The Red and Blue album covers were so iconic to an entire generation discovering the Beatles in the 70s that it would have been disappointing and pointless for them to change it.
I think they could've changed the lettering from the bubble letters to the Beatles drop T logo? The bubble lettering is very 60's and 70's, but it's not a big deal. I always liked the gate fold photo of the "Beatles day out" tinted in red or blue.
I bought these on tape in 1993 when I was 16. The chronology of this stuff is vital as the thing about the Beatles is the transformation of the band, the music, the culture of an entire decade in 7 years, is the entire point of the impact of the Beatles on everything
I agree. I borrowed these albums on vinyl from a family member in 1994, and aside from the album ‘Help!’, they were my introduction to The Beatles. The chronological order was essential as it showed the bands progression and blew my mind in the process! How the same band could move from ‘Love Me Do’ to ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ in such a short time was amazing! Anyway, it does seem weird that they haven’t followed that rule for the bonus discs on the vinyl release, and that they’ve skipped out on the other Anthology singles. 🤷🏻♂️
My educated guess to why Free as a bird and Real love aren't included here is because they will be remixed for The Anthology remix, probably being released in 2025 along with a new version of the documentary by Peter Jackson. Actually, I love the cover of the Red + Blue. It was originally going to be the cover of The Get Back lp.
Actually, the Blue Album cover photo is a different shot from the 'Get Back' album. Accordingly, the Red Album cover photo is a different shot from the 'Please Please Me' album.
This is possible, but do you think they'll remix every track on Anthology? Seems like overkill to remix studio outtakes and demos. I'm guessing it'll just be FaaB and Real Love to get updates to their 2015 video- only mixes.
People aren't yet grasping the potential of the new Peter Jackson technology. Imagine the very first Beatles recording ' In spite of all the danger ' sounding like it was recorded in a modern day studio. Or the live recording of You can't do that all cleaned up. Perhaps there are other hidden gems that were barely audible and now sound new. Endless possibilities.
Changing the covers would be a sin. They are iconic. I like the added music, but I have every Beatle track, although the remastering intrigues me. Yet, the biggest disappointment is they still did not add "Rain" with "Paperback Writer."
The stereo mixes are definitely the most exciting thing here. I would hope that every song in the Beatles' catalog got this treatment eventually, and the fact that the earliest Beatles tracks are receiving the stereo remixes here is very promising, and says a lot about Giles and Co's confidence in AI demixing. It seems a couple loose ends are getting the remix treatment here that seemed up in the air, like b-sides Revolution and Old Brown Shoe, which may have been glossed over past the Abbey Road and White Album remixing jobs. That said, it does seem a bit dubious they wouldn't include something like The Inner Light, though. If it wouldn't be included on a compilation like this, when else would they find the opportunity to remix a track like this? Maybe they could for a random one-off single remix release of Lady Madonna, but who knows how likely that would be?
I think at some point all of the remixes will be compiled into a remixed “Past Masters” (along with new mixes such as “The Inner Light”), as that album ties up all the loose ends in The Beatles’ discography.
Honest question, what is the benefit of this? I'm originally from the vinyl/cassette Era when you bought your album and you got what you got. I don't understand why people get excited over this. Would you please explain?
2 tracks I'm sure not a lot of fans want in stereo but I would: You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) (the full 6 minute song in remixed stereo) and It's All Too Much (adding the verse from the film (maybe adding the full ending where it'd fade out))
@@blahblahblah6 its basically the trill of "rediscovering" songs you already know. I grew up listening to the mono mixes on CD and finally hearing them on fully fleshed out Stereo mixes is exciting. gone are the hard pans of the old stereo mixes. the new Giles Martin mixes now my preferred versions and I wouldn't have discovered that if i didn't try them out and assumed the old mixes were "good enough for me".
Totally agree that it reeks of a lack of forethought. We as Beatles fans have all the same questions you do. It's one missed opportunity after another for what could have been a real testament to the Beatles legacy. One cohesive, logically ordered compendium of Beatles music and yes including FAAB and RL. Would it kill them to dig a few photos out of the archives lol
One thing I’ve always enjoyed about the Blue album is that it’s the one place, that I know of, where you can get A Day in the Life with a clean intro that doesn’t include the Sgt Pepper reprise fade out. I’ll definitely be buying both either way. I want that version on vinyl and I want the new stereo mixes of the older tracks. Also, I love the Red and Blue album covers. I’ve always loved them. I’d be angry if they changed them.
Did you ever notice on the long closing chord of "A Day in the Life" that well into it, it sounds like a chair creaks, and someone goes, "shhh"? Listen to it with headphones sometime.
@@Windupchronic I realize that. But the clean version didn’t show up on a Beatles record until the CD release of the Blue album which came out in 1993.
The images on the covers show how much they changed and grew from 62-70 - the album art is iconic, I imagine if they had changed the covers there would have been a backlash there too. The covers meant a lot to me then and still do now but to each their own.
I’m getting the colored vinyl versions and the CDs. I agree that the Red album is a more most own item compared to the blue album. But looking forward to the Revolution remix. Also, you’re right they should have remixed Real Love and Free As A Bird and added them.
I'm not so sure if it would be such a good idea to give Free As A Bird and Real Love the same treatment used to finally release (in 2023) Now And Then, because they were already originally released in the mid 90's without the work of AI. So that eventual transformation for those two songs, would be way more drastic, than the work of just de-mixing these early hits (which is only perceptible by diehard fans).
I am a new Beatles fan (like within the past 6 months 😅) so The Beatles 1 CD/DVD set and these two 2023 versions of Red and Blue on CD were basically the first things I’ve picked up! Loving them so far.
In 1980 a friend of mine let me borrow the Blue album and I’ll never forget the first time I heard Strawberry Fields Forever. Just sounded so different from anything else at the time,been a fan ever since. I’ll buy the reissue even though I already have all the songs on it.
I’m excited to hear the earlier songs with the 2023 mixing. Also excited for I Am The Walrus and Hey Bulldog. They’ve done a good job of keeping themselves relevant with newer generations. The 1 compilation was a hit with my generation, then Rock Band was a success as well. These remixes will get Gen Z involved. It definitely is a money grab, however, I don’t want to live in a world where the Beatles are relegated to archives of the past.
I think they should really remake the Rock Band games. It'll get the newer generation versed with them as well. These new mixes are making their music even more timeless
These albums, the blue especially (for me), are amazing ways to introduce people to the beatles. The blue was the first Beatles CD I bought and I was not disappointed. I was overwhelmed by amazing music. The chronological track list is effective and the way the songs flowed become so familiar. If you need a place to start, this is perfect. And we all need a place to start. They have so much music. This will grab you immediately and make you want to start buying the albums. Buying each album after owning this was like exploring an awesome new world. There's a few songs you know and then tons of surprises. You buy the White Album thinking "well is guess Ob La Di" is the best song on here and then your mind is blown by the likes of Dear Prudence, Happiness is a Warm Gun, Sexy Saidie. The deeper you dig the more you are rewarded. But the Blue and Red are the accessible, easily digestible greatest hits, perfect for opening the floodgates. I can speak from personal experience. 12 year old me had their life changed by this album.
I think that we diehard Beatles fans are very much on the backburner with this one. Although these updated albums are getting a physical release, I think the real emphasis here is on streaming and making the most popular Beatles songs available to stream in high quality mixes that sound contemporary. They are uninterested in giving the established fans what they want, like Free As Bird, Real Love and Rubber Soul, because they don't feature in what is their current focus, which is broadening the appeal of The Beatles. Lots of young people like The Beatles, but there also exists a huge demographic of young people who won't listen to music that sounds 'old'. Young people are used to music in which the bass and drums are at the forefront, so Beatles music, particularly their early work, will sound quaint and occasionally 'wimpy' to their ears. Queen have enjoyed success with appealing to younger people, because their music wasn't subjected to the limitations of early sixties technology, and things had advanced enormously by the 70s and 80s, so their music sounds closer to modern music when heard by the ears of younger people. As crazy as it seems, as it stands right now, I suspect that a few Wings songs, like Jet and Band On The Run would appeal more to that demographic of younger people than early Beatles stuff, simply because you can hear the bass and drums pumping on those Wings numbers. It's no accident that the most streamed Beatles song is Here Comes The Sun, from the last album they recorded, featuring the most advanced recording equipment they were ever to use, and which features the most modern sounding drums and bass of any of their recordings. That song would not sound out of place alongside modern songs, whereas several of their early songs in their original mixes would.
Great comment. People asking for a new 'Past Masters' instead of Red and Blue are coming from the perspective of existing fans- Red and Blue are better in every way (more songs, better legacy) than Past Masters to bring in a new generation of fans. Plus, I'm way happier to get more remixes of the early stuff sooner, than I am to get a remix of 'Old Brown Shoe' which is an okay song but hardly going to turn Gen Z onto the beatles!
