The Beatles - The Capitol Albums, Volumes 1 & 2

These are the records I grew up listening to. I'd spend evenings sitting in the living room floor with my father; he'd tell me about back when these albums came out, what it was like to be there for that rush of energy and hysteria, to hear that music for the first time. It was unlike anything else, he said, and nothing since has really compared (and this is true. Regardless of whatever other band I get hooked on, what band or album happens to snatch my attention in what seems like a deathgrip, it simply won't compare to the grasp The Beatles have on my soul).

Back in 1987, when The Beatles' catalogue was initially released on CD, they made the decision to standardize the releases across the world and issued only the British albums. These albums are, of course, the way The Beatles and producer George Martin intended the records, and while the '87 releases need to be updated (a remastering along the lines of what Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones have recently received would definitely be the way to go), they're still exceptional discs. Nothing can hide the fact that these are the records that changed the face of popular music.

But on this side of the Atlantic, those weren't the records that changed lives. No, that duty/honor fell to Capitol, which decided to chop up albums, add singles, remove songs that they didn't like, and reissue albums according to their own whims. Album lengths were reduced from the average 14 tracks of the British albums to 11 or 12 track lengths, meaning Capitol could take two or three albums and stretch them into four releases (especially when you factored in EPs and singles).

Capitol also remixed the albums in a manner that still defies understanding. They created a bizarre false stereo mix, offered a mono mix as well, and saturated the whole thing with lots of echo and reverb (listen to Beatles '65 to really understand what we're talking about here). The sound, then, of the albums is completely different between the US and British releases.

All that being said, these are still amazing albums. When you're cherry picking from the greatest band ever, it's really difficult to go wrong. Sure, the Capitol albums may not hold together as well as the British Parlophone discs do, but they're still collections of absolutely fantastic music. You really can't ignore that fact when you listen to these two collections, which bring together the first eight Beatles albums Capitol released (Meet the Beatles!, The Beatles' Second Album, Something New, Beatles '65, The Early Beatles, Beatles VI, Help! Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, and Rubber Soul). I may have gotten used to the sound and track orders of the British records over the past two decades, but coming back and listening to these American versions was like coming home to a familiar room, returning to a place of childhood and finding it unspoiled. I can really only hope that they'll release the rest of the American albums (like Hey Jude, which collected a bunch of their late singles and was one easily one of the best decisions Capitol ever made), because while these may not be the pristine British remastered recordings that we keep hoping for, they're definitely the next best thing and worth picking up for anyone who considers themselves a fan of good music.

~chuck

Song of the Moment: The Beatles, "I Feel Fine"