The Beatles Anniversary 6CD:Blu-ray
The White Album Collection
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Deluxe EditionThe Deluxe 3CD set is presented in an embossed digipak with the fold-out poster and portrait photos, plus a 24-page booklet. | Double VinylThis 2LP ‘White Album’ release includes Martin’s new stereo album mix, sourced directly from the original four-track and eight-track session tapes. | Deluxe Edition 4LP VinylPresented in a lift-top box with a four-page booklet, the limited edition Deluxe 4LP vinyl set presents the 2LP album in a faithful, embossed reproduction of its original gatefold sleeve with the fold-out poster and portrait photos, paired with the 2LP Esher Demos in an embossed gatefold sleeve. | Super Deluxe EditionThe comprehensive, individually numbered 7-disc collection features: CDs 1 & 2: 2018 stereo album mix CD3: Esher Demos CDs 4, 5 & 6: Sessions – 50 additional recordings, most previously unreleased, from ‘White Album’ studio sessions; all newly mixed from the four-track and eight-track session tapes, sequenced in order of their recording start dates. Blu-ray: – 2018 album mix in high resolution PCM stereo – 2018 DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 album mix – 2018 Dolby True HD 5.1 album mix – 2018 direct transfer of the album’s original mono mix |
The White Album
This is the first time The BEATLES (‘White Album’) has been remixed and presented with additional demos and session recordings. To create the new stereo and 5.1 surround audio mixes for ‘The White Album,’ Martin and Okell worked with an expert team of engineers and audio restoration specialists at Abbey Road Studios in London. All the new ‘White Album’ releases include Martin’s new stereo album mix, sourced directly from the original four-track and eight-track session tapes. Martin’s new mix is guided by the album’s original stereo mix produced by his father, George Martin.
| Dimensions: | 32 x 26.39 x 3.3 cm; 2.12 Kilograms |
| Model: | 602567571C |
| Manufacture: | UMC |
| Origin: | Germany |
A brilliant insight into the recording of this album. Not for the casual listener though.
You know what this is, you know why you’re here.
If you like the Beatles, and the White Album, it’s amazing.
If you’re a major fan of this work, it’s worth it at any price.
And the remastering is way better than the sterile 2009 versions.
My husband loves this collection. A must have for all Beatle fans. A bit pricey, but worth the money.
All good, no problems and really happy with everything received
I had to have this new edition, and while I enjoy it, I do not think it is worth $180. The BlueRay disc sounds great, but I have to go into my home theatre room to use it. Thought there might be some video on the BlueRay, but it just shows the track listing.
The Esher Demos are very interesting to listen to, and I’m glad to have them. I have not listened to all the sessions yet, maybe after I do, I’ll change my mind about the price. I gave it 5 stars, because it is still The Beatles.
The Beatles’ music is the best in the world, and it is fascinating to hear some things that have not been available before officially, even though I do not like the idea of a remix.
Buy this.
Now.
Really enjoying this whole music/words experience. (But, then, this makes the 7th time I’ve bought a version of this album, since 1968)
Getting into it really takes me back where I came from.
great editing. The outtakes are enlightening. Agree with Gilles, it’s hard to see a band breaking up. And little influence of John’s partner, aside from a 1-2 numbers
Another stellar job by Giles Martin in remixing and mastering The Beatles. His father would be very proud!
This is a GREAT Box Set ! Well worth the money.
Subjectivement, je trouve ce “nettoyage” sonore bien convenir cet album, contrario du mix 2017 de Sgt Pepper qui se permettait un peu trop de modification vis vis du chef d’oeuvre.
Enfin pour se rassurer aprs avoir dbours un bras pour ce pack, je recommande chaudement le blu-ray. La piste PCM 2.0 24/96 est magnifique. dynamique, claire. Cela sonne limite “moderne” et plus vivant que jamais. Bluffant.
La piste DTS-HD 5.1 est particulirement “juste” et heureusement aucunement dmonstrative. De bonne ides de la part de Giles Martin tout au long de l’album, mais toujours “clever”et respectueuses.
Mention spciale …. Revolution 9 ! Je me suis enfin trouv apprcier ce morceau qui ft pourtant mix en une prise en 68 sur un dlire de Lennon -story officielle de Feu Geoff Emerick lire-. Auparavant “plat, mdiocre et sans saveur”, l’ambiance est tout en relief, est donc superbement restitu en 5.1. Le morceau prends ici tout sont sens et on en profite littralement.
Bref beau boulot, et honnte quoi qu’en disent les mauvaises langues.
Si vous voulez retrouver la patine du mixage d’antant, Gardez et ressortez vos vieilles versions vinyles et CD qui gardent toujours leur charme.
For a change we have an album reissue where the extra material is actually relevant and worth listening to more than once. It also provides some revision to the generally promoted view that the White Album showed the Beatles breaking up. The full box set is well worth it.
Its the Beatles at their best. What more can I say
I don’t know what I can say that others have said but this set is well worth the asking money just for the blu ray 5.1 version!!!! As he did with the Sgt Pepper box version Giles has made an excellent job, like his father before him, he’s a master producer with the available technology. I can’t see this being bettered, certainly not in my lifetime, what the future hold I don’t know but the sound for me is perfect!!! The CD’s are comprehensive especially with it containing Revolution take 18 which some had never heard until now, the Esher demo’s have needed the Martin treatment as only flat versions were available, now they are fantastic. An absolute triumph on Giles Martins part, may he go on to do more excellent work with the rest of the Beatles masters!!!!!!!
Product us exactly as described
Excellent quality CD’s
Book is a great
Very happy with my purchase
A great re-issue of best Beatles album (my opinion). Lots of demo versions, especially “Hey Jude”. Great presentation with insightful book too. A must for all Beatles fans. Fast delivery with Prime membership.
