The Beatles U.S. Albums box set - your impressions...

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Hawkman, Jan 24, 2014.

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  1. Pretty.Odd.

    Pretty.Odd. Guess I'm Dumb

    Location:
    Montclair, NJ
    AH! Thank you! I am at college and could not check my records because I do not have them with me at school. This box set is getting a lot of plays in my dorm!
     
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  2. Blighty

    Blighty Well-Known Member


    I'm glad they didn't just put the last 2 Capitol boxes into this one.
    I have have Japanese versions of both 1&2.
    Before that I went to great lengths to get a set of Capitol Ebbetts shipped to the UK because I wanted to hear the 'Capitol sound' and unique edits.

    I've been listening to the new box over the last few days, comparing tracks to the Capitol and 2009 mixes and I have to say it sounds fantastic.

    I miss stuff like the reverb on the stereo opening of Roll Over Beethoven but really, listening to the new set is like having a fog lifted.

    Yes, they should have put the correct US mix of I'm Only Sleeping and why they thought it was ok to snip off Herb we can only guess - that was the thing that I wanted to hear when I tracked down the discs originally.
    I didn't really care about different guitar, I wanted to hear a bit of the Beatles in the studio and imagine what it was like to be there.
    In their (apple) defence and to all those that haven't heard it, it's so quiet you have to turn your stereo up to full volume to barely hear it.

    Perhaps there was just too much noise on the tape?

    But I'm pleased they used the best current versions for this release and didn't just dump the remaining Capitol box sets into this one.
    MORE BEATLES!

    Just one other note. I noticed that the booklet seemed to be talk up a Capitol cash grab for the beatles at the time.
    And a few here have suggested it was nonsense. Thought this trade ad for the Beatles Story said a lot...
     

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    Last edited: Jan 24, 2014
  3. SgtPepperman1953

    SgtPepperman1953 Forum Resident

    I voted "Like it...with some reservations" and I'd like to know what Bruce Spizer's review of this box set is if he did indeed consult on this project!
     
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  4. Hawkman

    Hawkman Supercar Gort Staff Thread Starter

    Location:
    New Jersey
    It was a group decision. I just did it because I've been living in this thread because I'm home with a virus. :)
     
  5. NumberEight

    NumberEight Came too late and stayed too long

    The set was surely designed to satisfy as many potential consumers as possible, not just those on this forum.

    Those simply wishing to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of The Beatles' arrival in the US get a great-looking package with the music, cover designs, label designs, and even inner sleeves to take them back to that time period, whether they were there or not; the casual (i.e., non-obsessive) fan gets almost every 1962-1966 recording, in both mono and stereo, at a very competitive price (plus Hey Jude); while the obsessive among us (we know who we are) get most - though unfortunately not all - of the unique mixes the US albums contained, plus all the other stuff.

    I'm delighted it exists at all. It's a compromise but, really, it has to be. And it very nearly succeeds.
     
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  6. cliffbig

    cliffbig Forum Resident

    Location:
    Marietta, GA
    Has anyone heard if there has been any discussion of offering this set on vinyl? Even in this strange amalgam format, I'd be willing to buy it--I have the original Capitol vinyl anyway, and this would be an interesting addition to the collection. (Yes, I did buy the CDs as well, in spite of having all this stuff in various formats... and I am glad they put it out!)
     
  7. This is my basic view too. The good outweighs the bad in my view.
     
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  8. Just got my copy of the Box Set a couple days ago and haven't delved into its audio contents, but am stunned by the quality of the packaging and 64-page book...will give further thoughts and vote when I've had a chance to listen properly to it...
     
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  9. AlecA

    AlecA Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Hampshire, USA
    Yeah, jsayers, I know. But I'm tired of chasing the Beatles on CD. I never really cottoned to the UK albums. "Help" (Capitol version) was the first album I ever bought. When I was even younger I remember being fascinated with the spinning rainbow record label from the Beatles albums our babysitter would play and dance to.

    I discovered I don't need every variation. For me, as it concerns the Beatles, more is less. The U.S. Albums box plus the other albums (and perhaps a grey market "Rarities") and I'll have all the Beatles I need.
     
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  10. I love it. Much better than Cats. (but i do really).
     
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  11. Regine Hunter

    Regine Hunter Active Member

    Was it over the same pages I described or elsewhere in the book?
     
  12. jricc

    jricc Senior Member

    Location:
    Jersey Shore
    Like you, I picked up only Y and T and AHDN:righton:, and the butcher/trunk cover is killing me. The sound on the AHDN disc is good, I especially dig the stereo instrumentals, which I always used to skip! Will listen to Y and T on the weekend.

    Edit. I plan to get Hey Jude for the cover/nostalgia sake.
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2014
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  13. drbeachboy

    drbeachboy Forum Resident

    I voted Don't Like It...should have used Capitol Masters. I have the 2009 stereo and mono boxes and the Capitol Albums Vols 1 & 2 boxes. There is nothing new for me with this release, except for Yesterday and Today (which I did buy, along with AHDN). I can't see spending $160.00 for slick mini album covers. I will have to say that I understand Beatle collectors wanting this release. I do the same thing collecting Beach Boys' releases. I must have most songs 10x over, yet I keep buying when something new is released.
     
