The Red and Blue albums were my introduction to a long life love affair with The Beatles. I played the hell out of both on my parents turntable when I was a kid. I still have both, cherish them and play them occasionally. Looking forward to the new song, altough, like with Free as a Bird and Real Love, I believe it will not be quite the same thing as the "proper" Beatles songs. As long as it helps introducing The Beatles to new generations I am all for it!
Mazzy. I took your advice (immediately) after your input on the Steve Westman Roundtable on the Red/Blue 2023 re-issues. You stated that the 2014 all analogue versions (if you can still get your hands on them) sound the best. fellow UA-camr Parlogram also stated in shootout 2 years ago (I watched today confirming your synopsis) So I ordered (in Canada eh!) and was able to get the last 'Blue' one available. Arrived today. It is the 2014 version ala with hype sticker and outstanding album jackets as you referenced. For the Red version I tracked a new one down on EBay. Arrives in 1-2 weeks. All the right verbiage as to the 2014 version and sealed new !!. So thanks again for the heads up!! As for the new versions (2023) with the new mixes - I will be satisfied with CD versions as I did with Revolver. For vinyl - all analogue 2014 will do just fine. Keep on Keeping on with your excellent content. PS. I love the with Dizzy (and brothers) content. Great!
I'm 57, and the 'Red Album' WAS my first intro to The Beatles. My parents, whose musical tastes seem to have ended by the early 70s, and barely so, were at least contemporary enough to have purchased the first one (1962-1966)- the 'Blue Album' would just have been a bridge too far for them! Anyway, thanks Mom and Dad for having introduced me to the Beatles!
I was way ahead of this.... in 1981 I worked at KCBS-FM, San Francisco... "The Hits of Now & Then". We had an all Beatles weekend and one of my new advertisers freaked out about it and never bought ads on the station again...
I already pre-ordered the 12" single. I'll get the rest as my budget allows. As a GenXer the blue album was the first I loved then the red. It's a great privilege for later to get an actual Beatles release in real time.
Things We Said Today I'll Follow The Sun Rain Love You To For No One She's Leaving Home Blue Jay Way Baby I'm A Rich Man The Inner Light Happiness Is A Warm Gun I Will Helter Skelter Cry Baby Cary Because You Never Give Me Your Money Golden Slumbers Carry That Weight The End Free As A Bird Real Love The above listed songs would make a greater album than almost any other band's greatest hits compilation and yet none of these songs are included on the new and expanded albums. My point isn't just that it's unfortunate that none of these songs are included, but rather that The Beatles were so great and prolific that even a 75 song compilation isn't enough.
Got both albums on cassette, when I was 9 years old. The red one for christmas, the blue one 1 week later for birthday. The cassettes were green with red stickers.❤
I was 14 in 1973. Seemed like everyone owned the Beatles red and blue albums. I played the red more than the blue. My brother - three years older than me - played the blue more than the red.
Born in early 60s, I have no recollection of the Beatles until about 1970 ( timing ). I remember Get Back and Long and Winding Road from hit radio, but they’d already broken up. Uncle Albert had Beatles-esque appeal in 1971. The Red and Blue were my study material. You could hear which singer was Paul, but I confused John and George’s voices at first. The very youngest baby boomers remember the Red and Blue Albums as our Ed Sullivan Show.
It's a wise decision to rerelease the Red & Blue albums because they have become the gateway albums to discover the Beatles music for the post 1960s generations. Kind of like what the Hot Rocks compilations did for the Stones, or the Kinks Kronikles did for the Kinks.
I'm excited. I ordered the Cassette and the box set of the color vinyl. The only bummer for me is that the should have remixed "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love" and included it in either an EP or on the Blue album instead of songs that have already been remixed on their anniversary editions. "Roll Over Beethoven"? Blah. But I can't wait to listen to the remixes on the Red album.
Actually, some people can't afford to pay hundreds of dollars for a box set, or almost 20 bucks for a seven inch single. So it's not a choice for the average music fan. This is geared explicitly to middle aged collectors who won't even unwrap the records nevermind play them. Thankfully it will all be available for free on streaming platforms. Music for the masses, but also the upper classes. Now. If the people in the cheaper seats could clap your hands... And the rest of you, if you just wave your blue vinyl...
What I find really amazing about the vc, both succesful videomakers who lived through these incredible years and young chaps with 12 subs, we all share the same excitement.
Being that I recently got The Rolling Stones Mono box set and now this coming out, I am so looking forward to adding some more Beatles albums to my collection.
I have been waiting for a repress of the 2014 all analog version of the Blue album. Sadly, I don't see that coming now....I have all of the remix records on CD. I may just get the the single version of Now and Then and settle for a noisy but analog version of the Blue album. I also agree with the comments about Free as a Bird and Real Love. Those three songs on an EP would have been great.
I'm a bit miffed that Free as a Bird and Real Love aren't included. They are part of the Beatles history like them or not. Both were remixed a few years back for the 1+ DVD set and were much improved over the original. No official cd release of either yet. I can't wait to hear the remixes of the earlier material.
I was hesitant until I saw they added a third lp to both sets. Now I bought two color sets of each. thought about the 6 lp box but thats more than buying them separately and didn't look like there was anything extra in the box. Can't wait. I have my original copies from when they first came out and the recent repress and the color versions. not sure when I'll pick up the black vinyl. If it's like Let It Be they may drop in price next year.
