From bestclassicbands.com on We’ll Talk About It Later In The Car:

Stephen Bishop, whose hits include “On and On,” “Save it for a Rainy Day” and “It Might Be You,” and who wrote the Oscar-nominated song “Separate Lives,” has released a new studio album, We’ll Talk About It Later In The Car, on August 30 via BMG.

He’s got a video for a first single, “Like Mother Like Daughter.” Watch it below.

Bishop says that the new album contains “songs that should have been hits 40 years ago.” The record originally started as a demo project of tracks he wrote at the beginning of his career, but as he kept recording, the idea of turning it into a proper album took shape.

“I’m very proud of ‘Like Mother Like Daughter,’” says Bishop. “It’s much different than what my fans are used to hearing. I want people to see that I am not just a balladeer.”

Along with Bishop’s own compositions, there’s also “Someone Else,” the first song ever written by legendary songwriter Jimmy Webb when he was just 12. “It’s just one of the saddest songs you’ll ever hear,” Bishop notes. “Art Garfunkel is the only other person to record it. I’ve opened my concerts with it and really wanted to include it on the album.”

The gifted storyteller reveals that there’s a tale to the album’s title. “It comes from back when I was hanging out with Carrie Fisher,” he says. “We were at a Saturday Night Live taping and she wound up getting on a phone call. At one point, she said to the other person, ‘Anyway, we’ll talk about it later in the car.’ I thought it was something to do with me, but as it turned out, her mother, Debbie Reynolds, would say that when she wanted to talk about something at another time: ‘We’ll talk about it in the car.’ That line always stayed with me.”

Over the years, film fans have enjoyed Bishop’s appearances in such feature films as Kentucky Fried Movie, The Blues Brothers, Twilight Zone: The Movie and, of course, his legendary cameo as the “Charming Guy with Guitar” in 1978’s National Lampoon’s Animal House.

From rockandbluesmuse.com on High Water II:

On October 18th, Eagle Rock Entertainment and the Mascot Label Group are scheduled to release High Water II, the highly-anticipated second studio album from Rich Robinson’s latest band, The Magpie Salute.

Robinson (Black Crowes) is again joined by fellow-travelers Marc Ford (Black Crowes) on guitar, bassist Sven Pipien (Black Crowes), drummer Joe Magistro, and keyboardist Matt Slocum, along with the remarkable John Hogg again handling the vocals. Together, the band conjures up a thick stew of psychedelia-tinged Americana Rock & Roll; a clear extension and expansion of the ideas we heard in their 2018 studio album High Water I.

Densely layered and packed full of musical ideas, these twelve tunes aren’t, with the exception of a few choruses, exactly “sing-along” songs. They’re most definitely “feel along” songs; the kind you’ll listen to way more than once, discovering new things with repeated plays. What we have here is a band in search of the source, the central universal vibe, and they’re getting mighty close.

The Magpie Salute means business and they prove it with opener “Sooner or Later.” Everything you need to know about the album is contained in this track. The band fills every sonic frequency from the opening bars, yet Hogg’s vocals and stream-of-consciousness lyrics still grab your attention and rise above the maelstrom of sound, then the nearly-chanted chorus gives you a soft place to land between verses and righteously buzzy lead breaks. A deep bass and piano open then settles into a very Stones-y groove on “Gimme Something” that is a straight-up visit to the church of Rock, right down to the “take me higher” chorus. Preach it. End of Summer track “Leave it All Behind” then kicks hard on the power of Joe Magistro’s heavy-hitting drums, then sneaks in a brief, trippy Beatle-esque middle section complete with vibrato chords.

Some powerful horn arrangements lift the country-tinged Americana of “In Here” to another place entirely. This stand-out track feels like a spirit-lifting anthem for every trembling searcher who remains undaunted. The Magpie Salute finally slows things down a bit and lets you catch your breath with the sad and pretty porch-picking open of “You and I” before building to another powerful and untethered finish; Robinson’s guitar mirroring every emotion in the vocals. The same template works, in spades, on “Mother Storm.” The spare acoustic open lays a foundation the band uses to build sound and emotion to a gorgeous peak, that leads to a long, slow fade-out that feels like waking up from a difficult but important dream. That mid-career Stones-y vibe deep in the band’s DNA returns on “Mirror Mix,” creating a bed of sound and vibration that listeners will want to lay down on while absorbing the “Feel what’s on the inside” chorus.

