The Beatles on Capitol vinyl a second time?

 

The week was one that so far has involved some "could it be's" from Donald Trumps "they're eating your dogs, cats, you pets" rant at immigrants with no evidence which really makes little sense whatever your politics to something else that there are a good number of posts dotted about.

"Not more records!" I hear you cry but briefly a series of web pages and even a eight second teasing video were accessible via Universal Music and Apple's websites that related to six original American Capitol Records albums suggesting these were to be issued again on vinyl, in mono from November 22nd.

It also implied they'd be available individually or as part of a seven lp set that had exclusively the mainly talk based The Beatles Story double lp.

They appear to be issued in period advertising inner sleeves and feature the iconic rainbow rim capitol label design like the originals.

Needless to say the respective pages have been set to private to keep preying eyes out but screen shots were taken so are they actually going to restore these albums deleted in mid 1991 for a limited edition mono only release?

And just where is the much talked about Superdeluxe Rubber Soul featuring a remixed stereo version given we've had half of the album remixed for better stereo since last years three lp/extended two cd 1962-1966 compilation?

We shall see....

The Beatles 1962-1966 on vinyl redux

On November 10th, as we were gearing up to Remembrance Day after the release of the "new" single Now And Then a week before two very different versions of albums we've known for all our lives appeared in both vinyl record and compact disc.

We're going to talk exclusively about the vinyl edition.

Originally coming out in 1973 the Beatles 1962-1966 and 1967-1970 compilations known to a number of us as the RED and BLUE albums were either gateways into their music growing up in a post Beatles pop world or neat resumés for original fans.

What made them so essential was they took all the hit singles and added a good selection of notable tracks from their albums in chronological order capturing well the essence of the Beatles appeal and their musical development plus  added the lyrics for every song on the inner sleeves.

Short of putting them in a box with a glossy booklet wrapped up with ribbon they could not of been better so over fifty years they've always been around in a variety of formats from records, cassette and 8 track tapes to the compact disc and being given copies for many of us was a rite of passage musically.

One thing they cannot be ignored is however the stereo mixes especially of many of the songs on RED are rather primitive with vocals and backing at the far sides of the stereo image and nothing in the middle which doesn't work too well on headphones.

Compared with today there were only a handful at best of individual tracks to create a stereo mix from and in any event that just wasn't the main aim in how the recording session was done as in the early sixties especially mono was king with most recordings being played on mono portable record players apart from the more well to do grown ups who bought classical, show and film soundtracks who quickly brought into stereo sound.

One major structural difference between the two cd set and the vinyl edition lies in how the expanded track selection is handled which is that the cd has the new selections placed between the original twenty six while the vinyl version keeps the original order but places the extras one the third disc.

Used initially in assembling the Get Back film and then in the new edition of Revolver last year using Artificial Intelligence so it would "learn" all the elements which then gives you lots of separate tracks you can remix this has been applied to every song on RED for this edition.

Thus for the first time ever we get "true stereo" Love Me Do from the original singles version too and She Loves You which have only ever existed in mono although to my ears the source of that track sounds inferior to all previous editions.

Many of those irritating hole in middle vocals on one side mixes have been redone totally and even generally good stereo mixes like Ticket To Ride have the drive reduced in stereo album mixes restored that the original mono 45 had.

Yesterday's string quartet is now spread across both channels which as long term classical musicI know is how they appear.

In the main this works and especially well on the Rubber Soul tracks which bolds well for the much looked forward to remixed stereo version of that album easily the worst in stereo in the catalogue.

Observant eyes will have noticed there's more tracks on the rear cover of the cd (on vinyl the listing is at the bottom of the gatefold photograph like the original)  - 34 not 26 - which allows for a better selection from albums as the beatles generally didn't have singles on albums unless they came out before or were tied in things like the films.

While the criticism could be made the 1973 original was over heavy in representing Rubber Soul, oddly that has gained yet another track so now half of that album appears on this compilation and a similar number from Revolver.

Strangely there has no improvement in the representation of Beatles For Sale (Beatles '65/VI in the North American original Capitol albums) with just Eight Day's A Week, a U.S. chart topper from early 1965 making that the least represented album.

On vinyl the mastering is better as in wider dynamics and sound-staging compared with the cd but that decision to place the extra tracks is awkward feeling like a bonus compilation rather than an integral part of this new version.

I can see for regular playing the 2014 all analogue issue using the original 1973 mixes but with the fake stereo replaced by mono being the regular played edition but this is a great new envisioned version especially for the second side with remixes from Rubber Soul and Revolver which had issues in the original stereo mixes and that bonus disc.

