Anyone else pick up Bruce Spizer's informative little booklet for their Volume 1 set? I Googled it and it's actually still available : Capitol Albums V1 CD Booklet – beatle.net Companion booklet for new Capitol CD set now available - BeatlesNews.com
Because configuration of the albums is only half the story. The reverb drenched wonky sound is the other half. Those who want "best sound quality available" already have it.
And those who want wonky sound already have it in the Capitol boxes. I know many people were happy to have the American artwork and configurations (and almost all unique mixes) along with great sound. As I said, best of both worlds, and more different options to choose from.
Not all of it. Lots of post Rubber Soul U.S. tracks are MIA. If a V3 were issued with the rest of the "Capitolized" tracks, all of the issues with the U.S. albums box would go away. My main point is that ALL of "best sound available" tracks are already available. You seem to want to deny access to the others. I don't understand that.
Not at all. I already said it's a shame they didn't release a vol. 3, or at least Y&T. I own the 2 Capitol boxes, and I would like to have a complete set made that way because it's a historical curiosity. I'm just saying I also get the concept of the US Albums set, and also enjoy it (although I would have liked that it included the few missing tracks). As I said before, both sets have issues, but I'm glad they made both.
I may have said this in this very thread but I'll reiterate, if the 2014 box was released in 1986,7 with the dedicated mono mixes where applicable and true stereo stuff where applicable, Americans like me would have been ecstatic. But I agree with the purists who want the US albums the way they heard them too. I didn't get the 2014 set although I bought Yesterday and Today right away (it's my favorite Beatles album ever, whatever mixes I'm given).
SO! Of the albums that weren't in Vol.1+2, what are we missing in US configurations? Obviously there's the unique mixes on Y&T (which are mostly on the US albums version, which only really faulters by using 1987 remixes too), and the "panning" stereo mix of AHDN, but what of the rest?
Not Duosonic, but regular ol' fake stereo. (Duosonic is a very specific type of processing that Capitol did, utilizing the reverb chamber in the basement of the Tower.)
Sorry, that was not correct. The unique US mix of SFF is the stereo. The rest of the side 2 are duophonics. Mono is identical to the UK
The 1966 stereo mix of "Strawberry Fields Forever" is unique to the US MMT and US Blue album. It's really disappointing that this didn't appear on the recent Pepper 50th release. Also, "I Am The Walrus" has a different stereo mix on the US MMT. The 70s German stereo LP version is the same as the US mix, but with unedited extra beats at the beginning. The US mono version of IATW is possibly a (slightly) different mix, but the single has extra beats before "Yellow matter custard". The mono LP version has the extra beats edited out.
I didn't know about the stereo IATW. Thought they received the mono and stereo mixes of the UK EP. It's clear MMT should have received the "Capitol albums" treatment.
So you're confirming that for example, the (US only) stereo mixes of songs like 'I'm Looking Through You' and 'The Word' sound noticeably better on the US Albums box than they do the Capitol Albums sets?
No, I was talking about the tracks where the mix is the same as the UK. In the unique US mixes, the source is the same, the Capitol tapes. The mastering may differ a bit, but they should sound very similar in quality. I've never A-B them, though, maybe someone else can help.
Fat lot of good it does you to read information in a booklet AFTER you've spent >$150, huh? As for the sticker on "Pepper," that wouldn't apply to aftermarket sales, radio play or copies that are sold after they run out of stickers and stop using them.
I'd probably still buy a Capitol Box #3 in long-box format - in keeping with the original format, 2 CD The Beatles' Story (even if it would fit on a single CD), Revolver and The Beatles Again (Hey Jude). An odd box, but at least they could use the same random cardboard and plastic to house the booklet. Having just Vols. 1 and 2 seems incomplete, even if they couldn't include a statement analogous to that included at the top of the rear box cover without being a bit awkward (or inaccurate): For the second (or third, or perhaps fourth) time on CD...the original 1964, 1966 and 1970 Capitol (well, Apple in one case, but cut us some slack here) presented in both stereo and mono except that we don't have stereo and mono for some of this, so bear with us. Why did we do this? Enjoy the music that you've heard in seven other formats! Actually, I started this post in sincerity and now I know why it never happened.
The mastering issue for the U.S. Albums box was known (and discussed/debated here for page after page after page) well before the box was even released.
Even so, for both cases: in the internet era there are tons of information for those who are interested in a product. If a consumer buys something without knowing exactly what it is, it's his fault.