Tjazz Posted October 12, 2004 Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 Capitol Boxes Up Early Beatles Albums photo The Beatles' first four U.S. albums -- "Meet the Beatles," "The Beatles Second Album," "Something New" and "Beatles '65" -- will be bundled together in the boxed set "The Capitol Albums Volume 1," due Nov. 16. All were originally released in 1964 as Beatlemania swept the United States. "In the '60s, American record labels often chose to reformat British records to suit the needs of the U.S. market," says Capitol president Andy Slater. "In America, singles were generally included on current albums, where in the U.K. albums and singles were most often separate releases. Higher music publishing costs in the U.S. also made it impractical to include as many songs on American albums. In addition, in the case of the Beatles, some of the recordings on the American albums were given more echo than the British versions, to 'Americanize' their sound." The albums, which have been remastered from the original tapes, include stereo and mono versions of each song. Each album is housed in a miniature replica of its original album cover, while the box will feature a 48-page booklet chronicling the Beatles' unprecedented 1964. "Meet the Beatles" (originally issued Jan. 20, 1964, in the United States) begins with what was at the time the group's latest single, "I Want To Hold Your Hand," and its U.S. and U.K. B-sides, "I Saw Her Standing There" and "This Boy." The bulk of the remaining tracks were taken from the U.K. version of the album "With the Beatles." "The Beatles Second Album" (April 10, 1964) is a grabbag of such tracks as the "She Loves You" single and its B-side "I'll Get You," additional songs from "With the Beatles," cuts from the "Long Tall Sally" EP and a German version of "I Want To Hold Your Hand." "Something New" (July 20, 1964) includes eight songs from the soundtrack to the Beatles' first film, "A Hard Day's Night," although not the title track or "Can't Buy Me Love." The album was denied the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Top LPs chart by the movie's proper soundtrack, issued by United Artists. "Beatles '65" (Dec. 15, 1964) boasts the "I Feel Fine"/"She's a Woman" single, the "A Hard Day's Night" leftover "(I'll Be Back)" and eight songs from the U.K. album "Beatles for Sale," including three particularly dark John Lennon tunes, "No Reply," "I'm a Loser" and "Baby's in Black." It is unknown if Capitol plans to re-release additional titles such as "Beatles VI" or "Yesterday ... and Today." Here is the track list for "The Capitol Albums Vol. 1" "Meet the Beatles": "I Want To Hold Your Hand" "I Saw Her Standing There" "This Boy" "It Won't Be Long" "All I've Got To Do" "All My Loving" "Don't Bother Me" "Little Child" "Till There Was You" "Hold Me Tight" "I Wanna Be Your Man" "Not a Second Time" "The Beatles Second Album": "Roll Over Beethoven" "Thank You Girl" "You Really Got a Hold on Me" "Devil in Her Heart" "Money" "You Can't Do That" "Long Tall Sally" "I Call Your Name" "Please Mr. Postman" "I'll Get You" "She Loves You" "Something New": "I'll Cry Instead" "Things We Said Today" "Any Time At All" "When I Get Home" "Slow Down" "Matchbox" "Tell Me Why" "And I Love Her" "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You" "If I Fell" "Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand" "Beatles '65": "No Reply" "I'm a Loser" "Baby's in Black "Rock and Roll Music" "I'll Follow the Sun" "Mr. Moonlight" "Honey Don't" "I'll Be Back" "She's a Woman" "I Feel Fine" "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby" -- Jonathan Cohen, N.Y. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjazz Posted October 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 Looks like they are getting ready for Christmas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BERIGAN Posted October 12, 2004 Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 "The Beatles Second Album" (April 10, 1964) is a grabbag of such tracks as the "She Loves You" single and its B-side "I'll Get You," additional songs from "With the Beatles," cuts from the "Long Tall Sally" EP and a German version of "I Want To Hold Your Hand." .... Love the German version! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Chaney Posted October 12, 2004 Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 Not at all suggesting that the conversation should move elsewhere but you way want to check out the lenghty THREAD on this topic over on the Hoffman board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted October 12, 2004 Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 I spent far too many years looking down my nose at the American versions to change now, I'm afraid... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted October 12, 2004 Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 Those BASTARDS! When are they going to get around to remastering the fucking BRITISH catalogue?