Beatles Red & Blue Albums Remastered Oct. 19 (Part Two)

To elaborate, many of The Beatles early singles & albums were subjected to additional reverb (among other things) when they were released here. The US version of "I Feel Fine" & especially its flip, "She's A Woman are prime examples of this practice.

Undoubtedly, this is what you are remembering. Personally, I like both. Despite the audio manipulation, those versions are what I grew up with!

Dexter

 

...so, where is a thread for the remastered Beatles "1" (or was it "1's"?) ?



http://www.amazon.com/1s-2010-Remasters-Beatles/dp/B0058U8162/

 

The problem with the original cd version RED & BLUE is the misuse of noise reduction in the mastering and actually the general EQ is very good.
The Nr leaves the music feeling like a reconstituted meal: It approximates to it but is grainy textured compared to one not treated.
The new versions are much less 'grainy' that is noticeable on vocals and percussion.

 

Made a mp3 CDR for the car of the red and blues for a recent road trip, and dang it was a great listen! These are really great compilations. I swapped out some stereo tracks for some mono (IWTHYH, HDN, IATW, PW, LM and I think one or two others) but I used only 2009 remasters.

I didn't buy the stereo box, so I got these when they came out to get some stereo versions, and they are now one of my favorite ways to listen to the Beatles (when the time is available natch). It's great to hear the development of the band as the years go by and you get about a quarter of the catalog. The sequencing is truly spectacular. I'm quite glad these are available.

 

Reminds me of many road trips over the years with the Red and Blue cassettes in tow!

 

The US slipcase version was briefly available through QVC, but was it ever available in retail stores?

 

I scored a German pressing of the Blue 1967-70 compilation this week for € 2.50(!) and I couldn't agree more. Both the Red & Blue double LPs are sublimely sequenced. I'm in the middle of doing a needledrop as I type this.

 

As far as 'sequencing' goes, they're not; it's all in release order. Actually, it's not, is it?; 'Love Me Do' is the album version, released five or six months after the single.

 

I like the flow of both albums as well. I have a UK first press of the Blue that sounds great (especially at $15).

Someday I'll track down a non-US Red album on vinyl. I just have a couple of US pressings, which are not very good sounding at all.

And "All My Loving" came out a week before "I Want To Hold Your Hand" (in the UK at least), if we really want to get that technical. Same with "I Feel Fine" and "Eight Days a Week".

 

And 'Yesterday' coming after 'Ticket To Ride' at the end of Disc 1, preceding 'Help!' (which was a single before the 'Help!' album).

 

For an upcoming road trip this week I will make a Beatles comp for the car. Was inspired by seeing this old thread and the vote for your favorite Blue side thread last week!

 

And I suppose we could say "Girl" really preceded "In My Life".

 

But at least they both were released on the same date. Technically, the Help! single (July 65) should precede Yesterday (Aug 65).

 

That's very true.

I could say they used the album version of "Help!" on the Red album so then it would have been released the same day as "Yesterday". But then you still have the issue of it preceding "Yesterday" in the original album order.


So I won't even go there.

 

I like the sequencing on the first disc of 1962–1966 for its brisk précis of the first three years, but the breadth of material takes a significant dive on disc two. Maybe there's too many John-penned songs, or too much from Rubber Soul, but it doesn't feel as even-handed. At least there were never any fake stereo mixes included on it, unlike the pre-CD era disc one.

1967–1970 is near-perfect.

 

If you look at the Blue album: albums/singles (using stereo mixes when available)/EP tracks are confined to specific lp sides:

Side A: Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane;SGT. Pepper album tracks; All You Need Is Love next 1967 single
SideB: Magical Mystery Tour Ep tracks; 1968 singles: Lady Madonna & Hey Jude/Revolution
Side C: The White Album tracks/both sides of the 1969 singles preceding Abbey Road
Side D: Abbey Road tracks; 1970 Let It Be single/Let It Be album tracks

The Red Album has album cuts that spill over from one LP side to the other:

The Help! tracks appear on LP side B & C; The Rubber Soul tracks appear on LP side C & D. As mentioned, Yesterday is a great closing lp track (maybe that is why it is out of sequence) but it should come after Help! not before.

Also, where both double lp comps do contain both sides of the double A sided singles (Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out; Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby; Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane & Something/Come Together), The Red Album contains no b-sides. The Blue album has I Am the Walrus; Revolution; Don't Let Me Down; Old Brown Shoe.

Rain, This Boy or She's A Woman could be considered....

 

The UK Red vinyl does sound great. Among other things the bets -sounding version I've heard of the stereo "From Me To You" and the "whispering" "I Feel Fine" intro. Also the ballsy US stereo mix of "Day Tripper" with dry vocals.
I would just be wary of red vinyl versions. I had one and side 3 sounded terrible -definitely a mispressing. Thankfully, I was able to return it .

 

The Red and Blue compilations were the first Beatles purchases I made. They were on cassette with Dolby HX and B-NR applied. I LOVED the way they sounded at the time. The mix of Please Please Me on the Red cassette sounded brighter and clearer than any other mix I've heard since. Also, I think it was speeded up slightly over the CD versions, as it sounded slightly sharp.