The mournfully beautiful Don Quixote-esque ode “Lost Boy,” featuring a guest turn on vocals and fiddle from Alison Krauss is a quiet gem that’ll drop tears in many beers. The band then switches gears entirely as the trippy sonic hi-jinx return on the sassy “Turn It Around.” With its strutting “Jean Genie” vibe, and gnarly guitar line snaking throughout, this is the kind of track that would be a rock radio hit if rock radio still existed. The trip peaks with “Life is a Landslide” as the first few ominous opening bars quickly give way to a bouncy through-the-looking-glass jaunt that sneaks in a heavy survival tip: “Life is a landslide you ride along or you die.” Following on that theme, the band reminds you to “live in the moment” with the bouncy blues/funk of “Doesn’t Really Matter.” But even this strutting, seemingly straight-ahead rocker surprises with an unexpected, blissed-out and dreamy middle section that then shifts back, on a dime, to a re-funkified coda. It’s that kind of extra effort that sets this band apart.

Album closer “Where is This Place” is a journey all its own. Building from the band’s slowest, swampiest opening groove and built on a loose guitar loop that I can’t quite call a “riff,” this jam has enough space for all the players to contribute and a tribal/hypnotic chorus that matches the guitar line. This is the band working toward its core essence; they’re not here to explain anything, they’re trying to get to a place of universal feeling and they want you to come along. You’re going to want to join them on High Water II.

From blabbermouth.net on Sonic Ranch:

When you’re a two-time Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee, you don’t have a lot to prove. But legendary singer-songwriter and keyboardist Gregg Rolie, who holds that rare distinction as a founding member and original lead vocalist of both SANTANA and JOURNEY, and who has also been a mainstay of RINGO STARR’S ALL-STARR BAND since 2012, demonstrates that he’s at the top of his game with the release of “Sonic Ranch” (Megaforce Records), his first feature-length studio album in 18 years.

“I didn’t plan on taking so long to record a new album,” Rolie says. “The simple fact is, I’ve been working. I’ve been writing songs over the years, and we recorded half of them by 2013. Then I got busy touring with Ringo, and I took part in the SANTANA reunion, ‘Santana IV’. Everything took time. Finally, when ‘Santana IV’ was done, I could get back to finishing the record.”

Rolie recorded the album at several studios in Texas: RMG Studio and Arylyn Studios in Austin, and the Sonic Ranch in Tornillo (the latter of which inspired the record’s title). His son, Sean, served as the main producer, with addition production handled by Chris “Frenchie” Smith and Daniel Sahad.

A wide range of Rolie‘s illustrious musician friends contributed to “Sonic Ranch” — among them are his onetime SANTANA mate Michael Shrieve on drums, as well as bass extraordinaire Alphonso Johnson. And he features not one, but two guitar heroes: Steve Lukather, who plays on the gutsy blues rocker “They Want It All” and the stunning album opener, “Give Me Tomorrow”, and fellow JOURNEY alum Neal Schon, who appears on the soulful ballad “Breaking My Heart” and the sinuous groover “Lift Me Up”.

“Sonic Ranch”‘s first single is “What About Love”. The thunderous sing-along epic sees Sean Rolie displaying his own formidable guitar chops. “The song inspired by Ringo Starr and his message of peace and love,” Rolie explains. “I had started writing it, and I would and play around with it at soundchecks with Ringo. It sounded really good, so I took it home, found the bassline, and Sean produced and engineered it. There’s 15 lead vocals on it. Sean played the guitar solo and said, ‘It’s a little out of tune.’ I said, ‘It’s perfectly out of tune. Let’s go!’ He’s such a great player.”

Rolie wrote all of the 13 tracks on the album, with the exception of “They Want It All”, which he penned with Andre Pessis and Kevin Chalfont, and the piano-driven show stopper “Look Into The Future”, which he co-wrote with Diane Valory and Neal Schon — the song originally appeared on JOURNEY‘s album of the same name in 1976. “I always liked that track and was waiting for a chance to re-arrange it and record my own version of it,” he says.

