In the UK the individual LPs are priced much higher than in the US: £32 each (roughly $42 as opposed to $30 in the US). To buy the box set in the UK you are only spending an extra £38 to get the whole package so there is probably more incentive for UK buyers to purchase the box set, especially for us Brits who have never previously owned any of the US albums on vinyl.
I was just going by the current prices on the official Beatles Store. At the moment the prices for the box set are comparable for the US and UK but the individual LPs are noticeably cheaper in the US. I guess other retailers will charge whatever they see fit.
Trust me, its just as much of a trip hearing it all out of order. I started with a weird German pressing of their earlier songs, then skipped to Let it Be, then went BACK to Hard days Night, then skipped to Abbey Road and then I found Sgt Pepper.... ...I dont think I have recovered yet!! ;) Kidding. I became a Beatles lifer after all that and I now tell people its a 3 act play. The Fabs, The Psychedelic Beatles and the Down and dirty Rock N Roll band Beatles. It still to this DAY blows my mind its all ONE band!!
As one who lived the Beatles experience in real time, that is my recommendation, too. Mind blowing, indeed, to see how they progressed over an 8 year span.
People always say that they are not getting it then up getting it. I’m a big fan and I’m getting it. Mono always goes out of print. I learned from the 2014 mono vinyl box.Thank god I got that one at a decent price. Now they are over 1,000 bucks.
@@sjdrifter72 Luckily I paid 350 before it went out of print. I got my mono cd box on eBay for a decent price. The cd mono box is still going for 300 bucks!
@@MarkChapeau i dont know about that .... if they do they will sell it with a price near what it is asked for the MONO box right now ... if we think ... they are now working in the "Anniversary" albuns deluxe editions ... the last one was Let it Be ... and they are doing so MUCH more money in selling those editions for each album ... than they would by selling the MONO box ... by re-releasing it they would "decrease" the interest of many for the "Anniversary" Albuns Editions ... ... most of the fans ... were expecting that this year realease .. would have been the "Rubber Soul" Anniversary Edition ... and surprise was this one ... ... so i guess they will not release again the MONO boxset ... cause its less profitable for them ... but maybe im wrong .... ;) Greetings from Portugal FILIPE
Ideally the boxed set should be cheaper than the cost of buying the individual releases. Also why aren’t Yesterday and Today and the US versions of Rubber Soul and Revolver not included?
I'm 72 years-old and I grew up with the mono versions of the U.S. albums. After much thought, I've decided I'm going to spring for the box set with all seven LPs, but ONLY after it's heavily discounted...even if I have to wait until just after Christmas. The reason I intend to buy it is because there will almost certainly be a volume 2 with seven more mono LPs, namely Beatles VI, HELP, Rubber Soul, Yesterday and Today, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, and MMT. (MMT was the Beatles' last U.S. mono LP.) The only question is which of those LPs will be unavailable to those who choose to buy them individually. One of them will almost certainly be withheld. I've decided I want ALL of these mono LPs. Having TWO complete Beatles mono box sets on my shelf will be (for me, at my age) heaven on earth.
I honestly don't think it'll get discounted as a year later the Red and Blue albums are still the same price point they were when they released last year. But I aint Apple so who truly knows
I guess to the Brits, there is a certain mystique to the Capital releases, just as the Parlophone releases were to American record buyers. Both were "imports," depending on what side of the pond you were on. When I began buying Beatles albums in the early 1970s, I'd never heard of Parlophone, and didn't know that up until Sergeant Pepper, the albums were different - different covers, different tracks or most of the same tracks but in a different order. A few years later, I began buying the Parlophone albums, starting with Rubber Soul and on to Let It Be, all in stereo.
I'd love to have been a fly on the wall at the record company when they decided to charge $120 extra for the interview album. Just a crazy decision....Maybe if they included a hardcover book and a poster with the set it would be worth the extra cash. I'll go for the separate albums.
I could be wrong, but I believe the individual albums will be heavily discounted sometime within the next two years. I won't say the name of it, but there's an online retailer for UMG that clears overruns at deep discounts fairly often. But stuff goes fast when they do that, so you have to be on top of it.
@@John_Fugazzi Nothing is free, especially when it comes to "the Beatles" As a first generation Beatles collector, there is really nothing new for me, these sets are basically for the younger folks who do not have these LP's, and want to pretend they are experiencing a very new product. I'm happy for them. But in this economy we have had over the last 4 years in America, I'll pass for now. I'm keen on getting another McCartney Archive Collection Boxset, or "Rubber Soul" with the Giles Martin treatment like they did "Revolver"
I just tightened up and pre-ordered the three recommended albums without Meet the Beatles. I’ve never owned them and I love the cover art as well. Thanks for the very helpful and honest video presentation!
A very fair assessment...I agree, and think the box set will sell very slowly. I too am interested in buying individual titles, and dearly wish the UK monos were currently available in such a way. Cheers from London everyone!
I bought all of those albums more than a half a century ago. The only thing that might be of interest to me is the fact that I didn't have too many of the mono releases. I had Yesterday and Today in both mono and stereo. The Beatles Story was a fascinating album to me as a child, but it's quite fabricated and filled with many mistakes. You hear the narrator say "Paul McCartney explains," and then you hear George Harrison's voice explaining. One thing I like about A Hard Day's Night versus Something New, I prefer the single tracked vocals on And I Love Her and If I Fell. They are both double tracked on Something New. Great upload!
I have The Capitol Albums Vol. 1 on CD, which contains both stereo and mono mixes of each album, and on the mono portion of Something New, both And I Love Her and If I Fell have the single tracked vocals.
I certainly didn’t take your advice, and I got the box set some of us have money and don’t mind spending it. I remember people not getting the mono box set that came out years ago and now it’s incredibly valuable 😂😂😂
Thanks. I enjoyed that! As a completist I have ordered the box in the UK which has yet to arrive. I have already picked up an HMV "exclusive" blue vinyl pressing of MEET THE BEATLES which is lovely and the same in every detail to the Target one. I guess "exclusive" refers to there being only one retailer in each of our respective countries. As a Beatle obsessed kid in the late seventies/early eighties I used to pick up the US albums from the Oxford Street HMV Shop in London because they were different to the UK track listings I could hire from my library. I bought the imported Japanese pressings of them which often had gatefold sleeves and Apple labels (I'm a sucker for anything on the Apple label). They seemed very exotic. There's a great Bruce Spizer RUclips vid where he explains how strong some of them are as compilations which is very convincing. I later picked up a lot of the US Apple label repressings second hand from Amoeba Records in Berkeley on a trip to the US. Then I bought all the stereo C1 catalog number US vinyl repressings from 1988 still in shrink wrap from eBay a few years back. It will be nice to have some mint mono copies when my box arrives, yes, and even the sometimes hilariously inaccurate BEATLES STORY!
