More Beatles to collect.

[Andy]

To be clear, most of my irritation at yet another reissue from the Beatles is that the pricing for 50-year-old recordings remains resolutely high. I *love* most of the Beatles' output and, thanks to my sister playing their records throughout my youth, know 99% of the lyrics by heart!

[bassline (Mike)]

I may well buy the "Yesterday"... and Tomorrow CD

Now most of those albums may have been butchered
Jules

  Butchered......Yesterday and Today.......Butchered.....oh nevermind...

[Jules Gray]

  Butchered......Yesterday and Today.......Butchered.....oh nevermind...

It was a semi-conscious word choice.

Jules

[Mr Cat (Lewis)]

Only $127 from Amazon.ca, which is tempting, especially compared to the 145 quid from Amazon UK

[David (terrrrrrrr)]

All these different "takes" and versions, those with changes from the recordings we know, we love, and grew up with, are things that THE BEATLES themselves, in their day, would not have issued. I remember clearly reading Macca in NME or whatever, saying that The Beatles wouldn't issue a single on any of their LPs, or list a single from from one either. They regarded it as a cheat on their fans. They were always so strict on what was released. For instance, why hasn't Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl been re-issued, or the video recordings of At The Budokan and Live At Shea Stadium been officially released through Apple. Even the film Let It Be is only available (I think) on bootleg.

I'd like the legacy to remain as good as it was. I don't approve of the remix Love cd (even though I do have the occasional listen), and I don't like The Anthologies even though I do have to admit to buying...

Let it be...

[Jules Gray]

All these different "takes" and versions, those with changes from the recordings we know, we love, and grew up with, are things that THE BEATLES themselves, in their day, would not have issued. I remember clearly reading Macca in NME or whatever, saying that The Beatles wouldn't issue a single on any of their LPs, that they regarded it as a cheat on their fans. They were always so strict on what was released. For instance, why hasn't Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl been re-issued, or the video recordings of At The Budokan and Live At Shea Stadium been officially released through Apple. Even the film Let It Be is only available (I think) on bootleg.

I'd like the legacy to remain as good as it was. I don't approve of the remix Love cd (even though I do have the occasional listen), and I don't like The Anthologies even though I do have to admit to buying...

Let it be...

I take your point, but I take the other side - I like to hear as much documentation of the greatest pop group of all time as possible.  Even the slightest variation can provide insight that is gold to my ears.

Jules

[David (terrrrrrrr)]

On BBC Breakfast programme, it has been acknowledged that this latest "release" is simply to ensure that these remain copyrighted for a bit longer. As someone has already poimnted out, there will be no surprise if the "release" is shortly withdrawn.

[David (terrrrrrrr)]

All these different "takes" and versions, those with changes from the recordings we know, we love, and grew up with, are things that THE BEATLES themselves, in their day, would not have issued. I remember clearly reading Macca in NME or whatever, saying that The Beatles wouldn't issue a single on any of their LPs, that they regarded it as a cheat on their fans. They were always so strict on what was released. For instance, why hasn't Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl been re-issued, or the video recordings of At The Budokan and Live At Shea Stadium been officially released through Apple. Even the film Let It Be is only available (I think) on bootleg.

I'd like the legacy to remain as good as it was. I don't approve of the remix Love cd (even though I do have the occasional listen), and I don't like The Anthologies even though I do have to admit to buying...

Let it be...

I take your point, but I take the other side - I like to hear as much documentation of the greatest pop group of all time as possible.  Even the slightest variation can provide insight that is gold to my ears.

Jules

I'm drawn on this one. Part of me says that this and many others like them, are a cynical exercise in scraping even more money from the barrel. I hate the idea of being taken as a mug. However, the mug that I am has till gone out and bought the same LPs, Tapes, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays to give me the best quality available.  

Still cant ever get away from the point made earlier about preserving the quality of the catalogue.

[Jules Gray]

Still cant ever get away from the point made earlier about preserving the quality of the catalogue.

I think that the reputation of the core canonical works are set in stone.  I wouldn't worry over-much on that score.

Jules

[GubGub (Al)]

On BBC Breakfast programme, it has been acknowledged that this latest "release" is simply to ensure that these remain copyrighted for a bit longer. As someone has already poimnted out, there will be no surprise if the "release" is shortly withdrawn.

These hadn't appeared on ITunes before I came to work this morning. What's the betting that they appear for a short period during the day and I miss em. I can't access ITunes from here.

I do actually think that this strategy defeats Apple's own object. To make them briefly available will just mean that high quality CD boots of the downloads will quickly appear and the files will become available from illicit download and torrent sites, thus depriving Apple of any income they may think they are going to maximise down the line.