In addition, Rolie re-imagines Elvis Presley‘s classic “Don’t Be Cruel” as a mid-tempo gospel tune, and his spine-tingling vocal performance would draw a nod of approval from the King. “I used to play it in the same manner for encores with my quartet, and it always went over beautifully, so I decided to end the record with it,” Rolie says. “I’ve got the same group of guys on it — Alan Haynes on guitar, drummer Ron Wikso and bassist Sticky Lopez.”

“I’m pretty fortunate to have such good friends who are also some of the best musicians on earth,” says Rolie. “These songs mean a lot to me, and I’m very proud to be putting them out. To have such amazing players helping me to make them a reality is an amazing thing. The album wouldn’t have turned out so well without them.”

From loudersound.com on Never Boring:

Like many acts who enjoyed parallel solo careers to that of their bands, Freddie Mercury generally tried out musical styles that didn’t quite suit that of his rock mothership; but by 1982 Queen’s rock stylings had mutated into radio-friendly pop and there wasn’t much difference between songs such as I Was Born To Love You and I Want To Break Free in terms of synthy dance pop, while Barcelona, his famed duet with Montserrat Caballé, could have easily sat on most Queen albums.

Sure, there were more synths and less Brian May, but the distance between Mercury’s operatic Moroder pop and Queen’s operatic pop rock was not a great one.

Sometimes things sound a bit more Eurodisco than usual, but by the time of Hot Space and A Kind Of Magic, Queen were not the glam Led Zeppelin they once had been (and at least one song here, 1985’s Made In Heaven, was reworked by Queen, squaring the circle somewhat).

This collection of solo hits and other material – available as both single and triple CD plus DVD packages, with the expanded edition containing both his solo albums – gathers everything into one place (as opposed presumably to shooting it all into outer space), and is a useful collection of hits.

It is, thanks to the extraordinary personality and talent of Freddie Mercury, by no means boring, but in terms of packaging and content, it’s not that exciting either. A reasonable testament.

From seaoftranquility.org on Risen:

Although not strictly under the Angel name, seeing two lynchpins of the classic line-up of that band on stage together last year, playing the music of their old group, was, I must admit, a bucket list moment. Being born in Scotland in the early 70s, by the time Angel had disintegrated, I wasn’t even aware that they had existed. However, after reading a review by the ever knowledgable Dave Reynolds in Kerrang! of a full (mega-expensive) 1992 Japanese reissue campaign, I snapped up the band’s whole catalogue, especially with me already having been a long term follower of both Giuffria and House Of Lords, led by ex-Angel keyboard player Gregg Giuffria. From there I’ve been a devoted follower of a band long gone, so when both singer Frank DiMino and guitarist Punky Meadows each released top notch solo albums in recent years – and even worked together on a couple of songs – my fingers were firmly crossed for more collaboration.

Those ‘live dates of Angel music’ were, therefore a dream come true but I won’t lie, the talk of new music under the Angel name was something that worried me. The last Angel reunion, featuring DiMino, drummer Barry Brandt and occasional guest slots from Meadows and bassist Felix Robinson, resulted in just one album, 1999’s In The Beginning ageing much better than initial encounters suggested it would. However it’s Led Zeppelinisms were reasonably far removed from either the early melodic American prog Angel were initially known for, or the keyboard heavy pomp rock that they’d then go on to excel with, and as such left most fans cold. Hence, the recent rejoining of DiMino and Meadows under the Angel banner was just as filled with apprehension as it was exhilaration.

Introducing the album with a trademark (now sadly Giuffria-less) keyboard motif – which instantly reminds of the intro to Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mr Crowley” – is a brave move but opener proper “Under The Gun” simply stuns you into submission. DiMino is in incredible form, his voice maybe not quite as elastic as it once was, but his ability to knock you sideways with power, emotion and melody isn’t diminished one jot. With a guitar riff that bites in deep and the keyboard work from Charlie Calv beautifully and unashamedly retro, if I didn’t know better I’d think this was the opening to a lost Angel album recorded between Helluva Band and On Earth As It Is In Heaven.

