The Beatles - White Album 50th Anniversary (Content, Sound Quality & Discussion Thread)

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by BuCo, Nov 9, 2018.

  1. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Remix ? I felt the opposite.
    What are you listening on ?
     
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  2. Frank

    Frank Senior Member

    Exactly my reaction. The Helter Skelter remix is total chaos in a great way. It sounds like the end of the world and the bricks from the buildings are falling down around you, as it should.

    The manic, menacing background vocals are icing on the cake.
     
  3. ZoSo794

    ZoSo794 Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Yes, remix. The backing vocals are louder in the remix, almost on par with every other instrument in the song. I'm listening to the Blu Ray but I doubt the compression on the CD version fixes this.
     
  4. Kavorka

    Kavorka Chief Bottle Washer

    Location:
    North America
    I was extremely eager to get my hands on the much anticipated 50th anniversary remix of the White Album. I decided to purchase the vinyl format, in order to minimize any risk of over-crunching the sound via digital compression/limiting (the 2012 stereo remaster of the White Album is unlistenable).

    I don't know how to say this properly, but the remix (the vinyl version), sounds like crap. To begin with, it is very muffled. Gone are the highs, gone are the harmonics and higher overtones. In a word, all the sparkle is gone, for some reason.

    After recovering from the initial shock, I immediately reached out for my original 1968 copy and then breathed a breath of relief -- yes, the music is still there, nothing sounds muffled on the original pressing. And boy, there's so much rich texture on the original vinyl that is absolutely nowhere to be heard on the new remix.

    So now I'm scratching my head -- is the remix muffled because the production team lacks skills/reliable ears, or is it muffled because the tapes had deteriorated this much after only 50 years? I find it hard to believe that the tapes would degrade so drastically over only 50 years sitting in the vault.

    I'm baffled.
     
  5. kanno1ae

    kanno1ae Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas, Texas, USA
    Can't speak for the vinyl, but I have the 2009 stereo box set and 2018 deluxe, both on CD. The EQ between the two sounds very similar and not muffled at all.
     
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  6. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    You haven't filled in your profile. What hifi ya got?
     
  7. kanno1ae

    kanno1ae Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dallas, Texas, USA
    I agree with you. The remix is more in-your-face than the original with two exceptions: the intro (I wish the opening guitar was cranked) and the feedback/noise starting at 2:57 (again, it's cranked on the original and lower in volume on the remix). But there are parts in the 1968 stereo mix that I feel are tame by comparison with the 2018 remix, and I think a lot of that has to do with the hard panning of the electric guitar on the left and drums on the right. By putting those two things in the center, the mix becomes a lot heavier.
     
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  8. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Even though I was gonna pass on the cd box. I may just get it now.
     
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  9. Kassonica

    Kassonica Forum Resident

    Playing side 4 for the 1st time, Revolution 1 is amazing, simply 10/10...

    Loving this remix
     
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  10. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    The new remix stereo was a revelation to me as I've not heard the 68 stereo in yonks/years. Usually play the mono LP.
    Remix? I don't think it was placebo effect either, it was a joy to listen to.Sounded wonderful on tubes playback, all 24 of them.
     
  11. beatleroadie

    beatleroadie Forum Resident

    Agreed. I love the Helter Skelter remix. The backing harmonies are so well done, I WANT to hear them more, so I'm glad Giles brought them up in the mix. Doesn't take away any mystery or power of the song to me. I think it adds to the intensity of the recording. It's a bigger more chaotic sound.

    Most importantly, Paul's lead vocal sits better in the mix, amid all the chaos instead of above it all like it used to sound.

    This version sounds more dangerous because Paul sounds kind of in danger.
     
  12. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Yeah ..prefer the slower version of Revolution myself very fifties sounding ala Joe Meek-Emile Ford's "Why do You Want to make those Eyes at me For".
     
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  13. mikrt17

    mikrt17 Life has surface noise.

    Location:
    BROADSTAIRS UK
    No Sean that is not a name I know, .who is he connected with.
     
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  14. mikrt17

    mikrt17 Life has surface noise.

    Location:
    BROADSTAIRS UK
    I thought it was too loud on the original mix so for me it has been corrected now.
     
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  15. BlueSpeedway

    BlueSpeedway Curated Iconic Half-Speed Picture Disc

    Location:
    England
    I think unlike Miss Winters, who was at a loose end after the Mystery Tour was over, she was too busy in that popular strip bar to contribute in 1968. But she reappeared later, contributing to the harmonies on Because, and a few years later joined Kraftwerk.


