When I was in Kindergarten in the early 70's we use to sing Yellow Submarine as a 'sing along' song. As little kids we had no idea this song was from the greatest music band of all time. Octopus's Garden and Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da were other songs we sang. Basically The Beatles were strangely our Wiggles. The Beatles music has so much depth of appeal. That's what's so incredible about the songwriting. With every new song & album they kept ploughing new musical grounds. No other band comes close to their achievements in progressive music songwriting.
I was a new teacher running my first bus trip with a 4th grade class; the kids wanted to sing a song on the way back to school and asked me to start a song...The only song that came to mind at the time was Ringo Star's No No Song, needles to say I passed on starting a song that day.
My favourite Beatles song have always been the ones that people generally disliked. My favourite two songs from Revolver are I Want To Tell You and Doctor Robert and my favourite Beatles song of all time is Blue Jay Way aha.
Have you compared the new remixes with the 3 songs on "Yellow Submarine Songtrack" from 1999 which were also remixes? People tend to forget how great that album was. The 3 "Revolver" tracks are: Yellow Submarine, Eleanor Rigby and Love You To.
Great review, your analysis of each track is excellent and thorough , only comment I have is on she said she said , on the new mix you lose the thrashing of the cymbals during the song, on the new mix it’s very low, not as thrashing as on the older mix!
I was going to comment on that! I reviewed both stereos and mono like he did and am very disappointed with the cymbals missing. On the other hand, the cymbal effect on Good Day Sunshine that Michael says is subdued sound okay to me.
Yes absolutely I noticed no crash on the symbols but the song sounds less muffled and ringo's snare and bass drum sound much better so I have no problem with this song
Those missing cymbal crashes ruin the song completely. They're too transparent sounding and have lost all their balls. It's not as electrifying. Not even close. The original mix is so exciting and alive. Same with Good Day Sunshine. Just falls flat without the impact of those sweet cymbal crashes. Giles always screws something up, but this time it's unforgivable.
@@musicman699 if you're asking me, the 2009 mixes (which are actually the 1960s original mixes) are still king for Revolver. That was a great improvement compared to the 80s remastering. For Magical Mystery Tour, the 1987 disc is far superior to 2009 as is The White Album. The most improved disc from 2009 is Beatles For Sale. The 80s version is horrible, but the 2009 is delicious. I find Giles Martin's remixes only really useful for the surround sound, which I love. Very disappointed by the lack of the 5.1 bluray in the new Revolver box. The stereo Giles mixes will never be my "go to". They'll always be a novelty at best.
Interesting thing about the double tracking on this album: this was the first to use artificial (or automatic) double tracking (ADT), which was a technique of playing a track on two different tape machines with a slight delay, and a varispeed to oscillate the speed of the tape to create the chorusing, phasing, and de-tuning effects of double tracking without having to record it again (check out the video "The ADT Story with Abbey Road Studios’ Ken Townsend" by Waves Audio for more info). But that's the cutoff you hear in the vocal on "Eleanor Rigby," where the choruses and bridges have ADT, but the verses don't. Also, this excerpt from White Album engineer Ken Scott's book Abbey Road to Ziggy Stardust gives some insight into the original mixes: "What made stereo mixing even more difficult was the limitations of the [REDD.51] boards at EMI at the time. The default panning of channels 1 and 7 were panned hard left while channels 2 and 8 were hard right, with channels 3 through 6 fitted with a primitive pan control. That’s one of the explanations as to why some of the stereo mixes were so weird in the early days, with the bass and drums on one side and the vocals on the other."
My favorite Beatles album. It was Tomorrow Never Knows that made me buy it, but man, this is like a greatest hits album for anyone else but for the Beatles just a textbook masterpiece slotted in between other masterpieces - if I'm making sense. Thanks for review. Your enthusiasm for the Beatles is awesome and you're always right on the mark 👍
Thanx, Bruce! Yeah, I agree, many Beatle albums DO sound like greatest hits albums to many of us! They were that popular! They are the one band that your average listener knew their album cuts about as much as any of their singles!