I think (as a 25 year old) people around my age have been spoiled with how music has the best equipment and sounds so full. I honestly just like hearing the songs I love from the Beatles with more clarity and better mixing
I think the weird extra vinyl on the boxset is there for a reason, the third disc is more of a bonus and meant to be listened to separately, and the sequencing would probably be a bit off because of how thight and well put together those albums were On cd, they just filled up the missing space which would save them from needing to sell it with a third disc, and maintaining the original order and throwing everything at the end would be even weirder, so they ordered it better for that and digital releases because of this
I agree.. I like that they kept the original song order for the first two albums.. Takes me back to my childhood. I want to hear it the same way.. We are getting a bonus disc which is sweet! Pumped to hear this..
For me, I do intend getting them as I've ALWAYS wanted decent stereo mixes of the early stuff. I may be weird though as I grew up with the Beatles in the sixties, and by the 1970s when I was learning about audio stuff, I had this idea I wanted to remix them. When I left school in the 1980s, I ended up being firtunate enough to go back to uni to study audio engineering thanks largely to the Beatles Recording Sessions book firing my interest further. In the last few months I forked out on Isotope's software to demix recordings and had been wrestling with those early tracks with really mixed results. So it's no surprise this is a big thing for me. I don't see value in the new single with just Love me Do on the B side, but the red album especially I cannot wait for. Plus I have the red and blue on vinyl, 8 track, cassette, CD, so I look forward to comparing too. I do get your comments though and don't disagree - the track listing is a weird one though. I guess they were in a Catch 22 situation where they could mix it up anew but I think they'd probably get more complaints about that.
I actually quite like the cover design of the 1973 releases and it's a great side by side comparison of the boys at the beginning vs the boys at their end. I'm glad someone had the idea to recreate the Please Please Me album cover in 1969 because recreating album covers is something that isn't done too often by the same artist. That said, I highly agree that the Blue album should've included Free As A Bird and Real Love to compliment Now And Then. They did clean the songs up a little for their 2015 music vide reappearences on the 1 Deluxe, but I doubt they would go in further with the new technology on those songs. Overall I can see how they mis-stepped in places with this release. I'm looking forward to the new mixes but probably won't pick them up physically (more of a 7" guy myself)
I always loved the Red & Blue album covers, especially to look at them next to eachother.. It shows perfectly how much the Beatles have changed! I was about to pre-order the colored vinyls but when I was at my local record store yesterday, there were both albums from 1973 for 15 bucks each, so....
I think the reason 'Real Love' and 'Free as a Bird' were left off the album because an article, I would post the link but RUclips's bots assumes it's spam, headlined 'Building the Last Beatle Song' by mixonline also says they won't extract the vocals from the two songs, like for 'Now & Then', we may very likely be getting something Anthology related soon, they said it was cryptically messaged, and most likely we might get a 30th anniversay release of the albums and the new song will finally be the opening track of the third album in 2025, my theory. So that's very likely the reason they were omitted. I was a bit dissapointed that they didn't go with the idea of having the three of the songs together as an EP with the John Lennon demo of 'Now and Then' with the infamous humming sound as a bonus. But all in all I'm excited about the new track, got it preordered and I hope we get a remaster of the Anthology set along with maybe a restoration of the documentary, some clips shown in the trailer for the 'Now and Then' documentary have been cleaned up when you look at it closely.
Perhaps the reason why Free As a Bird and Real Love were excluded and not given updated remixes was because it was already done in 2015 for Beatles 1+. Just speculating, but it would’ve been nice to have them on the Blue album for the sake of completeness.
The original Blue album was my first Beatles album. I got it for Christmas 1980 right after John died. I soon after bought the red album and in the following years their entire catalog both as a group and solo. I think the covers with the similar pictures are iconic and I wouldn't change them. I no longer have a turntable but if I did I would get them both on colored vinyl.
The covers are iconic! You can’t change them!! The price for the coloured vinyl is the same price as the black vinyl in Canada. And if you break it down, it’s $35/album. Very fair, in my opinion. I’m excited to get this.. A fresh remix, iconic/retro packaging.. It’s awesome. It makes sense to do this because it chronicles their entire career from Love Me Do to Now and Then. I’m excited about it. I could care less what order the songs are in. Pumped to get it! And the coloured vinyl looks gorgeous!
You've echoed my thoughts exactly. The colored vinyl almost blinded me enough to pick these up but I'm glad I took some more time to think it over. If you ask me it's just money better spent for a proper album re-release, whatever it ends up being.
Why do you care that its coloured? You know it actually makes it sound worse. Actually anything other than clear is worse. The coloured vinyl craze has to end. It makes idiots of the public. You morons know that they ship the "name the store exclusives" to other independent record stores when that's all they have to fulfill orders? Stop being a slave.
Again I love the design of the red and blue albums.. totally classic.. love the fonts the color and the gatefold.. the eight days a week package is ugly and cheap and bad design
I like your review, man. Totally agree, especially the absence of Real Love - Free As a Bird songs. Not to mention some true classic deep cuts are missing, but we have You Really Got a Hold On Me!?? Wtf man? Anyway. Cheers, mate.
A child of the70s, the red and blue albums were my first introduction to The Beatles. Only learned of the original UK releases when living in England in college many years later. So the layout and song selections were very iconic for me. Yes the cheesy typeface is dated; the inner sleeve picture always baffled. But still left its mark for a lifetime of enjoyment and rediscovery. Great piece! Thx😊
I totally agree that missing the anthology singles is a mistake!The interest is hearing the early stuff after AI remixing!It will be a taster for the early albums when they get a deluxe edition!I only hope that they get a great stereo mix and fix the blasted edit on She Loves You !
Agree about your point that the "Red" album gives you something extra - because of all the new remixes. BUT, whoever compiled the extra tracks for this TOTALLY missed the mark!! "Roll Over Beethoven" & "You Really Got A Hold On Me" - - really??? And it's DISGRACEFUL that no extra tracks were included from "Beatles For Sale".
I was 10 when my mom got me the red album, and later that summer I saved up enough for the blue. For an introduction to the Beatles it was a great way to end up desiring the rest of the albums.
Great video Vinyl Geek. I'm with you. I'm 59, a longtime fan, and I have a limited budget so I'm passing on this one. I have Spotify and that's good enough for me for this release. Holding my breath & saving my pennies for a Rubber Soul Box Set. No I don't have any info on that, but like every Beatles fan, I'm hopeful. Keep up the great videos!
What on earth is this guy talking about? The Red & Blue album covers are ICONIC! The two contrasting photos perfectly capture the creative and personal changes the band went through. Simple, effective and clever.
@@knockshinnoch1950 Indeed! The new cover looks like a cheap trade paperback! Incidentally, the original Hollywood Bowl cover was chosen by one John Winston Ono Lennon as per RUclips channel Parlogram Auctions. That’s good enough for me!
Your idea of the Red and Blue being a gateway for newer fans is a good one, as it was 50 years ago. Re-ordering in chronological, excellent point. The package review, another excellent point. The exclusion of Free as a Bird and Real Love is a crime. I'm getting the box set, black vinyl. And look at the single cover art. What is that about? The Stones new album blows that one away in terms of the artwork. And for all this money we are paying, sorry but the packaging matters.
I’m definitely very excited for these - I love that they’re expanded and include the new track, but mostly I’m super pumped to hear the remixes, especially of the earlier songs. Giles has really done great work with the most recent remixes, particularly Revolver, so these should be great. I can’t stand hard-pan stereo so a lot of the original Beatles stereo mixes are unlistenable to me. Also Real Love and Free As a Bird we’re probably left out because they’re likely planning Anthology remixes/reissues so it’d make more sense to keep them exclusive to those sets.
I like how they leaned into the old covers. These are iconic sleeves to people who grew up in the '70s and '80s. Even as a kid in the '90s digging through my parent’s collection, I stared at these and enjoyed how much the band’s appearance changed over the decade. In that sense, it’s also a great use of the abandoned Get Back cover. I’m glad they went with these again.
From what Giles Martin was saying in an interview once they had finished up "Now and Then" they really couldn't tack it onto an album so they realized it was the 50th anniversary of the Red and Blue albums and it just made sense to put it on there. I think the Red Album in particular is going to benefit from the new mixes since most people on streaming sites don't seem to be paying as much attention to the early Beatles music. There's always next year for "Rubber Soul".
Some of those additions are mind boggling. I like them all, but not in the context of a greatest hits album. I Want You, Glass Onion, You Really Got A Hold On Me and Tomorrow Never Knows? But not Rain? Makes no sense. Taxman was a worthy addition, that should have been on it originally, along with If I Needed Someone.
