The Beatles always stood apart from their peers, a self-evident statement that sadly extended to the treatment of their catalog in the digital age. Where all their contemporaries from the Byrds to the Who have had their catalogs remastered and ... reissued in deluxe editions, sometimes several times, the Beatles remained stuck in the early days of digital. Their 14 albums plus PAST MASTERS singles collections remaining untouched since 1987. The 2009 reissue campaign corrects almost all the problems of the original 1987 CDs: the sound and artwork are improved, and all the original mono and stereo mixes finally see the light of day.

Naturally, it's possible to quibble about some details of the presentation, particularly the decision to split the reissue into two separate box sets, one covering the stereo mixes and one the mono mixes, with only the stereo mixes available as individual discs but both boxes still constitute the best Beatles by far. Crucially, it's also inarguably the best-sounding Beatles music ever released, robust and rich even on the earliest rock & roll. None of the albums have been remixed--although HELP and RUBBER SOUL retain George Martin's 1987 mixes, the original stereo mixes being bonuses on the mono set--so this doesn't shock the way the YELLOW SUBMARINE soundtrack did with its reimagined stereo mix. Nevertheless, these remasters surely do surprise with their clarity and depth, with each album feeling bigger and fuller than the previous CD incarnation, but not artificially so. It's not that these are pumped up on digital steroids; it's that the veil has been lifted, so everything seems full and fresh. Appropriately, there's more to savor from HELP! onward, as the Beatles' productions grew ambitious, but PLEASE PLEASE ME, WITH THE BEATLES, and A HARD DAY'S NIGHT all have a strong punch, while BEATLES FOR SALE is warmer than the previous disc.

  Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!: In Concert CD
  by The Rolling Stones
 Our Price: $47.60
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Recorded live at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York on November 27-28, 1969.
Returning to the American concert scene after a three-year layoff, the Rolling Stones recorded GET YER YA-YA'S OUT! during a triumphant two-date stand at Madison Square Garden in late November 1969 that found B.B. King and Ike & Tina Turner opening for them. Having amassed an impressive recorded output during their three years away from touring, the Stones peppered their sets with hits, including "Honky Tonk Women," "Jumpin' Jack Flash," and "Street Fighting Man." Tipping their collective hats to Chuck Berry, the band also included covers of "Carol" and "Little Queenie" alongside more blues-influenced numbers such as "Stray Cat Blues" and "Love In Vain."

Having been a member of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, new guitarist Mick Taylor parlayed his experience into some impressive slide guitar work. The pièce-de-resistance of what is arguably the best live Rolling Stones recording is the eight-minute-plus reading of "Midnight Rambler." Between Mick Jagger's unearthly harmonica playing and the tight interplay between Taylor and Keith Richards, the sinister vibe emanating from this song was eerie, foreshadowing the tragedy that would occur at Altamont less than two weeks later. Observant fans will catch the cover's subtle visual reference to a certain lyric from Bob Dylan's "Visions of Johanna" from BLONDE ON BLONDE.

Live Recording; Deluxe Edition


  Greatest Hits I, II & III: The Platinum Collection CD
  by Queen
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Recorded between 1974 & 1997. Includes liner notes by Jim Jenkins, Jacky Smith, Andy Davis, Phil Symes.
With Queen officially enshrined in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame, Hollywood Records reintroduces the band yet again with the release. of GREATEST HITS I, II & III. While Volumes I and II are full of Queen classics you already know by heart, the third cobbles together odds and sods from the far corners of Queen's canon along with solo cuts from Freddie Mercury and Brian May.

Opening with the operatic rock classic "Bohemian Rhapsody," it's easy to hear not only how this British quartet achieved the kind of global acclaim that ensured they'd be enshrined alongside the likes of the Beatles and Led Zeppelin. When they weren't dabbling in playful '50s-flavored rock & roll ("Crazy Little Thing Called Love"), catchy glam ("Killer Queen"), or hard-edged funk ("Another One Bites The Dust"), Queen was capable of delivering heartfelt love letters ("You're My Best Friend"). The band's '80s output is equally intriguing, ranging from the hard-hitting "Headlong" to duets with David Bowie ("Under Pressure") and soaring movie anthems ("One Vision"). The third volume features more movie themes ("Princes Of The Universe"), Freddie Mercury covering The Platters ("The Great Pretender"), and cameos by contemporary artists like Wyclef Jean, George Michael and Elton John.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.


  Collection: Escape/Frontiers/Infinity CD
  by Journey
Our Price: $20.05
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The Collection includes 3 separate albums: ESCAPE (1981)/FRONTIERS (1983)/INFINITY (1978).
The 1998 specially-priced box set ESCAPE/FRONTIERS/INFINITY contains three of Journey's best-known albums. If you're curious about the state of early-'80s rock radio, all three releases are a virtual lesson in the true meaning of "arena rock."

While the albums include some of Journey's biggest hits ("Don't Stop Believin'," "Open Arms," "Separate Ways," "Wheel in the Sky," "Faithfully," etc.), there are also plenty of strong tracks that were never issued as singles -- "Stone in Love," "Chain Reaction," etc. If you're a newcomer to Journey and want to dig deeper than its 1988 GREATEST HITS release, ESCAPE/FRONTIERS/INFINITY is highly recommended.

Recorded at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California.


  The Collection: Couldn't Stand the Weather/Texas Flood/Soul To Soul CD
  by Stevie Ray Vaughan
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Recording information: The Palace, Hollywood, CA; Riverside Sound, Austin, TX; Media Sound; Dallas Sound Labs, Dallas, TX; Down Town Studios, Los Angeles, CA; 11/22/1982; 11/23/1982; ... Full Description11/24/1982; 09/23/1983; 1984; 01/18/1984; 03/1985; Sound on Sound Studios, New York City, NY (10/1989).

Personnel
Stevie Ray Vaughan (vocals, guitar)
Joe Sublett (saxophone)
Stan Harrison (tenor saxophone)
Reese Wynans(keyboards)
Chris "Whip" Layton (drums)

  The Collection: Led Zeppelin CD
  by Led Zeppelin
Our Price: $45.19
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This 4-disc career retrospective contains two thirds of their songs, including a few rarities ("Hey Hey What Can I Do," "Traveling Riverside Blues" and "White Summer/Black Mountain Side") for a total of 54 tracks. Digital remastering was done by Jimmy Page and George Marino. All the tracks were personally selected and sequenced by Page along with Robert Plant and John Paul Jones. The box set also contains a deluxe 36-page booklet with essays by Cameron Crowe, Kurt Loder and Robert Palmer, a discography and many color photos. Most of the tracks are remastered from the original master tapes.

Engineers: George Marino, George Chkiantz, Eddie Kramer, Glyn Johns, Andy Johns, Vic Maile, Tony Wilson, Ron Nevison, Keith Harwwod, Leif Mases, Chris Houston, John Timperly, Bruce Buchanon.

Led Zeppelin: Robert Plant (vocals, harmonica); Jimmy Page (guitar); John Paul Jones (bass, keyboards); John Bonham (drums).

Producers: John Walters, Jeff Griffin, Jimmy Page

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