Believe it or not I went to take out the garbage one day and these 2 CD's and others were piled up next to the bins. Yeah I picked them up. Great collections!
I believe you. About two years ago I went to take my trash out at 4 AM and found a stack of over 40 CDs sitting on the the garage can lid. They were all new! It looked like somebody spent hundreds of dollars on CDs, took the plastic off of them and threw them away. None of them were my taste. Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Linda Ronstadt. I took them to a used record store named Rasputin's and sold them for $160. My television, refrigerator, microwave, Marantz tuner amp and JBL speakers all came from the trash.
@@ldchappell1 You are one lucky person. A Marantz? JBL's? Wow. High quality stuff back in the day. And if still worked. Somebody up there likes you. Praise him. Amen.
@@antrygis1 I'm pretty good at fixing things. I have about an 80% success rate. You know how Columbo loves to solve murder cases? I love to solve what's wrong with things. And like Clint Eastwood famously said "A man has got to know his limitations." I have been lucky finding and fixing things but I also live in a city with 870,000 other people. People are always throwing away nice things. A lot of times they think something is broken but it's actually not. That was the case with my Samsung flat panel. I had that puppy working in five minutes. Same thing with my Sony Bluray player. A lot of people don't realize that when your television won't come on but a light is blinking, that blink is a message. Unfortunately I haven't found a nice pair of headphones and I'll be getting some the old fashioned way this weekend. In a store. 😎👍
These are the most important albums in Beatles history. These albums introduced the first generation after the Beatles to TheBeatles. Nothing in the '70s beat these albums and they both held firm right through 1979.
2ondering about the ",hey Jude ablum.. nothing to add however.. but back in the early 80's.. got the chance to visit a sort-of-small club by the name of the same name Hey Jude.. even growing up in Detroit listening to the Beatles a 65-er now.. I just couldn't just good the song and it continue have such a meaning to me... However asking other about the ablum bnd the song in particular no one seem to know if it about a young and unhappy chap or what? In any event still adore the " tune".. thanks for your expertise...
@@clydeelliott2379 if you want to know the story Clyde Paul McCartney was driving to John Lennon‘s home to visit Julian and he was going to comfort Julie and then they original title was going to be a jewel jewel but he changed it to Jude which I think sounds better. there is a line in that song which Paul McCartney was going to remove which is the movement you need is on your shoulder and John Lennon told him no he said that’s the best line in the song and I think that is one of the greatest songs ever On the retina blue albums I’m so glad that they didn’t edit that album or that song down like they did on the 20 greatest hits. I haven’t listen to it I much prefer longer versions of songs. I did hear the story of the 20 greatest hits album I think they could’ve had it as a double album that would’ve worked but it’s still one of the best songs ever.
@@leonardoiglesias2394 If kids couldn't get all this Beatles material in one place, they may not have been able to see the full spectrum of theBeatles growth and power. Even the album covers show the growth from kids to adults.
The LPs rely mostly on singles. When I started to hear the whole albums I realized immediately what I was missing: A LOT. I discovered I would never be a happy Beatles fan without buying the entire catalog. Which I did.
They did give an introduction to the Beatles music, showed the progression. I remember borrowing Sgt Pepper from the library, buying the original albums was out of the question
At Christmas in 1976 I received my first album which was The Beatles 1962-1966. It was the most amazing feeling listening to this album. How I wish I was there again
When I left my home on December 6, 1976 at age 18, the first thing I bought was a stereo. The second thing I bought was both the red and blue Beatles compilation albums. I got both of them for $12 plus whatever the sales tax was at the time. Now, 46 years later I have the entire Beatles catalog, including the rare Capitol albums that haven't been issued in decades, like "Beatles '65," "Something New," and "Yesterday...and Today." I have the Anthologies, Past Masters, Let It Be Naked, Love, #1, Live At The Hollywood Bowl. In fact the only ones I don't have now are the red and blue collections. It would just be redundant.
I bought both in 1974, and my sister played them to death. My sister had a habit of buying absolute junk which she ended up rarely playing, but grabbing my records instead. The memory still irks me. Sigh!
Do you remember how much you paid for the compilations? I got both the red and blue collections. With the state sales tax it came to $13.18. I bought them in December 1976. Even in 1976 I thought it was a helluva good deal for that much Beatles music. If you're in the same age bracket as I am you know that Beatle albums very rarely (if ever!) were on sale. I only saw it one time. In 1975 Woolworth's was selling overstock copies of Yellow Submarine and Let It Be for 99 cents.
@@ldchappell1 I just turned 62 so can't recall with perfect memory but I think they were about $10 each here in Canada? Regular single album records sold for between $5-7. Most definitely worth the money, though!
Oh yeah, that would be great. And then Later an all analog box set of the US Capitol albums with the original dodgy sound & a Butcher Cover reproduction!
The Red Album was my introduction to the Beatles as a kid… then i got the Blue Album later on. When i look back on it, they couldve fit at least 2 more songs on the Red Album. At least “Taxman”, so George can have at least one song on the album and “Revolver” can have a bit more exposure as compared to “Rubber Soul” where half of the entire album is on there, but with “Revolver” just both sides of the one single…
Was my first Beatles album as a kid - I think I got it when it was released. Yes, just a hits collection (and WHAT a collection!!!) but led me and millions of others to start buying other Beatles releases. 😸
Same order for me. This was the start of an album buying hobby that increased to about 800 over a period of the next twenty years. Later, many rebought as cassette tapes and CDs...
One advantage of being an American was that the American version of HELP! (the album) has that Bondian intro at the beginning, and it really bugged me years later to find that the UK release of HELP! on CD didn't have it -- I felt cheated by the exclusion of that intro! When they released the Capitol Records BEATLES collections, they had that intro for the HELP! album, which brought back some great memories from my childhood. It may seem silly -- even borderline blasphemous -- for me to say that I prefer the US versions of Beatles albums to the UK originals, but the playlist order of songs on the American versions is what I remember and prefer: it would sound 'wrong' to listen to whole albums in a different order . . . if you know what I mean. And there are some US album versions of songs that must have been different studio 'takes' from the versions on the UK albums.
@@alanr4447a I almost feel guilty for my love of the North American version of Rubber Soul. But I've Just Seen a Face (which was hijacked from the UK Help! LP) is such a great way to kick off an album, to my ears. But I still miss If I Needed Someone, so I'll have to make up a hybrid version one of these days.
The blue album is one of my first musical memories. My dad had a copy (1973 Canadian). I remember coming downstairs one night when I couldn't sleep, and telling my dad I wanted to hear "the song about the penny"!
I found out in Japan, the Red and Blue albums were both released individually and in a special box set titled “The Beatles Forever,” which included two additional posters and some Japanese inserts. I’m hoping to see a video covering various Japanese pressings, and proving/disproving the rumor of their good sound quality.
I would also be very interested in watching a video about the Japanese pressings sound quality, especially in regard of the first releases in Everclean red vinyl, they sound amazing to me.
Interesting details as usual. What really led me to buy both red and blue copies, but especially the blue one, was the presence of a true stereo mix of Penny Lane for the first time in the UK discography, not available before. Perfect clear sound. I agree
The Blue Album is pretty much perfect. I have always thought that The Red Album should have had 2 more tracks to make it consistent with its blue counterpart of 28 songs. "I Saw Her Standing There" would have worked well on disc one as it is arguably their first "classic" and another track from Revolver. "Got To Get You Into My Life" would have been a good choice there because of its more commercial appeal than other tracks from that album.
I always thought that Taxman and Got To Get You Into My Life should have been on 1962-1966. Yeah it was strange that there were only 26 tracks on that album when 1967-1970 had a significantly longer running time. Still the best compilation albums though.
I think 6 more tracks at least - considering the short running time!! I agree with "I Saw Her Standing There" & "Got To Get You Into My Life". I would also add "It Won't Be Long", " I Don't Want To Spoil The Party", "I Need You" & "Taxman".
ISHST is my choice too. The problem is where to put it without interrupting the flow. Probably after PPM. This would have pushed the subsequent tracks so that All My Loving closes side 1 and Can't Buy Me Love opens side 2. It works for me, but I'll bet a lot would quibble with AHDN not being the side 2 opener. Representation from Rubber Soul and Revolver is really unbalanced -- it may be that a lot of the "heavyweights" from Revolver didn't fit with the rest of the album. I've heard someone suggest Tomorrow Never Knows both on merit and as being the "bridge" between the red and blue, which I find interesting.
1 was my introduction to the Beatles as an eight year old, but absolutely loved my dad’s copies of red and blue! I don’t have a definitive preference, but think that the Blue is a little more spot on highlighting their music from that era-no filler whatsoever.
