Teenbeat X - The Beatles US Albums

On January 20th, commemorating the 50th  anniversary of the Beatles first visit to the States, Apple arranged through Capitol Records for a special set of albums released for the US market specifically to be issued in both boxed and for a limited period separate editions as well as on iTunes. They contain both mono and stereo versions of each album.

As you can see they come in the collector popular Mini LP style mimicking the feel of a vinyl album with card jackets, replica inner sleeves and like their Japanese counterparts, have a plastic sleeve to keep the cd free from scratches with the entire packaged disc in a resealable archive see through plastic wallet. 
In America because royalities were charged per track rather than per album it was normal for their lps to have 11 or 12 tracks compared to typically 14 on British releases plus in the states albums always featured the hit single(s) whereas in Britain they didn't.
This needless to say is why these albums, the ones I grew up with, are different than the now standardized British ones and so for many North Americans are the albums we cherish as quirky as they were.
Eight of these albums were reissued in a set of cheesy boxes in 2004 and 2006 with thin card covers the sort Britishers would associate with Newspaper giveaways or some of us remember ISP's giving out with the first set being quite blurry too. I wrote about these sets at the time.
The recordings used were sent over from Great Britain usually using the same final mixes for mono or stereo as the UK releases although when tracks were sent early due to requests from Capitol for an upcoming album, sometimes different versions were sent from the one decided upon for the UK.
These were copied altering the sound, adding echo and in some instances making fake stereo versions from mono tapes and then used on the lps, a process which while giving it a unique sound nontheless caused some loss of quality compared to the tapes Capitol received.
The earlier box sets used these modified tapes throughout  with the mastering engineer just trying to get them as good sounding as the material he had would allow.

This album, a favourite of mine in this set, is a good example of that with two incredibly bad fake stereo songs in the middle of quite reasonable stereo with one unique mix and on the older cd it's that you hear on the stereo portion and some of mono tracks are not actual mono mixes just the stereo combined into mono.
The new version removes the fake stereo replacing it with true stereo mixes one of which had been available since 1966(!), keeps the echoey  mono US single version and uses the UK mixes for everything that's not unique.
It's this that has proven controversial with some fans who wanted an exact replica in sound of their lps but speaking personally having bought this version, I'm delighted with it as it approaches what I consider a 'audiophile' remastering, going back to originals, removing the  sonic grime to reveal more of the music making never mind the uprated packaging.
The four previously unreleased on cd albums are the A Hard day's Night movie soundtrack with instrumentals from the film originally issued on United Artists, Yesterday and Today, the US Revolver album I had which only had 11 tracks and the stereo only Hey Jude compilation of February 1970 featured then unreleased stereo versions of a good number of  Beatles singles.
I was going to buy the Box set complete with the mainly talk The Beatles Story bonus album but I didn't, this was sadly connected to another, less defensible aspect of how this project was handled by Apple.
Way back in the mid 1980's as plans were drawn up to release on compact disc the Beatles catalogue, Sir George Martin  was allowed to remix two UK albums (Help! and Rubber Soul) from the four track session tapes. Discovering Abbey Road studios echo chamber used on a number of tracks was out of use, he used digitally generated delay to attempt to get the same sound. Unfortunately it sound more like a karaoke type echo especially when he over did it on Dizzy Miss Lizzie and Drive My Car. Personally I can't stand them being 'too modern'.
These versions were themselves remastered in 2009 for the stereo set although the original 1965 stereo mixes were put on the mono cd set as bonuses.
Coming back to 2014, Apple have decided to use these stereo  remakes for the tracks from those two UK albums featured in four of the albums in this box set  (Beatles VI, Help Soundtrack, Rubber Soul and Yesterday and Today) where the previous 2006 box that had the first three with the 1965 stereo mixes on.
Personally, owing the the previous set, I really object to paying £146 for three albums whose stereo portions deviate from that which was issued not just in North America but even in the UK up to 1987.
I decided to rebuy the first four (Meet The Beatles, Second Album, Something New and Beatles '65) as the sound on at least the first two wasn't so clean,Second Album had an excessive amount of echo added to it and get the four previously unissued ones even with the stereo portion of Yesterday and Today being compromised with only 5 original mixes for the otherwise unavailable mono version.
As for the others, if I can come by cheap copies I may get them and switch the discs over as there's nothing on the jackets to tie them to any specific cd because I adore the packaging.
To  summarize my thoughts on this set, I really liked the idea of it as quite a bit of thought had gone into the packaging and even a great booklet for the boxed edition, almost equalling the acclaimed Beatles in Mono box but feel the sound side of it was compromised for a number of the discs needlessly in the stereo portions by insisting on not using the original UK mixes sent at the time and loved by most fans.
I'd give the set 7 out of 10 on balance.

More Beatles Mini lps:
At the start of the year I'd acquired some unofficial mini lps of albums put out in the 1970's that had been retired with aim of buying this set adding these to them.

1976's 28 track Rock and Roll Music compilation, a double lp on a single cd although it lacks the gatefold of the original is well printed.It uses the untouched UK versions of the tracks unlike the Capitol edition.