I preordered the bundle in color. The Blue Album was my first Beatles vinyl record in the 90’s. This compilation got me through really challenging times then. Eventually I got in on CD and it was my everyday Beatles play to introduce friends to the band growing up. I think it will be just a beautiful addition to my collection. I’m looking forward to hear the mixes on the red album and take a trip to memory lane with the blue song track.
The covers are perfect. They were simple and identifiable and reflective of the albums they represent. My only complaint is that All Too Much by George is missing and at least Free As A Bird should have been included. Other than that it's a great release.
I'm happy the release is here but there are some odd choices. The track listing on the vinyl, the packaging (where are the beautiful Deluxe packages?), the Now and Then cover, missing Free as a Bird and Real Love. Not even so mad about the pricing. But this release is disappointing compared to what we've been getting since 2017. Makes me wonder how many people must have been involved and why nobody said "no, this should be different".
My dad had these on cassette tape when I was a kid, that was in the mid-80s. And I would listen to them all the time because of course I did. Then, when my school music class started having into modern music, we started singing, yellow submarine, and I was the only one in my class that knew the words all the way through. And my singing teacher, Link made me the student helper for the part of that class because of that. Just like my dad I grew up with a Beatles some of my favorite songs just because I’m a member of my dad more because of it used to play the birthday song for me on my birthday and now I do that for people like my children and relatively all the time.
I dont have any Beatles on vinyl, but the red and blue albums (ESPECIALLY the former) were my introductions to The Beatles. I listened to the Red album on faamily road trips and on the CD player in my room, over and over. The album cover is my childhood as is it's running order. I think this will be a buy for me.
I'm eager to listen to "Now And Then," but I'm saving for the 75th anniversary Uber Diamond Limited Collector's Edition of the 5th latest remix of Sgt. Peppers. I hope it includes the bonus material of the studio outtake of Ringo sneezing during a take.
I'm getting the bundled cd set. One thing I hadn't noticed until now was Here Comes The Sun's place on the song list. I think it would be better if it was after I Want You (She's So Heavy), like on Abbey Road. Plus I think it would sound sweet leading into Let It Be, one beautiful, positive Beatles classic going right into another.
You made so many good points. When The Beatles existed , they cared about giving you value for your money by not including already released singles on albums. These reissues seems like a cash grab. Why isn't Free As A Bird or Real Love not included? With digital technology, they could clean up the separation on John's voice. Plus these are compilations. Legacy bands have no right to charge as much as they do for vinyl for tracks everyone already has. $75 for 3 discs is a ripoff. And I highly doubt this is the "last" Beatles song. This is Paul's last ditch effort to release something Beatles related since he can't get everyone on board with Carnival Of Light. At least he got this approved by Ringo, Olivia and Yoko. I also remember in interviews, Paul said that if one disagreed, they would veto it. I know George is gone, but it's on record by an interview with Paul quoting George saying he thought Now and Then is "expletive rubbish".
You know, if they’re remixing Red/Blue, we could potentially get a remixed Anthology Series down the line. But much like this current release with the Red album likely being the top seller, I have a feeling Anthology 1 would sell best as hearing the old Quarry Men tapes and original Beatle demos/decca auditions at the beginning of the album demixed and remixed would be pretty cool. Of course assuming that they would have the technology to do this and make it sound good.
Kinda surprised on you not loving the original red and blue art I never loved the colored boarders but I always loved the contrast here they are at the beginning and end of the band it's still them in that stairwell but it's a visual representation of their music and style changes just my thoughts
I agree with every single thing you have said here. A very good critique! Keep up the great work. I'm gonna stick with my UK 1st pressings with HTM in the deadwax.
Eric, thank you very much for the great extensive review! Your remarks especially onto the quality of the remixes very really worth-while for me! As I am a long time Beatles fan but never that hardcore one I actually plan to get the full collection since I only have Abbey Road (my forever favourite album) and two old early phase compilations from my parents! However, my humble collection roughly 350 LPs big has a great focus onto Prog and Blues Rock so far, but for my love to the Beatles I will be happy to get these wonderful compilations that truly have ALL my most longed for songs from them. Lucky me 😁 In regards to the tracklisting on the vinyl edition, I think I might solved the mystery with the scrambled ending - it's surely all about they're outstanding amazing "I Want You (She's So Heavy)"! It is the absolute perfect album ending, the best ending any sophisticated rock album can have! They surely chose it to be the one and only song that can close the Beatles anthology because it's the one which marvellously shows their extraordinary experiments and creativity, always surprising the listener and making a huge statement ❤ You know, I thought I should share my discovery which might solves the mystery. In fact, not long ago I told a friend of mine: 'Why didn't they choose I Want You to be the final song on Abbey Road? It would have much bolder and it's kinda unfortunate they didn't dare!" 😂 Finally, apparently now they (at least Paul and Ringo) were courageous enough to do it!
The Red Album was one of my very first Beatles albums. I didn't get the Blue Album because by then, I gradually started to get all or most of their other albums which contained those songs. It got to a point where I began liking many of the B-Sides as much or more than the A-Sides. As a matter of fact, they should have named all their singles Side A-1 and A-2. LOL.
i agree... the 1st thing that struck me was wtf weren't Free as a bird & Real Love given the remix treatment & added to the the collection? after all both songs were 'primitively' mixed from John's demo tapes + new stuff Paul, George, Ringo & Jeff did... giving them the de-mix remix treatment wld definitely breathe new life into them ... totally missed opportunity
Excellent critique, Geek. I totally agree with you that leaving out Free As A Bird and Real Love from the blue album is a glaring error and an inexplicable omission. It makes no sense to include Now And Then and exclude the other two singles. As far as the cover art goes, I've always loved it from the first time I saw these albums sitting side by side in my local record stores upon their original release. Whether they're good or not is almost irrelevant because I wanted these albums from the moment I first saw them. I wouldn't want to radically change the design now although I do think it would have been a good idea to retitle them as simply "The Red Album" and "The Blue Album". That's what everybody calls them anyway but also "1967-1970" is no longer an appropriate title when it includes a new track from 2023!
I totally agree with you, it is not well thought the distribution of songs of these albums, they should have released all of them in their right cronological order, and besides, they didn't include iconic songs such as Helter Skelter for example. Greetings from Chile.
I have to say I love the fact that the newly added tracts are on a separate disc with the vinyl. Why? Because while I had a few minor quibbles with the song selection of the original, I really disagree with the newly added tracks. I mean glass onion but no helter skelter? Really? So I like the fact that I can leave out the new songs. I also love that they went with the color vinyl which I am getting the bundle of.
When I watch the video for Free as a Bird its incredibly muddy. I would love for them to re-visit that and the whole Anthology series with the same technical advancements they used for Get Back.
I was on the fence so I am glad I watched your video. I have an extensive Beatles collection that I have worked hard acquiring so I don’t see these bringing anything new that I NEED to have. Not to mention I have Spotify and Apple Music so I can always listen there. I did grab the new single though and will be happy with that :)
I have all the Beatles albums so I just make a play list of the tracks on the Red if I want to listen to them that way. But the blue has the new song so I might buy it.
I'm thinking of getting just the Red Album, really want to hear the new 2023 mixes. You know, normally when The Beatles release a new product, I get excited, really look forward to it. With this release, not so much. When they began releasing the Super Deluxe sets, from Pepper to Revolver, I couldn't wait until I had them in my collection. With these albums, I felt a little let down. Okay, so it's the 50th anniversary of these sets, okay, so what? Apple released Revolver out of sequence. So, why couldn't they release Rubber Soul instead? My opinion is, why doesn't Apple basically release all of the group's albums in the Deluxe versions every year or so. Whey they are finished, then go to the other albums, such as, Red & Blue, Past Masters, a remixed Anthology plus a Blue Ray of the TV series? No, instead, they decide to release the Red & Blue albums, in many variations (various colors). But, no Deluxe version. Now, the big question is, will they release Rubber Soul next year? Since it's the big 60th anniversary of the Fab Four coming to America, Apple may want to take advantage of that fact. Maybe, a remixed A Hard Day's Night album + a 4K version of the movie. Then, Beatles For Sale remixed later in the year. Also, what about Please Please Me & With The Beatles? So many questions, not so many answers. Fingers are crossed for a great 2024 release year.
I still have the red and blue albums on vinyl from when I was gifted them as a kid in the late 70s. I don't feel the need to buy a new remastered version of them on vinyl, even with the inclusion of the extra tracks. However as a collector of vinyl and CDs, I may use this new release as an excuse to finally own them on CD also.
I think the original blue double album was just about perfect - the only thing lacking was more tracks from the Rubber Soul / Revolver era on the red album. A double album has just the right running time. A triple becomes a bit of a marathon listening session - a bit like devoting almost an entire evening to listening to Wings Over America……..will I buy them - probably not. I might seek out an original blue album though.