It’s no one off, “Shot Of Your Love” a strutting pomp anthem with one of those listen out for moments when a rifle is primed and fired on the beat before the chorus kicks in (you’ll be acting it out after one listen – oh yes you will!). With glorious layers of backing vocals and a trademark Meadows howling guitar solo, it really is as though the last 40 years or so never happened – apart from, thankfully, the sparkling production job that Risen arrives with. Then take in the measured strut of the keyboard dripping “Slow Down”, the beautiful paean to days gone by of “1975” and the trademark, uplifting chorus and strafing riff of “We Were The Wild” and Angel followers of old will be left in no doubt that Risen is the real deal. With 15 new tracks, the incredible thing is that the standard never drops and that while there’s no denying (and why would they?) that this new line-up of Angel are trying to stay true to the band of old, neither does this album sound like a rehash of past glories – not even on an excellent, if faithful, reworking of fan favourite “Tower”.

From the lighter waving “IOU” to the mid-paced fist pump of “Stand Up” and from the chant-along of “Don’t Want You To Go” to the easy but urgent “Turn Around” this comeback from one of the 70s most misunderstood bands really is glorious and so much more than we had any right to expect. As a long term fan, I’m nothing short of flabbergasted.

The only thing left to say? Angel truly are Risen once more!

From audiophilereview.com on Abbey Road (Anniversary Edition) – Part 1:

Introduction

I received my advance copy of the 50th anniversary remix of the Beatles legendary Abbey Road album this past Monday evening. After several hours of listening alone and even with my fellow Beatle fanatic friend Frank, I fine-tuned my notes quickly so I could bring you this preview by today, Wednesday. This new edition of the album comes out this Friday, September 27th, almost exactly 50 years after it was released in 1969.

I am assuming a number of things in the writing of this review, particularly that you know about The Beatles and are familiar with the music on their final masterpiece Abbey Road. There are a multitude of different formats you can choose from to hear the new Stereo mix including long playing vinyl records, compact discs, streams (and probably downloads).  I am reviewing the “Super Deluxe Edition” of the release which features a Blu-ray Disc containing not only the new Stereo mix but also the new 5.1 surround sound mix, both done by Producer Giles Martin and presented in high resolution, 96 kHz, 24-bit fidelity.

Martin, some of you may know, helmed the restoration of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper and White Album reissues — both including fabulous Surround Sound as well as Stereo remixes (which I reviewed here; click on the album titles in this paragraph to jump to those stories). Mr. Martin is also responsible for the breath-taking mash-up soundtrack to the Cirque Du Soleil Beatles show called Love (still playing in Las Vegas after many years!).

The focus for this first part of my review will be the new 5.1 surround mix of Abbey Road.  Since I don’t have a new Dolby Atmos system yet — and I imagine that many of you are in the same boat — I will explore the DTS HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD versions also presented on the disc.

That said, my first tips for playing this new Abbey Road Surround Sound remix are:

1. Make sure you are sitting in the sweet spot of your home theater set up!
2. PLAY IT LOUD! 

The Everest View

After several complete immersions in this mix I can honestly say that I am enjoying this brand new 5.1 presentation of Abbey Road.  It has grown on me with each spin. While I personally would’ve liked some parts of it to be a little bit more adventurous, I simultaneously have to applaud Producer Giles Martin for exercising respectful restraint while demonstrating love for the music and the artists as well as the original mixes as developed by his Father. Abbey Road is one of the classic records of the Beatles catalog and remains one of the most endearing and respected Stereo mixes of all time.

Accordingly, for the most part, this new remix of Abbey Road tends to keep listener’s focus centered on the rhythm section, keeping drums and bass in the front channels along with vocals. Sometimes, signature guitar and keyboard lines take center stage. The rear channels are used for extra guitars, keyboards, harmony vocals and occasional special effects. There is nothing gimmicky about this mix (although I’m sure the Producer and the surviving band members must have considered the prospect tempting at times!).

People always ask me what the surround mixes sound like so (spoiler alert!) following are some initial track-by-track details I noticed when listening to this fine 5.1 version of Abbey Road.  Please also note my perspective: I always enter experiences like this with a very open mind knowing it will not sound exactly like the original mix (what would be the point of that, after all!?). Again, this is not a replacement for the original mix or even the new 2019 Stereo.  It is simply a compelling new way to experience our favorite music.

