"The Beatles In MONO" by THE BEATLES (September 2009 EMI/Apple 11CD Box Set with UK MONO Mini LP Repro Artwork Including All Original Inserts and Abbey Road Remasters - Both "Help!" and "Rubber Soul" CDs also include the STEREO Mixes) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"…Is There Anyone Wants To Hear My Story…" 

In truth - when the Beatles 15-strong album catalogue finally went on worldwide sale in properly remastered form on the 9th of September 2009 - the Stereo box set not only looked flimsy and naff - it containing little inside to aesthetically please once opened. Inside a matt black and red lanky card wrapper - you got the 15 piddly gatefold sleeves of the albums (as per the individual releases - no repro artwork) and a booklet. For the money it always felt to me like a presentation let down. But the smaller hard-card MONO variant was an all-together different beast - not just sonically - but especially visually. Here are the one-channel details...

Released 9 September on Apple 5099969945120 - "The Beatles In MONO" by THE BEATLES contains the following 11 CDs (one is a double):

1. "Please Please Me"

March 1963 UK Debut LP on Parlophone PMC 1202 (33:19 minutes):

1. I Saw Her Standing There [Side 1]

2. Misery

3. Anna (Go To Him)

4. Chains

5. Boys

6. Ask Me Why

7. Please Please Me

8. Love Me Do [Side 2]

9. P.S. I Love You

10. Baby It’s You

11. Do You Want To Know A Secret

12. A Taste Of Honey

13. There's A Place

14. Twist & Shout

2. "With The Beatles"

November 1963 UK LP on Parlophone PMC 1206 (33:55 minutes):

1. It Won't Be Long [Side 1]

2. All I've Got To Do

3. All My Loving

4. Don't Bother Me

5. Little Child

6. Till There Was You

7. Please Mister Postman

8. Roll Over Beethoven [Side 2]

9. Hold Me Tight

10. You Really Got A Hold On Me

11. I Wanna Be Your Man

12. Devil In Her Heart

13. Not A Second Time

14. Money

3. "A Hard Day's Night"

July 1964 UK LP on Parlophone PMC 1230 (31:01 minutes)

1. A Hard Day's Night [Side 1]

2. I Should Have Known Better

3. If I Fell

4. I'm Happy Just To Dance With You

5. And I Love Her

6. Tell Me Why

7. Can't Buy Me Love

8. Any Time At All [Side 2]

9. I'll Cry Instead

10. Things We Said Today

11. When I Get Home

12. You Can't Do That

13. I'll Be Back

4. "Beatles For Sale"

December 1964 UK LP on Parlophone PMC 1240 (35:09 minutes):

1. No Reply [Side 1]

2. I'm A Loser

3. Baby's In Black

4. Rock And Roll Music

5. I'll Follow The Sun

6. Mr. Moonlight

7. Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey

8. Eight Days A Week [Side 2]

9. Words Of Love

10. Honey Don't

11. Every Little Thing

12. I Don't Want To Spoil The Party

13. What You're Doing

14. Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby

5. "Help!"

August 1965 UK LP on Parlophone PMC 1255 (also includes the Stereo Mix originally on Parlophone PCS 3071) (69:14 minutes):

1. Help! [Side 1]

2. The Night Before

3. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away

4. I Need You

5. Another Girl

6. You're Going To Lose That Girl

7. Ticket To Ride

8. Act Naturally [Side 2]

9. It's Only Love

10. You Like Me Too Much

11. Tell Me What You See

12. I've Just Seen A Face

13. Yesterday

14. Dizzy Miss Lizzy

Tracks 15 to 28 are the 1965 STEREO MIX of 1 to 14

6. "Rubber Soul"

December 1965 UK LP on Parlophone PMC 1267 (also includes the STEREO mix originally on Parlophone PCS 3075) (72:50 minutes):

1. Drive My Car [Side 1]

2. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)

3. You Won't See Me

4. Nowhere Man

5. Think For Yourself

6. The Word

7. Michelle

8. What Goes On [Side 2]

9. Girl

10. I'm Looking Through You

11. In My Life

12. Wait

13. If I Needed Someone

14. Run For Your Life

Tracks 15 to 28 are the 1965 STEREO MIX of 1 to 14

7. "Revolver"