I got the Red Album for Xmas in 1984 on vinyl which was my in-depth intro to the '62'66 Beatles which greatly influenced my interest in '60s music as I was a HS Junior at the time. This led to me discovering The Who, Rolling Stones, and The Doors at that time. I have this album on CD today. It's a fantastic collection of their early stuff, all the way till "Revolver". It's doesn't have all of my favorites but it has more than enough music to stoke further interest in acquiring some of, if not all of their actual albums.
Thanks! I was a little skeptical but then I realized you're talking about the negatives on the vinyl. Yeah I had and loved the individual albums but I did have the red and blue at one point add the expanded red and blue on CD with the remixes I think it's going to be cool for me.
Absolutely agree, no point in throwing now and then in the collection and not adding a new remixed version of free as a bird and real love. Also no point in adding a third vinyl if its not to keep the esence of these collections which is keeping a chronological order of the best hits. Completely agree with the fact that the slipcase looks absolutely tacky… not mentioning the absolute horror that is the cover of now and then single, looking forward to listening the song but the cover is an abolute horror, very suitable for halloween. Thanks for the video
I love the original covers of these albums. I would like to own the CDs versions of these because I don't currently own very much Beatles music, except for a few of the 80s vinyl remasters.
The order was kept because on vinyl you need to fit the songs within 18-22 minute range per side, and relisting would be a nightmare so they kept the original 2LP + The new ones. The CD is easier so the used chronological oder. It's all about space on vinyl.
For me, it’s all about the original vinyl and the brilliance of the original 1973 track listing. Yes, it contained plenty of omissions, but what a perfect introduction to the band and its phenomenal journey. It’s a sequence of tracks that leaves the newcomer wanting much much more, and that’s what it did for me. In fact, it was these two albums that determined this band would have an afterlife post breakup into the 1970s and beyond. This 2023 package should have simply honoured the perfection of these two LPs: oddball gatefold, lyric typos, and everything!
These are done more than anything else for them to hold onto the copyright in England where once it hits 50 it goes in the public domain so this is a hold onto the copyright I don’t blame them. It’s just what it is.
These were my starters when I was a kid, to me this was their version of Hot Rocks and More Hot Rocks by the Stones, but yeah they were fine for a starting point, but they didn’t need a big re issue
I was a record store manager in the 1970's, the Blue was definitely always kept in stock, the most popular with shoppers who only wanted one Beatles album.
We are finally hearing early Beatles with the Giles treatment and that’s what I can’t wait for, to hearing the how the new separation works with ring is early drumming is going to be amazing
I'm only more disappointed that the akready mixed songs didnt get reremixed, aside from the Revolver tracks which're the most recent (maybe the Let It Be tracks too?). The early songs getting the mix treatment is great, especially Love Me Do and She Loves You (both only in mono) to get put into stereo.
I agree that 'Real Love' and 'Free As A Bird' should have been included. Were they omitted so we buy The Beatles singles box set? Or are they possibly saving them for an anthology re-issue down the road? Who knows. Definitely a missed step. With 'Now And Then' being included, shouldn't the red album be renamed '1967-2023'? I'm very pleased to hear the new stereo mixes for those earlier songs! I know some people won't like it but the hard panning is a difficult listen, especially with headphones. Centered vocals here we come! My hope is that the stereo tracks will be mixed using the mono mixes as a reference.
Hey Vinyl geek, Great video lots to think about!!! I myself am getting the cd’s and the color vinyl (more on this later). I think the packaging for the red and blue are fine - since the albums are being updated I feel they should have gotten rid of the dates and the inside pic should be a collection of pics throughout the years. I like the border and cover art. That should stay. As for the Red vinyl. I like all the tracks added But I feel they should have taken the opportunity to include a few more George songs such as Devil in her Heart and im happy just to dance with you and HELLO??? Where are the RINGO SONGS??!!, ok you still have Yellow submarine and octopus garden but what about I want to be your man and maybe Boys???? These should have been included over roll over Beethoven as Paul said in the 90s there was a strong strong fan base for Ringo so they gave him a song on every album where are they?? The. Remixes are exciting however it does raise some questions now that the songs for the red album are remixed will there be less time for those early albums to come out?? When they do come out will they use the 2023 remixes or remix the remixes ( meaning if help comes out in 2025 will they use the 2023 mixes or opt for even better sound?). Now the blue album once again I like the border and cover art but they should’ve gone and done a collage in the gatefold and instead of going to 70 make it 1966 to 2023 and yes include real love in Free is Bird from the 90s!!!!! Songs they could have put on is Ringos don’t pass me by. Or George’s piggies over glass onion or include heater skelter instead . As for the single I still feel it should have been part of a ep package with real love and free as a bird along with carnival of light? Maybe, and yess they could have also put on Love me do (I know what they are going for) I just think it’s cheap how they are going about it. When the last song was announced in July and there was buzz about the anthology being released with remastered and remixed songs of what we already have I wasn’t to keen on the idea but now I kinda wish it was the anthology instead of the red and blue cause the song Now and Then belongs on anthology 3 and looks off on the blue album with out the 2 songs from the 90’ included and with out the date change. I am getting the colored vinyl because I have never owned the vinyl from 1973 even though it is overpriced as you pointed out. But nobody has to buy any of it. Sorry this is so long thanks for reading take care
Hopefully one day, Giles will come back and remix "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love". They need the remix treatment!. I probably will get the Red & Blue albums on CD.
I know this is only for reviewing vinyl releases, but regarding CDs the only way to get Now And Then in that format is buying the Red Album (there isn't a CD single release for that song). So this compilation is a must buy in that case.
I’m excited for all of these new stereo mixes because my son is 1 year old right now so by the time he’s really ready to dig into The Beatles we will probably have every album remixed properly for stereo and likely a reissue of the anthology series (which the original PBS anthology was my entry into my personal Beatlemania). I’m really enjoying this new concept for The Beatles geared towards relevancy Quick edit: it was ABC, not PBS. correction without erasure
At first I was like ok cool whatever. But I just blasted all the tracks on a good system, and wow. The only song that isn't any better, is she loves you.which was recorded hot and just will always sound distorted. Every other track tho.....old brown shoe,its Paul's most beatly recorded bass oerformance. Magical mystery tour, the ending piano....it sounds like your in a subway under abbey road it's fantastic.the fool on the hill is amazing. Michelle, girl.....holy crap.just amazing songs and I don't understand how they can separate stuff and give even more space and clarity to each individual track without things getting muddied. Its just amazing. Giles really killed it. This may be his best Beatles work to date.
The Red and Blue album covers were so iconic to an entire generation discovering the Beatles in the 70s that it would have been disappointing and pointless for them to change it.
I agree - they are what they are
i think it would've been great if they were just a lovely full frame of the photos alone
I think they could've changed the lettering from the bubble letters to the Beatles drop T logo? The bubble lettering is very 60's and 70's, but it's not a big deal. I always liked the gate fold photo of the "Beatles day out" tinted in red or blue.
Came here to say this. These were my first Beatles records and those covers are how I was introduced to this band. Keep it classic.
Absolutely!!
I bought these on tape in 1993 when I was 16. The chronology of this stuff is vital as the thing about the Beatles is the transformation of the band, the music, the culture of an entire decade in 7 years, is the entire point of the impact of the Beatles on everything
I agree. I borrowed these albums on vinyl from a family member in 1994, and aside from the album ‘Help!’, they were my introduction to The Beatles. The chronological order was essential as it showed the bands progression and blew my mind in the process! How the same band could move from ‘Love Me Do’ to ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ in such a short time was amazing! Anyway, it does seem weird that they haven’t followed that rule for the bonus discs on the vinyl release, and that they’ve skipped out on the other Anthology singles. 🤷🏻♂️
My educated guess to why Free as a bird and Real love aren't included here is because they will be remixed for The Anthology remix, probably being released in 2025 along with a new version of the documentary by Peter Jackson. Actually, I love the cover of the Red + Blue. It was originally going to be the cover of The Get Back lp.
In my opinion it is because you do not want to have all of their hits in one source. And specifically some l.p.s that have no hits in one source.
Actually, the Blue Album cover photo is a different shot from the 'Get Back' album. Accordingly, the Red Album cover photo is a different shot from the 'Please Please Me' album.
This is possible, but do you think they'll remix every track on Anthology? Seems like overkill to remix studio outtakes and demos. I'm guessing it'll just be FaaB and Real Love to get updates to their 2015 video- only mixes.
ugh who needs a remix of a bunch of outtakes
People aren't yet grasping the potential of the new Peter Jackson technology. Imagine the very first Beatles recording ' In spite of all the danger ' sounding like it was recorded in a modern day studio. Or the live recording of You can't do that all cleaned up. Perhaps there are other hidden gems that were barely audible and now sound new. Endless possibilities.