OK let’s do this quickly,the music as any fool knows is brilliant and is worth five stars, I am reviewing the package as a whole.
The remastered CD’s 1 & 2 are excellent
The Blu Ray is incredible, the 5.1 Mix brings a whole new life to the album, it’s nice that the mono mix is included too
The Esher Demo’s are in a quality the bootlegs never hinted at
The sessions CD’s are largely unessential (Three Stars) three CD’s is really stretching it, the interesting stuff worth having amounts to about one CD, So bearing in mind the capacity of a Blue Ray/DVD you could have had three CD’s and a Blu Ray/DVD (mimicking the Blu Ray contents for those who don’t have one) containing the Surround/Stereo/Mono plus the sessions tracks worth having, therefore reducing the cost.
The book is a good read and the packaging is good too, both worthy of of a five star rating
I am pleased I bought it ? (not from Amazon I have to add, the courier they used could not find my address so I cancelled and bought elsewhere) Yes, I don’t expect value for money with these items, the main attraction for me me was the Blu Ray 5.1 mix, the only way I am going to get it is to buy this, from a purely business point of view why release it in surround sound as a stand alone disc when they can make so much money out of it, I get that, it’s was the same with respective Pink Floyd, Beach Boys, Velvet Underground, BJH box sets with loads of filler I didn’t really want , but bit the bullet as I wanted the 5.1 mix that was my choice
So the decision is yours, it is really good though
Update: I received my replacement copy and there are no creased pages in the book. Thank you to Amazon folks for making things right.
How one of the most insane tracks they added to the finished product ( Revolution 9) evolved. This is marvellous thing of beauty and well worth the money for a big fan of the most influential group not just from the last but to the 21st century. The legacy of The Beatles is 100% intact.
p.s The book that comes with it is a tome to treasure.
das Weie Album” kann als gelungen bezeichnet werden.
Ein kraftvoller Remix von Giles Martin des ursprnglichen Albums lsst aufhorchen.
Anzumerken wre, da der Zuruf bei den Titelbergngen zwischen THE COUNTING STORY OF BUNGALOW BILL und WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLE WEEPS” je nach Einstellung der Dolby Surround Anlage etwas in den Hintergrund getreten ist.
Kraftvoller in jedem Fall das Klavierspiel bei DEAR PRUDENCE.
Erfreulich ist, das alle 27 Demos der sogenannten Esher Tapes numehr vereint sind. Da auf Original Ressourcen zurckgegriffen worden ist, klingt es jetzt fast so, als ob man die Beatles zu sich ins Wohnzimmer eingeladen htte.
Das erfreut den Hardcore Fan umso mehr, da er nun die zumeist unvollstndigen Bootlegs, welche von sogenannten Acetat-Pressungen stammen, entsorgen kann.
Auch interessant wieder einmal die sogenannten Studio Outtakes, insbesondere die psychodelische Version von Helter Skelter, sage und schreibe fast 13 Minuten lang.
Der BluRay HD-DTS 5.1 Master haut kraftvoll durch die Boxen, whrend der Dolby True HD 5.1 eher etwas dezenter daher kommt.
Fr alle Komplettisten unter den Hardcore Fans wird noch ein solider Mono Mix gereicht.
Erfreulicherweise hier auch einmal die verschiedenen Formate in der Verffentlichung. Selbst fr kleinere Geldbeutel sind die entscheidenden Dinge jeweils enthalten.
Das Buch, versorgt mit zustzlichen Info’s u.a. auch unter welchem Zeitdruck die Gruppe stand, das Werk pnktlich zum Weihnachtsgeschft 1968 auszuliefern.
Fazit: Auch die zweite Super Deluxe Ausgabe nach Sgt. Pepper enttuscht nicht sondern weckt die Vorfreude auf die beiden weiteren Studio Alben Abbey Road”, September 2019 und LET IT BE” Mai 2020.
Paul McCartney besttigte letztens die beiden Termine in einem Interview.
Do it or don’t. It’s no big deal either way.
My opinion is its money well spent.
Well done Giles Martin. .
For me, 1968 is when the Beatles reached the pinnacle of their creative genius. Insofar as that genius can be captured in a single recording, it has to be The Beatles, or the White Album as it is usually known. For years I allowed myself to be caught up in the debate among Beatles fans as to which was their best LP, Revolver or Sgt. Pepper. Then, a few months ago, I realised that neither was as good as the White Album. In terms of songwriting ability, vocal performance, instrumental prowess, and imaginative production, it has it all. Has Lennon ever been so consistently brilliant as a songwriter as he is on this collection? Dear Prudence and Julia, to name but two gems of his, are simply stunning creations. And the performances of both are also extraordinarily good. Lennon’s singing is, of course, beautiful. But listen to how McCartney’s bass playing on Dear Prudence enhances the recording. Lennon’s solo performance on Julia, notably his finger-pickin’ guitar style, is among the best of his career. When McCartney was not adding his magic to his friends’ songs as a supporting band-member, he was producing some of his own best work: Back in the USSR, Blackbird, Ob-la-di Ob-la-da, and many others. His singing too places him as one of the best rock/pop vocalists of all time. And George Harrison came into his own with a brace of great songs, including one bona fide classic, While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Even Ringo shone in both his own Don’t Pass Me By and Lennon’s Good Night. George Martin may not have been too happy as he lost control of the recording process to his former proteges. But his orchestral contributions to Glass Onion, Martha My Dear and Good Night match the best of his previous work with the group.
