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November 24, 2006 - 6:33am
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BGLeduc
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Joined: Sep 1 2005 - 9:46am
The Beatles "Love"

This is an absolutley brilliant set! And its a "must have" for anyone with even a passing interest in the Beatles.

OK...their mash-ups. But some of the tracks do not seem to be futzed with much at all, other than to make 5.1 mixes out of them.

And the sonics are incredible. If this is a hint at what might be to come in terms of Apple remastering the Beatles catalog, all I can say is "Bring It On!".

Just to trot out one of my favorite cliches, you will hear things in this music that you never heard before. And that's a pretty neat trick given that many of us have been listening to these songs for 40+ years.

This disc is my new 5.1 demo disc. For me, there is so much to rave about that it is a bit overwhelming. But, a few tracks that are still buzzing around in my brain:

Revolution - I have never heard it presented before with this much visceral impact
WMGGW - George's voice is spooky it is so clear
Mr. Kite/I want you (she's so heavy)/Helter Skelter - Pure genius
Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows - More freakin' genius

In all honesty, I really feel bad for those that are 5.1 deprived. And if you can not let yourself enjoy this disc for what it is, well, I again, nothing much that anyone can say, but this is a brilliant repackaging of this music.

As I said, the fidelity is very, very good, but I note that the tracks for Abbey Road seem to be a cut above the rest. Obviously they were done at the end of the Beatles run, but man, what I would give to have Abbey Road, in its entirety, done in DVD-A 5.1.

And the sonics on the CD are also outstanding.

What I find interesting is that over at Steve Hoffman Forums, which does not lack for Beatles purists, the response seems to be 100 to 1 in favor of this set. A few just can not seem to allow themselves to enjoy it for what it is, but the vast majority of members are giving this set two (or more) thumbs up. Words like "stunning", "goosebump inducing", "awe inspiring", and "incredible", keep coming up in review after review.

Kal, if you are out there, this one is a natural for a future "Music in the Round" column, and JA, given your obvious affection for the Beatles, I would think this set should also get a place in your collection. If you thought "Let It Be...Naked" sounded good, prepare to be astonished.

Brian

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November 27, 2006 - 11:36pm
bwright
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Joined: Aug 2 2006 - 8:54pm
Re: The Beatles "Love"

Thanks for the great review. I talked with an audiophile buddy who just heard the DVD-A as well, and said the sound quality was incredible. He added that this was the best Beatles music he had ever heard, analog or digital. Hard to believe, I know, but I just logged my purchase on Amazon regardless.

And to the powers that be, I'll add my voice: please deliver the entire frickin' catalog in a similar manner. We're waiting. Patiently.

As an aside, I saw "The Yellow Submarine" in a movie theater in Yokohama when I was seven. Indeed, the years are showing, but the music and film made a tremendous impact. I still confound my local music dealer with a taste that runs from psychedelic to metal to classical to acoustic to world, thanks to this early influence. To me, the Beatles made the entire spectrum of music accessible - from symphonies to sitar.

To the uninitiated, check out the first & original YS soundtrack - George Martin composed the score.

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