The Beatles / 1 expanded with restored videos and remixed audio

Late post (I know), but just wanted to add my disappointment over the Free as a bird video. Since all the old clips looks so great after the fantastic restoration, how come Free as a Bird’s still being presented in 4:3 letterbox aspect?! And restoration of the clip is still not very sharp. Cropping it to fit the TV-screen only makes the resolution worse. How could this pass through the amazingly strict filter at Abbey Road?

Let It Be looked fine to me, I couldn’t spot any tears or rips. There is a lot of hair in the gate, though. Probably what the recording session looked like to Yoko.

Liking a lot of the DVD footage but REALLY disappointed with the graininess of the singles from 1969 and Let It Be compared with the other stuff, and Free As a Bird looks like it has been downloaded from a fan copy of a VHS copy uploaded to youtube. Let It Be has lots of tears / rips on the film – the kind of stuff the promo trailer claimed had been cleaned up and restored frame by frame with the latest technology by leading experts… did they run out of time to fix the 1969 stuff?

This is a very difficult thing to write, but in all honesty I wish I had not bothered. I only bought this for the 5.1 mixes and they are frankly dreadful. I have tried & tried but cannot find anything much to like at all – they are not what I would call a surround mix at all but instead at best they are “Big Stereo”, and I get the definite feeling the mix has been done to the picture in the same way it is for films – avoid anything too much in the rear channel because of “exit sign syndrome” and the result is seriously bad for me.
Whilst I can understand – in a limited fashion – the thinking behind this decision (and was it Giles’ choice, or did he have his hands tied) it is flawed as the films were created to accompany the music yet the surround mix has been done the other way around.

If you are a beatles fan, buy this for the stereo mixes & the restored footage – you will love it. If you are buying this for the surround – don’t.

Ordered CD+2BluRay from Barnes & Noble with 30% off code, just under $36.

It’s going to be an awesome Boxing Day this year watching these Blu-Ray discs! I can’t hardly wait….

Here’s what’s different in the Japanese issue if anybody’s a completist or just wants something different (mine is the CD/2DVD version):

1. CD is SHM-CD.
2. Pack comes with a wrap-around card (not an obi, but you know the thing if you’ve bought DVDs or box sets from Japan) which explains what it is and what it contains in Japanese.
3. The slipcase has some Japanese writing in small letters on the back and has a slightly deeper spine than the actual hardback book, in order to accommodate:
4. An interesting 72 page softback book which has the text in Japanese, followed by all the lyrics in English and Japanese. (No lyrics in the normal book — what? Unthinkable!) Alas and alack, these appear to be standard English lyrics rather than fun Japlish ones.

The book itself seems to be identical to what you get elsewhere — ie it’s all in English with no Japanese at all. However, all the disks state “Made in Japan.”

The setup menu on the disks gives you the subtitles options “English”, “Subtitles Off” and “Japanese” (in Japanese characters). However, I think the subtitles only work on the Ringo & Paul introductions, so there’s no chance of a Japanese singalong. Shame.

Still waiting for mine from Amazon yes Amazon has been out of stock since release day. Amazon is really becoming a waste of time any more!
We should all boycott them a while and maybe they will get their shit together!

I pre ordered this from Amazon on Sept. 15 and have not received it yet. Should have just purchased from BB Friday. Oh, well.

I got my copy of the deluxe 2bluray & cd edition. the sound and picture quality are stunning, the booklet was informative too. Since Universal have held the back catalogue we have some excellent new product by the Beatles