August 1966 UK LP on Parlophone PMC 7009 (35:33 minute):

1. Taxman [Side 1]

2. Eleanor Rigby

3. I'm Only Sleeping

4. Love You To

5. Here, There And Everywhere

6. Yellow Submarine

7. She Said, She Said

8. Good Day Sunshine [Side 2]

9. And Your Bird Can Sing

10. For No One

11. Dr. Robert

12. I Want To Tell You

13. Got To Get You Into My Life

14. Tomorrow Never Knows

8. "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band"

June 1967 UK LP on Parlophone PMC 7027 (39:50 minutes):

1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band [Side 1]

2. With A Little Help From My Friends

3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

4. Getting Better

5. Fixing A Hole

6. She's Leaving Home

7. Being The Benefit Of Mr. Kite

8. Within You, Without You [Side 2]

9. When I'm Sixty-Four

10. Lovely Rita

11. Good Morning, Good Morning

12. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)

13. A Day In The Life

9. "Magical Mystery Tour"

First released as a 10-track album ONLY in the USA in November 1967 on Capitol MAL 2835. It was a Mono and Stereo Double 7" EP in the UK released in December 1967 with only 6 tracks. "Magical Mystery Tour" finally made it onto a 10-track album in November 1976 in the UK (37:07 minutes)

1. Magical Mystery Tour [Side 1]

2. The Fool On The Hill

3. Flying

4. Blue Jay Way

5. Your Mother Should Know

6. I Am The Walrus

7. Hello Goodbye [Side 2]

8. Strawberry Fields Forever

9. Penny Lane

10. Baby You're A Rich Man

10. "The Beatles" [aka "The White Album" because of the plain white LP sleeve] 

November 1968 Double-Album on Apple PMC 7067-8 

(Disc 1: 46:20 minutes - Disc 2: 46:37 minutes):

1. Back In The U.S.S.R. [Side 1]

2. Dear Prudence

3. Glass Onion

4. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

5. Wild Honey Pie

6. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill

7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps

8. Happiness Is A Warm Gun

9. Martha My Dear [Side 2]

10. I'm So Tired

11. Blackbird

12. Piggies

13. Rocky Racoon

14. Don't Pass Me By

15. Why Don't We Do It In The Road?

16. I Will

17. Julia

1. Birthday [Side 3]

2. Yer Blues

3. Mother Nature's Son

4. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey

5. Sexy Sadie

6. Helter Skelter

7. Long, Long, Long

8. Revolution 1 [Side 4]

9. Honey Pie

10. Savoy Truffle

11. Cry Baby Cry

12. Revolution 9

13. Good Night

What's missing? Although issued in MONO in the UK - only 4 tracks from the "Yellow Submarine" album are included (see 9, 10, 11 and 12 on Disc 2 of "Mono Masters" listed below) because the other mixes were essentially a 'fold-down' of the Stereo version (not true mono in other words). Both "Abbey Road" and "Let It Be" were only ever issued in STEREO - hence their exclusion. 

Fans will also notice that the "Help!" and "Rubber Soul" CDs listed above also feature (as bonuses) the 1965 George Martin STEREO MIX of those albums - mixed presumably from Mono sources. The "Mono Masters" double CD compilation mops up the British 7" single and EP sides and any other stragglers - and is laid out as follows...

11. "Mono Masters"

Disc 1: 42:39 minutes (black and yellow Parlophone label on the CD)

1. Love Me Do (Original Single Version)

2. From Me To You

3. Thank You Girl

4. She Loves You

5. I'll Get You

6. I Want To Hold Your Hand

7. This Boy

8. Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand (German sung "I Want To Hold Your Hand")

9. She Liebt Dich (German sung "She Loves You")

10. Long Tall Sally

11. I Call Your Name

12. Slow Down

13. Matchbox

14. I Feel Fine

15. She's A Woman

16. Bad Boy

17. Yes It Is

18. I'm Down

Disc 2: 56:26 minutes (Apple label on the CD):