I really love the red and blue albums. I have purchased them on vinyl recently in the last year or so. I am still excited about hearing hearing and possibly owning it on vinyl and cd. Looking forward to it. Isn't cash grab another way of saying good business. That's how money works ❤
It’ll be *quite* interesting to hear the new “completed” version because John’s vocals on the cassette are… um… definitely just a demo. Sounds like he was just doing a scratch track to get the general rhythm. Idk how that’s going to work in a modern, fully polished, “completed” song. And I’m VERY excited and interested to hear the new mixes, especially of the earlier songs. I’m always down for hearing Beatles music in new and different ways; I’ve never quite understood why a certain segment of people out there get all outraged over the remixes. The originals are still there, in a zillion different formats and pressings. One thing that kind of bugs me a little teeny bit is that they put Now & Then on the blue album but still kept the official title as “1967-1970” instead of “1967-2023.” It’s being billed as a new song, and much of the music on it was written and recorded in 2023, so I feel like they should have updated that end date. 🤷♂️
Would have preferred a brand new 2CD/4LP comp that incorporated Free as a Bird, Real Love and Now and Then and housed the best of the remixes (let Ruscha design the whole box set ha), and preferred if they had kept Red and Blue as the original mixes, original tracklists and AAA vinyl. That would have been nice to have the classic set for the OG mixes, and a new set for the RE-mixes . I like the Now and Then cover art just fine. It's not mind-blowing, but it's nice! Cannot wait to hear the song!
Of course, I've pre-ordered the box set but as a designer, I have to critique the packaging. The packaging is crap if the image online represents the actual outer box. That may be one sheet that sits under the shrink wrap and beneath it, the box is white with the "63-66" & "67-70" text. It looks cheap as is. Ultimately, I would have kicked the Red and Blue albums to the curb entirely and built a brand new 'Best Of' set that included "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love" but Apple Corp. rarely calls to get my input on these things.
Allen Kein was a thug - but things in life are never entirely black or white, and he did initiate a couple good things: the Beatles' "Hey Jude" and Red/Blue" albums, and the Stones' "Hot Rocks".
One note: Ed Rusha's name is pronounced roo'-shay. Long "a" at the end. I enjoy your videos particularly when you get in to the visual art and Memories of a Vinyl Junkie. Keep on Keepin' On
@Norman Maslov I usually prefer genuine vintage pressings over new vinyl. And especially when it comes to vinyl of the last 10 years I prefer original pressings and with the exception of Neil Young and Tom Petty I don’t bother trying anymore as mastering and pressing quality is absolutely terrible. BUT the 2012 re-pressings of the red and blue Beatles are an exception as they sound absolutely stunning and blow ANY release of those albums out of the water! Highly, HIGHLY recommended, so forget these new red and blue ones as they propably are as bad as most recent Beatles vinyl!
No contest, Hackney Diamonds is easily the worst packaging. Has there ever, in the history of vinyl albums, been a bigger waste of a gatefold album interior spread? (Note: this is not in any way intended as an endorsement or approval of The “artwork” for Now And Then, which is just marginally more creative & interesting-looking than my typing out the song’s name in this comment just now).
I don’t consider it a cash grab as the majority of people who enjoy these compilations over the coming years will do so as streams or digital downloads. The premium prices for physical media are there because it’s a niche market and vinyl production is both expensive and prone to errors (which can quickly erase any profits earned). Personally I’m excited to get the first official true stereo mixes of Love Me Do and She Loves You… more than 60 years after they were recorded. That alone is enough to justify the Red album for me. And for those who really wanted Rubber Soul this year… well half of it is on the Red compilation, newly remixed. And the best Magical Mystery Tour tracks have been newly remixed for the Blue album. Come grab my cash, please!
Hey! I have a question for you: I don’t understand why there are 7inch AND 12inch records being pressed for Now and Then. The track listing is only 2 total songs (Now and then, Love Me Do), so why would 12 inches of vinyl space be required to play them? Typically, 10+ songs are on 12 inch vinyls so it doesn’t make sense to me. Thank you in advance :)
Ever seen 12” singles. They were/are common in DJ circles for the better dynamics spread over a larger area. Wider grooves. Many sound fabulous and better than a 7” counterpart.
@@mazzysmusic Wow, you my friend have blown my mind, thank you. I had no clue those were a thing, and I’ve been listening to records for years. So would a 12inch single run at 45rpm as well just like a 7inch? Also I actually bought the exclusive 10inch version of the song, and I was curious what the difference exactly was compared to a 12inch single, and would it also run at 45rpm?
Let me say something I think we should wait Rubber Soul soon. As all of you know there's new 2023 remixes of some tracks on Red Album which originaly belong to Rubber Soul. So maybe we'll have another gift on December ❤
I would have preferred to have Now And Then attached to a reissue of the Anthology collections with also some added holy grail rarities, that makes more sense to me but I am in for the new single and will give the remixed songs at least a listen.
I haven’t done the math, but hopefully the number of songs that haven’t been remixed in stereo is quite low, so a Rubber Soul release with new stereo remixes might not be that far away.
I'm almost 70 and I was never really much of a fan of the beatles. I liked their music but only bought one album. Abby Road. I live every song on that album. Comically, my favorite of all their albums is Rubber soul. Back when I lived in Seattle before my move to Kentuck I bought a LOT of records for about ten cents each in box lots at estate sales. Iended up with an untitled Mobile Fidelity record that only says "test pressing" on the label, only had grooves on one side, and was in a white jacket with the word "pepper" written by hand in the corner of the jacket. I dropped the needle in the groove and it was a pristine copy of side one of Sgt Pepper. So, as Bill Murray said, "I have that going for me. Which is nice." 🤣
A cash grab? I didn't know bands were supposed to give everything away. I'm excited for this. I was hoping for remastered and AI-enhanced versions of Free As a Bird and Real Love, but I'm happy to hear Now and Then after years of fan-made versions.