By and large I’m happy with the new stereo mixes. In the main, the changes are faithful to the spirit of the original mixes, and the centring of the vocals is to be welcomed. The memo however clearly didn’t reach Jeff Lynne given his questionable remixing of Free As A Bird and Real Love. Despite the unavoidable physical limitations of tracks built around demo recordings, I’ve always adored both songs. The overall sound may have been slightly homogenous given its a series of overdubs rather than a single performance, but the artistic decisions taken by the Threetles at the time were respectful to the song and the occasional flourishes – the slide guitar, the ukulele ending, the harpsichord opening to Real Love – were well judged. It’s therefore genuinely upsetting to hear what Jeff has done to these remixes. FAAB first. The overall sound is now much muddier. The slide solo is muffled. If anything, Lennon is harder to hear than before. McCartney’s vocal lines come out too far in places and he sounds older than I remember. George’s vocal line represents a different vocal take (‘love we once knew’ v ‘life we once new’) and now sound, well, awkward frankly. The coda no longer works at all. The reverse ‘turned out nice again’ dialogue that magically sounded like ‘made by John Lennon’ is no longer reverse. And no longer magical. The ascending whistling sound is now far too prominent. The ukulele sounds different too. In Real Love, whilst the clearer keyboard intro is interesting, in the way that listening to isolated multitrack sessions are interesting, it effectively means John’s piano has been completely removed. Additional Harrison guitar licks added sound unfinished and unnecessary. I would have welcomed changes that improved overall fidelity (these new mixes don’t) but why start making different artistic judgements 20 years later on tracks on effectively a greatest hits set. Witless tinkering at its worst. Betrays the integrity of the original mix. Achieves nothing.

Most of the Canadian editions have been delayed. Bummer.

There is no bigger Beatles fan (without being a total nerd) than me so why did I just give the CD and 2 Blu Ray disc set that we fans have waited for for years only 4 stars on amazon? Four reasons:

1. The most serious – three songs are missing the opening couple of notes when you select the DTS surround mixes – Ticket to Ride, All You Need is Love and The Ballad of John and Yoko. They play fine with both other audio selections. Doesn’t anyone actually check such a premium product? I mean what is the point of getting Giles Martin to work on it and then screw it up at the authoring stage? Well as with the Lennon vinyl box with two cuts of Sweet Little Sixteen on side one of the Rock ‘n’ Roll LP (Universal are still to make any effort to send me a replacement months after I filled out their official online form) it would seem that Apple has lost interest and control.

2. Because this is based on a compilation CD rather than a project to present existing Beatles video/film elements in their best possible form there are odd non-synch videos in the playlist and for Come Together a new cartoon. I like the cartoon but it’s still a little jarring amongst the other prime vintage material. It’s interesting to note how poor some of the Let it Be footage looks – very grainy when projected in HD onto my 8 foot screen – perhaps this is a major reason Let it Be hasn’t been released on Blu Ray yet. It also shows up the poor contemporary TV pictures. When you get to Paperback Writer it’s like the sun coming out.

3. The menu is frustrating – the songs load quite slowly four at a time on consecutive pages unless you use the pop-up menu where a sensible list of all 27 tracks is presented. You cannot access the pop-up menu, however, unless you have started one of the songs playing from the fragmented menu or “play all” option.

4. And finally my beloved Ringo. I really love this guy – his drumming is great and his solo albums continue to move and entertain with real heart in his lyrics and vocals. His short “introduction” pieces on this Blu Ray are just a near complete throwaway. Little to no effort has been made to get any meaningful interviews out if him. OK he’s more than done his fare share over the years and I’d almost be happy with a non-appearance compared to this. It just seems almost insulting and would have been better left off. I’ve yet to watch the second disc or listen to Macca’s commentaries.

Now back to “1 [Limited Edition] CD+Blu-ray, Deluxe Edition, Box set”.

And relax…….

The price has gone up from £33.99 to £35.99 in the meantime. Not a problem for those who wait it out, but if you’ve cancelled maybe so, although probably a strong argument for a discount in customer services as they are effectively telling you to cancel if you “think” you ordered the blu ray.

Just had a web chat with Amazon who confirmed there is still a Blu Ray deluxe version so looks like someone updated the description by mistake, triggering the email and subsequent confusion.

I’ve suggested they amend it back and sent them a link to this article to show the mayhem it’s caused.

It’s not clear from the Amazon email whether they think I ordered the BluRay by accident instead of the DVD, or I thought I was ordering the BluRay, but actually ordered the DVD edition.

Not long to wait now anyway :-)

Amazon in Germany (and France) have labelled theirs up “1+ Edition Deluxe CD+2Blu-ray” which is reassuring . Germany coming in at around £36 including postage. Maybe amazon uk will sort out, but what a mess up so soon to release date, probably leading to loads of possibly unnecessarily cancelled orders.

I got the same Amazon email this morning. Due to the lack of clarity on their website over what you will receive and the bother of potentially dealing with an unwanted item, I have cancelled my Amazon order and placed an order with Badlands for slightly lower price and free postage.