@barryk1701 This is a luxury item. Nobody needs to buy it. Would you say that charging £600,000 for a Rolls Royce was price gouging? No, because it's a luxury item. You can buy a different item that has most of the practical characteristics of a Rolls Royce for a few thousand pounds (or dollars). In the same way, you can buy all the Beatles songs in a variety of guises without breaking the bank. If you are obsessive about owning every Beatles release, that's your problem. I reserve the term "price gouging" for things like selling candles for $20 each during a blackout.
@@Pwecko Really? You are comparing a $20 candle to a $300 dollar box set? It must be great to be able to throw money around like that. Most people are of modest means and can't afford luxury items at obscene prices, yes i will not be buying box set, yet I did purchase the Meet the Beatles blue vinyl release. It's not a matter of being obsessive in collecting but being sensible in what you collect and what price you pay, good luck on that Rolls Royce, I drive a Honda.
@barryk1701 I don't drive. I can't afford to run a car. I can afford Amazon Music, though. That allows me to listen to most of the music I want to listen to. I'm going deaf, so it doesn't matter that it's not hifi. I wouldn't be able to hear all the high notes anyway. I certainly won't be buying any Beatles box set, or any other box set.
I was lucky to find original 60s issues that were in great condition. I was able to get all the US LPs individually since 1981. My first few albums were 80's reissues and some were Apple 70s reissues.
Im getting the box set as I grew up with the US releases - Meet The Beatles is being issued at Target on colored vinyl so I want that for sure! Might have to trim back on my food budget in November though LOL
Excellent video! And advice. The box set price makes no sense, and in no universe is "The Beatles Story" worth buying at all. Find those snippets and dialog on RUclips! To me, all these early US Capitol albums are novelties. It was the singles from '63 and '64 that really broke the Beatles into America and therefore the world, but I understand Americans of a certain age will love these compilations for the nostalgia factor alone.
Apple claimed that it cost too much money to produce the 2014 MONO UK box set. Flip-back jackets, excellent book that came with it, and the beautiful box, no way we will see that again, plus the Master tapes are very fragile at this point. I'll take a hard pass on this new Capital box set.
@@tdunph4250 "You're" Fixed it for you. It's common knowledge since the question about Apple repressing the box has come up a zillion times over the past few years. Fremer mentioned it a few years ago, surely you can do a little research rather than take my word for it.
I'd rather have a new Anthology set with more unreleased songs and outtakes still in the vaults and unheard by the public such as Carnival Of Light and the 27 minute Take 3 of Helter Skelter.
I own just two of the original 1964 releases: Meet The Beatles and A Hard Days Night in mono, and they're near mint. I have to say, they do sound quite good. If these re-releases in mono are as good or better, they're worth the investment. I'm looking forward to receiving mine in November. I did pre-order the box set, but might reconsider based on your review. Thanks!
I agree, I'll be skipping this one. I already have the US mixes on the 2004 CD release. And ultimately the UK mixes are superior so this is just for completists.
In the Kevin Reeves video he seems to be saying that the new issue doesn't have the compression that was on the earlier releases so the top and bottom ends are more detailed and less muddy. We shall see.
The next one will be the Beatles 1964 Capitol albums in stereo boxed set, featuring the first few Beatles albums in stereo with one of the songs were in Duophonic.
Beatles + Ultra Consumerism just doesn’t mix. As a HUGE Beatles fan since seeing them on Ed Sullivan in 1964 all I can say is STOP with the milking of our wallets. I’m to the point now to just be content with the original vinyl and CD’s and to hell with the rest. Remasters and remixes be dammed. I can’t keep up financially with it all.
For me I don't see the point of collecting anything anymore as I approach 70. Too much stuff accumulated over the decades to get rid of already. No need to add more.
I'm with you--in fact I went and bought original copies of the ones I was missing in mono, instead! I wonder if the plan is to do another box next year to continue the U.S. releases...unless this sells poorly of course.
I've had the "Beatles Story" since I got it for Christmas in 1975. Listened to it once, the day after on Boxing Day. I've been schlepping it around ever since along with my whole collection. The fact that they are charging so much for that silly release and the box (which will probably be as cheap as the 62-66/67-70 sleeve thing was) is preposterous. I have to agree with you 100% here. I will have to fight the urge to give in to the desire to spend silly money on the yearly Beatles holiday release this year. I'll end of picking up the albums you mentioned for the same reasons you pointed out. Great installment.
Perfect. This was my plan, so thanks for keying me in on the redundant titles. I did t realize Hard Days Night had a lot of George Martin String music 😴
I really appreciate your thoughts on the box set. I think there are some good reissues already out there so I'm really not sure what this box is offering to be honest.
I like your strategy. I think the premium in the box set...is for having them all together as a set which has some premium value to collectors vs an assembled set. The Target version fits well with my goal of collecting different issues..I have the first three label variants (including no credit) So the Target release fits that concept. I enjoyed this video Thanks,
It would be nice to have, but the pricing is terrible. It's also gotten absurd how they keep selling the same music over and over to boomers who keep getting suckered into this kind of thing (myself included). The Beatles Story is a dollar bin record, in my opinion.
Completely agree with you. I’m in the UK and will be adding them separately for my collection. Can’t justify the extra cost so will wait. Was really hoping for an SDE of Rubber Soul
Of course, all this means is the Rubber Soul box set is now pushed out to 2026! This time next year, we can "look forward" to Part II of these releases.
Hi Maybe I am the only one who is happy that this,set will be released. Yes I am glad and I can't wait till 22 November. Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. I live in the Netherlands and I own most of the Capitol stereo albums and a few mono ones. Over here one has to pay top dollar for a mono vinyl just a G or VG condition. And I am also pleased that Bruce Spizer wrote the linear notes and not Mark Lewisohn. I prefer Spizer, because of his way of writing. That's why I am glad. And the price difference between the six albums separately and the complete box is about 55 Euro. Take care.
Back in the 1960s 1:05 in the UK the Beatles had a policy of trying not to rip off their fans. Unfortunately in today's world ripping off fans has now become the thing to do because the modern generation has no shame unfortunately.