I’ve heard a fans A.I. version of Now and then on UA-cam. I didn’t like the song much so it will be interesting to see Paul, George and Ringo have done with the song. Also, that single artwork looks like something I could do in Microsoft Paint.
I like the “Now and Then” cover, but I don’t expect the song to excite me. The Please Please Me era photo from the Red and the Blue albums was not the same one as the original PPM album.
I've been living under the misunderstanding that those Beatles cover photos were taken at the Royal Garden Hotel in London, all these years. Beatles vs Stones? Not while Ms Swift is about! 😉
Okay, so 1966-1970 has been expanded to 2023, but where are the ANTHOLOGY singles from 1995 and 1996...? Couldn't the still-unreleased fast version of "Two of Us" -- which should have appeared on the pricey LET IT BE deluxe -- been included here as well?? Most excited by the news there will be no "Now and Then" cd single! FAB!
Nice job with this video installment Mazzy, although i have the OG US pressing and the 2014 re-masters, i pulled the trigger for the new versions. I agree with you about the stupidity of the cash grab naysayers.
I found both the red and the blew for 1 dollar each a couple years ago. Never played and NM sleeves. You just know when a record has never been played. The records sound great and not interested in any new versions of these. My guess is someone got the pair as a gift decades ago and they stood for the longest time untouched til they were given to the thrift store I now and then check out. One time there were so many records in pristine condition from the 70s. Lots of soundtracks, taxi driver the best find and again, perfect copies of Nero Nested and Mothers spiritual plus so much more. Should have bought everything but even for a dollar a piece it adds up when there are hundreds of albums. Today I would have bought everything. This was 8 years ago. Things have changed a lot over the past decade. Seldom new Lps in good condition to be found extremely cheap. Things have really. Hanged since 2013-2015. Glad I swept up over a thousand great used albums in that timespan I have in my collection and play now and then. So many a lot o& them I still haven’t played. The new Beatles song is okay. Melancholic and a good piece, yet nowhere near the quality of love me do, strawberry fields or tax man.
@@mazzysmusic Yeah that’s where I saw it too. Do you know why it’s not anywhere else like the official Beatle website though? Maybe they’ll add it on their website in the future?
I didn't get the Red or Blue albums until maybe the 1980s because I already had the original LPs. I got them on CD, too. But when I started hearing recently that the existing Red and Blue vinyl compilations were possibly the last available to be made from the original analog masters, I "doubled" down and bought them again! Just for the sake of the sound. I also have Japanese copies, which are nice because the vinyl is so much quieter than most American pressings and they sound a bit more detailed and transparent. (Why won't American companies invest in decent, non-distracting vinyl for sub-$100 records?) Anyway, I don't know what else is on the new 3-disc versions (it's not the same track listing is it?), so I may not really need to buy them yet again. But who knows? Oh, and according to Dave Marsh (I think), it wasn't even Klein who chose the tracks for these compilations but an unnamed ABKCO employee he delegated the task to. Still, these and the Stones' two "Hot Rocks" doubles are terrific. Good job, ABKCO staffer(s)!
Since I already own all the Beatles albums plus mono/stereo box sets, I have no need for the new Red or Blue albums. I have interest in ‘Now & Then’, but consider that song plus FAAB & Real Love to be The Beatles* and not The Beatles. That said, I really like ‘Real Love’. I also was thinking about the old Beatles/Stones rivalry, but yeah, the critical difference is the Stones are still a band, whereas The Beatles disbanded 53 years ago. So, not really a fair fight.
Blue is perfect, Red only needed two more to be perfect, too: Taxman, Tomorrow Never knows. The new versions are not convincing. I love Within You Without You, but on a Best of collection? Glass Onion?
Personal preference that the new singles artwork is not to my liking. Not a fan of the extra tracks so I am gonna pass. Ordered up the 2014 vinyl before they are gone. Great video Mazzy!
The N&T cover it looks terrible (what were they thinking). I'm also disappointed on 3rd Disks choices, they should have done new 23 mixed songs only or even some Remixed Live tracks (Cavern/Star Club, Rooftop etc..). Free as a bird and real love should have been included on the LP or at least on a 45 EP. I do like some of what is included and will get the 6-LP's box set $150 on Amz - probably in 6mo it will be $99 but oh well I just hope they are good. Thanks
Sorry, based on "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love," I'm not overly interested. If you're truly interested in The Beatles and their incredible metamorphosis (and impact on popular culture), you will eventually buy all of their original albums. No need for compilations.
There are multiple wonderful songs in their repertoire. It is a shame that the bonus tracks included in the 2023 edition have been selected.... It is also an irony that in 1973 Allen Klein, the villain of history, published the best of the catalog of the four Liverpool giants, and today in the 2023 edition Paul and Ringo, as well as the widows of John & George, have inexplicably authorized the inclusion of tremendous underrated bonus tracks......... The most famous quartet of all time has countless spectacular songs of their own, there was no reason to include the covers that appeared here (Your Really Got a Hold On Me.....) Thus, the inclusion of songs such as: You Can't Do That, I'm Only Sleeping, Tomorrow Never Knows, Within You And Without You, Glass Onion, I Want You (She's So Heavy) is also very debatable... ... That is why many lifelong fans wonder where they were: I Should Have Known Better, If I Fell, She's A Woman, Every Little Thing, Don't Bother Me, Only A Northern Song, Rain, And Your Bird Can Sing, Baby You're A Rich Man, Birthday, One After 909, I've Got A Feeling............
I actually like the bonus tracks. I see them more as an expanded edition as these weren’t simply hits packages. I just wish they weren’t tacked on at the end, but incorporated in.