The thebeatles.com pre-order Amazon link for the BluRay Deluxe edition goes to the same page that I originally ordered from. So might be OK.

Though the thebeatles.com pre-order HMV link for the BluRay Deluxe edition goes to a HMV page with no option to order a BluRay Deluxe edition! So who knows!

I’ve just received an email from Amazon saying my Bluray order had an incorrect description and it’s now a CD version.

I can’t find the Bluray Deluxe on Amazon.

I’ve just received an email from Amazon, saying I might not have ordered the correct one. I’m sure I ordered the BluRay but it looks like the BluRay is no longer available, my order link now points to the DVD!

Hi, I ordered the deluxe edition with blu ray from Amazon. Got an email today to say that the description has changed and it’s not blu ray but DVD. Looked for deluxe with blu ray and says unavailable. Is it available anywhere else?

Thanks Paul I ordered it through your link so I’m sure it’ll be fine.

Anyone know why the cd and 2 Bluray set on Amazon doesn’t mention the blurays now just says the set includes DVDs?

Anyone know if both discs of videos feature 5.1 or is it just the main album tracks on disc one????

Will the videos on this be in 4.3 format or have they been stretched to 16.9?

Thanks for the information, Paul.

Any information, if the vinyl package will be released the same day as the other formats?

With the 5.1 mixes,this will entice many people like myself who have an interest in The Beatles,but don’t consider themselves major fans.The price point makes it very attractive,so it’s pre ordered!

Well it finally came to pass after one very long and winding road :-)

I’ve recently been sorting through back editions of Record Collector to hang on to features and ditch the bulk of the issues for space considerations. Waaay back in March 1995 – still seems recent enough to me, but a frightening 2o years ago now! – Keith Badman annotated a guide to a proposed EMI video compilation from 1987.

The Beatles Greatest Hits video was first mooted in The Beatles Book in September that year and was slated for a Christmas release, making it as far as a test tape. The article reports that much of the footage was in poor condition, and some of it was in B&W at that! With a few exceptions it seems almost all the footage for that intended release has been included here… plus some additional material that was never part of that project, some of which didn’t exist until much later of course (the Anthology videos and the Love track, of course).

I sit somewhere between those who only like The Beatles from their hits and those who’ve devoured every album they did, but I’ve long hoped something like this would happen. It was the reason I purchased the anthology DVDs just to see at least some of these films – although the programmes were very entertaining in themselves – so I for one am very happy with this. Definitely a Christmas present to myself this year :)

Now if only we can get Jean Michel Jarre and Kraftwerk to release DVD promo compilations. They’re about the only acts I can think of from those I’ve followed since my teens who’ve never done such a thing, although Jarre did at least gather up the early ones onto the Images video to accompany the compilation album of the same name. But then neither has released proper 7″ singles compilations either.

I loved the EMI ‘Sight and Sound’ CD/DVD packages – the Blondie and Ultravox (although not badged as such; it seems that branding had just been abandoned by then) sets spring immediately to mind – as it was such an obvious idea, but really gave you a time capsule for that band.

Come to that, it would be nice to see proper, chronological and unsegued promo DVD sets from Talking Heads (also lacking a proper singles set too, of course) and Visage too rather than the existing packages – as amusing as Storytelling Giant is.

Still, one dream at least has finally come to pass…

Grippy: According to CDJapan (so don’t take this as gospel): “The DVD disc is encoded for region 2 (Japan, Europe, and Middle East), and no subtitles are included.” Which answers two of your questions, if you believe it…

I still want to know if these Blu-Ray discs will be multizone and will work regardless of which Amazon site we buy them from?
Anyone?

Those. Not thoughs. :)

Then maybe the book could be bigger next re-release as well. I cannot begin to say how resentful and angry it makes me when credits either on screen or books themselves are so tiny. I won’t even go into how small box sets are so frustrating…and when it comes to pictures being THUMBNAIL sizes in things such as thoughs. Sad.

That’s when the 23 extra music videos should be left out. All I am saying is most should not be on this but on the original studio l.p., per se, eh?

your right also AlexKx they probably should also add USB for those that want this. Since they are covering nearly all bases they might as well go all the way since they did with the 2009 set.

Okay, Michael K, I give up. You’re right. Giles Martin’s stereo mixes are obviously better than George Martin’s mono/stereo mixes. Gotta be, right? He’s got more technology at his fingers. Even though none of us have actually heard yet what Giles Martin means by “remix”. For all we know, he might have done a “Love” on these.