As soon as I heard about Giles Martin’s remix of The Beatles, I was determined to have it. For those who caution against interfering with any work of art, there are precedents in the classical music world. One can listen to Murray Perahia playing Bach’s Goldberg Variations on an instrument the composer never heard of and hear the work anew. The same is true of The Beatles remix. Giles Martin has done a brilliant job. Somehow he has remained true to the original sound, yet everything is clearer and crisper. Recording technology was pretty primitive in 1968 and this is clear even in the remix. Sometimes individual tracks were recorded at different times, and maybe even different places, and then mixed together for the final version. So, there is often no sense that all four Beatles and the other musicians were playing together at the same time. I suppose Martin could have made it all sound as if it had been recorded in a modern studio, but thankfully he didn’t. The sound is authentic – and to my ears better than ever.
The super-duper de luxe package cost a lot. But I don’t begrudge a cent of the money, even if it is enriching already wealthy people. The Beatles produced works of art and beauty during their short time together, and they were not created just for a small elite. They made millions of people happy, and they continue to do so. This was and is their best work. For those new to this music, I envy you if you hear it for the first time in this remixed release.
Not much to add in my review that others haven’t already said about the amazing 6-cd
set. I also bought the 50th anniversary vinyl,
and I have to say the cd beats the vinyl hands down. (I’m playing the vinyl on a vintage Bang and Olefsen turntable, Yamaha receiver, and vintage Klipsch speakers.) I’ve always believed that vinyl has a warmer, richer sound- but not in this case.
If you’re on the fence about which set to buy, then I would say definitely pick up the 6-cd set for the breathtaking sound alone.
And, of course, enjoy the incredible book while you’re listening!
Magnificent. The whole package is wonderful. The DVD is the icing on the cake.
It’s one of my top 3 albums by any artist. I used to listen to 14-16 favourites as if it were a single album. But I was doing it a disservice because all 30 songs make this bunch of imperfect songs perfect. THE WHITE ALBUM just works.
wow im blown away money well spent helter skelter take 2 in all its almost 13 mins of pure glory after years of a 4:37 edit
all those esher demos esp sour milk sea and circles,revolution 1 take 18 was great but i would have picked take 20
plus jamming tracks as well like your so sqaure baby i dont care or step inside love.i sure would love to brave the 27 min version of helter skelter though.5 hrs of pleasure overall.enjoy
The Book is fantastic, the other material on offer although interesting to listen to the odd time has been heard before in most cases although in lesser quality. You can also hear all the outtakes and the new stereo mix on spotify.
if you don’t have a 5.1 system to listen to the Bluray 5.1 mix then the book apart then i don’t think you will be getting the best value for your 125. Its possibly better to buy the new stereo mix if you want it against the original which is still great. It does sound bigger and clearer but there is still the old argument the real way to listen to the Beatles is in the Original Mono. Good thing here is the Mono album is also on the Bluray if you don’t already have it.
There is only one word to describe this version – revelatory! Voices and instruments are now so well placed sonically, the entire album is a real joy on the ears- other versions will now sound muffled and confused in comparison. The Esher tapes are immensely listenable too and a world away from the bootlegs of the past and I can see myself blasting these out endlessly. I’ve been actually singing “Ob-la-di….” Over the last few days with that driving acoustic guitar by Paul in my head.
OK- we all have listened to these songs ( Revolution 9 perhaps being an exception) so many times over the years, but I implore you to get this if you don’t already own it or upgrade to this remix as this version will be the only one you will play constantly, I guarantee. Well worth 20 in anyone’s money.
Note this review is for the Deluxe pressing only which is the double album with the addition of the Esher tapes. I’m afraid that spending 125 was a touch too far just for what is essentially demos that you would rarely listen to other than the once in spite of their historical value. I prefer to listen to the Beatles output at their destination rather than the journey!
To be honest, the White Album didn’t get much play c.f some of the others but this is something else – the variety of styles on show now mean an awful lot more than before – and this stereo remix now surpasses the mono remaster one for me – sacrilege I know!
Ahhh – Mr Clapton clear and true over on the right!
The book is an excellent read and the Esher ‘rehearsals’ are hugely enjoyable as a CD in their own right.
If you have a half decent music system, crank it up and wallow in this – congrats to Giles Martin, his father would have been very proud.
Is it worth the price? That depends entirely on you of course – but as McCartney said years ago – ‘it’s The Beatles White Album – shut up!’
Aber es stimmt, man braucht es nicht. Man hrt einmal die Akustik-Versionen oder die drei Take sonstwas-CD’s.
Wirklich wichtig fr mich ist die Mehrkanal-Bluray. Auch wenn ich wegen der modernen HDMI-Verbindungen nicht mehr ber Equalizer/Analyser, also jetzt etwas dumpfer, hren kann, geniee ich die Mehrkanalversionen ber Bluray. Scheinbar kommt ja wohl nichts mehr als meine geliebten SACD’s. Mal abwarten, was nchstes Jahr bei der Abbey Road-Ausgabe dabei ist. Vielleicht ja der Film ber das Dachkonzert.
Das weie Buch ist jedenfalls sehr edel (kostet ja auch etwas) aufgemacht. Die CD’s aus den Papphllen herauszukriegen ist natrlich Fummelarbeit. Man kann sich ja die Bluray in eine CD-Hlle legen.
Now, what *really* interests me is the outtakes. This is much a more exciting proposition than the ones we got with Pepper. Just like the White Album is the Beatles’ most diverse album this is a really diverse set of outtakes including conversations, impromptu songs, rehearsals and studio jams that tell the story of the album in construction.
Some observations:
Great that we got all the Esher demos. Some are mono + mono recordings but Circles is real stereo. Too bad this wasn’t recorded for the album but I’m not sure he could have topped the demo. I know a bootleg of this which has background noise which adds to the atmosphere. Shame this was largely omitted but still great. Ditto for Not Guilty. Esher version seems to be in (real) stereo, is a good version and should have seen the light of day in some form or other.