My Track By Track Rundown

“Come Together” — Easing us into Abbey Road 5.1, the rear channel percussive reflections are a sweet signal to let you know that you are entering a different experience perspective on this music.  I heard some cool guitar string scraping at one of the breaks, something I’d never heard in the original mix.

“Something” — Mostly Stereo, the Orchestral Strings are super prominent in the rear while rich amplifier tones enhance George’s guitar solo front and center. Ringo’s drums sound huge here! You can almost feel the drum heads flexing on that classic Tom Tom intro. Be sure to look for the “Easter Egg” of the original promotional film for this song which is also presented in surround sound!

“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” — The rear channels are used for Piano, Moog as well as electric and acoustic Guitar parts as well as sweet harmony vocals …

“Oh! Darling” — The arpeggiated signature Guitar lines show up in the rear surround channels along with vocal harmonies, keeping the core band up front. The instruments lock in and rock appropriately, yet there is still a nice immersive feel.

“Octopus’s Garden” — There is a lovely tight double tracking of the electric guitar on the verses in the rear surround channels. Ringo’s vocal also gets thickened back there at times and the band’s harmonies fill up the room with rich Doo Wop inspired joy.

“I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” —  One of the all time great headphone songs, the 5.1 mix of I Want You (She’s So Heavy) is a wonder as it essentially transforms your whole listening space into that pair of headphones. This ballsy electric blues is mostly up front yet it puts some of the mania in the rear channels while the mayhem engulfs you in the middle. Great raw guitar amplifier tones come through the front left channels and that big Organ — played by Billy Preston — is super up front now… and seemingly everywhere! His previously buried-in-the-mix solo is fantastic but due to the broader mixing canvas that 5.1 surround sound affords it doesn’t really step on the rest of the music (which is probably why it was buried in the Stereo mix).

Ringo’s Tom Toms resonate clearly and Lennon’s voice is so raw and cool sounding when he comes in rasping “She’s so heavvvvvvvvvyyyyyyyyyyy!” The ending sound storm is huge but not as insane — or gimmicky — as it might have been. I am sure that would have been very tempting to fly the instruments and effects all around the room like Dorothy in the tornado from those opening scenes of The Wizard of Oz. Instead the mix envelopes you like a favorite familiar blanket.

“Here Comes The Sun” — It is beautiful how the Moog Synthesizer line trails off at the start left to right even more clearly than on the original LP, moving over and around you.  This mix delivers really super clarity on the String Section, which appears in the rear channels. The Acoustic Guitar is rich, round and woody.

“Because” — Surprisingly this version keeps vocals mostly up front. This might have been a nice opportunity to put the listener in the midst of the band but that might have been too far away from the original intent of George Martin’s mix and awkward sounding in the album listening sequence. Harpsichord and Moog sounds punctuate the mix sweetly from the rear channels while the solos are mid room.

“You Never Give Me Your Money”– The Piano intro to this song has never sounded quite so natural and Ringo’s accompanying Cymbal work is crystal clear.  I hear some slightly different Guitar textures coming through and the Tambourine sounds as if you are in the studio with them while the band was recording. It is a nice touch hearing the Crickets in surround sound and the (I think it may be) Tibetan bowl-like sounds segue the mix neatly into the next song along with the “1234567” countdown.

“Sun King” — This is just lush, lush, lush and more lush… Fat Guitars, round Bass, natural sounding Tom Toms shore up those celestial voices! George’s guitar comes up from the rear. Its cool but, again, tasteful. And those Crickets in the rear channels really help set the mood transition.

“Mean Mr. Mustard” — This is simply big and fun. (And… suddenly I hear where The Captain & Tennille might have found inspiration for their groove on “Love Will Keep Us Together!”).

“Polythene Pam” — John Lennon’s voice sounds haunting here and the back up harmonies coming up from rear are super impactful. Ringo’s slinky drumming sounds sexier than ever.  Having the lead Guitar solo come from the rear is novel and effective, still allowing the rest of the mix to rock out rather righteously.

“She Came In Through Bathroom Window” — Starting with the same basic set up as “Polythene Pam,”the hand claps are super pronounced now but once again Giles avoided gimmicky cliches.

