1962-1966 (Red) Remastered [Original recording remastered]

The Beatles | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 19, 2010)
• Original Release Date: 2010
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Apple Records
• ASIN: B003YNFYCO
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #834 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Love Me Do

2. Please Please Me

3. From Me to You

4. She Loves You

5. I Want to Hold Your Hand

6. All My Loving

7. Can't Buy Me Love

8. A Hard Day's Night

9. And I Love Her

10. Eight Days a Week

See all 13 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Help!

2. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away

3. We Can Work It Out

4. Day Tripper

5. Drive My Car

6. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)

7. Nowhere Man

8. Michelle

9. In My Life

10. Girl

See all 13 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

The Beatles' original 1973 compilation 1962-1966 ("Red") and 1967-1970 ("Blue") have been remastered by the same dedicated team of engineers at EMI Music's Abbey Road Studios responsible for remastering The Beatles' original UK studio albums, carefully maintaining the authenticity and integrity of the original analogue recordings. The result is the highest fidelity the catalogue has seen since its original release. Both 2CD packages include expanded booklets with original liner notes, newly written essays by Bill Flanagan and rare photos. "Red" and "Blue" are the first Beatles compilations to be released after the band's 1970 disbandment, the popular collections each feature a selection of singles and album tracks written by the band's members.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

82 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "...Love Was Such An Easy Game To Play...", October 19, 2010

By 

Mark Barry, Reckless Records, London (UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: 1962-1966 (Red) Remastered (Audio CD)

Commonly known as the "Red Album", the 2LP vinyl set "1962 - 1966" became an instant classic when it was first released in April 1973 (as did its "Blue" counterpart "1967-1970"). When they were finally reissued onto the new CD format in 1993 however, they caused consternation because of their extortionate full price.

So is this newly remastered 2010 mid-priced 2CD reissue on EMI/Apple 5099990675225 any better - the answer is an emphatic 'yes'.

PACKAGING:
The first thing you notice is that the clunky double jewel-case of the 1993 reissue has been dumped for a three-way foldout card sleeve. The centre and right flaps picture the photograph on the inner gatefold of the original vinyl double album (St. Pancras Old Church in London, 27 July 1969, The Beatles with the public looking through the railings). It also houses the two CDs - CD1 has the full Apple label (13 tracks, 31:02 minutes) and the 2nd CD has the half Apple logo (13 tracks, 31:45 minutes). The vinyl set is yet to come, the Digital Download versions are available from 25 Oct 2010 and there's also an issue that lumps both the Red & Blue reissues together as one package in late November.

The left flap houses a new 32-page booklet. The lyrics are intact from the inner sleeves of the original album issue, there's new liner notes by BILL FLANAGAN the MTV Executive and author of "Evening's Empire" (a book on Rock in the Sixties) and there's plenty of superb colour photos from the period - it's impressively done. Downsides - some complained that the 09/09/09 card digipak sleeves for The Beatles reissues were easy to smudge once out of the shrinkwrap and worse - the inner flaps easy to tear as you removed the disc. I'm afraid these are the same. I suppose I would have been naïve of us to think that EMI would actually listen to the complaints of 2009 about packaging, but they haven't - the need for these issues to look the same as the preceding ones has overridden all considerations... Having said that, I still think they look great - substantial even...

PLAYING TIMES:
It doesn't take a particular genius to work out from the playing times provided above that this set could easily have fitted onto 1CD (and even included bonus tracks). But EMI would of course argue that this would fundamentally alter the aesthetic of the original release. At least this time, the reissue is at mid price, so we're not being charged for the privilege. I think the new price pitch makes the 'one' disc argument a mute point. Besides, I like the break, taking out the first disc and putting in the second - it's how the original 2LP issue was. And better, it doesn't actually diminish the listen, if anything it enhances it.