Love Revolution 1. Not really a fan of the slow version of the song but I love the way the song transitions into something like Revolution 9. Well worth a listen.
A really fun jam, (You’re so square) baby I don’t care which unfortunately is only 43 seconds.
I prefer the unnumbered rehearsal of Everything’s Got Something to hide to the original. It’s the fills.
A Procol Harum-ish rehearsal of Cry Baby Cry.
And what I think is the revelation of this collection, Helter Skelter take 17. You can see why 18 was chosen but like take 1 of I’m Down on Anthology 2 it really gives the official version a run for its money. This is especially so because this is a sloppier, punkier version with Paul sounding like he knows it’s one of his finest. Should be a single.
What I also like is Martin is not afraid to include the Beatles singing (badly) out of tune or featuring takes that break down. For the most part it’s all about what’s interesting whereas some of the track choices on Anthologies 2 and 3 were bizarre, given what they had in the vaults (I still await the release of one of my all time favourites – Shirley’s Wild Accordion-).
All in all this anniversary edition proves that there is still unreleased stuff worth listening to…(is that Paul talking to Francie Schwartz on take 28 of Blackbird?) and remixes are not just about a new interpretation but a better sounding record on the whole. Right now I’m compiling a playlist of my favourite mixes and outtakes to make one very special album. We now have the original album, Anthology 3 and the 2018 release to choose from.
Otherwise, enjoy, we go round and round in circles…
The extras, to a Beatles fan, are fascinating. If you can’t find any joy here then you are frankly not really a Beatle fan.
It is pricey but it’s a well put together package and basically you don’t have to buy it if you don’t want to!
The important thing is the music itself. Firstly, Giles Martin’s remix of the original album is excellent, with the bass and drums in particular sounding rich and powerful. Listen to the way Paul and Ringo kick Glass Onion along, Paul with complete mastery of the bass, and Ringo scotching the mean spirited suggestion that he wasn’t up to the job.
Of the other discs, the Esher demos are the most interesting, the musicians excited with new material. The studio outtakes discs are less interesting, many tracks being familiar from bootlegs, and by their very nature inferior to the finished product.
I believe the main problem with the White Album arose after the bulk of the recording was done. Tight deadlines and ego problems lead to some questionable decisions both with the choice of tracks and running order.
On side 4 of the original album quality drops badly after Honey Pie, just when the album should be peaking. Cry Baby Cry and Take me Back are slight fragments of songs, and George’s Savoy Truffle is much inferior to Not Guilty, which was left off the album. As the latter is a fairly open whinge about George’s status in the band, this is not surprising.
I can’t see how anyone would want to hear Revolution 9 more than once in a lifetime, however much work went into it!
It is a great shame that the band decided to release Hey Jude as a single, which, if coming fresh on the album, would have provided a superb climax, preferably preceded by the electric version of Revolution, Honey Pie, Child of Nature, Junk, Not Guilty, and with the acoustic version of Goodnight as a coda.
Maybe this is all nit picking. In response to criticism , Paul McCartney once said ” Hey, it’s the Beatles White Album” The fact that we are still enjoying it and discussing it after half a century is a testament in itself.
Question, has Abbey Road been afforded this treatment yet? That WAS the Beatles last album, in spite of the later release of Let It Be. I’d love to hear outtakes like this for Abbey Road.
Ganz ehrlich ist in der Super Deluxe Buchkiste nicht mehr als ich erwartet habe, aber das ist nicht schlecht, denn ich habe auch viel erwartet.
Also gut, die so genannten “Esher Demos” sind mir teilweise schon bekannt gewesen, dafr bieten die 3 Session CDs noch einiges, was ich nicht gehrt habe bis jetzt und sind wirklich die wnschenswerteste Ergnzung zum Original Album, die ich mir vorstellen kann.
Takes, die ich von bisher im Umlauf gewesenen Bootlegs noch nicht kenne, praktisch die Alternates zu den Alternates und klanglich natrlich um Lngen besser.
Ich wsste auch nicht, welche Songs ich hier besonders hervorheben sollte, denn man sollte sich die 4 Demo und Session CDs am besten am Stck durchhren, und dann merkt man, wie stimmig das Gesamtpaket und die Zusammenstellung im Ganzen hier ist.
Wer die Anthology CDs kennt und weitere Bootleg Sessions, mag allerdings auch Takes finden, die in der hier vorliegenden Edition nicht enthalten sind.
Ich meine aber, dass der Inhalt dieser Box einfach besser ist, und die gesamte Aufmachung als nummeriertes Buch im Plastikschuber ist natrlich sehr schn ans Original angelehnt.
Also auch ein ganz dickes Lob an die Gestaltung dieses Wunschpakets fr Die-Hard Fans.
Das Album “The Beatles” war das Album, das stilistisch die grte Bandbreite abdeckte, whrend die Mitglieder der Band sich voneinander immer mehr entfernten.
Altes, derzeit populres und auch zukunftsweisendes Material war das Ergebnis auf dem weien Album, das mit kaum einem anderen der fabulsen Vier vergleichbar ist.
Die Spannungen zwischen den Bandmitgliedern haben sich auch auf die Musik ausgewirkt, und wahrscheinlich hat gerade George Harrison zu dieser Zeit einige seiner besten Lieder geschrieben; “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” mit Claptons Gitarre, “Long, Long, Long” oder auch “Not Guilty”.
Muss letztendlich zugeben, mich hier selbst beschenkt zu haben und werde das ein oder andere vielleicht auch noch in den nchsten Wochen bis zum Heiligabend hren.
Zum Preis uere ich mich wie immer nicht.
Natrlich alles Deluxe hier, wo jeder Makel beseitigt wurde, und wenn ich den gesamten Buch Text noch lesen will, habe ich bis Nikolaus was zu tun. Mmmh?!
