The Beatles "Best Pressings" list

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by fraser, Jun 27, 2003.

  1. jkerr

    jkerr Senior Member

    Location:
    Suffolk, VA
    yep
     
  2. kipper15

    kipper15 Forum Resident

    Location:
    United Kingdom

    I don't own any US pressings of Macca's stuff, except for the recent Band On The Run 25th anniversary issue and I really bought that for collectability as opposed to sound quality. Perhaps the US pressings of Macca's LPs are on a par with their UK counterparts but certainly the US pressings of the Beatles are inferior to UK pressings. The original Macca UK pressings I own from the 70s are great. You can't go wrong with those.

    I too like the American Rubber Soul LP. I have two pressings of it myself and I would agree that this LP, in its original US configuration, has a totally different feel to it. In fact I think the American RS is superior to the UK version in terms of track listing and sequencing.

    I also like the other US LPs - they're a lot of fun, but as we know they're not what the Beatles originally intended and the sound isn't 100% authentic to say the list. I have them all from Meet The Beatles through to Revolver. I guess the good thing about the vinyl days was the variety of Beatles LPs from different countries, with different titles, artwork, alternative mixes popping up all the over the place and so on. The standardisation of the Fabs catalog when the CDs were issued took all the fun out of it!

    Sorry to digress here...now, what was your original question? Ah, I think I've already answered it ;)
     
  3. kipper15

    kipper15 Forum Resident

    Location:
    United Kingdom

    Jeff is right. The only reason to buy it is if you're a serious collector. The LP is basically the stereo mix folded down to mono.
     
  4. Beatle Terr

    Beatle Terr Super Senior SH Forum Member Musician & Guitarist

    Kipper,
    At least we tend to agree on certain things just to disagree on others. I say this in response to the fact that before The Beatles touched down in NY. That any and all of there recordings had been Americanized if I may coin a new phrase. So to many and not just me, this is the way we heard the fabs before we ever saw them and there records were already HUGE. I state this only because most of the pressings were not the UK versions. When VJ got PPM or AMY and pressed and played that dry version it didn't do anything here. When they were re-released they then had more reverb on them.

    Again, it's been quoted that they didn't want to come to America unless they were going to be received well unlike many other singers or groups before them.

    This is why I believe and feel that the later VJ releases and Capitol releases did great here in the States it was that sound that came over the AM stations being played and they weren't the UK LP's or 45's that made them in the US. This again makes my point of why I feel Dave Dextor did his job for the American sound of the Beatles. However from what was originally intended were in fact your UK releases as the final mixes in England.

    I wonder if we were able to go back in time and change the US releases to just the UK versions, if The Beatles would have gotten the same amount of air-play to pump up the publicity that they received when touching down in NY in 1964. Unfortunately we will never be able to know this. So speculation is out of the question for any arguments sake.

    I am sure that regardless of what mixes came out that at sometime, The Beatles would have gotten a hit here in the US. However even they had no idea what was waiting for them as they got of the plane in NY that day. Surely it was much more than they had ever expected. For which I'm very glad it was. So this is why I feel that Capitol and Dave Dextor did there jobs.

    As anything goes if you are a fan or a musician for which I am both, it's very easy to say WOW that's different from what I know to be the original mixes of The Beatles. Thus I can also say that we got robbed as other's do here in the US as far as the amount of songs we got on our LP's. However I wouldn't give up my American Releases for anything.

    Kip did you ever notice on Ebay how much a needle drop of an American LP on CD goes for as opposed to most of the regular UK versions. It's funny they always go for way much more. This of course strikes me as strange too, but what it does seem to tell me is that there are many American fans that want those old original mixes the way they heard them when they were younger and can't seem to be pleased with the UK line ups. Then again it could just be another audiophile like us that want to have them all regardless of their point of origin or what they were supposed to sound like!

    I hope you can see my point. As well as I'm sure you grew up listening to just the original UK pressings and 45 & EP releases. You know were just on the other side of the Pond that's the way I really see it. So were cool regardless of what we were hearing as The Beatles when growing up. Again as you stated, it was a good thing of all the variety from the artwork to the mixes from all countries.:thumbsup: Now what was your digress oh I think we both answered it:)
     
  5. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    Thanks much..
     
  6. rpd

    rpd Senior Member

    Location:
    Nashville
    Is the original UK release of Venus and Mars on Capitol? If not, what label was it on?
     
  7. MartinGr

    MartinGr Senior Member

    Location:
    Germany/Berlin
    As I remember, even my German EMI "Venus and Mars" LP was with Capitol label at that time, and some following too. I read somewhere it was McCartney's decision to use that label and to use the old 40s style, not the orange/green 70s design.

    Martin
     
  8. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host

    Reopened.
     