It's funny in hindsight. As a record collector AND a Beatles fan AND a mid-sixties teen, for years I passed on these albums at either thrift-shops or record stores on the basis that they were just greatest hits packages similar to, say, The Beach Boys Endless Summer (another package that I still do not include in my collection).
You might want to get the Spanish edition of the blue album as a rarity: since The Ballad of John and Yoko had been banned for the mention of Gibraltar, it was replaced by One After 909, becoming a unique official edition.
And there is a spanish blue edition where the label says one after 909 but you llisten the ballad. It was an early version. Also like the french box you showed, there is an official spanish box containing the red and the blue plus a 48 page booklet written in spanish by jordi serra i fabra. There are 2 vesions of this box (the thick and the rhin) . Both areofficial and were distributed by el circulo de lectores and available for the members of this book-record organization. Second hand copies are available now for about 100 e. Plolygram, you do excellent videos but i think you missed this info i am adding. Keep doing your nice and excellent job,!!!!
When I got my first record player 5 years ago my father gave me his Beatles records and I was always gravitated to the blue album (as I enjoy their later work more) but the red album holds a special place in my heart as well.
To me, these compilations are the best introduction for a Beatles neophyte. Many of the so-called Beatles experts complain about lots of omissions, but I think that a Beatles "expert" barely needs these albums. To me, they are meant for the uninitiated. And they are perfect at that, being my only criticism that the Red Album could have included at least ten minutes more of music (the double CD version of the Red Album is a blatant ripoff, BTW).
Yes. The Red album easily fits onto a single CD as is; I would add "Taxman", "Got To Get You Into My Life", "My Bonnie", and "Honey Don't", among others.
The red and blue collections hold a special place for me. They were some of the first Beatles albums I bought in 1980 at the age of 10 were on cassette when I starting to figure out who these Beatles people were. Of course being a kid in the US my first Beatles record was Capitol’s “Meet The Beatles.” The nostalgia is really strong for me with these records.
The Red was my first, but as I was a little kid who saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan earlier, my life was already changed. Also, I remember as a boy, when my cousin went to the legendary Shea Stadium concert in NYC - I was excited the whole time she was away, thinking of the music! Am so thankful that the Beatles have been part of my life.
I bought the new CD editions. I have the original vinyl pressings as well as the 1993, 2010 CDs. The new mixes on the Red are awesome, more bass, better imaging but strangely enough the early versions have more “spirit” and maybe that’s what we’re used to.
The red album was our first Beatle recording... ever. We had it on cassette and we played the absolute hell out of it on a clunky old Admiral office cassette player. It was a revelation for me as a 9 yr old in 1974. Eventually, my older brother bought the blue album on vinyl. The worn out red cassette was also replaced by vinyl later. We felt that was all we needed musically.... until he bought Sgt Pepper!
Definitely the best Beatles compilation around, and an excellent introduction to their music. It’s the perfect balance between their popular hits and their best works. That was the first time I heard Strawberry Fields Forever, I Am Th Walrus, and A Day In The Life.
I got the two collections for Christmas back in 1974 and was finally able to convince my parents that The Beatles were good music when they heard "Here Comes The Sun" and realized that a Beatle had written it (an instrumental recording was used for bumper music for a local TV morning show in Cleveland). I later had the now very rare GB colored vinyls of this and the White Album and currently have the US colored vinyls with the purple Capitol labels. I am about to order the 2014 British remasters after watching the video.
I got both of these for Christmas back in the late ‘70’s, when I was maybe 8 or 9. The US Capitol versions. As a kid, I couldn’t have cared or noticed less the “quality” of the pressing or mastering, even though I had a quality stereo, and would notice nowadays. Loved them both, stared at the photos, memorized the lyrics. That’s all that matters. For the record, I would scoop up ANY colored vinyl versions, and they’d never see a needle. Just hang on the wall.
I know it's a weird snippet to analyze, but I've been watching this video via TH-cam on TV for a long time, and I always felt like the blue shirt became red somewhat through. Today, I finally viewed this video on mobile, and upon close inspection, yes! Inline with the theme of the albums, the shirt goes from blue to red. Nice detail, Andrew.
My dad. Recently passed away and found a load of old Beatles LPs these 2 in particular, rubber soul, Beatles for sale,Help, Sgt pepper's, a few others I can't remember now, they're all old too ( bought in 70s) shed load of Ry cooder, Faces,Rod Stewart, Zappa, like a crisp box full of old heavy vinyl,
Andrew. Your voice calms me. Perfect to relax after a stressful day. I got the blue album for Christmas in 1973. I was 8. I had played mam and dad’s Beatles for Sale till it wore out. Double bubble. Birthday Jan 74 and blue arrived. What a mind bender for a kid.
I'm from México, but I don't have good things to say about the Mexican pressings, however, I have the DMM German red vinyl edition of 1962-1966 and it sounds awesome to my ears. In fact, a friend of mine made a video showing the audio of it, if you're intersted, I can send you a link where you can listen to it.
My first exposure to these sets was in the mid 70’s when I bought both used in a record store on 8-Track. Played them until they fell apart! Amazingly important releases in Beatle history. I also had the Alpha Omega box sets on vinyl.
The red album was the first lp I bought with my own money, saving up for weeks before hopping on the bus up to WH Smith in Bromley. Going up to the first floor I held the display copy in my hands for some time, before deciding that yes, I was going to put down my hard-earned cash on this purchase. I held it tight on the bus all the way home, occasionally peeking at it in its carrier bag. As soon as I got home it was up the stairs to my bedroom where I reverently removed the precious vinyl and placed it on my record player. I must have played each side 4 or 5 times, sitting there, reading the lyrics and gazing in wonder at the two cover photos. I made up my mind that day to save up for the blue album next, which I duly bought. However the biggest surprise was later buying the Rock and Roll Music compilation, As the red and the blue are Beatles only - no covers, this was another revelation!
Congratulations! Great video! I have the Analog cut 2014 Red & Blue and they sound glorious. With The Rolling Stones' Hot Rocks and Queen's Greatest Hits, these are some of the most important compilation albums in Rock history.
When I was on American Radio, we had the “Red” and “Blue” compilations (they were sold singly in the U.S.), mostly because they saved us a LOT of room in the record library! Regardless of which pressing, when the song was coming out of the speakers of a moving car, you couldn’t tell much about the quality of the pressing.
Andrew I love the niche you have created as one of the most informed Beatles audiophile scholars on Planet Earth! Thank you for sharing all your videos. Its like going to college once again but I love it! ☺️
In 1974 John Lennon spent an afternoon at the New York Radio station WNEW. It's billed as an interview, but it was more like a very relaxed, friendly conversation with Lennon playing DJ and spinning some records himself. The audio is on You Tube. He mentions the compilations, and was unhappy with the mix, especially on Revolution. He described it as a "heavy track" that sounds like a "scoop of ice cream." I guess he would have only had access to the Capitol pressing.
I don’t typically agree with John on his rants, but in this case the Stereo mix of Revolution is half as heavy as the mono mix. Something about it seems so empty compared to the crammed and loaded mono mix
I bought both albums and one thing I liked most was an insert that had a list of all their solo albums up to that point. The group was fairly new to me so it was very handy to know what to look for since there was no internet or home computers back then.
My first thorough dig into their stuff was the Red and Blue album. I had to listen repeatedly to figure out the differences in their vocals. At first I couldn’t discern John’s voice from George’s. I wasn’t old enough to remember when they were still together. I caught the second wave that started with the red and blue compilations
Great mini documentary as usual Andrew. I have a quite a few of these in my collection. They used to be really easy to pick up, not so these days there getting harder to find.
I've got the West German coloured vinyl DMM pressing of both albums from the early/mid '80s. They are very good, though they sound a little brighter than the UK originals. Whether or not that's a good thing is probably a matter of taste. They certainly sound clean, and I'm very happy with them.
Thanks for the tip on the best sound quality on the EU copies of the Red & Blue albums. I purchased the Red and I was pleasantly surprised that the 2 second whispering at the beginning of I Feel Fine was intact for the 2014 version! Recently ordered the Blue EU 2014 version. Looking forward to it's arrival. Great Channel! 👍 🎸🎸🥁🎸
Wonderful video! Both the introduction and the comparisons were superb. Love your channel! Keep it up! :) I remember when I first found my grandpas red album. I had just started my vinyl journey, and Beatles were (as always) the band I liked the most. But, back to the album. Unfortunately, only disc 2 with its inner sleeve was in the box with records (the cover and the other disc is still gone (but now I’ve got multiple other copies :))), but that was enough for me to start singing as I was reading the lyrics. But, some songs were unknown to me. I especially remember “Drive My Car”. I thought it was funny that a song included the lyrics “BEEP BEEP, BEEP BEEP YEAH!”! That record is still one of my most played LP’s. Later, as my interest in vinyl (and music) grew, I started searching for the other boxes of records that my grandpa remembered… and I found them! He had (and has) a very good taste in music. Lots of prog rock (from the early 70s), and of course, almost all of the Beatles solo albums! That week (as I was visiting them), I made it a tradition to listen to Imagine by John Lennon every night. Now, every time I’m there, I pick out 10 LP’s to take home… that’s what I call luxury!