Also Tip und dicke Empfehlung!
The remixing of the album here is great – I’ve been listening to all of the Beatles albums for years (having both the stereo remasters, the mono CD box set, the US albums box set) so am very familiar with all of their music – and yet I’m still picking out things in this edition that I’d not picked up on before. I won’t give any surprises away but this new stereo remix reveals so much more in a lot of these songs.
The 3rd CD provides us with all of the Esher demos, including Child of Nature (that would later become John Lennon’s Jealous Guy), George’s Circles and Sour Milk Sea, and McCartney’s Junk. All sounding very good here, an improvement on the audio quality that some of them were presented with on Anthology 3.
The sessions discs make for fascinating listening, not least for the ability to hear the progression of the songs as they developed in the studio. There is also some nice studio chatter and tomfoolery, which goes some way to debunk the story that this album was fraught with tension and infighting.
The packaging is superb; a big hardback book featuring a number of essays, in depth recording notes for each song, introductions by Giles Martin and Paul McCartney, and replicas of the poster and 4 portrait cards that were included with the original LP. This is then all housed in a plastic cover featuring the same 4 portrait photos in black and white, and track-listing on the back. Worth noting too that the super deluxe editions are also individually numbered, as per the original LP pressing.
One slight criticism is that it’s a little difficult to get the individual disc sleeves out of the slots in the book, but that doesn’t really detract from the otherwise stunning presentation.
And a hardcover book, hundreds of pages long, with Beatle commentary, copies of handwritten lyric sheets… I haven’t delved into it all, nor have I watched the Blu-ray.
Lots of treats in the days ahead for me. I’ll wager the Fab Four never imagined this stuff would see the light of day.
Warum genau feiert man eigentlich erst ab Pepper mit diesen fantastischen Ausgaben ? Rubber Soul und Revolver htten’s ja wohl auf alle Flle mehr als verdient.
Ok, hab bislang nur die 5.1 Bluray genieen knnen. Komm nicht los davon um den stereo mix oder den Session CD’s zu lauschen. Und ich denke die 5.1 disc wird noch sehr lange in meinem Player stecken bleiben. (Vielleicht bis 2019 wenn Abbey Road 50 wird !?)
Der 5.1 Mix ist Bombe und zwar ne richtig groe. Wrde so sagen Zar-Format. Mindestens. Der Yer Blues luft gerade… was fr ein geiler Sound ! Meine Nachbarn freuen sich – oder auch nicht. Mir doch auch Latte, it’s the bloody white Album ! It’s out, it’s sold…” wie Paul mal sagte. Das groartige weie Album, da kommt niemand ran ! Niemand !! Beatles Forever ! Trotzdem… Don’t pass me by, Rocky racoon und Cry baby cry werden weiterhin geskippt.
Everything is housed in a large hard cover book with a gloss white cover and a clear plastic outer sleeve which includes the track listing printed on the back and the 4 portraits of the band on the front in black and white. Once you slide that off the book cover has the embossed Beatles name and an edition number below, made to look like the original vinyl pressings, gloss and all. The first couple of thick card pages contain the newly remastered album on two discs inserted into white embossed card sleeves made to look like the original album. A third slot on the opposite page houses the blu-ray. The book is thick and filled with a bunch of well written related info, track breakdowns and of course tons of images… the rest of the audio content is in the back of the book, a large pocket sleeve/page contains a reprint of the original poster/lyric sheet and the classic 4 portrait cards, all looking the best I’ve ever seen them. I worked in used record stores back in the 90’s, so I’ve seen a bunch of these inserts from various pressings! The final 4 discs containing the Esher demos and sessions discs sit in the two final card pages. The demos and sessions discs are all worth the price of admission, there are some pretty amazing moments in here… and all very well mastered and mixed.
The new stereo mix is a real improvement to my ears, everything sounds so clear and spacious, it gives you a new perspective on everything. Bass, drums, vocals, guitar tones… all the best they’ve ever sounded, a real treat! The 5.1 mix, amazing… Giles Martin really hit it out of the park here. As in past 5.1 mixes he stays grounded for songs like While My Guitar Gently Weeps by really pulling you into the middle of the song rather than whipping guitar solos around 360, but has a little more fun with Helter Skelter or Piggies. Blackbird sounds like I have Paul McCartney circa 1968 in my living room and those great Lennon and Harrison songs, they all just pull you in and put you center stage. Revolution 9? All I can say is, love it or hate it, surround sound just makes sense on that piece. 🙂
Overall this collection is a must have for fans. It’s a deep dive into the creation of an album with a band entering the last phases of it’s life, still a bit of the 60’s thing going on but also new ideas and individuality shining though, hints of things to come for all involved… even though they were still working together as a group on many of the songs, I always looked at this album as a collection solo songs enhanced by each other and a few new friends along the way.
Buy it if you love the album, or maybe go for one of the less expensive versions if the white album is a little further down on your list of Beatles faves… there’s a definite cost factor on this super deluxe edition, this sucker is pricey but it is chock full of musical goodness!
OK, ich muss zugeben, nachdem der Pepper Remix schon phantastisch war, hatte ich nichts anderes erwartet. Aber richtig vom Stuhl gefallen bin ich, als ich die Esher Demos gehrt habe. Mein Bootleg war doch eher eine etwas trbe Sound-Suppe. Demos eben, nice to have aber auch nicht mehr. Einmal anhren, ins Regal stellen und verstauben lassen. Und dann das!!! Wie zur Hlle haben es Giles Martin & Co nur geschafft aus diesen Tapes etwas soundtechnisch so hochwertiges herauszuholen, dass es sich mehr wie ein modernes und aufwendig produziertes MTV Unplugged Album anhrt? DAS hat keine Chance im Regal zu verstauben, weil ich es sicher fter auflegen werde;-) Also, danke Giles fr dieses Hidden Unplugged Album, dass weit mehr als Fllmaterial fr eine teure Deluxe Box ist!
