We've got em! The Beatles Box sets are here...

[timm]

So, I gather that if one were to want the two or three premier Beetle's albums that Abbey Road, Sgt Peppers, and The White Album might be a good bet. But, which incarnation of each of these sounds the best?

Or should one just opt for the "Past Masters?"

So far, I think the Mono set is quite a disappointment...

And reading the reviews on Amazon indicates the Stereo Box is even worse -- with the old-style "Ping-Pong" effects passing for Stereo sound.

Surely there must be better sets out there by now...

Len - I think many of us have the originals - probably in vinyl as well as the CDs issued in 87. I think many comparisons are done to what is now out there. The remasters - were just that - a clean up of the original master tapes - not a re-mix. so, yes - you will get the circa 1960's stereo types of imaging. There are those that will argue that this is how it should be because this was the original intent of what the artist apparently wanted. That being said, they sound great. I have never heard the mono set- and have never heard mono sound good. Now, I have never heard mono on a great system - so maybe there is something there... but I have yet to hear it on any recording.

The only CDs I purchased were Revolver - forward...because even though I thought the older music would sound better than it has in the past, I didn't figure they could get it up to what I consider my current spec'of what I consider 'good'. I also didn't think I would sit around and play the older stuff.... (i.e. prior to the 1966 Revolver album - that is almost funny)

As far as 'the best' sounding - I would opt for Abbey Road or The White Album. You do get some vocals in right/left types of things - but the recordings also lend themselves to a more central imaging as well.

 

[timm]

Here you go!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

According to Billboard.com, THE BEATLES catalog of albums - including those titles not part of its new reissue series - sold a combined 626,000 units in the US last week according to SoundScan. In the week previous (week ending Sept. 6), the band's collective albums sold just 21,000.

Up through the week ending Sept. 6, the Beatles' catalog had sold 635,000 in the U.S. this year, thus, with this week's haul of 626,000, that brings the Beatles' 2009 sum to 1,261,000. In the whole of 2008, the band sold 1,393,000 albums in the US.

Since SoundScan began tracking music sales in 1991, the Beatles have never sold less than 1 million albums in a year. The group's best year came in 2000, when the release of its hits package 1 helped the band sell a total of 7,289,000 in the US.

The biggest seller of the reissue series last week was 1969's Abbey Road, which moved 89,000 copies and debuts at No. 3 on the Top Comprehensive Albums chart. Abbey also starts at No. 1 on the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart. It does not appear on the Billboard 200.

All of the Beatles' individual album reissues are eligible to chart on both the Top Comprehensive Albums chart and Top Pop Catalog Albums chart. The former houses all albums, regardless of their age, while the latter is for those 18 months or older. The Billboard 200 tally includes only current and new releases.

So, the band's two new boxed sets Beatles in Stereo and Beatles in Mono will chart on the Billboard 200, while the individual album reissues of the Beatles' catalog will chart on the Top Comprehensive Albums and Top Pop Catalog Albums charts.

While Abbey Road was the best-seller of the Beatles' reissues last week, the rest of the series did quite well. In order of the best-sellers following Abbey, we have: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (74,000), The White Album (60,000), Rubber Soul (58,000), Revolver (46,000), Help! (39,000), Let It Be (32,000), Past Masters Vols. I and II (31,000), Magical Mystery Tour (30,000), A Hard Day's Night (29,000), The Beatles in Stereo (26,000), Please Please Me (23,000), With the Beatles (22,000), Beatles For Sale (21,000), Yellow Submarine (14,000) and The Beatles in Mono (12,000).

The Stereo and Mono boxed sets will debut at Nos. 15 and 40, respectively, on the Billboard 200. On the Comprehensive Albums chart, Abbey will be joined in the top 10 by four other Beatles sets: Pepper's (No. 5), White Album (No. 7), Rubber (No. and Revolver (No. 10).