I don't personally think MPO is a win situation, I used them twice as a customer and I was disappointed with their end results full of stains and smudges from silvering visible on their records. Their one and only advantage is they are cheaper than GZ.
Im baffled by the price of the box. Outside of that, I'm actually pretty interested in this. The different cover art, tracklists and mixes are exactly the type of novelty I really love to collect on vinyl. Like when I stream the Beatles, I'll prioritize the canon releases, but when I want to play The Beatles on vinyl, I could see myself reaching for these occasionally. If that makes sense
I have the capitol albums box set CD from 2004 which has both stereo and mono mixes on it. I'll settle for that. Plus they're all the albums that you recommended
Can somebody clarify if these tracks are the same mixes and otherwise are, or are not, identical to the tracks on the 2014 Beatles in Mono vinyl box set? Thank you.
I ordered the ones you skipped. The Beatles Second Album is the one I remember playing the most back when they were first released, and I really like that track list. And I've been wanting the American Hard Days Night for a while now solely because of the cheesy instrumentals. So I'm excited to get fresh new copies of those 2.
I agree. I have two copies already of the Beatles Story. This are easy to find in great condition because most were only played once. The covers are a different story. I plan on buying all them except for Early Beatles and Meet the Beatles, and I will wait until the discount. Jeeze, even the Revolver box set is still available. They are over pressing for their audience for sure.
I bought all of em individually. I couldn't justify spending an extra $120 extra for a box and a filler album. The albums are great, they sound awesome. I think I like the mono mixes better than the stereo tbh. All of them have a "Made in France" sticker on the back. I always put them in heavy duty outer sleeves and transplant the hype sticker and any other stickers (in this case the MIF sticker) on to the new sleeve.
I agree with your choices of individual albums to buy EXCEPT Something New instead of UA Hard Day's Night Soundtrack. AHDN soundtrack is UNIQUE and IS the movie. I personally enjoy listening to Martin's instruments and brings me back into thoughts of the movie. Just like UK's AHDN album, Something New is just a collection of songs and actually not coherent at all. It's just "well we have these songs from the movie and let's just throw some other songs in to fill up the record". There' nothing special about those albums. Yes, I like the songs, but it doesn't make me think about the movie. AND after all the UA record IS A SOUNDTRACK and it's what a soundtrack is supposed to be - songs of the movie so you can remember. The UA AHDN album does that for me.
Great video thanks and I agree with your judgement. From my UK perspective the Capitol albums are an important novelty, MMT aside, but no more than that. The 2004 box sets are enough for me. The Dexterised stereo 'Money' is my preferred version of that track but the rest are pretty awful.
I bought 5 records of this set individually (instead of the box set) on The Beatles Official Store. They charged $8 per record for shipping - total of $40 for 5 records - which is crazy and outrageous. It really pissed me off!
Thanks for the insight and kudos on your presentation. Really on the fence, maybe a different story if it included Rubber Soul and Revolver. I have The Beatle Story from the 70s. When I tossed my vinyl in 2009, never thinking I would get a turntable again, I did keep that and Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl thinking they would never reissue them. Anyway I'm not sure this partial set is what I want at that price.
it missing Help! and Rubber Soul killed it for me. Also they could have included SOMETHING for the later albums, because I'm pretty sure those got unique mixes too which no set has yet to touch on.
I'd would love to see these in stereo later, not the original Capitol mixes , but the remastered from original master tapes with Bruce Spizer selecting the best quality stereo mixes of each song. Also In the future, it would be cool for Apple to release a blu ray of every Beatles song done to a video with a high quality stereo source. Those without videos could be cartoons or AI generated videos. The previous DVD's are great, but it would be cool to have each song represented in video for and also you could include the Mono mixes also on the blu ray and you could choose your preference on the menu. Just what I would like.o
I am lucky to own the Mono box set from 2014. So I preordered only A Hard Day's Night for the songs I actually don't already have. At this moment I feel that the different mixes don't call enough my attention as I have listened a bit of the US and never really liked it over the UK releases.
'Something New' was the first Beatles album I owned. Still not going to buy either this set or the albums separately because I no longer have a turntable! (I still own my first pressing copy of 'Beatles '65'... it's nice to look at!)
So I too was very disappointed when this was announced. I understand its importance and that it ties in the 60th anniversary of when these releases came out/beatles coming to America. But I feel like they appeal most to those who grew up with these and had no idea of the UK (official) catalogue. But so many of us now know that the UK versions are standard which essentially just makes these (in my opinion) compilation albums. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve already preordered the blue Meet The Beatles because I have always wanted a copy of that and I’ll probably grab a Beatles ‘65 cause I do like that track listing. And if Yesterday and Today were here I’d grab that too. But yeah overall disappointed in this years release from the Beatles camp. And you hit the nail on the head regarding the Beatles Story. I have the us albums box set and maybe I’ve listened to the story album twice maybe thrice? Compared to more numerous listens of the actual albums. Refreshing to hear your take as it seems a lot of people are excited and all about this set.
I already have Japanese pressings of these Capital albums and also have the capital records cd box set. The other reason that I am not buying them is because most of the records have run time of less than 30 minutes and are not as good as Parlophone releases. Main reason why U am not buying any of the albums is that is the UK they cost at least £32.00 each and I. The US they cost $30.00 which with current exchange rate of $1.32 to £1.00 makes UK price far higher than in the US…so thanks but no thanks. Good episode ❤❤
The other concern is the latest track record of reissues associated with the Master Engineer on this collection: Kevin Reeves. Reeves was the master engineer on the poorly panned reissues of the Jellyfish albums. Many were disappointed with his work on Verve reissues too. I’m not expecting audiophile sound. I’ll purchase from a company with a strong return policy.
I have a feeling sales for this boxed set are going to be adequate, though less than hoped for. I agree, if Universal/Apple, et al., were really interested in making money, I'm certain that a reissue of the mono box would have sold out.
I pre-ordered the box from Amazon Germany at their initial price offering. Hope they honor it. If not will surely catch a deal after or during the holidays. Thinking of how heavily discounted John Lennon's Mind Games the Police's Synchronicity box sets were discounted not long after release.
I chose to skip the box and went with the six individual albums. The added cost for "Story" and the box just seemed excessive. Like the Mono UK set though, I wouldn't be surprised to see its value increase dramatically through the years.
