As others have said, yes! The US LPs were futzed with...rechanneled stereo, re-EQ'd, added echo, etc. The US LPs are great from a collecting point of view but not much else (even though I've always liked the track selections on "Meet The Beatles" and the re-configured American "Rubber Soul"). Er...yes, except the mono LPs were not pressed in the 70s! They went out of print 1969 or early 1970. The black/silver LPs were stereo (although a few did come out in mono in 1969 on that label but VERY limited qty's). The mono reissue pressings came out in 1982 as a limited edition run, and also as a box set. The Parlophone LPs from 1982 had the same yellow/black label design as the original LPs from the 60s. For stereo, the Blue box is the best way to go unless you have loads of $$$ to spend on originals. Most 70s and early 80s reissues will sound as good as the originals anyway. MFSL are generally very good pressings but very expensive, like original pressings, and as I've mentioned elsewhere more 'accurate' than the MFSL's IMO. The Pro-Use Abbey Road I can't comment on in terms of sound quality but I do hear good things about it. It's a Japanese pressing (see image below) cat # EALF-97001. The master for this LP was used for the 1983 Japanese CD which was quickly withdrawn. You'll pay a lot of $$$ for a Pro-use Abbey Road...others here who have a copy say it's great but I can't comment because I don't own one.
I goofed - MP is actually the 46th stamper. Take a look at Chuck's post right after your last post. If you follow along with it and your records, you'll know what cutting, mother, and stamper your records came from. XEX 447 -5N XEX is for a MONO LP - YEX is for a STEREO LP. I don't know what the N means after the lacquer number you mentioned. I have a Y/B MONO A Hard Day's Night that is a 3N cutting on each side. I think some STEREO UK Beatles LP's also turned up with a letter after the lacquer # (I *think* it was a G). I remember some discussion in the past here about what these letters after the lacquer # mean, but I can't remember if we ever figured out the correct answer.
Steve, With the general opinion on this board that the standard Beatles CD's are pretty bad re sound, what would a guy like McCartney think about this? I assume maybe you have met him? He really seems to love the Beatles legacy....why wouldn't he want the best sounding suff available out there on CD? I know money enters in there somewhere, but this is the Beatles we are talking about... If I were him, seems like I would fight for the correct stuff to be available.... Thoughts???
I cannot comment on the Pro-Use Abbey Road, but I can comment on the original Japanese Abbey Road CD. It was dreadful. I got rid of mine as soon as the English release came out - a move that I was to regret as despite its abominable sound quality the Jap CD acquired some value for its rarity. I think they might have tried to filter out noise in analogue and filtered everything else out whilst they were at it.
Really?!? Hmm... That disc used pre-emphasis. Maybe your CD player wasn't decoding it...? I'm curious...how did it sound?
Hey Kipper (or anyone else with an informed opinion), I already own a couple of the "2 box" stereo lp's from the early 70's. With that in mind, I may just want to get some more of those to fill in the gaps I have, instead of getting the BC 13 box. Sonically, do you think that the lp's in the "2 box" series I have some of are, sonically, similar to the BC 13 box LP's???
Well, the BC13 blue box actually has the "2 box" Parlophone LPs in it. It didn't have specially-pressed LPs in it, just the stock issue EMI UK discs put into a box, that's all. A convenient way of getting all the LPs. It was in production from 1978 through to about 1987 and was very popular so they can be easily found for reasonably money. The other good thing about it is you're not likely to find many bad ones because a lot of people bought the box for collecting/novelty reasons and didn't play the LPs much, if at all!
Thanks. Just trying to figure what makes the most sense... I have want I want mono wise, and stereo I have: PPM 2 box BFS 2 box H 2 box Rev 2 box YS early UK Apple AR early UK Apple LIB early UK Apple So I think finding the rest of the 2 box might make sense...go for original y/b's down the road if $$$ premit.... Thanks!!!
By the way, Beatles fans... My 4th child has been home from the hospital for almost 2 weeks. Each night, we have squeezed in one Bealtes LP (no cd's!!). Only AR and LIB left...how's that for a good way to spend some of your first days on this planet.... RPD Crazy Beatles Fan
I think at the time I was using the second Meridian player. It had a light to indicate when it was playing a disc with pre-emphasis. I'm fairly certain that it was functioning correctly as I remember getting a Joshua Rifkin CD of Scott Joplin ragtime piano that was mastered from a Dolby tape, and the light indicated that the disc had pre-emphasis. The Rifkin disc sounded pretty good. The Jap Abbey Road sounded strangled. Incidentally, this was in the early days, and I wrote to EMI in London fairly frequently to whinge about the absence of anything decent on CD, and they actually mentioned that the Jap disc did not sound good.
Jap is a derogatory term and we don't use it here. Please go the extra mile and either spell it out or abbreviate it with punctuation. Thanks.
Interesting. I've done pretty extensive a/b listening tests between my Japanese Abbey Road CD and the standard EMI release, and the Japanese AR beats it for clarity, openness, and lack of compression. It also has more hiss, at least to my ears, which suggests less noise reduction (or none at all) compared to the standard EMI release. The Japanese AR is cut at a lower level than the standard EMI release, so it does need a higher playback setting. But it does not sound strangled to my ears. Some here on the forum have said it's a straight ("flat") transfer of the Pro-Use tape. At any rate, I highly recommend it.