1977's Love Songs compilation which comprises of 25 songs with a love theme, lacking the gatefold but this section is part of a four page insert.
It's always been a favourite of mine being a comforting listen at boarding school running for about an hour.

1977's Live album of recordings from August 1964 and 1965 at the Hollywood Bowl that Apple refuse to release presented in full gatefold form reproducing the rear essay by Sir George Martin clearly with original lp styled photo inner sleeve.
The audio on these pressed cds (they're not cheap home made jobs) is actually very good matching that of the lps reproduced on a high quality vinyl system and come with Japanese notes and full English lyrics. 
If you need them, these discs are good value.

P is for...petticoats

I was doing a little research as you do the other week and this captivated me as it has continued for a chunk of my childhood visiting the fashion exhibits at the local museums.

The practice of wearing petticoats as undergarments apparently was well established by 1585. Petticoats were worn throughout history by women who wanted to have the currently fashionable shape created by their clothing. The petticoat(s), if sufficiently full or stiff, would hold the overskirt out in a pleasingly domed shape and give the impression of a smaller waist than the wearer actually had. It would also complement the desired large bust.

Elaborately decorated petticoats were worn under open-fronted gowns and looped overskirts from the mid-sixteenth century. Eighteenth century petticoats of wool or silk were often quilted for additional warmth and were worn with matching short gowns or jackets, which could be fashioned like a man's jacket with military details and trimmings. These ankle-length petticoats remained a rural fashion, especially in the UK, into the nineteenth century and are a part of Welsh national dress.

Elaborate, lacy petticoats were worn with elegant silk dresses in the eighteenth century in much of Europe and America, sometimes supported by whalebone frames.

In the early nineteenth century, dresses became narrower and simpler with much less lingerie. Then, following the popularity of the waltz then in the 1820s, full-skirted gowns with petticoats were revived in Europe and the United States. You find that by the mid nineteenth century, petticoats were worn over hoops, which were placed over other underwear, including a corset cover, a corset, and drawers. The popular novel Gone with the Wind provides considerable, detailed descriptions of these fashions. Upon watching it, one scene in the 1939 film adaptation with actress Vivien Leigh gives a good idea of the layers of petticoats and underwear that were worn in the 1860s.

The sheer weight of the clothing, along with the tightness of the corsets, sometimes caused women to faint. The voluminous, layered Victorian petticoats were fashionable in the eras when "full-bodied" was associated with health, wealth, and belonging to a higher class in the social structure, while "skinny" was associated with sickness, poverty, and belonging to a lower class.

Multiple petticoats continued to be popular until the 1870s, when the bustle was introduced, resulting in a return of narrower skirts. Some full-skirted gowns with petticoats were revived in the 1890s into the early twentieth century, but most women continued to wear relatively narrow skirts. The "Gibson Girl" look with white blouses and long, narrow skirts was very popular during the late nineteenth and early 20th-century.
Lately the full, tiered petticoat has made a small comeback in the alternative subcultures, especially the gothic and Lolita subculture. They have also been popular with some cross-dressers.
Although the traditional purpose for the petticoat is no longer in fashion, the general design has stayed the same with minor alterations including ripping and/or the usage of bright or generally non-traditional colors.

Petticoats also appear to be  making a comeback due to recent trends towards lavish weddings and grandiose bridal attire. Petticoats are commonly worn under bridal gowns with full skirts as a means of maintaining the gown's intended silhouette.

As well, people who dress in period costumes have begun wearing petticoats for a more authentic look.Indeed a number of websites offer a great variety of petticoats for sale, while other websites show historic and modern photographs of petticoats, often worn by models.

The everyday use of petticoats in the 1950s and early 1960s appears to have passed. In the 1970s during the height of the miniskirt era, petticoats were still worn and were very tiny.

Skirting around the issue

Oh my brain hurts from a migraine but here goes.
It's not often I talk much around gender identity at least in part  because I've known mine for eons so it's kinda old hat to me plus I got tired of snarky debates around who was really what what in various trans forums because to me I'm just that-me, being me. I mean, if it said girl on my birth certificate you wouldn't  care.
Also as a number of you have actually seen me for real, you know cos you sensed it, we didn't need to say anything.

Overlooking the wrong uniform colours, this could of been so easily me had at the age of ten had I had been allowed to wear a skirt to school and I still can't see what was so wrong with that idea. Gee, I always draw myself as girl back then, something the psychologists I saw for other issues did pick up on so why the heck not?
Ironically some schools from time to time attempt to ban skirts today!

A chilly start

Brr! This current weather is making me wish it was summer and I take a layer or two offer while taking in the sun with the rain and storm damage we've had so far into the new year. I don't know what gets into it but anyway I've been enjoying myself reading my annuals while it hasn't been good enough to go out much having had a few near misses as I lost my balance walking on the mogul like icy sidewalks here in the last few days.
You might recall I mentioned in the Christmas edition about sometimes getting the 'wrong' presents as in socks too big and scarcely me.

Well oversized boring  grey socks got replaced by smaller grey socks that are more girls socks a few days ago so at least we start the new year as I intend to: Being me.