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  9. Blue Cactus

    Blue Cactus Forum Resident

    Location:
    Illinois
    The German Hey Jude LP , absolutely killer on side 2. I forgot until recently just how good it sounded.

    Look for the later 072 pressing not the earlier 062 (some 062's have Paperback Writer and Don't let me Down in mono.)

    [​IMG]
     
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  10. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    This *is* a really good sounding one; a close match for the 80's rainbow which, to my ears, is the best one I have.
     
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  11. Adam9

    Adam9 Русский военный корабль, иди на хуй.

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Pretty cool that Paperback Writer is in mono on some 062 pressings. If Revolution were in mono too, it'd be pretty nigh perfect. :D
     
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  12. A Saucerful of Scarlets

    A Saucerful of Scarlets Commenter Turned Viewer

    Wow. I didn't even know this site existed in 2003.
     
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  13. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    I have a bootleg Japanese CD of the album in which everything is in mono but I have to re-check if they're actual mono or fold-downs (of course, OBS and BOJAY would be fold-down...the latter even has a count-in by John).
     
  14. Blue Cactus

    Blue Cactus Forum Resident

    Location:
    Illinois
    I should add that side one of the 072 German Hey Jude is pretty darn good as well.

    Quiet vinyl, good master tapes and Neumann cutting and all.
     
  15. Tommyboy

    Tommyboy Senior Member

    Location:
    New York
    Wow, a 15 year old thread. Times sure have changed.

    I recently pulled out a Y&B Parlophone stereo copy of With The Beatles and gave it a spin. I think it sounds terrible. Every time I upgrade my system it sounds worse.
     
  16. monomusic

    monomusic Forum Resident

    Nice to see this one re-opened, as I wasn't around this site yet in 2003. As for the topic, I think most of us would get dizzy, trying to determine which copy we own of each album, either sounds the best, or is the best, etc. For the mono versions, the 2014 box easily wins in my library. For the earlier stereo versions, I'd have to go with my all-tube UK and Dutch copies. I've been fortunate to find some UK second and third pressings of most of the albums, in excellent shape, which is a challenge, obviously.

    For the later stereo pressings, I have to say ... my 1980 New Zealand blue box is very, very hard to top. I have a 1978 UK blue box as well, and while those all sound really good, the NZ cuttings are superior, for just about every album in the box. No clue how or why, but specifically, the Beatles For Sale in there, is beyond stunning. As for U.S Capitol issues - I enjoy all of them that are post-1976. The '78 purples, '83/'86 rainbows and '87/'88 purples are nice to have.

    As for the MFSL pressings ... I go sorta hit and miss with them. My copy of Revolver is weird. Side One has a rather annoying abundance of pops and ticks, even though the disc is absolutely spotless. Meanwhile, Side Two is an audiophile, sonic dream. Weird. I don't care for the MMT at all. The 1971 German A1/B3 is king. In fact, I was just at Chicago Beatlefest over this past weekend, and some guy had a 1978 re-issue copy of the A1/B3 stamper for $20. Didn't even know what he had. So, I grabbed it. Good to have two of those!

    My worst copies would be my 1978 Canadian With the Beatles. Just bad luck, mine sounds awful. My red and blue colored vinyl U.S. Capitol issues are wretched. Most likely caused by a badly used stylus from the original owner.
     
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  17. mBen989

    mBen989 Senior Member

    Location:
    Scranton, PA
    I thought we established a Parlophone pressing with two EMI logos on the label is butter.
     
  18. Octavian

    Octavian Forum Resident

    Location:
    Louisiana
    So if we split it up with mono and stereo:

    Mono:

    To me, all you need is the 2014 box. You aren’t going to find a better set than this!

    That being said, original pressings have something that the 2014 doesn’t, which is that they are tube-cut. Whether shelling out the extra dough is worth it to you is up to you (than again the 2014 box is expensive now too...)

    All in all, the mono is pretty easy to decide since we have a very good modern release, but the the next subject is a completely different animal...

    Stereo:

    My opinion of the best version of each stereo:

    PPM: Die Beatles

    WTB: Either a Meet The Beatles Canadian Cut OR a -5/-6 Two-Box EMI Cut

    AHDN: Matter of taste. If you want original tube goodness get a two-box EMI -1/-1. If you want solid state get a -3/-4 cut.

    Beatles For Sale: Two Box EMI -1/-1 Cut

    Help!: One Box EMI -1/-1 Cut (Only the one box EMI uses the original lauqers)

    Rubber Soul: Two Box EMI -3/-3 Cut

    Revolver: One Box EMI -1/-1 Cut (Again, only the one box)

    Sgt. Pepper: One Box EMI -1/-1 Cut

    MMT: Horzu

    White Album: My current version is the French Pressed UK version printed in the mid 70’s, which uses the original tube cut -1/-1/-1/-1 lacquers. This sounds wonderful to me, but I know many prefer the solid state cut version, and the only version that has all four sides solid state is the UK 1978 white vinyl.