I ditched my North American LPs back in the 1980s when I got ahold of the U.K. LPs that came from a Parlophone "blue box", and I've been spinning those ever since. The only one I regret letting go was a mono Canadian Rubber Soul, because I honestly loved having I've Just Seen a Face as the kick-off track. I love Drive My Car, but for Rubber Soul, the track from the U.K. Help! LP somehow fit better on RS. I completely understand the need for this set for North American fans who grew up with them, but for me it would be a step backward. I'd much rather see a reissue of the three original Canadian Capitol LPs that used U.K. masters instead of the re-EQd/reverbed Capitol tapes, maybe they'll turn up as a Record Store Day item, but somehow I doubt it.
I'm getting it, and I also have the UK mono set. Yes, it's appalling value for money but that's where the market puts it. Regardless of the fact they should probably never have existed in the first place, these albums are an important part of Beatles history.
I got the box set, but just because I was able to order it for 188€. I wouldn't have bought it for 287€ which is the regular price. Tont know if my price was accidentaly from Amazon or on purpose, but right after I bought it the price whent up again to 287.
I’ve already got Second Album in its original mono issue. May get the other titles (except for The Beatles’ Story, which I already had, but prefer Hear The Beatles Tell All, as far as interview records go!)
Believe me, collectors will want the box set, even if they are paying extra for just The Beatles Story and the box itself. We will have to wait a few years to see it the box set goes up in price more than the individual LPs. I bet it will.
I hear they will be also soon be reissuing The First US Visit documentary, I assume for streaming on Disney and maybe Blu-Ray, that's a lot more interesting. For Beatles spoken word content like on The Beatles Story double, you're better off with Vee Jay's Hear The Beatles Tell All and podcasts.
Ok have you looked at The Rolling Stones in Mono colored LP set??? That’s what Universal/Calderstone/Applecorp should have given Beatlefans. Here’s another idea what about a slimmed down Giles UK HDNight set around July 1,2024 and on Nov1,2024 Beatles For Sale box set??
The price puts me off. It's cool to see it's all analogue signal path, using the correct mixes. Only time I've ever seen the Apple reissues and the Japanese OBI releases from the late 70s.
Apple made a really wrong move, here in my opinion. Nobody cares about the US albums except for the people who grew up with them. Outside of that region, the concept that these are absolute crappy sounding cash-grab pieces of compilation albums is unanimous.
I keep hearing that the UK albums are conceptually better, but no one can explain why. Because they said so? The same people who thought Magical Mystery Tour and Let It Be were great ideas? I was excited to hear them in the early 80s when I could find them and was immediately let down. They seem very haphazard and the sound is very vacant - four instruments and they sound exactly like that many.
@jeffreycox6647 Some of it is what one has grown up with as far as concept/songs/order. As far as sound that would also be a nostalgia thing. The UKs were how they were recorded without all the weird reverb (Dexterizarion) that the US Capitals have. From an audio and fidelity stand point the UKs are vastly superior.
I've been saying the very same thing about "$120 for Beatles Story and a box with no booklet?" I preordered the blue vinyl MTB and am waiting for the box set tp drop below $200. It will eventually.
In the UK the individual LPs are priced much higher than in the US: £32 each (roughly $42 as opposed to $30 in the US). To buy the box set in the UK you are only spending an extra £38 to get the whole package so there is probably more incentive for UK buyers to purchase the box set, especially for us Brits who have never previously owned any of the US albums on vinyl.
Don’t be too sure. UMG upped their prices a couple of years ago, so now the US prices per album are now $42-$44 in stores.
In british hmv,s store's they are charging 40 pounds each what is there excuse for the extra charge?
@@charlesduncan3194 $$$$.
I think that one of the albums is on coloured vinyl, which is exclusive to HMV; not sure if it's worth that much extra though...@charlesduncan3194
I was just going by the current prices on the official Beatles Store. At the moment the prices for the box set are comparable for the US and UK but the individual LPs are noticeably cheaper in the US. I guess other retailers will charge whatever they see fit.
Just imagine never hearing 1 song by them, then listening to all their releases in order - MIND BLOWING
Trust me, its just as much of a trip hearing it all out of order. I started with a weird German pressing of their earlier songs, then skipped to Let it Be, then went BACK to Hard days Night, then skipped to Abbey Road and then I found Sgt Pepper....
...I dont think I have recovered yet!! ;) Kidding. I became a Beatles lifer after all that and I now tell people its a 3 act play. The Fabs, The Psychedelic Beatles and the Down and dirty Rock N Roll band Beatles. It still to this DAY blows my mind its all ONE band!!
@@comicsrcool5483 I hear ya - Mind Boggling - Not 1 'bad' tune - Jeez?
As one who lived the Beatles experience in real time, that is my recommendation, too. Mind blowing, indeed, to see how they progressed over an 8 year span.
I already did that in 1964, it was wonderful
me playing the beatles rock band
People always say that they are not getting it then up getting it. I’m a big fan and I’m getting it. Mono always goes out of print. I learned from the 2014 mono vinyl box.Thank god I got that one at a decent price. Now they are over 1,000 bucks.
I got mine 5 years ago and even then it cost me $700 for a sealed mono vinyl box set still in it's original shipper box.
@@sjdrifter72 Luckily I paid 350 before it went out of print. I got my mono cd box on eBay for a decent price. The cd mono box is still going for 300 bucks!
They will rerelease that
@@MarkChapeau i dont know about that .... if they do they will sell it with a price near what it is asked for the MONO box right now ... if we think ... they are now working in the "Anniversary" albuns deluxe editions ... the last one was Let it Be ... and they are doing so MUCH more money in selling those editions for each album ... than they would by selling the MONO box ... by re-releasing it they would "decrease" the interest of many for the "Anniversary" Albuns Editions ...
... most of the fans ... were expecting that this year realease .. would have been the "Rubber Soul" Anniversary Edition ... and surprise was this one ...
... so i guess they will not release again the MONO boxset ... cause its less profitable for them ...
but maybe im wrong .... ;)
Greetings from Portugal
FILIPE
@@MarkChapeau They really should have kept it in print.
I bought my brand new copy of Beatles Story in 1984 at A&A for $4.99 with a deletion cut in the corner of the sleeve. Played it only once in 40 years.
Hi I bought mine in the UK at a specialist record shop in Notting Hill. But, it was an Apple label.
@@garyhunt8067 Sounds like an earlier copy than mine!
