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Abbey Road, 50th anniversary

I know, I need this like I need another hole in my head, but...
Ditto.

Having shelled out £100 for multiple CDs of 50th anniversary White Album seemingly only yesterday, it really brings home how quickly Abbey Road followed. And there was the whole Let It Be palaver in between.

Super deluxe again I guess - but I’ll probably wait for the post-Christmas price reduction.

PS - what on earth is Dolby Atmos? I see it is nearly an anagram of Thomas Dolby, but I expect that is irrelevant.
 
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I liked what he/they did with the Sgt. Pepper and White Album anniversary editions, but Abbey Road seems a bit different.

AIUI the original stereo mixes of the older albums were pretty much an afterthought, and the mono mixes were the real focus. As such, the opportunity presented by the 50th anniversary versions to hear a 'proper' stereo mix of those instead of the occasionally weird 'drum kit in one speaker, vocals in the other' way the previous stereo remasters could sound was an especially interesting part of the anniversary editions. More like the reworking was addressing an issue instead of just tarting up existing versions.

But with Abbey Road, hadn't the stereo penny dropped by then, meaning that the original stereo version was the 'proper' version? So the 2009 remasters are a bit more relevant.

I'm sure the new version can still be great, but to me that makes the new version a bit less desirable than was the case with the last two. I'll probably still get it, mind.
 
I like what Giles Martin did with Sgt. Pepper's and The White Album - at least, as far as their stand-alone vinyl releases go - and I'm hoping the vinyl release of Abbey Road will be as good. I'm also keen to hear Abbey Road in 5.1 as The White Album in surround sound works for me - it's certainly a lot better than the surround sound version of Sgt. Pepper's, which was mastered loud, loud, loud.
 
I believe QRP (Quality Record Pressings), is the pressing plant for releases in North America. They are alleged to be of a very good standard. I fancy that version myself.
 
Market for The Beatles is huge, the surviving members probably making more off the catalogue than ever. Ringo Starr has a higher net worth than Robert Plant or Jimmy Page last time I looked. Abbey Road sounds like a very 'modern' record to my ears.
 
I liked what he/they did with the Sgt. Pepper and White Album anniversary editions, but Abbey Road seems a bit different.

AIUI the original stereo mixes of the older albums were pretty much an afterthought, and the mono mixes were the real focus. As such, the opportunity presented by the 50th anniversary versions to hear a 'proper' stereo mix of those instead of the occasionally weird 'drum kit in one speaker, vocals in the other' way the previous stereo remasters could sound was an especially interesting part of the anniversary editions. More like the reworking was addressing an issue instead of just tarting up existing versions.

But with Abbey Road, hadn't the stereo penny dropped by then, meaning that the original stereo version was the 'proper' version? So the 2009 remasters are a bit more relevant.

I'm sure the new version can still be great, but to me that makes the new version a bit less desirable than was the case with the last two. I'll probably still get it, mind.

I really love these new stereo mixes, the clarity is amazing and for me they sound better without doing anything weird. Unless you consider doing a new mix weird :)
I hope they do Revolver next.
 


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