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The Beatles The White Album
50TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION, Deluxe Edition
3 CD
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Track Listings
Disc: 1
1 | Back In The U.S.S.R. |
2 | Dear Prudence |
3 | Glass Onion |
4 | Ob - La |
5 | Wild Honey Pie |
6 | The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill |
7 | While My Guitar Gently Weeps |
8 | Happiness Is A Warm Gun |
9 | Martha My Dear |
10 | I'm So Tired |
11 | Blackbird |
12 | Piggies |
13 | Rocky Racoon |
14 | Don\'t Pass Me By |
15 | Why Don\'t We Do It In The Road? |
16 | I Will |
17 | Julia |
Disc: 2
1 | Birthday |
2 | Yer Blues |
3 | Mother Nature's Son |
4 | Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey |
5 | Sexy Sadie |
6 | Helter Skelter |
7 | Long, Long, Long |
8 | Revolution 1 |
9 | Honey Pie |
10 | Savoy Truffle |
11 | Cry Baby Cry |
12 | Revolution 9 |
13 | Good Night |
Disc: 3
1 | Back In The U.S.S.R. (Esher Demo) |
2 | Dear Prudence (Esher Demo) |
3 | Glass Onion (Esher Demo) |
4 | Ob - La |
5 | The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill (Esher Demo) |
6 | While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Esher Demo) |
7 | Happiness Is A Warm Gun (Esher Demo) |
8 | I'm So Tired (Esher Demo) |
9 | Blackbird (Esher Demo) |
10 | Piggies (Esher Demo) |
11 | Rocky Raccoon (Esher Demo) |
12 | Julia (Esher Demo) |
13 | Yer Blues (Esher Demo) |
14 | Mother Nature's Son (Esher Demo) |
15 | Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey (Esher Demo) |
16 | Sexy Sadie (Esher Demo) |
17 | Revolution (Esher Demo) |
18 | Honey Pie (Esher Demo) |
19 | Cry Baby Cry (Esher Demo) |
20 | Sour Milk Sea (Esher Demo) |
21 | Junk (Esher Demo) |
22 | Child Of Nature (Esher Demo) |
23 | Circles (Esher Demo) |
24 | Mean Mr Mustard (Esher Demo) |
25 | Polythene Pam (Esher Demo) |
26 | Not Guilty (Esher Demo) |
27 | What\'s The New Mary Jane (Esher Demo)" |
Editorial Reviews
For 50 years, `The White Album' has invited its listeners to venture forth and explore the breadth and ambition of its music, delighting and inspiring each new generation in turn. The Beatles have now released a suite of lavishly presented `White Album' packages, including an expanded 3CD package. The album's 30 tracks are newly mixed by producer Giles Martin and mix engineer Sam Okell and features the new stereo album mix on 2CDs, adding a third CD of the `Esher Demos'.
Product details
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- Product Dimensions : 5.67 x 5 x 0.71 inches; 6.28 Ounces
- Manufacturer : Capitol
- Original Release Date : 2018
- Date First Available : September 19, 2018
- Label : Capitol
- ASIN : B07HFZ95Z9
- Number of discs : 3
- Best Sellers Rank: #2,039 in CDs & Vinyl (See Top 100 in CDs & Vinyl)
- #1,029 in Rock (CDs & Vinyl)
- Customer Reviews:
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In this re-mix by Giles Martin, for the most part (with a few baffling exceptions), he understood that, just as with his wonderful Sgt. Pepper remix. I'll now proceed to analyze my favorite tracks (not including the demos), compared to what I regard as the best-sounding previous versions. Then readers may make the same head-to-head comparisons and see if they agree. It\'s fun. I love doing this. It\'s like a marvelous aural journey of discovery.
I first heard the White Album at ten years old. It was different; kind of weird, and it took a while to grow on me. My brother had bought it. I enjoy it more than ever, now at age 60, as perhaps the ultimate "variety of styles" album. I can\'t think of anyone who has so brilliantly performed so many styles in one album, while each song remains recognizably from one group, and is hard to imagine having been produced by anyone else.
1. Back in the USSR: superior to the previous best 2009 stereo, which sounded a bit harsh and muddled. The drums are centered, as they should be. The bass is still too subdued (which is a mystery in both mixes), but can be heard more so than 2009. Paul's voice is slightly less prominent, but the overall mix works well and sounds fuller and more "atmospheric."
