Wot, no new Beatles film and album thread

[uncle psychosis]

I saw the film the other week and really enjoyed it, and I say that as someone who is quite cynical about the whole Beatles phenomenon. For me the early years is the really interesting part of the story so it was cool to focus on that rather than the "not speaking to each other recording on their own" later years.

I also saw Supersonic recently and despite not being particularly into Oasis thought it was really interesting. Oasis may not be everyone's cup of tea but the story of how a bunch of lads from a council estate went from nobodies to one of the biggest bands in the world in a period of about 18 months is a fascinating one.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='skankdelvar' timestamp='1474912387' post='3141481']
It was a cover of a Beatles song that got me into bass playing. Heard this song, looked at the album sleeve and thought 'What's that thing?'.

My course was set.

[media]http://youtu.be/UkGXUn0Kuuw[/media]
[/quote]

Far Canal.

I never realised that Bill MacCormick's brother was actually Ian MacDonald!

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1491404855' post='3272776']
Far Canal.

I never realised that Bill MacCormick's brother was actually Ian MacDonald!
[/quote]

Neither did I.

(At first I thought you meant Ian McDonald the saxophonical proggist. But no.)

[NancyJohnson]

[quote name='Hobbayne' timestamp='1491389113' post='3272592']
They are at it again.
[url="http://wogew.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/sgt-pepper-anniversary-edition-revealed.html"]http://wogew.blogspo...n-revealed.html[/url]
[/quote]

I saw this earlier today on the Super-Deluxe Edition website as well ([url="http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/the-beatles-sgt-peppers-lonely-hearts-club-band-super-deluxe-edition/"]http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/the-beatles-sgt-peppers-lonely-hearts-club-band-super-deluxe-edition/[/url]). I never quite understood the desire/excitement for monaural delivery...when I was a kid, my amp had a mono button on it and it just made everything sound bland (except for the first Van Halen album, which sounded great in either stereo or mono).

While I'm never going to buy it, I was a little shocked (and don't blame Brexit) that Amazon Italy have it listed for under £85 notes, but in the UK it's £141.00. UK screwed over (yet) again. We just seem to accept that every time we bend over someone is going to shove something up there.

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='NancyJohnson' timestamp='1491406805' post='3272806']
I saw this earlier today on the Super-Deluxe Edition website as well ([url="http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/the-beatles-sgt-peppers-lonely-hearts-club-band-super-deluxe-edition/"]http://www.superdelu...deluxe-edition/[/url]). I never quite understood the desire/excitement for monaural delivery...when I was a kid, my amp had a mono button on it and it just made everything sound bland (except for the first Van Halen album, which sounded great in either stereo or mono).
[/quote]

The stereo mixes were generally an afterthought, or looked on as a novelty. When instruments are panned hard to one side, a mono mix has tonnes more focus and energy.

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='uncle psychosis' timestamp='1491404844' post='3272775']
I saw the film the other week and really enjoyed it, and I say that as someone who is quite cynical about the whole Beatles phenomenon. For me the early years is the really interesting part of the story so it was cool to focus on that rather than the "not speaking to each other recording on their own" later years.

I also saw Supersonic recently and despite not being particularly into Oasis thought it was really interesting. Oasis may not be everyone's cup of tea but the story of how a bunch of lads from a council estate went from nobodies to one of the biggest bands in the world in a period of about 18 months is a fascinating one.
[/quote]I saw the film at in cinema and thoroughly enjoyed it, but I won't be bothering with this latest release, I got the Anthology series of double CD's and have probably only played them half a dozen times, how may remixes, remasters can they get out of one album?, plus Sgt Peppers is probably my least favourite Beatles album

[mikel]

What still gets me, even now, is the vocals on the original mono recordings. They jump out of the speaker/s. For want of a better word they have huge amounts of heft. The sheer jump up and down excitement of "She Loves You" blasting out in mono is still a joy.

I saw the film and it simply proved they were an awesome live band, even though they could not even hear what they were playing as individuals never mind as a band. The audience could also hear bugger all with all the screaming, so its no surprise they packed in live gigs.

Could you imagine even a semi pro band now playing "Blind" as it were, without any monitoring or being able to hear the vocals? How far through the first song would they get before it all fell to bits?

Edited April 5, 2017 by mikel

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1491409210' post='3272825']
What still gets me, even now, is the vocals on the original mono recordings. They jump out of the speaker/s. For want of a better word they have huge amounts of heft. The sheer jump up and down excitement of "She Loves You" blasting out in mono is still a joy.

