HiRez Poll Beatles, The - LET IT BE [Blu-Ray Audio (Dolby Atmos)]

[admsh]

Apologies for my naïvete, what is SDE?

Super Deluxe Edition

 

[myhikingboots]

I listened to this a few days ago, and by the way this is my first post, and I was really impressed with the mix. I thought it was every bit as good as the Abbey Road Atmos. Fidelity is off the charts and well Ephi82’s post on the first page pretty much nails my thoughts of the mix and is way more insightful than I can articulate. One thing I don’t get is the criticism this album has received since its original release. For me there is not a bad song on any album from Rubber Soul to Let It Be. If there was an underlying turmoil that comes through on these tracks, I can’t discern it. I think the evidence in the upcoming documentary will show that the art that they crafted was more important to them than their egos. As far as the boxed set release is concerned, I would have liked to have had all of the different mixes of this album included, including the Naked mix. Seems a little thin on content for the price, but then again just about any fan would already have those. I'm looking forward to reading more opinions on this mix and all the other reviews on this site. Thanks for having me!

 

[ar surround]

I am giving this a 10. It is one of my two favorite Beatles albums, the other being Please Please Me. What I love about these two albums is the "raw" Beatles content...They sound like a rock band playing some gig in a very small nightclub. I love that the non-Spectorized performances on LIB are unpolished. Also, I've Got A Feeling is a true Lennon McCartney collaboration, which were few and far between in the band's later years.

However, regarding the tracks with the Phil Spector dubs, I think that the Atmos treatments really do them justice. I don't find them as impressive in the 5.1 versions, but they are still very nice.

The only track that I prefer in 5.1 is One After 909. I perceive a bit more action in the rears in 5.1 while the Atmos is more front-centric. But both are excellent.

Anyway, I'm glad that we actually got this album in surround as I had feared that it may have been limited to a renewed movie release such as Help, Yellow Submarine and MMT.

 

[MidiMagic]

It is incorrect everything before Revolver was all left and right. A Hard Day’s Night, Beatles For Sale and Help were not mixed all left and right.

[And FWIW all left and right is not “no panning”. If anything, summing the twin tracks to mono for the first two LPs would be no panning...]

And I disagree that all of the albums before Revolver sound better in mono, but that’s subjective. Beatles For Sale, for starters, is much better in stereo than mono, IMO.

The ones on films could have more pan positions because the mixes for films were made on Moviolas or Foleys which had more track capability. The number of pan positions is limited by the number of audio film gates that are connected to the editors. They keep all of the pieces of film in simultaneous frame sync.

 

[The56Kid]

This album...
Timeless songs no matter what else. I don't like the Muzak style Spector overdubs. I really hate what he did to Across the Universe. Crude stuff next to the finesse the Martin and Co team had. The stereo album sounded more the fidelity of Revolver than in between the White album and Abbey Road. Which is still pretty darn good! In hindsight I think this is one of the best mixes Spector ever did. Not to give him props. What I'm saying is there's so much room for improvement or alternate mixes like what "Naked" tried to do. I still listen to the 1st two tracks off the vinyl often enough. There's still a lot to like and a lot of fidelity. It's only his mix of Universe I skip exclusively.

Listened to some of the 5.1 remix. I hear what actually sounds like tape drags or stretches or something. The fidelity is poor in general like the Naked release. Poor next to the original Spector mixes and that's an accomplishment! Or the tapes are just not there anymore which is probably what's going on. This release is silly. All the same Spector elements and moves are in this. Butchering Across the Universe the same way and everything.

The Glyn Johns mixes sound brightened and fatiguing. I liked the troubled minidisc "Nagra reels" better at first glance. At 2nd glance... well, the minidisc copies are a generational mess with severe loss! The mastering faux pas with the bright mid scooped sound could be eq'd and these new copies would be in so much better shape. Still not good to notice better midrange elements on a bootleg copy vs the official release.

Trying to listen past the fidelity to the mix. It feels like random isolated bits that happened to be possible to isolate in the surrounds more than something really intentional. That shouldn't be bad in itself. The stereo is goofy and blunt too but still sounds intentional. There's some effort in this and the mix isn't just some whack job like some weird remixes. The original Spector mix is more immersive and high fidelity to me though. There was so much room for doing stuff here. Of course the original had to be presented. Just seems like a big missed opportunity. Maybe the tapes are seriously not there anymore. The waveforms don't look like an upmix... The fronts sure look bricked wall limited a little though. Probably no more than 6db. Not totally flattened and honestly, probably transparent sounding and just a little louder. This is a little bright but not like the Nagra reels tracks.

Say what?