2. Dear Prudence: drums and stronger bass are centered, making for an improvement from the 2009 stereo. It\'s punchier and a bit more resonant, too: which works well, given the glorious "chimey" / neo-Byrds guitar sound.
3. Glass Onion: Thunderous, "in your face" and echoey drums are the highlight here, as they should be for such a spirited Lennon rocker, making it better and significantly more "energetic" than my previous mono favorite.
4. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da: the primary improvement is in Paul's voice, which sounds perfectly natural, as if one were in the room with him. The drums are louder and crisper as well, compared to the 2009 mono, which was better than the 2009 stereo.
5. Wild Honey Pie: compared to 2009 stereo, there is more reverberation, especially in the drums, which assume a larger importance in the mix, resulting in a needed fuller sound and a somewhat "spooky" feel.
6. The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill: much better mix in terms of both balance and overall clarity and sound, compared to the 2009 stereo, which was too harsh and excessively separated (especially in light of this improvement).
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps: It\'s disappointing in that it didn\'t center the drums, and they are lower in volume as well, BUT there is an upside to the new mix, too: the non-lead guitar parts are more distinct, clear, and brighter. Since this is a blues-oriented guitar piece rather than a rocker per se, I give the nod to the remix (though it\'s a close call), because we love George's guitar (here with Eric Clapton as well), and want to get as much of that as we can!
8. Happiness is a Warm Gun: the drums are brighter than the muffled sound of the 2009 mono, and the background vocals towards the end are a lot cleaner and sharp; sounds more "alive."
9. Martha My Dear: this most Pepper-like (and I think, underrated) song of the White Album (which was about Paul's dog, for those who missed that!) sounds appropriately brighter and clearer and more catchy all-around than the 2009 stereo. The introductory piano sounds normal and natural, rather than muffled and stunted.
10. I'm So Tired: Oddly, the drums are on one side and arguably the right volume in the verses in 2009 stereo, and arguably a little soft and centered in the remix, while both mixes have a louder drum during the choruses, but with the old one centered and the new one on one side (!). 2018 has a somewhat more clarified and louder bluesy guitar in the choruses. So this one is a toss-up based on subjective preference. I might feel differently with some of these songs also if I heard them through speakers. I'm using headphones, for ease of comparison.
11. Blackbird: Paul's voice sounds fuller and more natural; slightly less tinny acoustic guitar sound, too. So it\'s an improvement of the 2009 stereo.
12. Rocky Raccoon: the drums are brought more to the center and the barrellhouse piano is much clearer. In the 2009 stereo it sounded like it was coming from a cheap transistor radio inside a garbage can.
13. Don\'t Pass Me By: a significantly cleaner and much more pleasant listening experience than the muffled, annoying 2009 mono, which was at least better than the 2009 stereo and its nearly nonexistent drums. One wonders why the original mixes could have been so substandard compared to George Martin's usually superb work. The son definitely outdid the father on this one. But I suppose the superior sound technology available today is the main reason. It seems as if our listening habits change over time as well. What we thought was fine and great 40 or 50 years ago sounds odd and weird and distorted today.
14. I Will: I think it\'s a bit over-mixed. The 2009 stereo is actually cleaner and the old-timey bass is where it should be, in my opinion (it\'s too soft now). So 2009 gets the nod. Giles must have thought the original bass was a little "intrusive." I don\'t. That\'s a subjective judgment call where different opinions are fine.
15. Julia: the two mixes of John's beautiful tribute to this late mother are very similar, but the guitars are maybe slightly brighter compared to the 2009 stereo.
16. Birthday: the frenzied guitar attack in the middle section after the drum break is more dramatic and almost punk-like, but there isn\'t too much difference compared to 2009 stereo. It was always a "tinny" recording and remains so even now (somewhat like many of the Rolling Stones' recordings). But maybe it was supposed to be . . . Me, I prefer a warmer, cleaner sound. But again, these are subjective judgments.
17. Yer Blues: this wonderful, near-satire of late 60s English blues was already glorious in 2009 remastered mono, but it\'s cleaner now compared to the mono, and the drum is totally centered instead of half-and-half, as in the 2009 stereo. Thus, it combines the best of each "competing" 2009 version: much like the 2017 mix of Pepper did. That\'s what we want!: all the good stuff in one mix for the best listening experience. Can\'t wait to hear this and the other rockers with my big old-fashioned, Michigan-made speakers.