Like Lennon, you were definitely "ahead of your time" if you bought Revolver for 'Tomorrow Never Knows'. Many of us who were fans of the 'mop top' "Yeah,yeah, yeah" Beatles thought, "What...is...this?!?" upon hearing it. But I recognize John's genius now. It' amazing.
Thank you Daddy Bog! This was one of the more difficult videos to do so far on the channel! I collapsed for two days after upload!😉👌❤️🤔🎧 I’m burnt, bro!
Take drink from his special cup....there is no minor Beatle song.i see so many talk about specific songs and him n haw and make it out like it's not all that great.than talk about another song and all the sudden have this epiphany that it really is great. Its like, go listen again. Even the most menial and short,sub 2 minute tracks, that don't really have a lot to them, or just got hammered out, and always masterful. Always. Every single time
Absolutely fantastic review and comparison, Michael! My copy arrived in the mail today but I haven’t had a chance to listen yet. I had to chuckle at your favorite Beatles track since none of the Beatles play any music on the song. 😄
I bought on LP and it sounds absolutely fantastic it is so clear and crisp The instruments just jump off the record Giles Martin did an amazing job it is fantastic.
Hey Michael. I've been waiting for this. What a brilliant analysis!!!! The best i've ever heard of REVOLVER!! Give yourself a gold star!! As a remix engineer myself, i've listened to this new remix closely about 6 times already. But i'm now going to have to listen to it again because you've pointed out things i did not pick up. Firstly, i can say that i've always preferred the mono mix here because of the lopsidedness of much the original stereo mix. But there's 1 or 2 tracks i really like the original stereo. They have tried to go for a "modern" stereo sound with this - but if this was the objective, why all the "stereo" lead vocals?? This is the one thing that really bugs me about the remix!! Place the lead vocal right in the centre & put the harmonies in stereo!! My other critisism is the work on the electric guitars. There's a lot of guitar driven songs on this album - so why not feature them. Unfortunately all the guitar driven songs - except DR. Robert - lack the punch of the mono. With all the technology available to the engineers, this just amounts to pure laziness on their part. If i can separate guitars, why can't they?? Anyway, i give a gold star to the stereo remixes of "For No One" & "Dr. Robert" . The latter never appealed to me - but i now like it !! Tiger.
You know tiger, I think for overall blend, the mono IS the winner! Even when the mono mixes (Except 2 of them!) didn’t take the #1 position, it was often the 2nd best mix to my ears! Fab Sonic placements on the mono!❤
I am very impressed with the new stereo remix, and it is now my favorite version of this album. It gets an A++ from me. As a drummer myself, it's especially the quality of the drums and bass in the new mix that captured my attention most.
I am with you 1000 percent ,and I own the old uk and American vinyls the cd remix of the main album from my box set sounds beautiful, and that's the cd lol
@@mrlakuda ugh I love the whole new mix except for the she said she said, it’s just so weird, compare it to the mono and the 2009 remaster it’s just so weirdly empty and spacious if that makes sense. I like how the guitars all kind of mush together and blare in the mono and the 2009 remaster but that’s all gone in the 2022 mix
Love 'Revolver' in mono or stereo; love the 2022 remix. Remember the Beatles cartoons on Saturday mornings? I recently watched one on RU-vid where they featured 'Tomorrow Never Knows' as the song! Loved seeing that; pretty deep stuff for Saturday morning cartoons at that time. Great review, thank you.
Wow Michael great job brother! You always take it to the next level without compromise. I have already shared this video on Facebook. Thanks for spending the time it took to do this, you are appreciated.
This new stereo remix is easily the best of the modern Beatles remixes done by Giles Martin and company. I’ll have more to say in the near future, but for now I’ll say this was revelatory for me. The new de-mixing tech is fascinating and will definitely liberate the remaining early-mid period albums still due for the box set treatment. Now bring on Rubber Soul!