Changing the covers would be a sin. They are iconic. I like the added music, but I have every Beatle track, although the remastering intrigues me. Yet, the biggest disappointment is they still did not add "Rain" with "Paperback Writer."
The stereo mixes are definitely the most exciting thing here. I would hope that every song in the Beatles' catalog got this treatment eventually, and the fact that the earliest Beatles tracks are receiving the stereo remixes here is very promising, and says a lot about Giles and Co's confidence in AI demixing. It seems a couple loose ends are getting the remix treatment here that seemed up in the air, like b-sides Revolution and Old Brown Shoe, which may have been glossed over past the Abbey Road and White Album remixing jobs. That said, it does seem a bit dubious they wouldn't include something like The Inner Light, though. If it wouldn't be included on a compilation like this, when else would they find the opportunity to remix a track like this? Maybe they could for a random one-off single remix release of Lady Madonna, but who knows how likely that would be?
I think at some point all of the remixes will be compiled into a remixed “Past Masters” (along with new mixes such as “The Inner Light”), as that album ties up all the loose ends in The Beatles’ discography.
Honest question, what is the benefit of this?
I'm originally from the vinyl/cassette Era when you bought your album and you got what you got. I don't understand why people get excited over this. Would you please explain?
2 tracks I'm sure not a lot of fans want in stereo but I would: You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) (the full 6 minute song in remixed stereo) and It's All Too Much (adding the verse from the film (maybe adding the full ending where it'd fade out))
@@blahblahblah6 its basically the trill of "rediscovering" songs you already know.
I grew up listening to the mono mixes on CD and finally hearing them on fully fleshed out Stereo mixes is exciting. gone are the hard pans of the old stereo mixes.
the new Giles Martin mixes now my preferred versions and I wouldn't have discovered that if i didn't try them out and assumed the old mixes were "good enough for me".
Magical Mystery Tour Songs remixed makes me think they are going to release MMT completely remixed in the future.
Totally agree that it reeks of a lack of forethought. We as Beatles fans have all the same questions you do. It's one missed opportunity after another for what could have been a real testament to the Beatles legacy. One cohesive, logically ordered compendium of Beatles music and yes including FAAB and RL. Would it kill them to dig a few photos out of the archives lol
One thing I’ve always enjoyed about the Blue album is that it’s the one place, that I know of, where you can get A Day in the Life with a clean intro that doesn’t include the Sgt Pepper reprise fade out. I’ll definitely be buying both either way. I want that version on vinyl and I want the new stereo mixes of the older tracks.
Also, I love the Red and Blue album covers. I’ve always loved them. I’d be angry if they changed them.
Did you ever notice on the long closing chord of "A Day in the Life" that well into it, it sounds like a chair creaks, and someone goes, "shhh"? Listen to it with headphones sometime.
I believe that “clean” version of A Day In The Life” first appeared on the “Imagine: John Lennon” soundtrack.
@@beatlejeb No. Beatles Blue album was definitely first. That came out in '73. The Imagine soundtrack came out in '88.
@@Windupchronic They didn't say it came first, they said it is an alternate source for the clean intro.
@@Windupchronic I realize that. But the clean version didn’t show up on a Beatles record until the CD release of the Blue album which came out in 1993.
The images on the covers show how much they changed and grew from 62-70 - the album art is iconic, I imagine if they had changed the covers there would have been a backlash there too. The covers meant a lot to me then and still do now but to each their own.
I’m getting the colored vinyl versions and the CDs. I agree that the Red album is a more most own item compared to the blue album. But looking forward to the Revolution remix. Also, you’re right they should have remixed Real Love and Free As A Bird and added them.
I'm not so sure if it would be such a good idea to give Free As A Bird and Real Love the same treatment used to finally release (in 2023) Now And Then, because they were already originally released in the mid 90's without the work of AI. So that eventual transformation for those two songs, would be way more drastic, than the work of just de-mixing these early hits (which is only perceptible by diehard fans).
I loved the mix that was done to 'Revolution' on the 2006 Love album. It separated the guitars and sounded great!
I am a new Beatles fan (like within the past 6 months 😅) so The Beatles 1 CD/DVD set and these two 2023 versions of Red and Blue on CD were basically the first things I’ve picked up! Loving them so far.
In 1980 a friend of mine let me borrow the Blue album and I’ll never forget the first time I heard Strawberry Fields Forever.
Just sounded so different from anything else at the time,been a fan ever since. I’ll buy the reissue even though I already have all the songs on it.
I think the Covers are great. Perfect photos for each era.
I’m excited to hear the earlier songs with the 2023 mixing. Also excited for I Am The Walrus and Hey Bulldog. They’ve done a good job of keeping themselves relevant with newer generations. The 1 compilation was a hit with my generation, then Rock Band was a success as well. These remixes will get Gen Z involved. It definitely is a money grab, however, I don’t want to live in a world where the Beatles are relegated to archives of the past.
I think they should really remake the Rock Band games. It'll get the newer generation versed with them as well. These new mixes are making their music even more timeless
@@matth2w271 Great idea!
@@matth2w271genuine question- is rock band/ guitar hero still popular?
@@louisrobertbrownoh yes
@@louisrobertbrown not at all, lol, but a man can dream
These albums, the blue especially (for me), are amazing ways to introduce people to the beatles. The blue was the first Beatles CD I bought and I was not disappointed. I was overwhelmed by amazing music. The chronological track list is effective and the way the songs flowed become so familiar. If you need a place to start, this is perfect. And we all need a place to start. They have so much music. This will grab you immediately and make you want to start buying the albums. Buying each album after owning this was like exploring an awesome new world. There's a few songs you know and then tons of surprises. You buy the White Album thinking "well is guess Ob La Di" is the best song on here and then your mind is blown by the likes of Dear Prudence, Happiness is a Warm Gun, Sexy Saidie. The deeper you dig the more you are rewarded. But the Blue and Red are the accessible, easily digestible greatest hits, perfect for opening the floodgates. I can speak from personal experience. 12 year old me had their life changed by this album.
I think that we diehard Beatles fans are very much on the backburner with this one.
Although these updated albums are getting a physical release, I think the real emphasis here is on streaming and making the most popular Beatles songs available to stream in high quality mixes that sound contemporary.
They are uninterested in giving the established fans what they want, like Free As Bird, Real Love and Rubber Soul, because they don't feature in what is their current focus, which is broadening the appeal of The Beatles.
Lots of young people like The Beatles, but there also exists a huge demographic of young people who won't listen to music that sounds 'old'.
Young people are used to music in which the bass and drums are at the forefront, so Beatles music, particularly their early work, will sound quaint and occasionally 'wimpy' to their ears.
Queen have enjoyed success with appealing to younger people, because their music wasn't subjected to the limitations of early sixties technology, and things had advanced enormously by the 70s and 80s, so their music sounds closer to modern music when heard by the ears of younger people.
As crazy as it seems, as it stands right now, I suspect that a few Wings songs, like Jet and Band On The Run would appeal more to that demographic of younger people than early Beatles stuff, simply because you can hear the bass and drums pumping on those Wings numbers.
It's no accident that the most streamed Beatles song is Here Comes The Sun, from the last album they recorded, featuring the most advanced recording equipment they were ever to use, and which features the most modern sounding drums and bass of any of their recordings.
That song would not sound out of place alongside modern songs, whereas several of their early songs in their original mixes would.
The most damaging thing apple ever did was not make the mono mixes widely available in the digital age.
@@tankmchavocproductions6907 I agree. The mono versions, particularly the early stuff, should have been the default versions on streaming sites.
As a young person (18) this is exactly it.
Great comment. People asking for a new 'Past Masters' instead of Red and Blue are coming from the perspective of existing fans- Red and Blue are better in every way (more songs, better legacy) than Past Masters to bring in a new generation of fans. Plus, I'm way happier to get more remixes of the early stuff sooner, than I am to get a remix of 'Old Brown Shoe' which is an okay song but hardly going to turn Gen Z onto the beatles!
I think (as a 25 year old) people around my age have been spoiled with how music has the best equipment and sounds so full. I honestly just like hearing the songs I love from the Beatles with more clarity and better mixing
I thank you for doing this. I grew up listening to both of these and wanted to see what they changed for the remasters.
They’re remixes not remasters.
Thanks. Good to know.
Dude, You are spot on.. Tracks like She's a Woman, I'm a Loser, Rain should have been added instead of certain ones...
