Beatles Live at Hollywood Bowl essential?

I never thought I'd say this but the new album is essential. Over the years, I've never been drawn to the live touring performances released on Anthology and so expected this release to be just a mere curiosity. But after 3 days of listening, it's a great document of The Beatles live on the road during the Mania days. The performances rock hard and the screaming doesn't let you forget what it was to be there.

Good work by Apple to finally out this out and do a decent job of it!

 

Hate to say it,but Dr. Ebbetts did it first,by nicely EQ'ing the Tracks and balancing them properly,Giles must've been listening to the Doctor's mixes,as His Mimicks Ebbetts' ones to a T!

 

I still have the original LP I got a year or two after it was released. As a kid, I remember how impressed I was to hear what you can now call non-stop screaming fans alongside the music. It's still cool, but I've played it maybe two or three times in the past twenty years. The Beatles voices were off, probably due to the fact that they couldn't hear themselves. The playing is scrappy, and the energy level seems kind of low. Despite the sound, I actually like their Hamburg performances better. Now that one rocks.

 

It is now

 

Mr_Vinyl, please share with us what you think after hearing this new one!

 

This new Beatles release is absolutely a necessity for my collection...
I have heard many versions of the H.B. shows... what is said to be the 64/65 Capitol acetates, the numerous bootlegs, including Dr E's (probably the best until this new release). When the 1977 release came out I purchased the LP that day. I actually liked it very much... Sure, it was noisy, and a bit of a mess with the screaming, but I enjoyed it for the sheer vibrant live performances... and as a historical document of the L.A. shows.

I was a 9-10 year old, when they came to California in 1964/65 living in the suburbs of L.A... a huge Beatles fan, but was too young to go my parents said.
So, The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl concerts have always meant a great deal to me as a fan and collector. I always listened to KRLA on my little transistor radio,
Bob Eubanks was a jock there who actually promoted the concerts... so, I knew about the shows.
Crazy ironic thing.. a couple years later I went to the H.B. and saw Dick Dale, with Gary Lewis and the Playboys, along with Gilligan and the Skipper! Bizarre.

About five years ago, I was able to acquire a very rare, authentic original 1976 acetate of "The Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl".
The Master Reference disc is from Sterling Sound Inc. Dated 7/14/76 (ten months before the May, 1977 official Capitol Records release).
The acetate has different songs not found on the '77 release... the song sequencing is different, and has an extra song on one label side.
Most interesting is that the acetate has five totally different songs not on the actual final release: "I Feel Fine", "Baby's In Black", "I wanna Be Your Man", "I'm Down", and "Be My Baby" (listed for "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby). There is some extra Beatles chatter.. one with John yelling over Paul's intro to "I'm Down"
yelling repeatedly "Hello, Hello... Hello!!". "Twist and Shout" has a longer intro and more screams. Quite an amazing acetate disc..
This was obviously an early preliminary acetate of the H.B album... it lists Al Steckler (an Apple/Capitol high level employee as producer (?) also mentions ABCKO (?)
on the Sterling Sound company label sticker on the cover. This is an odd item, 100% authentic.. obtained from the best known and respected Beatles dealer/author.
There was also an acetate of the final 1977 Capitol Records H.B. album, same as the released Capitol LP, I purchased that one as well.
There was yet another Capitol Records acetate of H.B. that was made prior to my final lacquer (between the July 1976 and the May, 1977)... Amazingly, both are in NM- condition. These acetates come from a Capitol Records employee whose tenure was during the 1970's. Acetates are some of the rarest and most costly Beatles items, I opted out on the middle one...
Now I await the brand new H.B. vinyl release in November. I really think Giles Martin has done an exceptional job!
This is so much clearer, the vocals and instruments can finally be heard like never before, the screaming fans are present but toned down about right.
This Beatles H.B. live album really rocks out... Wanna know how truly great they were, kick back, play it loud, and enjoy!