I love how they used the Please Please Me/Get Back photos for the covers. And the inside sleeve photo was fascinating. Also love the track sequencing, especially sone of the Get Back era tracks. Only complaint is the lack of White Album tracks. But we’ve got the White Album for that.
I found these two albums on cd at a garage sale for 50c each the condition they were in was really nice I was very pleased. To me the blue album is great it is a very good representation of the music they made in those years. The red one is lacking in covers and songs by George. I suppose those weren't the big hits but they did make the early Beatles albums fun to listen to.
My parents had some Beatles albums. But, as a kid, I got the Red and Blue albums. Those were the first Beatles albums that were mine. Played them over and over, great memories.
I got my copy of the blue album just about the time you got yours. I believe it was in april of 1977. First of all - the moment I put it on and Strawberry Fields Forever came out of the speaker, I will never forget. It totally changed my perception of what music should and could sound like. It was the gateway to a wonderworld, and I'm still walking around inside it. Every song was solid gold and when that last chord on "A Day in the Life" faded out, I remember sitting on the floor og the living room and thinking "what was THAT?". It was a real blow to the head for a nine year old boy who had never even heard of The Beatles until the week before. The lyrics served a purpose as well. I hadn't had any English education before, so I translated all the lyrics into Norwegian. That gave me the head start of the century when we started our English lessons the year after. I was already able to have simple conversations in English, self taught as I were, at the age of 10. Thanks to The Beatles and those lyrics printed for the red and blue albums.
My story is almost identical to yours - both being the 2nd Beatles albums I ever bought (the FIRST albums of ANY kind I ever bought were "The Beatles With Tony Sheridan" and the "Star Wars" soundtrack), but I bought them in, I think, 1979, and I'm from the U.S., so you can figure out which ones I have. Now, I say HAVE, because I still have them (in storage with all my other albums, and I haven't heard them in YEARS). I was perfectly satisfied in the late '70's and '80's, and they were my "go to" Beatles records. I still think of them first when I think of any Beatles album, and when I think of any "main" Beatles song, it has to have been on these albums. Probably this is all because they were the first Beatles albums I ever heard (except, like I said for the Tony Sheridan ones). They are still my favorite Beatles albums (yes, even over the originals), because I consider them the only true "Greatest Hits" Beatles albums.
I took your advice and picked up the EU 2014 versions of both the Red & Blue off Discogs, new.. These sound absolutely _INCREDIBLE_ ,especially the Red! Your knowledge has been extremely helpful, so thank you for the recommendation! 🙏 As Andrew said, don't sleep on these, folks! Grab the 2014 versions immediately.. They can still be had for about $45 new, +/- and are worth _every_ penny. 👍
(Apologies if this is a double post but my line broke down just when I sent it an hour ago, so it may have been eaten) Great video, thank you! Love the shirt trick. And, of course, Anfield (in the red corner). I recently compared several copies of the Red Album and can add to your information that the 1978 German red vinyl copy sounds comparatively muffled in the sense that it lacks bite. It's okay as long as you don't compare it with better pressings. The German DMM, on the other hand, is very good. It was the first time that I could clearly make out the bass on You've Got to Hide Your Love Away. Once I knew where it was I could hear it on other copies, too (-: . The sound is very detailed and lively, but the packaging is sub par. What did they think? Generic inner sleeves, no lyrics, fairly thin and flimsy gatefold. The sound, however, is very similar to the 2014 analogue, which is superb. I would have to try and compare individual tracks, some of which were superb on the DMM, but I remember that I found the 2014 to be the best overall. I may have been seduced by the packaging. Great quality printing, especially the slightly brown-tinted inner photograph, crisp and radiant colours, great cardboard stock and shiny laminate. A pleasure to look at. Of course there are too many international issues to chase down in a lifetime, but here's another curiosity: In the GDR, Amiga records made its own version of the blue album, 14 tracks that flow really well, original artwork on light unlaminated cardboard, but there was a second sleeve that is more common and was some pseudo-op-art-wanna-be-psychedelic black and white sleeve that screams, ''Sorry, we've run out of money!' Sound quality is very good.
These were the first Beatles albums I bought. One of the best things was the paper insert that came with them listing all their other albums as a group and solo up to that point, including singles! For graduating from grade school I got to select 6 or 7 albums, not knowing any better I went for the ones with the least duplication of songs I already had.
Always so informative and loads of fun to watch. Thank you for including a South African copy in the mix, great to know the red album faired well against the UK version.
I have learnt allot froM this video . I had no idea pressings sounds different. This is really interesting and makes me think about all my records now .
The Swedish first pressnings from 1973 I've got, sounds really good. Probably birthday presents as a kid in the mid 70's:). Made from mothers from EMI. Harry T Moss signed the red. Red is -3 HTM / -4 and -2 / -3 HTM Blue is -4 / -3 and -2 / -1 On the matrix you also have the letters for the pressing plant MÅ, Skandinaviska Grammophon AB. White inner sleeves with the lyrics in red or blue letter. Great video again! Thanks!
The red album was the first record i bought aged 13 in 1982.i’ve just went out and bought the 2014 remasters on the strength of this video.for years,i’ve just been flicking by them as i already have two of each.( originals and 78 coloured versions) these 2014’s sound superb.thanks,really enjoy your videos 👍
These were my introduction to the Beatles back in the seventies. I've got the 1978 red and blue coloured vinyl versions and also a nice slip-case edition of the 2010 red and blue CDs. Must look out for the UK first edition vinyl. Another really good video - thanks and keep it up!
Hi Andrew... Could you help me reconcile and understand the "blue" album pressing I have obtained? It has a legal copyright notice saying 2014 AND 2018. It had stickers on it at one time stating Made In Canada, although there is no indication of that anywhere else in the packaging. the only marking in the run out is stamped, 178789 E3/A3 (this is on side 3) side 4 has the same numbers except E4/A2 and so on. My prime question: Is this also expected to be an all analogue pressing? It is not particularly great sounding and suffers from low gain (not enough db?) and seems lacking in top end to me. Have you heard this edition, or know anything about it?
School trip May 1977. My class had been taken to a nearby coastal town to go to a newly opened water park. We were instructed to bring enough $ to cover lunch/admission/dinner about twenty dollars. We stopped at a shopping complex for lunch and after eating were given a half an hour to explore. I found a record shop and found Blue Album 67-70. Dilemma, album or water slide? I’ve never regretted my choice. I had the best time sitting between my two chaperones, who were nuns, devouring every detail of that album, photos, track listing, label, border, run out markings, everything ! Best three hours spent while my friends got wet. I still have that vinyl!
My daughter bought me the 2014 1967-1970 set for my birthday. I was her professor and she brought them in before I lectured on Dante. Needless to say she is my favorite child! I’ve been playing lots of Beatles stuff for my younger children. When I played Let It Be, it was a revelation. Yeah I’m with you Andrew, I could listen all day.
Hi Andrew,Excellent video as usual and also enjoyed the "This is Anfield" sign at the back,although I have read that Lennon and McCartney both attended the 1968 Everton/West Brom Wembley FA Cup final.Cheers! Ian the Red from Liverpool
These two albums were my introduction to THE BEATLES in the mid to late 70s, then THE BEE GEES and other artists came out with the SGT PEPPER MOVIE SOUNDTRACK album, which I also loved and which also contained many songs from the BLUE album. I discovered TAXMAN only this week while streaming REVOLVER and now I intend to discover their entire catalogue.
The first Beatles item I brought of The Beatles was the Love Me Do 1982 reissue single....I was hooked. The second item I brought was the 1962-66 album. My life was changed at that moment. To say The Beatles have played a massive role in my life is an understatement. Love this video. Beatle obsessives will greatly appreciate it. Well done.
Thsnks for this vid. Even though I was a 'fab four' fan as a kid in the sixties, after their break up most teenagers were looking for new bands by the early seventies. When the Cavern was flattened in 1973 it barely made it as a news story (I can remember German students picking their way through the rubble). I bought these two albums in 1973 at Rushworth's where the Beatles bought some of their early guitars, along with Hessy's (both around the corner from the Cavern) shortly after the demolition. Their release certainly created new interest in the band which never really waned. I still have both copies and strangely they still sound more seventies than sixties to me!
I have the Blue album without "The Ballad of John & Yoko" instead I think its "One after 909" there ..? Could be spanish. Bought it here in Sweden in the 70s. Is this rare?