Hi Michael, Great video. I was never happy with the original stereo version of Revolver , I always felt it was totally all over the place which is why I always preferred the original mono mix. Eleanor Rigby is certainly a contender for one of the best Beatles songs and it’s my daughter’s favourite track also. The strings alone version from Anthology 2 is just pure magic! Stay well my friend!
Thanx, Dave! And what about them trying out vibrato vs flat playing for the strings? That’s a whole video in itself, but will be addressed in a future video!❤ Thanx, brother!
Great review. Had the exact same reaction regarding the bass on many of the later tracks: "Great job Giles, except you forgot to unmute Paul's bass!" Concerning the Here, There 2022 remix, Paul's vocals are clearly double tracked. They are panned at about 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock. The low harmony "love never dies" is Paul singing a lower melody on one of his doubled vocal tracks. That's one of the sure giveaways that it is doubled.
Excellent in depth review. Your clip will be my "go to" clip for the perfect Revolver critiqu'e. Michael tou are now my "Sound scientist Guru" Rock on man.🤩👌. Long may you & your Revolver review "Revolve" on planet Earth😎✌.
I was surprised by the revelation that Paul WAS on "She Said, She Said"! It's been said that he walked out of the session leaving George to play bass. But no! You can hear his bass, and his VOICE in take 15! I guess he walked out during the vocal overdubs since you can't hear his voice in it.
I think that mix has a bit too much low end on the cellos, and I also dislike the slightly out of sync strings when Paul sings, “Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in the jar by the door, who is it for?” Other than that, it’s a great remix.
I think you just might have avoided blow-back on the 2009 stereo box which has received a landslide of criticism because of how you approached the topic, Michael. My copy of the LP Box 2022 version is otw and I suspect arriving in a week or two. Very enjoyable look at the new release through your eyes. I'm looking forward to hearing it myself. 😊
Thanx Rachel! A few of the tracks on the 2009 release were great! I think it was the weak-assed stereo mixes done by engineers on their way out of the studio ( Ok, OK, maybe they took a full 3 minutes more!) that hurt the remasters more than anything!❤
As far as I can glean, the mono album that comes with the deluxe edition is the same as the 2009 Mono Box remaster. When my box arrives today, I'll have to compare them.
Thanks for this, Michael. Yoiu have ears and skills I don't have with which to judge these recordings. I almost feel as though I am "too familiar" with these songs-- as songs-- in order to have any distance from them at all... I've been listening to these darned songs since I was 6 in 1969... You know, with the bright and grating sounds the mixes originally had, I always thought they were going for a trippy LSD kind of crispy-ness... haha. Am I right in remembering that, in the 1960's, when doing the stereo mixes, engineers only had a choice of Left, Right and Center in which to pan a voice? Which is why so many of these tunes have that stark-- and as you point out, ungraceful-- panning balance.... The 1960's Mamas and the Papas recordings took that to an extreme...
I absolutely agree on everything you said in this review but on here there ,and everywhere I like the new remix more its sounds absolutely beautiful Ringo is too much on the right channel the new remix sounds more intimate 🤗
Well yeah, it's the natural progression, it came before Pepper, Help was before Rubber Soul, etc, would there be Abbey Road without the Let it be sessions?
A Classic LP. I definitely need to go back and take another listen now that I'm armed with all this information! There are two ways to listen to music...actively or passively. or both!
Thanks so much for the analysis. I can't wait to listen through the tracks. The only thing I hear differently regarding the original mixes is with She Said . . . The guitars sound too harsh to my ears . . . I hope they are more pleasing without losing the grit. In the future, I hope Giles et al cleans up Rubber Soul . . . some great tracks on that album, but it's messy. It's clear they were high as kites when mixing. ;-)
I think bass duties on the brilliant 'she said she said' are actually George, as Paul and John came to fisty cuffs over something and Paul stormed out..either way, Paul has said that he regrets not playing on this great song. Btw I'm really enjoying the track analysis you have done on this album and am in agreement on your choices and technical observations. Nicely done !