5 Sterne, was sonst (aber nur weil nicht mehr zu vergeben sind) 🙂
Ich bin da geteilter Meinung. Mein Problem ist: ich habe den Original-Mix des Weien Albums bestimmt schon ber 400x gehrt. Ich kenne jede kleinste Stelle, jede Passage auswendig, so wie’s im Original halt schon immer klang. Ich kann mich einfach (noch) nicht von dem Gedanken lsen, dass der neue Mix, so gut er gelungen sein mag, etwas zu kantig und “entzaubert” klingt. Der alte Mix klang fr meine Ohren harmonischer, entspannter, ja rtselhafter. Ich mochte ganz zufllig die diffusen, warmen Bsse und die ein wenig vernebelten buried in the mix” Vokale und Gitarrenriffs. Das war die Beatles Zeit! Das hat dem Ganzen nun einen etwas anderen 2018 edgy” und “chunky” Charakter gegeben. Ich bin mir noch nicht sicher, ob das Weie Album 2018 jetzt nun das Bessere ist…
Auf jeden Fall wrde ich die Blu-Ray Version des Stereo-Mixes empfehlen, denn diese ist nicht nur hher auflsender (96kHz/24Bit) sondern auch frei von der knstlichen Anhebung der Lautstrke um +2dB unter Einsatz des Audio-Limitings, welches dann mit leichtem Clipping der Wave-Spitzen (reduzierte Dynamik) einhergeht.
Sprich, bei der Blu-Ray Version des neuen Stereo-Mixes hat man Gott sei Dank mehr natrlicher Dynamik in der Aufnahme belassen, die CD Version wurde dagegen mit digitalen Tricks +2dB lauter fr den Massemarkt gemacht – klingt lauter(=besser?) wenn’s im Radio luft – was allerdings auch zu einer leichten bersteuerung des Sounds fhrt.
what can you say, its the Beatles white album. sounds brilliant. well done to those involved.
If you’re reading this you already know the original album’s songs, so I won’t waste anyone’s time describing the music on the original album. I will say that the new remix of the album is an improvement. While staying close to the original album’s emotional feel, the new remix has cleaned up the sound and in doing so subtle sounds have been brought to the surface that were buried in the older mix.
The “Esher Demos” is the Beatles unplugged. You hear the band working as a band–the acrimony that would later split the band apart is absent. These (a few tracks showed up on volume three of the “Anthology” series) are beautiful, relaxed versions of the album’s songs in good/excellent sound–clean and open sounding–especially for tracks recorded fairly casually at Harrison’s home. You’ll hear various combinations of Beatles on these tracks–not all four band members are heard on every track. Even at this stage these demos are fairly close to the finished versions of these songs.
The discs of outtakes (with snippets of chatter) reveal the band working well together–and again without the problems that would surface a year or so later. When it came to recording these songs the band came together to produce outtakes in various stages that are interesting to hear. These particular tracks are instructive, giving an idea how many of these songs came to fruition–besides being fun to listen to. Listen to the takes of “Helter Skelter”, or “Revolution”, or “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, or take 5 of “Yer Blues”, or the unnumbered rehearsal of “Let It Be”–all are good examples of the goodies included on these outtake discs. The instrumental backing tracks help fill in the picture of the album coming together but are not as strong as the vocal outtakes. But overall, you can hear why all these particular tracks were chosen–for the most part they point toward the finished versions we all know. The Blu-Ray has great sound and adds even more value to this box set.
The packaging is quite nice. The 12 1/2″ X 10 1/4″ X 1″ thick 164 page hardcover book has a glossy white cover with “The Beatles” embossed close to the bottom of the cover. And true to the original album there’s a number printed on the cover–mine is 0038324–a nice touch. The book comes in a clear plastic slipcase with subtle see-through photos of the four Beatles on the front, and a list of tracks on the back of the slipcase. There’s two CDs on the inside front cover and on the facing page is the Blu-Ray disc. The other discs are in the back of the book. Each disc comes in a plain white cardboard jacket with a list of songs on the back cover. Each disc slips into it’s own pocket which holds them securely.
There’s a forward by McCartney, and an introduction by Giles Martin. A long essay by Kevin Howlett (“The Way to White”) which lays the groundwork for this album. The essay by John Harris (“Can You Take Me Back, Where I Came From?”) puts this music in context of the era. Andrew Wilson’s essay (“White On White”) goes into detail about the making of the artwork which is quite interesting. And the final essay by Howlett (“It’s Here!”) is about “The most important musical event of the year occurs today.”, which is a good summation of 1968 and this album. Plus there’s a piece by Howlett on the group photo session (“The Mad Day Out”) which gives more detail about this period. All the essays about the album are worth reading and help put this album in perspective. The track-by-track text (by Howlett) is very informative with a fairly long essay on each song including valuable recording information. There’s also a section of lyrics reproduced from original copies.
There’s many color and b&w photos throughout the book, printed in crisp quality. There’s a repro of a prototype cover, corrections to a printed lyric sheet, the making of the photo collage which is on the large size (folded) poster, which has lyrics on the reverse side. Plus there’s four color photo portraits (8″ X 11″) that were included in the original LP. All in all the artwork on this 50th Anniversary of “The White Album” (or originally called simply “The Beatles”) is in keeping with the original album’s look and feel.