On the Top Pop Catalog chart, the Beatles will own nine out of the top 10 slots, with only MICHAEL JACKSON's Number Ones (No. 6 with 45,000) the lone non-Fab Four title.

Thanks for the figures Jeff -- way cool. How great would it be if other artists / companies saw this success and decided to do the same with other catalogues... I'm assuming 600K units in a week is considered worth the cost of re-mastering??

 

[MiTT]

Thanks for the figures Jeff -- way cool. How great would it be if other artists / companies saw this success and decided to do the same with other catalogues... I'm assuming 600K units in a week is considered worth the cost of re-mastering??

It would be interesting to see the sales figures for the SACD remasters of the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Genesis catalogs that had come out over the past few years. Every now and again I run across an SACD of the Stones or Dylan just sitting in the racks at a store - even saw one a Best Buy a few weeks ago. I'm certain that the general public isn't even aware of what they are looking at.

 

[tonepub]

So, I gather that if one were to want the two or three premier Beetle's albums that Abbey Road, Sgt Peppers, and The White Album might be a good bet. But, which incarnation of each of these sounds the best?

Or should one just opt for the "Past Masters?"

So far, I think the Mono set is quite a disappointment...

And reading the reviews on Amazon indicates the Stereo Box is even worse -- with the old-style "Ping-Pong" effects passing for Stereo sound.

Surely there must be better sets out there by now...

If you think these are dissapointing, there's no hope. We've compared em to the 1st edition, low stamper UK, German and Japanese pressings and they are within a hair. There's no better sounding Beatles to be had unless you are about to pony up $500 to a $1000 each for mint, low number UK originals, if you can even find them.

 

[timm]

It would be interesting to see the sales figures for the SACD remasters of the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Genesis catalogs that had come out over the past few years. Every now and again I run across an SACD of the Stones or Dylan just sitting in the racks at a store - even saw one a Best Buy a few weeks ago. I'm certain that the general public isn't even aware of what they are looking at.

Only issue I had with the stones releases - is that they didn't do their entire catalog in SACD did they? It was so confusing/non-descript - SACD wasn't even on the jackets anywhere. I like the Stones - but would only purchase something circa Sticky Fingers forward, I think. They pretty much went up to Hot Rocks/Beggars Banquet right around there?

 

[MiTT]

Only issue I had with the stones releases - is that they didn't do their entire catalog in SACD did they? It was so confusing/non-descript - SACD wasn't even on the jackets anywhere. I like the Stones - but would only purchase something circa Sticky Fingers forward, I think. They pretty much went up to Hot Rocks/Beggars Banquet right around there?

You're right I think. I'm not familiar with their entire catalog, but according to the ABCO website they remastered the following 22 titles on SACD:

Mono Tracks Only
England's Newest Hitmakers
Out of Our Heads
Out of Our Heads - UK Version

Mono and Stereo Tracks
12x5
The Rolling Stones Now
December's Children
Big Hits (High Tide and Green Grass)
Flowers
Through the Past, Darkly (Big Hits Vol. 2)
Hot Rocks
More Hot Rocks
The Rolling Stones Singles Collection - The London Years

Stereo Tracks Only
Aftermath
Aftermath - UK Version
Got Live If You Want It!
Between the Buttons
Between the Buttons - UK Version
Their Satanic Majesties Request
Beggars Banquet
Let It Bleed
Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out
Metamorphosis

 

[Mantana]

Just got my mono set. Haven't had a chance to break it open yet. Expecting my stereo set tomorrow. It's going to be fun comparing the two.

Hi Rich...

how do you like the monos ??

have you compared to the stereo set yet ??

 

[tonepub]

Ive got some doubles of the stones and dylan SACD's...
PM me if interested.

 

[Len44]

Len - I think many of us have the originals - probably in vinyl as well as the CDs issued in 87. I think many comparisons are done to what is now out there. The remasters - were just that - a clean up of the original master tapes - not a re-mix. so, yes - you will get the circa 1960's stereo types of imaging. There are those that will argue that this is how it should be because this was the original intent of what the artist apparently wanted. That being said, they sound great. I have never heard the mono set- and have never heard mono sound good. Now, I have never heard mono on a great system - so maybe there is something there... but I have yet to hear it on any recording.