I think the weird extra vinyl on the boxset is there for a reason, the third disc is more of a bonus and meant to be listened to separately, and the sequencing would probably be a bit off because of how thight and well put together those albums were
On cd, they just filled up the missing space which would save them from needing to sell it with a third disc, and maintaining the original order and throwing everything at the end would be even weirder, so they ordered it better for that and digital releases because of this
Makes total sense. That's most likely the reason I was thinking.
I agree.. I like that they kept the original song order for the first two albums.. Takes me back to my childhood. I want to hear it the same way.. We are getting a bonus disc which is sweet! Pumped to hear this..
For me, I do intend getting them as I've ALWAYS wanted decent stereo mixes of the early stuff. I may be weird though as I grew up with the Beatles in the sixties, and by the 1970s when I was learning about audio stuff, I had this idea I wanted to remix them. When I left school in the 1980s, I ended up being firtunate enough to go back to uni to study audio engineering thanks largely to the Beatles Recording Sessions book firing my interest further.
In the last few months I forked out on Isotope's software to demix recordings and had been wrestling with those early tracks with really mixed results.
So it's no surprise this is a big thing for me. I don't see value in the new single with just Love me Do on the B side, but the red album especially I cannot wait for.
Plus I have the red and blue on vinyl, 8 track, cassette, CD, so I look forward to comparing too.
I do get your comments though and don't disagree - the track listing is a weird one though.
I guess they were in a Catch 22 situation where they could mix it up anew but I think they'd probably get more complaints about that.
I actually quite like the cover design of the 1973 releases and it's a great side by side comparison of the boys at the beginning vs the boys at their end. I'm glad someone had the idea to recreate the Please Please Me album cover in 1969 because recreating album covers is something that isn't done too often by the same artist. That said, I highly agree that the Blue album should've included Free As A Bird and Real Love to compliment Now And Then. They did clean the songs up a little for their 2015 music vide reappearences on the 1 Deluxe, but I doubt they would go in further with the new technology on those songs. Overall I can see how they mis-stepped in places with this release. I'm looking forward to the new mixes but probably won't pick them up physically (more of a 7" guy myself)
I always loved the Red & Blue album covers, especially to look at them next to eachother.. It shows perfectly how much the Beatles have changed!
I was about to pre-order the colored vinyls but when I was at my local record store yesterday, there were both albums from 1973 for 15 bucks each, so....
I think the reason 'Real Love' and 'Free as a Bird' were left off the album because an article, I would post the link but RUclips's bots assumes it's spam, headlined 'Building the Last Beatle Song' by mixonline also says they won't extract the vocals from the two songs, like for 'Now & Then', we may very likely be getting something Anthology related soon, they said it was cryptically messaged, and most likely we might get a 30th anniversay release of the albums and the new song will finally be the opening track of the third album in 2025, my theory. So that's very likely the reason they were omitted. I was a bit dissapointed that they didn't go with the idea of having the three of the songs together as an EP with the John Lennon demo of 'Now and Then' with the infamous humming sound as a bonus. But all in all I'm excited about the new track, got it preordered and I hope we get a remaster of the Anthology set along with maybe a restoration of the documentary, some clips shown in the trailer for the 'Now and Then' documentary have been cleaned up when you look at it closely.
Perhaps the reason why Free As a Bird and Real Love were excluded and not given updated remixes was because it was already done in 2015 for Beatles 1+. Just speculating, but it would’ve been nice to have them on the Blue album for the sake of completeness.
i'm glad they stuck with the original artwork. i would regard the covers as iconic.
The original Blue album was my first Beatles album. I got it for Christmas 1980 right after John died. I soon after bought the red album and in the following years their entire catalog both as a group and solo. I think the covers with the similar pictures are iconic and I wouldn't change them. I no longer have a turntable but if I did I would get them both on colored vinyl.
The covers are iconic! You can’t change them!! The price for the coloured vinyl is the same price as the black vinyl in Canada. And if you break it down, it’s $35/album. Very fair, in my opinion. I’m excited to get this.. A fresh remix, iconic/retro packaging.. It’s awesome. It makes sense to do this because it chronicles their entire career from Love Me Do to Now and Then. I’m excited about it. I could care less what order the songs are in. Pumped to get it! And the coloured vinyl looks gorgeous!
You've echoed my thoughts exactly. The colored vinyl almost blinded me enough to pick these up but I'm glad I took some more time to think it over.
If you ask me it's just money better spent for a proper album re-release, whatever it ends up being.
Why do you care that its coloured? You know it actually makes it sound worse. Actually anything other than clear is worse. The coloured vinyl craze has to end. It makes idiots of the public. You morons know that they ship the "name the store exclusives" to other independent record stores when that's all they have to fulfill orders? Stop being a slave.
Again I love the design of the red and blue albums.. totally classic.. love the fonts the color and the gatefold.. the eight days a week package is ugly and cheap and bad design
Grew up with both of these CDs (i’m 23). I think they’re absolutely essential given how many of their best songs are not on their studio albums
I like your review, man. Totally agree, especially the absence of Real Love - Free As a Bird songs. Not to mention some true classic deep cuts are missing, but we have You Really Got a Hold On Me!?? Wtf man? Anyway. Cheers, mate.
I have subscribed. Great video, well done!
A child of the70s, the red and blue albums were my first introduction to The Beatles. Only learned of the original UK releases when living in England in college many years later. So the layout and song selections were very iconic for me. Yes the cheesy typeface is dated; the inner sleeve picture always baffled. But still left its mark for a lifetime of enjoyment and rediscovery. Great piece! Thx😊
Exactly.
I totally agree that missing the anthology singles is a mistake!The interest is hearing the early stuff after AI remixing!It will be a taster for the early albums when they get a deluxe edition!I only hope that they get a great stereo mix and fix the blasted edit on She Loves You !
I had both albums in the mid-70s on vinyl. They were both big sellers and introduced Beatles music to a new generation of fans at that time.
Agree about your point that the "Red" album gives you something extra - because of all the new remixes. BUT, whoever compiled the extra tracks for this TOTALLY missed the mark!! "Roll Over Beethoven" & "You Really Got A Hold On Me" - - really??? And it's DISGRACEFUL that no extra tracks were included from "Beatles For Sale".
Dude, you don't change those covers. For a LOT of people "Red" and "Blue" are as real a Beatles album as Peppers or Let It Be, and their first.
I was 10 when my mom got me the red album, and later that summer I saved up enough for the blue. For an introduction to the Beatles it was a great way to end up desiring the rest of the albums.
Same with me. Red first , then Blue. Missed them while they were an active band, I was too young. Lol.
Thank you for all the uploads lately. I love this channel.
Great video Vinyl Geek. I'm with you. I'm 59, a longtime fan, and I have a limited budget so I'm passing on this one. I have Spotify and that's good enough for me for this release. Holding my breath & saving my pennies for a Rubber Soul Box Set. No I don't have any info on that, but like every Beatles fan, I'm hopeful. Keep up the great videos!
What on earth is this guy talking about? The Red & Blue album covers are ICONIC! The two contrasting photos perfectly capture the creative and personal changes the band went through. Simple, effective and clever.
He thinks the new Hollywood Bowl cover looks good 😂
I laughed at that too. As a designer, I cringed! @@KahlessTheUnforgettable
Yeah, this guy has flipped his lid. There is no need to change the Red and Blue albums. And the Hollywood Bowl album cover is fine as is.
@@knockshinnoch1950 Indeed! The new cover looks like a cheap trade paperback! Incidentally, the original Hollywood Bowl cover was chosen by one John Winston Ono Lennon as per RUclips channel Parlogram Auctions. That’s good enough for me!
@@jimmymelendez1836 Absolutely!
I am particularly upset that we STILL do not have the 2nd version of Free As A Bird released in 1+, which is only in video format for some reason
Your idea of the Red and Blue being a gateway for newer fans is a good one, as it was 50 years ago. Re-ordering in chronological, excellent point. The package review, another excellent point. The exclusion of Free as a Bird and Real Love is a crime. I'm getting the box set, black vinyl. And look at the single cover art. What is that about? The Stones new album blows that one away in terms of the artwork. And for all this money we are paying, sorry but the packaging matters.
I’m definitely very excited for these - I love that they’re expanded and include the new track, but mostly I’m super pumped to hear the remixes, especially of the earlier songs. Giles has really done great work with the most recent remixes, particularly Revolver, so these should be great. I can’t stand hard-pan stereo so a lot of the original Beatles stereo mixes are unlistenable to me.
Also Real Love and Free As a Bird we’re probably left out because they’re likely planning Anthology remixes/reissues so it’d make more sense to keep them exclusive to those sets.
I like how they leaned into the old covers. These are iconic sleeves to people who grew up in the '70s and '80s. Even as a kid in the '90s digging through my parent’s collection, I stared at these and enjoyed how much the band’s appearance changed over the decade. In that sense, it’s also a great use of the abandoned Get Back cover. I’m glad they went with these again.