Bruce Spizer is a cool guy! He always gives a great talk at the Chicago Fest for Beatles Fans.
Yeah, but he's a smug shithead to meet one-on-one. I admire what he's been doing, but I really hate the guy.
Got all the books, The best
Re-issue! Re-package! Re-package!
Re-evaluate the songs
Double-pack with a photograph
Extra track (and a tacky badge)
Paint a Vulgar Picture.
Solid post i totally agree with-almost everything you said. Nice to hear an honest opinion.
He opined about something he has yet to receive. That’s hardly an honest opinion…
Yeah, i just grabbed the individual verisons of the main 6. I dont really need "The Beetles Story" in my collection that bad.
Beatles 65 is an essential pick-up.
Love your set, your style and fashion.
Expensive mono vinyl with a filler album. ....Hardest pass ever.
Literally, nobody’s spending another 120$ just for people talking
I was a huge Beatle fan, even searching out bootleg LP's, but that "Beatles Story" LP was always a pass for me.
Ideally the boxed set should be cheaper than the cost of buying the individual releases. Also why aren’t Yesterday and Today and the US versions of Rubber Soul and Revolver not included?
@@williamgiesen4910 cause it coincides with there anniversary of them coming to the states focusing on the 1964 albums material
@@avlisk I had it. It was boring.
I'm 72 years-old and I grew up with the mono versions of the U.S. albums. After much thought, I've decided I'm going to spring for the box set with all seven LPs, but ONLY after it's heavily discounted...even if I have to wait until just after Christmas. The reason I intend to buy it is because there will almost certainly be a volume 2 with seven more mono LPs, namely Beatles VI, HELP, Rubber Soul, Yesterday and Today, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper, and MMT. (MMT was the Beatles' last U.S. mono LP.) The only question is which of those LPs will be unavailable to those who choose to buy them individually. One of them will almost certainly be withheld. I've decided I want ALL of these mono LPs. Having TWO complete Beatles mono box sets on my shelf will be (for me, at my age) heaven on earth.
I honestly don't think it'll get discounted as a year later the Red and Blue albums are still the same price point they were when they released last year. But I aint Apple so who truly knows
I guess to the Brits, there is a certain mystique to the Capital releases, just as the Parlophone releases were to American record buyers. Both were "imports," depending on what side of the pond you were on. When I began buying Beatles albums in the early 1970s, I'd never heard of Parlophone, and didn't know that up until Sergeant Pepper, the albums were different - different covers, different tracks or most of the same tracks but in a different order. A few years later, I began buying the Parlophone albums, starting with Rubber Soul and on to Let It Be, all in stereo.
I'd love to have been a fly on the wall at the record company when they decided to charge $120 extra for the interview album. Just a crazy decision....Maybe if they included a hardcover book and a poster with the set it would be worth the extra cash. I'll go for the separate albums.
I could be wrong, but I believe the individual albums will be heavily discounted sometime within the next two years. I won't say the name of it, but there's an online retailer for UMG that clears overruns at deep discounts fairly often. But stuff goes fast when they do that, so you have to be on top of it.
Thought I read there IS a book that comes with the box set?
I don't think anyone will listen to The Beatles Story more than once. It should have been thrown in as a free bonus.
@@John_Fugazzi Nothing is free, especially when it comes to "the Beatles" As a first generation Beatles collector, there is really nothing new for me, these sets are basically for the younger folks who do not have these LP's, and want to pretend they are experiencing a very new product. I'm happy for them. But in this economy we have had over the last 4 years in America, I'll pass for now. I'm keen on getting another McCartney Archive Collection Boxset, or "Rubber Soul" with the Giles Martin treatment like they did "Revolver"
I just tightened up and pre-ordered the three recommended albums without Meet the Beatles. I’ve never owned them and I love the cover art as well. Thanks for the very helpful and honest video presentation!
this is a pass for me ! I hoped Rubber Soul !!!
A very fair assessment...I agree, and think the box set will sell very slowly. I too am interested in buying individual titles, and dearly wish the UK monos were currently available in such a way. Cheers from London everyone!
I bought all of those albums more than a half a century ago. The only thing that might be of interest to me is the fact that I didn't have too many of the mono releases. I had Yesterday and Today in both mono and stereo. The Beatles Story was a fascinating album to me as a child, but it's quite fabricated and filled with many mistakes. You hear the narrator say "Paul McCartney explains," and then you hear George Harrison's voice explaining. One thing I like about A Hard Day's Night versus Something New, I prefer the single tracked vocals on And I Love Her and If I Fell. They are both double tracked on Something New. Great upload!
I have The Capitol Albums Vol. 1 on CD, which contains both stereo and mono mixes of each album, and on the mono portion of Something New, both And I Love Her and If I Fell have the single tracked vocals.
I certainly didn’t take your advice, and I got the box set some of us have money and don’t mind spending it. I remember people not getting the mono box set that came out years ago and now it’s incredibly valuable 😂😂😂
I agree with you. The price will go up a fair bit I reckon.
prices in Japan are US$45 per album- for the Set US$ 367.00 so the US is a great and your pre-order is a steal!
$52 each in Canada, over $500 for the box set. Yeah, won't be rushing out to get the set.
Thanks. I enjoyed that! As a completist I have ordered the box in the UK which has yet to arrive. I have already picked up an HMV "exclusive" blue vinyl pressing of MEET THE BEATLES which is lovely and the same in every detail to the Target one. I guess "exclusive" refers to there being only one retailer in each of our respective countries.
As a Beatle obsessed kid in the late seventies/early eighties I used to pick up the US albums from the Oxford Street HMV Shop in London because they were different to the UK track listings I could hire from my library. I bought the imported Japanese pressings of them which often had gatefold sleeves and Apple labels (I'm a sucker for anything on the Apple label). They seemed very exotic. There's a great Bruce Spizer RUclips vid where he explains how strong some of them are as compilations which is very convincing.
I later picked up a lot of the US Apple label repressings second hand from Amoeba Records in Berkeley on a trip to the US. Then I bought all the stereo C1 catalog number US vinyl repressings from 1988 still in shrink wrap from eBay a few years back.
It will be nice to have some mint mono copies when my box arrives, yes, and even the sometimes hilariously inaccurate BEATLES STORY!
Price gouging is a scourge on humanity. Save your money.
This is not price gouging.
@@Pwecko a double album and a box for $120 if this isn't price gouging what is your definition of price gouging?