I have never really paid much attention to these compilations, I must admit. Your videos are really opening my ears to what I've been missing out on for decades. I'm playing a -5/-6 UK blue album as I type this. I don't assume this still counts as a "first pressing", but it sounds blooming GREAT. Goosebumps and tears of joy... Whodathunk, hey? ;-) Thank you so much!
Ah bro... great memories here ☺ My first Beatles album ever was the Red Album when I was 9- Christmas of 1980. Wonderful, bittersweet memories. Thank you for your channel, brother 🙏
If you're looking for CDs instead of LPs, there's really no wrong answer. The Red and Blue Albums were remastered in 1993 separately from the rest of the catalogue, and those fat 2-fer CD sets were repackaged up until around 2007. Then the newly minted '09 remasters were used for 2010 and onward (as well as glossy cardboard gatefolds). And like the 2014 LP, the 2010 Red Album CD uses true mono mixes, rather than simulated Stereo. Other than that, they sound very similar, though the 2010s are predictably louder and I get more "air" from the 1993s.
Sidenote: They still sell the Red Album (60 minutes of music) and the Blue Album (100 minutes) for $33.99 cad each on CD. I'm kind of shocked they retain their early '90s MSRP.
Thanks Andrew - I came across a UK Blue Vinyl pressing (from the 70s) in the wild and took your advice and snatched it up quick. I always wonder how these copies made the journey across the pond…glad it did.
Skbo-1-3404 G28 mastered by capitol. This is the version I have of the blue album. 1976? Do you have one of those? How does it compare with the UK copy. Love your channel. Darren.
Andrew I have a very serious question. Which I hope you can and will be able to answer as I can't find any info anywhere. I have a 1988 Direct Metal Master Mono vinyl of A Hard Day's Night but side 1 has the same matrix numbers as my 1964 original Mono UK XEX 481-3N but has an 8 further round the dead wax,but side 2 has XEX 482-4-1-1 D. What does this mean? Is the side 1 an analogue direct metal master or is it just the straight analogue from the original metal work? And obviously side 2 is the digital direct metal master. Because obviously on the cover it states that it's a direct metal master from a remastered original master tape. Also I'd love for you to be able to explain what all the letters and numbers mean. What's the various 8 and -1-1-1 D mean? And I'm aware that on the older ones they used GRAMOPH to distinguish information,but what information does it refer to? Because some records have 3 of those letters on them such as G R R or O P H and then numbers too. And what do the D and all those -1-1-1 mean on the digital dmms? Thank you so much Andrew for all your videos. I absolutely adore them all and am there every Sunday afternoon excited to see your new Beatles vinyl videos. Please keep it up and continue finding new subjects to excite, entertain and inform us with. Peace and love, Craig.
I did get these as a child and after "Something New" It helped me guide my way to which album I wanted to buy next. It would take me weeks to save up for a record so, I had to plan it out. I loved these almost as much as the Original albums.
I watched this video again just now. I noticed on the 2014 analog reissue, the tracks Please Please Me and From Me To You were both still in mono whilst both are available in stereo... I don't mean to nitpick but it could have been more consistent to the original 1973 issue. But then of course it's ok to leave Love Me Do and She Loves You in mono, the fake stereo versions of those songs are TERRIBLE. Andrew, have you heard the DES (Digitally Extracted Stereo) mixes of the songs only available publicly in mono? (Love Me Do, P.S. I Love You, She Loves You and I'll Get You), I would LOVE to hear your opinion regarding those...
My first copy of these (long since gone) were copies picked up at a market in Singapore in 1977. Help had the JB intro, and I wondered where it had gone from my Australian Vinyl versions. Thanks for answering this question!
As I remember, at least in the US, fan were still waiting for the Beatles to get back together. In the "entertainment" sections of our daily paper back then, there was a "Beatles Reunion Rumor" article at least four times a year. By then, even our moms and dads wanted the Beatles to get back together. Also, from what I heard around 30 years ago, ALPHA OMEGA was mostly / partially mastered from stock reel tapes. My brother had a copy of it a few years ago, and unlike the one his buddy had in the mid 70s, this sounded GOOD! In the early 70s, we were getting bootleg copies of LET IT BE and ABBEY ROAD in the budget racks over here (INTRODUCING... as well, but those have been boots since June of 1964, probably) so undoubtedly people were bootlegging ALPHA OMEGA too. I had the US RED and BLUE and they sounded drab. I had a DMM of the RED album, but once the CDs came along, I traded it off sometime in the 1990s. It did sound very good though. More "bright" than "deep," but quite nice.
Had both sets. My favorite? The C1 Purple Dome Capitol. Felt like the tracks were more exciting and fun than the 1977 Red and Blue label Capitol issues, which were my first copies.
I have to say for me these are the best Beatle compilations, from the art work, song selection and sound quality i think they are great.. Thanks again for sharing Andrew loved the 8 track v8 video to ;)
This is one my favorite things to do over Sunday breakfast, watch your channel and learn everything I need to know about beatles records I've got my eye on. Well done as always. I'm surprised the 2014 versions are so good. Although I'd prefer to find original UK versions, for the price and condition it's great to know the 2014 are comparable.
I grew up listening to the Beatles and my Dad got me the Red and Blue albums on cd's for Christmas and birthday presents. I lost the CDs but about 10 yrs I found the American version of the Red and Blue from 1973. I was very happy to found them.
the first time I heard ' Ticket To Ride' in mono was on my copy of the Red album, which I bought in 1979. I like listening to this track with headphones and I always thought it sounded fine.
![เปิดใจ "อาจารย์เบียร์ คนตื่นธรรม" อดีตเคยสุดทุกทาง ถ้าใช้หนี้หมดไปบวชแน่ l [Nickynachat]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/IxeE0xVhy08/mqdefault.jpg)
Believe it or not I went to take out the garbage one day and these 2 CD's and others were piled up next to the bins. Yeah I picked them up. Great collections!
I guess that was somebody's mom cleaning out a kid's room. I'll bet there were a few boxes of baseball cards in the trash pile somewhere too!
I believe you. About two years ago I went to take my trash out at 4 AM and found a stack of over 40 CDs sitting on the the garage can lid. They were all new! It looked like somebody spent hundreds of dollars on CDs, took the plastic off of them and threw them away. None of them were my taste. Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, Steely Dan, Linda Ronstadt. I took them to a used record store named Rasputin's and sold them for $160. My television, refrigerator, microwave, Marantz tuner amp and JBL speakers all came from the trash.
@@ldchappell1 You are one lucky person. A Marantz? JBL's? Wow. High quality stuff back in the day. And if still worked. Somebody up there likes you. Praise him. Amen.
@@antrygis1 I'm pretty good at fixing things. I have about an 80% success rate. You know how Columbo loves to solve murder cases? I love to solve what's wrong with things. And like Clint Eastwood famously said "A man has got to know his limitations." I have been lucky finding and fixing things but I also live in a city with 870,000 other people. People are always throwing away nice things. A lot of times they think something is broken but it's actually not. That was the case with my Samsung flat panel. I had that puppy working in five minutes. Same thing with my Sony Bluray player. A lot of people don't realize that when your television won't come on but a light is blinking, that blink is a message. Unfortunately I haven't found a nice pair of headphones and I'll be getting some the old fashioned way this weekend. In a store. 😎👍
WHAT!! Discarded by someone with Zero Taste.
These are the most important albums in Beatles history. These albums introduced the first generation after the Beatles to TheBeatles. Nothing in the '70s beat these albums and they both held firm right through 1979.
2ondering about the ",hey Jude ablum.. nothing to add however.. but back in the early 80's.. got the chance to visit a sort-of-small club by the name of the same name Hey Jude.. even growing up in Detroit listening to the Beatles a 65-er now.. I just couldn't just good the song and it continue have such a meaning to me... However asking other about the ablum bnd the song in particular no one seem to know if it about a young and unhappy chap or what? In any event still adore the " tune".. thanks for your expertise...
@@clydeelliott2379 if you want to know the story Clyde Paul McCartney was driving to John Lennon‘s home to visit Julian and he was going to comfort Julie and then they original title was going to be a jewel jewel but he changed it to Jude which I think sounds better. there is a line in that song which Paul McCartney was going to remove which is the movement you need is on your shoulder and John Lennon told him no he said that’s the best line in the song and I think that is one of the greatest songs ever
On the retina blue albums I’m so glad that they didn’t edit that album or that song down like they did on the 20 greatest hits. I haven’t listen to it I much prefer longer versions of songs. I did hear the story of the 20 greatest hits album I think they could’ve had it as a double album that would’ve worked but it’s still one of the best songs ever.
@@leonardoiglesias2394 If kids couldn't get all this Beatles material in one place, they may not have been able to see the full spectrum of theBeatles growth and power. Even the album covers show the growth from kids to adults.