18. Mother Nature's Son: Sounds about the same to me.
19. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey: Inexplicably, the drums are kept to one side on this explosive rocker. It could have been improved in the same way that Glass Onion was, and the obnoxious cowbell should have been removed (I had vainly hoped)! But that would "mess with" the song as the Beatles made it (maybe with Ringo's permission, the cowbell could be excised?). But there are improved aspects in this mix, too. It happily maintains the song's rocking nature, with its wonderful all-out "Twist and Shout"-like Lennon vocal delivery. The clarity is better: particularly in the snare drum and cymbals, which can be more distinctly heard. The 2009 mono (my previous favorite) sounds "jumbled" in comparison. So I choose this one as the best.
20. Sexy Sadie: very similar, but in the 2009 stereo the drums are slightly louder (better, to my taste) and cleaner and crisper in the snare and cymbals. I don\'t know why that was changed (why it was thought a change was needed), so I think the remix fails on that score, but it\'s a relatively minor failure.
21. Helter Skelter: Paul's not a rocker? Ha! Take THIS! Disappointingly, the drums were not centered. But as in the case of Me and My Monkey, all is not lost. They're louder and have a much more jolting impact than the 2009 mono, and the guitars are louder, making the song an almost frightening existential experience (some of the most ferocious rock ever played by any band ever). Another downside is a softer bass in the mix. Since we want to hear Paul's Come Together-like "swamp" bass, too, we can easily accomplish that by simply turning up the bass portion of our equalizers. With that adjustment, the new mix can be heartily recommended as superior. Play it really loud! I made sure no one was home when I did. :-)
22. Honey Pie: This is a big improvement in an "upgraded sound" sort of way. As in many of the softer Paul songs, his voice sounds more natural: like it\'s an in-person performance without a mike, up close. But in terms of the mix, the "20s jazz" orchestral flourishes are much more prominent, and it works wonderfully to these ears. Great job in improving the 2009 stereo, and almost transforming the song, making it even better than it has always been.
23. Cry Baby Cry: not much different, but fuller, warmer soundscape than the 2009 stereo, while maintaining the greater punch of the 2009 mono.
24. Good Night: the big improvement here over the 2009 stereo is the significantly greater clarity of the background singing, which was quite muddy and muffled before.
Conclusion:
A) Striking sound improvements (10): 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, 13, 17, 21, 22
B) Significant and noticeably improved sound (7): 4, 5, 8, 11, 19, 23, 24
C) About the same (5): 7, 10, 15, 16, 18
D) Inferior to the 2009 stereo (2): 14, 20
Overall, I give it an A-. The best improvements (my A list above) are VERY good, so I give it five stars for overall impact. 17 significantly or strikingly improved Beatles songs is something for all devoted fans to rejoice about! I'm very happy about the whole thing. It\'s a must-own for any Beatles fan.
Reviewed in the United States on November 14, 2018
In this re-mix by Giles Martin, for the most part (with a few baffling exceptions), he understood that, just as with his wonderful Sgt. Pepper remix. I'll now proceed to analyze my favorite tracks (not including the demos), compared to what I regard as the best-sounding previous versions. Then readers may make the same head-to-head comparisons and see if they agree. It\'s fun. I love doing this. It\'s like a marvelous aural journey of discovery.
I first heard the White Album at ten years old. It was different; kind of weird, and it took a while to grow on me. My brother had bought it. I enjoy it more than ever, now at age 60, as perhaps the ultimate "variety of styles" album. I can\'t think of anyone who has so brilliantly performed so many styles in one album, while each song remains recognizably from one group, and is hard to imagine having been produced by anyone else.
1. Back in the USSR: superior to the previous best 2009 stereo, which sounded a bit harsh and muddled. The drums are centered, as they should be. The bass is still too subdued (which is a mystery in both mixes), but can be heard more so than 2009. Paul's voice is slightly less prominent, but the overall mix works well and sounds fuller and more "atmospheric."
2. Dear Prudence: drums and stronger bass are centered, making for an improvement from the 2009 stereo. It\'s punchier and a bit more resonant, too: which works well, given the glorious "chimey" / neo-Byrds guitar sound.