@barryk1701 This is a luxury item. Nobody needs to buy it. Would you say that charging £600,000 for a Rolls Royce was price gouging? No, because it's a luxury item. You can buy a different item that has most of the practical characteristics of a Rolls Royce for a few thousand pounds (or dollars). In the same way, you can buy all the Beatles songs in a variety of guises without breaking the bank. If you are obsessive about owning every Beatles release, that's your problem.
I reserve the term "price gouging" for things like selling candles for $20 each during a blackout.
@@Pwecko Really? You are comparing a $20 candle to a $300 dollar box set? It must be great to be able to throw money around like that. Most people are of modest means and can't afford luxury items at obscene prices, yes i will not be buying box set, yet I did purchase the Meet the Beatles blue vinyl release. It's not a matter of being obsessive in collecting but being sensible in what you collect and what price you pay, good luck on that Rolls Royce, I drive a Honda.
@barryk1701 I don't drive. I can't afford to run a car. I can afford Amazon Music, though. That allows me to listen to most of the music I want to listen to. I'm going deaf, so it doesn't matter that it's not hifi. I wouldn't be able to hear all the high notes anyway. I certainly won't be buying any Beatles box set, or any other box set.
Thank you so much for your honesty. We suspected as much but was afraid we might have missed something.🎧🙏🏻
"The Beatles-Second Album" was my first album purchase in 1964, and I still have it.
I was lucky to find original 60s issues that were in great condition. I was able to get all the US LPs individually since 1981. My first few albums were 80's reissues and some were Apple 70s reissues.
Im getting the box set as I grew up with the US releases - Meet The Beatles is being issued at Target on colored vinyl so I want that for sure! Might have to trim back on my food budget in November though LOL
Just wait until you see the limited edition diamond collector's edition of this boxed set on colored vinyl!
HA - a la recent McCartney recent vinyl scam LP's
I'm going to wait for the 6th month anniversary deluxe minidisk set with coffee table book & T Shirt
@@JismIsm-en4kz that's Sir* McCartney to you sir...
How many color variants?
@@tobyjackman3212 The t shirt is guaranteed to be TOO SMALL
Great video. I 100 percent agree with you. They should rerun the mono lp U.K. box.
Thanks for the advice, was going to get one but you are so right about the price and value. Love your work 👍
I get why they're doing it, but there's so much more interesting stuff they could be re-issuing. I want the Rubber Soul remix.
That is available though? On the Abbey Road website all of the main albums are available for purchase
@@monsterwaillthey haven’t done a remix of Rubber Soul like they have for Revolver onward (minus MMT).
Definitely will be looking into it after the Christmas season!
Excellent video! And advice. The box set price makes no sense, and in no universe is "The Beatles Story" worth buying at all. Find those snippets and dialog on RUclips! To me, all these early US Capitol albums are novelties. It was the singles from '63 and '64 that really broke the Beatles into America and therefore the world, but I understand Americans of a certain age will love these compilations for the nostalgia factor alone.
Apple claimed that it cost too much money to produce the 2014 MONO UK box set. Flip-back jackets, excellent book that came with it, and the beautiful box, no way we will see that again, plus the Master tapes are very fragile at this point. I'll take a hard pass on this new Capital box set.
Your an Apple insider?
@@tdunph4250 "You're" Fixed it for you. It's common knowledge since the question about Apple repressing the box has come up a zillion times over the past few years. Fremer mentioned it a few years ago, surely you can do a little research rather than take my word for it.
They wouldn't need to mess with any tapes a second time. Just use the metal mother parts to make new stampers.
@@michaelprice1216 The metal parts could be worn, who knows how many they actually pressed.
@@67Pepper Production stampers, yes. Metal mothers last forever and can be used to make several generations of stampers.
I'd rather have a new Anthology set with more unreleased songs and outtakes still in the vaults and unheard by the public such as Carnival Of Light and the 27 minute Take 3 of Helter Skelter.
Yea, and Sour Milk Sea (Harrison)
Record company does not care. That’s why we need bootleggers to fire it up. 😀
I own just two of the original 1964 releases: Meet The Beatles and A Hard Days Night in mono, and they're near mint. I have to say, they do sound quite good. If these re-releases in mono are as good or better, they're worth the investment. I'm looking forward to receiving mine in November. I did pre-order the box set, but might reconsider based on your review. Thanks!
Another great video, thanks VR!
I agree, I'll be skipping this one. I already have the US mixes on the 2004 CD release. And ultimately the UK mixes are superior so this is just for completists.
In the Kevin Reeves video he seems to be saying that the new issue doesn't have the compression that was on the earlier releases so the top and bottom ends are more detailed and less muddy. We shall see.
The next one will be the Beatles 1964 Capitol albums in stereo boxed set, featuring the first few Beatles albums in stereo with one of the songs were in Duophonic.
Beatles + Ultra Consumerism just doesn’t mix. As a HUGE Beatles fan since seeing them on Ed Sullivan in 1964 all I can say is STOP with the milking of our wallets. I’m to the point now to just be content with the original vinyl and CD’s and to hell with the rest. Remasters and remixes be dammed. I can’t keep up financially with it all.
For me I don't see the point of collecting anything anymore as I approach 70. Too much stuff accumulated over the decades to get rid of already. No need to add more.
I'm with you--in fact I went and bought original copies of the ones I was missing in mono, instead!
I wonder if the plan is to do another box next year to continue the U.S. releases...unless this sells poorly of course.
excellent video, kind of unrelated but kind of wish they would put the Beatles in mono UK set on streaming that would have been definitely nice
I've had the "Beatles Story" since I got it for Christmas in 1975. Listened to it once, the day after on Boxing Day. I've been schlepping it around ever since along with my whole collection. The fact that they are charging so much for that silly release and the box (which will probably be as cheap as the 62-66/67-70 sleeve thing was) is preposterous.
I have to agree with you 100% here. I will have to fight the urge to give in to the desire to spend silly money on the yearly Beatles holiday release this year. I'll end of picking up the albums you mentioned for the same reasons you pointed out.
Great installment.
I’m definitely buying this boxset
Perfect. This was my plan, so thanks for keying me in on the redundant titles. I did t realize Hard Days Night had a lot of George Martin String music 😴
I really appreciate your thoughts on the box set. I think there are some good reissues already out there so I'm really not sure what this box is offering to be honest.
