Customer Reviews

Yellow Submarine [Vinyl]

5 star:		(181)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(16)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(17)

 

 

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.

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.

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!

OK, I know. Purists are going to point out that this is not the original version of the YELLOW SUBMARINE album, and they would be right. But, it really is THAT good.

First, all of the songs from the film are included here instead of the George Martin score (don't get me wrong--it's nice, but how many people actually played Side Two of the LP that many times?). Then, of course, there is the remixing (which, no doubt, will irritate some purists). Let me say that I have been a Beatles fan and collector for decades. I know and love their recordings, but have been irritated by the somewhat haphazard nature of some of the stereo mixes. The mono versions were put together with extreme care, and it is evident--they are breath-taking. However, in many cases, the stereo mix seems an afterthought, with the lead vocal often on only one channel and sometimes mixed so far down as to be barely intelligible. This remix solves that problem. The original multitrack recordings (prior to being bounced and combined for four-track) were used and mixed from scratch. The sound, while different (and not different) from the original, gives the listener a new insight into the performance.

So, how are they NOT different? No instruments were added or deleted. Everything that was recorded and in the original mix is still present. However, more range (both in frequency and dynamics) is audible, and the true stereo sound is a real treat. Frankly, I wish EMI would give all of the Beatles' recordings this treatment. Would I replace my current CDs with those remixes? No. However, comparing the results is fun and this album was obviously remixed with great care and respect, so I see no sacrelege.

Standout tracks: "All You Need is Love" (one of John Lennon's most beautiful pieces, in my opinion, takes on new dimension in this mix), "Hey Bulldog" (vocal front and center), "Only a Northern Song" (first time in stereo), and "Nowhere Man" (listen to the depth in the vocals).

Don't throw away your original copy of the soundtrack. But don't be predisposed to disliking this one, either. On its own merits, it is a great achievement and homage to the greatest recording act of all time (that last bit was just my opinion, but then so is all of this, so there it is).

Let me get right to the point. I am in love with the Beatles. Not in a screaming teenage girl way, but in a mature and completely awed way. I own every single album by the Beatles (at least the British versions... they are the only ones available on CD) and this was the last that I purchased. The reason? Well, it is mostly material which can be found on other albums. But I was on a quest to own every single song by the Beatles and I needed this album to do it.
I will be the first person to tell you that this album is flawed. The order is almost the way the songs appear in the film, but it is a little scattered. Let me tell you teh good things about this album, though.
1)The remastering was done very well. Don't listen to the people telling you that they like the mono versions better. This album has excellent sound quality and every song sounds clear and full.
2) The liner notes in the CD tell you when each song appears in the film. Even though I have seen the film a thousand times (I love it!) I could not for the life of me figure out when Think for Yourself appears in it. But the liner notes tells you by placing the title of the songs over pictures from the movie that will let you know!
3) The four original Yellow Submarine songs are great. Hey Bulldog is an excellent song that John Lennon said he just "knocked off". You wouldn't know it. All Together Now may be the weakest of the four songs. Even though it is a bit repitive and not at all genious, it if fun and always reminds me of the end of the movie. Only a Northern Song and It's All Too Much are both amazing songs by George Harrison. I have the sneaking suspicion that George got two songs in this movie because they were not being allowed to appear on other Beatles albums.

If you are someone who is only casually interested in the Beatles, this album is a good way to get started on their music (an even better way is with 1). And if you are a die hard fan, this offers four great new songs to listen to and love.

As soon as this cd was released, I got it (along with the videotape of the same), and was expecing the same old stuff as whenever one says "remastered". Rather, as soon as the first words of the cd were sung, I noticed a BIG difference in quality that just does not compare to any other Beatle CD. Details I've found while listening are subtle ones; it apears for one that Yellow Submarine has been mastered from both the Stereo AND mono versions being for the fact that the differences are the same as from the mono single, at the middle and the end of the track. With headphones, one can hear the Beatles keeping time (right speaker) at the start of Hey Bulldog. Also, the Tremolo of the cello in Eleanor Rigby just shakes the place. AND, a "true" stereo version of Only a Northern Song, I no longer need to seek out Bootleg (you didn't read that) versions of that song to hear it. Oh, and an added verse of It's all too much, from the film soundtrack. Of course, it's really nice to have all the songs on one CD, if for convience if not for the fact that these are all true Beatle classics. Overall, it's just the quality of the remasters that have me sold on this cd. Now, if EMI would do this with all the cd's (well, at least reissue the first four in stereo). It would be fun as well, I think, if EMI would reissue the US versions of the Lp's, for the differences of the recordings, so the collectors can have all versions of the songs, especially the early ones. Also, ()pay attention EMI), hows about a mono release of The Beatles (white album). This was done originally in the UK only on vinyl. The tracks are soooo different in mono, I really believe it would be a seller among the lovers and collectors of The Beatles. If EMI can do what it did with Yellow Sub, then it could do the same with the others (hey, lets try Badfinger and the solo Beatles as well...lol) A great cd, a must buy.