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quincy Posted October 12, 2004 Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 (edited) I spent far too many years looking down my nose at the American versions to change now, I'm afraid... Heh, same here, though I do have some of the US versions too, starting w/ Hard Day's Night. I just realized that I don't think I've ever heard "I'll Get You." I picked up a few of the EPs (like "Long Tall Sally") so I was able to cover the songs that weren't included on U.K. albums (except apparently the one above.) But good grief, are you telling me that they're going to let Meet The Beatles occupy its own CD? They could probably cram all 4 albums on 2 discs and (cough cough) charge $24. Oh, OK, the $52 preorder includes a book. But does it include a dried flower? Vinyl will continue to serve me Beatle needs just fine! Edit -- Ah, after re- reading the 1st post I see they're going to include both mono & stereo. Never mind (I guess ) my cranky remark about pricing. Edited October 12, 2004 by Quincy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted October 12, 2004 Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 For better or worse, those Capitol albums were how I came to know and love The Beatles. THE BEATLES' SECOND ALBUM was the first LP I ever bought with my own money (in MONO no less!), and, truthfully, it's as good a rock album as has ever been made, even though it wasn't really "made as an album" (ok, it's as good a poprock album as has ever been assembled...). The sequencing is impeccable,and the energy never, ever drops. Quite the rush for a kid, and still one now. This will be a nice nostalgia package if I ever get in the mood for to buy something along those lines Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 I spent far too many years looking down my nose at the American versions to change now, I'm afraid... Same with me, really. Though I have both the American and British versions on vinyl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 This ist considerably cheaper than buying individual CDs - which never were sold at mid-price - or the complete LP collection box. Considering how many jazz albums I could buy at my small budget right now ... How far does the series of Capitol releases different from the British LPs go? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 How far does the series of Capitol releases different from the British LPs go? The White Album, Abbey Road, and Let It Be are the only ones that are exactly the same. The American Sgt. Pepper lacked the thing in the runoff at the end of Side 2. Magical Mystery Tour was a full-length album in the U.S. Side 2 was recent singles. We aslo got a rather bizzare Apple album (called HEY JUDE on the spine, but THE BEATLES AGAIN on the label) between Abbey Road & Let It Be that was another singles, etc. "catch up" album. It went from "Can't Buy Me Love" to "The Ballad of Jahn and Yoko" in the course of 10 songs, with stops in between. I can't tell you if the three (only three!) albums that are identical in content have identical mixes though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Bresnahan Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 The biggest change with these CDs is that they will use the US master tapes. These tapes are 3rd or 4th generation and they have had layers of echo and EQ'ed to "max output" (on some tracks).... "Americanized" if you will. I will probably buy them just to have them but by this time, having had the original CDs for almost 20 years now, I am very used to hearing the British versions. BTW, they way they're filling each CD with one of these short LPs is by including both the mono and stereo versions of each tune. Basically, you'll get each LP twice. Later, Kevin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BruceH Posted October 14, 2004 Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 Reminds me of "Odessey and Oracle" by the Zombies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave9199 Posted October 16, 2004 Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 I have to say that I perfer the American version of the I Feel Fine/She's A Woman single. The reverb makes those songs. The drier English version just sound limp. Thank You Girl is another that I liked better with reverb all over the place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeway Posted October 16, 2004 Report Share Posted October 16, 2004 I recently picked up (at a garage sale) the remastered version of The Beach Boys "Pet Sounds," (Capitol), which contains both the stereo and mono versions. The remastering used the HDCD process. I found the CD to be excruciatingly bright. If the Beatles CDs are like this, I'll take a pass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GA Russell Posted October 24, 2004 Report Share Posted October 24, 2004 I'm past buying any Beatles albums, but if it were up to me there would be no remastering - make them sound just like the originals did! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolff Posted October 24, 2004 Report Share Posted October 24, 2004 You can also get the 'made in Japan' set for $100+. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJ Posted December 13, 2004 Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 (edited) A friend brought these over this weekend and I had a chance to do some listening...they are well-done from the standpoint of having a lot of life and clarity and a minimum of distortion...certainly they are very true reflections of the way the U.S. albums sounded. I continue to GREATLY prefer the UK versions of the albums (I just have inexpensive 80s Parlophone LP repressings and they still sound fantastic on a good system - boy would audiophile jobs on high quality vinyl sound WONDEROUS). But there is an undeniable charm to hearing the "duophonic" fake stereo and cavernous reverb - in other words, what these sounded like to millions of young people in the US in 1964 and 1965 coming out of car and transistor AM radios. I do wish EMI would get out remasterings of the UK albums (with contemporary EP/single tracks added to each at the end as bonus tracks)...including