I'm getting boxset and already on preorder
I like your strategy. I think the premium in the box set...is for having them all together as a set which has some premium value to collectors vs an assembled set. The Target version fits well with my goal of collecting different issues..I have the first three label variants (including no credit) So the Target release fits that concept. I enjoyed this video Thanks,
It would be nice to have, but the pricing is terrible. It's also gotten absurd how they keep selling the same music over and over to boomers who keep getting suckered into this kind of thing (myself included). The Beatles Story is a dollar bin record, in my opinion.
Completely agree with you. I’m in the UK and will be adding them separately for my collection. Can’t justify the extra cost so will wait. Was really hoping for an SDE of Rubber Soul
Of course, all this means is the Rubber Soul box set is now pushed out to 2026! This time next year, we can "look forward" to Part II of these releases.
Hello Vinyl geek Great advice!!!! And very smart reasons why to only pick up the 4 albums!!! I will have to wait and see. Thanks for the Great video.
Hi
Maybe I am the only one who is happy that this,set will be released.
Yes I am glad and I can't wait till 22 November.
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah.
I live in the Netherlands and I own most of the Capitol stereo albums and a few mono ones.
Over here one has to pay top dollar for a mono vinyl just a G or VG condition.
And I am also pleased that Bruce Spizer wrote the linear notes and not Mark Lewisohn. I prefer Spizer, because of his way of writing.
That's why I am glad.
And the price difference between the six albums separately and the complete box is about 55 Euro.
Take care.
Back in the 1960s 1:05 in the UK the Beatles had a policy of trying not to rip off their fans. Unfortunately in today's world ripping off fans has now become the thing to do because the modern generation has no shame unfortunately.
I really wanted to hear your opinion on how the they sound, the (new?)mix/mastering,
I've already got all of these (or their Canadian equivalencies) but I'm glad they're FINALLY being reissued
I don't personally think MPO is a win situation, I used them twice as a customer and I was disappointed with their end results full of stains and smudges from silvering visible on their records. Their one and only advantage is they are cheaper than GZ.
I read somewhere that Apple/Universal lost money on the mono vinyl box and that’s why it isn’t getting a repress. Don’t know if it’s true though
Im baffled by the price of the box. Outside of that, I'm actually pretty interested in this. The different cover art, tracklists and mixes are exactly the type of novelty I really love to collect on vinyl. Like when I stream the Beatles, I'll prioritize the canon releases, but when I want to play The Beatles on vinyl, I could see myself reaching for these occasionally. If that makes sense
Can you do a comparison video of the unique mixes please 🙏
I have the capitol albums box set CD from 2004 which has both stereo and mono mixes on it. I'll settle for that. Plus they're all the albums that you recommended
Can somebody clarify if these tracks are the same mixes and otherwise are, or are not, identical to the tracks on the 2014 Beatles in Mono vinyl box set? Thank you.
I ordered the ones you skipped. The Beatles Second Album is the one I remember playing the most back when they were first released, and I really like that track list.
And I've been wanting the American Hard Days Night for a while now solely because of the cheesy instrumentals. So I'm excited to get fresh new copies of those 2.
¡Excelente reflexión y recomendación!,, en lo personal invertiría en la colección única y original mono en vinil UK .
U My Friend are right on! Love your hard work!
I agree. I have two copies already of the Beatles Story. This are easy to find in great condition because most were only played once. The covers are a different story. I plan on buying all them except for Early Beatles and Meet the Beatles, and I will wait until the discount. Jeeze, even the Revolver box set is still available. They are over pressing for their audience for sure.
I have all of these originals from my mom who has passed. I would like to have a modern copies that i dont have to worry about spinning.
Great Video! Not buying the box set i all ready have the 60’s Beatles mono albums. I might buy Beatles 65 and that’s it. Have a good one!
Yes, Beatles 65 is the best of the bunch.
Man I appreciate your excellent review
I bought all of em individually. I couldn't justify spending an extra $120 extra for a box and a filler album. The albums are great, they sound awesome. I think I like the mono mixes better than the stereo tbh. All of them have a "Made in France" sticker on the back. I always put them in heavy duty outer sleeves and transplant the hype sticker and any other stickers (in this case the MIF sticker) on to the new sleeve.
I agree with your choices of individual albums to buy EXCEPT Something New instead of UA Hard Day's Night Soundtrack. AHDN soundtrack is UNIQUE and IS the movie. I personally enjoy listening to Martin's instruments and brings me back into thoughts of the movie. Just like UK's AHDN album, Something New is just a collection of songs and actually not coherent at all. It's just "well we have these songs from the movie and let's just throw some other songs in to fill up the record". There' nothing special about those albums. Yes, I like the songs, but it doesn't make me think about the movie. AND after all the UA record IS A SOUNDTRACK and it's what a soundtrack is supposed to be - songs of the movie so you can remember. The UA AHDN album does that for me.
What happen with rubber soul deluxe edition it was put off last year
Really enjoy your videos!
Great video thanks and I agree with your judgement. From my UK perspective the Capitol albums are an important novelty, MMT aside, but no more than that. The 2004 box sets are enough for me. The Dexterised stereo 'Money' is my preferred version of that track but the rest are pretty awful.
The Dexter-ized "I Feel Fine"/"She's a Woman" are pretty powerful, too.
I was lucky to catch the set at 140€ on Amazon Germany before they amped up their pricing.
I bought 5 records of this set individually (instead of the box set) on The Beatles Official Store. They charged $8 per record for shipping - total of $40 for 5 records - which is crazy and outrageous. It really pissed me off!
I’m not an audiophile, I don’t care about Mono or Stereo so I’m buying the set.
Thanks for the insight and kudos on your presentation. Really on the fence, maybe a different story if it included Rubber Soul and Revolver. I have The Beatle Story from the 70s. When I tossed my vinyl in 2009, never thinking I would get a turntable again, I did keep that and Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl thinking they would never reissue them. Anyway I'm not sure this partial set is what I want at that price.
it missing Help! and Rubber Soul killed it for me. Also they could have included SOMETHING for the later albums, because I'm pretty sure those got unique mixes too which no set has yet to touch on.