You’re dead right there - I bought the red and blue albums as a kid and apart from Sgt Pepper which my Aunty used to play, those albums were how I got to know more of the Beatles. I still have and still play my OG copies!
Too much overlapping with the super de luxe releases. They should have made 1 box with the superdeluxe remixes and 1 box with the New remixes of the older songs.
George,John and Ringo should have really considered Paul’s misgivings about Klein and gone with Eastman who would eventually served Paul so well Mazzie you’re a really articulate music fan and your book was a great idea!
My decision is made , CDs cheapest option to hear these remixes , all these different coloured vinyls are just an overpriced fad , a cash in , i dread to see those prices
Since you're a self-professed 'Weirdo," I'd love to see you do a video critiquing albums by "weirdos" - the good, the bad, and the ugly, the brilliant. Stuff like the Residents, Captain Beefheart, Arthur Russell, Bill Holt, Gary Wilson, R. Stevie Moore, Moondog, Red Crayola, , Nico, Robbie Basho, Roky Erickson, Skip Spence, Syd Barrett, the Shaggs, and whoever else catches your fancy.
I believe the b side is their first ever release "Love Me Do" with both sides reflecting each era with the apple label on one side and the Parlaphone label on the other. That's cool. What's not cool, for me, is the actual cover of the single... and it's not a case of "getting it" it's simply a case of not liking it. No disrespect to the artist but this, by all accounts, is the last ever new Beatles music we will get and that's the artwork? Pretty underwhelming, in my opinion.
Wait, WTF is this: the expanded vinyl albums follow the same track order as the original 1973 double album editions, with all the additional “expanded” edition tracks segregated onto the third disc of each set? What kind of bullshit is that? They’re using the new remixes of all of the songs, so they can’t be re-using the old masters from the 2011 (or whenever it was) vinyl reissue of the red & blue albums, they HAD to have cut new masters of each LP side, so why not put the songs in the correct historical order that they appear on the CD versions, with maybe some minor swapping of song placements here & there if the issue is some awkward LP side opening or closing tracks? (Because it is inarguable that “Help!” (Especially with the “James Bond” film score intro) should always be kicking off an album side).
What do I think of the artwork? Its awful. Non descript dullness. And its not because I dont undertand modern art, or graphic design. Its just boring. And The Beatles name doesnt appear on the cover? Its cold. But then the Real Love cover was pretty bad too. A good photo, but an early shot that didnt reflect the content. Free as a bird was a lennon doodle. That worked. Thats all the song was originally. The Anthoogy collage worked well. This cover says nothing about the Beatles to me. It is lifeless and sterile, unnspired and without personality. All the things The Beatles challenged suring their career.
I sure hope they don't go with that Now And Then cover artwork. It's horrible. For the last song ever issued by The Beatles, they could do a hell of a lot better.
The Red and Blue albums were my introduction to a long life love affair with The Beatles. I played the hell out of both on my parents turntable when I was a kid. I still have both, cherish them and play them occasionally. Looking forward to the new song, altough, like with Free as a Bird and Real Love, I believe it will not be quite the same thing as the "proper" Beatles songs. As long as it helps introducing The Beatles to new generations I am all for it!
Mazzy. I took your advice (immediately) after your input on the Steve Westman Roundtable on the Red/Blue 2023 re-issues. You stated that the 2014 all analogue versions (if you can still get your hands on them) sound the best. fellow UA-camr Parlogram also stated in shootout 2 years ago (I watched today confirming your synopsis) So I ordered (in Canada eh!) and was able to get the last 'Blue' one available. Arrived today. It is the 2014 version ala with hype sticker and outstanding album jackets as you referenced. For the Red version I tracked a new one down on EBay. Arrives in 1-2 weeks. All the right verbiage as to the 2014 version and sealed new !!. So thanks again for the heads up!! As for the new versions (2023) with the new mixes - I will be satisfied with CD versions as I did with Revolver. For vinyl - all analogue 2014 will do just fine. Keep on Keeping on with your excellent content. PS. I love the with Dizzy (and brothers) content. Great!
I ordered 2014 and should arrive Thursday. I will probably buy the CD’s once the prices drop.
The Rolling Stones come out with great new music, and The Beatles raise the bar once again. Some things never change...
These were the first Beatles albums I ever listened to 😊
I'm 57, and the 'Red Album' WAS my first intro to The Beatles. My parents, whose musical tastes seem to have ended by the early 70s, and barely so, were at least contemporary enough to have purchased the first one (1962-1966)- the 'Blue Album' would just have been a bridge too far for them! Anyway, thanks Mom and Dad for having introduced me to the Beatles!
Good work mum and dad ☺️
I had such pleasure ordering a single copy 7” of The Beatles “new” / last single today. Wonderful to be able to do that in 2023.
That is pretty cool
The Blue was my first Beatles album. My brother owned it.
I was way ahead of this.... in 1981 I worked at KCBS-FM, San Francisco... "The Hits of Now & Then". We had an all Beatles weekend and one of my new advertisers freaked out about it and never bought ads on the station again...
Plain and simple... I'm excited about this!
It’s fun. ❣️
I'll buy any new Beatles release till the day I die.
Harry I am afraid I will do that as well!
Ì love things like this , it's like waiting for there next single to come out back in the day.
Luv the show.
I already pre-ordered the 12" single. I'll get the rest as my budget allows. As a GenXer the blue album was the first I loved then the red. It's a great privilege for later to get an actual Beatles release in real time.
