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US AND THEM - 1973
- Exceptional CD Reissues and Remasters
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"…Mother Mary Comes To Me…Speaking Words Of Wisdom…"
Commonly known as "The Blue Album” - the 2LP vinyl set "1967 - 1970" became an instant classic when it was first released in April 1973 - as did its "Red" counterpart "1962-1966" (reviewed separately). When they were finally reissued onto the new CD format in 1993 however - they caused consternation because of their extortionate full price - in some cases an eye-watering £30. Then came the 9 September 2009 campaign (commonly referred to as 09/09/09) which saw both the Red and Blue sets reissued in October 2010 as mid-priced Digipak issues with upgraded booklets and audio.
Well here in November 2023 (the 10th to be exact) – we get version three - newly remixed and remastered 50th Anniversary Edition reissues and back to full price - £25 or thereabouts. It also boasts the first new Beatles song in generations - the much-vaulted and I feel overhyped "Then And Now". Harrison added guitar to the John Lennon demo before he died, but only now has technology caught up to allow all four Beatles to be heard as a supposed cohesive song. I can't say I like it or ever will - but others have been in raptures. It ends CD2 in my opinion on a slightly awkward, incongruous and ragged note when what before it is almost perfection. All issues around the world carry the song.
In JAPAN, however, each double has been issued on the Exclusive SHM-CD Format – Super High Materials CDs - a better form of CD with superior sonic retrieval – and it is this that I am thrilling to right now. Here is Hey Jude and the Strawberry Fields Forever sounding better than ever…details…
JAPAN-released 10 November 2023 - "1967-1970" by THE BEATLES on Universal/Apple UICY-16202/3 (Barcode 4988031601730) is a 2 x SHM-CD Exclusive to JAPAN – a 50th Anniversary Expanded Edition with Nine Bonus Tracks that plays out as follows:
CD1 "1966-1970" 50th Anniversary Edition (56:24 minutes):
1. Strawberry Fields Forever
2. Penny Lane
3. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
4. With A Little Help From My Friends
5. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
6. Within You Without You *
7. A Day In The Life
8. All You Need Is Love
9. I Am The Walrus +
10. Hello, Goodbye
11. The Fool On The Hill +
12. Magical Mystery Tour +
13. Lady Madonna
14. Hey Jude +
15. Revolution
NOTES on CD1:
Track 6 (*) is a Bonus Track not on either the 1973 2LP Original or the 2010 Remastered 2CD Reissue
Tracks 9, 11, 12 and 15 (+) have New Stereo Remixes
CD2 "1966-1970" 50th Anniversary Edition (78:18 minutes):
1. Back In the U.S.S.R.
2. Dear Prudence *
3. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
4. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
5. Glass Onion *
6. Blackbird *
7. Hey Bulldog *+
8. Get Back (Single Version)
9. Don't Let Me Down
10. The Ballad Of John And Yoko
11. Old Brown Shoe +
12. Here Comes The Sun
13. Come Together
14. Something
15. Octopus's Garden
16. Oh! Darling *
17. I Want You (She's So Heavy) *
18. Let It Be (Single Version)
19. Across The Universe
20. I Me Mine *
21. The Long And Winding Road *
22. Now And Then *
NOTES on CD2:
Tracks 2, 5, 6, 7, 16, 17, 20, 21 and 22 (*) are Bonus Tracks over both the 1973 Vinyl 2LP Original and the 2010 2CD Reissue
Tracks 7 and 11 are newly remixed Stereo Versions
Tracks 8 and 18 ("Get Back" and "Let It Be") make their Single Version debut on this compilation
