OK, I voted a 10. But I didn't want to. I mean, everything new that comes out - a lot of us say "TEN" just because we're happy to get it. (Well, ISOTLC excepted
)
So I lived with it. I ripped it. I listened. I listened in the car. I listened to all of the out takes and demos. I listened so much that I am returning to getting sick of the songs again!!! Face it, this material is 50 years old and if you loved it like me, you've heard it thousands of times in your life.
But, I have to give it a 10, remembering that the VOTE is NOT a COMPARISON vote to any other title. It's not saying this album is better than Dark Side of the Moon, Fleetwood Mac, Jimi Hendrix, Billy Paul, or whatever else might be higher in the polls. It's saying that as a single release that I am able to purchase, it's a freaking 10. Hell, it's a fucking 10.
The songs I never played a lot in the past sound amazing. I was never a huge "Savoy Truffle" fan, but I keep going back to that track and am so amazed at how good it is, especially in 5.1, and how clear and exposed the lyrics are - some I never really understood before.
And yes, Rev9 may not be everyone's cup of tea, I was never really taken by the track, but for some wacko reason I love cranking it in the car. So cool, then Yoko ends up in my back seat saying "You become Naked" - WTF?
How can this NOT be a 10?
And again, I think of all of the surround fans of the past 50 years that are no longer with us. People like Cai Campbell. I bet he would have loved this release. I am truly grateful that I somehow managed to stay alive to hear it.
TEN