Paul did not play on "She Said She Said". He had a falling out with either one or all of the other three Beatles and walked out of the session. George played bass on this song.
Michael, could you add in the video description a table summarizing the points given to each version of each song? (2009 stereo, 2022 stereo, 2022 mono)
Sounds like I need to get the mono mix. The first song I listened to on the new stereo mix was ‘Got To Get You Into My Life’ to see if Ringo’s disappearing drum rolls have been rectified . Thankfully the drums have never sounded better.
Hey Michael, I love the new stereo remix but I have a problem with a couple things. First off I think Ringo's drums should have been centered on yellow submarine. And my biggest disappointment on one of my favorite tracks in the album she said she said is the symbols are almost not existent compared to the 2009 remaster. I noticed this on first listen. Other than that on she said she said Ringo's drums are right up there in your face but the symbols are buried, that's kind of a shame. Still I love the box set no matter what.
Try the mix of Yellow Submarine from 2015 edition of the "1" album, the drums are centered and the sound effects also sound more interesting than on this mix. Still my favorite mix of this song.
@@maciejkowalski2759 Well I checked it out and you are right the drums are centered on this particular mix but on the other side of the coin the vocals and the background people that are yelling are much clearer on the 2022 mix so I guess it's just how you look at it.
"If you ask me", "In my option", "To my ears". Michael, why all the qualifiers? Seriously when we tune in to your channel, (or anyone else's) we know it's your opinion. You don't have to apologize for it. We get it. It gets redundant. But enjoying the channel anyway. Your opinions are well articulated and thought out, even when you're wrong. Keep it up.
Thanx, Jeff! I know, I know! But if I don’t occasionally remind folks that it’s just my opinion, feelings seem to get hurt! But thanx for your support and understanding!❤
Hi Michael, Great analyse. Also love the new mix of Eleanor Rigby and For no One but your wrong about the 2009 stereo version of I'm only sleeping. It has the complete instrumentation in the middle and not on the left side like you said, and also johns vocal and backing vocals are double tracked and are in stereo, not just in the right speaker.
@@michaelpeuplie6464 And there is several instances of audible distortion that probably came from the compressors they used in 1966 to make the mono mix.
@@wej5541 even in the 2009 mono remaster, that distortion is still there, especially in songs like "got to get you into my life". When the horns come in, they just get crushed.
@Michael Noland, on your upcoming analysis’ of the remainder of the set, please address the key of B flat for the actual speed version of rain. According to others, they think Giles screwed up, that it’s actually too fast and should be in A not B flat. I tend to agree. Plus Giles used Paul’s bass track from when he recorded it to the slowed down version so when we hear it, it sounds ridiculous. Also I found the mono and stereo mixes of Rain disappointing. Stereo version I think they have the drums panned off to the left a bit which I think is weird and the mono mix, the kick and bass are buried. IMO. Please talk about these things and give your opinions!
Masterful as always, I agree on almost everything except Good Day Sunshine & Got To Get You Into My Life. And I do hear the finger snaps on the end of Here, There and Everywhere. Don't get me wrong. They are perfect "Summer Songs," when heard coming out of a record player at a party in the 60's, but to me mono will always be of a lesser quality. I know this is not true for most people and I'm not looking for a fight. I just can't ignore the wider sound and the feeling of being in the room, to me it's just better. I feel this mix got it right and a big improvement on 2009, thanks to the new technology. Looking forward to Rubber Soul!
I've always liked Revolver, but I feel it's become hugely overrated over the years with so many people claiming it as their favourite Beatles album and a "masterpiece". All in all, it's a good album. Not as good as Rubber Soul or Sgt Pepper. Nowhere near as good as the White album or Abbey Road. I love their experimentation. All of that really began with Revolver. They'd given up touring, started taking LSD and spent weeks in the recording studio, fiddling about with new instruments, new sounds, and different arrangements. I love all that. But the songs themselves are just okay. Nothing that I would list in my Beatles Top 20. To be honest, I prefer the songs on "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help", even though they were simpler and the recording was more rushed.