3. Glass Onion: Thunderous, "in your face" and echoey drums are the highlight here, as they should be for such a spirited Lennon rocker, making it better and significantly more "energetic" than my previous mono favorite.
4. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da: the primary improvement is in Paul's voice, which sounds perfectly natural, as if one were in the room with him. The drums are louder and crisper as well, compared to the 2009 mono, which was better than the 2009 stereo.
5. Wild Honey Pie: compared to 2009 stereo, there is more reverberation, especially in the drums, which assume a larger importance in the mix, resulting in a needed fuller sound and a somewhat "spooky" feel.
6. The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill: much better mix in terms of both balance and overall clarity and sound, compared to the 2009 stereo, which was too harsh and excessively separated (especially in light of this improvement).
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps: It\'s disappointing in that it didn\'t center the drums, and they are lower in volume as well, BUT there is an upside to the new mix, too: the non-lead guitar parts are more distinct, clear, and brighter. Since this is a blues-oriented guitar piece rather than a rocker per se, I give the nod to the remix (though it\'s a close call), because we love George's guitar (here with Eric Clapton as well), and want to get as much of that as we can!
8. Happiness is a Warm Gun: the drums are brighter than the muffled sound of the 2009 mono, and the background vocals towards the end are a lot cleaner and sharp; sounds more "alive."
9. Martha My Dear: this most Pepper-like (and I think, underrated) song of the White Album (which was about Paul's dog, for those who missed that!) sounds appropriately brighter and clearer and more catchy all-around than the 2009 stereo. The introductory piano sounds normal and natural, rather than muffled and stunted.
10. I'm So Tired: Oddly, the drums are on one side and arguably the right volume in the verses in 2009 stereo, and arguably a little soft and centered in the remix, while both mixes have a louder drum during the choruses, but with the old one centered and the new one on one side (!). 2018 has a somewhat more clarified and louder bluesy guitar in the choruses. So this one is a toss-up based on subjective preference. I might feel differently with some of these songs also if I heard them through speakers. I'm using headphones, for ease of comparison.
11. Blackbird: Paul's voice sounds fuller and more natural; slightly less tinny acoustic guitar sound, too. So it\'s an improvement of the 2009 stereo.
12. Rocky Raccoon: the drums are brought more to the center and the barrellhouse piano is much clearer. In the 2009 stereo it sounded like it was coming from a cheap transistor radio inside a garbage can.
13. Don\'t Pass Me By: a significantly cleaner and much more pleasant listening experience than the muffled, annoying 2009 mono, which was at least better than the 2009 stereo and its nearly nonexistent drums. One wonders why the original mixes could have been so substandard compared to George Martin's usually superb work. The son definitely outdid the father on this one. But I suppose the superior sound technology available today is the main reason. It seems as if our listening habits change over time as well. What we thought was fine and great 40 or 50 years ago sounds odd and weird and distorted today.
14. I Will: I think it\'s a bit over-mixed. The 2009 stereo is actually cleaner and the old-timey bass is where it should be, in my opinion (it\'s too soft now). So 2009 gets the nod. Giles must have thought the original bass was a little "intrusive." I don\'t. That\'s a subjective judgment call where different opinions are fine.
15. Julia: the two mixes of John's beautiful tribute to this late mother are very similar, but the guitars are maybe slightly brighter compared to the 2009 stereo.
16. Birthday: the frenzied guitar attack in the middle section after the drum break is more dramatic and almost punk-like, but there isn\'t too much difference compared to 2009 stereo. It was always a "tinny" recording and remains so even now (somewhat like many of the Rolling Stones' recordings). But maybe it was supposed to be . . . Me, I prefer a warmer, cleaner sound. But again, these are subjective judgments.
17. Yer Blues: this wonderful, near-satire of late 60s English blues was already glorious in 2009 remastered mono, but it\'s cleaner now compared to the mono, and the drum is totally centered instead of half-and-half, as in the 2009 stereo. Thus, it combines the best of each "competing" 2009 version: much like the 2017 mix of Pepper did. That\'s what we want!: all the good stuff in one mix for the best listening experience. Can\'t wait to hear this and the other rockers with my big old-fashioned, Michigan-made speakers.