The covers are amazing and that gatefold picture of them with members of the public is a lovely image.
If I do get them, it will be the cd versions as they're much more reasonably priced and the tracks are actually in chronological order.
From what Giles Martin was saying in an interview once they had finished up "Now and Then" they really couldn't tack it onto an album so they realized it was the 50th anniversary of the Red and Blue albums and it just made sense to put it on there. I think the Red Album in particular is going to benefit from the new mixes since most people on streaming sites don't seem to be paying as much attention to the early Beatles music. There's always next year for "Rubber Soul".
Some of those additions are mind boggling. I like them all, but not in the context of a greatest hits album. I Want You, Glass Onion, You Really Got A Hold On Me and Tomorrow Never Knows? But not Rain? Makes no sense. Taxman was a worthy addition, that should have been on it originally, along with If I Needed Someone.
I preordered the bundle in color. The Blue Album was my first Beatles vinyl record in the 90’s. This compilation got me through really challenging times then. Eventually I got in on CD and it was my everyday Beatles play to introduce friends to the band growing up. I think it will be just a beautiful addition to my collection. I’m looking forward to hear the mixes on the red album and take a trip to memory lane with the blue song track.
The covers are perfect. They were simple and identifiable and reflective of the albums they represent. My only complaint is that All Too Much by George is missing and at least Free As A Bird should have been included. Other than that it's a great release.
I'm happy the release is here but there are some odd choices. The track listing on the vinyl, the packaging (where are the beautiful Deluxe packages?), the Now and Then cover, missing Free as a Bird and Real Love. Not even so mad about the pricing. But this release is disappointing compared to what we've been getting since 2017. Makes me wonder how many people must have been involved and why nobody said "no, this should be different".
I would have been heartbroken if they changed the covers. I grew up with those.
Your video really helped me choose the version to be placed in my shopping cart. Thanks! Greetings from Brazil!
My dad had these on cassette tape when I was a kid, that was in the mid-80s. And I would listen to them all the time because of course I did. Then, when my school music class started having into modern music, we started singing, yellow submarine, and I was the only one in my class that knew the words all the way through. And my singing teacher, Link made me the student helper for the part of that class because of that. Just like my dad I grew up with a Beatles some of my favorite songs just because I’m a member of my dad more because of it used to play the birthday song for me on my birthday and now I do that for people like my children and relatively all the time.
I dont have any Beatles on vinyl, but the red and blue albums (ESPECIALLY the former) were my introductions to The Beatles. I listened to the Red album on faamily road trips and on the CD player in my room, over and over. The album cover is my childhood as is it's running order. I think this will be a buy for me.
I'm eager to listen to "Now And Then," but I'm saving for the 75th anniversary Uber Diamond Limited Collector's Edition of the 5th latest remix of Sgt. Peppers. I hope it includes the bonus material of the studio outtake of Ringo sneezing during a take.
And hopefully 5 second$ of carnival of light!
I'm getting the bundled cd set. One thing I hadn't noticed until now was Here Comes The Sun's place on the song list. I think it would be better if it was after I Want You (She's So Heavy), like on Abbey Road. Plus I think it would sound sweet leading into Let It Be, one beautiful, positive Beatles classic going right into another.
You made so many good points. When The Beatles existed , they cared about giving you value for your money by not including already released singles on albums. These reissues seems like a cash grab. Why isn't Free As A Bird or Real Love not included? With digital technology, they could clean up the separation on John's voice. Plus these are compilations. Legacy bands have no right to charge as much as they do for vinyl for tracks everyone already has. $75 for 3 discs is a ripoff. And I highly doubt this is the "last" Beatles song. This is Paul's last ditch effort to release something Beatles related since he can't get everyone on board with Carnival Of Light. At least he got this approved by Ringo, Olivia and Yoko. I also remember in interviews, Paul said that if one disagreed, they would veto it. I know George is gone, but it's on record by an interview with Paul quoting George saying he thought Now and Then is "expletive rubbish".
What I can't come to terms yet is the exclusion of Rain in the red album
You know, if they’re remixing Red/Blue, we could potentially get a remixed Anthology Series down the line. But much like this current release with the Red album likely being the top seller, I have a feeling Anthology 1 would sell best as hearing the old Quarry Men tapes and original Beatle demos/decca auditions at the beginning of the album demixed and remixed would be pretty cool. Of course assuming that they would have the technology to do this and make it sound good.
Kinda surprised on you not loving the original red and blue art I never loved the colored boarders but I always loved the contrast here they are at the beginning and end of the band it's still them in that stairwell but it's a visual representation of their music and style changes just my thoughts
I agree with every single thing you have said here. A very good critique! Keep up the great work. I'm gonna stick with my UK 1st pressings with HTM in the deadwax.
Eric, thank you very much for the great extensive review! Your remarks especially onto the quality of the remixes very really worth-while for me! As I am a long time Beatles fan but never that hardcore one I actually plan to get the full collection since I only have Abbey Road (my forever favourite album) and two old early phase compilations from my parents! However, my humble collection roughly 350 LPs big has a great focus onto Prog and Blues Rock so far, but for my love to the Beatles I will be happy to get these wonderful compilations that truly have ALL my most longed for songs from them. Lucky me 😁
In regards to the tracklisting on the vinyl edition, I think I might solved the mystery with the scrambled ending - it's surely all about they're outstanding amazing "I Want You (She's So Heavy)"! It is the absolute perfect album ending, the best ending any sophisticated rock album can have! They surely chose it to be the one and only song that can close the Beatles anthology because it's the one which marvellously shows their extraordinary experiments and creativity, always surprising the listener and making a huge statement ❤ You know, I thought I should share my discovery which might solves the mystery. In fact, not long ago I told a friend of mine: 'Why didn't they choose I Want You to be the final song on Abbey Road? It would have much bolder and it's kinda unfortunate they didn't dare!" 😂 Finally, apparently now they (at least Paul and Ringo) were courageous enough to do it!
The Red Album was one of my very first Beatles albums. I didn't get the Blue Album because by then, I gradually started to get all or most of their other albums which contained those songs. It got to a point where I began liking many of the B-Sides as much or more than the A-Sides. As a matter of fact, they should have named all their singles Side A-1 and A-2. LOL.
i agree... the 1st thing that struck me was wtf weren't Free as a bird & Real Love given the remix treatment & added to the the collection? after all both songs were 'primitively' mixed from John's demo tapes + new stuff Paul, George, Ringo & Jeff did... giving them the de-mix remix treatment wld definitely breathe new life into them ... totally missed opportunity
Excellent critique, Geek.
I totally agree with you that leaving out Free As A Bird and Real Love from the blue album is a glaring error and an inexplicable omission. It makes no sense to include Now And Then and exclude the other two singles.
As far as the cover art goes, I've always loved it from the first time I saw these albums sitting side by side in my local record stores upon their original release. Whether they're good or not is almost irrelevant because I wanted these albums from the moment I first saw them.
I wouldn't want to radically change the design now although I do think it would have been a good idea to retitle them as simply "The Red Album" and "The Blue Album". That's what everybody calls them anyway but also "1967-1970" is no longer an appropriate title when it includes a new track from 2023!
I wish they would remix Magical Mystery Tour. That one needs a new mix badly.
Amazing video . Thanks for reviewing this set
I totally agree with you, it is not well thought the distribution of songs of these albums, they should have released all of them in their right cronological order, and besides, they didn't include iconic songs such as Helter Skelter for example. Greetings from Chile.
I have to say I love the fact that the newly added tracts are on a separate disc with the vinyl. Why? Because while I had a few minor quibbles with the song selection of the original, I really disagree with the newly added tracks. I mean glass onion but no helter skelter? Really? So I like the fact that I can leave out the new songs. I also love that they went with the color vinyl which I am getting the bundle of.
When I watch the video for Free as a Bird its incredibly muddy. I would love for them to re-visit that and the whole Anthology series with the same technical advancements they used for Get Back.
I was on the fence so I am glad I watched your video. I have an extensive Beatles collection that I have worked hard acquiring so I don’t see these bringing anything new that I NEED to have. Not to mention I have Spotify and Apple Music so I can always listen there.
I did grab the new single though and will be happy with that :)
I have all the Beatles albums so I just make a play list of the tracks on the Red if I want to listen to them that way. But the blue has the new song so I might buy it.