1. Day Tripper

2. We Can Work It Out

3. Paperback Writer

4. Rain

5. Lady Madonna

6. The Inner Light

7. Hey Jude

8. Revolution

9. Only A Northern Song

10. All Together Now

11. Hey Bulldog

12. It's All Too Much

13. Get Back [with BILLY PRESTON]

14. Don't Let Me Down [with BILLY PRESTON]

15. Across The Universe

16. You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)

Some rumours have said that the box is a limited edition of 10,000 - but EMI has never confirmed this - and in 2025 (updated review) - it's still available to buy and for a lot less than its original cost (if you get my drift). The visuals are the bomb. Beautiful card repro sleeves contained within ape the British original vinyl albums with tasty details like inner EMITEX bags, black and yellow Parlophone Records labels, flip-back laminate sleeves and the full 'white album' compliment of fold-out lyric poster and the four gorgeous photos. A tasty attention to detail sees "Please Please Me" reflect its very first 'Black and Gold' Parlophone Label design before it was replaced with the more common 'Black And Yellow' labels. That Gold Label design for both Mono and especially the STEREO variant of English "Please Please Me" LPs is worth a lot of money because they were on sale only a short time and the band hadn't broken yet. 

Little things impress. The way the flip-backs on the rear then go from gloss to matt like the original Parlophone LPs did is superb attention paid. Continuing with 'meticulous' - they even aped the black inners of The White Album, its top-loading sleeve (rather than from the side like all the others) with its Mono and Stereo catalogue number references on the spine, its fold-out lyric poster and those four iconic colour photos of the matured Fabs. But not surprisingly I suppose - The White Album repro doesn't do the numbered sleeves on the front like the original Apple Records double of 1968 - too difficult to reproduce I guess.

The info/photo crammed 44-page booklet explains how The Beatles recorded in MONO and why (it was their preferred tipple) - and for fact-nerds like me - it's 44-pages of scholarship is a seriously sweet read. The sturdy hard card white box was done in Japan so the attention to detail is magnificent (even if I think the title page on the rear is a faff I could do without). The sound quality is a typically 'oh my giddy aunt' experience. GUY MASSEY, PAUL HICKS and SEAN MAGEE - Grammy nominees for their beautiful and sensitive handing of such a precious catalogue - carried out the remasters at Abbey Road from original master tapes - and what a job they've done...

Right from the opening bars of "I Saw Here Standing There" - the raw power and central channelling of the MONO mix slams in the solar plexus. It's like hearing these overly familiar gems anew. It continues that way to a point where "Taxman" on Revolver and "Getting Better" on "Sgt. Peppers" are almost different animals to their Stereo counterparts. But I would say that I've been taking in "Sgt. Peppers" in STEREO for the whole of my life and I prefer it - STEREO for "Peppers' is a far better and more expansive listen for me. "Within You Without You" has some punch in MONO for sure, but the STEREO LP is HUGE and that's what I want to hear whether the Mono variant is rare or not. Others may disagree, but for most of us - the PCS mix is always going to be the dogs.  

In fact, to my ears - of the later albums - it's "Revolver" and especially "The Beatles" double that benefit the most. The White Album always had a 'weedy' weak-assed mix in Stereo - here "Back In The U.S.S.R" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" come at you with unbelievable power. Particular favourites of mine are the delicate and lovely melodies of "Mother Nature's Son" and "Blackbird" and the sheer balls-to-the-wall menace of "Revolution" (released as a single around the album). Not to be outdone by the later years - the three-part harmony vocals on those gorgeous B-sides "This Boy" and "Yes It Is" are so direct too and the jangly guitar on "Ticket To Ride" sounds so clear. "Yesterday" and " Norwegian Wood" are startling in MONO too. And what a tune the "Let It Be" album outtake "Don't Let Me Down" is (B-side or not). 

The "Magical Mystery Tour" album (which was initially only issued in the States) is such a better listen than the British 2 x EP set it was based on - arguably an equal in terms of sheer song quality to both Peppers and Revolver. The Booklet is intact, complete with cast details and silly Psych-moment Walrus photos. And (look closely) - in there is Avant Gard singer IVOR CUTLER as Buster Bloodvessel (is that where the Bad Manners lead singer took his name from?). "Magical Mystery Tour" was (fun fact) first issued as an actual LP in Britain as late as November 1976 and then only as a STEREO issue. The original American album was issued 1967 in MONO and STEREO - we're getting the MONO variant here. 

