The Beatles: Red and Blue albums in your collection, Yay or Nay?

Have a 1962-1966 cassette which I bought in 1999 & both 1993 CDs. But I was never really happy with it - cause my favorite tracks are not those ones which usually appear in all those "best-of"s.

 

Yeah, but I couldn't play singles in the car!

 

yup

 

I only added "Baby You're A Rich Man" to my Blue LP in iTunes. But I made my own "Yellow 1962-1970" album, that includes sooo many more hits that just couldn't possibly fit the Red & Blue LPs.

I suppose I could have added "Baby You're A Rich Man" to my "Yellow 1962-1970 album, but the yellow album was an afterthought.

 

I never had the 93 or 2010 CDs because I had everything else. I decided to get the 2014 AAA records as a sort of sampler of The Beatles in stereo on vinyl since I have The Beatles in Mono vinyl set. They are mostly really cool compilations. How can you go wrong with The Beatles? There are a few songs I would switch out, but I'm glad to have them. I find myself playing the Red album more, not sure why.

 

I never owned them--I was more interested in owning all the main releases later on CD.

I can see where people would've thought they were must-have platters back in 1973, though.

 

They were still "must-haves" in 1978 or so when I got 'em as an eight-year-old! BTW, yeah, you can say I have the albums a few times in my collection:



Upper left - original US Apple
Upper right - Capitol reissue from late '70s
Lower left - US colored vinyl reissue from 1978
Lower right - 2014 AAA reissues
Middle left + right - Fan-made DVD comps
Middle center - Sealed 8-tracks

-whew!-

 

Looks like you need a blue colored version!

 

It's under the red. I could only fit but so much in the frame! For each variation, I have both red + blue.

 

Today. I have become the very proud owner of the magnificent British red album on red vinyl. I have the htm red album. The reissue blue. The original red cd ( which is tripe in my opinion ). By far the best I've heard is red red. Obviously only my opinion

 

The 93 CDs were all I owned of the Beatles for a long time. I started buying a lot of the remastered stuff in the last few years on vinyl and CD. Since the remasters on vinyl are the original stereo mixes in analog I grabbed them. They sound great. When I dont feel like specific albums I will spin these

Will prob grab the 2010 CDs at some point just to leave in the car

 

Rented the Red from the library ALL the time as a kid in the 80s (absolutely loved the transition of "We Can Work It Out" into "Day Tripper").
Was given Blue on cassette, Christmas 1987.
Rented the Blue from the library after that (and I think it was Blue vinyl).
Was given Red and Blue on CD in 1993.
Bought the Red and Blue via the new masters in 2010.
And then vinyl in 2014.

You folks that don't own these can't tell me that you don't feel there's a hole in your collection. These were pretty important for me growing up and even with the advent of playlist construction via iTunes and Spotify (and I think they're on there anyway), owning them was really about owning my memories from 30 years ago.

Just go buy them. Seriously. Go out right now and buy them.

 

I have red but no blue so I'm a yaynay.

 

The Beatles 'Blue' album is one of the few records I have bought repeatedly. It epitomizes all that was good about the post-touring Beatles.

1973 original lp
1993 original cd
2010 remaster cd
2014 japan cardboard sleeve

 

Have both on vinyl and CD. Had a copy of the 1967 - 1970 on Blue vinyl but it went missing. Think they're great compilations for people who are thinking of getting into the Beatles. That's how I started.

 

I have the 92 I think is the year CD versions of these and on vinyl. No need for the newer CD or Vinyl versions.

 

Which is the best sounding Red and Blue LP? Apple Japan?

 

All my Japanese Red & Blues all sound very good, that's the EAP, EAS, EAS Red vinyl Apple (I don't have a Blue vinyl on Apple), and the later Red & Blue vinyl EAS Odeon's, they clearly benefit from those silent surfaces.

However, original UK Red & Blues if you find near mint copies will sound better - the new 2014's are excellent and probably your best bet if you want quiet vinyl surfaces, but the original UK versions have the edge I think, if you can find clean copies.

 

I think this sort of compilation is the best - doesn't just stick to #1s or even singles.
I still have my 1970s Blue UK vinyl but never bought the red one - when I was a kid I was only interested in the psychedelic songs like Walrus. Still prefer them to the early songs. I always thought that the inside gatefold was a really great photograph. Love George's tie t-shirt.

 

My favorite of those I have is the 70's blue vinyl U.K. on Apple. The EAS Japanese Apple pressings of bothe red and blue are very good but in hindsight, not as great as we all thought them to be back in the day. the pressing quality is excellent but the sound is a bit too high ended. This is an issue to one extent or another with all the EAS 70's Apple pressings. On the albums that were somewhat high ended to start with (like parts of Rubber Soul), it actually borders on distortion. if anyone has the EAS Apple pressing of RS, listen to the backup vocals on Michelle.

 

I have always liked the sound of the UK pressings of these. Cool to have the "whispering intro" of "I Feel Fine" too.

 

Sorry to break it to you, but the stereo vinyl remasters are digitally sourced and Help and Rubber Soul are the 80s remixes. If it sounds good, that's all that really matters, though.

Edit: Wait, I think I misunderstood you. I read your post 4 times and didn't get it until the 5th reading. You're saying that a recent remaster (2014) of the Red and Blue albums are AAA and sound great. Of course! I agree. I never owned them on cd or any previous versions, but these are very nice.

 

I think the Red one was my first official album when I was 13 or 14. A good starter album, for sure!

 

The red/blue albums were my intro (CD). I've long since picked up the rest of the catalogue, and it's been quite awhile since I've given those two a listen. My completionist nature, however, has never allowed me to part with them.

 

Grew up w/ the Blue set on vinyl. My major introduction to the band as being born in '59 was just a few years past my era. Have always owned a Blue copy but never cared for the Red set but then never owned it either, which as we all know, makes all the difference. The 2009's sets sound bass heavy to me but that's just Paul sneaking one past Yoko for her declining the song credit name change (McCartney-Lennon) he asked for. Just got a used copy of the Blue set, still sounds great...