    Vinyl Fan 1973, Frank and Grunherz54 like this.
  14. kozy814

    kozy814 Forum Resident

    One thing is for sure -- the packaging is top shelf. Like most people have said, the main complaints are the few missing US-unique mixes. But it has many of the important things I've wanted such at the United Artists HDN instrumental tracks and The Butcher Cover. Given that most of the missing tracks would be inferior sounding versions, I can understand why Apple (in their fan-free vacuum) would select the best sonic version that does not have an obvious peculiarity. I purchased only the CDs that did not appear in either of the 1st two Capitol boxes.
     
  15. paulg61

    paulg61 Senior Member

    Location:
    CT
    As I have Cap LP's 1 &2 , stero & mono already - did the same cept picked up "Y & T " and "Hey Jude" - forgot how much I love Hey Jude with the songs in that exact order - brought back a lotta memories for a kid growing up in the mid 70"s!!
     
  16. DLedin

    DLedin Forum Resident

    Location:
    Burbank, CA
    The original butcher covers were printed on a textured paper. The butcher image on the CD sleeve is taken from one of these covers so rather than being only image grain that you're seeing, it's primarily the textured surface within the image used for the new CD sleeve. I consider the trunk cover inclusion worthwhile. It's a good compromise. I could imagine the posts if they'd only used one of the images and ignored the other. They could have made up two versions I suppose but then you'd have to buy the disc twice to get both images. This was a fun and thoughtful way to do it IMHO.

    -DLedin
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2014
  17. culabula

    culabula Unread author.

    Location:
    Belfast, Ireland
    It's the bloody Beatles US Albums box set. It's great. It's selling. Shut up :evil:
     
  18. yerblues

    yerblues Forum Resident

    Location:
    CA
    Ha! I see what you did there Paul. :cool:
     
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  19. kolive

    kolive 6070rock enthusiast

    Location:
    geneva
    My box set arrived today (yeah!)

    I obviously didn't listen to every disc yet, that will start tomorrow.

    I voted B (liked it).
    I couldn;t give an A. Not because duophonic etc.
    The 1st 8 we have one the 2004 and 2006 sets (yes I really still want vol. 3).
    So I am happy that for the most part we have great sound tracks across the board.

    So why a B and not an A.
    It is inexcusable that they could not get all the unique mixes right.
    (I don't care about Herb either - sorry Herb).
    They should know more about these variations than we do
    (or at least as much). The person in charge could
    have at least consulted with Brennan's site.

    I think its a great set, and I'm happy I have it
    and am looking forward to tomorrow morning.

    But it could have been better.
     
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  20. SixtiesGuy

    SixtiesGuy Ministry of Love

    My initial impression upon opening the box and playing a few tracks from Y&T is that Apple Corp put a great deal of quality and attention to detail into this package. Between this and the 2009 sets it's great to see The Beatles music receive the treatment it deserves, versus the budget label packaging of the past.
     
    Last edited: Jan 24, 2014
  21. SixtiesGuy

    SixtiesGuy Ministry of Love

    I didn't properly complete my earlier post - that's what I get for trying to post from my smart phone. I wanted to say that without delving too deeply into the realm of coulda/woulda/shoulda what would have kicked my vote from like to love would have been the inclusion of those blasted Duophonic tracks in the set on a bonus disc.
     
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  22. SixtiesGuy

    SixtiesGuy Ministry of Love

    I got the wild and crazy idea to copy the mono "I'm Only Sleeping" into Audacity to see how close I could come to recreating the Duophonic sound from my 1966 copy of Y&T.

    Funny that years ago I couldn't get far enough away from the Capitol albums, and here in 2014 I paid $160 for a full set of them. Nostalgia (and being a Beatles collector) can do funny things to a man...
     
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  23. Folknik

    Folknik Forum Resident

    Nice to have the United Artists A Hard Day's Night soundtrack on the box set, complete with the instrumentals, and also The Beatles' Story although I've never considered it a proper Beatles album, but just an interesting curio. I'm a bit surprised that they didn't include the US version of Rarities since the track list differs from the UK Rarities. Live at the Hollywood Bowl would have also been a welcome addition.
     
  24. Peter_R

    Peter_R Maple Syrple Gort Staff

    Location:
    Montreal, Canada
    A couple of random thoughts:

    1) I love the packaging. I love how little shelf space the LP replicas take. You can fit seven in the place of 3 regular CDs. Each disc has two versions. I've got fourteen albums in the space of three!

    2) next, a thought about the packaging & the decision to sell them separately as well:

    If, in 2009, the powers that be decided to also sell the mono albums separately, I wonder what sales would have been like. I kinda feel that titles like Sgt. Pepper & the white album may have sold a heckuva lot more.
     
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  25. Peter_R

    Peter_R Maple Syrple Gort Staff

    Location:
    Montreal, Canada
    Would have enjoyed seeing those as well, but my guess is the focus of this set was the album from the first wave of Beatlemania.
     
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