Meet The Beatles Again Through Their Remastered Catalog - Page 6

Sussman opines that “if, as I always say, the Beatles catalog is the Rolls-Royce of pop music catalogs, then that Rolls has been taken in for a complete tuneup, but not an overhaul, and a thorough cleaning/washing.” The technology and the fact that the same engineering team lead the entire remastering process (in contrast to the 1987 releases, where Martin was brought in from Help! on) also sounds promising, he adds. Marinucci states that while he disagrees with the idea that the 22-year wait is justified by great advancements in technology—“I think this should have been done sooner and done again,” he adds—he expresses satisfaction in one element: “One thing they did, even if they didn't remix, was listen to the fans.” Sussman also describes the remasters as the ultimate fan experience: “The remastered CDs will have a clarity and immediacy that the '87 CDs simply don't have, especially the early albums. Paul McCartney has said that it's like being in the studio with the Beatles. So I'm looking forward to putting on my headphones and hearing if all that is true.”

Another reason for the publicity surrounding the remasters: money. The music industry hopes that the Beatles' multi-generational appeal will translate into big sales. As music critic George Varga writes, the remasters could be the last time that albums in physical form could garner millions of dollars. According to Varga, since 1991 the Beatles have sold 51 million albums in the United States alone. 1995's Anthology 1 moved 450,000 copies on its first day of release, and the 2001 compilation 1 sold 31 million copies worldwide. Beatlefan's King notes that these releases may attract younger listeners as well as first-generation fans: “It means a better way to hear the music, which is always welcome. But I think maybe the big picture is that it means more to younger or newer fans, who might be put off by the inferior quality of the 22-year-old CDs.” Not surprisingly, Vega explains, “expectations are so high now for the band's golden touch to reinvigorate the record business, if not spark a new round of Beatlemania.”

Finally, the biggest reason for the massive interest lies in the Beatles themselves. “Simply put, this is the greatest catalog of music ever recorded,” says Frangione. “It is the defining music of our time, and deserves to be heard in the best possible presentation.” Womack, who teaches a course on the Beatles at Penn State, describes the continuing influence the group has on younger generations: “While my students know very little about Watergate or postwar history, they know the Beatles backwards and forwards,” he explains. His students' interest in the Beatles, he adds, results from “their own efforts to seek out great music for themselves. It's as if they discover the Beatles--and Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, to name but a few--through a kind of trial and error natural selection.”

Article Author: Kit O'Toole

Kit O'Toole is a lifelong music enthusiast who maintains a music blog, Listen to the Band. In addition, she is the internet columnist and a contributing editor for Beatlefan magazine. She also holds an Ed.D. in Instructional Technology.

Visit Kit O'Toole's author page — Kit O'Toole's Blog