 

[Titch]

I'm giving this an 8. The surround mix and fidelity are impeccable but I'm not such a huge fan of this album. I've purchased all four of the remixed Giles Martin Beatles sets, as well as the All Things Must Pass and Gimme Some Truth boxes and I find Let It Be to be the lesser box set. I think Giles Martin did a good balance between the original Phil Spector mixes and the stripped versions - I think he made very good choices.

I find the authoring of the menu for Let It Be to be very annoying - all these Apple releases could learn from the recent release of the Air 10,000 Hz Legend blu-ray audio, which defaults to Dolby Atmos and starts playing the album, immediately upon loading. That would save me from having to fire up my projector, in order to access the convoluted menus.

 

[nickbee8]

Thanks for all your positive reviews... I finally relented and ordered a copy I mean, Yeah, it's the Beatles in Atmos and Abbey Road was already amazing... so thanks for the encouragement; price was the issue...

 

[ar surround]

It's an 8 from me. The surround mix is definitely better than the John Lennon 5.1 mixes and better than the all things must pass. However the music is a band losing its soul and the passion isn't there. I believe this is probably the best surround mix possible for these songs.

I was just thinking about the “losing its soul” comment. The production rate of this group over such a short time is absurd. If The Beatles had the same production rate as a contemporary group, let’s say Maroon 5, Revolver would have been released in 1981, not 1966. And that doesn’t even consider the prodigious number of singles that were never on the UK albums.

Things we’re certainly different back then, and burnout had to be a factor for any successful group. Every group’s worst album should be this great.

 

[kvsawilson]

I was just thinking about the “losing its soul” comment. The production rate of this group over such a short time is absurd. If The Beatles had the same production rate as a contemporary group, let’s say Maroon 5, Revolver would have been released in 1981, not 1966. And that doesn’t even consider the prodigious number of singles that were never on the UK albums.

And John and Paul were like 28 or 29. Think Ringo would have been over 30 and George a few years younger. I sure didn't accomplish that much by that age. Of course, still haven't. It's incredible how much great music they did in such a short time.

K

 

[Scott65]

I have given this a 10. This mix has rekindled my interest in the album, a lot. It's the first time I have played the album in over 10 years (I got sick of it) but now I am playing it a lot. It sounds much better than the LP and CD that I have and has a 5.1 mix!

Highly recommended.

 

[markshan]

Every group’s worst album should be this great.

Beatles for Sale was absolutely their worst album. It's not really close.

 

[hwkn]

I gave it a 9 because on Across The Universe in the Atmos/Dolby Tru HD mix you don't hear the violins and other instruments as much as you hear the acoustic guitar

 

[jimfisheye]

I gave it a 9 because on Across The Universe in the Atmos/Dolby Tru HD mix you don't hear the violins and other instruments as much as you hear the acoustic guitar

The original mono recording of guitar and vocal (that was overdubbed to) is isolated in the center channel, FYI. Running at the wrong speed as the Spector mix does but we have lossless speed correction now.

 

[James Jay]

Tied with Love for the the best Beatles surround mix with a warm smooth sound quality IMHO. The surround mix has many discrete areas in the mix. I am listening to the Atmos mix on a 7.2.4 system. Let it Be got some negative reviews during it’s initial release but I wonder how many artists could make a lesser album this good. I voted a 10.

 

[BillTubes]

i was never a great fan of this album and wasn’t expecting much. What a surprise! I listened to the 5.1 mix and the tracks really came to life. Since it is mostly live and the Spector overdubs taken down a notch, you can clearly hear all parts. Never sounded this good. My feelings for Let it Be have been transformed a 10 !

 

[Clement]

i was never a great fan of this album and wasn’t expecting much. What a surprise! I listened to the 5.1 mix and the tracks really came to life. Since it is mostly live and the Spector overdubs taken down a notch, you can clearly hear all parts. Never sounded this good. My feelings for Let it Be have been transformed a 10 !

Welcome! Great first post! I love when a surround mix takes an album to a previously unimagined level! Stay Surrounded, Comrade!

 

[Matt Wilson]

A 9. Now that we know that Revolver won't have a blu ray in surround, I hope this isn't the last Beatles disc in 5.1.

 

[RustyM]

If I had the choice between Let It Be and Abbey Road, to demonstrate the awesomeness of surround sound, I would pick Abbey Road. For me, the volume could be increased in the rear speakers. Also, the drums could deliver more punch. Still, Let It Be is a beautiful experience.

 

[Jazzer]

A beautifully packaged, outstanding and fun surround experience. Vocals in particular benefit. Let It Be has never sounded this good before! Congratulations to Giles and Sam for steering this to a successful sonic conclusion with a masterful and very confident mix.

 

[quadrifonico]

Honestly I'd want it NAKED in multichannel, I do agree with Macca, those strings ! Worth the listen but I expected to have goosebumps listening to the long winding road in spatial but I fear the mix is too conservative for my taste