Is Giles Martin helping or hurting The Beatles?

why not? he remixed them while he was alive

 

I know it’s complicated legally with there 60’s catalogue but they could have done a 5-6 disc set easy for the Beggars Banquet 50th with what is out there, double LP of outtakes demo’s stuff like that, instead we got that lazy flexi disc effort, I’m not holding out much hope for Let It Bleed next year. Sticky fingers had abit more and was a nice boxset, but I think that was more in there control, would love some more of the 70’s stuff to get a re issue as well I agree but it wouldn’t be of the quality of the Beatles box sets unfortunately.

 

Yes due to weird stereo panning.

 

HELPING

I have not listened to this album, all the way through, in over 30 years. I had no reason to. I know it by heart, I've heard it thousands of times. I could virtually play the entire thing in my head.

Since Friday, I have listened to these songs again maybe 10 times through. I would never have done so without this new release. I feel that people will discover or rediscover this album because of the publicity around this release and the release itself.

So, IMHO, great job, thanks for the real good 5.1 mix, and "keep them coming"

 

If stereo remixes are the only way to get surround sound mixes and outtakes and rarities, I call that a worthwhile necessary evil.

Helping. It certainly can't hurt.

 

I never understood the whole "weird stereo panning" problem. The stereo mixes for the white album never sounded odd on headphones. Sgt. Pepper I prefer the mono mix, but not necessarily because of panning. It's not like "The Lonely Bull" by Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass - now THAT was an awful stereo mix, if you can even call it that, and I can see why that one would sound even worse on headphones.

 

Do you have the set?

 

From when I was a kid I always had a little bit of a problem with the sound of certain tracks if not entire albums. The more improved my sound systems got over the years, the more these shortcomings became obvious. Things like the clutter on certain tracks on both Revolver and Sgt. Pepper; the shrilly high end on at least one or two tracks on Rubber Soul. The White Album was no exception to these issues on some songs despite the fact that they had use of an eight-track. certain tracks lacked low end while others sounded somewhat muddy. This isn't to categorically put down the overall sound of Beatle albums but they were far from "perfect", great and innovative as they were (are..?). But over the years, I *did* find myself saying I wish this or that sounded a bit more like this or more spread out or (as in the case of a couple of tracks on Abbey Road) less hissy. We could easily make an entire thread of our specific dislikes on Beatle albums, sound wise (I always thought the title track on Spector's LIB sounded awful).

When remixing classic Rock albums seemingly started to be the new order of the day some 8 or 9 years ago, needless to say I got excited in hopes that at least some Beatle albums would be subject to this type of "treatment". I won't go far as to say that Giles has batted 1000% through and through. But for the most part, he's fulfilled my wishes in making at least two Beatle albums sound-for the most part- as they deserve to sound, IMO. Does this mean I'm about to discard all my other treasured copies of the original mixes of Pepper and White?? Absolutely NOT. The way these albums were recorded and mixed in their time 9whether mono or stereo) is an all-important part of music history and I will always go back to them while I fully enjoy the alternate listening "experience" these remixed versions have to offer.

 

Remixing is more like painting the Mona Lisa from scratch but with a lot of the same base elements such as basic shapes or color schemes. It isn't unconscionable because you aren't actually messing with the original or anything like that, just having fun with creating a new derivative product from the same base elements, that you can totally disregard if you don't enjoy it with no worries about the original being tampered with

 

Apples and Oranges. SW never remixed Brain Salad Surgery (the Rhino remix).

 

that's probably unfortunately true. depending on how they recorded them, most of the stones seventies stuff would sound great in surround. I'm not sure about exile though, it has a beautiful ugliness that it may lose, but even so, the originals are still all over the place, so no loss if they tried

 

exactly

 

I think the work Giles Martin is doing is very good, and the music itself remains great. I'm not so much of a "purist" that
I would disregard something "new", as long as it is done with respect, and aims to raise the quality of the sound.

 

Has he been asked, and commented why this was done? Doesn't seem to be the kind of guy that would do that just for the heck of it.

 

No. Listened to it yesterday on Tidal. Got about as far as Piggies and then skipped to the Esher demos.

Never likely to buy this. I already have CD's and a near original LP. Heaven forbid that Giles gets his hands on Abbey Road. I have fond teenage memories of this that are more than adequately re-kindled via multiple CD's & LP's

 

Wait, why heaven forbid though? You can just stick to the original and never have to even listen to it if you don't want to lol

 

If you haven't actually listened to it, (streaming doesn't count) you really have no basis for your statements

 

Apparently that isn't possible for these guys. They have the jack boots on and they're marching.

 

I’m waiting for the Steven Wilson remixes.....

 

Well said. The overdramatics of some on here is hilarious.

 

It's probably a relatively thankless task. IMO he's probably doing the best job that's realistically possible (though that isn't always the same as the best job across the board. Depends on the release.) IMO, the Beatles legacy was confirmed a long time ago, and while a lot of the bonus material and outtakes are interesting, they don't really add or subtract from that incredible legacy. As far as the remixes and mash ups and what nots, IDK. IMO the Beatles should sound like what they were: a remarkable synergystic explosion of talent that happened to come on the scene at a time when developments in audio recording come barely keep up with them.

Always surprised me that EMI or Abbey Road didn't hire a staff or engineers to design a 32 track machine in 1967, or basically give the Beatles whatever they wanted soundwise... Can you imagine if the Beatles just started making noises or suggesting they'd have been happier at Warner Brothers or Columbia?

 

It's amazing how some people equate a remix with the actual burning of all existing copies of the original.

 

Of course he is. And who better, and even more qualified?

 

Oh dear it's far worse than I thought. Just thinking that bit underlined is unconscionable in my book. Doing it for money as well...

 

Why wouldn't streaming on Tidal count? Same quality as CD, isn't it?