“Golden Slumbers” — This track is majestic with gorgeous strings and horns everywhere! Rich orchestral sounds swell from the rear making for a rich round immersive listening experience.

“Carry That Weight” — Ringo is the star here (no pun intended). The horns feel a bit extra reverb-y and that is ok. Personally I would have liked a bit more aggressive use of the surround channels on the Drum and Orchestra breaks, but this still works nicely.

“The End” — Ringo’s Drum solo has never sounded better or bigger. It is amazing that its really just a four piece rock band here as it sounds “ginormous!” The choral “Love You” chants at the end punctuate nicely from the rear surrounds as does the big final ending chord.

“Her Majesty” — This little nugget may become every Beatle fan’s new under one minute surround sound demo as Paul McCartney and his guitar pitter patter around around the room.

And there you have it! This new 5.1 surround sound mix of Abbey Road opens up the music and listening experience while keeping more or less true to the album’s original sound and intent. For me personally, Abbey Road 5.1 is in many ways a much richer way to hear the album than Stereo but it will ultimately remain a supplementary perspective on The Beatles’ swan song and George Martin’s original mix.

From audiophilereview.com on Abbey Road (Anniversary Edition) – Part 2:

The 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe edition of Abbey Road features a Blu-ray Disc containing not only the new 5.1 surround sound mix but also the new 2019 Stereo mix, the latter being our focus for Part 2 of this review series. Both productions were driven by Producer Giles Martin and presented in high resolution, 96 kHz, 24-bit fidelity. The album includes a CD version of the new Stereo mix as well as two discs of session outtakes and demos.

The challenge Mr. Martin faced in tackling this project was enormous. Understanding and appreciating what he has accomplished here, I think he was very successful in delivering a fresh take on a classic recording which doesn’t sway radically from the original’s sound design and intent. This new 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe edition of Abbey Road offers additional clarity without changing the feel of the album. Essentially, it brings a 50 year old masterpiece into the 21st Century with a fresh sheen that will hopefully keep newer listeners entranced for the next 50 to 100 years or more!

In Living Stereo

While I think the 5.1 Surround Sound remix of Abbey Road is the more significant achievement on this new boxed set and a primary reason for buying it, the reality is that at present more people are probably interested in the Stereo mix. To that, the question may arise in your head: do I need yet another version of this album?  That answer is personal, one only you can answer, Dear Readers.  But if you are a Beatle fan and a lover of this album then you no doubt will want to hear this new 2019 version in some form.

Things to consider: even if you only listen in Stereo, the Super Deluxe 50th Anniversary edition of Abbey Road will give you arguably the best sounding digital version of the album available today, presented on Blu-ray Disc.

Regarding analog versions, unless you have a pristine original UK pressing from 1969, chances are this is going to be a very significant improvement to your listening experience of Abbey Road. It is certainly much better sounding than the original and 2009 CD versions I have. It is certainly much better than my original US vinyl pressings; I’ve yet to get my hands on a really pristine UK original vinyl copy (tho’ I do have some versions). And until they remaster the original mix in a full analog process (as they did with the Beatles in Mono boxed set) and release that version in high resolution form as well as new high quality vinyl, this new 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe edition of Abbey Road is arguably the best sounding option at present.

“But it is not the original mix!” you say. This is true!  But that doesn’t make it bad. Producer Giles Martin has done a fine job of creating a fresh view of the album which still sounds like Abbey Road should sound. Sure there are some little details popping up here and there that are subtly different — but, as a lifetime Beatle fan who owns at least six different copies of the album, I find the differences very cool! And… remember folks, you can always still listen to the original versions — those aren’t going away any time soon!

The 96 kHz, 24-bit LPCM version of Abbey Road  included on the Blu-ray Disc in the set sounds terrific. The music is full and clear and — unlike most CD quality versions — when I turn the volume up loud on my home Stereo systems it doesn’t hurt my ears.  In that regard, the Blu-ray Disc presentation of high resolution audio behaves a bit more like a vinyl listening experience. This is one of the reasons I believe in high resolution digital audio even though I am also a big analog fanboy (and have many many thousands of LPs to prove it!). When digital is done right, it can be good.