Fans will know that in December 1969 EMI put out the British LP "Nothing's Gonna Change Our World" with an exclusive Beatles song of the same name on it - five months ahead of its "Across The Universe" incarnation debut on the "Let It Be" LP in May 1970. That Charity LP (made to benefit The World Wildlife Fund) was only ever issued in STEREO. But on the day the Stereo version was done at Abbey Road, there was also a mixed MONO variant done with the bird sounds also included at the beginning and the end of the song - unlike the Phil Spector version on the May 1970 "Let It Be" LP which layered string arrangements onto the ballad (something Lennon said he detested). The point is that without saying so anywhere on the outside of the Box - this MONO Mix of "Nothing's Gonna Change My World" is exclusive to "The Beatles In Mono". 

Throw in the four from the "Yellow Submarine" LP - which you almost never hear in Mono - and the 2CD set "Mono Masters" becomes very interesting listening indeed. Unfortunately, it ends on the rubbish B-side that is "You Know My Name (Look Up My Number)". But for many fans - that 2CD Bonus Set "Mono Masters" is the bee's knees - a fabulous play you won't get anywhere else (it has never been sold separately). 

"The Beatles in Mono" (like The Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan period equivalents) is a wonderful reissue then - beautifully presented. And in 2014 it was followed by the sensational VINYL LP equivalent of "The Beatles In Mono" that's been rightly heaped with praise. What a band and what a great way to celebrate their enduring legacy...

“1967 – 1970” by THE BEATLES. A Review Of The 2010 2CD Reissue Of 1973’s Iconic “Blue” Album.

"…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"). When they were finally reissued onto the new CD format in 1993 however, they caused consternation because of their extortionate full price.

So is this newly remastered 2010 mid-priced 2CD reissue on EMI/Apple 5099990674723 any better - the answer is an emphatic 'yes'.

PACKAGING:
The first thing you notice is that the clunky double jewel-case of the 1993 reissue has been dumped for a three-way foldout card sleeve. 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). It also houses the two CDs - CD1 has the full Apple label (14 tracks, 51:15 minutes) and the 2nd CD has the half Apple logo (14 tracks, 48:43 minutes). The vinyl set is yet to come, the Digital Download versions are available from 25 Oct 2010 and there's also an issue that lumps both the Blue & Red reissues together as one package in late November.

The left flap houses a new 32-page booklet. The lyrics are intact from the inner sleeves of the original album issue, there's new liner notes by BILL FLANAGAN the MTV Executive and author of "Evening's Empire" (a book on Rock in the Sixties) and there's plenty of superb colour photos from the period - it's impressively done. Downsides - some complained that the 09/09/09 card digipak sleeves for The Beatles reissues were easy to smudge once out of the shrinkwrap and worse - the inner flaps easy to tear as you removed the disc. I'm afraid these are the same. I suppose I would have been naïve of us to think that EMI would actually listen to the complaints of 2009 about packaging, but they haven't - the need for these issues to look the same as the preceding ones has overridden all considerations... Having said that, I still think they look great - substantial even...

PLAYING TIMES:
Unlike the "Red" issue which could easily have fitted onto 1CD (and even included bonus tracks), as you can see from the playing times provided above, it would not have been possible with this set. Anyway - EMI would of course argue that a single CD issue of this most `iconic' of double albums would fundamentally alter the aesthetic of the original release. At least this time, this 2CD reissue is at mid price, so we're not being charged for the privilege of separation.

TRACK CHOICES:
The compilation itself is 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 - the MONO single mixes. But EMI did nothing of the sort. They're all in STEREO (there's 4 MONO on the "Red" set) and i would argue that accuracy's loss is the listener's gain, because the STEREO versions used here are awesome.

