The Beatles (Stereo Box Set 16CD & DVD) (2009 Digital Remaster)

I've had the Beatles Stereo Box set for nearly a week now, and have listened to all the albums a number of times through and feel compelled to post my feedback to help anyone unsure about taking the £169.99 financial 'plunge'....

In fairness, I have to admit to being a dedicated Beatles fan (for the past 40 years) - so I'm not going to give an unbiased view on the music collected together here in one place...it's a true treasure trove.

However, I do back up the point a number of other reviewers have put forward that, whisper it, some of these remasters don't actually sound that good - they're better than the 1987 releases, without a shadow of a doubt - but let's face it, it would be difficult for them not to sound better after 22 years of CD development!

Now don't misunderstand me, several albums in this Box Set sound substantially better compared to the late 1980's digital releases:

ABBEY ROAD is now a very satisfying, detailed and dynamic listen - this is especially apparent when you hear the musical 'duel' of guitars and drums that make up the album closer 'The End' - in truth, every track on this remaster is far better than the muddy mix on the 1987 CD.

THE BEATLES (White Album) now delivers a fine stereo image with real 'studio depth' and lots of power to vocals, Lead guitars and Bass guitar - beating the 1987 2CD set quite easily.

SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND is now far more balanced as a stereo listen, especially satisfying on Headphones - all the instruments and vocals now sound believable and crisp, with Paul's melodic Bass playing really jumping forward - it makes the 1987 CD version redundant.

RUBBER SOUL and REVOLVER have a number of highlights - as does the PAST MASTERS set.....but the earlier albums, from PLEASE PLEASE ME to HELP! and the final LET IT BE disc are (at times) not really in the same sonic ball-park.

Now, how could I possibly be so critical of the sound on this Box Set? - Well, I've no doubts that the Abbey Road team have done their best - but they have simply squeezed the maximum they can out of 40 to 47 year old Album Master Tapes.

In comparison, over the past 5 years or so we have been treated to the remastered back catalogue of a growing number of equally prominant Artists who have all done justice to their heritage by making every effort to trawl tape vaults and sound archives to find, wherever possible, the First Generation Session Multi-tracks to Remix fresh Album Masters - as a consequence of all this extra effort, the released CD's sound truly 'STUNNING' - sounding like they were recorded yesterday...

In fact this technique isn't anything new to the Beatles' Technical Team either, the very same work was done on the 'Yellow Submarine - Songtrack' Album as well as the 'Let it Be - Naked' release - which is why they both sound superior to their respective 2009 remasters.

As such, I feel an opportunity has been lost to make this release a truly definitive one - perhaps the remix option was stopped by the surviving members of the Group...but it's a shame it didn't happen.

So, is it worth buying this Stereo Box Set? Well, yes it is.....each CD album is held within its own glossy digipack which includes informative liner notes in a booklet stored within...the outer box (with its outer slip-case and magnetic securing clasp) has been beautifully designed and manufactured - as a result, the whole package gives the owner plenty of user appeal...

Is this the best The Beatles' Albums have sounded on CD? Well, at the moment yes.....but if they'd been Remixed from the Original Session Multi-tracks they would have sounded even better!

I've had the luck(through my work) and pleasure to hear some of these remasters. They are absolutely superb. The 1987 cd's were the best they could do at the time. New technology has brought the greatest canon of work in pop music right up to date without losing any of the warmth or colour of the original Albums.
The early LPs in particular benefit from these remasters. If you love The Beatles or just great pop music..these albums are a must.
The packaging is superb as well and we get mini documentaries on each Album. The Beatles music will again delight a new generation.

I had the plessure of hearing a few of the tracks from the White album, and they sent shivers down my spine and made the hair on my arms stand up. This is a long over due remaster of these CD's. Ok I know we have bought them all before some 20 years ago, but unlike the stones who have issued there back catalogue 3 times, as has Bowie and genesis, at least the beatles have waited to re issue the albums so that you will notice a real difference. I Know up to Sgt Pepper the stereo mixes were secondary to the mono mixes but these stereo mixes sound 100% better than the orginal 1987 issues, time has moved on and the care that has been taken is just the best. Even if you only buy your favorite albums again, I am sure when you hear the difference you may buy more.

I have just purchased the Beatles stereo remastered box set. I cherry picked a few of my favourite tracks first of all and began with my all time favourite "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". Superb, sent shivers down my spine, I then went to another favourite "Hey Bulldog" comparing it to the remixed version from Yellow Submarine. Very good but the remixed version from a few years ago sounds better. They hadn't changed a great deal on the remixed version but set the vocals more central and it has more punch.

My immediate thought when I heard that it was to be a remastering and not a remixing project was that this is a missed opportunity especially with the stereo mixes. As we all know many of the "rushed" stereo mixes were quite bizarre, and as the Beatles went to four track recording from "Hard Days Night" many of these could have been improved drastically without taking anything away from how the tracks should sound.

I like listening on my ipod, I have improved head phones as the originals are not good, so next I transferred the whole lot on to my ipod. The albums in general sounded superb with the exception of some tracks on Help and Rubber Soul. They just sound different and as they are the result of 1987 remixes I feel a little bit of eighties technology may have crept in. For example, the vocals on "No Where Man" sound a little thin and it could be they had been treated with some 1980s digital reverb. With this in mind it seems a bit odd that the original sixties stereo mixes of these two albums have been included in the mono box set where in general the people who buy them would be more into mono than stereo. The stereo fans are missing out, and it seems they have been put in the wrong box set. I would like these original mixes so does this mean I have to buy the mono box set or are they available separately. I have tried to shy away from the exploitation argument but there are a few little niggles that have occurred with the project that maybe wouldn't have happened if Neil Aspinal had still been alive.

With regard to the first two albums which were recorded on two track, I think the only way to listen to "Please Please Me" is in mono. Although the hard right and left of the vocals and backing doesn't seem to be a problem even on head phones, the trouble is that plate reverb from the vocals is fed to the instrument channel and is quite heavy and a little disconcerting. This doesn't happen on "With The Beatles" as this album was recorded with the vocals much drier and even on headphones sounds great. Once again can you buy a mono "Please Please Me" on it's own.

Minor gripes aside I feel it's money well spent as most of the tracks sound superb both on speakers and head phones. The Beatles have been an important part of my life since 1963. I was fortunate to see them live on stage 10 times between 1963 and 1966 (the restraining order has now been lifted) and at sixty five still feel passionate about their music, which has stood and continues to stand the test of time.

Paul Griggs 19/9/2009

I have been waiting for these for 6 months now and after getting it in the post from Play (posted on Monday even though not out till Wednesday, well done Play) I have to say they met all my expectations. The sound is unbelievable. The early CD's Please Please me and With the Beatles which was very poor on the old CD's is so clear it is ridiculous, considering the former was recorded 46 years ago on a two 2 track system, its brilliant. The two show stoppers though are Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road. Just listen to Pepper on head phones on a good system and it will blow you away, there are sounds you never heard before, everything is clear and enhanced and it is like you are in the room with them. I wasn't sure if I should buy the box set or just buy them separately which is a good bit cheaper but im glad I bought the set. It really is well packaged and finishes it all off nicely. As for the guy below saying the border on the left was a big mistake, all I can say is you need to get out more. Each CD has a book which has the LP cover as it was without the border, to be honest, I never even noticed the border. If your a Beatles fan, you have to buy them all, with or without the box