Having spent all week referencing the various mono/stereo/5.1 mixes on this package--and as others have noted the presentation itself is a solid
10--overall, after a lot of listening to the 5.1, it ultimately gets a '9' from this grateful but mildly frustrated listener.
The frustration comes from Giles Martin's conservative fashion of remixing to 5.1. Again, as others have noted here, he did so impressive a job with the LOVE project, which makes me now believe that, without constraints--it was, after all, a collection of remixes and mashes, or whatever--he went full throttle in giving us that tingly feeling of the first time we heard some of those great recordings. For those uninitiated with the reasoning behind the package it was maddening, true; but also, keep on listening, hear the potential for future 5.1 Beatles.
Unlike a certain previous video compilation (gag, choke) this time we hear 5.1 without straining or endlessly adjusting to be sure. For the most part the mixes range from the conventional to, at certain moments, just about 'right' for the individual song and spirit of the instrumentation and original (mono and stereo) mixes (albeit problematic); that is, Martin and his associates give us extra added clarity and detail and yet keep everything 'together' in 5.1 in a way a more expansive mix might have diffused and distracted too much (though that's one I'd love to hear before I journey to Saturn to meet Sun Ra, John Coltrane, and Mr. Lennon). As it is, it's kind of like moving from the old yet wonderful original black & white (mono) to the faulty Technicolor (original stereo) to something tweaked and polished for modern ears, yet attempting to retain the magic of old (CinemaScope or, these days, I guess, Arriflex of whatever widescreen processes are used for cinema).
There is no denying some genuinely fun (if expected) touches in the mixes, which one can hear on "Lucy" and "Kite" most blatantly.
Rather than up my rear channel volumes, I moved back further or to one side or the other to get a tad better sense of separation. There are scattered moments not wholly expected, like the movement of guitar from the end of "Good Morning" in the rear to the intro of the Reprise in the front (this is probably what some wanted more than we got).
It was also that reference point that bothered me. This box includes the original mono mix, which this old kid has heard too many times to say, but the one thing a listener to this mix never forgets is that flawed transition in mono, which is a split second separation but, beyond that, what sounds like 'tape drag' during the Reprise intro (that, and before the countoff, there is an extra few beats compared to all other versions--including the original stereo and the stereo and 5.1 remixes). And so, although Giles referenced the mono in spirit, most often, in reality, he could not do the same for the new 5.1, possibly because there are some things too tough to try to mimic in the digital realm, or (IMO) maybe the time taken to remix from the original tapes was less time than it took to record PEPPER itself, with mixes so complex and intricate that any 'new' mix of any kind would be found wanting; and maybe (and I think it's true) you only get one pass at 'magic' when it comes to mixing your newest music, and the mono PEPPER had that magic (the band was around for the mono, not the stereo) and, listening to it yet again, a reminder of what is murky and hidden can be wonderful mystery (think of the muddy mess of Gary Bonds' early LeGrand recordings). The original stereo mix wasn't really so bad, just, at times and in hindsight, a bit too obvious and diffuse for comfort; maybe the mixing equipment of the time wasn't elaborate enough, maybe not enough time or thought taken with what was an 'obligatory' stereo mix in a teen world that was still mainly mono in mid-'67. That is rectified here to a degree, as with the title track intro.
Yet the minuses don't outweigh what is wonderful about this box set (and the 5.1's of "Strawberry Fields" and esp. "Penny Lane" are just close to sublime). The nostalgia/being young back then factor carries a lot of weight, but the sheer, dazzling creativity of these guys at this time--because or in spite of drugs--remains unassailable. For me it's the equivalent of a magic show with lots of 3-D lights (kind of what I saw at a Perfume concert a few years ago), sonic glitter and fuss. And still a lot of fuggin' fun.
A strong '9.5' for sonics, '8.5' for mix, '10' for package/presentation. Expensive but essential.
ED