The LPs rely mostly on singles. When I started to hear the whole albums I realized immediately what I was missing: A LOT. I discovered I would never be a happy Beatles fan without buying the entire catalog. Which I did.
Very true. No condensed compilation is worthy.
That goes for any and all bands worth their salt from the classic rock era and beyond...
They did give an introduction to the Beatles music, showed the progression.
I remember borrowing Sgt Pepper from the library, buying the original albums was out of the question
Which i've had since 2008 Best band ever 😆
my first ever lp was let it be cost a dollar au,in 79 well my life changed lol,i cant open the box set till xmass ahhhh
At Christmas in 1976 I received my first album which was The Beatles 1962-1966.
It was the most amazing feeling listening to this album.
How I wish I was there again
When I left my home on December 6, 1976 at age 18, the first thing I bought was a stereo. The second thing I bought was both the red and blue Beatles compilation albums. I got both of them for $12 plus whatever the sales tax was at the time. Now, 46 years later I have the entire Beatles catalog, including the rare Capitol albums that haven't been issued in decades, like "Beatles '65," "Something New," and "Yesterday...and Today." I have the Anthologies, Past Masters, Let It Be Naked, Love, #1, Live At The Hollywood Bowl. In fact the only ones I don't have now are the red and blue collections. It would just be redundant.
It’s about the growth. I love how the collection grows years on.
I bought both of these albums when they were released in 1973. Literally played them to death.
I bought both in 1974, and my sister played them to death. My sister had a habit of buying absolute junk which she ended up rarely playing, but grabbing my records instead. The memory still irks me. Sigh!
Well, hopefully not literally to death.
Do you remember how much you paid for the compilations? I got both the red and blue collections. With the state sales tax it came to $13.18. I bought them in December 1976. Even in 1976 I thought it was a helluva good deal for that much Beatles music. If you're in the same age bracket as I am you know that Beatle albums very rarely (if ever!) were on sale. I only saw it one time. In 1975 Woolworth's was selling overstock copies of Yellow Submarine and Let It Be for 99 cents.
@@ldchappell1 I just turned 62 so can't recall with perfect memory but I think they were about $10 each here in Canada? Regular single album records sold for between $5-7. Most definitely worth the money, though!
I really want an all analogue stereo box set.
Right?! I mean they did it for the mono! Why not??
I would imagine the tapes are getting quite delicate.
Look out for the 1979 DC13. Its a pretty decent box set using the stereo analogue masters.
Oh yeah, that would be great. And then Later an all analog box set of the US Capitol albums with the original dodgy sound & a Butcher Cover reproduction!
@@gustercc Yeah, I’m thinking they are loathe to handle the tapes anymore at this point…
The Red Album was my introduction to the Beatles as a kid… then i got the Blue Album later on. When i look back on it, they couldve fit at least 2 more songs on the Red Album. At least “Taxman”, so George can have at least one song on the album and “Revolver” can have a bit more exposure as compared to “Rubber Soul” where half of the entire album is on there, but with “Revolver” just both sides of the one single…
Was my first Beatles album as a kid - I think I got it when it was released. Yes, just a hits collection (and WHAT a collection!!!) but led me and millions of others to start buying other Beatles releases. 😸
Same
Same order for me. This was the start of an album buying hobby that increased to about 800 over a period of the next twenty years. Later, many rebought as cassette tapes and CDs...
Finally, someone said it. Only 2 tracks from Revolver! ? Really? That's what lets down Red.
Andrew said none of the Beatles had any input on what went on these albums because they were not interested.
Selecting tracks for these albums was an incredibly difficult task, but the fellow who did it really did a great job.
In my complete ignorance, I've not heard of a Bond intro to Help until now. That's me sorted for the rest of the night. Cheers!
In Europe there' s never was Bond intro,and i found about it 46. years late that there was such version of song.
One advantage of being an American was that the American version of HELP! (the album) has that Bondian intro at the beginning, and it really bugged me years later to find that the UK release of HELP! on CD didn't have it -- I felt cheated by the exclusion of that intro! When they released the Capitol Records BEATLES collections, they had that intro for the HELP! album, which brought back some great memories from my childhood.
It may seem silly -- even borderline blasphemous -- for me to say that I prefer the US versions of Beatles albums to the UK originals, but the playlist order of songs on the American versions is what I remember and prefer: it would sound 'wrong' to listen to whole albums in a different order . . . if you know what I mean. And there are some US album versions of songs that must have been different studio 'takes' from the versions on the UK albums.
@@alanr4447a I almost feel guilty for my love of the North American version of Rubber Soul. But I've Just Seen a Face (which was hijacked from the UK Help! LP) is such a great way to kick off an album, to my ears. But I still miss If I Needed Someone, so I'll have to make up a hybrid version one of these days.
Actually, it sounds great....I was raised on it.....
@@alanr4447a definitely! The US Rubber Soul might be their best album.
The blue album is one of my first musical memories. My dad had a copy (1973 Canadian). I remember coming downstairs one night when I couldn't sleep, and telling my dad I wanted to hear "the song about the penny"!
That’s adorable. Beauty of sweet memory.
I found out in Japan, the Red and Blue albums were both released individually and in a special box set titled “The Beatles Forever,” which included two additional posters and some Japanese inserts.
I’m hoping to see a video covering various Japanese pressings, and proving/disproving the rumor of their good sound quality.
There is one about the Japanese pressings
@@gazjones4763 That one was about the mono box set. I’m more so talking about stereo pressings.
@@MitchellHang ahh
I have Japanese 62-66 on red vinyl... sounds "meh" at best.
I would also be very interested in watching a video about the Japanese pressings sound quality, especially in regard of the first releases in Everclean red vinyl, they sound amazing to me.
Interesting details as usual. What really led me to buy both red and blue copies, but especially the blue one, was the presence of a true stereo mix of Penny Lane for the first time in the UK discography, not available before. Perfect clear sound. I agree
The Blue Album is pretty much perfect. I have always thought that The Red Album should have had 2 more tracks to make it consistent with its blue counterpart of 28 songs. "I Saw Her Standing There" would have worked well on disc one as it is arguably their first "classic" and another track from Revolver. "Got To Get You Into My Life" would have been a good choice there because of its more commercial appeal than other tracks from that album.
I always thought that Taxman and Got To Get You Into My Life should have been on 1962-1966. Yeah it was strange that there were only 26 tracks on that album when 1967-1970 had a significantly longer running time. Still the best compilation albums though.
I think 6 more tracks at least - considering the short running time!! I agree with "I Saw Her Standing There" & "Got To Get You Into My Life". I would also add "It Won't Be Long", " I Don't Want To Spoil The Party", "I Need You" & "Taxman".
Yes Blue is perfect, probably the best comp ever. Red I've always thought needed more tracks from Rock'n'Roll era and Revolver to make it complete
ISHST is my choice too. The problem is where to put it without interrupting the flow. Probably after PPM. This would have pushed the subsequent tracks so that All My Loving closes side 1 and Can't Buy Me Love opens side 2. It works for me, but I'll bet a lot would quibble with AHDN not being the side 2 opener.
Representation from Rubber Soul and Revolver is really unbalanced -- it may be that a lot of the "heavyweights" from Revolver didn't fit with the rest of the album. I've heard someone suggest Tomorrow Never Knows both on merit and as being the "bridge" between the red and blue, which I find interesting.
@@brenthooton3412 : I like that 'Tomorrow Never Knows' idea.... that would made a great segue indeed! :-)
The blue album was my first introduction to the Beatles - it’s still a great introduction!
1 was my introduction to the Beatles as an eight year old, but absolutely loved my dad’s copies of red and blue! I don’t have a definitive preference, but think that the Blue is a little more spot on highlighting their music from that era-no filler whatsoever.
No filler on the Red album either. But then, they didn't have a whole lot of that stuff anyway throughout their recording career, in my opinion.
I thought the sound quality to be not so great on the US releases. It s kind of like what US London did to the Stones LPs.
It's funny in hindsight. As a record collector AND a Beatles fan AND a mid-sixties teen, for years I passed on these albums at either thrift-shops or record stores on the basis that they were just greatest hits packages similar to, say, The Beach Boys Endless Summer (another package that I still do not include in my collection).
You might want to get the Spanish edition of the blue album as a rarity: since The Ballad of John and Yoko had been banned for the mention of Gibraltar, it was replaced by One After 909, becoming a unique official edition.
And there is a spanish blue edition where the label says one after 909 but you llisten the ballad. It was an early version. Also like the french box you showed, there is an official spanish box containing the red and the blue plus a 48 page booklet written in spanish by jordi serra i fabra. There are 2 vesions of this box (the thick and the rhin) . Both areofficial and were distributed by el circulo de lectores and available for the members of this book-record organization. Second hand copies are available now for about 100 e. Plolygram, you do excellent videos but i think you missed this info i am adding. Keep doing your nice and excellent job,!!!!