If this album is important to you, you probably need this multi-disc version–there’s a lot of worthwhile tracks on the outtake discs. But some people will be satisfied with the 3 CD version with cleaner sound and those “Esher Demos”. But for those who really like this album, this is a great look past the original album. And in a year of Led Zeppelin, Cream, Jeff Beck, the Grateful Dead, Hendrix, and other bands all releasing albums, “The White Album” stands out as a refreshing change of pace from all that heaviness..
Oh my…
Oh my…
What can one say??? This is just glorious! I never thought this particular album could sound so, so good; the remix (above & beyond a re-master) allows you to enter a whole new world. To get the full benefits you’d need a decent set of headphones & a quiet 5-6 hours by yourself. Listen to the opening two tracks & compare with what we’ve been used to listening to & you’ll quickly appreciate just how fantastic these songs sound. Giles & Sam have out-done themselves here. Superb!
As for this (super delux) box set: the additional tracks will keep you amused for hours & the demo CD sounds surprisingly good, when you consider how they were recorded at George’s house. The set is housed in a numbered box / book, which is a joy in & of itself. The pictures offer an insight into a group not “at war with itself” but the Beatles doing what they did best: being Beatles.
I know it’s rather expensive but when you consider what you’re getting & the work & effort put in to this release then I think you’ll agree that it’s worth every penny. I could go on (& on) but I won’t: just treat yourself…
In November 1968, The Beatles’ new LP, simply titled ‘The Beatles’, was released. Now, it’s been given a 50th Anniversary makeover, and is available in four versions. This is the seven disc set.
The original LP has been given a 2018 remix and really does sound superb (though ‘Revolution 9’ is still a once-only listen curio; be thankful there are no outtakes). You can hear far more of what is there. The backing vocals are also more prominent, and that’s just one thing the Beatles were better at than anyone else. It’s the stereo version that takes up the first two CDs but the mono version has also been given a makeover and is still appreciably different. It’s on the final disc. It’s a collection of disparate styles that I doubt anyone could match. What might surprise you is that only 16 of the 30 songs have contributions from all four.
As good as those discs are, everyone will be more interested in CD3, CD4, CD5 and CD6 The first of these is made to look like an Apple acetate and carries the 27 Esher demos, all in stunning quality. All acoustic, it’s fascinating to compare these embryonic versions with the finished article making you wonder whether they knew exactly how they wanted their songs to sound even at this stage. And why George never recorded ‘Sour Milk Sea’ is beyond me. Virtually the White Album ‘Unplugged’, if you will. The other three discs are a cornucopia of alternate takes, instrumental backing, rehearsals and a couple of all-too-brief-jams, presented in the order in which they were first recorded, including five songs that would find a release on other LPs and singles. There are also more than a few surprises to be heard along the way.
For die-hard fans, and you’ll be the ones buying this set, the near 13 minute ‘Helter Skelter’ is something to savour simply because we’ve been waiting for an extended version, and I’m sure the ten minutes of ‘Revolution 1’ is a surprise to everyone, especially when John says “I’ve had enough” and no one takes any notice. Paul sings part of ‘Love Me Do’ in this. Take 10 of ‘Good Night’ is completely different. I was completely unaware George wrote an unpublished song called ‘Gathering Gesturing’, and you probably are too, but here’s part of it at the end of ‘Long Long Long’. Amazingly, no outtakes of ‘Savoy Truffle’ survive but the backing track here brings to the fore the brass and organ. Well worth hearing, as is ‘Birthday’, which sounds more manic without the vocals. What these anniversary editions do is allow the compilers to make interesting discoveries; early rehearsals of songs previously thought lost were uncovered, including an early run through of ‘Let It Be’ that was listed as ‘AdLib’ on the box, so no one bothered to listen to it until now. Also surprising to those putting this together was a take 2 of ‘While My Guitar…’ It seems no one knew it was even recorded, let alone existed.
Alongside that new mono mix, the seventh disc, on Blu-ray, carries the new mix in PCM stereo, DTS HD 5.1 and Dolby HD 5.1. It’s a shame the musical led Kenny Everett interview from these sessions wasn’t included, but I do like the way each individual sleeve is made took like a mini LP sleeve.
They’re all housed in a slip case alongside a 168 page hardback book that gives in-depth recording details and is a superb read, including plenty of unseen pictures. Their ‘mad day out’ is documented and it’s hard to think of the four Beatles wandering around the streets of London with no security or police on hand. It was different in those days. The text debunks the myths about the sessions and also shows a tantalising verse from ‘Don’t Pass Me By’ that never made it onto tape. The four colour photos and the poster are also in there. Keeping with tradition, each set is numbered. (Mine is No. 0111653.) A few things here were included on ‘Anthology 3’, but that was 23 years ago and technology has moved on somewhat to make these mixes far superior to those, as well as being slightly different. Yes, this set might be expensive, as is the vinyl versions, but everything Beatles always carries a premium.
I wonder if F. Newton has changed his/her mind?
El llamado “lbum Blanco”, es un parteaguas de lo que ya se avecinaba para la carrera del Cuarteto de Liverpool. Compuesto de 30 maravillosas canciones, en su mayora por el do Lennon-McCartney (nicamente 4 de Harrison y 2 de Starr), las canciones parecen ir en direcciones distintas, sin que exista un hilo conductor entre ellas, pero es precisamente ese detalle el que lo hace perfecto.
Se destacan himnos como “Back in the USSR”, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, “Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da”, “Martha My Dear”, “Don’t Pass Me By”, “I Will”… bueno, en realidad todas son maravillosas.
La edicin en Vinyl doble de 180g. incluye cuatro fotografas tamao postal de cada uno de los integrantes de la banda, as como un poster.
a very poor to a not bad to a simply brilliant album rolled into two vinyls …….its a shame that the Beatles could not have put there personal diffidence aside what could have been one of the greatest albums ever ……..There even got one of the worst song’s ever well in my opinion it is in the top 10 surely on it ……..9 what the fxxking hell that abou
Great choice for me as I just started build my vinyl collection. This is a rare opportunity to get a complete collection of The Beatles with authentic mono recording.
cool trade, fast delivery , great reissue lp, nothing to complain about.