stereo "alternatives" of the first few UK LPs (even though many will still want the original mono as the "main" format). This is the friggin' BEATLES - both U.S. and UK versions ought to be perennially in print in best possible sound. The Stones reissues of a couple years back - which got out both U.S. and UK versions of albums like AFTERMATH, plus all were SACD hybrids and had exquisitely well done sound on both SACD and standard CD layers - should provide a signpost to EMI re: how to do it right. Edited December 13, 2004 by DrJ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted December 13, 2004 Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 I do wish EMI would get out remasterings of the UK albums (with contemporary EP/single tracks added to each at the end as bonus tracks)...including stereo "alternatives" of the first few UK LPs (even though many will still want the original mono as the "main" format). This is the friggin' BEATLES - both U.S. and UK versions ought to be perennially in print in best possible sound. Me too, but isn't McCartney holding up any overall remastering of the catalog? Although I hear he was happy with the new version of YELLOW SUBMARINE that came out several years ago... I wish they'd re-issue both UK & USA and add as bonuses some of the better tracks that popped up on the ANTHOLOGY series... like the alternate take of "Tomorrow Never Knows" from REVOLVER, or adding "Yes It Is" ("Ticket to Ride" b-side) to the HELP! soundtrack--with an appropriate gap between the end of the original album and the extra selections. That will never happen, though... way too much money to be made off this cash-cow! Thinking about this raises the old question of whether or not it's proper to add bonus tracks to albums that are so outstanding to begin with. Does it bother folks that there's now an alternate take at the end of KIND OF BLUE? Would it be better, in the instance of the Beatles, to put out "deluxe" editions that included all extra material on a second CD? I'd buy such a series in a heartbeat... I've refused to buy the current titles new ($17.99 list for a 30-minute 1988 CD?) and have picked most of them up second-hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted December 13, 2004 Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 We aslo got a rather bizzare Apple album (called HEY JUDE on the spine, but THE BEATLES AGAIN on the label) between Abbey Road & Let It Be that was another singles, etc. "catch up" album. It went from "Can't Buy Me Love" to "The Ballad of Jahn and Yoko" in the course of 10 songs, with stops in between. Yes! With the late-period picture of them standing in a doorway on the cover. That was a personal favorite of mine as a kid because it contained "Rain," which is still IMO one of the coolest songs they ever did. Now, if they do re-issue YESTERDAY AND TODAY... bonus "baby butcher" cover or not? There's a whole website devoted to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted December 13, 2004 Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 Interesting essay from that site on the baby/butcher photo-session. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AfricaBrass Posted December 13, 2004 Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 I hope they use that cover for the Yesterday and Today reissue. I know a lot have taken issue with the boxset's contents being the American versions, but I'm really happy they are releasing these albums. I grew up collecting Beatles' albums from all over the world, so I'm familiar with most every version. Though the british pressings are as they intended, my first exposure to their music was through the American versions. I love the fake stereo and added reverb, and I can rest happy that these aren't the permenant catalog masters. They're just something for the Americans who grew up with this stuff. It's been fun hearing these versions again. The packaging sucks, though. I don't mind the little LP sleeves, but the main and sub-boxes are a joke (and ugly). The Beatles' main UK catalog releases are long overdue for high quality reissues. The eighties releases just don't cut it. I don't know what Apple is waiting for. Maybe they'll give our grandchildren decent upgrades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted December 13, 2004 Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 I don't know what Apple is waiting for. Maybe they'll give our grandchildren decent upgrades. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrJ Posted December 13, 2004 Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 HEY JUDE was my first exposure to the Beatles, my parents bought it for me when I was in about 3rd grade, so must have been 3 or 4 years after they had broken up. It IS an awfully odd mishmash of stuff but somehow it works well and in truth I think it plays very well as an album rather than just a collection of odds and ends/singles/etc. It also has "Don't Let Me Down," one of the great neglected Beatles masterpieces...man I played that one over and over. After that I was hooked and snapped up anything Beatle-related I could find for a long time...including some of the pretty horrible mid- to late-70s solo records (EXTRA TEXTURE and RINGO'S ROTOGRAVURE, anyone?). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave9199 Posted December 13, 2004 Report Share Posted December 13, 2004 I think the most important question is this: When are they going to put The Beatles Story on cd?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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