I'm thinking of getting just the Red Album, really want to hear the new 2023 mixes. You know, normally when The Beatles release a new product, I get excited, really look forward to it. With this release, not so much. When they began releasing the Super Deluxe sets, from Pepper to Revolver, I couldn't wait until I had them in my collection. With these albums, I felt a little let down. Okay, so it's the 50th anniversary of these sets, okay, so what? Apple released Revolver out of sequence. So, why couldn't they release Rubber Soul instead? My opinion is, why doesn't Apple basically release all of the group's albums in the Deluxe versions every year or so. Whey they are finished, then go to the other albums, such as, Red & Blue, Past Masters, a remixed Anthology plus a Blue Ray of the TV series? No, instead, they decide to release the Red & Blue albums, in many variations (various colors). But, no Deluxe version. Now, the big question is, will they release Rubber Soul next year? Since it's the big 60th anniversary of the Fab Four coming to America, Apple may want to take advantage of that fact. Maybe, a remixed A Hard Day's Night album + a 4K version of the movie. Then, Beatles For Sale remixed later in the year. Also, what about Please Please Me & With The Beatles? So many questions, not so many answers. Fingers are crossed for a great 2024 release year.
I still have the red and blue albums on vinyl from when I was gifted them as a kid in the late 70s. I don't feel the need to buy a new remastered version of them on vinyl, even with the inclusion of the extra tracks. However as a collector of vinyl and CDs, I may use this new release as an excuse to finally own them on CD also.
I think the original blue double album was just about perfect - the only thing lacking was more tracks from the Rubber Soul / Revolver era on the red album. A double album has just the right running time. A triple becomes a bit of a marathon listening session - a bit like devoting almost an entire evening to listening to Wings Over America……..will I buy them - probably not. I might seek out an original blue album though.
I got the Red Album for Xmas in 1984 on vinyl which was my in-depth intro to the '62'66 Beatles which greatly influenced my interest in '60s music as I was a HS Junior at the time.
This led to me discovering The Who, Rolling Stones, and The Doors at that time. I have this album on CD today. It's a fantastic collection of their early stuff, all the way till "Revolver".
It's doesn't have all of my favorites but it has more than enough music to stoke further interest in acquiring some of, if not all of their actual albums.
Good video! And review of these Albums by the Beatles! Think I am just going to pick up the vinyl single for now! Thanks!
Thanks! I was a little skeptical but then I realized you're talking about the negatives on the vinyl. Yeah I had and loved the individual albums but I did have the red and blue at one point add the expanded red and blue on CD with the remixes I think it's going to be cool for me.
Absolutely agree, no point in throwing now and then in the collection and not adding a new remixed version of free as a bird and real love. Also no point in adding a third vinyl if its not to keep the esence of these collections which is keeping a chronological order of the best hits. Completely agree with the fact that the slipcase looks absolutely tacky… not mentioning the absolute horror that is the cover of now and then single, looking forward to listening the song but the cover is an abolute horror, very suitable for halloween. Thanks for the video
I love the original covers of these albums. I would like to own the CDs versions of these because I don't currently own very much Beatles music, except for a few of the 80s vinyl remasters.
The order was kept because on vinyl you need to fit the songs within 18-22 minute range per side, and relisting would be a nightmare so they kept the original 2LP + The new ones. The CD is easier so the used chronological oder. It's all about space on vinyl.
For me, it’s all about the original vinyl and the brilliance of the original 1973 track listing. Yes, it contained plenty of omissions, but what a perfect introduction to the band and its phenomenal journey. It’s a sequence of tracks that leaves the newcomer wanting much much more, and that’s what it did for me. In fact, it was these two albums that determined this band would have an afterlife post breakup into the 1970s and beyond. This 2023 package should have simply honoured the perfection of these two LPs: oddball gatefold, lyric typos, and everything!
I'll go for the CD versions. It's enough for me
Agree mate and i appreciate you sticking up for the working man! We cant afford any of this
I agree on all of your points. I'm still undecided whether I'm going to get these. Thanks again for another great analysis and video.
These are done more than anything else for them to hold onto the copyright in England where once it hits 50 it goes in the public domain so this is a hold onto the copyright I don’t blame them. It’s just what it is.
Interesting!!! -Nobody has brought that up.
These were my starters when I was a kid, to me this was their version of Hot Rocks and More Hot Rocks by the Stones, but yeah they were fine for a starting point, but they didn’t need a big re issue
I was a record store manager in the 1970's, the Blue was definitely always kept in stock, the most popular with shoppers who only wanted one Beatles album.
We are finally hearing early Beatles with the Giles treatment and that’s what I can’t wait for, to hearing the how the new separation works with ring is early drumming is going to be amazing
I'm only more disappointed that the akready mixed songs didnt get reremixed, aside from the Revolver tracks which're the most recent (maybe the Let It Be tracks too?). The early songs getting the mix treatment is great, especially Love Me Do and She Loves You (both only in mono) to get put into stereo.
Can't wait to listen to the new mixes of the material before Revolver along with the Magical Mystery Tour tracks (especially I Am The Walrus).
I think you hit the nail on the nose and this was an excellent video and critiques for us fans that needs to be heard and said 👍
I agree that 'Real Love' and 'Free As A Bird' should have been included. Were they omitted so we buy The Beatles singles box set? Or are they possibly saving them for an anthology re-issue down the road? Who knows. Definitely a missed step.
With 'Now And Then' being included, shouldn't the red album be renamed '1967-2023'?
I'm very pleased to hear the new stereo mixes for those earlier songs! I know some people won't like it but the hard panning is a difficult listen, especially with headphones. Centered vocals here we come!
My hope is that the stereo tracks will be mixed using the mono mixes as a reference.
Hey Vinyl geek, Great video lots to think about!!! I myself am getting the cd’s and the color vinyl (more on this later). I think the packaging for the red and blue are fine - since the albums are being updated I feel they should have gotten rid of the dates and the inside pic should be a collection of pics throughout the years. I like the border and cover art. That should stay.
As for the Red vinyl. I like all the tracks added But I feel they should have taken the opportunity to include a few more George songs such as Devil in her Heart and im happy just to dance with you and HELLO??? Where are the RINGO SONGS??!!, ok you still have Yellow submarine and octopus garden but what about I want to be your man and maybe Boys???? These should have been included over roll over Beethoven as Paul said in the 90s there was a strong strong fan base for Ringo so they gave him a song on every album where are they?? The. Remixes are exciting however it does raise some questions now that the songs for the red album are remixed will there be less time for those early albums to come out?? When they do come out will they use the 2023 remixes or remix the remixes ( meaning if help comes out in 2025 will they use the 2023 mixes or opt for even better sound?).
Now the blue album once again I like the border and cover art but they should’ve gone and done a collage in the gatefold and instead of going to 70 make it 1966 to 2023 and yes include real love in Free is Bird from the 90s!!!!! Songs they could have put on is Ringos don’t pass me by. Or George’s piggies over glass onion or include heater skelter instead .
As for the single I still feel it should have been part of a ep package with real love and free as a bird along with carnival of light? Maybe, and yess they could have also put on Love me do (I know what they are going for) I just think it’s cheap how they are going about it.
When the last song was announced in July and there was buzz about the anthology being released with remastered and remixed songs of what we already have I wasn’t to keen on the idea but now I kinda wish it was the anthology instead of the red and blue cause the song Now and Then belongs on anthology 3 and looks off on the blue album with out the 2 songs from the 90’ included and with out the date change.
I am getting the colored vinyl because I have never owned the vinyl from 1973 even though it is overpriced as you pointed out. But nobody has to buy any of it.
Sorry this is so long thanks for reading take care
Absolutely agree that Free As A Bird and Real Love should have also been remixed and added to the new Blue album. Also agree on the price points.
Hopefully one day, Giles will come back and remix "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love". They need the remix treatment!. I probably will get the Red & Blue albums on CD.
I know this is only for reviewing vinyl releases, but regarding CDs the only way to get Now And Then in that format is buying the Red Album (there isn't a CD single release for that song). So this compilation is a must buy in that case.
I’m excited for all of these new stereo mixes because my son is 1 year old right now so by the time he’s really ready to dig into The Beatles we will probably have every album remixed properly for stereo and likely a reissue of the anthology series (which the original PBS anthology was my entry into my personal Beatlemania). I’m really enjoying this new concept for The Beatles geared towards relevancy
Quick edit: it was ABC, not PBS.
correction without erasure
We had these double albums on CD growing up. They will always hold a special place in my heart, but they were my brother's so I may just get these.
At first I was like ok cool whatever. But I just blasted all the tracks on a good system, and wow. The only song that isn't any better, is she loves you.which was recorded hot and just will always sound distorted. Every other track tho.....old brown shoe,its Paul's most beatly recorded bass oerformance. Magical mystery tour, the ending piano....it sounds like your in a subway under abbey road it's fantastic.the fool on the hill is amazing. Michelle, girl.....holy crap.just amazing songs and I don't understand how they can separate stuff and give even more space and clarity to each individual track without things getting muddied. Its just amazing. Giles really killed it. This may be his best Beatles work to date.