White Album 50th anniversary release

walrus

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Got it yesterday, I've been playing it. Wow! The remix of the original album sounds stupendous, and the "cleaned up" version of the "Kinfauns" recordings is really significantly better than the old bootleg I have. This bootleg is The Beatles at George's house, back from India, playing White Album songs and more on acoustic guitars.

And although I had heard some of the studio outtakes before, there are many cuts I have never heard - there are 3 CD's worth! All of which show The Beatles working together, joking around, etc. - a bit contrary to the idea the were unhappy with each other at all times during these sessions. These outtakes really show the songs developing, etc. - there's a 12 minute early version of "Helter Skelter"!

One of the highlights is an early version of "Goodnight" with Paul and John harmonizing with Ringo, with an electric guitar riff similar to "Dear Prudence". Actually, there are lots of "highlights", this is really a very cool set of recordings.

Pretty intense packaging, too - large high quality (and heavy!) book with lot of information about The Beatles activities at the time, details of each song, each outtake, etc. Photos galore, copies of handwritten lyrics, etc. Includes the full size poster and 4 portraits that came in the original album back in 1968. Inserts in the book to store the CD's and Blue-ray, although I'm taking them out and putting them in CD cases.

Not cheap ($138 on amazon), but if you are a Beatles freak like me, well worth it.

walrus
 

fronobulax

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Not cheap ($138 on amazon), but if you are a Beatles freak like me, well worth it.

walrus

The Beatles are overrated.


No wait. Scratch that. Wrong forum.


:)

Seriously, thanks for the rundown. Sometimes a collection of everything an artist ever did dredges up a lot of stuff of no real value except to the obsessive and it sounds like that is NOT the case here. Acoustic versions sound especially intriguing.
 

chazmo

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Boy, that sounds awesome, Walrus. Are they releasing it on vinyl? I ask because my son has been collecting (and listening to) vinyl lately... Sounds like it'd make a great gift.
 

walrus

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The Beatles are overrated.


No wait. Scratch that. Wrong forum.


:)

Seriously, thanks for the rundown. Sometimes a collection of everything an artist ever did dredges up a lot of stuff of no real value except to the obsessive and it sounds like that is NOT the case here. Acoustic versions sound especially intriguing.

If that's what you want the version with only three CD's is MUCH cheaper! The White Album and the acoustic demos only:

https://www.amazon.com/Beatles-Whit...pID=41DtenIdyoL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=srch

walrus
 

tommym

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I grew up hating the Beatles, as it was the thing to do with the crowd I was hanging around with in my youth. But as I've matured (grown old) I have a much much better appreciation of what the Beatles accomplished.

Tommy
 

tommym

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Boy, that sounds awesome, Walrus. Are they releasing it on vinyl? I ask because my son has been collecting (and listening to) vinyl lately... Sounds like it'd make a great gift.

Are there any modern day vinyl turn-tables that one could recommend? My old vacuum tube Grundig (in disrepair) is still sitting at the back of my friend's storage unit, for about 35 years now?

Tommy
 

jeffcoop

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Thanks for the report, walrus. I pre-ordered the vinyl; it should be waiting for me at my office on Monday. I hope to get the full collection at some point, but that will have to wait for a present from someone I think. Too many other expenses these days.

I know they've been doing 50th anniversary releases this year and last, but I really hope that at some point they go back and remix Revolver (if it's possible to do so, but if they could do Pepper they should be able to do Revolver). The stereo mix there is rudimentary at best. It's such a fantastic album, but the stereo mix sounds extremely dated.

Next year is the 50th anniversary of Abbey Road, and so I imagine that's next, but that album's stereo mix actually received George Martin's full attention (there was no mono release), so the principal focus there would be on outtakes, etc. And as far as I know there's nothing in existence akin to the Escher tapes, which are what make this White Album release so fascinating
 

Quantum Strummer

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I grabbed the iTunes version, 'cuz I'm travelling right now, and have been listening to various bits & pieces over the past couple evenings. The remixes and Esher demos sound great. The full basic take of Revolution is a fun listen, with Lennon's vocal craziness and what sounds like some vocal improv by McCartney near the end. Macca does a killer Elvis impersonation during a riff on (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care. The alternate take/arrangement of Good Night with L&M doing vocal harmonies is cool too. The full Can You Take Me Back improv… Lotsa good stuff here.

-Dave-
 

Antney

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I love acoustic outtakes and stripped down acoustic versions of songs. I think these recordings show the creative foundations that the studio versions are built upon.

I’ve been trying for quite some time to put a group of musicians together in my area to get together once a week and simply play acoustic versions of Beatles songs. I get plenty of interest in CL but when it comes time to actually show up the commitment fizzles.
 

chazmo

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I received the anniversary edition 4xLP set on vinyl for my son. Just so everyone knows, the album "art" is a white background with the 4 pictures of the Beatles members. The back cover has two sections of text listing the songs: "The Beatles" and "Esher Demos". The title of this collection seems to be "The BEATLES and ESHER DEMOS," which is written on the side. I wasn't 100% sure I got the right thing, but this is definitely it. Oh, and it's copyrighted 2018.
 

Zelja

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Very cool options here. The Beatles, although not my favourite band, hold a very special place in my youthful memories (from the 70s) & the White Album was also revered cause it seemed so "out of the box", even 10 years later.

Grew up on The Beatles cartoons too of course...
 
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