 

I only picked the LP up a few years ago, and when I sold most of my LPs, it was 1 of only 2 Beatles albums I kept - the other being the Love Songs compilation - but not because it was a good listen, but as an artifact.

Sort of like the tourist crap you refer to. It doesn't take much space.

 

Essential?

Let's see. When did I play the last time the analogue 1977 British LP "Live At The Hollywood Bowl"?

Ah, yes. In 1977.

So, will I now get excited about a CD on vinyl version of it in 2016, he he?

Ah, progress... I'll cry instead.

 

It is absolutely essential if you want to experience what Beatlemania must have been like. Plus, if you only have the official U.K. Studio albums, you won't have a song like "She Loves You," which was a single. But it's on the live album.

 

Well, I guess they did not release a vinyl album (LP) in 1966 called 'A Collection Of Beatles Oldies' But Goldies, right?

The 'She Loves You" was on it, though.

Provided they released the LP in both mono and stereo, in December of 1966.

 

If/when you hear it - vote for your favorite 3 tracks -"She's A Woman" curRently leading the pack- by a small margin.

(Click below)

Beatles: Hollywood Bowl Live -Your Three Favorite Tracks- Pick Them: »

 

The 1977 release sounds far superior to the 2016 version IMO. Giles seems to miss just how vital it is to get the low end correct when mixing The Beatles. The drums are clearer, but where is the boomy Hofner?

 

It's a nice snapshot of Beatlemania and enjoyable for those who like early Beatles. But it's certainly not essential.

 

You will have She Loves You on 1966's A Collection of Beatles Oldies, 1973s 1962-66, 1982s 20 Greatest, 1994's Anthology 1, 1999s '1', and 2013's BBC 2 and itunes Bootleg set.

 

It is absolutely essential, there is no other official release where the Beatles are rockin this hard!

It's more than essential!

 

I'm really glad I picked it up.

[x] essential
[ ] non-essential

 

I'm glad I heard it. Can't imagine that I'll listen to it with much regularity due to the screaming, though. It's non-essential for me.

 

I buy it and will buy also the vinyl but it's not essential for casual fans.

 

...and Past Masters Vol. one CD. You even have it in German on that same disc.

 

This absolutely fantastic hard rockin album is more than essential for any fan!

People please don't be mislead, the screaming is toned down on this album, it is nowhere near overpowering!

They did a very smart thing, they turned the screams down while the Beatles are actually performing. Yes there are screams in between songs, but those totally add to the exciting atmosphere of the show! The song Things We Said Today has some screams in the song, but the Beatles hit the crowd with a hard rock punch, so you can't blame them!

On this new album, the screams don't get in the way!

 

I was one of the first responders to this thread, which started prior to the release of the CD.

After having listened to the CD, my feelings have not changed very much. I don't feel it's essential except as a historical documentation of Beatlemania.

It's not something I will listen to that often, but given that I went 36 years (from 1980 to 2016) without hearing these recordings, I will probably listen to it more often than I did in the past. Obviously that's not saying very much!!

 

I totally agree with something tmoore said.

And it's one of the main reasons that this absolutely stunning album is essential for any fan!

tmoore said that this album is an historical documentation of Beatlemania, he's absolutely right!

It's the most forceful, most powerful, most absolutely no BS, hard rockin album/CD documentation of Beatlemania there is!

I could go into other reasons why this monster album is absolutely essential, but just that one reason is more than enough!

This is hard rockin Beatlemania UNLEASHED!

tmoore, I have to share with you, if this album causes you to listen more than you did in the past, that is saying very much!

 

True, but those aren't major studio albums.

 

Must say, the LP version is nice, but an illicit version that I came into possession of some years ago, that's the whole show. And it's even better than Sir George's LP.

 

I don't know... the constant screeching of the manic young girls sort of ruins it a bit for me... kinda silly. I wish the cheers and hisses from the teeny boppers were turned down several notches, would make the recording much more enjoyable for me.