The return of The Hollies on vinyl

This week we're going back to a series of posts from 2011/2 while I'm recovering from this darn heat.
That series of post explored the sixties and early 70's output of The Hollies from a compact disc angle but one problem is a number of Hollies compact discs remain in grey sounding highly compressed issues from the late 1990's and to which using records is presently the only sure fire way to get past that fork in the road. 
 In 1967 as I remarked in an earlier post the group and specifically Graham Nash were moving in a more experimental direction that resulted in two albums and a Graham leaving the band.
They issued at the same time as Sgt Pepper, their own pop psychedelia album, Evolution with trippy original sleeve but this album hard to find in original stereo form was re-issued in 1972  as "The Hollies" which was kinda silly "Stop Right There!" would of worked better  with a new sleeve and liner notes.

Interestingly, it used the very same stampers to make it as the first issue of Evolution and so it was for a mere £2.99 and a clean I replaced a so-so mono re-issue with something that sounds better.

 By years end the "Oh wow" factor was raised considerably after the "King Midas in Reverse" 45 showing on this album that includes the U.S. single Dear Eloise but as much as some of this love this album it bombed saleswise at the time making it hard to find in its original mono and stereo forms.
Thankfully Parlophone released in September 2016 a twin mono and stereo remastered lp that sounds better than the EMI cd or critically the 2011 Spanish Guersson mono lp re-issue that used it as a source.
This apart from not having Dear Eloise with a chopped off intro sounds noticeably clearer with fine high frequency detail although it is not clear if used a digital source or not.
It is in any event much better sounding.

Tom Petty

The last time I mentioned TP was in 2014 with the Hypnotic Eye album although I have a lot of Tom Petty's albums on cd.

 This album originally came out in 1993 remaining a favourite of many although though their have been other compilations such as Playback box set and 2000's Anthology: Through The Years and it recently (July 2016) came out on double vinyl.
More accurately for people living  my side of the Atlantic, it's a re-issue as there was a very limited vinyl release for Europe and the UK and that edition is like much early 90's vinyl very expensive when you see a copy.
The strength of this set is its brevity containing only the 45's and two new recordings such as Mary Jane's 2nd Dance and that the running order makes for a highly enjoyable play starting with such early tracks as American Girl running through such gems as I Need To Know, Refugee, Don't Come Around Here No More and I Won't Back Down with a lack of anything resembling padding so in just over 68 minutes the case for Tom Petty is made convincingly in song and arrangements.
The four side splits are chosen well so you get the opportunity changing them to reflect on what you have heard and in non technical terms the sound and pressing quality of this European lp set is really high with the grooves cut by Chris Bell.

 Before the Heartbreakers were formed, there were a group of guys who played with Tom Petty In Gainsville, Florida and that band was reformed for an album in 2007 and this, Mudcrutch2, is their new offering also bought on vinyl issued May 20th with shared song writing between the band and Tom.

Changesonebowie

Between studying I have been listening to some music and arriving last Friday was this, the vinyl reissue of the very first David Bowie compilation entitled changesonebowie that came out originally in 1976.

It was the first album that featured John I'm Only Dancing and in the eyes of many had a seamless unity running through the selection that made it most satisfying to play from start to finish starting with Space Oddity through Jean Genie to Golden Years from his Station to Station album issued early in 1976.
The cover photograph is very iconic.

 It was reissued May 20th  in random form with half the copies on standard black vinyl an the other clear like the one I got with no indication which you'll be getting!
Although this is sourced from high resolution digital files it does sound better than the original UK album overall and is noticeably cheaper to buy compared to a used original!
Having so many of my favourite 45's from childhood playing this was a enjoyable trip through time so I'm glad to have gotten it.

Ziggy Stardust

A few weeks and forty odd years ago an album was issued that became in many respects bigger than the artists own profile dominating the popular music scene for 1972/3.
It's an album almost  every student of any generation feels they have to heard never mind own regardless of what format may be prevailent at the time and it was a major musical and social influence either on me at that time.
Ziggy Stardust is a character - a singer in a rock band - and through him we see his raise to fame and tellingly his burn out that mirrors all too sadly what actually happens in real life. Everybody wants a piece of his pie from the management team, record label  even ultimately, the fans themselves and the artist struggles to "Hang on to yourself" to quote the title of one of the songs featured.
If the Monkees were a made for TV fabrication of a rock group based upon the Beatles, here was in many ways a more credible fabrication for the modern era -  a complete fabrication from individuals persona onward.
If one goes down Heddon Street, London the buildings in the cover shot can be seen although the trash can and K West sign are long gone.
The first single off the album was Starman and I recall the first time I heard that on the radio well being aware from the billboards and older friends of this Bowie character. What got to me about was -and still is - is the sense of detachment, alienation even of the lead character in the lyrics and the unamerican style of singing.
I first had the album on RCA 8 track tape although my brother had the lp and have been through cassette and cd versions.
This album has been re-issued numerous times and unfortunately like most of David Bowie's back catalogue their is no such thing as a really good cd version although on the advice of a friend of mine, Keith H in Ohio, I got the original RCA cds from the mid 1980's which were more listenable than either the thin sounding EMI (US: Ryko) titles from 1990/91 with bonus tracks or Peter Mew's bloated and highly compressed versions from 1999 on EMI (US: Virgin).
In 1990 a boxed edition was issued by EMI with a  72 page booklet with the regular cd
recognizing it's iconic status and this June  two new editions came out.
The cd version is just a straight re-issue of the 11 track album in a card digpack cover which I can't say I really like as packaging preferring Mini Lp style i we're having paper based.
While there is a little compression on it compared to the 1984 RCA, the tonality is spot on and let's be honest here the analogue to digital conversion technology has come an awful lot in 28 years (I can hear the convertors' sound on many older cds) so for the first time ever there is a pretty acceptable in print cd even though I won't be tossing out the RCA.
Secondly and even better news is that there was a new lp lovingly mastered by Ray Staff who used to work at Porky's mastering that many of us feel surpasses the original UK orange RCA lp when it comes to sound quality and dead quiet surfaces. It comes with a audio dvd that will play on a computer or Blue-ray player capable of 96khz/24Bit resolution (most do) offering  both stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes with bonus tracks which will sound smoother than the regular cd.
Recommended.