Things We Said Today
I'll Follow The Sun
Rain
Love You To
For No One
She's Leaving Home
Blue Jay Way
Baby I'm A Rich Man
The Inner Light
Happiness Is A Warm Gun
I Will
Helter Skelter
Cry Baby Cary
Because
You Never Give Me Your Money
Golden Slumbers
Carry That Weight
The End
Free As A Bird
Real Love
The above listed songs would make a greater album than almost any other band's greatest hits compilation and yet none of these songs are included on the new and expanded albums.
My point isn't just that it's unfortunate that none of these songs are included, but rather that The Beatles were so great and prolific that even a 75 song compilation isn't enough.
Got both albums on cassette, when I was 9 years old. The red one for christmas, the blue one 1 week later for birthday. The cassettes were green with red stickers.❤
I was 14 in 1973. Seemed like everyone owned the Beatles red and blue albums. I played the red more than the blue. My brother - three years older than me - played the blue more than the red.
Was spinning Hot Rocks a few days ago, bought by my parents, amazing… Another great informative video 😎🎶🎸
Born in early 60s, I have no recollection of the Beatles until about 1970 ( timing ). I remember Get Back and Long and Winding Road from hit radio, but they’d already broken up.
Uncle Albert had Beatles-esque appeal in 1971.
The Red and Blue were my study material. You could hear which singer was Paul, but I confused John and George’s voices at first.
The very youngest baby boomers remember the Red and Blue Albums as our Ed Sullivan Show.
Yes red and blue albums were great 👍
It's a wise decision to rerelease the Red & Blue albums because they have become the gateway albums to discover the Beatles music for the post 1960s generations. Kind of like what the Hot Rocks compilations did for the Stones, or the Kinks Kronikles did for the Kinks.
It was my first intro to the Beatles for me.
I'm excited. I ordered the Cassette and the box set of the color vinyl. The only bummer for me is that the should have remixed "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love" and included it in either an EP or on the Blue album instead of songs that have already been remixed on their anniversary editions. "Roll Over Beethoven"? Blah. But I can't wait to listen to the remixes on the Red album.
I agree but how would they get us to buy an expanded "Anthology" in a few years if they gave us "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love" now?
Thanks Mazzy! Cashgrab cashgrab cashgrab!! Ha ha!
🤓🤠😎😵💫😂
Basically it's our choice if we buy new remixed/Beatles material! Or not I will buy them!
Great stuff you're exited Mazzy 😀
Actually, some people can't afford to pay hundreds of dollars for a box set, or almost 20 bucks for a seven inch single.
So it's not a choice for the average music fan. This is geared explicitly to middle aged collectors who won't even unwrap the records nevermind play them.
Thankfully it will all be available for free on streaming platforms. Music for the masses, but also the upper classes.
Now.
If the people in the cheaper seats could clap your hands...
And the rest of you, if you just wave your blue vinyl...
Just in time for the Christmas Shopping Season!
What I find really amazing about the vc, both succesful videomakers who lived through these incredible years and young chaps with 12 subs, we all share the same excitement.
Just ordered the big box set of the Red & Blue + Now & Then colored vinyl remixes. Heck, why not?
Nice news! Interesting to see what will be on the red/blues.
It’s up listed at the Beatles site
Being that I recently got The Rolling Stones Mono box set and now this coming out, I am so looking forward to adding some more Beatles albums to my collection.
I have been waiting for a repress of the 2014 all analog version of the Blue album. Sadly, I don't see that coming now....I have all of the remix records on CD. I may just get the the single version of Now and Then and settle for a noisy but analog version of the Blue album. I also agree with the comments about Free as a Bird and Real Love. Those three songs on an EP would have been great.
I'm a bit miffed that Free as a Bird and Real Love aren't included. They are part of the Beatles history like them or not. Both were remixed a few years back for the 1+ DVD set and were much improved over the original. No official cd release of either yet. I can't wait to hear the remixes of the earlier material.
Nice intro to what's to come..
Thank You Allen Klien 😜😛😝
Yup. Crazy 🕺😵💫
I was hesitant until I saw they added a third lp to both sets. Now I bought two color sets of each. thought about the 6 lp box but thats more than buying them separately and didn't look like there was anything extra in the box. Can't wait. I have my original copies from when they first came out and the recent repress and the color versions. not sure when I'll pick up the black vinyl. If it's like Let It Be they may drop in price next year.
I really love the red and blue albums. I have purchased them on vinyl recently in the last year or so. I am still excited about hearing hearing and possibly owning it on vinyl and cd. Looking forward to it. Isn't cash grab another way of saying good business. That's how money works ❤
It’ll be *quite* interesting to hear the new “completed” version because John’s vocals on the cassette are… um… definitely just a demo. Sounds like he was just doing a scratch track to get the general rhythm. Idk how that’s going to work in a modern, fully polished, “completed” song.
And I’m VERY excited and interested to hear the new mixes, especially of the earlier songs. I’m always down for hearing Beatles music in new and different ways; I’ve never quite understood why a certain segment of people out there get all outraged over the remixes. The originals are still there, in a zillion different formats and pressings.
One thing that kind of bugs me a little teeny bit is that they put Now & Then on the blue album but still kept the official title as “1967-1970” instead of “1967-2023.” It’s being billed as a new song, and much of the music on it was written and recorded in 2023, so I feel like they should have updated that end date. 🤷♂️
Would have preferred a brand new 2CD/4LP comp that incorporated Free as a Bird, Real Love and Now and Then and housed the best of the remixes (let Ruscha design the whole box set ha), and preferred if they had kept Red and Blue as the original mixes, original tracklists and AAA vinyl. That would have been nice to have the classic set for the OG mixes, and a new set for the RE-mixes . I like the Now and Then cover art just fine. It's not mind-blowing, but it's nice! Cannot wait to hear the song!