18. Mother Nature's Son: Sounds about the same to me.
19. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey: Inexplicably, the drums are kept to one side on this explosive rocker. It could have been improved in the same way that Glass Onion was, and the obnoxious cowbell should have been removed (I had vainly hoped)! But that would "mess with" the song as the Beatles made it (maybe with Ringo's permission, the cowbell could be excised?). But there are improved aspects in this mix, too. It happily maintains the song's rocking nature, with its wonderful all-out "Twist and Shout"-like Lennon vocal delivery. The clarity is better: particularly in the snare drum and cymbals, which can be more distinctly heard. The 2009 mono (my previous favorite) sounds "jumbled" in comparison. So I choose this one as the best.
20. Sexy Sadie: very similar, but in the 2009 stereo the drums are slightly louder (better, to my taste) and cleaner and crisper in the snare and cymbals. I don\'t know why that was changed (why it was thought a change was needed), so I think the remix fails on that score, but it\'s a relatively minor failure.
21. Helter Skelter: Paul's not a rocker? Ha! Take THIS! Disappointingly, the drums were not centered. But as in the case of Me and My Monkey, all is not lost. They're louder and have a much more jolting impact than the 2009 mono, and the guitars are louder, making the song an almost frightening existential experience (some of the most ferocious rock ever played by any band ever). Another downside is a softer bass in the mix. Since we want to hear Paul's Come Together-like "swamp" bass, too, we can easily accomplish that by simply turning up the bass portion of our equalizers. With that adjustment, the new mix can be heartily recommended as superior. Play it really loud! I made sure no one was home when I did. :-)
22. Honey Pie: This is a big improvement in an "upgraded sound" sort of way. As in many of the softer Paul songs, his voice sounds more natural: like it\'s an in-person performance without a mike, up close. But in terms of the mix, the "20s jazz" orchestral flourishes are much more prominent, and it works wonderfully to these ears. Great job in improving the 2009 stereo, and almost transforming the song, making it even better than it has always been.
23. Cry Baby Cry: not much different, but fuller, warmer soundscape than the 2009 stereo, while maintaining the greater punch of the 2009 mono.
24. Good Night: the big improvement here over the 2009 stereo is the significantly greater clarity of the background singing, which was quite muddy and muffled before.
Conclusion:
A) Striking sound improvements (10): 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, 13, 17, 21, 22
B) Significant and noticeably improved sound (7): 4, 5, 8, 11, 19, 23, 24
C) About the same (5): 7, 10, 15, 16, 18
D) Inferior to the 2009 stereo (2): 14, 20
Overall, I give it an A-. The best improvements (my A list above) are VERY good, so I give it five stars for overall impact. 17 significantly or strikingly improved Beatles songs is something for all devoted fans to rejoice about! I'm very happy about the whole thing. It\'s a must-own for any Beatles fan.
This release is far better. Very enjoyable
Of course, the White Album itself pitched the prospect of individuality and the Beatles pursued the music in this fashion. Giles Martin's new stereo remix brings out a greater clarity and the instruments are better-centered and more distinct from each other. The bass and drums have increased presence like it\'s mono. I'm hearing sounds I haven\'t detected before such as louder tambourines on "Dear Prudence", reverb on "Yer Blues", guitar parts on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", and Ringo's drums sound punchier on "Helter Skelter". Also, "Wild Honey Pie" has never sounded so wobbly.
Top reviews from other countries
Ich selbst liebe diesen Song. Er ist geradlinig, zielstrebig, voller Power. Er wurde von Paul als eine Art Homage an Chuck Berrys "Back in the U.S.A." verfasst. Im kraftvollen Refrain wird Paul von seinen Freunden noch verstärkt. Desweiteren übernehmen John und George und noch einmal Paul selbst den quirligen "Hu- hiu- hu"- Hintergrundgesang. Dies soll bewusst an den Surfer- Sound der frühen Beach Boys erinnern. Darüber hinaus gibt es euphorische Rufe in den Song hinein wie beispielsweise "njet" oder "let me tell you, honey". Und -- wie so oft bei Beatles- Songs, sonst vornehmlich bei John -- gab es Anlass für Spekulationen über den Text. Übrigens sitzt Paul hier ausnahmsweise am Schlagzeug. Wegen diverser Streitereien hatte Ringo -- wie übrigens Toningenieur Geoff Emerick und beinahe auch Produzent George Martin -- vorübergehend die Band verlassen. Die Kuriositäten gehen weiter : John übernimmt unüblicherweise Pauls sechssaitigen Bass etc. ect.