Could anyone speculate why Rain was left off the 62-66 album?
@@gerardsaretsky5630 Rain was a B-side, and many were left off the red and blue albums
When I got my first record player 5 years ago my father gave me his Beatles records and I was always gravitated to the blue album (as I enjoy their later work more) but the red album holds a special place in my heart as well.
My dad had them on CD when I was a kid. Those albums were what got me into the Beatles.
To me, these compilations are the best introduction for a Beatles neophyte. Many of the so-called Beatles experts complain about lots of omissions, but I think that a Beatles "expert" barely needs these albums. To me, they are meant for the uninitiated. And they are perfect at that, being my only criticism that the Red Album could have included at least ten minutes more of music (the double CD version of the Red Album is a blatant ripoff, BTW).
Yeah!
I also think the Red Album would have benefited from some more 1966 material. (Rather than just 3 songs!)
In high school (96-00)we would load all 4 discs into the cd carousel and hit play... By the end of the blue slbum we were ripped to pieces!
Yes. The Red album easily fits onto a single CD as is; I would add "Taxman", "Got To Get You Into My Life", "My Bonnie", and "Honey Don't", among others.
@@neilsun2521 You mean Revolver. Don't forget the single... Paperback & Rain.
The red and blue collections hold a special place for me. They were some of the first Beatles albums I bought in 1980 at the age of 10 were on cassette when I starting to figure out who these Beatles people were. Of course being a kid in the US my first Beatles record was Capitol’s “Meet The Beatles.” The nostalgia is really strong for me with these records.
They were my first Beatles albums and I loved them but as an adult nothing replaces their full discography in original album form!
I just remember putting the bleu one on the recordplayer for the first time and that my life changed forever ....
You and me both Marco
The Red was my first, but as I was a little kid who saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan earlier, my life was already changed. Also, I remember as a boy, when my cousin went to the legendary Shea Stadium concert in NYC - I was excited the whole time she was away, thinking of the music! Am so thankful that the Beatles have been part of my life.
I bought the new CD editions. I have the original vinyl pressings as well as the 1993, 2010 CDs. The new mixes on the Red are awesome, more bass, better imaging but strangely enough the early versions have more “spirit” and maybe that’s what we’re used to.
The red album was our first Beatle recording... ever. We had it on cassette and we played the absolute hell out of it on a clunky old Admiral office cassette player. It was a revelation for me as a 9 yr old in 1974. Eventually, my older brother bought the blue album on vinyl. The worn out red cassette was also replaced by vinyl later. We felt that was all we needed musically.... until he bought Sgt Pepper!
Definitely the best Beatles compilation around, and an excellent introduction to their music. It’s the perfect balance between their popular hits and their best works. That was the first time I heard Strawberry Fields Forever, I Am Th Walrus, and A Day In The Life.
62-66 was a very important purchase for me when I was in my teens back in the early 80s. It's still one of my favorite albums.
I have it on CD the red and blue album when they came as fat cases you get two CDs in the red and blue back in the early 1990s . Thanks for sharing.
The first Beatles music I ever bought was the red on cassette tape in high school way back in 1986.
I got the two collections for Christmas back in 1974 and was finally able to convince my parents that The Beatles were good music when they heard "Here Comes The Sun" and realized that a Beatle had written it (an instrumental recording was used for bumper music for a local TV morning show in Cleveland). I later had the now very rare GB colored vinyls of this and the White Album and currently have the US colored vinyls with the purple Capitol labels. I am about to order the 2014 British remasters after watching the video.
I got both of these for Christmas back in the late ‘70’s, when I was maybe 8 or 9. The US Capitol versions. As a kid, I couldn’t have cared or noticed less the “quality” of the pressing or mastering, even though I had a quality stereo, and would notice nowadays. Loved them both, stared at the photos, memorized the lyrics. That’s all that matters. For the record, I would scoop up ANY colored vinyl versions, and they’d never see a needle. Just hang on the wall.
I snatched both of the 2014 analogue reissues today. Looking forward to giving them a spin.
Enjoy!
You make really well crafted videos mate. Awesome stuff.
Thank you very much, Uriel.
I know it's a weird snippet to analyze, but I've been watching this video via TH-cam on TV for a long time, and I always felt like the blue shirt became red somewhat through.
Today, I finally viewed this video on mobile, and upon close inspection, yes! Inline with the theme of the albums, the shirt goes from blue to red.
Nice detail, Andrew.
My dad. Recently passed away and found a load of old Beatles LPs these 2 in particular, rubber soul, Beatles for sale,Help, Sgt pepper's, a few others I can't remember now, they're all old too ( bought in 70s) shed load of Ry cooder, Faces,Rod Stewart, Zappa, like a crisp box full of old heavy vinyl,
Andrew. Your voice calms me. Perfect to relax after a stressful day. I got the blue album for Christmas in 1973. I was 8. I had played mam and dad’s Beatles for Sale till it wore out. Double bubble. Birthday Jan 74 and blue arrived. What a mind bender for a kid.
I'm from México, but I don't have good things to say about the Mexican pressings, however, I have the DMM German red vinyl edition of 1962-1966 and it sounds awesome to my ears. In fact, a friend of mine made a video showing the audio of it, if you're intersted, I can send you a link where you can listen to it.
Post the link amigo mío
@@gustercc I tried to do it but it got erased, I don't know why, just send me an email to: jediforchrist at hotmail
My first exposure to these sets was in the mid 70’s when I bought both used in a record store on 8-Track. Played them until they fell apart! Amazingly important releases in Beatle history. I also had the Alpha Omega box sets on vinyl.
The red album was the first lp I bought with my own money, saving up for weeks before hopping on the bus up to WH Smith in Bromley. Going up to the first floor I held the display copy in my hands for some time, before deciding that yes, I was going to put down my hard-earned cash on this purchase. I held it tight on the bus all the way home, occasionally peeking at it in its carrier bag. As soon as I got home it was up the stairs to my bedroom where I reverently removed the precious vinyl and placed it on my record player. I must have played each side 4 or 5 times, sitting there, reading the lyrics and gazing in wonder at the two cover photos. I made up my mind that day to save up for the blue album next, which I duly bought. However the biggest surprise was later buying the Rock and Roll Music compilation, As the red and the blue are Beatles only - no covers, this was another revelation!
I loved buying records in WH Smiths. Happy days!
Congratulations! Great video! I have the Analog cut 2014 Red & Blue and they sound glorious. With The Rolling Stones' Hot Rocks and Queen's Greatest Hits, these are some of the most important compilation albums in Rock history.
When I was a kid, the Blue Album was the only full Beatles album we had on cassette, so obviously I listened to it a ton.
When I was on American Radio, we had the “Red” and “Blue” compilations (they were sold singly in the U.S.), mostly because they saved us a LOT of room in the record library! Regardless of which pressing, when the song was coming out of the speakers of a moving car, you couldn’t tell much about the quality of the pressing.
My first Beatle compilations bought it first on cassette later on cd i had no idea it came out in the 70s i thought it came out in the 90s originally
Andrew I love the niche you have created as one of the most informed Beatles audiophile scholars on Planet Earth! Thank you for sharing all your videos. Its like going to college once again but I love it! ☺️
Thank you, Mark. Glad you enjoy them!
They’re fun to collect compilations. Despite everyone hearing those songs millions of times, its the album covers that always reel us in.
In 1974 John Lennon spent an afternoon at the New York Radio station WNEW. It's billed as an interview, but it was more like a very relaxed, friendly conversation with Lennon playing DJ and spinning some records himself. The audio is on You Tube. He mentions the compilations, and was unhappy with the mix, especially on Revolution. He described it as a "heavy track" that sounds like a "scoop of ice cream." I guess he would have only had access to the Capitol pressing.
I love how John being unfamiliar with the group, pronounced Lynyrd Skynyrd that day.
I don’t typically agree with John on his rants, but in this case the Stereo mix of Revolution is half as heavy as the mono mix. Something about it seems so empty compared to the crammed and loaded mono mix
@@thomascars1 John said he never understand why they chose to put the drums only on one side, when they mixed The Beatles song's in stereo.
Wow, That was very impressive Andrew. A hell of a lot of info in a short space of time… Well done you😎. I’m off to get my ‘Red’ album.. Thanks Sir👍👍
I bought both albums and one thing I liked most was an insert that had a list of all their solo albums up to that point. The group was fairly new to me so it was very handy to know what to look for since there was no internet or home computers back then.
My first thorough dig into their stuff was the Red and Blue album. I had to listen repeatedly to figure out the differences in their vocals. At first I couldn’t discern John’s voice from George’s.