SOUND:
Although the compilation is copyrighted to 2010 (released Monday 18 Oct 2010 in the UK and 19 Oct 2010 in the USA), the liner notes don't try to hide that these are the 2009 remasters by the same team who did the much-praised Beatles catalogue of 09/09/09. The sound quality is fantastic - breathtaking clarity on instruments - the piano and guitars on "Lady Madonna", the jet screeching in at the opening of "Back In The U.S.S.R", the brass on "All You Need Is Love", Billy Preston's superb keyboard work on "Let It Be", the wonderfully loose live feel of "Don't Let Me Down" (best B-side ever?) - and so on.

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's the 3 Harrison gems "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Old Brown Shoe" and the magical "Something" while Ringo gets the witty "Octopus' Garden". Leaving the rest as Lennon-McCartney originals. And what an embarrassment of riches they are...

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 with rockin' blistering John on the B). Most bands would kill a close relative to get anywhere near this level of genius. 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 reissues is fabulous; the packaging better than the 1993 versions and each is being sold at mid-price - available in most places for less than the price of a single new album. You can't help but think that millions of people globally will take one look at these beauties on a shelf somewhere and slap them straight into their shopping baskets. And rightly so...

I've loved re-hearing these classic Beatles songs in this beautiful sound quality - I really have - and despite some minor packaging quibbles - the 2010 version of the "Blue" album is wholeheartedly recommended.

See also my review for the "Red" album

"1962 – 1966" by THE BEATLES - April 1973 'Red Album' 2LP Set on Apple Records - Companion to "1967 - 1970" 2LP 'Blue' Album on Apple (October 2010 UK EMI/Apple 2CD Reissue in Gatefold Panel Card Sleeves Using 2009 STEREO Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

 <iframe sandbox="allow-popups allow-scripts allow-modals allow-forms allow-same-origin" style="width:120px;height:240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" src="//ws-eu.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=GB&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=mabasreofcdbl-21&language=en_GB&marketplace=amazon&region=GB&placement=B003YNFYCO&asins=B003YNFYCO&linkId=f9fdf050231e2c3c2e0ba9106073226f&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true"></iframe>

 

Commonly known as the "Red" and "Blue" albums - the 2LP vinyl sets "1962 - 1966" (Apple PCSP 717) and "1967-1970" (Apple PCSP 718) by THE BEATLES became instant classics when they were first released in April 1973 on both sides of the pond. Balls to the wall with chart hits, number ones and moments of undeniable album genius – both double-albums have been beloved by the globe ever since. Based on the A&B of singles worldwide, both doubles also finally gave an 'album' placing to many fantastic Non-LP tracks like "We Can Work It Out" and the unbelieveibly good "Don't Let Me Down".

 

And now in October 2010 - finally free of those cumbersome 1993 double jewel-cases and an extortionate full price tag – we get the pair of them again. But this time the "Red" and "Blue" 2CD sets are in natty looking three-way Foldout Card Digipaks, pitched at a much more reasonable 'mid-price' - and most important of all – come resplendent with the fabulous remasters the full catalogue received in 2009 (see photos). 1st Prize rosettes for both! Here are the details for all our Yesterdays on the Long and Winding Abbey Road…

 

Disc 1 of "1962-1966" (31:02 minutes):

1. Please Please Me

2. She Loves You

3. All My Loving

4. Love Me Do

5. From Me To You

6. I Want To Hold Your Hand

7. Can't Buy Me Love

8. A Hard Day's Night [Side 2]

9. Eight Days A Week

10. Ticket To Ride

11. And I Love Her

12. I Feel Fine

13. Yesterday

 

Disc 2 of "1962-1966" (31:45 minutes):

1. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away [Side 3]

2. Day Tripper

3. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)

4. Help!

5. We Can Work It Out

6. Drive My Car

7. Nowhere Man [Side 4]

8. In My Life

9. Paperback Writer

10. Yellow Submarine

11. Michelle

12. Girl

13. Eleanor Rigby

2CD set released Oct 2010 on EMI/Apple 5099990675225

 

Disc 1 of "1966-1967" (51:15 minutes):

