Again, they defaulted to the 2009 remasters, which also included the 1965 stereo mixes. You are correct that we can only guess, but there doesn't seem to be much logic in specifically choosing the remixes in such a set. If "canon" was the name of the game, surely none of the US mixes would have been used at all, no?
All we know at this point is that the default went towards the '87 mixes where they are found on the set. I don't think 'canon' was necessarily in play here. The compilation strategy - from disparate sources for multiple titles - could have been organized in some aspects and disorganized in others. Perhaps only the executive producer knows some of the answers to these questions - how and where uniformity of logic was applied - and according to who's definition as it regarded the Beatles' US albums.
For the unique mixes of course. For the mixes that were the same on both sides of the pond, what would be the point of using second or third generation tapes? When albums are re-released they usually try to use the best sounding sources available. Even so, they already used the Capitol tapes for the two previous boxes. The approach for the 2014 box was different: to treat the American albums like any other major release, using the best sound possible and discarding fake stereo and mono. It has some mistakes, and it's a shame, but the approach was correct IMO. Even the UK catalog is different from the original albums, without the few fake stereos and with the 87 remixes of Help! and RS as default versions.
I'm a second generation US fan, and would have welcomed a volume 3 in the same spirit and execution of the first two. I still love listening to my copy of Y&T (on vinyl).
Thanks to this forum, $200 was saved by not buying a misrepresentation, a FAKE. And when it was disclosed WHAT they were putting in this box, just made things worse. To the ones who grew up listening to Capitol Records, it would have been nice to ACTUALLY get a box of those ACTUAL albums in hopefully the best sound possible on CD.
I think that clears the AYBCS issue. Now I would like to ask you and the other users about another of the missing US mixes in the 2014 box: the stereo Long Tall Sally. I think we talked about it in some other thread, but we never reached to a conclusion. The thing is, according to Brennan the difference in the US mix is that the vocals are on the right. However, when I listen to the track in the Capitol 2004 CD, I hear the vocals centered. Maybe the right channel is a little louder (like in many Capitol tracks), but that wouldn't really be a mixing difference. I honestly can't tell what's different about the US version, apart from the "dexterization". Anybody can help?
Brennan states the vocal is "over to the right side" which it is. That is, it pulls right, as does everything on Second Album, which can be attributed to Capitol's meddling. The US mix is of course unique, since the UK mix wasn't done until after Second Album was released. That said, it's hard to tell what's different due the presence of the added reverb. What is unquestionably different, though, is the fade. The UK mix cuts off abruptly, while the US mix is almost a second longer, with a noise near the end of the fade. One wonders if Capitol still has the original masters of this and I Call Your Name from EMI.
Indeed...exactly! instead we got a fake/lie...some of us GET IT! others defend it for no reason other than disdain for the original Capitol albums...nothing will change our minds...; ) IMO, Vol 1 & 2 sound better!
I will say this, though, the packaging on the US box is beyond reproach. The covers, the inner sleeves, the MMT booklet - wow! Even the Trunk Cover "sticker" so you can make your own 2nd state. If they'd gotten the mixes right, this would have been flawless.
You note '63 and '65 mixes of IWHYH. Outside of the common UK stereo mix (on Past Masters) and the Aussie reissue 45 mix, what are these two stereo mixes you refer to? Never heard of a unique UK 45 mix of Ask Me Why. What's different/unique about it compared to the Please Please Me lp mono/stereo mixes?
The ‘63 mix is the one on the AU 45. The ‘65 mix was issued in Germany, the Netherlands, etc. The 45 of Ask Me Why was taken from the live delta mono recording. The mono LP mix was a delta mono reduction of the twin track recording. As such, the level of the reverb is a bit higher in the LP mix, since it was recorded to both tracks of the twin track.
That's a fascinating revelation on the Canadian Don't Bother Me, Luke. Where did you get this info? Maybe the cutting engineer flipped a switch on the console by accident while reaching for his cup of coffee?
I believe Steve may have suggested it, and I confirmed the timing matched that from a preview head. Here: Beatlemania - With the Beatles wide stereo vs. UK pressings - what's the difference?
Is that alternate Ask Me Why mix on the reissue (box set) pressings? Vinyl and CD? Just curious if the original single master was swapped out for the album at some point?
I'm still not clear on what the misinformation is? That I said UK mixes rather than the '87 mixes? If that wasn't clear from me talking about the '87 mixes being used later in the post then, OK. I meant the '87 mixes. I should have said 2009 UK MASTERS. From what I've read, not all the same mixing and mastering tricks used on the original U.S. albums are featured on the U.S. Albums Box Set. That's all I was saying - unless I am wrong in that. If so then explain how I am. I don't own the box based on the reports (from here) that they are not like the original US Albums. Which was my original point. I said that they are not the original american albums. The articles (and posts here) say that some of the oddities are on there, but not the Dave Dexter stuff and not the original 1965 stereo mixes of the Help! and Rubber Soul material.
You stated only the UK mixes were used. That isn’t true. Most of the unique US mixes were used. It’s not uncommon at all for things like fake stereo and added reverb to be eliminated on reissues. The same was done for the 2009 reissues, along with countless reissues from other artists. The albums are still the albums.
The misinformation is that you said that only UK mixes were used in the 2014 box. As has been explained, all but a few exceptions of the unique US mixes are used in the box.
Thank you for clearing this up guys. Next time, I'll ignore Wikipedia and go straight to the oracle: The Daily Beatle: US Albums mixes used
Vol 1 & 2 sound incredible! I was actually shocked how good these sounded when I first got them. Glad I took the chance back when they came out. They're still my go to for those early Beatle albums. I like them better than the 2009 remasters! Sure wish we could get a real Vol 3, but that doesn't look promising.
Interesting! Okay, so if I have the vinyl single from the blue box, that's it, but the CD single in the late 80s black box is the album mono? Do I have that correct?
Others on this forum (myself included) have noted how Vols 1 & 2 sound superior in places to the 2009 remasters.