1. Back In the U.S.S.R.
2. Dear Prudence *
3. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
4. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
5. Glass Onion *
6. Blackbird *
7. Hey Bulldog *+
8. Get Back (Single Version)
9. Don't Let Me Down
10. The Ballad Of John And Yoko
11. Old Brown Shoe +
12. Here Comes The Sun
13. Come Together
14. Something
15. Octopus's Garden
16. Oh! Darling *
17. I Want You (She's So Heavy) *
18. Let It Be (Single Version)
19. Across The Universe
20. I Me Mine *
21. The Long And Winding Road *
22. Now And Then *
NOTES on CD2:
Tracks 2, 5, 6, 7, 16, 17, 20, 21 and 22 (*) are Bonus Tracks over both the 1973 Vinyl 2LP Original and the 2010 2CD Reissue
Tracks 7 and 11 are newly remixed Stereo Versions
Tracks 8 and 18 ("Get Back" and "Let It Be") make their Single Version debut on this compilation
AUDIO:
The Audio is fabulous throughout (a genuinely astonishing and painstaking job done) - but it requires some explanation too and perhaps history. If you are like me – an old fart who grew up with these astonishing April 1973 double albums in your home for nigh on half a century or more – the first thing to say is that not only are you hit audiowise with improvements that make the hairs stand up – the rejiggered track running order with the woven-in twelve bonus cuts works so damn well - even if many have expressed head-shaking amazement at the inclusion of either "Glass Onion" or "Hey Bulldog" when we could have had "Fixing A Hole" or "I Got A Feeling".
The Audio is fabulous throughout (a genuinely astonishing and painstaking job done) - but it requires some explanation too and perhaps history. If you are like me – an old fart who grew up with these astonishing April 1973 double albums in your home for nigh on half a century or more – the first thing to say is that not only are you hit audiowise with improvements that make the hairs stand up – the rejiggered track running order with the woven-in twelve bonus cuts works so damn well - even if many have expressed head-shaking amazement at the inclusion of either "Glass Onion" or "Hey Bulldog" when we could have had "Fixing A Hole" or "I Got A Feeling".
When the two Abbey Road nuggets "Oh! Darling" and "I Want You…" kick in for instance (newly included) – the effect is magical. Not only are they smart audio choices, but they get to show The Beatles in simplicity and complexity at one and the same time. The final run of four originals on CD2 is mindblowingly good – even if I have serious recoil to "Now And Then" which I think is poor and despite best intentions – feels like something of a marketing sham and personal mistake (but I suspect Paul and Ringo want to honour John, so what would I know, and as I said, others have loved it and been moved to tears).
The "1" compilation of single mixes from 2015 is used - as are the 50th Anniversary Box Set Editions of "Sgt. Peppers" (2017), "The Beatles" (The White Album) (2018), "Abbey Road" (2019) and "Let It Be" (2021). Again, there may be only one bonus on CD1 – but what a winner – the Eastern Mysticism of "Within You Without You" giving George Harrison room to shine and showing how extensive their musical pallet really was for 1967. It is odd to not hear "Dear Prudence" slink out of the end of "Back In The U.S.S.R" as it does on Side 1 of The White Album – here they have separated them - and that small but significant gap feels slightly wrong to me (new ears may of course not notice at all). Also, you just forget how brilliant some of the Non-LP singles were – the lyrical and musical genius of "The Ballad Of John And Yoko" and the B-side that should have been on an LP - "Don't Let Me Down". Pow after Ker-Pow after Biff Bang Wallop!
PACKAGING:
The centre and right flaps picture the photograph on the inner gatefold of the original vinyl double album (St. Pancras Old Church in London, 27 July 1969, The Beatles with the public looking through the railings - it's the same photo on the "Red" album). The separate 28-page Japanese white booklet is almost useless as it's all in Japanese (lyrics, song titles) and offers nothing to look at either (no photos), except text you can't read. The left die-cut flap with an easy to access lip houses a new 36-page booklet (four more pages than the 2010 issue) with 2023 liner notes from JOHN HARRIS (the Red album is the same). The lyrics are intact from the inner sleeves of the original album issue to (in blue, matching the artwork) and there's plenty of superb colour photos from the period - it's impressively done.
The centre and right flaps picture the photograph on the inner gatefold of the original vinyl double album (St. Pancras Old Church in London, 27 July 1969, The Beatles with the public looking through the railings - it's the same photo on the "Red" album). The separate 28-page Japanese white booklet is almost useless as it's all in Japanese (lyrics, song titles) and offers nothing to look at either (no photos), except text you can't read. The left die-cut flap with an easy to access lip houses a new 36-page booklet (four more pages than the 2010 issue) with 2023 liner notes from JOHN HARRIS (the Red album is the same). The lyrics are intact from the inner sleeves of the original album issue to (in blue, matching the artwork) and there's plenty of superb colour photos from the period - it's impressively done.