I saw the film and it simply proved they were an awesome live band, even though they could not even hear what they were playing as individuals never mind as a band. The audience could also hear bugger all with all the screaming, so its no surprise they packed in live gigs.

Could you imagine even a semi pro band now playing "Blind" as it were, without any monitoring or being able to hear the vocals? How far through the first song would they get before it all fell to bits?
[/quote]yes I was struck how accurate the harmonies/vocals and playing in general was, mind blowing really when you consider they couldn't hear a bloody thing, suppose that's what doing 12 hour sets in Hamburg does for you

[bazzbass]

[quote name='PaulWarning' timestamp='1491391955' post='3272629']
you've got to admire the inventiveness of whoever looks after the Beatles back catalogue, a master class in how many times you can sell the same stuff and over and over, still while mugs will buy it why not? and when you've run out of formats just go back to vinyl again, you couldn't make it up
[/quote]

Jimmy Page beats the Beatles (see what I did there?) at this, releasing three different 'remasterred' versions of their catalogue. I should know, I bought them all,wanting the latest technological advancement in sound lol, yeah, I'm a sucker !

[mikel]

That whole "Remastered" thing is a big no no for me. I have been replacing some of my vinyl and the new pressings of some of the 60s and 70s stuff is re mastered, or in Stereo? I want to replace the original albums so I have trawled the vinyl stores and come up with some of the originals in great condition. Just because the technology exists to re master something or make it faux stereo is no excuse. Put old recordings onto the modern playback mediums by all means, but dont mess with the original performance/recording, its a bit of musical history.

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1491470584' post='3273234']
That whole "Remastered" thing is a big no no for me. I have been replacing some of my vinyl and the new pressings of some of the 60s and 70s stuff is re mastered, or in Stereo? I want to replace the original albums so I have trawled the vinyl stores and come up with some of the originals in great condition. Just because the technology exists to re master something or make it faux stereo is no excuse. Put old recordings onto the modern playback mediums by all means, but dont mess with the original performance/recording, its a bit of musical history.
[/quote]remastering is just a way of ripping off the fans really, but, the bass does seem louder, on the remastered Beatles and Clash anyway

[wateroftyne]

Remastering & re-releasing isn't going to go away - it's an important part of keeping the music alive for new generations to discover.

The alternative is original mixes languishing on the shelves, with nothing new to say about them.

These re-issue programmes light the fire under them, and get them back in the public eye, giving people jobs in creative, marketing and technology sectors.

Not keen on them? Walk away.

[PaulWarning]

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1491471313' post='3273243']
Remastering & re-releasing isn't going to go away - it's an important part of keeping the music alive for new generations to discover.

The alternative is original mixes languishing on the shelves, with nothing new to say about them.

These re-issue programmes light the fire under them, and get them back in the public eye, giving people jobs in creative, marketing and technology sectors.

Not keen on them? Walk away.
[/quote]there is that, if you've not got the originals, great, but I just think they're exploiting the loyalty of diehard fans and completists, but hey, like you say nobody forcing people to buy them, and like high concert ticket prices if nobody bought them things would soon change, look how CD prices have plummeted since digital downloads started

[Conan]

[quote name='blue' timestamp='1475428079' post='3145835']
I didn't move to Milwaukee until 1981.
[/quote]

So until 1981 you were...

[Dad3353]

^^

[mikel]

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1491471313' post='3273243']
Remastering & re-releasing isn't going to go away - it's an important part of keeping the music alive for new generations to discover.

The alternative is original mixes languishing on the shelves, with nothing new to say about them.

These re-issue programmes light the fire under them, and get them back in the public eye, giving people jobs in creative, marketing and technology sectors.

Not keen on them? Walk away.
[/quote]

I didnt say there was anything wrong with a re release, that's what I wanted to replace worn out vinyl. Its re mastering I don't like, it is messing with the original simply cos you can. That's why I dont buy re mastered, so I do walk away.

Edited April 6, 2017 by mikel

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1491486512' post='3273423']
I didnt say there was anything wrong with a re release, that's what I wanted to replace worn out vinyl. Its re mastering I don't like, it is messing with the original simply cos you can. That's why I dont buy re mastered, so I do walk away.
[/quote]

It wasn't aimed at you specifically :-)

That said, I don't mind remasters as all, provided there's an improvement... which isn't usually the case these days anyway.

