A Look at Some of the Freshest Beatles Tribute Albums

There are tribute albums, and then there are Beatles tribute albums, ever sprouting like mushrooms. And boy, do we love to consume those ’shrooms! Some fresh ones picked for your pleasure after the jump.

 

10 Beatles Songs We Wish "Rock Band" Included

This week 44 of the 45 tracks off of The Beatles: Rock Band video game have been announced, leaving the mystery 45th track up in the air until the Sept. 9 release. That gives us the chance to play the role of fortune tellers and come up with the 10 Beatles songs we want to see as that final track in the game. Granted there are over 100 possible songs to choose from, but since Rock Band has yet to introduce the Rock Band Sitar, Rock Band Piano or Rock Band Violin we were able to narrow the list down to a few that would actually work in the game. If you don't see your favorite track listed, feel free to leave it in the comments below.

The End

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts "Rock Band"

They're considered to be the greatest rock band of all time by millions, and rank up there with Elvis, Michael Jackson, and Beethoven as one of the biggest forces that shaped music as we know it. They're the Beatles, and on September 9, 2009 (Number Nine, Number Nine, Number Nine, get it?), they're getting their own game in the form of The Beatles: Rock Band.

Yesterday, I had the chance to get some hands-on time with The Beatles: Rock Band. I picked up Sir Paul's Hofner bass guitar and rocked out with Harmonix publicist Alex Navarro (on Ringo's drums) through two tracks: "I am the Walrus" and "I Saw Her Standing There."

If you've played Rock Band or Guitar Hero before, or even just heard of them in passing, you're probably familiar with how they work. Notes comes down, you match them with whatever plastic instrument controller you're using. I conquered "Walrus" handily, but my unpracticed fingers could hardly keep up with the tricky bass-line of "I Saw Her Standing There." With both songs, I felt as much like a Beatle as I could reasonably hope for while holding a fake plastic guitar.

Lovin' the LP: my first weekend with PerspeX

Longtime S&V readers know how much your humble Editor-In-Chief loves vinyl. But my old turntable was, well, old, and the more I listened to my LPs, the more I realized I had to bite the bullet and get a new 'table. I never enter new-gear purchase modes lightly, so, after months of research, a few sort-of clandestine listening sessions at CES, and some persuasive expert advice, I decided to go with the Pro-Ject 6 PerspeX turntable and a Sumiko Blackbird cartridge. 

And I am sooooo glad I did.

I had to wait one weekend longer that I wanted to before I could devote the proper time to set the 'table up properly. I got the 'table itself set and level on a wood table out of the line of fire of my speakers and subwoofer on Saturday and installed the cartridge and adjusted the tonearm on Sunday. I, of course, took meticulous care in optimizing tracking force, antiskating, overhang, zenith, azimuth, and the arm's VTA (vertical tracking angle). As soon as I was satisfied with my adjustments, I connected the PerspeX to my receiver's phono stage and got down to putting needle to platter. . . .

Beatles remasters: "Listen"

Verlyn Klinkenborg has done it again. Bitstream browsers will recall that, one week ago, I linked to his New York Times editorial on Maurice Jarre. Now, in today's paper, he has submitted a similarly rhapsodic piece on the coming CD remasters of the Beatles' catalog, under the simple title: "Listen."

Reminiscing, he writes: "Growing up . . . I owned a cheap portable record player with a volume knob, a single tone control, and a primitive needle. But when you hear 'Ticket to Ride' for the first time, all the fidelity you need is between your ears."

I can (and will, eventually) take issue with his assertion that the original Beatles CDs were a sonic "disaster," but never mind that now. Simply read his new editorial to help you once again take a trip down your own personal Penny Lane.

And stay tuned here for my follow-up piece on the Beatles remasters re: What They Got Right and What They Got Wrong, coming soon.

— Ken Richardson

Beatles CDs remastered. Finally.

That's right, the press release just arrived this morning at 9 o'clock on the dot. Here it is, in full. And stay tuned to our Bitstream blog in the coming days because, after I've had some time to mull over the press release myself, I'll be firing off a post or two on What They Got Right and What They Got Wrong.