The only CDs I purchased were Revolver - forward...because even though I thought the older music would sound better than it has in the past, I didn't figure they could get it up to what I consider my current spec'of what I consider 'good'. I also didn't think I would sit around and play the older stuff.... (i.e. prior to the 1966 Revolver album - that is almost funny)

As far as 'the best' sounding - I would opt for Abbey Road or The White Album. You do get some vocals in right/left types of things - but the recordings also lend themselves to a more central imaging as well.

Thanks much for a great response. It helps put things in perspective for me.

Maybe...just maybe -- the stereo box set is what would be more fulfilling...

 

[Stefan]

I have listened a bit to both now.
A couple of times I started to listen to the stereo mixes but after a while I switched to the monos. To be honest, the stereo mixes are more like some sort of two channel split mono, if you get what I mean.
The monos just sound more like the real thing, but, that's me.

 

[Rich]

Hi Rich...

how do you like the monos ??

have you compared to the stereo set yet ??

Honestly, I haven't had any time to listen. I am out of town right now, and soon after I get back I will be heading out to Denver for RMAF. Hopefully, I will get a chance to listen to them somewhere in there.

 

[CCH]

I opened a mono set but haven't had much time yet to listen. Am I right in thinking that the whole "numbered set" business is something of a scam, or am I not looking in the right place? If it is a scam (or, at best, a misrepresentation), who is responsible? Is this something EMI did to create interest, or did a piece of misinformation simply get repeated across a wide range of sources (including printed catalogs)? Numbered or not, I still would have bought it, but I am curious about the gap between the hype and the reality.

 

[Cherian]

Yes, it was originally marketed by EMI as numbered sets. I did get an e-mail from my vendor that the MONO set would not be numbered and that I could cancel my order if I wanted.

I think EMI saw the $$$ and decided to mass produce the mono CDs.

 

[CCH]

I feel a class-action lawsuit coming!

 

[tonepub]

Ugh.

Buy em and enjoy em! Who cares about numbered editions...
They're CD's not lithographs. number one will sound exactly the same as number 10,000.

 

[Cherian]

Agreed!!! I have listened to these CDs 2 times through.

Ugh.

Buy em and enjoy em! Who cares about numbered editions...
They're CD's not lithographs. number one will sound exactly the same as number 10,000.

 

[Diamonds]

I got my box sets and they are awesome! Who gives a rats a$$ if they are numbered or not. I prefer the MONO to the Stereo.

 

[kcl]

I got my box sets and they are awesome! Who gives a rats a$$ if they are numbered or not. I prefer the MONO to the Stereo.

Could you tell us why? TIA

 

[CCH]

Ugh.

Buy em and enjoy em! Who cares about numbered editions...
They're CD's not lithographs. number one will sound exactly the same as number 10,000.

To be fair, I said that I would have bought them anyway. The only thing that affected my buying the set (in this case, sooner rather than later) was the prospect of it being sold in limited quantity. I also bought the stereo set, about which there were no such claims. Still, I have seen the reaction on other websites from people who are angry about being misled by EMI. I bought the set to listen to, not to collect, so the numbering/limited edition issue doesn't affect me, but I can understand that some people are unhappy about its (seemingly deliberate) misrepresentation. A lot of folks collect Beatles stuff (yes, just as people collect lithographs), and I would suppose many of them rushed to buy the set thinking they were getting something scarce. We can congratulate ourselves on not being in their number (whether +/- 10,000), but I get why they're upset. The bit about the lawsuit was meant as a joke, but, unfortunately, it is not farfetched in this day and age.

 

[tonepub]

From what I can tell, from some industry sources, no one at EMI thought that even 10,000 mono box sets would sell and I think they were very surprised that they've done as well as they have.