With all respect due to Mr. Macca, I really don't think he is much of an audiophile. a lot of other artists aren't either. If he were do you think he would have ever approved those '93 Parlophone CD's of his solo catalogue?
I've spent an afternoon examining my Stereo and mono LP's looking at the different YEX numbers, which I've learnt from the forum mean something. My HELP ! is a late 70's early 80's italian parlophone( light blue label) and the number is YEX168-1 and YEX169-1. On both sides the YEX number is followed by "6.12.65". This is clearly peculiar to this italian pressings, but it looks to me as if this album is pressed from a least a very good source ? I also have the Italian Revolver which is YEX605-1 and YEX606-1 but isnt followed by a date. However it still looks as if these Italian versions are from early source ? Apologies if I've missed the point on this, but it is a lengthy thread which is interesting ( and time consuming Cheers John
Those numbers only mean anything for the actual BRITISH Parlophone or Apple cuttings. The rest of the world? You're on your own!
Just listened to a few albums last night - did a shoot-out back-to-back of LPs Japanese, early UK, MFSL box and individuals, and the early CDs. Of course all these observations are subjective and somewhat system dependent. Help Stereo: The original Y/B UK LP (laquer -1) wins over the MFSL box LP in impact and musicality, but it's close. CD is not as warm or detailed. Rubber Soul Mono: Y/B UK LP (laquer -4) was very close to 1st Red Vinyl Mono Japanese, with the red vinyl just winning in clarity and extension (although the bass was a little bit intrusive). UK may have been more musical overall - this one is subjective. I have a hard time listening to RS in stereo, so did not include it. Revolver Stereo: Y/B UK LP (laquer -1) just beating MFSL box LP. Japanese EAS LP 3rd. The first release CD I have is very good on this album - I could listen to it with no problem. Sgt. Pepper Stereo: UHQR 1st, MFSL Box 2nd, Y/B UK (laquer -1) 3rd, MFSL individual 4th, EAS JPN 5th, Odeon JPN Red Vinyl 6th. These are all pretty close - my rating might be slightly different on another night. The CD is flat and missing depth. The UK Mono is probably the best way to listen to this if you want to hear how the Beatles wanted it to come across (like a psychedelic Pet Sounds). The Beatles (S/T White Album) Stereo: White Vinyl UK better than CD in impact and depth, although the CD is pretty good (did not have time to listen to 1st UK, MFSL or Japanese - although I have done this before and UK White Vinyl was best before). Abbey Road: Did not have time last night for this one, but last week the MFSL LP easily beat the domestic CD. The JPN Pro-Use LP is also very good - usually 2nd depending on my mood, close to MFSL with tighter bass. System is Cary and VTL with Flatline 175 Ribbon hybrids and sub. Linn Ikemi for CD. Rega P9 with Benz H2 for LP.
I should probably make one more note: I do not have the UK Blue or Black boxes - my UK Lps are mostly all first pressings. However, I did compare a "2 Box" EMI/Parlophone Stereo of Help to the Y/B first pressing (-1 laquer) last night and the Y/B was slightly "better" in terms of detail and presentation/involvement. Not huge differences here, just small ones. The other note is that the Sgt. Pepper individual MFSL sounded closer to the Y/B UK Lp, but to my ears the MFSL box LP had greater extension and impact on this LP, which for me is part of the magic of listening to this album. Again entirely subjective - your results may vary!
Randy w , Is your Revolver a B&Y or a 1 EMI box and is it mint ? as mine is at most an excellent and has a little groove wear hear and there which just tips me in favour of the clarity of the mofi ( all though tonaly the B&Y sounds more "Beatley" ) I suppose I`m asking is it worth the expense of finding a mint B&Y as I already have a mint 1 EMI box with the same master/stamper nos .Any thoughts?
Steve, most of my W German Beatles LPs appear to have matrix numbers on the run-out groove, similar to the U.K. Was EMI-Electrola just copying the U.K. numbers? Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! (AHDN) -1, both sides Help! - Hör Zu -1, both sides 1970s Apple Help!, -2 Side 1, -3 Side 2. 1970s Apple Revolver, -2 on both sides. White Album, stereo No. 814614, - 1, -1, -1, -2 1967-1970, -2 all four sides
Fraser, the Revolver, along with all other UK LPs compared in my earlier post, are mint or near mint Y/B Parlophones (except for the RS Mono -4 laquer which is VG+). I think the difference between the Revolver -1 laquer in original Y/B Parlophone pressing and later pressing is probably small enough that you will not feel it is worth paying a big premium. If you happen to come across a mint original at a good price, I would buy it though. I may have these two to compare and will try to do so later. The MFSL Revolver is fine - the only difference is a bit of mid-range suck out (-) and an overall smoothness (+) on the MFSL box, as compared to the original UK. Fraser, you may want to compare the MFSL box and individual Lps of this title and post your impressions here. It is fun to revisit these albums again.. (Previous post edited to reflect above)