TRACK CHOICES:
The compilation itself is basically the A-sides of all their UK 7" singles releases between 1962 and 1966 in chronological release date order with a few key album tracks thrown in for good measure. Eagle-eye fans would therefore note that as ALL Beatles UK 7" singles for that period were issued only in MONO, so the tracks on the album should reflect that - the MONO single mixes. But EMI did nothing of the sort. In fact the original 1973 albums stated only STEREO on the labels and only the STEREO code was reflected in their catalogue numbers too. At least this time this new 2010 issue notes that Tracks 1 to 4 on Disc 1 are in MONO, while all other are in STEREO ("Love Me Do" is the album mix and not the single version). Bottom line - I would argue that accuracy's loss is the listener's gain, because the STEREO versions used here are awesome.

SOUND:
Although the compilation is copyrighted to 2010 (released Monday 18 Oct 2010 in the UK and 19 Oct 2010 in the USA), the liner notes don't try to hide that these are the 2009 remasters by the same team who did the much-praised Beatles catalogue of 09/09/09. The sound quality is fantastic - breathtaking clarity on instruments - George Harrison's sitar on "Norwegian Wood" - the string quartet on "Eleanor Rigby" and so on.

CONTENT:
But what impresses most is the actual listen itself. Even now, it's truly shocking to hear just how accomplished The Beatles were. Re-listening to each disc in straight order is a gobsmacking experience - and by the time you get to the real song-writing genius of "Ticket To Ride" and especially "Yesterday" (the song that single-handled shut all the begrudgers up) - you're left with a renewed sense of awe. "We Can Work It Out" and "Day Tripper" were a single for God's sake - not on any English album at the time of release! "Paperback Writer", "Ticket To Ride", "Michelle" - track after track of brilliance... Were they really 'this' good - and so early on - the answer is yes - and always will be.

To sum up - the sound on these new reissues is fabulous; the packaging better than the 1993 versions and each is being sold at mid-price - available in most places for less than the price of a single new album. You can't help but think that millions of people globally will take one look at these beauties on a shelf somewhere and slap them straight into their shopping baskets. And rightly so...

I've loved re-hearing these classic Beatles songs in this beautiful sound quality - I really have - and despite some minor packaging quibbles - the 2010 version of the "Red" album is wholeheartedly recommended.

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The return of Red & Blue, October 19, 2010

By 

William Merrill "eclecticist" (San Antonio, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 1962-1966 (Red) Remastered (Audio CD)

I must admit to feeling a bit foolish for buying the Red & Blue albums AGAIN this time, despite already owning the Mono Box and the 9/9/9 Abbey Rd and Let It Be editions. The reason I got these is that when I first owned Beatles music on vinyl, I actually had these Red & Blue sets before I got most of the individual Beatles albums (except Abbey Rd & the White album). I've most likely listened to Red & Blue as much or more often than the individual albums. The specific sequence of songs on these two double albums just feels "right" to me, and I want to experience that again in this newly remastered form. Experiencing it all over again is just as grand: the wonderful harmonies, marvelous playing, amazing production, and - most of all - the terrific, life-altering songs.

One thing is strange to me, the decision to include mono mixes only with the first four (oldest) songs. Why didn't they use mono mixes of ALL the older material? (or none?) The stereo mix of "All My Loving" has the vocals only on the right channel. I would definitely have preferred the mono mix there! That's not a show-stopper, though. The overall sound quality of this edition of Red is excellent, and I've overcome my feeling of foolishness and am glad I bought this new Red.

I don't have the same negative opinion of the packaging as reviewer Mark Barry does. It looks pretty sturdy to me; I don't see the cardboard slots housing the two discs tearing apart anytime soon. I would have liked plastic sleeves for the two discs, but otherwise this packaging is OK by me.

One other note: I feel incredibly dense to have just picked up on this after many decades of being a Beatles fan -- when put together with the White album, these two collections make "Red, White & Blue." I must be the only person in the world not to see that for all these years.

33 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars No 007 Intro, October 19, 2010

By 

Steven G Bogdanoff (Glendora, Ca, US) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 1962-1966 (Red) Remastered (Audio CD)

Just for those interested: The new remastered version of the Red album, DOES NOT include the 007 theme intro as part of Help! This was unique to the US Help! album and was included in the US version of the Red vinyl release. As expected, seeing as these are the 09/09/09 remasters, the UK Help! album never had the intro, so it would make sense that it wasn't included.