelled at it's shiny new veneer and cleanliness, but with both albums, i was bugged by the bass levels in the mix. I put it down to 180g being used or anything other than what it is. The real kicker happened a couple of days ago, whilst perusing Youtube. A rather strangely dressed fella presented a 20 min video about the various releases of Abbey road, and kind of compared the different pressings. His set up is far from "audiophile" but i loved the fact he'd gone to all of that effort.
The glaring bass issue came across to me in that video when he compared the 80's pressing to the 2014 remastered and the 2019 pressing of the 50th anniversary edition. I knew it all along but didn't want to admit it.
Video here for those interested:
I decided that i would try my own versions of Abbey Road. A 1960's pressing, 1980's pressing, 2014 pressing and the new 50th anniversary edition.
I'm not going to rake over everything i heard or thought but to me, the only real representation of the Album has to be the 1960's version when they were all alive to hear it. Saying that, my favoured version was the 1980's pressing. The reason for this was largely down to the bass guitar. McCartney famously used flat wound strings and on the 2014 & 2019 editions that bass lacks any kind of detail of flatness. It's far too round and IMO far too high in the mix.
I decided to try the same with Sgt. Pepper and guess what, i noticed the exact same thing. On to the White Album and yes, you guessed it. The bass sound is all wrong.
I listened to all four versions of the three albums and i have to say, whilst there is a lot to like about the new mixes, like the lack of tape his, better channel balance and sq, listening to them now after reacquainting myself with the original pressings and the 80's pressings, i just don't like the new ones anymore. McCartney's bass was a real accompaniment to the main melodies and integral to the structures of the song. The way George Martin mixed it, made it so. Unfortunately, it sounds like Giles Martin has decided to mix The Beatles for a younger crowd, a crowd used to loud and brash.
The new mixes have lost something,they've lost a part of the story and lost interplay between the musicians. Had these versions been the originals, i doubt McCartney would've spawned as many copycat bass players as he did.
I'll not look at these LP's the same anymore but my love affair with the songs of The Beatles has been rekindled due to rediscovering the originals and 80's pressings.
I'll be reaching for those from now on.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 22, 2019 20:32:18 GMT
I do not listen to these present new mixes. I only bought the sets for the outtakes that were not available on the Anthology CDs + an official release of the Esher tapes... I listen to the 2014 Releases..
As for vinyl. I thought the 1970's Re-Issues sounded good.
There is a very special sound signature the Abbey Road recording gave back then. Its important not to loose that..
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2019 6:09:42 GMT
I do not listen to these present new mixes. I only bought the sets for the outtakes that were not available on the Anthology CDs + an official release of the Esher tapes... I listen to the 2014 Releases.. As for vinyl. I thought the 1970's Re-Issues sounded good. There is a very special sound signature the Abbey Road recording gave back then. Its important not to loose that.. Yes, I think you have a point there. I have a couple of 70's reissues but not of those albums.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2019 6:40:40 GMT
Without this Equipment. You would have never got that wonderful sound. I also fear that Purist Audio systems are not doing that signature any favours.. link
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2019 9:03:22 GMT
Without this Equipment. You would have never got that wonderful sound. I also fear that Purist Audio systems are not doing that signature any favours.. linkwow, that second video, especially the grey haired guy and the way he spoke about a piece of equipment, is essentially the best visual demonstration you could give to people that explains the love of equipment.
The history, the memories and most importantly, the effort that goes into knowing every inch of the kit. People who don't invest emotionally with their gear will never understand that.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2019 10:17:30 GMT
You cant beat the beauty of vintage gear. Nowhere near the same League as the above but i kept a WEM 'Audiomater' mixer for years. Sounded totally different to a modern Studiomaster console i bought.. The fact that The Pink Floyd & The Who used one too got me even more attached.. I was building up at late 60's/Early 70's Analogue Synthesizer studio which id got quite a lot of gear but money became a issue..