I listen to the red and blue cd 💿 Beattles albums more these vinyl record albums cost to much money forget it
This is excellent
I'd would love to see these in stereo later, not the original Capitol mixes , but the remastered from original master tapes with Bruce Spizer selecting the best quality stereo mixes of each song. Also In the future, it would be cool for Apple to release a blu ray of every Beatles song done to a video with a high quality stereo source. Those without videos could be cartoons or AI generated videos. The previous DVD's are great, but it would be cool to have each song represented in video for and also you could include the Mono mixes also on the blu ray and you could choose your preference on the menu. Just what I would like.o
what's the name of the book on the butcher cover by Bruce Spicer? I can't find it on his wiki
I am lucky to own the Mono box set from 2014. So I preordered only A Hard Day's Night for the songs I actually don't already have.
At this moment I feel that the different mixes don't call enough my attention as I have listened a bit of the US and never really liked it over the UK releases.
'Something New' was the first Beatles album I owned. Still not going to buy either this set or the albums separately because I no longer have a turntable!
(I still own my first pressing copy of 'Beatles '65'... it's nice to look at!)
So I too was very disappointed when this was announced. I understand its importance and that it ties in the 60th anniversary of when these releases came out/beatles coming to America. But I feel like they appeal most to those who grew up with these and had no idea of the UK (official) catalogue. But so many of us now know that the UK versions are standard which essentially just makes these (in my opinion) compilation albums. Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve already preordered the blue Meet The Beatles because I have always wanted a copy of that and I’ll probably grab a Beatles ‘65 cause I do like that track listing. And if Yesterday and Today were here I’d grab that too. But yeah overall disappointed in this years release from the Beatles camp. And you hit the nail on the head regarding the Beatles Story. I have the us albums box set and maybe I’ve listened to the story album twice maybe thrice? Compared to more numerous listens of the actual albums.
Refreshing to hear your take as it seems a lot of people are excited and all about this set.
I already have Japanese pressings of these Capital albums and also have the capital records cd box set. The other reason that I am not buying them is because most of the records have run time of less than 30 minutes and are not as good as Parlophone releases. Main reason why U am not buying any of the albums is that is the UK they cost at least £32.00 each and I. The US they cost $30.00 which with current exchange rate of $1.32 to £1.00 makes UK price far higher than in the US…so thanks but no thanks.
Good episode ❤❤
The other concern is the latest track record of reissues associated with the Master Engineer on this collection: Kevin Reeves. Reeves was the master engineer on the poorly panned reissues of the Jellyfish albums. Many were disappointed with his work on Verve reissues too. I’m not expecting audiophile sound. I’ll purchase from a company with a strong return policy.
I have a feeling sales for this boxed set are going to be adequate, though less than hoped for. I agree, if Universal/Apple, et al., were really interested in making money, I'm certain that a reissue of the mono box would have sold out.
I pre-ordered the box from Amazon Germany at their initial price offering. Hope they honor it. If not will surely catch a deal after or during the holidays. Thinking of how heavily discounted John Lennon's Mind Games the Police's Synchronicity box sets were discounted not long after release.
I chose to skip the box and went with the six individual albums. The added cost for "Story" and the box just seemed excessive. Like the Mono UK set though, I wouldn't be surprised to see its value increase dramatically through the years.
that's honestly a reason why I got the box set along with having the box to put the albums in (I like my box sets)
I ditched my North American LPs back in the 1980s when I got ahold of the U.K. LPs that came from a Parlophone "blue box", and I've been spinning those ever since. The only one I regret letting go was a mono Canadian Rubber Soul, because I honestly loved having I've Just Seen a Face as the kick-off track. I love Drive My Car, but for Rubber Soul, the track from the U.K. Help! LP somehow fit better on RS. I completely understand the need for this set for North American fans who grew up with them, but for me it would be a step backward. I'd much rather see a reissue of the three original Canadian Capitol LPs that used U.K. masters instead of the re-EQd/reverbed Capitol tapes, maybe they'll turn up as a Record Store Day item, but somehow I doubt it.
I'm getting it, and I also have the UK mono set. Yes, it's appalling value for money but that's where the market puts it. Regardless of the fact they should probably never have existed in the first place, these albums are an important part of Beatles history.
I got the box set, but just because I was able to order it for 188€. I wouldn't have bought it for 287€ which is the regular price. Tont know if my price was accidentaly from Amazon or on purpose, but right after I bought it the price whent up again to 287.
I’ve already got Second Album in its original mono issue. May get the other titles (except for The Beatles’ Story, which I already had, but prefer Hear The Beatles Tell All, as far as interview records go!)
Believe me, collectors will want the box set, even if they are paying extra for just The Beatles Story and the box itself.
We will have to wait a few years to see it the box set goes up in price more than the individual LPs. I bet it will.
I hear they will be also soon be reissuing The First US Visit documentary, I assume for streaming on Disney and maybe Blu-Ray, that's a lot more interesting. For Beatles spoken word content like on The Beatles Story double, you're better off with Vee Jay's Hear The Beatles Tell All and podcasts.
Ok have you looked at The Rolling Stones in Mono colored LP set??? That’s what Universal/Calderstone/Applecorp should have given Beatlefans. Here’s another idea what about a slimmed down Giles UK HDNight set around July 1,2024 and on Nov1,2024 Beatles For Sale box set??
Or the Capiphone project!!
I was hoping for an Anthology Vol. 1 Super Deluxe box set, with Vol. 2 following next year, with Vol. 3 following and including Now and Then.
The price puts me off. It's cool to see it's all analogue signal path, using the correct mixes. Only time I've ever seen the Apple reissues and the Japanese OBI releases from the late 70s.
Apple made a really wrong move, here in my opinion. Nobody cares about the US albums except for the people who grew up with them. Outside of that region, the concept that these are absolute crappy sounding cash-grab pieces of compilation albums is unanimous.
Even then I still prefer to collect the older original US albums rather than have new ones. But that may just be me
I keep hearing that the UK albums are conceptually better, but no one can explain why. Because they said so? The same people who thought Magical Mystery Tour and Let It Be were great ideas? I was excited to hear them in the early 80s when I could find them and was immediately let down. They seem very haphazard and the sound is very vacant - four instruments and they sound exactly like that many.
Sounds like they want that American Boomer money …
Youre, wrong, they gonna go fast.
@jeffreycox6647 Some of it is what one has grown up with as far as concept/songs/order. As far as sound that would also be a nostalgia thing. The UKs were how they were recorded without all the weird reverb (Dexterizarion) that the US Capitals have. From an audio and fidelity stand point the UKs are vastly superior.
I've been saying the very same thing about "$120 for Beatles Story and a box with no booklet?" I preordered the blue vinyl MTB and am waiting for the box set tp drop below $200. It will eventually.