Beach Boys Today! & Summer days!!!

Well peoples the initiated do know I've always had a strong liking for the Beach Boys a band who notwithstanding being American -Californian to be exact - developed a strong following in the UK to the point that by the late 1960's they were more popular there than 'at home'!
I was raised on British versions of the "Best of the Beach Boys " compilations in their crazy mixture of mono, true stereo and Duophonic (fake) stereo from an early age and started slowly buying individual albums from my mid teens although at that time a Stones or Beatles album got the nod as I as low on my allowances back then.That had something to do with the patchy nature of some of these early beach boy albums some having obvious filler such as Denny's Drums from "Shut Down Vol:2", Our Favorite Recording Sessions on "All Summer Long" or "Bull session with Big Daddy" on this album, "Today!" but there are too many examples of their song writing abilities, harmonization and Brian Wilson's production abilities not to stay with a few hit bound compilations.In fact this album issued early 1965 is really at the point when the themes became more adult exploring much more about emotions and relationships than the previous album which was still teen fun in the sun songs with cars - a Californian necessity and obsession - and the complex arrangements that blossomed on Pet Sounds began (It has been said much of side two was the dummy run for that album).The hit 45's leap out at you and it's telling that they're all on side one, the cover of Do You Wanna Dance, When I Grow Up (to be a Man) which questions of the interests and obsessions of youth can be maintained in adult life and finally Dance Dance Dance which is as close to the older themes this album gets with its invocation of teen life, coming in from school and blasting out the radio flat out.Guess we've all done that, eh?Side two is where the fun starts, with Brian pouring his heart out writing very grown up songs about love such as "Please Let Me Wonder" and "She Knows Me Too Well".My previous exposure to this album in it's entirety was a UK Duophonic stereo version on album - I should note it was mixed to real stereo but seemingly Brian Wilson objected to this stereo re-mix and had it trashed oblivious to the fact it would be tricked into fake stereo anyway by Capitol sounding less good - and the mono cd which is part of a 2 lp on cd set with Summer Days neither issue of which is entirely satisfactory as sound quality goes.This was re-issued in mono in full by Capitol in the States in 2009 in the "From the vaults" lp re-issue series on 180 gram vinyl from higher than cd resolution files transferred from the analogue tapes and I was able to win a near mint copy very cheaply recently to add to my collection.In my opinion this album hasn't sounded better. Recommended.






















Capitol at the same time decided to re-issue this album, Today's follow up in it's "From the vaults" series but goofed with the front and rear jacket art as they used that from the Duophonic version whereas this lp is actually mono and many audio fans run a mile from any kind of fake stereo which is unfortunate cos they see the cover and it like 'Ugh!'
The usual opinion on this this album is it's a a step back from side two of Today returning more to the fun in the sun subject matter of girls, beaches, and summer but this is to ignore the sophistication in the arrangements most noticeably on California Girls, the instrumental Summer Means New Love, the heavy I'm Bugged At My ol' Man' and the acapella And Your Dream Comes True.
In reality Capitol wanted a album for Summer, the Beach boys needed a album to tour behind and Brian Wilson had to rustle up something so while it's true to say the spirit of this album is in the past most noticeably on Amusement Parks USA with the carnival barker interjecting in the song not unlike County Fair from Surfin' Safari, the quality of the arrangements and the playing more than make up for it.
The sound on this lp is probably the best I've heard it as there's plenty of bass and a tendency toward peakiness and over bright strings that can be heard in otherwise great copies such as the UK 1978 mono re-issue are well tamed , allowing the vocals to cut through.
The card insert has colour versions of the rear album photographs that I'm sure were not issued here in the UK at the time.
It just seems a pity care wasn't taken to issue the correct mono front and rear covers of thsi otherwise well worthwhile re-issue.