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2019 10:50:59 GMT
You cant beat the beauty of vintage gear. Nowhere near the same League as the above but i kept a WEM 'Audiomater' mixer for years. Sounded totally different to a modern Studiomaster console i bought.. The fact that The Pink Floyd & The Who used one too got me even more attached.. I was building up at late 60's/Early 70's Analogue Synthesizer studio which id got quite a lot of gear but money became a issue.. View AttachmentI would have loved to have recorded in an analogue studio. They were digital whe. I was playing 😞
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2019 11:14:21 GMT
Rupert Neve desks were the Creme de la Creme. Not so much the cost of em but the rebuilds etc, you need a big space too... Digital on the other hand is compact & cheap.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2019 9:48:08 GMT
Stereo mixes of their mono recordings, no no no no no, they just do not work. I do not entertain them at all. Got my Mono Box Set and the as originally recorded stereo ones. They can do what they like to them the original Mono versions are the ones to have.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2019 10:47:25 GMT
I bought the 50th remasters stereo /original mono thingy of Peppers. I must be a philistine though because not only do I find it stale .... I like the old STEREO one which everybody slagged off. I love that crass new stereo mega separation that they did with the new fangled two speaked system. Sorry . Strange that the Beatles are now becoming respectable again. For twenty years forum members have been turning their noses up , calling them such things as 'twee boy band" ( The Fall online among others.. not here obviously ) while I tried to champion them. I think it was more 'manly' for people to declare for the Stones . 🙄 Now all of a sudden they're cream of the crop again. I think people forgot just how much graft they put in to get where they were. Lennon was still a nasty man though. 😕
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2019 12:50:19 GMT
I have the monos too and yes, they are very good.
Tbh, the only ones that I am not really enjoying listening to are the new ones, which is a shame.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2019 12:57:48 GMT
I heard the original stereo one on CD and it was pretty painful. I woinder if the new remix is an attempt to make it more palatable on digital ? It's certainly a lot calmer and even sounds muted in places. I'll stick with the brash super wide black stuff. I even saw the new one in Sainsbury's the other day.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2019 23:00:44 GMT
I've got most of the Beatles albums on original vinyl releases (to be fair, Sgt Pepper's belongs to Mrs H, and the White Album belongs to Mrs H's sister. By a weird coincidence, my copy of the White Album, which is the mono version, is at my sister's house). Please Please Me is the only one I own on CD, but Mrs H has the mono box set. We haven't got Let It Be in any version, because it's shite.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2019 15:00:33 GMT
I heard the original stereo one on CD and it was pretty painful. I woinder if the new remix is an attempt to make it more palatable on digital ? It's certainly a lot calmer and even sounds muted in places. I'll stick with the brash super wide black stuff. I even saw the new one in Sainsbury's the other day. It does have that "make it louder" feel of modern mixes.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2019 15:01:53 GMT
I've got most of the Beatles albums on original vinyl releases (to be fair, Sgt Pepper's belongs to Mrs H, and the White Album belongs to Mrs H's sister. By a weird coincidence, my copy of the White Album, which is the mono version, is at my sister's house). Please Please Me is the only one I own on CD, but Mrs H has the mono box set. We haven't got Let It Be in any version, because it's shite. "I've Got a feeling" "One after Nine 0 Nine" "Dig A Pony"
Worth every penny to buy Let It Be!
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2019 15:27:30 GMT
Ther biggest reason why it's below par is the employ of a certain Phil Spector as producer. Why on earth ?
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2019 15:33:18 GMT
Ther biggest reason why it's below par is the employ of a certain Phil Spector as producer. Why on earth ? By no means is it their finest Album, but it's a stripped back affair with those few tracks giving a sample of what made them so electric in their early days.
I do listen to LIB quite often and I do enjoy most of it.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2019 15:53:07 GMT
I by no means dislike it. But Spector's done them no favours. George Martin was devastated. " if it ain't broken... don't fix it " should have prevailed methinks.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 28, 2019 16:57:11 GMT
I by no means dislike it. But Spector's done them no favours. George Martin was devastated. " if it ain't broken... don't fix it " should have prevailed methinks. Yup, no doubt they broke the magic but ye, mixed bag
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