Thursday, September 17, 2009

Komm, Gib Mir Deine Mono Box



Has anyone heard about these new Beatles' boxes that just came out? These guys were good, right?

OK, enough. I hang my head at the tomfoolery.

But you know...

I am completely over the moon about these boxes. I had originally wanted to post something about "For No One," the McCartney masterpiece from "Revolver." As I listened, yet again, to the new stereo remaster of "Revolver," "For No One" continued to leave me frozen in place. Paul McCartney wrote this heartbreaking masterpiece when he was 24 years old. Just look at these lyrics:

The day breaks, your mind aches
You find that all her words of kindness linger on
When she no longer needs you

She wakes up, she makes up
She takes her time and doesn't feel she has to hurry
She no longer needs you

And in her eyes you see nothing
No sign of love behind the tears
Cried for no one
A love that should have lasted years

You want her, you need her
And yet you don't believe her when she says her love is dead
You think she needs you

And in her eyes you see nothing
No sign of love behind the tears
Cried for no one
A love that should have lasted years

You stay home, she goes out
She says that long ago she knew someone but now he's gone
She doesn't need him

Your day breaks, your mind aches
There will be times when all the things she said will fill your head
You won't forget her

And in her eyes you see nothing
No sign of love behind the tears
Cried for no one
A love that should have lasted years

Holy Jane Asher, Batman!!

When I was 24 years old, I was betting strangers at the Black Rock Bar & Grill that I could eat 6 of the pickled eggs that had been soaking on the bar since the day "Revolver" was released.

Paul? You win.

Then I thought, how can I help the cynics (read: my readers)? How can I convince all of you that these pricey pieces of pleasure were ALL THAT?

ZIP FILES, that's how.

Decide for yourself, using this meager example which includes 1987 mono and stereo versions, as well as 2009 mono and stereo versions of "For No One," "I'm Happy To Just To Dance With You," and "Rock & Roll Music," if the new Beatles remasters are all hype. (12 songs in all)

Why is this a bad idea? Because most of you will unzip this file and listen to it on shitty computer speakers or through tiny and painful Apple (no relation) earbuds, and that just may not help. But, it's worth a try. At the very least, you get to hear "For No One" 4 times, while I await a cease & desist from EMI.

ZIP FILE

7 comments:

cmealha said...

I always use 'For No One' when arguing who was better - John or Paul. Neither of them really is better but it's always fun to argue the point.
For No One still gives me chills to this day. Unbelievable lyrics that just kill you every time without exception.

Are the mono boxes completely gone or are they going to keep churning them out?

Anonymous said...

It's called the English public education system while here in the states we get mediocre school teachers.

Slick Rick

Noam Sane said...

I can vouch for the fact that the differences are discernible with MP3s through earbuds. "Lovely Rita" knocked me out in particular.
But I've only worked through Pepper and the some of Abbey Rd and Revolver. Only so many hours in a day!

I'm certainly looking forward to hearing the mono, lossless version...as soon as I can hunt them down.

But what I've heard has been really fascinating.

steve simels said...

And once again, one of your zip files downloaded into a temp folder on my computer and promptly vanished into a black hole where no search of my computer can find it.

Why was I cursed like this?
:-)

Anonymous said...

Can't swing buying the boxes so it'll the slow but sure replacement one at a time waltz for the next few years starting with Revolver and Help.

ROTP(lumber)

Michael in New York said...

"For No One" has always been my pick for favorite Beatles song, an absurd proposition so I just chose the one that always catches me by surprise when it ends so abruptly -- and try to prove my cleverness by picking a song that isn't the first to spring to mind. And yet, here you are, picking it.

charlie c. said...

For No One -- 09 stereo: just 'feels' better, much better spatial thing and very able to differentiate the instruments, who's to say -- but I imagine this is what George Martin had in mind.

Happy Just to Dance – (God I love this . . .) 87 mono is an abomination, are those Ludwigs or oil drums? Stereo not much better. 09 mono better . . . much better, best even! Not getting the 09 separation matrix. George is so cool. (I sound like a 14 year old peeing her pants at the airport . . .)

Rock & Roll Music: Primal scream in under 3 minutes . . . More weird stereo choices in 87. Mono rules! But 09 stereo is much more genuine – right channel guitar work is sublime, much more presence than 09 mono.

Next week we doing In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida?!? (I’ll call in sick . . .)

Steve – there are some options right before you unzip – create a folder, then find it via the
‘Browse’ option.