— Ken Richardson

THE BEATLES’ ENTIRE ORIGINAL RECORDED CATALOG REMASTERED BY APPLE CORPS LTD. AND EMI MUSIC FOR WORLDWIDE RELEASE ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2009 (09-09-09)

London, England – April 7, 2009 – Apple Corps Ltd. and EMI Music are delighted to announce the release of the original Beatles catalog, which has been digitally remastered for the first time, for worldwide CD release on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 (09-09-09), the same date as the release of the widely anticipated videogame The Beatles: Rock Band.

Each of the CDs is packaged with replicated original U.K. album art, including expanded booklets containing original and newly written liner notes and rare photos. For a limited period, each CD will also be embedded with a brief documentary film about the album. On the same date, two new Beatles boxed CD collections will also be released.

The albums have been remastered by a dedicated team of engineers at EMI’s Abbey Road Studios in London over a 4-year period, utilizing state-of-the-art recording technology alongside vintage studio equipment, carefully maintaining the authenticity and integrity of the original analog recordings. The result of this painstaking process is the highest fidelity the catalog has seen since its original release.

The collection comprises all 12 Beatles albums in stereo, with track listings and artwork as originally released in the U.K., and Magical Mystery Tour, which became part of the Beatles’ core catalog when the CDs were first released in 1987. In addition, the collections Past Masters Vol. I and II are now combined as one title, for a total of 14 titles over 16 discs. This will mark the first time that the first four Beatles albums will be available in stereo in their entirety on CD. These 14 albums, along with a DVD collection of the documentaries, will also be available for purchase together in a stereo boxed set.

The Beatles. Rock Band. 09-09-09.

Just received the official press release this morning. Here it is, in its entirety: Apple Corps Ltd., MTV, and Harmonix announce The Beatles: Rock Band, worldwide release set for 9/9/09

New York, NY - March 5, 2009 - Apple Corps Ltd., Harmonix, and MTV Games, a part of Viacom's MTV Networks, today announced the 9/9/09 worldwide release of The Beatles: Rock Band (thebeatlesrockband.com). The music-based videogame — an unprecedented, experiential progression through and celebration of the music and artistry of the Beatles — will be available simultaneously worldwide in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and other territories for the Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system from Microsoft, the PlayStation3 computer entertainment system from Sony, and the Wii home videogame console from Nintendo.

The Beatles: Rock Band will allow fans to pick up the guitar, bass, mike, or drums and experience the Beatles' extraordinary catalog of music through gameplay that takes players on a journey through the legacy and evolution of the band's legendary career. In addition, The Beatles: Rock Band will offer a limited number of new hardware offerings modeled after instruments used by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr throughout their career. 

The Beatles: Rock Band will be offered as standalone software and hardware as well as a limited-edition bundle. The game will be compatible with all Rock Band instrument controllers and other current music-based videogame peripherals.

Beatles Come to the 'Rock Band' Brand

In an ultimate battle of the bands, looks like the Beatles are making a virtual comeback. MTV Networks, the company behind the video game Rock Band, just announced a licensing agreement with the Beatles. Looks like the Beatles will be featured in an exclusive variation of Rock Band.

Considering the problems getting the Beatles' music into digital stores (haven't seen them on iTunes . . . yet) this is a breakthrough announcement. The folks behind Guitar Hero were also trying hard to get the Beatles' catalog for their competing game.

Considering that most of the folks who play Rock Band weren't even born when the Beatles were popular, this is an interesting development, but it could bring in a whole new demographic.

See who'll be involved in the development of the game.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Studer Recorder

Book your flights to Cleveland now. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is getting ready to unveil a new exhibit that will feature one of the 4-track recorders used to record the legendary Beatles' classic, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Studer, the manufacturer of the recorder, is loaning the J37 to the music museum, timing it with their own 60th anniversary of being in the pro audio business.

Apple Announcement #1: The Beatles!

No, not that Apple. And no, not that technological species of Beatles.

In a week when it was rumored that Apple Inc. would herald the long-awaited availability of the Beatles on iTunes, Apple Corps Ltd. instead divulged that the band's second film, Help!, will be reissued on DVD, in a two-disc set.

This is great news for Beatlemaniacs, considering that the 1965 movie has been unavailable on DVD since its 2000 reissue. (It first appeared on the format in 1997.)

This is also great news for us multichannel-music-maniacs, as the DVD will include "a newly created 5.1 soundtrack." Little by little, we're getting the entire Beatles catalog in surround! (Now, please, Apple Corps: Let's have every album on CD+DVD-Audio.)

Apple's full press release appears below. —Ken Richardson