Of course, I've pre-ordered the box set but as a designer, I have to critique the packaging. The packaging is crap if the image online represents the actual outer box. That may be one sheet that sits under the shrink wrap and beneath it, the box is white with the "63-66" & "67-70" text. It looks cheap as is. Ultimately, I would have kicked the Red and Blue albums to the curb entirely and built a brand new 'Best Of' set that included "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love" but Apple Corp. rarely calls to get my input on these things.
Are the Blue and Red albums coming out with various editions representing each Premiership Football Clubs?
No. But there will be Playboy editions representing every playboy centerfold from 1962-1970 🐰
Next up for your money , Beatles , Rock n Roll Music and Love Songs 🙂
I'm with you on comps, I never play them anymore. With that said, I wanted the old tunes remixed. I'll stick to the cds and only one single.
Allen Kein was a thug - but things in life are never entirely black or white, and he did initiate a couple good things: the Beatles' "Hey Jude" and Red/Blue" albums, and the Stones' "Hot Rocks".
One note: Ed Rusha's name is pronounced roo'-shay. Long "a" at the end.
I enjoy your videos particularly when you get in to the visual art and Memories of a Vinyl Junkie.
Keep on Keepin' On
@Norman Maslov I usually prefer genuine vintage pressings over new vinyl.
And especially when it comes to vinyl of the last 10 years I prefer original pressings and with the exception of Neil Young and Tom Petty I don’t bother trying anymore as mastering and pressing quality is absolutely terrible.
BUT the 2012 re-pressings of the red and blue Beatles are an exception as they sound absolutely stunning and blow ANY release of those albums out of the water!
Highly, HIGHLY recommended, so forget these new red and blue ones as they propably are as bad as most recent Beatles vinyl!
Beatles Vs Stones. Who has the worst cover? It's a tough one... But if 'don't know about modern art' maybe we won't get it... ;-)
No contest, Hackney Diamonds is easily the worst packaging. Has there ever, in the history of vinyl albums, been a bigger waste of a gatefold album interior spread? (Note: this is not in any way intended as an endorsement or approval of The “artwork” for Now And Then, which is just marginally more creative & interesting-looking than my typing out the song’s name in this comment just now).
@@briangonigal3974 haha indeed, it's a horror, does the music no favours. But then I don't know any about 'graphic art'...
Remember the visual artistic experimentation which was an essential part of the identity of each new 33rpm album? No longer a priority, sadly.
I don’t consider it a cash grab as the majority of people who enjoy these compilations over the coming years will do so as streams or digital downloads. The premium prices for physical media are there because it’s a niche market and vinyl production is both expensive and prone to errors (which can quickly erase any profits earned). Personally I’m excited to get the first official true stereo mixes of Love Me Do and She Loves You… more than 60 years after they were recorded. That alone is enough to justify the Red album for me. And for those who really wanted Rubber Soul this year… well half of it is on the Red compilation, newly remixed. And the best Magical Mystery Tour tracks have been newly remixed for the Blue album. Come grab my cash, please!
Hey! I have a question for you: I don’t understand why there are 7inch AND 12inch records being pressed for Now and Then. The track listing is only 2 total songs (Now and then, Love Me Do), so why would 12 inches of vinyl space be required to play them? Typically, 10+ songs are on 12 inch vinyls so it doesn’t make sense to me. Thank you in advance :)
Ever seen 12” singles. They were/are common in DJ circles for the better dynamics spread over a larger area. Wider grooves. Many sound fabulous and better than a 7” counterpart.
@@mazzysmusic Wow, you my friend have blown my mind, thank you. I had no clue those were a thing, and I’ve been listening to records for years. So would a 12inch single run at 45rpm as well just like a 7inch? Also I actually bought the exclusive 10inch version of the song, and I was curious what the difference exactly was compared to a 12inch single, and would it also run at 45rpm?
Looking at these on the Beatles website. It appears that Most of the tracks on the Blue album are 2015/2017 mixes. That’s kinda weird 🤔
Let me say something
I think we should wait Rubber Soul soon. As all of you know there's new 2023 remixes of some tracks on Red Album which originaly belong to Rubber Soul.
So maybe we'll have another gift on December ❤
Next year for Rubber Soul Not this year.
While I will be buying the single, do I really need to buy the songs on the red & blue for the 10th time?
My thoughts exactly!
I would have preferred to have Now And Then attached to a reissue of the Anthology collections with also some added holy grail rarities, that makes more sense to me but I am in for the new single and will give the remixed songs at least a listen.
I haven’t done the math, but hopefully the number of songs that haven’t been remixed in stereo is quite low, so a Rubber Soul release with new stereo remixes might not be that far away.
All these are remixed for these sets.
I'm almost 70 and I was never really much of a fan of the beatles. I liked their music but only bought one album. Abby Road. I live every song on that album. Comically, my favorite of all their albums is Rubber soul. Back when I lived in Seattle before my move to Kentuck I bought a LOT of records for about ten cents each in box lots at estate sales. Iended up with an untitled Mobile Fidelity record that only says "test pressing" on the label, only had grooves on one side, and was in a white jacket with the word "pepper" written by hand in the corner of the jacket. I dropped the needle in the groove and it was a pristine copy of side one of Sgt Pepper. So, as Bill Murray said, "I have that going for me. Which is nice." 🤣
A cash grab? I didn't know bands were supposed to give everything away. I'm excited for this. I was hoping for remastered and AI-enhanced versions of Free As a Bird and Real Love, but I'm happy to hear Now and Then after years of fan-made versions.
