The Beatles Remasters CDs - Help Me Understand-LOL

Hello Everyone,
I'm trying to build my Beatles CD collection but I have a few questions. Sorry if I ask newbie questions that I should already know. I have owned most of the 1987 U.K. releases on CD for years. Last month, after reading many reviews, I purchased "The Capitol Albums Vol. 1&2" . I have to admit that they did sound like I remember my parents' albums sounded only better (We had 8 track tapes back then). I hate that they stopped at Rubber Soul on Vol.2. I so wanted to continue with Yesterday & Today and so on. My question here is, are there any releases on CD that use the Capitol versions past Rubber Soul?
My goal is to own the stereo and mono U.K. boxed sets in the future. I have read some really good reviews for them both. Are they a great improvement on the 1987 versions? Where would you recommend that I purchase them for the best price but without getting a fake set? Are there any other CDs or sets that are recommended? Thanks for any help.

I recommend getting the Anthology sets.

Yes. The 2009 remasters are well superior to the 1987 CDs. Both in sound quality and packaging. What I mean is the 1987 CDs represented the best of CD sound reproduction of that era. And they were just a little flat and tinny. 22 Years later CD mastering technology was better developed with more precise analog to digital filtering. The 2009 CDs carry a richer sound with more depth and naturalness to them.

Just a few years back Capitol released a US Albums box set and individual CDs of the American Titles. These CDs were like the Capitol Albums collections. They are the American mixes of the songs recreated from the 2009 remasters. So you will hear what you heard on those eight tracks, but without the over use of echo or fake stereo. Fake Stereo mixes are derived from mono by the use of echo chambers and other techniques used in the mid to late sixties.

So to answer your question about Capitol mixes past Rubber Soul, the answer is yes and no. Yesterday and Today and Revolver are available on CD, but not from the same sources as those old eight tracks.

I've compared the new versions of Yesterday And Today and Revolver to the original sixties vintage LPs. In mono there is no real difference. It's only that the CD versions are more robust sounding. In stereo the sound is full and with depth. But with a lot less echo, reverberation, and the resulting distortions.

So now the question is, Are you a purist and want what was heard in the sixties? Or would you not mind those albums with a face lift?

Please note the US editions of Sgt Pepper on up to Let It Be were the same mixes as in England, but were pressed in the US from copy masters. So the sound was just a little thinner than an English pressing. The exception in this series of albums was Magical Mystery Tour. That LP again used the echo chambers and reverberation.

I compared a US stereo pressing of a Magical Mystery Tour LP to both 2009 stereo and mono CDs. What I heard on the LP was the English mono mix in heavy reverb. I wound up tossing the LP against a brick wall.
Horrible remixes on that LP. In all honesty, you are better off with a 2009 CD of Magical Mystery Tour.

The Mono Box Set is very recommended. Because in the sixties mono was the prevailing format. The versions of the albums in the Mono Box sound more finished and that much more definitive. Around the time of The White Album stereo was becoming more accepted and more the norm. Prior to the White Album the stereo Beatles albums lacked certain finishing touches that made the mono versions really stand out.
In the US and Canada the White album and all albums following were released in stereo without a mono counterpart. In England The White Album was released in mono and stereo versions. But it was the last album with a mono mix. This is why Yellow Submarine to Let It Be are not in the Mono Box.

To purchase an official Mono Box stick to an established retailer. ie Best Buy, amazon, Barnes and Noble. Alternately you can go to a local indy music store and find one there. Rule of thumb here is that the printing on an official Mono Box is sharp and detailed. Printing on a fake is a little blurry and graphics are off center.

Should you purchase an Capitol US Albums Box the CDs contain both true stereo and true mono mixes. Again without the heavy reverb and echo popular in the sixties.

Originally Posted by Dave112

, I purchased "The Capitol Albums Vol. 1&2" . I have to admit that they did sound like I remember my parents' albums sounded. I hate that they stopped at Rubber Soul on Vol.2. I so wanted to continue with Yesterday & Today and so on. My question here is, are there any releases on CD that use the Capitol versions past Rubber Soul? Are there any other CDs or sets that are recommended? Thanks for any help.

I'm sure your aware of the US CD box set that came out (2014???). But beware that they didn't stick to the dexterized versions like your Capitol box sets do. You could mix and match the 2 sets to have a complete set.

Almost complete! You will still need the UK Sgt Pepper and on, to fully complete it.