A very interesting piece at Collecting Vinyl Records: Where Are the Beatles Reissues? Enterprising Fans Take Matters Into Their Own Hands.
At least three different entities have now issued sonically upgraded versions of the Beatles catalog, usually using pristine vintage vinyl editions as source material for their digital upgrades. The most ambitious is a virtual “label” known as “Purple Chick” (the moniker is part wordplay on two notorious bootleg labels, Great Dane and Yellow Dog), which issues continually upgraded editions of each original Beatles album that include not only its officially released mono/stereo mixes and period singles, but every available alternate mix and studio outtake as well. Some PC editions are only two CDs in length, while their White Album sprawls over a dozen virtual discs.And this is because...
...the culprits for the Beatle catalog’s perpetually sorry state of affairs seem to be the surviving band members and the heirs of John Lennon and George Harrison themselves.For example...
Typical of the situation were last year’s rumors — purportedly floated by an EMI insider — that the band was preparing a deluxe 40th anniversary edition of their monumental White Album. Instead, eager fans were eventually directed to the band’s official website, where they were offered a commemorative White Album fountain pen — for $395.But these digital versions are not for sale. They are freely released into cyberspace, and if you hunt for them you can find them.
I've bought some digital remasters of the moody blues and Jethro tull and paid a 100% premium to supposedly get a better sounding product.
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to several versions of the same song it justs sounds like they up the output levels somewhat.
I'll have to see if the remastering technology is any better in 2009