I’ve heard a fans A.I. version of Now and then on UA-cam. I didn’t like the song much so it will be interesting to see Paul, George and Ringo have done with the song. Also, that single artwork looks like something I could do in Microsoft Paint.
Will it go top ten? Just want it to be great with great video.....
I like the “Now and Then” cover, but I don’t expect the song to excite me. The Please Please Me era photo from the Red and the Blue albums was not the same one as the original PPM album.
I've been living under the misunderstanding that those Beatles cover photos were taken at the Royal Garden Hotel in London, all these years.
Beatles vs Stones? Not while Ms Swift is about! 😉
Taken at EMI House Manchester Sq. Now torn down.
Okay, so 1966-1970 has been expanded to 2023, but where are the ANTHOLOGY singles from 1995 and 1996...? Couldn't the still-unreleased fast version of "Two of Us" -- which should have appeared on the pricey LET IT BE deluxe -- been included here as well?? Most excited by the news there will be no "Now and Then" cd single! FAB!
Nice job with this video installment Mazzy, although i have the OG US pressing and the 2014 re-masters, i pulled the trigger for the new versions. I agree with you about the stupidity of the cash grab naysayers.
I don't need anything else from The Beatles, plus I have a demo of Now and Then.
Ed Rusha, the cover artist's name is pronounced ROO-SHAY. Respect.
Yeah I knew and forgot A few others corrected me here. Thank you ✌🏼😎😵💫
I found both the red and the blew for 1 dollar each a couple years ago. Never played and NM sleeves. You just know when a record has never been played. The records sound great and not interested in any new versions of these. My guess is someone got the pair as a gift decades ago and they stood for the longest time untouched til they were given to the thrift store I now and then check out. One time there were so many records in pristine condition from the 70s. Lots of soundtracks, taxi driver the best find and again, perfect copies of Nero Nested and Mothers spiritual plus so much more. Should have bought everything but even for a dollar a piece it adds up when there are hundreds of albums. Today I would have bought everything. This was 8 years ago. Things have changed a lot over the past decade. Seldom new Lps in good condition to be found extremely cheap. Things have really. Hanged since 2013-2015. Glad I swept up over a thousand great used albums in that timespan I have in my collection and play now and then. So many a lot o& them I still haven’t played. The new Beatles song is okay. Melancholic and a good piece, yet nowhere near the quality of love me do, strawberry fields or tax man.
I placed my order for both red and blue special variants. I don’t think there’s gonna be a lot pressed.
Is there a red 7 inch single? I only see the blue one. Could you tell me where I can find it?
@@fifthbeatle Sorry I was referring to the Red and Blue Albums. I ordered the 12” single for Now and Then. 7” are a pain to clean and play for me.
I think red is 12” from Target.
@@mazzysmusic Yeah that’s where I saw it too. Do you know why it’s not anywhere else like the official Beatle website though? Maybe they’ll add it on their website in the future?
I didn't get the Red or Blue albums until maybe the 1980s because I already had the original LPs. I got them on CD, too. But when I started hearing recently that the existing Red and Blue vinyl compilations were possibly the last available to be made from the original analog masters, I "doubled" down and bought them again! Just for the sake of the sound. I also have Japanese copies, which are nice because the vinyl is so much quieter than most American pressings and they sound a bit more detailed and transparent. (Why won't American companies invest in decent, non-distracting vinyl for sub-$100 records?) Anyway, I don't know what else is on the new 3-disc versions (it's not the same track listing is it?), so I may not really need to buy them yet again. But who knows? Oh, and according to Dave Marsh (I think), it wasn't even Klein who chose the tracks for these compilations but an unnamed ABKCO employee he delegated the task to. Still, these and the Stones' two "Hot Rocks" doubles are terrific. Good job, ABKCO staffer(s)!
Since I already own all the Beatles albums plus mono/stereo box sets, I have no need for the new Red or Blue albums. I have interest in ‘Now & Then’, but consider that song plus FAAB & Real Love to be The Beatles* and not The Beatles. That said, I really like ‘Real Love’. I also was thinking about the old Beatles/Stones rivalry, but yeah, the critical difference is the Stones are still a band, whereas The Beatles disbanded 53 years ago. So, not really a fair fight.
I like Modern art doesn't mean that this cover isn't shit, cos it is and doesn't match the Beatles in anyway.
(Ed) Ruscha = ROO SHAY, for future reference :)
Thanks for the reminder. You know, I totally knew that back when Macca III came out, and it escaped me early this morning. Cheers!
@@mazzysmusic welcome. just lookin' out for Mazzy ;)
Blue is perfect, Red only needed two more to be perfect, too: Taxman, Tomorrow Never knows. The new versions are not convincing. I love Within You Without You, but on a Best of collection? Glass Onion?
Totally agree on "Glass Onion." Must be about the self-mythologizing.
Personal preference that the new singles artwork is not to my liking. Not a fan of the extra tracks so I am gonna pass. Ordered up the 2014 vinyl before they are gone. Great video Mazzy!
The N&T cover it looks terrible (what were they thinking). I'm also disappointed on 3rd Disks choices, they should have done new 23 mixed songs only or even some Remixed Live tracks (Cavern/Star Club, Rooftop etc..). Free as a bird and real love should have been included on the LP or at least on a 45 EP. I do like some of what is included and will get the 6-LP's box set $150 on Amz - probably in 6mo it will be $99 but oh well I just hope they are good. Thanks
The decision will be easy: no sale!
Sorry, based on "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love," I'm not overly interested.
If you're truly interested in The Beatles and their incredible metamorphosis (and impact on popular culture), you will eventually buy all of their original albums. No need for compilations.