    YS: The tube cut sounds great but the only version you can get this from is the original pressings, either a -1/-1 or -3/-1.

    Abbey Road: The French pressing of this record also uses the original -2/-1 lacquers and sound great.

    Let It Be: Not too sure. I know the US Wally pressing gets some praise. Probably can’t go wrong with an original -2u/-2u or -3u/-3u.


    If you’re only after sound, original pressings are not needed! Just go after some of the 1969-1973 pressings, they are all pressed on thick vinyl and great quality.
     
  19. monomusic

    monomusic Forum Resident

    Beatmaniac ... nice list. I did not know that Beatles For Sale was issued on a two-box with -1/-1 stampers. That is surprising. My BFS -1/-1 cutting is a 3rd-pressing Y/B label. Again, I got lucky in that it was well cared for, prior to me owning it. That said, I paid $100 for it, it wasn't cheap.

    I agree with your point that original pressings aren't needed. Every single one of my one and two box pressings are great, and easier on the wallet, too.
     
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  20. StateOfTheArt

    StateOfTheArt Beatle Know-it-all

    Location:
    Greenville, SC
    Mono:

    Again, for me, 2014 all the way. I enjoy the mono records with solid-state, I think it evens out the sound to make it less muddy. I do revisit the original Y&B Parlophone's occasionally, though.

    Stereo:

    These are my opinion as well.

    PPM: Die Beatles - PPM Electrola.

    WTB: Wide Stereo ST-6051 A/B

    AHDN: Dutch -1/-1, or 2 Box EMI, MFSL cut works on this record as well.

    Beatles For Sale: -1/-1 Tube cut(either 2 Box, or Y&B)

    Help!: -1/-1 or German 072 - this is outstanding with that bottom end. MFSL is nice as well.

    Rubber Soul: Y&B Parlophone -3/-3

    Revolver: -1/-1 or German 072 (I think the sound stage is slightly wider on the German, and I like the low-midrange/bass added.)

    Sgt. Pepper: -1/-1, Nimbus Cut/Audio 5 (they are really so close, either will do). I like the 2017, as an alternate experience. Does not replace the original, at all.

    MMT: Horzu/Apple German

    White Album: 1.) 1985 DMM White Vinyl German Apple.
    2.) 1978 UK White Vinyl, or 3.) German 072 This record benefits from the solid state cutting.

    YS: -1/-1, I also enjoy the Songtrack for these tracks, again, as an alternate experience.

    Abbey Road: Japanese Pro-Use, UK -2/-1.

    Let It Be: -2u/-2u or -3u/-3u.
     
  21. StateOfTheArt

    StateOfTheArt Beatle Know-it-all

    Location:
    Greenville, SC
    I would like to add - if someone is just getting into vinyl, and in the USA.
    Try the Purple Wally Capitols - they really do sound decent. Not nearly as bad as some make it out to be. If I couldn't find/afford UK vinyl, and I saw a NM Purple, I'd pick it up. IMHO, and all that jazz. :rolleyes:
     
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  22. monomusic

    monomusic Forum Resident

    I agree. I gotta feel for the people who are just getting started with record collecting. For as great as the "vinyl resurgence" is, the price-gouging is out of hand. The average going price for a near mint purple Wally, hovers in at around $40 and up. That's crazy. I bought mine new in 1988/89 at my local mall's Musicland store, and other stores. Just my opinion, but I think the majority of all of these "re-issues" of numerous albums, is mostly a money grab. Not saying that they ALL sound bad, they don't. But, the fact that these are not analog tape-sourced, is a big turn-off for me. One example, I bought the re-issue of Pink Floyd's Obscured by Clouds. Forget it. I'll play my UK first press A-1/B-1. If I want to hear music in digital, I'll play the damn CD. :rolleyes:
     
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  23. StateOfTheArt

    StateOfTheArt Beatle Know-it-all

    Location:
    Greenville, SC
    Here, here. If we demand it to be sourced from the tapes, they will follow suit. It can happen, the 2014 reissues showed us that.
    Now, I won't say that some digital in the chain can't possibly benefit sometimes. It can, if there is no alternative. Sometimes, tapes are in bad shape.
     
  24. vinylbeat

    vinylbeat Forum Resident

    I like your list! Looks like my Beatles vinyl collection of top sounding pressings. I might add the German 1st press SMO "White Album" as well.
     
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  25. StateOfTheArt

    StateOfTheArt Beatle Know-it-all

    Location:
    Greenville, SC
    This is a list from many, many hours, of A/Bing various pressings. These are my personal favorite's. Some shared with the community, some not. Suggestions always welcome.
    I will try out the SMO when I get the chance! Thanks.
     

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