    ;)
     
  16. MGSeveral

    MGSeveral Augm

    So, you reckon it'll be number one in the album chart this week?
     
  17. BlueSpeedway

    BlueSpeedway Curated Iconic Half-Speed Picture Disc

    Location:
    England
    That track was my joint-favourite too, not sure why, it just grooves along better for me, than the original.
     
  18. coffeetime

    coffeetime Senior Member

    Location:
    Lancs, UK
    Are you using a stereo amplifier with your BR player or an AV receiver?

    The mono version of the album on the BluRay is supplied as in LPCM 2.0, essentially L & R stereo. Listened to with a 5.1 mode engaged, your receiver will likely see the LPCM 2.0 tracks as stereo and will try to apply some form of Pro Logic processing to it (vintage Dolby Surround soundtracks used two channel stereo to carry matrixed surround channels).

    With Pro Logic processing applied to the LPCM 2.0 tracks, the mono content should all come from your center speaker. If your center speaker isn’t as ‘full range’ as your main front left and right speakers, set your receiver to stereo mode and sit yourself in the sweet spot. The Mono sound should appear to originate from a ‘phantom’ center speaker in front of you.

    My own 5.1 setup has three identical speakers for the L,C and R front channels, so I’m quite happy with the AVR channeling mono albums from the centre speaker alone.
     
  19. hodgo

    hodgo Tea Making Gort (Yorkshire Branch) Staff

    Location:
    East Yorkshire
    Moderator Note:

    @fabgear63 and to all other members please take the time to fill out your equipment profile as per our hosts request and as set out in our forum rules, otherwise please refrain from commenting on sound quality related issues.
     
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  20. Jarek_Venera

    Jarek_Venera Forum Resident

    Location:
    Prague, CZ
    Amused to hear Paul's love, love me do, you know I love you...during Revolution, Take 18 :wiggle: They obviously enjoyed that session.
     
  21. Oyster Black Pearl

    Oyster Black Pearl Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Good point, but I measured for my own sanity, to confirm I wasn't hearing things.

    Now, here's the funny thing, listening again to the remix and Esher demos on vinyl, this time on headphones, and the imbalance doesn't bother me too much. It's clear they're supposed to be like this, the left side is "hotter" (especially on the demos), but I think it's indicative of the mixing choices made early on. That is to say, on the remix vocals appear (mostly) centred, with (in most cases) main performance to the left, vocal and overdubs/incidental playing on the right.* The demos appear to have been recorded in the same way by the group.

    Only my opinion of course, but it sounds ok on headphones. I still feel the need to adjust the balance of the Esher LPs through speakers though. Besides that, I'm happy enough.

    *Could be complete nonsense of course :)
     
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2018
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  22. Paul H

    Paul H The fool on the hill

    Location:
    Nottingham, UK
    I'm not overly familiar with the Esher demos (I've had the boot for years but just found the poor sound quality really off-putting) but I did a VERY quick A/B the other day and noticed that the performance of Sour Milk Sea that appears on the new legit disc seems different to that on the boot. The released version has handclaps that aren't present (or audible) on the boot but has no tambourine. Can anyone confirm or explain?

    While I'm here, it does, of course, seem churlish to complain about omissions in a box that contains four CDs of unreleased material, but am I the only one who finds the decision to include I Will outtakes such as Los Paranoias in full but omit The Way You Look Tonight and the "Down in Havana" jam utterly frustrating? And why do we get another go at Rocky Raccoon Take 8 but no second version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps? The latter is even mentioned in the book! Grrr.
     
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  23. Serenity Now

    Serenity Now Forum Resident

    Location:
    Yorks, UK
    Trying to figure this out. It seems to go to single track for a while so I suspect the offending overdub has just been faded down. Anyone else have a view on this?
     
  24. tinnox

    tinnox Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    You should get it, treat yourself to the super deluxe edition you will not regret it. It is awesome .
     
  25. MGSeveral

    MGSeveral Augm

    Yes.

    Thank god they fixed it - I had that "Off-White" back in the day, but that really put me off listening to it (much).

    Demos are, basically, Proof-of-concept realisations of basic ideas. They aren't really performances as such. Should they be presented as such, then they should be mixed as such.

    Take for example, a songwriter produces a demo for the bass player. He records a basic version of his song, then overdubs the bass part well-loud for the bass player to be able to work out what to play. Yes, it would be historically accurate to put that version "as is" on a "deluxe" version, but it's not pleasant listening as such...
     
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