There are multiple wonderful songs in their repertoire. It is a shame that the bonus tracks included in the 2023 edition have been selected....
It is also an irony that in 1973 Allen Klein, the villain of history, published the best of the catalog of the four Liverpool giants, and today in the 2023 edition Paul
and Ringo, as well as the widows of John & George, have inexplicably authorized the inclusion of tremendous underrated bonus tracks.........
The most famous quartet of all time has countless spectacular songs of their own, there was no reason to include the covers that appeared here (Your Really Got a Hold On Me.....)
Thus, the inclusion of songs such as: You Can't Do That, I'm Only Sleeping, Tomorrow Never Knows, Within You And Without You, Glass Onion, I Want You (She's So Heavy) is also very debatable... ...
That is why many lifelong fans wonder where they were: I Should Have Known Better, If I Fell, She's A Woman, Every Little Thing, Don't Bother Me, Only A Northern Song, Rain, And Your Bird Can Sing, Baby You're A Rich Man, Birthday, One After 909, I've Got A Feeling............
I actually like the bonus tracks. I see them more as an expanded edition as these weren’t simply hits packages. I just wish they weren’t tacked on at the end, but incorporated in.
They are going to make millions on this... but come on. its the beatles!!
Alan Klein was a scheisster but even they can come up with good marketing ideas.
They really went all out for the cover art for “Now And Then” singles didn’t they lol ?
Is that really the actual cover art?
I thought it was a temporary cover and that the actual cover would be revealed on release!
That’s the front cover Dr by Ed Ruscha. There is a different image on the back.
It's terrible...
That's too bad. Another missed opportunity just like Hackney Diamonds art work.@@mazzysmusic
You’re dead right there - I bought the red and blue albums as a kid and apart from Sgt Pepper which my Aunty used to play, those albums were how I got to know more of the Beatles. I still have and still play my OG copies!
Too much overlapping with the super de luxe releases. They should have made 1 box with the superdeluxe remixes and 1 box with the New remixes of the older songs.
Modern Art ?
K-Tel😉
that cant be the real cover
A cash grab for sure! I'll be putting in my order.
Mazzy, just so you know, Angus McBean's surname is pronounced McBain.
Thank you
The original red and blue double albums are pure perfection. The new two triple albums are crap. Most of the new songs upset the flow.
Someone's high
Not high. Sleepy 🤠😵💫
@@mazzysmusic 😉
George,John and Ringo should have really considered Paul’s misgivings about Klein and gone with Eastman who would eventually served Paul so well
Mazzie you’re a really articulate music fan and your book was a great idea!
Lee Eastman was Paul's father-in-law. I can see why the others didn't think that was going to be fair.
Exactly. Their reluctance was understandable but looking back on it shortsighted.
My decision is made , CDs cheapest option to hear these remixes , all these different coloured vinyls are just an overpriced fad , a cash in , i dread to see those prices
Allen DeKlein
November 1. Can't wait to hear Now and Then. My understanding is that the artwork for it is hideous. We'll see.
Allen I mean
Since you're a self-professed 'Weirdo," I'd love to see you do a video critiquing albums by "weirdos" - the good, the bad, and the ugly, the brilliant. Stuff like the Residents, Captain Beefheart, Arthur Russell, Bill Holt, Gary Wilson, R. Stevie Moore, Moondog, Red Crayola, , Nico, Robbie Basho, Roky Erickson, Skip Spence, Syd Barrett, the Shaggs, and whoever else catches your fancy.
I believe the b side is their first ever release "Love Me Do" with both sides reflecting each era with the apple label on one side and the Parlaphone label on the other. That's cool.
What's not cool, for me, is the actual cover of the single...
and it's not a case of "getting it" it's simply a case of not liking it. No disrespect to the artist but this, by all accounts, is the last ever new Beatles music we will get and that's the artwork? Pretty underwhelming, in my opinion.
19 bucks for the 7” single. Sad to see this price gouging.
Cash Grab 😮
The cover art for now and then is absolutely terrible. What a wasted opportunity
Not terrible. Not in your taste, but set be like that
The artwork is terrible for the cover of the new song No imagination! Hopefully the song is better than the cover!!
Absolutely, crap cover.
Oh I “grasp” that cover art… it’s boring!
Wait, WTF is this: the expanded vinyl albums follow the same track order as the original 1973 double album editions, with all the additional “expanded” edition tracks segregated onto the third disc of each set? What kind of bullshit is that? They’re using the new remixes of all of the songs, so they can’t be re-using the old masters from the 2011 (or whenever it was) vinyl reissue of the red & blue albums, they HAD to have cut new masters of each LP side, so why not put the songs in the correct historical order that they appear on the CD versions, with maybe some minor swapping of song placements here & there if the issue is some awkward LP side opening or closing tracks? (Because it is inarguable that “Help!” (Especially with the “James Bond” film score intro) should always be kicking off an album side).
What do I think of the artwork?
Its awful. Non descript dullness.
And its not because I dont undertand modern art, or graphic design.
Its just boring.
And The Beatles name doesnt appear on the cover?
Its cold.
But then the Real Love cover was pretty bad too. A good photo, but an early shot that didnt reflect the content.
Free as a bird was a lennon doodle. That worked. Thats all the song was originally.
The Anthoogy collage worked well.
This cover says nothing about the Beatles to me.
It is lifeless and sterile, unnspired and without personality.
All the things The Beatles challenged suring their career.
I sure hope they don't go with that Now And Then cover artwork. It's horrible. For the last song ever issued by The Beatles, they could do a hell of a lot better.