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

Weird that I’ve never noticed anything amiss. Mustn’t have been playing too many mono LPs of late.

 

From the needledrops I did, the left channel is consistently somewhere between 1.5-2.0dB louder for both the main remix LP and the Esher Demos LP. It has nothing to do your system being miswired.

If I recall correctly, Blue And Lonesome had a similar issue. I don’t recall if anything else cut at Abbey Road recently has the same issue but I wonder if there isn’t issue in their chain. I do know I can’t unnotice the ground hum on the Pepper 50th cut...

 

However, it’s now vastly improved.

 

What’s vastly improved?

 

The balance. Last time I listened it was ... unlistenable because of the bias to the left. Really bad.

Last night, when I put the system back as it should be, I was immediately struck as to how the balance was now fine.

 

Has anyone else had difficulty locating a flat copy of the regular, 2 LP vinyl version? I have gone through SIX brand new copies from three different local stores and every one has had a significant warp. I tried four different copies from one store before giving up and trying a different store to no avail. I asked one of the employees at the second shop if they'd seen any issues with this set and he said he wasn't aware of any returns. The warps have been the same on all of and I can't tell if it's a pressing/shipping/storage issue or if the shrink wrap is just too tight or all of the above. Any recommendations for online sources where others have obtained flat copies?

 

Well of course. It sounds like you were wired out of phase. That’s an entirely different problem from the channel imbalance issue others are talking about. You’re now listening to an in-phase, imbalanced record instead of an out-of-phase, imbalanced record.

 

I just wanna say I feel bad for what you're going through; unfortunately, it's a hit-and-miss situation regardless of where you buy it. My original intention was, upon buying the super deluxe CD set, to get *only* the standard 2-LP set for the vinyl (I didn't think it was all that necessary to have the Esher material on vinyl but I wanted the remixed version of the proper album). Upon reading of one experience after the next on the 2-LP sets, I figured I had no choice *but* to go for the 4-LP set which was pressed in Germany(luckily, I had a birthday gift cert to help me out)...and even with that, I had a problem with one of the records which Amazon kindly replaced.

 

I listened to a comparison on Vinyl Rewind's YouTube channel. I don't like the way the 2018 Remix sounds. I prefer the sound on the 1968 US LP or 1980 UK LP. For digital, I still like my 2009 Stereo CD just fine.

 

The 2018 mix of Cry Baby Cry. Wow.

This almost feels like a new Beatles song.

 

I see (hear) your Cry Baby Cry, and up you Blackbird, Piggies, and Rocky Raccoon. 2018/5.1!

 

Just get the 4LP bro.

 

I second that emotion with Dear Prudence and Long, Long, Long.

 

Helter Skelter, holy moly!

 

Outtakes not in 5.1 = missed opportunity.

They need to consult with whoever managed the Imagine box. They killed it on that set.

 

Funny, never heard the hum. Are you sure it's not 60hz from the guitars?

 

Terrible, isn't it?

 

Yeah, I'll want to rock out at home or in the car at a level that's not ear-splitting but is loud enough to focus on the music and my wife will want to turn it down, yet at a concert, I'm the one with the ear plugs.

 

See, I just don't see the point of 5.1 mixes for outtakes. They're unfinished, by their very nature, and are often simply bare instrumentation. The great thing about the surround mixes on the finished album tracks is that the listener is able to hear these familiar songs in a way that sheds new light on the intricacies of the vocals and instrumentation. These mixes, in particular, expand the sound field in interesting ways for the songs that benefit the most from the capabilities of a surround mix and, in the case of songs with more sparse instrumentation, create a sound field that makes you feel like you're in the studio. There's nothing that would prevent the outtakes from being mixed into surround, but it is an enormous undertaking to create a good surround mix and, in the case of the outtakes, very few of them would benefit from them. Maybe the "finished" songs that didn't make it onto the final album, but it certainly wouldn't really provide much of an improvement to the outtakes of the album tracks. We have surround mixes of those songs in their improved, final versions.

You're certainly welcome to your opinion, though.

 

Have you heard the Imagine outtakes in 5.1? It's an incredible experience.

They could have spread the tracks, just like they did for the finished mixes.

Of course it's my opinion. However, it is one that is shared with many others.

They had the disc space, so why not include it.

 

After the 2 outstanding books accompanying the Stereo and Mono box sets, I found the book in the Deluxe CD set disappointing. A lost opportunity if you ask me. I have both the CD and vinyl deluxe sets and think the audio content is a *must have* for the serious Beatles fan. Years ago I read that they did over 100 takes of Obladi-Oblada... The additional takes included are my favorites.

 

I have not, so I'll take your word for it. I don't doubt that it would have been possible, it just doesn't seem to me to be worthwhile, especially when it's already so difficult to get all of the Apple parties to sign off on things. I don't feel like I'm missing anything by only having them in stereo.

There is definitely a lot of space on the disc that they could have used for additional material. I'm disappointed that, with all of the potential for video material on the making of the album and its impact on the culture of the time and on contemporary music, that there isn't a single bit of video content on the disc. The music is the most important thing in the end, but it seems to be a bit of a wasted opportunity, especially given the cost of the box set.

 

In total agreement, the Sessions CDs were less than 60 mins. Really they could have easily filled up the CDs. I was hoping Brian Epstein blues and spiritual generation on the session Cds and of course 27 min Helter Shelter. But we need to be happy whatever we get from Apple. Of course the 50th Anniversary Abbey Road should have plenty of material for the Super deluxe set! Keeping my fingers crossed!

 

I agree- no video was a bummer.

Pepper's video was from the 90's for heavens sake.

This is what SHOULD have been included

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6tnn60

 

It is so rare that ANY outtakes from any band are remixed to multichannel, so I understand your point. However, the couple/few, I have heard, have been well worth the effort!