As for extras, I did enjoy a lot of the stuff on the Beatles Anthology, but they served a purpose - demonstrating how songs developed, etc. I don't quite understand the need for a million different takes & mixes, though.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1491486512' post='3273423']
I didnt say there was anything wrong with a re release, that's what I wanted to replace worn out vinyl. Its re mastering I don't like, it is messing with the original simply cos you can. That's why I dont buy re mastered, so I do walk away.
[/quote]

There's nothing wrong with re-mastering provided that it is being done because there is a new delivery medium to cater for, and it was done from the original mono or stereo mix and not from an existing production master.

Each different format (vinyl, compact cassette, 1/4 tape, CD and data compressed download) should have it's own specially created production master that takes into account the strengths and weaknesses of the delivery medium, and not a one size doesn't really fit any attitude towards mastering. There are lots of restrictions on what can be cut to vinyl that simply don't affect digital files, so they shouldn't have to make to with a less than optimum master.

BTW as a purist I hope you bought the mono version of the vinyl, as this is the one that they spent the time mixing. The stereo version was dashed off in an afternoon at the end of the week when the mono mixes had been finished.

[Skol303]

[quote name='Conan' timestamp='1491474027' post='3273280']
So until 1981 you were...

[/quote]

I love that Blue has his own emoticon here on Basschat. Not even The Beatles have such accolade.

[spectoremg]

Nice Brian Pern moment last week when they were discussing the plethora of Thotch greatest hits/best of packages.
When they were just repackaged with a bonus track they were giant rip offs. With the advent of downloads the record companies can't get away with that anymore.
Outtakes - don't get me started!
The Led Zeppelin back catalogue reissues - don't get me started!
Jimmy Page - get a post Led Zeppelin career already!

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='spectoremg' timestamp='1491555220' post='3273877']
Nice Brian Pern moment last week when they were discussing the plethora of Thotch greatest hits/best of packages.
When they were just repackaged with a bonus track they were giant rip offs. With the advent of downloads the record companies can't get away with that anymore.
Outtakes - don't get me started!
The Led Zeppelin back catalogue reissues - don't get me started!
Jimmy Page - get a post Led Zeppelin career already!
[/quote]

Heh... the Zeppelin reissue campaign was one of the more worthwhile ones, I thought.

Decent outtakes for those who want them, and it got the music back into the public eye again.

[mikel]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1491487967' post='3273443']
There's nothing wrong with re-mastering provided that it is being done because there is a new delivery medium to cater for, and it was done from the original mono or stereo mix and not from an existing production master.

Each different format (vinyl, compact cassette, 1/4 tape, CD and data compressed download) should have it's own specially created production master that takes into account the strengths and weaknesses of the delivery medium, and not a one size doesn't really fit any attitude towards mastering. There are lots of restrictions on what can be cut to vinyl that simply don't affect digital files, so they shouldn't have to make to with a less than optimum master.

[b]BTW as a purist I hope you bought the mono version of the vinyl,[/b] as this is the one that they spent the time mixing. The stereo version was dashed off in an afternoon at the end of the week when the mono mixes had been finished.
[/quote]

Of course. If the album was an original Mono recording then that's what its supposed to sound like. I am not a purist, but the original recordings sounded just fine to me.

[BrunoBass]

Manic Street Preachers (whom I not knocking because I'm a big fan) have just released a remastered edition of an album that was only released in 2007. I mean, come on...

https://www.manicstreetpreachers.com/cat-news/send-away-tigers-10-year-collectors-edition/

[BigRedX]

[quote name='mikel' timestamp='1491557701' post='3273908']
Of course. If the album was an original Mono recording then that's what its supposed to sound like. I am not a purist, but the original recordings sounded just fine to me.
[/quote]

Both the mono and stereo mixes were done for the original album release, and you could buy the album in Mono or Stereo versions, but the mono mix is the one that George Martin and the band spent the most time on, as this was the way that most people would hear the tracks - on AM mono radio and Dansette-type record players. The stereo mix is a proper stereo mix and not re-processed from a mono mix, like some from that era, but given that it was done in a fraction of the time, plus the fact that the album was recorded by bouncing between two 4-track machines, the scope for stereo was somewhat limited.

[mikel]

[quote name='BigRedX' timestamp='1491566486' post='3274009']
Both the mono and stereo mixes were done for the original album release, and you could buy the album in Mono or Stereo versions, but the mono mix is the one that George Martin and the band spent the most time on, as this was the way that most people would hear the tracks - on AM mono radio and Dansette-type record players. The stereo mix is a proper stereo mix and not re-processed from a mono mix, like some from that era, but given that it was done in a fraction of the time, plus the fact that the album was recorded by bouncing between two 4-track machines, the scope for stereo was somewhat limited.
[/quote]

I thought the early albums were recorded/mastered in Mono only?