PLAYING TIMES:
The CD1 and CD2 playing times of 56:24 and 78:18 minutes are impressively bulbous – a huge 12 extra tracks sequenced into the playing narrative with flow-skills. The compilation itself was basically the A-sides of all their UK 7" singles releases between 1967 and 1970 in chronological release date order with a few key album tracks thrown in for good measure. Eagle-eye fans would therefore note that up to and including "Get Back" - ALL Beatles UK 7" singles for that period were issued only in MONO ("The Ballad Of John & Yoko" was their 1st STEREO single in the UK). So the tracks on the album should reflect that they're all STEREO now and I would argue (as on the Red double) that accuracy's loss is the listener's gain, because the STEREO versions used here are awesome.
The CD1 and CD2 playing times of 56:24 and 78:18 minutes are impressively bulbous – a huge 12 extra tracks sequenced into the playing narrative with flow-skills. The compilation itself was basically the A-sides of all their UK 7" singles releases between 1967 and 1970 in chronological release date order with a few key album tracks thrown in for good measure. Eagle-eye fans would therefore note that up to and including "Get Back" - ALL Beatles UK 7" singles for that period were issued only in MONO ("The Ballad Of John & Yoko" was their 1st STEREO single in the UK). So the tracks on the album should reflect that they're all STEREO now and I would argue (as on the Red double) that accuracy's loss is the listener's gain, because the STEREO versions used here are awesome.
CONTENT:
But what impresses most is the actual listen itself. Even now, it's truly shocking to hear just how accomplished The Beatles became during this ludicrously productive period. And diversity of writers crept in too. There are the Harrison gems "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Old Brown Shoe" and the magical "Something" with the addition of "Within You Without You" on CD1 now, while Ringo gets the witty "Octopus's Garden". 45-single 7" perfection comes twice - "Strawberry Fields Forever" b/w "Penny Lane" and arguably the greatest single ever released - "Hey Jude" b/w "Revolution" (melodious Paul on the A-side with rockin' blistering John on the B). Most bands would kill a close relative to get anywhere near this level of genius. A gorgeous addition is the hidden White Album ballad "Blackbird", some rockers will like the angry riffage in "Hey Bulldog" (one of the few salvageable tracks on the "Yellow Submarine") and by the time you get to the ballads at the end of Disc 2 - "The Long And Winding Road" and "Across The Universe" - adjectives begin to fail you. Were The Beatles really this good - the answer is yes - and always will be.
But what impresses most is the actual listen itself. Even now, it's truly shocking to hear just how accomplished The Beatles became during this ludicrously productive period. And diversity of writers crept in too. There are the Harrison gems "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Old Brown Shoe" and the magical "Something" with the addition of "Within You Without You" on CD1 now, while Ringo gets the witty "Octopus's Garden". 45-single 7" perfection comes twice - "Strawberry Fields Forever" b/w "Penny Lane" and arguably the greatest single ever released - "Hey Jude" b/w "Revolution" (melodious Paul on the A-side with rockin' blistering John on the B). Most bands would kill a close relative to get anywhere near this level of genius. A gorgeous addition is the hidden White Album ballad "Blackbird", some rockers will like the angry riffage in "Hey Bulldog" (one of the few salvageable tracks on the "Yellow Submarine") and by the time you get to the ballads at the end of Disc 2 - "The Long And Winding Road" and "Across The Universe" - adjectives begin to fail you. Were The Beatles really this good - the answer is yes - and always will be.
To sum up - the sound on these new Beatles 2023 reissues is fabulous; the packaging better than the 2010 versions and the SHM-CD sound of the Japanese variants adds that smidgen of wallop die-hards will thrill to.
Serious effort was put into this Blue Album 50th Anniversary Edition (the Red double too) and you must say, job done boys. Roll on awards shows…