Many people complain that this album do not contain many orchestral score made by beatles fifth member George martin but it is really pointless.the label clearly says it is SONGTRACK no SOUNDTRACk.new album contains almost all songs that were in the movie without orchestral pieces.while the mix of old soundtrack was simply two channels without any impressing middle here it is...awesome multichannel sound! i am not familliar with all these 5.1 surroundings or any other remastering formats but the sound of remastered "Yellow submarine" is simply stuning.listen to "Baby, you're a rich man" is version from "magical mystery tour" and listen to this version from here.and "Eleanor rigby" with huge surrounding sound simply will make your jaws fall.
about the music,"Yellow Submarine" has most of their hits from 1966 - 1968 era with an addition of few new songs like "Hey bulldog","Only a northern song" or "It's all too much".you may think that most of the songs are contained on other regular albums but you must get this album for it's sound.the sound is like beatles should always sound.Paul's bass is almost visible,so is Ringo Drumming.Lennons and Harrison's powerfull guitars rock out of your speakers and vocals are amazingly clear...
remastered "Yellow submarine" songtrack is a great way to get into Beatles music.and one of their best sounding album ever.

The great part about the new YELLOW SUBMARINE SONGTRACK is that it contains almost every Beatles song that was in the YELLOW SUB movie (exception: "A Day In The Life", which is strange because "Think For Yourself" *is* included, even though only a six-second long outtake was used in the film). The awful part is the remixes. Only one is superior to the original mix ("Hey Bulldog", which puts John's vocal out in the center where it belongs); the rest are either no improvement or a disaster. Among the disasters are "Eleanor Rigby", which turns Paul's double-tracked vocal on the chorus into a duet; "Only A Northern Song", which despite being available for the first time in a stereo mix, does the same unintentional duetting on George's double-tracked vocal; and "All You Need Is Love", which mixes the backing vocals too loudly, thins out the orchestra, and generally makes the song sound as if it were put together in a recording studio from bits and pieces rather than played live in one take, as it originally was. "It's All Too Much" is remixed to sound amazingly like a Beastie Boys track, with *very* sharp percussion and handclaps. Whether you think this is an improvement or not depends on whether you're a Beastie Boys fan (I am) and if you think the Fabs *should* sound like the Beasties (I don't).

Overall, you'd probably be better off buying the original YELLOW SUBMARINE, MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR, REVOLVER, SGT. PEPPER and RUBBER SOUL, and making your own recording. (For your own private use, of course!!)

These are the best Beatles mixes available on all levels. The fidelity of all the sounds is better and the stereo placement is vastly superior. As many other reviewers have stated, the "purists" have the original CD releases and their vinyl records if they want to hear the original mixes. The fact is those stereo mixes were bad then and they sound worse now on CD do to the greater channel separation. The engineers that did these mixes should be commissioned to do the entire Beatles catalog of material and those of us who were suckered into buying the 2009 stereo remasters should compensated for being ripped off. I had some of my friends compare this mix of Eleanor Rigby to the 2009 remaster and the original CD release without telling them which was which. (single blind) Everyone picked the mix from this CD as best of the three.

Despite what a bunch of malcontents may shriek high and Holy about the "desecration" of the original recordings, what we have here is no ordinary polishing and remixing of the classic songs, but a complete revelation. The tracks have been slightly remixed using the original multitrack recordings, and on one occasion, Ringo recorded a few beats to give the work authenticity and credibility. In fact, nothing was removed, as the sound of the voices sound clearer than ever before, and on this album you can hear what the Beatles heard back in the studio, which was far from the final product received by the consumers at the other end of the record factory conveyor belt. it is especially disheartening and infuriating at the same time, to see this fine album mistreated, disrespected, and hereby dumped on Amazon to be sold for close to a buck. I'd rather see all incarnations of "Let It Be" or "1" sell for such ridiculously low amounts. I had borrowed this CD from the library not really expecting to hear any miracles, but when I compared this to the crappy Capitol CDs, it was like a deaf man receiving a cure for his afflictions. Rather than disparage this album, fans should be grateful for the team that worked on this with the utmost respect and humility to bring the Beatles' music to the 21st century and to future fans alike. What would your kids say if they heard the 1987 CDs and you told them this is the greatest rock group in the history of mankind? They'd probably laugh at you and tell you to take your Geritol as prescribed. Not so with this baby! Any of these songs here, even the weakest to your taste, sounds 10x better than the latest mierda pop hit out there. BUY THIS ALBUM!!!