The Beatles 50th anniversary editions in Mix magazine

You have to admit, though, the Beatle Rapture was weird. All those 2009 and 1980s Beatles CDs disappearing all at once.

 

Totally! it sickens me that he is destroying his Fathers great legacy with cheapness..

 

He did a great job given the limitations of the source material.

 

exactly...what else can one say?

 

They are being replaced. The likes of HMV and Amazon in the UK only have the Giles versions of Sgt. Pepper and The White Album available new now. Obviously there's some old stock of the 2009s left elsewhere, but once they're sold Giles work has replaced the originals for new vinyl & CDs of those albums. Giles replaced the original mixes by his father with his own. That's overriding.

 

It's temporary. It was always going to be temporary. These remixes are not intended to replace the original mixes, they were something fun for the Anniversary editions. Once the stock runs out, you'll see the regular old 2009 CDs again.

 

Fair enough, and that's unfortunate if that's the permanent situation going forward, but I think there are two upsides:
1) The surviving Beatles and their representatives want it this way; blame them and 2) if someone's really, really invested, like "comes to the SHMF and posts about the Beatles regularly" invested, they'll do the research. I did.

 

Probably. That's what happened with The Doors remixes. The impression I get is that the remixes have been done as a means to sell the outtakes. It would have been worse to sell the original albums again with them, so it's a way to give the fans something different along with the outtakes, which aren't strong enough to be sold as a totally individual release, as interesting as they are.

I am interested in seeing what Giles does with Let It Be. At the moment he's remixed what were already the two best stereo mixes in the Beatles catalogue. I would be up for him remixing A Hard Day's Night stereo along with some interest in Revolver. I'm interested in seeing what he does with Let It Be too. That could be the first Giles remix I buy.

Actually, I've just remembered I have the 1+ CD & double DVD set. I don't mind the sound and remixes on that. Paperback Writer is certainly improved in stereo compared to the original. I don't mind that being remixed though, because he isn't remixing a classic album, just a relatively recent compilation, and a lot of the original stereo mixes of the 45s were done long after the original mono release anyway, so they don't have much historical importance.

 

I'm definitely curious what Giles' involvement with the project will be beyond the movie. Didn't he state previously that he didn't want to remix the album proper due to it being a Spector production? I'm guessing we won't get a Let It Be box, and that the "new" Let It Be product for the year will be a Giles mix of the material to tie in with the film.

 

Michael...sheesh!! Ok...I can understand your disdain towards Sgt. Pepper and I myself have mixed feelings about Abbey Road...but what exactly turns you off so much about the White Album remix?? I was listening to it just the other night and while, yea, he could have done this and that differently, it's generally a beautiful listening experience. While i can't say the same for his job on Pepper, everything on the original White Album mix is on the remix as well only sounding cleaner, stronger and more "present". Could it have been better or different? I think such a case can be made for any remixed album..but can you be a tad more specific as to why this one bothers you so much (I ask this, by the way, in as friendly and non-pointed way as I can)...

 

Hello my friend,
putting it bluntly with respect. I personally do not see the need to remix any Beatles albums...no reason whatsoever...what else can I say? just being honest...I really can't stand anything I've heard in the 3 remixes...so, all of it no specific parts....

 

I dont think he was....

 

He already did The Long And Winding Road [along with the single versions of Get Back and Let It Be] for 1/1+, so what would be the reason not to do the Let It Be album...?

 

I don’t know. He did specifically say that, though, so maybe take it up with him.

 

LOL, yeah. Surprising to say the least.

Just as a side note, I don't have that much against the multichannel stuff and was talking stereo only.

The Giles Martins of the music industry should never be allowed to do what they did with AR when a more-than-decent original stereo mix exists.

If such remix is attempted, it should never replace the classic mix. IIRC they didn't even bother to include the original stereo in the Super Deluxe Edition. Many were hoping for a hi-res transfer and/or AAA vinyl, but got none of these. But then, maybe lots of people would start having doubts about the necessity of the remix if they heard it side-by-side with the original (mind you, I'm talking Abbey Road here, not Sgt. Pepper).

Anyway, that speaks a lot. It was the 50th anniversary of the album...

 

That's even better. I wouldn't be so set against the Giles remixes of they'd done something to make them look like a separate thing to the original albums, rather than a replacement. Just a subtle change like a perhaps different shot from the same photo session on the cover. I'm not sure how that would work for the White Album though!

Do you think they'd release a third version of the Let It Be material though? I'm hoping for an AAA reissue of the album with the box and book but can't see them reissuing something old when the film is new.

 

This may be OT, but I just remembered that the 1987 stereo remixes of Help! and Rubber Soul pretty much turned the original stereo mixes into alternate versions. They haven't been the main thing ever since. More like a gimmick to go with the mono CD's. Crazy to think over 30 years have flown by...

 

Oh, it`s quite the opposite for me - the outtakes were the attraction, the remix the bonus. Maybe that`s why I can`t get so riled up about them. I actually like them - in a way I liked Love (though that is a bad comparision). I rather think such boxes are a "something for everybody"-approach, marketing-wise.

 

I'm more interested in the outtakes too, but I haven't bought the boxes as I generally find outtakes interesting 2 or 3 times and that's it. The boxes are too expensive for that. I can't remember the last time I played anything from the Anthologies, yet even after many years The Beatles albums still get regular play. Abbey Road got played last night. The original approved by all the band and the producer mix of course.

I didn't have a problem with Love, though I didn't buy it for years. It's different and enjoyable. I liked Giles remixes on 1+. I draw the line at remixing classic albums, especially when they were the best sounding ones anyway.

 

How is he “destroying” anything?!?!?! I missed the part in the article where he’s going house by house, taking a sledgehammer to any old Beatles albums he finds.

I still have my vinyl, 87 CD, 2009 CD and 50th anniversary mix, and can listen to anything I want at any time. And recently I happen to be going for the 50th remixes a lot. Really great stuff, if you’d give it a chance.

 

Yeah something subtle like packaging them in a giant book form, about 5x the size of a normal CD.....?

 

Agreed. In fact it’s cool to switch from time to time between different mixes (mono/stereo/remixed stereo/5.1) for a change. This way you can always find something new in familiar things.

 

I'm more or less from the Modern Reconstructionist branch of (Hey) Jude-ism myself. As much as I like sparring with the other, less open minded Beatle-ites on this forum, I waft between amazement and amusement on some of their views.

 

Fair point, I didn't have the box sets in mind. Overpriced pointless remixes and bottom of the barrell scrapings aren't usually the first thing I think about.

 

Don't worry others will chime in forthwith so you won't have to "carry that weight"