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The Beatles Stereo Box Set
Artist: The Beatles
Released: 2009-01-01From: EMI
Media: Audio CD
Customer Rating:
Customer Reviews: 379
List Price: $259.98
Your Cost: $138.49
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Customer Reviews
Beatles Forever
This was the first purchase I made when I received a small windfall. Best cd purchase I ever made,and I can still listen and hear something new every day. A MUST have for music lovers. Monday, August 30th, 2010
Beatles Box Set
It was a gift to a friend, but The Beatles are the best one ever! I love them!! Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
Very Good, but not as good as it could've been
In my lifetime I have purchased the entire Beatles catalog 3 times and am now on the fourth--and 5th because I had to buy the stereo and mono separately. I hope someone from EMI reads these reviews, because i want them to know that fans such as i deserve more for our loyalty. We have made them millions many times over and just want to say that for once i'd like to feel that I wasn't being turned upside down and having the change shaken out of my pockets. Why can't we just get a real quality bargain and have both the mono and stereo on one CD? Fans know that mono and stereo Beatles can be very different, and you can argue all day about your preference, but I think there is something to recommend each, so I want both. Just my little gripe.
Secondly let me say that if you are wondering whether you should bother buying these because you already have these albums on other discs or vinyl (like me), let me reassure you that it is worth the purchase. These sound far better that the old cd's and better than what you can get on even the best quality vinyl. The packaging is also up to the event, and is very pleasing. I like the mini album replicas of the mono and the tri-fold sleeves of the stereo. There is a lot of great art work and liner notes. The new packaging is just as important as the improved sound to me and nearly makes the purchase worth it by itself. For the first time the sound and packaging is worthy of the Beatles. I don't understand how they let it be so bad for so long with music that is so important. Magical Mystery Tour never even had the original comic with it until now. I think if all cd's were packaged this way--more like record albums--they would be a lot more fun and people might not do as many downloads. My one little suggestion to EMI is that the stereo set could use the clear plastic protectors and inner sleeves that came with the mono set.
Having said all that, let me say that the sound--though vastly improved--isn't as good as it could be still. When you compare these discs to your old ones you will be thrilled. However, compare "Lucy in the Sky" from the remastered "Sgt Pepper" to the one on the "Love" cd and you may be a little (though not terribly) disappointed. That is because these are remasters and not remixes. Whenever I hear Beatles songs in modern remixes I am astounded at how much better they sound. Listen to the Anthology, Yellow Submarine Songtrack or Love and you will start to hear what is possible. What we have here is the best possible copy of the old mixes from the 60's (except for Help and Rubber Soul which were remixed for the original cd release in the 1980's). Purists would argue not to mess with history and art, and i concede they have a point, but when i hear the sound on the "Love" cd I wish all Beatles cd's could sound like that. It may be that some art should be hermetically sealed and never touched or fiddled with and preserved as a museum piece, but this music needs to live and be heard, so i say let the fiddling begin and let's hear it as good as it can be. The technology is there EMI, now use it. Listen to Paul's voice crack on the lame stereo mix of "If I Fell" (our new love, was in vai---) and you'll wonder why they don't fix it. After all, the stereo mixes of the first four albums were considered too awful for cd release back in the 80's. Now that they are newly remastered, flaws such as this are only more obvious--and alarming. It took EMI 4 years to complete this project and they couldn't be bothered to fix such a glaring problem? They fixed the tambourine drop out in Day Tripper for the "One" release--why not this? Paperback Writer still begins all on one speaker! Come on! EMI stop cutting corners with the Beatles!
Overall, this is pretty good and is the best we will have for long time so you should get it, but it's not everything it could've and should've been for a band as important as the Beatles. I would give 3.5 stars, for the improved sound and packaging. I can't give it five, because I can't help but feel that EMI is still holding back--probably for another more "improved" release 20 years from now. Built in obsolescence you see.
Sunday, August 22nd, 2010
The Beatles Stero Box Set
Magnificant! Everything was just magnified 10 times. Makes me enjoy the musical talent of the one and only Beatles. Friday, July 30th, 2010
Trying something new
I was never really a Beatles fan. The music didn't really speak to me growing up. But I wanted a new addition to my music collecting and I decided to buy this box set since it had almost if not all the Beatles music. I have been listening to the collection as a whole and I am finding gems that I have never heard before.
The only negative statement is that to make the mono track stereo they ended up mixing instruments heavy left and voices heavy right. This can be distracting. Not all track are like that. The collection offers a big bang for your buck especially if you can find it used.
Thursday, July 22nd, 2010