A fine album containing over 30 songs from The Beatles as they do their only double studio albums. Some really good stuff with some well known Beatles songs. A few of the songs sound more akin to Paul and Johns solo stuff but theres still a lot of fun to be had including some of Georges best moments.
Very good Quality and I trust that anything I buy from Amazon is perfect or they make it so. the quality and the care of the shipping process is alsoperfect.
If you want to close you eyes an relive the 60’s for a few moments take a listen..this is definitely a “take me back in time” LP
I bought it to accompany the new record player I bought for my boyfriend for Christmas. He loves the album, I love the album, vinyl was how it was designed to be heard, and since it was the only one he was getting on Christmas Day, I was happy that it was a two LP album, since we listened to it about 4 times that day.
In my opinion The White Album is kind of a staple in any vinyl collection…
This is great. Very happy to have this double vinyl record. Top quality too plus fast delivery using Prime
To replace my CD version which my son wrecked (and said he would pay for a replacement). The Fab Four really were a wealth of talent as showcased in this successor to St Pepper.
BUT … I have given myself time too cool down , got my TT set up with new cartridges/stlyli ,cleaned & LASTed the discs and then … WOW ! 180gm vinyl,German pressings … HOT DAMN! I’m 20 years old again …MF’er … is this SWEET or whut !
I remember buying this at the PX when I was stationed in Germany (1968/71) and the rush I got from every new tune …GOT THAT SAME RUSH ‘RIGHT NOW !
What can i say the pressings are IMMACULATE ! Not ,a snap,crackle or pop … not even the slightest tape hiss or stylus noise …these pressing are very impressive,indeed .I CHECKED 4 CENTRE HOLE … it is indeed …DEAD CENTRE .Everything from packaging to disc is PERFECT …typical GERMAN WORKMANSHIP…AWESOME PACKAGE…JAW DROPPING SOUND…HOT DAMN…GOOD BUY OR WHUT …!
Should also mention posters & whut not freebies that come with … cool ! but I wuz never into that stuff …gimmee the vinyl & i’m HAPPY !
front end …jvc QL-7 DD , TT ,Shure Whitelable MM ,Sumiko Blackbird MC ,carts,Sony Preamp Tae86b ,for the phono head ,into Adcom gpf750 preamp, into backend,Gfa555 pwr amp,PSB Stratus Gold ,spkrs … not my first time …
What can be said about a classic album that hasn’t already been said?
I’ve bought the remastered CD’s and as I seem to be playing more and vinyl these days the White Album was on my Christmas list. This album joins the vinyl remasters of Sergeant Pepper and Abbey Road. It is one of my all time favourites and it shows the technical recording transition in having more tracks to play with as well as moving away from Mono.
Once prised out of the EMI vaults, todays engineers were surprised how good the master tapes were. A credit to the engineers of the day and to EMI for preserving them in pristine condition. One engineer was quoted as sleeping with some of the tapes as the vault had closed for the night and he daren’t let the tapes out of his sight or leave the room unlocked. As with all of the Beatles remasters, the engineers have missed a great opportunity to sonically and musically improve these. I would have liked to have seen Giles Martin let loose on them.
Was it worth the money? Just! As with Abbey Road there are times when the bass lines are just too bloated as to lose there rhythm. Ringo’s excellent drum beat is sometimes just a click track, George and Eric Claptons guitar is more subdued than it should be. Listen to Revolution and Come Together on the LOVE album and you’ll hear what I mean. The opening guitar on Revolution almost rips your throat out, while the rhythmic base line on Come Together draws you in.
But I’m a sad old geezer and love the fab 4, just wish someone could have truly capitalised on todays technology and brought all these albums up to date and not left them tonally back in the 60’s. The purists won through, while the rest of us have to wait for a remaster of the remastered version 🙂
The White Album is truly one to have as it reflects where the Beatles were heading. Musically its brilliant especially for a double album. Vinyl is not cheap, but has the ability to deliver so much music.
I purchased this as a gift and the recipient is delighted with it. Good quality.
Love the Beatles and it sounds great on our vinyl records playe
good communication and fast delivery.
product as described…thank you!
Stunning vinyl sound. The whole Beatles remaster LPs on vinyl are amazing and with original packaging just superb.
I have all the original vinyl recordings in Mono from the 1960s and 70s but theses new Stereo are a different ball game.
The amount of “presence” from these remasters needs to be listened to but only on vinyl. Forget any compressed rubbish these are the real thing…..Enjoy.
It’s the White Album for heaven’s sake. Mere mortals like me can only bow and worship. I just lurv ‘Happiness is a Warm Gun’
as well as ‘Dear Prudence’ and just about all the other stuff. I don’t know ‘what they were on’ when they recorded that daft ‘Revolution no. 9’ though – what a load of tripe!
I bought the vinyl as a collector’s piece and must say that the much thicker material seems much more sturdy and less liable to warp as well as sounding excellent. I’ve only played it once when I transferred it to Cd which I must say still sounds like a vinyl recording – rich, warm with that lovely ‘bristle’ between tracks
i love vinyl but sound of this lp was not good still great do will get stereo box soon. but if you big beatles fan then it is a must for you. same sound as 1968 album not much of upgrade in sound at all to me. also have mono box set and that is outstanding sound so save you money get box se
after some lsd journeys, maybe the beatles (alone or in a group) were looking for more ‘mature’ composing, some of them pretty much familiar and introspective, some others trying to be political (?) – why don’t you do it in the road? Some classics songs. Have if you don’t yet.