I wasn’t old enough to remember when they were still together. I caught the second wave that started with the red and blue compilations
The blue album was my intro to the Beatles, my grandma always played it in the car and I have a copy on vinyl and I cherish it with everything
I personally like blue album more than the red because I'm more of a rocker type of guy. But i like the detail you gave
Great mini documentary as usual Andrew. I have a quite a few of these in my collection. They used to be really easy to pick up, not so these days there getting harder to find.
I've got the West German coloured vinyl DMM pressing of both albums from the early/mid '80s. They are very good, though they sound a little brighter than the UK originals. Whether or not that's a good thing is probably a matter of taste. They certainly sound clean, and I'm very happy with them.
I have the DMM pressings. I’ve had a listen and notice that they are more bassy. I like them compared to my 73 U.K. pressings.
Great informative video as always! I have a German DMM pressing of the red album on red vinyl and I have to say it sounds pretty good!
Thanks for the tip on the best sound quality on the EU copies of the Red & Blue albums. I purchased the Red and I was pleasantly surprised that the 2 second whispering at the beginning of I Feel Fine was intact for the 2014 version! Recently ordered the Blue EU 2014 version. Looking forward to it's arrival. Great Channel! 👍 🎸🎸🥁🎸
Wonderful video! Both the introduction and the comparisons were superb. Love your channel! Keep it up! :)
I remember when I first found my grandpas red album. I had just started my vinyl journey, and Beatles were (as always) the band I liked the most. But, back to the album. Unfortunately, only disc 2 with its inner sleeve was in the box with records (the cover and the other disc is still gone (but now I’ve got multiple other copies :))), but that was enough for me to start singing as I was reading the lyrics. But, some songs were unknown to me. I especially remember “Drive My Car”. I thought it was funny that a song included the lyrics “BEEP BEEP, BEEP BEEP YEAH!”! That record is still one of my most played LP’s. Later, as my interest in vinyl (and music) grew, I started searching for the other boxes of records that my grandpa remembered… and I found them! He had (and has) a very good taste in music. Lots of prog rock (from the early 70s), and of course, almost all of the Beatles solo albums! That week (as I was visiting them), I made it a tradition to listen to Imagine by John Lennon every night.
Now, every time I’m there, I pick out 10 LP’s to take home… that’s what I call luxury!
Andrew..was just rewatching your vid and noticed your change of shirts. Lol brilliant !
I love how they used the Please Please Me/Get Back photos for the covers. And the inside sleeve photo was fascinating. Also love the track sequencing, especially sone of the Get Back era tracks. Only complaint is the lack of White Album tracks. But we’ve got the White Album for that.
I found these two albums on cd at a garage sale for 50c each the condition they were in was really nice I was very pleased. To me the blue album is great it is a very good representation of the music they made in those years. The red one is lacking in covers and songs by George. I suppose those weren't the big hits but they did make the early Beatles albums fun to listen to.
My parents had some Beatles albums. But, as a kid, I got the Red and Blue albums. Those were the first Beatles albums that were mine. Played them over and over, great memories.
I got my copy of the blue album just about the time you got yours. I believe it was in april of 1977.
First of all - the moment I put it on and Strawberry Fields Forever came out of the speaker, I will never forget. It totally changed my perception of what music should and could sound like. It was the gateway to a wonderworld, and I'm still walking around inside it.
Every song was solid gold and when that last chord on "A Day in the Life" faded out, I remember sitting on the floor og the living room and thinking "what was THAT?".
It was a real blow to the head for a nine year old boy who had never even heard of The Beatles until the week before.
The lyrics served a purpose as well. I hadn't had any English education before, so I translated all the lyrics into Norwegian. That gave me the head start of the century when we started our English lessons the year after.
I was already able to have simple conversations in English, self taught as I were, at the age of 10.
Thanks to The Beatles and those lyrics printed for the red and blue albums.
My story is almost identical to yours - both being the 2nd Beatles albums I ever bought (the FIRST albums of ANY kind I ever bought were "The Beatles With Tony Sheridan" and the "Star Wars" soundtrack), but I bought them in, I think, 1979, and I'm from the U.S., so you can figure out which ones I have. Now, I say HAVE, because I still have them (in storage with all my other albums, and I haven't heard them in YEARS). I was perfectly satisfied in the late '70's and '80's, and they were my "go to" Beatles records. I still think of them first when I think of any Beatles album, and when I think of any "main" Beatles song, it has to have been on these albums. Probably this is all because they were the first Beatles albums I ever heard (except, like I said for the Tony Sheridan ones). They are still my favorite Beatles albums (yes, even over the originals), because I consider them the only true "Greatest Hits" Beatles albums.
I took your advice and picked up the EU 2014 versions of both the Red & Blue off Discogs, new.. These sound absolutely _INCREDIBLE_ ,especially the Red! Your knowledge has been extremely helpful, so thank you for the recommendation! 🙏
As Andrew said, don't sleep on these, folks! Grab the 2014 versions immediately.. They can still be had for about $45 new, +/- and are worth _every_ penny. 👍
Enjoy!
I just picked up the Red EU 2014 for $35....opened but mint, can't wait to give it a spin!
(Apologies if this is a double post but my line broke down just when I sent it an hour ago, so it may have been eaten)
Great video, thank you! Love the shirt trick. And, of course, Anfield (in the red corner).
I recently compared several copies of the Red Album and can add to your information that the 1978 German red vinyl copy sounds comparatively muffled in the sense that it lacks bite. It's okay as long as you don't compare it with better pressings. The German DMM, on the other hand, is very good. It was the first time that I could clearly make out the bass on You've Got to Hide Your Love Away. Once I knew where it was I could hear it on other copies, too (-: . The sound is very detailed and lively, but the packaging is sub par. What did they think? Generic inner sleeves, no lyrics, fairly thin and flimsy gatefold. The sound, however, is very similar to the 2014 analogue, which is superb. I would have to try and compare individual tracks, some of which were superb on the DMM, but I remember that I found the 2014 to be the best overall. I may have been seduced by the packaging. Great quality printing, especially the slightly brown-tinted inner photograph, crisp and radiant colours, great cardboard stock and shiny laminate. A pleasure to look at.
Of course there are too many international issues to chase down in a lifetime, but here's another curiosity: In the GDR, Amiga records made its own version of the blue album, 14 tracks that flow really well, original artwork on light unlaminated cardboard, but there was a second sleeve that is more common and was some pseudo-op-art-wanna-be-psychedelic black and white sleeve that screams, ''Sorry, we've run out of money!' Sound quality is very good.
I have the German DMM both Red and Blue pressings, these are really excellent sounding. I highly recommend finding these pressings.
These were the first Beatles albums I bought. One of the best things was the paper insert that came with them listing all their other albums as a group and solo up to that point, including singles! For graduating from grade school I got to select 6 or 7 albums, not knowing any better I went for the ones with the least duplication of songs I already had.
Thanks for the lesson Andrew! 🙏 Very interesting as always. 👍
My pleasure, John!
Always so informative and loads of fun to watch. Thank you for including a South African copy in the mix, great to know the red album faired well against the UK version.
Glad you enjoyed it, Nadessen.
I have learnt allot froM this video . I had no idea pressings sounds different. This is really interesting and makes me think about all my records now .
The Swedish first pressnings from 1973 I've got, sounds really good. Probably birthday presents as a kid in the mid 70's:).
Made from mothers from EMI. Harry T Moss signed the red.
Red is -3 HTM / -4 and -2 / -3 HTM
Blue is -4 / -3 and -2 / -1
On the matrix you also have the letters for the pressing plant MÅ, Skandinaviska Grammophon AB.
White inner sleeves with the lyrics in red or blue letter.
Great video again! Thanks!
Nice one, Thomas. Thanks for watching!
The red album was the first record i bought aged 13 in 1982.i’ve just went out and bought the 2014 remasters on the strength of this video.for years,i’ve just been flicking by them as i already have two of each.( originals and 78 coloured versions) these 2014’s sound superb.thanks,really enjoy your videos 👍
These were my introduction to the Beatles back in the seventies. I've got the 1978 red and blue coloured vinyl versions and also a nice slip-case edition of the 2010 red and blue CDs. Must look out for the UK first edition vinyl. Another really good video - thanks and keep it up!
Thanks for watching, Nigel!
Hi Andrew... Could you help me reconcile and understand the "blue" album pressing I have obtained? It has a legal copyright
notice saying 2014 AND 2018. It had stickers on it at one time stating Made In Canada, although there is no indication of that anywhere else in the packaging. the only marking in the run out is stamped, 178789 E3/A3 (this is on side 3) side 4 has the same numbers except E4/A2 and so on. My prime question:
Is this also expected to be an all analogue pressing? It is not particularly great sounding and suffers from low gain (not enough db?)
and seems lacking in top end to me. Have you heard this edition, or know anything about it?