[Jules Gray]

These hadn't appeared on ITunes before I came to work this morning. What's the betting that they appear for a short period during the day and I miss em. I can't access ITunes from here.

I do actually think that this strategy defeats Apple's own object. To make them briefly available will just mean that high quality CD boots of the downloads will quickly appear and the files will become available from illicit download and torrent sites, thus depriving Apple of any income they may think they are going to maximise down the line.

I'm bound to miss 'em too.

But I don't think that they're too worried about the bootlegs and the torrenting, so much as retaining legal ownership for the future.  A few boots and illegal downloads will be small fry in the scheme of things, no?

Jules

[GubGub (Al)]

These hadn't appeared on ITunes before I came to work this morning. What's the betting that they appear for a short period during the day and I miss em. I can't access ITunes from here.

I do actually think that this strategy defeats Apple's own object. To make them briefly available will just mean that high quality CD boots of the downloads will quickly appear and the files will become available from illicit download and torrent sites, thus depriving Apple of any income they may think they are going to maximise down the line.

I'm bound to miss 'em too.

But I don't think that they're too worried about the bootlegs and the torrenting, so much as retaining legal ownership for the future.  A few boots and illegal downloads will be small fry in the scheme of things, no?

Jules

I'm not so sure. The sales for On The Air have not been enormous. If an official CD release of the material that is allegedly appearing today cannot offer anything in sound quality terms better than the boots of the material that have preceded it and the material is freely available on the internet to those that know how, that diminishing market is further diminished, the very thing that the record industry keeps complaining about. Only in this case they will have directly provided the material to the bootleggers themselves. Apple will have shot themselves in the foot.

[ThomA]

there is some concern that the 2009 remasters are being used for these reissues so the quirks of the original US vinyl releases will be lost which seems a bit pointless.

I thought that was just for the mixes that don't differ, no?

Jules

Nope -they're using the 'standard' UK mixes for all tracks on the new US editions. Rather missing the point, methinks.

And the Bootleg Box thing has been deliberately pulled from sale. They were up for ten minutes. And now they're gone again.

[Jules Gray]

Nope -they're using the 'standard' UK mixes for all tracks on the new US editions. Rather missing the point, methinks.

Really?  Well in that case, they just lost a sale.  

And the Bootleg Box thing has been deliberately pulled from sale. They were up for ten minutes. And now they're gone again.

Blimey!  Which 10 minutes?  

Jules

[Jules Gray]

BBC news seems to think these tracks will be back up later:
 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25413838
 
"Some fans have said the songs appeared on iTunes briefly earlier, but the BBC understands they will reappear later on Tuesday and remain indefinitely."

Jules

[Jules Gray]

Nope -they're using the 'standard' UK mixes for all tracks on the new US editions. Rather missing the point, methinks.

This from the press release:-

"Great care was taken to preserve the specific mixes and edits that make these U.S. albums unique, the company said. “These tracks, originally sent to the U.S. by George Martin, have been remastered from the original 1960s U.S. master analog tapes. They have been combined with the U.K. approved masters to reproduce the same sequence, order, and levels as presented on the U.S. Beatles albums. The original U.S. albums were used as models and set the overall direction for the process.”

That rather suggests that the different mixes will be present and correct, in amongst the identical mixes from the 2009 remasters.

Jules

[GubGub (Al)]

there is some concern that the 2009 remasters are being used for these reissues so the quirks of the original US vinyl releases will be lost which seems a bit pointless.

I thought that was just for the mixes that don't differ, no?

Jules

And the Bootleg Box thing has been deliberately pulled from sale. They were up for ten minutes. And now they're gone again.

What a surprise. The thought as occured to me many times over the years that Apple are idiots. They continue to own the hottest property in music but have no idea how to market it with any imagination. It still amazes me that when the 1 album came out, Apple did not think to put out a DVD of promo films for all the singles. Seems a no brainer to me but they have never done it.

[GubGub (Al)]

Apoplexy breaking out on the Steve Hoffman forum.

Allegedly it all appeared briefly on UK ITunes at midnight. I was on UK ITunes at midnight just after I got back from the Waterboys gig. I never saw any sign of it.

Meanwhile, it appeared in Australia & New Zealand for a longer period, despite it being an EU copyright that they are allegedly trying to protect and has now, as predicted, turned up on torrent sites.

Suggestions that it will reappear today that nobody believes. CBS in the US are reporting that there will be a new Anthology set in 2014.

This has been a "Universal" cock up.

[Jules Gray]

This has been a "Universal" cock up.

Unless it was intended as such.

Jules

[GubGub (Al)]

This has been a "Universal" cock up.

Unless it was intended as such.

Jules

Indeed.

In other news, the US albums are now listed individually on Amazon, totally overpriced at £14.99 each and with completely the wron track listings in several cases.