Paul is not dead. He is most definitely brought back to life on the new stereo remasters of the Beatles albums. I listened to Help! and Sgt. Pepper's and here's my first impressions...
OK. These sound REALLY good--a hell of a lot better than the tinny 1987 CD releases.
Both albums boast a vastly increased dynamic range--the stereo is so good and clear that it actually sounds like the Beatles have dropped into your living room for a quick gig and a cuppa, with Paul's "very clean" grandfather sitting on the couch.
Sir Paul's bass is pushed to the forefront on "Help!" where you can finally hear the complex lines that inspired the likes of Chris Squire and Geddy Lee. Other little details, like the sound of fingers moving and clacking the strings during "Yesterday" or Ringo's bongo fury during "Tell Me What You See" provide considerable pleasure and surprise--these things were completely inaudible on the old CDs.
The new mastering reveals Pepper in all its sonic glory. Tiny acoustic details come to the fore, but not at the expense of the overall sonic experience. From the cocktail chatter of the opening to the highly serious arrangement of "She's Leaving Home" and the circus whimsy of "Mr. Kite". The tabla player is in the room with you during "Within You Without You."
The music-hall turn "When I'm Sixty-Four" has a slight aural "varnish" to it--another effect that was not distinguishable on the old CD version. It really sounds like an old recording from the war years slipped into the middle of all the psychedelia. And "Lovely Rita" with its gorgeous opening vocal melody, erratic trombone woofs and clanking drums seems to leap right out of the speakers and onto the Meter Maid's couch.
Throughout the disc. the Beatles' voices sound further back in the four-track mix, giving the illusion of depth and breadth. Compared to Help!, the effect is that of a larger canvas, which is precisely what they were trying to do. "Good Morning Good Morning" (complete with barnyard sound effects) is no longer shrill and annoying as it was on the 1987 master. As for "A Day in the Life", the Lennon-McCartney masterpiece is overwhelming, from its giant orchestral wash-over chords to Ringo's slowed-down drums. Simply magnificent.
Each CD comes in an attractive DigiPack with cleaned-up artwork and reproductions of the original booklet. I decided against the big box set, but these remasters are essentally the same thing as the Beatles Stereo Box.
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