Re-masterpiece

CD OF THE WEEK: The Beatles, Re-Masters, EMI *****

We knew something was wrong back in 1987 when EMI first put The Beatles’ vinyl albums on to the then almost futuristic CD format. The sound was tinny and limp, and they did the band a great disservice. Granted, the technology available at the time was primitive compared to what can be achieved today. Most other bands would have updated their CD catalogue a number of times since (some do it at four to five year intervals to take into account new technology/rip off their fans) but The Beatles have always regarded such moves suspiciously.

There was some sense of what could be achieved when they remastered their first four US albums in stereo and mono formats for the The Capitol Albums Volume 1 box set. For many of the post-vinyl generation, this was the first time they had heard the band properly. The songs on the soundtrack to their Love show were also remastered, again offering a glimpse of how good they could sound.

Following an "extensive remastering process" which took four years, we now have all 12 original UK studio albums brought bang up to date – alongside Magical Mystery Tour, a two CD set of Past Masters, plus stereo and mono box-set collections. It's quite a haul and has all been done subtly yet very effectively with the help of gentle peak limiting (at least, on the stereo versions). Microphone pops, electrical clicks and other defects have been removed and the overall result here is a huge surprise: it's as if the music has finally been pulled into clear focus. Everything is crisper and cleaner. There's little point mentioning what has been done to individual tracks, but from the first moment you hear these vastly improved versions, from the beginning of Please Please Meto the end of Let It Be, you'll be wondering why it took them so long. Just superb. www.beatles.com