1. Strawberry Fields Forever

2. Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band

3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

4. All You Need Is Love

5. Penny Lane

6. With A Little Help From My Friends

7. A Day In The Life

8. I Am The Walrus [Side 2]

9. The Fool On The Hill

10. Lady Madonna

11. Revolution

12. Hello Goodbye

13. Magical Mystery Tour

14. Hey Jude

 

 

 

Disc 2 of "1966-1970" (48:43 minutes):

1. Back In the U.S.S.R. [Side 3]

2. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

3. Don't Let Me Down

4. Old Brown Shoe

5. While My Guitar Gently Weeps

6. Get Back

7. The Ballad Of John And Yoko

8. Here Comes The Sun [Side 4]

9. Something

10. Let It Be

11. The Long And Winding Road

12. Come Together

13. Octopus's Garden

14. Across The Universe

2CD set released October 2010 on EMI/Apple 5099990674723

 

The left flap in each set houses a new 32-page booklet. The lyrics are intact from the red and blue inner sleeves of the original album issues, the photo of the Beatles at St. Pancras Old Church in London looking out through the railings at the public (taken 27 July 1969) is there in the centre flaps, there's new liner notes by BILL FLANAGAN the MTV Executive and author of "Evening's Empire" (a book on Rock in the Sixties) and there's plenty of superb colour photos from the period - it's impressively done.

 

It doesn't take a particular genius to work out from the playing times provided above (especially on the "Red" album) that the first set could easily have fitted onto 1CD and even included bonus tracks. But EMI would of course argue that this would fundamentally alter the aesthetic of the original 1973 double-vinyl release. At least this time – with the reissue being mid price - we're not being charged for the privilege.

 

The compilations are basically the A-sides of all their UK 7" singles releases between 1962 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 as ALL Beatles UK 7" singles for that period were issued only in MONO, so the tracks on the album should reflect that - the MONO single mixes. But EMI did nothing of the sort. In fact the original 1973 albums stated only STEREO on the labels and only the STEREO code was reflected in their catalogue numbers too. At least this time this new 2010 issue notes that Tracks 1 to 4 on Disc 1 are in MONO, while all other are in STEREO ("Love Me Do" is the album mix and not the single version). Bottom line - I would argue that accuracy's loss is the listener's gain because the STEREO versions used here are awesome.

 

The sound quality is fantastic - breathtaking clarity on instruments - George Harrison's sitar on "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" - the string quartet on "Eleanor Rigby" and so on. But what impresses most is the actual listen itself. Even now it's truly shocking to hear just how accomplished The Beatles were. Re-listening to each disc in straight order is a gobsmacking experience – from the mop-tops of "Love Me Do" and "She Loves You" to the accomplished polish of “Ticket To Ride", “Michelle” and "Yesterday" (the song that single-handled shut all the begrudgers up) – it's all so incredibly sweet a listen. "We Can Work It Out" and "Day Tripper" were a single for God's sake - not on any English album at the time of release. "Paperback Writer", "Girl", the harmonizing on "Nowhere Man" - track after track of brilliance. Were The Beatles really this good and so early on? The answer is yes - and always will be.

 

In fact the second volume ("Blue") more than the first shows the rapidity with which they had matured as songwriters and innovators of recording techniques. The piano and guitars on "Lady Madonna", the jet screeching in at the opening of "Back In The U.S.S.R", the brass on "All You Need Is Love", Billy Preston's superb keyboard work on "Let It Be", the wonderfully loose live feel of "Don't Let Me Down" (best B-side ever?)

 

There's the truly beautiful and evocative "Across The Universe", Ringo's "With A Little Help From My Friends", Harrison's 'Abbey Road' double-whammy of "Here Comes The Sun" and "Something" while the epic 'Sgt. Peppers' finisher "A Day In The Life" still astounds. And I haven't even touched on the flute loveliness of McCartney's "The Fool On The Hill" or the monster guitar on Lennon's "Revolution"…

 

To sum up - the sound on these new reissues is fabulous - the packaging better than the 1993 versions and each is being sold at mid-price - available in most places for less than the price of a single new album. You can't help but think that millions of people globally will take one look at these beauties on a shelf somewhere and slap them straight into their shopping baskets. The world’s most collectable and revered band - and on the evidence presented here in these one-two double sucker punches - rightly so...