Über JEDEN der insgesamt 30 regulären Songs könnte man ähnliche bedeutungsvolle Gute Nacht- Geschichten erzählen. Das ganze Album besticht mit einer unglaublichen Vielseitigkeit. Was wir hören, sind vier Pop- Komponisten, Musiker und Sänger, die bei all ihrer Kreativität und Spannweite immer wieder zur Hochform auflaufen. Nur herausgegriffen, ein paar Beispiele : Wir finden wunderschöne Balladen ("Dear Prudence"), knallharten Rock ("Helter skelter"), Country ("Mother nature's son"), Country- Rock ("Don\'t pass me by"), Folk ("Blackbird"), Reggae ("Ob-la-di- Ob-la-da"), Ragtime ("Honey pie"), Blues ("Yer Blues"), Jam ("Why don\'t we do it in the road"), Psychedelia ("Long long Long"), eine Sound- Collage ("Wild honey pie"), Avantgarde ("Revolution 9") und selbst Musical ("Good night"). Keineswegs zu vergessen, mittendrin : Johns mehrteiliges progressives "Hapiness is a warm gun", über das selbst Paul anerkennend sagte : "Es ist vermutlich mein Lieblingstitel auf dem ganzen Album !"
Und noch ein kleines, nein, sehr großes Panoptikum am Rande : Könnten Sie sich vorstellen, lieber Leser, dass die Streithähne Paul McCartney und Yoko Ono jemals ein Duett aufnehmen würden ? Was ich lange Zeit selber gar nicht wusste, ist, dass bei Pauls "Birthday" tatsächlich (u.a.) Yoko Ono bei den Harmonien mitsingt ......
CD 3 des neuen Sets beinhaltet die sogenannten "Esher- Tapes". Es handelt sich um ganze 27 Titel. Beinharten Fans dürften sie von Schallplattenbörsen oder Flohmarktständen längst bekannt sein. Diese so lange Zeit offiziell unveröffentlichten Aufnahmen klingen nun tatsächlich satter, kräftiger, lebendiger. Sie allein rechtfertigen bereits den Kauf. Selbst hier sind hochkarätige Songs dabei, die noch nicht einmal den Sprung auf das eigentliche Album schafften : "Junk" (von Paul), "Child of nature" (jawohl, Johns späteres "Jealous guy") oder auch "Circles" (eine weitere schöne Ballade von George). Somit war 1968 ganz gewiss das fleißigste und ausdauerndste Jahr der Beatles. Auch kurz zuvor eingespielte Songs wie das schneidige "Hey Bulldog" oder eine frühe Form von "Across the universe" blieben unberücksichtigt. Selbst "Hey Jude", die zeitlich längste und in den Staaten kommerziell erfolgreichste Single der Beatles, kam nicht mehr auf den Longplayer.
Ähnlich wie bei "Sgt. Pepper" gingen die vier Mitglieder auch hier wieder beherzt zur Sache : Meditativ gestärkt aus einem (überwiegend) gemeinschaftlichen mehrwöchigen Urlaub in Indien (Februar und März 1968) trafen sie sich Ende Mai in George Harrisons Bungalow in Esher. Genau daher stammt auch die Bezeichnung "Esher Tapes". Speziell John, Paul und George hatten die meisten ihrer Titel schon im Vorfeld solo demoartig aufgenommen. Nun jammen sie noch ein weiteres Mal darüber. Dies erklärt, warum z.B. Paul gleich bei "Back in the USSR" mit sich selber im Duett singt. Insgesamt bleibt es aber noch bei einer sehr spärlichen musikalischen Umsetzung der Titel. All die späteren technischen Verzierungen und Mittel fehlen völlig. Insofern hören wir die Beatles tatsächlich "unplugged". Dies auch noch mit andersartigem Gesang.