I think you should listen to the 2009 a little more carefully: in I'm Only Sleeping the vocals are clearly coming through both channels as are the bass and drums. The vocals are not "crammed" into one side. The only songs that have lead vocals hard panned into one channel are Eleanor Rigby, and Yellow Submarine. I just don't understand why everyone is making the original stereo mix out to be unlistenable garbage although at closer inspection it was really one of the better stereo mixes they had done since Beatles For Sale. The songs with George and Paul on lead vocals are in the center while the John lead vocals have the ADT effect splitting into left and right, which sounds much better in headphones than the Rubber Soul stereo mix.
On She Said she said it is George on bass not Paul. There was a disagreement and Paul walked out of the session. Overall I agree on your choices, especially Tomorrow never knows.
Just hurry up and give us a website where we can mix our own and have a World Community where we can submit and rate different versions. Release all the isolated tracks and let us mix our own for God's sake.
About that jazzy piano music in the background, is that a rendition of a Travellin' Wilbury song? I can't think of the title of it, but it was a Dylan song having to do with the devil, I think.
In Got to Get You… they’ve removed a dirty guitar (I think) 0:13 from the left channel (2009) which makes it sound a bit too clean. Would have loved that to be still in. They’ve also removed some initial chatter from the intro.
Just heard Taylor Swift owned all Top Ten Spots on the Billboard Hot 100. The Beatles never did that, but the record business is totally different now. But all props to Taylor, but one question. Will her songs be remembered 55 years from now like The Beatles songs are?
Iove your channel. 😮but...i dont really do remixes!😂i understand fans wanting radio station quality. Im just attached to theway i heard these records 40+ years ago: scratchy, popping and skips! Have to add: sitars rock!!PS Paulsbest pre-Hey Jude work.
Loved the comparison video very informative and a great reason for me buying the deluxe set with the new stereo and mono mixes. As a companion to my existing 2009 cd album One very minor thing : shouldn't the final analysis including Taxman be 5:6:4 ?
There are only 14 tracks on the album. He mentioned one song was a tie b/n mono and 2022, but in the end he just counted it as a mono. Or 2022 stereo. 🧐
Eleanor Rigby and For No One are great mixes although I think the drums on the latter are too loud. Best mixes are Got To Get You Into My Life and, the winner, Dr Robert. Worst job is She Said She Said. Terrible remix to these ears. Can hardly hear the organ and the guitar in the left hand channel sounds 'wrong'. Couple of cymbal crashes have also gone AWOL. Glad to see the opening chords on Yellow Submarine reinstated. I listened to the mono mixes and will always maintain they're more interesting and dynamic. And I'd totally forgotten that Yellow Submarine has a definite ending in that format. I'm just going to continue to enjoy all 3 main versions!!!
"She Said She Said" I sure miss the attack of those crash cymbals! Sounds like a volume pedal was used on those crash cymbals on this stereo mix. 😂 The level is to low compared to the drum kit, which finally has presence. "Yellow Submarine" The whole track is very mid-range. ( lost it's life )? Otherwise they did a great job with this remix.....but i wish they wouldn't remove things from all these remixes. "And Your Bird Can Sing" New mix has cymbals missing. 😔
Michael, you have missed two mistakes in the 2022 remix: the cymbals on She said She said are missing. And the end of Got to Get You INto My Life is cut off before the brass section hits high notes twice.
1966 Engineer: Make the mono right, toss together the stereo mix. 2022 Engineer: Make the stereo right, toss together the mono mix. Looks like I won't be spending $18 to upgrade my 2009 box set CD. Did you try other sound fields? I find 4 and 5 speaker sound fields can make a big difference when deciding between 2 versions.
