Beatles shootout for Kipper!

Kipper15 wrote:

Ok kip, we just have to know...

Of the 13 Rubber Soul's... how do they all stack up? Which sounds the best?

Ditto Help, WTB, & White Album, if you feel like answering.

 

I guess you mean, if he was stranded on a desert island (with good catering, of course) and he could only take 1 copy of each title (doesn't matter if it's stereo/mono) which would he take?

Todd

P.S. You know what's funny about these desert islands (I guess in the tropics), stranded people never seem to have the resources to build adequate shelter or gather enough food but they also seem to have a great TT or CD player with a few pristine discs to spin. Go figure...

 

I guess I'm also curious what the second and third runners up are as well.

At least they have their priorities straight.



HZ

 

Only 13 Rubber Soul's? I have 48 Sgt. Pepper's!!!!

 

*choke*

Alllrighty then! Same question for you!

HZ

 

OK here we go! These are favourite pressings of the STEREO releases. I don't own any monos, except the 90s UK digital LP's of the first four albums. I'm waiting for my complete set of '82 UK monos to arrive this week, so cannot compare with those yet.

Also I do not own any original pressings of Beatles LP's pre-White Album.


Rubber Soul & Help!: UK 1969 one-EMI box reissue.

I own a German Odeon 1969 pressing of Help! which comes a close second to the UK.

With The Beatles: UK 1969 one-EMI box reissue, with the German Odeon 1969 reissue a close second.

White Album: Early UK Apple numbered side-opening reissue (c 1969/70), second place mid-70s UK reissue pressed in France.


If I HAD to take only one version of each LP to a desert island, I would settle for the UK 1969 pressings for the Parlophone titles, plus the early UK reissue of the White Album. I do like the MFSL versions of these LP's a lot but the UK pressings are more natural-sounding to my ears - closely followed by those German LP's.

Note that I might change the list after I hear those '82 monos


Kipper

 

YOU BIG SHOWOFF

 

Thanks Kipper!! I haven't heard of the "one-EMI box reissue". Was this similiar in concept to the "blue box"?

 

Re: Re: Beatles shootout for Kipper!

Warning, warning: Just keep in mind that some/many of the 1969 issues actually use the same cutting as the original Odeon pressing, which was *terrible*. Some were re-cut, though; it would be interesting to know if the change came at a certain point, or if they were pressing original and re-cuts at the same time. Stay away from any pressing that has a "-1" YEX or YBEX number.

Of course, I don't know why I'm telling any of you this - I've got a (non-recut) pressing here that I'm going to want to get rid of soon.

BTW, Kipper, what would you say the differences are between the (good) Odeon and the UK reissue? I've usually found that the UK pressings are a bit brighter, while the German pressings are a bit more mellow/relaxed. It seems as if it depends on the *song* as to which I prefer. For instance, I prefer A Hard Day's Night on my Collection Of Beatles Oldies, while I *really* prefer Can't Buy Me Love on Beatles Beat. And Eight Days A Week sounds amazing on Beatles' Greatest. Go figure...

Luke

 

The one-EMI box is a reference to the label. EMI replaced the black/yellow Parlophone label in 1969 with the black/silver Parlophone label. These re-pressings had just one EMI logo on the label - around 1971 it was replaced with the more common two-EMI box design. As the BC13 ("blue box") was issued for the first time in 1978, the Parlophone LP's in that set will have the two-EMI box label.

Sorry for any confusion caused

 

Re: Re: Re: Beatles shootout for Kipper!

Luke

I think my German LP's are probably early 70s pressings. I'll need to check the matrix no's in the runout groove. They sound darned good to my ears!

I agree - the German LP's sound as though they have a slightly compressed top-end. They have great mid-range and bass though!