The Beatles are back in the amazon Top 10. Twice.
The remixed, remastered Anthology CD box set is number 2. The vinyl version is number 8. The former sells for $118, The latter for $374. They’ll be released on November 21st.
What are these things? The 30 year Anthology 1, 2, and 3 are all spiffed up redone by Giles Martin and the Apple gang to sound as good as all the other Beatles reissues. They’ll be joined by Anthology 4, 13 tracks — all previously unheard versions of songs your mother should know.
There’s nothing actually new. No new songs. The last three tacked on Beatles songs — “Free as a Bird,” “Real Love,” and “Now and Then” — have been remixed and remastered by ELO’s Jeff Lynne. We can hear the updated “Free as Bird” now. It used to sound quite slow and sludgy, but now it shines like a new car. Frankly the best thing about it is Paul McCartney’s wistful humming at the end. It’s pure gold.
Interesting that Capitol put the advance sales up on amazon already. Taylor Swift’s new album comes out on October 3, but Republic has held back so far in advance of release. They’re building up for a big release.
The new mix is about 30 seconds shorter than the original. I thought when I heard it, it sounded faster. I think they picked up the pitch. Smart.