@@MichaelNoland-TheBottomLine I agree, it is how you should listen to them but I feel they put more effort into making different sound fields in more recent releases. Although I'm not a fan of DVD-A I do like running more speakers to see what they did with stereo mixes. I'm often surprised with their choices, although I tend to favor unpopular mixes. I might check out some snippets at HD tracks but their player doesn't really give justice to proper play back.
@@KariKauree Sorry for the late response. I was finally able to audition the album and the stereo was definitely mixed for 2.1 but what I found surprising was how well the mono translated to 4.1 and 5.1; felt like I was in a concert. Not sure if I want to upgrade but it was fun checking out different engineering. I think my 2009 stereo mix does better with more speakers but now I wish I'd gone with the mono versions. You can only buy the same music so many times...
Of course, the purpose of a loud compression is to try and improve what is already there. Taking certain things out is simply changing the history of the original recording, which never needed fixing to begin with. A disc of studio outtakes is nice, but not enough to justify the inflated price. For sure, this is definitely a money grab for Beatles audiophiles, but a pretty much a waste of money to the average listener. I've read both good and bad reviews on these release. However, I think I'll pass on the new Giles Martin remix, unless I can find it dirt cheap, down the road. As it is currently, the new sets are way too expensive for the casual music collector.
@@superlove35 it's so bizarre, all of these many, many years of listens and looking at the cover and song lists I always thought it was called Love To You.
Both. You have the choice between the box set or just the remixed album. I bought the vinyl edition which set me back £35 (around 40 USD) which is way too expensive imo but it is the greatest album of all time and the new mix will blast your socks off if you have a half decent hi-fi.
Both, Douglas! Expensive in the box set form, but this remix offer so much more than past remixes because of what it accomplishes in remixing what was impossible to remix even last year!❤
I feel like I’m the only one with this opinion: I prefer the original stereo and mono mixes. Sure, the new mixes sound balanced, but for me they just don’t have that edge the originals have - they sound so fake and empty; which makes sense as AI technology was used.
George played bass on And Your Bird Can Sing. The track never sounded good, as last songs on sides usually do. It wasn't improved much on the 2009 remaster.
Being introduced to this the extreme sterio way it originally was in america,or rather not introduce the records we’re just all steady there from vh being born from one of the chasing beatlemania girls do the sterio was played continuously by me B going from each side of the console sterio box depending on mood of I’ll hear the drum side this time or the more singing side ,even my Dutch dad bought a Mercedes Benz car with speakers surround to hear the separation and said I could hear mono for thousands less but the different intstuments separate Ed is why I have two ears not one
Whoever thought a stereo mix with drums on one side, instruments and vocals on another was a good idea should've been fired on the spot! I've been so disappointed on so many remastered remixes! The most satisfying mixes are always the ones where it sounds like the group is on stage and you're in the audience in the middle...
2009 - that's NOT a remix. Just a remaster of original mix. Same as 1987 or any other year but with different EQ, compression applied to the whole recording.
I’ve listened to it a few times now…sounds kind of harsh and tinny in a lot of spots..the 2009 remaster sounds smoother and less compressed to me..even with the excessive panning, I prefer the 2009 remaster..kinda disappointing being this is my favorite album by them
I am really disappointed with the way this remix edition sounds. I bought the 2 cd set. The best sounding tracks are Taxman and Eleanor Rigby, but the rest sounds dull and lifeless. What happened to the dynamics? I like the reduction of extreme panning except where it fits the song (Tomorrow Never Knows), but I'm still shaking my head in disbelief at how poor the majority of this remix sounds compared to all prior Beatles projects....even Rain and Paperback Writer sound inferior to their 2009 remaster counterparts. Again, i'm referring to the overall sound quality. These songs sound much better that the way they are represented here. I'm so disappointed in this 2022 remix that I'm putting my copy up for sale. Big bummer after all the anticipation.
Rain was a big disappointment to me, I think the remix is way too trebly. A missed opportunity to really improve on both of the old mixes, both of which are flawed in their own ways. I guess I'll have to do some EQing myself