I am delighted to have all those promos in stunning quality, so I can ditch all those old “mono bootleg VHS” (!!!) versions. And the 5.1 versions are making me very excited. But I’d like to have the option of watching them with the original audio, which if you remember we were all gushing lovingly about just a few years ago when the remasters came out. Give me stereo remixes, but also give me the original. Surely that’s not too much to ask?

Mmmmkay. SO I meant a question mark at the end of the second sentence of the second paragraph. Also just to be clear when I said it would be the same price for the customer I meant as the multi-disc set. Just because everything could be on one blu-ray audio disc or USB device does not mean the price would go down. Hell, if anything it could cost more to some degree because it would be the best format (either the blu-ray audio or USB device), right?

having it on Multiple formats is fantastic ! every fan of the beatles still wants cds ! Remember AlexKx a lot of the fans of the beatles are now over 60 so they probably won’t be able to deal with USB’s or Blu-Ray Audio that is why putting it out on so many formats is a win win for the people and a win for the beatles !

Thank goodness it sounds like in that case they will have something to hold back for each individual studio l.p.s that hopefully will get similar treatments. As it is I feel very confident that those bonus features of alternative videos should also have been held back for super deluxe editions of each individual studio l.p. That looks like a big mistake unless there is more of whatever that I and or we do not know about, eh?

With that said I never said that there should not be multiple formats at this time. What is this cockamy thought proccess. It makes infinite more sense to have and or use everything on one Blu-Ray Audio. It would still be the same price for the customer duh. Instead there all of this stuff to deal with. It would seem a USB device could just as well have done in the package as well.

Personally if the 23 bonus alternative videos had to be released on any compilation the red and blue ones would have made more sense unless they were going to come up with a new four c.d. set (or one that expansive in terms of the hit songs).

The audio is remixed…which means if you want to watch the Beatles promos with the original George Martin mixes (and don’t you? really?) you’ll have to mute the sound and sync up a CD somehow. A shame — if this is true it loses a huge amount of credibility. Is it worth sticking around and hoping they release a comprehensive set of promo films later, divorced from the “1” concept — original film, original audio?

Can someone please tell me that the cd audio is remasterd or remixed?

Thank.

What I find interesting is which TV performances has been used. There’s nothing from Ready Steady Go! though there is one performance from ‘Around The Beatles’ which was released on video as a ‘Ready Steady Go!’ special.
Let’s hope for some further releases with all the ‘Ready Steady Go!’ performances released together along with ‘Around The Beatles’.
The later had specially recorded studio songs which The Beatles mimed on the show. A couple of songs were released on the Anthology CD including a cover of Shout. It would be great to hear and see the whole show with decent sound quality.

Amazing over the last 2-3 years there have been so many deluxe, super deluxe editions of some of our fave artists that we grew up with over
a number of years, and there are too many to mention whether it would be
rock, classic rock, blues, jazz, new wave, and with so many formats in which to chose it’s outstanding and i won’t go into all of them, but the
main purpose for us listeners & fans alike is to get the best sound possible
to suit your style of music. I can also understand there are a number of
people & fans, once the new editions are due they certainly go over each new edition with a very keen eye. Bluray audio, mono,stereo, 5.1 bluray 5.1
dvd-a sacd, shmcd, there will always be i guess an argument/debate until the cows come out to pasture, this one sounds better than that format.
It’s great reading too, to read everyone’s different opinion, wouldn’t it
have been great if they added this, oh why was this left out the list goes on
and on, it’s brilliant reading, and no doubt you cannot please everyone and that will never change. One thing we all must do is thank Paul for
his amazing contributions and keeping literally everyone updated thanks Paul!! Now the latest deluxe or super deluxe edition with The Beatles was
that a title of one of their best of’s not quite sure. With so many best of
Beatles albums that have been remastered reissued and box set’s along
comes Number 1. A stunning looking package and the extras are great.
At one stage i was looking at the best of, The Blue & The Red album, those
2 would have done very nicely, and i have a couple of shmcd albums and
they sound amazing and the best part too although they are from Japan
and expensive it’s great stuff with lyrics inclusive,Can’t Buy Me love
this case a big Yes.