School trip May 1977. My class had been taken to a nearby coastal town to go to a newly opened water park. We were instructed to bring enough $ to cover lunch/admission/dinner about twenty dollars.
We stopped at a shopping complex for lunch and after eating were given a half an hour to explore. I found a record shop and found Blue Album 67-70.
Dilemma, album or water slide?
I’ve never regretted my choice. I had the best time sitting between my two chaperones, who were nuns, devouring every detail of that album, photos, track listing, label, border, run out markings, everything ! Best three hours spent while my friends got wet. I still have that vinyl!
My daughter bought me the 2014 1967-1970 set for my birthday. I was her professor and she brought them in before I lectured on Dante. Needless to say she is my favorite child! I’ve been playing lots of Beatles stuff for my younger children. When I played Let It Be, it was a revelation. Yeah I’m with you Andrew, I could listen all day.
Hi Andrew,Excellent video as usual and also enjoyed the "This is Anfield" sign at the back,although I have read that Lennon and McCartney both attended the 1968 Everton/West Brom Wembley FA Cup final.Cheers! Ian the Red from Liverpool
These two albums were my introduction to THE BEATLES in the mid to late 70s, then THE BEE GEES and other artists came out with the SGT PEPPER MOVIE SOUNDTRACK album, which I also loved and which also contained many songs from the BLUE album.
I discovered TAXMAN only this week while streaming REVOLVER and now I intend to discover their entire catalogue.
That's awesome. But...what took you so long?
@@ronmer I really don't know, but thank God I now have a lifetime of new music to discover.
Lot's of great info here. I have the Alpha Omega sets and it's interesting that they include solo material from up to 1973.
The first Beatles item I brought of The Beatles was the Love Me Do 1982 reissue single....I was hooked. The second item I brought was the 1962-66 album. My life was changed at that moment. To say The Beatles have played a massive role in my life is an understatement. Love this video. Beatle obsessives will greatly appreciate it. Well done.
Thsnks for this vid. Even though I was a 'fab four' fan as a kid in the sixties, after their break up most teenagers were looking for new bands by the early seventies. When the Cavern was flattened in 1973 it barely made it as a news story (I can remember German students picking their way through the rubble). I bought these two albums in 1973 at Rushworth's where the Beatles bought some of their early guitars, along with Hessy's (both around the corner from the Cavern) shortly after the demolition. Their release certainly created new interest in the band which never really waned. I still have both copies and strangely they still sound more seventies than sixties to me!
This is the most enjoyable Beatles-related video I've seen in a long time!
Wow, thanks!
I have the Blue album without "The Ballad of John & Yoko" instead I think its "One after 909" there ..? Could be spanish. Bought it here in Sweden in the 70s. Is this rare?
All Spanish pressings omitted that track as General Franco objected to it!
I have never really paid much attention to these compilations, I must admit. Your videos are really opening my ears to what I've been missing out on for decades. I'm playing a -5/-6 UK blue album as I type this. I don't assume this still counts as a "first pressing", but it sounds blooming GREAT. Goosebumps and tears of joy... Whodathunk, hey? ;-) Thank you so much!
Glad to hear it. Enjoy!
Ah bro... great memories here ☺ My first Beatles album ever was the Red Album when I was 9- Christmas of 1980. Wonderful, bittersweet memories. Thank you for your channel, brother 🙏
Thank you for watching, brother. Precious memories.
If you're looking for CDs instead of LPs, there's really no wrong answer.
The Red and Blue Albums were remastered in 1993 separately from the rest of the catalogue, and those fat 2-fer CD sets were repackaged up until around 2007. Then the newly minted '09 remasters were used for 2010 and onward (as well as glossy cardboard gatefolds). And like the 2014 LP, the 2010 Red Album CD uses true mono mixes, rather than simulated Stereo. Other than that, they sound very similar, though the 2010s are predictably louder and I get more "air" from the 1993s.
Sidenote: They still sell the Red Album (60 minutes of music) and the Blue Album (100 minutes) for $33.99 cad each on CD.
I'm kind of shocked they retain their early '90s MSRP.
Thanks Andrew - I came across a UK Blue Vinyl pressing (from the 70s) in the wild and took your advice and snatched it up quick. I always wonder how these copies made the journey across the pond…glad it did.
Skbo-1-3404 G28 mastered by capitol.
This is the version I have of the blue album.
1976? Do you have one of those? How does it compare with the UK copy.
Love your channel.
Darren.
Andrew I have a very serious question. Which I hope you can and will be able to answer as I can't find any info anywhere. I have a 1988 Direct Metal Master Mono vinyl of A Hard Day's Night but side 1 has the same matrix numbers as my 1964 original Mono UK XEX 481-3N but has an 8 further round the dead wax,but side 2 has XEX 482-4-1-1 D. What does this mean? Is the side 1 an analogue direct metal master or is it just the straight analogue from the original metal work? And obviously side 2 is the digital direct metal master. Because obviously on the cover it states that it's a direct metal master from a remastered original master tape. Also I'd love for you to be able to explain what all the letters and numbers mean. What's the various 8 and -1-1-1 D mean? And I'm aware that on the older ones they used GRAMOPH to distinguish information,but what information does it refer to? Because some records have 3 of those letters on them such as G R R or O P H and then numbers too. And what do the D and all those -1-1-1 mean on the digital dmms?
Thank you so much Andrew for all your videos. I absolutely adore them all and am there every Sunday afternoon excited to see your new Beatles vinyl videos. Please keep it up and continue finding new subjects to excite, entertain and inform us with. Peace and love, Craig.
I did get these as a child and after "Something New" It helped me guide my way to which album I wanted to buy next. It would take me weeks to save up for a record so, I had to plan it out. I loved these almost as much as the Original albums.
I watched this video again just now. I noticed on the 2014 analog reissue, the tracks Please Please Me and From Me To You were both still in mono whilst both are available in stereo... I don't mean to nitpick but it could have been more consistent to the original 1973 issue. But then of course it's ok to leave Love Me Do and She Loves You in mono, the fake stereo versions of those songs are TERRIBLE.
Andrew, have you heard the DES (Digitally Extracted Stereo) mixes of the songs only available publicly in mono? (Love Me Do, P.S. I Love You, She Loves You and I'll Get You), I would LOVE to hear your opinion regarding those...
My first copy of these (long since gone) were copies picked up at a market in Singapore in 1977. Help had the JB intro, and I wondered where it had gone from my Australian Vinyl versions. Thanks for answering this question!
Ah, I grew up with that greek version and was also fascinated with the covers. couldn't believe it was the same people
As I remember, at least in the US, fan were still waiting for the Beatles to get back together. In the "entertainment" sections of our daily paper back then, there was a "Beatles Reunion Rumor" article at least four times a year. By then, even our moms and dads wanted the Beatles to get back together. Also, from what I heard around 30 years ago, ALPHA OMEGA was mostly / partially mastered from stock reel tapes. My brother had a copy of it a few years ago, and unlike the one his buddy had in the mid 70s, this sounded GOOD! In the early 70s, we were getting bootleg copies of LET IT BE and ABBEY ROAD in the budget racks over here (INTRODUCING... as well, but those have been boots since June of 1964, probably) so undoubtedly people were bootlegging ALPHA OMEGA too. I had the US RED and BLUE and they sounded drab. I had a DMM of the RED album, but once the CDs came along, I traded it off sometime in the 1990s. It did sound very good though. More "bright" than "deep," but quite nice.
Hi Andrew, I have Japanese pressings for both albums. They sound excellent. Also the packaging is incredible with posters and booklets.
Had both sets. My favorite? The C1 Purple Dome Capitol. Felt like the tracks were more exciting and fun than the 1977 Red and Blue label Capitol issues, which were my first copies.
Just recently bought the 1993 CD’s, and to my ears, they’re amazing! Thanks Andrew!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Enjoy!
@@Parlogram thank you again!
I have to say for me these are the best Beatle compilations, from the art work, song selection and sound quality i think they are great.. Thanks again for sharing Andrew loved the 8 track v8 video to ;)
Cheers Brian. Glad you enjoyed them.
This is one my favorite things to do over Sunday breakfast, watch your channel and learn everything I need to know about beatles records I've got my eye on. Well done as always. I'm surprised the 2014 versions are so good. Although I'd prefer to find original UK versions, for the price and condition it's great to know the 2014 are comparable.
I grew up listening to the Beatles and my Dad got me the Red and Blue albums on cd's for Christmas and birthday presents. I lost the CDs but about 10 yrs I found the American version of the Red and Blue from 1973. I was very happy to found them.
the first time I heard ' Ticket To Ride' in mono was on my copy of the Red album, which I bought in 1979. I like listening to this track with headphones and I always thought it sounded fine.