Was die neuen Mixe anbelangt, so klingen auch die 30 offiziell veröffentlichten Versionen (auf CD 1 und 2) kraftvoller und lebendiger als zuvor. Zunächst wurde die eigentliche Loudness -- wie bei solchen Verfahren generell üblich -- angehoben. Vor allem Ringos Schlagzeug wirkt nun kantiger und robuster. Der Lead- Gesang ertönt zentral und trifft sich -- nicht mehr wie früher nur von der linken oder rechten Seite aus kommend -- jetzt gewissermaßen in der Mitte. "Dahinter" gelagert sind die vielfältigen Instrumente und Effekte. Einzelne davon wurden nun herausgegriffen und verstärkt. Sie ragen plötzlich aus dem bekannten einheitlichen Gesangsbild hervor.
Hierüber mag man durchaus geteilter Meinung sein. Völlig wertfrei betrachtet, macht es sicherlich zunächst mal Spaß, hier etwas Neues, zugleich Unverfälschtes aus der Hand der Beatles zu entdecken. Leiser ausgerichtete Songs wie "Blackbird", "Mother nature's son" oder "Long, long, Long" klingen absolut glasklar. Eigentlicher Gewinner ist für mich "Revolution 1", das ich ansonsten als einzigen Titel wegen einer gewissen Langatmigkeit immer gerne überspringe. Natürlich gar nicht zu vergessen "Revolution 9" : Die Gesprächsfetzen und Geräusche klingen nun so atmosphärisch- spannend wie in einer völlig abgefahrenen Erlebniskneipe.
Auch bei "Wild honey pie" wirkt der angedeutete Bienenschwarm nun noch fremdartiger. Bei "Good night" befinden sich selbst die Geigen allesamt auf Abwegen. "Honey Pie" wirkt nicht mehr so dramaturgisch -- u.a. geht es doch darum, mit einem Ruderboot den Atlantik zu überqueren -- sondern stattdessen wie ein gänzlich unbekümmertes Tanzstück. Auch Georges wundervolle Ballade "While my guitar gently weeps" scheint mit jeder neuen Veröffentlichung den Hauch einer Wesensveränderung zu erfahren : Es wirkt markanter, rockiger. Selbst seine Klagerufe gegen Songende sind nun auffälliger und lauter. Sollte es zukünftig zu weiteren "Auffrischungen" kommen, so werden sie vielleicht einmal -- potztausend -- mit Johns "Yoko"- Gekreische aus den Avantgarde- Aufnahmen von 1968/69 mithalten können.
Darüber hinaus scheint es bei dem "Weißen Riesen" auch noch zu spuken : Bei Johns sich steigernden "Oh yeah"- Rufen bei "Glass Onion" fehlt wie von Geisterhand entnommen die etwas höhere Stimmeinlage. Bei "The continuing story of Bungalow Bill" scheint die geschätzte spanische Gitarre gar zurück nach Spanien auswandern zu wollen. Und bei einer Sache muss man dem verantwortlichen "Mixe- Magier" namens Giles Martin nun aber doch ganz empfindlich auf seine sensiblen Patsche- Händchen hauen : Bei "Helter Skelter", dem ja so leidenschaftlichen "Holterdipolter", hat er die Regler bei Ringos finalem Schlachtruf "I got blisters on my fingers" sträflich nach unten fahren lassen. Warum denn das ? Der originale "Hallo Wach"- Effekt geht so erbarmungslos verloren ! Jammerschade .....
Statistiker wird es bestimmt erfreuen, dass der Ende 2018 wiederbelebte "Weiße Riese" selbst 50 Jahre nach seinem erstmaligem Erscheinen sich erneut in den internationalen Top Ten platzieren konnte. Zwar nicht mehr auf Platz 1, aber immerhin doch auf Platz 6 in den USA, Rang 4 in UK und sogar auf Platz 3 in Deutschland. In den deutschen Vinyl- Jahres- Charts 2018 belegte es sogar Platz 1 -- noch vor dem ebenso aufgefrischten "Pulse" von Pink Floyd, "1220" von Yung Hurn und "Ein kleines bisschen Horrorschau" von den Toten Hosen.
Alles in allem haben wir es auf jener 3 CD- Box mit sage und schreibe 57 Titeln zu tun. Für einen Preis von ca. 20 E. sind Qualität und Quantität gigantisch. Wie heißt es parallel noch in der Werbung : "Seine Spannkraft, glasklar und sauber, macht ihn so ergiebig". Genauso ist es musikalisch : Es handelt sich um einen weiteren Genie- Streich von den vier Fabel- Wesen aus den Swinging Sixties !