Yellow Submarine Songtrack

The Beatles | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 15, 2002)
• Original Release Date: 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Msi Music Corp
• ASIN: B0002BAA8Y
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (272 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,610,324 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

To the horror of their most obsessive fans, the surviving Beatles have proven more than willing to tamper with their pop legacy, as witnessed by the various facets of their massive, occasionally myopic mid-1990s Anthology projects (and the suspect notion of its faux techno-marvel "reunions"). In boldly revamping the soundtrack to their 1968 Heinz Edelmann-designed animated fable Yellow Submarine, the Fabs have shown they're not immune to the irony of the age either: their original involvement in the project was both tentative and minimal. This new version completely excises Beatles-producer Sir George Martin's charming, if sometimes maudlin, orchestral score, offering instead a new "songtrack" containing all the Beatles songs (standout cuts from Rubber Soul, Revolver, and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, in addition to the four originals unique to the project) featured in the film. The pre-announced "unreleased song" on the set turns out to be the original album's rollicking "Hey Bulldog", one of the last true Lennon-McCartney collaborations. "Hey Bulldog" was also the subject of both a previously excised sequence in the film and a newly edited in-studio video cobbled together from footage shot in early 1968 and previously used in vintage promos for "Lady Madonna". Though it may further upset purists, the band has allowed these tracks to be digitally remixed and remastered into 5.1 surround sound, imparting both a stunning clarity and a new perspective (as well as restoring a "missing" verse and the original six-minute plus playing time to "It's All Too Much") on some of the greatest--if obviously overexposed--songs and recordings in the history of rock. --Jerry McCulley

Product Description

This newly remastered edition of Yellow Submarine includes 15 fully remixed/remastered tracks, including songs which were originally released on Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Magical Mystery Tour, and the original soundtrack to Yellow Submarine. EMI. 2005. --This text refers to the Vinyl edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 79 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FABULOUS COMPILATION, July 10, 2001

By 

David S. Michaels "Flavius Crispus" (Valencia, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Yellow Submarine Songtrack (Audio CD)

I've read some of the carping found in other reviews, and had to respond. I'm an ex-studio owner and recording engineer, and with one exception, I think the remixes of Beatles classics found on this CD are wonderful. Several songs, including "Nowhere Man" are heard in true stereo (instead of the original instruments / vocals pan) for the first time, and they are glorious indeed. On "Yellow Submarine," you hear the thunderous foghorn which is buried in the original mix, and the tinkling glasses of the "partygoers" are crystal clear. On "When I'm Sixty-Four," the high background "aaahs" are a revelation, as they were again deeply buried in the original version. George Harrison's songs fare particularly well, especially the underappreciated gem "Think For Yourself" from "Rubber Soul" and "Love You To," his best and most accessible Indian-style number. One wishes he and the other fabs had spent more time rehearsing and arranging "It's All Too Much," which could have been an all-time classic, but comes across as a rather loose and happy semi-jam. John's "Hey Bulldog" ROCKS, with one of the most propulsive piano/bass riffs in history, dispelling any thought of it as a throwaway.

Other songs that benefit from the remix include "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," which has a new crystaline purity; "Baby You're A Rich Man," in which the slightly annoying speeded-up trumpet is potted down slightly and the vocals boosted; "Sgt. Pepper / With A Little Help From My Friends," which has a bit more clarity in the instrumental mix and a tighter bottom; and "Only A Northern Song," where all the psychedelic horn fills and chimes are given a nice swirling feel.

The only minor problem I could detect was in "Eleanor Rigby." One reviewer here claims the remix reveals Paul is singing flat. That's not the case-- he's right on pitch, and his voice has been given a bit more "top," an improvement over the original muffled quality of the original. But his vocal also seems to be a fraction of a beat BEHIND the backing "string octet." This is not at all apparent on the original mix. I wonder if this is because one of the tape heads on the Studer 4-track was slightly misaligned on the original recording and mixdown? If so, I can appreciate the problem in trying to remix it.

One can only marvel at the musicianship, vocal ability, songwriting genius, and craft displayed in these recordings. It's enough to make you believe Timothy Leary was right when he proclaimed John, Paul, George and Ringo were four superhuman angels sent to enlighten the human race. I'm quite sure we'll never see their like again, but fortunately, thanks to modern recording technology, we will always have their music to enjoy.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Gem!, October 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Yellow Submarine Songtrack (Audio CD)

As a fanatical fan who grew up with the Beatles, I was suspicious of a newly remastered CD. Like past remastering Beatles projects, I expected little more than a new compilation of analogue dumps.

Not so. When these tunes were originally recorded, the engineers had four tracks from which to mix. That meant a lot of bouncing and no true stereo imaging. For example, on Eleanor Rigby we originally heard the string quartet essentially in mono on one channel and the vocals in mono on the other. Fast forward to the late `90s. The engineers retrieved the tapes with the original vocals (all recorded on separate tracks) and the string quartet (also on separate tracks) and digitally synchronized them. Voilà! Now they have eight tracks to work with. The result is a fully realized stereo mix of this classic. The vocals absolutely surround you as does the string quartet. For the first time I'm sitting in the middle of the performance, enveloped by it, not listening from afar. After literally hundreds of listenings during the past three decades I'm hearing instrument nuances and riffs I hadn't realized existed.

Each cut benefits greatly from this meticulously reconstructed digital stereo remixing. The three-dimensional vocals are an absolute joy! To the purists who look at such tinkering with dismay, they still have their legacy albums. For the rest of us -- and new generations of listeners -- this production is an absolute gem, as exciting to listen to today as it was three decades ago. Thanks to technology, I've been reintroduced to these tunes in a way I never thought possible. I'm looking forward to the day when the complete Sgt. Peppers and the rest of the Beatles catalogue are remastered in this way.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!!, September 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Yellow Submarine Songtrack (Audio CD)

Yesterday my 20 and 19 y/o sons surprised me with the Yellow Submarine soundtrack, knowing I am still a Beatles fan at heart. The experience after listening to it was exhilarating! EMI learned from the Anthology sessions in early 1995. The remastering job is outstanding, bringing back to life these tracks which pretty much sound as fresh as being recorded recently. The voices which used to appear in the single right channel are spread nicely, and you'll notice the three part harmony singing as if recorded on separate microphones. The strings, bass, percussion is punchier, clear and with an outstanding stereo spacing. After listening, I enjoyed jumping to Hey, Bulldog and to It's all too much as I did 21 years ago! The other conclusion is that EMI should learn that with those tapes, they are still sitting in a gold mine, and I would not mind (neither many people I know) purchasing probably from A Hard Day's Night until Abbey Road if beautifully remastered in this fashion. I am in my mid forties, and this listening experience still provides listening pleasure and a good dose of nostalgia with a smile. Positively recommended!