Here is one teensy tiny example of the difference between the high res and standard CD quality versions that is pretty easy to visualize. On “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” when they hit the anvil  — “bang bang,” metal on metal — the high resolution Blu-ray Disc version of the recording doesn’t slam your eardrums like the crunchier sounding CD quality version and CD quality streams seem to do.  The Blu-ray version is clear, but it sounds warmer and more pleasing to the ear. This is at least my experience.

There are numerous details popping out of the new mix which were not super audible on the original 1969 mix. Some of the details we heard on the 5.1 surround mix carried over to the Stereo such as the cool scraping guitar strings at one of the breaks in “Come Together.”

Curiously, on the 5.1 Surround Sound mix the producers were able to bring out a previously mostly unheard Organ solo by Billy Preston on the song “I Want You (She’s So Heavy).” If you listen to the original Stereo mix you can hear some of that Organ part but it quickly gets buried, I suspect due to the sonic space it was taking up in the two-channel sound field. But in the 5.1 mix, the engineers effectively have three dimensional space to work with so it was possible to bring up the Organ solo without stepping on the other parts. Of course this is just me speculating here and I might well be wrong; it might simply be that they wanted to make the 5.1 experience distinct from the Stereo.

The Outtakes

The two CDs worth of Outtakes included with the Super Deluxe Edition of Abbey Road are fascinating and better sounding than any bootlegs you might have heard to date. This is the real stuff!

My only complaint is that these were not included on the Blu-ray Disc in high resolution form, but that ultimately is a minor detail.  These generally sound real good with no harsh anomalies jumping out at me.

Some of my favorites thus far include the Trident Recording Studios session for “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” where the band takes what John Lennon calls the band’s “last chance to be loud” as they had received some complaints from neighbors due to the volume. Amplifiers had become serious monsters of energy by that point so it was a far cry from The Beatle’s early 60s sound volume wise. This outtake is cool as they do keep Billy Preston’s soloing up higher in the mix and there is some bad-ass guitar skronk going on in the right channel (John perhaps?) which sounds like someone blew out a speaker on an amp!

I love getting to hear the basic drum and guitar version of “The Ballad of John & Yoko” with Paul playing the drums — he’s not Ringo, but he is a good time keeper!  It is really fun hearing the studio chatter when John refers to Paul as Ringo who replies to John “Ok George!”

As a Beatle fan it is pretty mind numbing to finally hear outtakes of songs like “Octopuses Garden” and “Oh! Darling.” It is jaw dropping when McCartney notes that they are doing Take 36 of “You Never Give Me Your Money.”  The outtake of “Polythene Pam” lets us hear up close and personal what an innovator Ringo was at designing unusual drum patterns that still rocked.

The early takes of “Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight” sound remarkably well formed even at that stage of the recording. The isolated instrumental Strings and Brass version of that song is amazing to hear.  The first take instrumental version of “Because” is haunting as are the Orchestral tracks underlying “Something” — the latter showcases George Martin’s tasteful and supportive arrangements which lift the song up and helped to make it such a distinctive hit recording.

“The Long One” is a fascinating trial edit of the multi-song suite and central focus of Side 2. Here on the 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe edition of Abbey Road you will learn that they were considering a pretty unusual song to be a part of that sequence, not the punctuation mark it became at end of the record.

The Package

Overall the packaging in this 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe edition of Abbey Road is exemplary and of very high quality. The disc mini sleeves are reproduced on glossy stock mimicking the original UK editions of the album and the labels are like UK Apple Records editions.  The hard cover book is beautifully printed and constructed. The many photographs — including outtakes from the original photo session that delivered the iconic album cover image — are coffee-table / library worthy. This is a super keepsake for The Beatle fan, for sure.

If I have any “complaints” about this set it is just that I might have liked it to have gone a step further with the little details such as giving us lyrics to the songs.  Unless I missed something, I did find unusual that there was almost no information on the Surround Sound mix apart from a mention in the introduction by producer Giles Martin and some technical text on the back cover. That surround mix deserves better treatment.

Beatle fans being Beatle fans:  we always want more, more, more…

But for now there is plenty here to enjoy here so lets celebrate…

Happy 50th Birthday, Abbey Road!