The Beatles - Abbey Road 50th Anniversary (5.1 & Dolby Atmos mixes)

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Wow. Well please listen to this one all the way through

I did and have, 'bout 4-5 times now. Turns out, it's pretty good :) Of course much of the album I've heard on the radio a thousand times but hearing the album in order brings about a more cohesive listening experience and a greater appreciation for the music. The flow of the album is wonderfully laid out and really is a musical journey. I bought this because of the strong reviews on the surround mix and thus, listening has been a very enjoyable experience on many levels.

I can not imagine why anyone would go out of their way to never listen to a whole Beatles album...

I never purposely avoided the Beatles. In fact, I have always enjoyed the various singles I hear, Eleanor Rigby and the sort. It's just a band that never really intrigued me on a deeper level. When I was developing my musical journey in the early 80's it was all about 70's & 80's Rock N Roll and Metal. Unlike the 60's Stones, the Beatles seemed to tame for Rock N Roll for me (for a lack of a better description), and I guess I never moved past that. Therein could lie my fault, trying to pigeon hole the band to a particular genre, classifying incorrectly, or perhaps they simply exist alone, independent of all others. Similar to Notre Dame football or Black Sabbath.

At first I thought... I just cant conceive of it happening with something like the Beatles... but then again, I've never heard an entire Beach Boys album. And to some that would be just as jaw dropping.

I tried Pet Sounds and didn't get it. I may just be a hopeless cause.

Cheers everyone 🍻
 
Weekendtoy, I have to admit that if my grandparents had not educated me on the Beatles (and many other genres/artists), I might never have learned to appreciate them or learned much later by accident. They also made it quite clear to me that albums should be always played all the way through. I had to blatantly disagree and avow to never touch my one grandmother's changer for that reason. At the time I learned of the Beatles and John's murder, I was into current top 40, disco hand me downs (please, no flaming;)) and pre/post-Beatles 45s from relatives. I also liked harder stuff in secret. AC/DC and Kiss had to be enjoyed at school friends houses as I wasn't allowed to have them.Abbey Road is truly a journey and an excellent example of a concept album not equalled or surpassed in my opinion until Alan Parson, Pink Floyd and Ian Thomas. I only learned about prog stuff since I joined QQ. And for the record;), I didn't get Pet Sounds either. I have played many Beach Boys LPs through, but that one was lost on me.
 
Abbey Road is truly a journey and an excellent example of a concept album not equalled or surpassed in my opinion until Alan Parson, Pink Floyd and Ian Thomas.

I wouldn't consider Abbey Road a concept album, certainly not like the Parsons and Floyd stuff you mention. What do you think the concept is? The Beatles final goodbye? How to stitch together a bunch of unrelated song fragments into a side two "medley"?

I tried Pet Sounds and didn't get it. I may just be a hopeless cause.

I didn't get Pet Sounds either. I have played many Beach Boys LPs through, but that one was lost on me.

I'm not sure you are meant to get anything out of Pet Sounds, Its just a Pop album, nothing deep, although it is quite original and well constructed and used some novel instrumentation. Either you enjoy it or you don't, right?
 
Really nice piece by Jonathan Gould on the 50th Anniversary album, posted yesterday at The New Yorker.com: "When the Beatles Walked Offstage: Fifty Years of 'Abbey Road.'" Don't hate him for this bit:

“Abbey Road” was the first Beatles album to be made from start to finish using the newly refined technology of multitrack tape, and, though Giles Martin’s remix preserves the pristine sound of the original recording, it lacks the revelatory quality of the restorative remixes he produced for the anniversary editions of “Sgt. Pepper” and the White Album.​
(I hope he's referring to the stereo mixes.) It's an otherwise smart and insightful essay, and I think it describes the process by which Abbey Road was put together more frankly than the box set's book does.
 
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Really nice piece by Jonathan Gould on the 50th Anniversary album, posted yesterday at The New Yorker.com: "When the Beatles Walked Offstage: Fifty Years of 'Abbey Road.'" Don't hate him for this bit:

“Abbey Road” was the first Beatles album to be made from start to finish using the newly refined technology of multitrack tape, and, though Giles Martin’s remix preserves the pristine sound of the original recording, it lacks the revelatory quality of the restorative remixes he produced for the anniversary editions of “Sgt. Pepper” and the White Album.
(I hope he's referring to the stereo mixes.) It's an otherwise smart and insightful essay, and I think it describes the process by which Abbey Road was put together more frankly than the box set's book does.
I agree with the statement above, and its not a bad thing at all. He is referring only to the fidelity, not the mix. Abbey Road was easily the best sounding of all the Beatles albums, partly due to the evolution of the era's recording practices and technology. Removing the effects of limited technology from Pepper and TWA made a bigger difference in those releases than it did for AR because AR sounded great from the time of its very first release, especially the bass.

Luckily for us, that same technical evolution also enabled the creation of a more satisfying surround experience, and that is probably something the author never even considered.
 
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Listened to the 5.1 and Atmos mix last night since the family was gone. I could finally turn it up.
While listening to "Sun King" in Atmos I noticed that the guitar riff that starts the song in the left front channel and then pans to the right front and then to the right rear at about 30 seconds totally disappeared only hearing it as bleed thru from other mics. I switched to the 5.1 and there it was in the right rear. Switched back to Atmos and it was barely audible again.
I was playing this on the Oppo 203 via HDMI to the Marantz SR-7010. I have not checked the settings to see if anything had changed in the 5.1.4 setup but really don't suspect the settings are not right as I have not had any other playback issues like that.
Anyone else notice this?
 
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Amazon is having a Warehouse deal sale again - selling for $66 less 20 percent plus tax (so net about $58 with prime shipping).
Is this the damaged box sale? Last time I dud one of those hoping for just a ding or missing shrink wrap I was in fir a shocker. Luckily I was about to strip out each item and sell A la-carte and turn a profit on my investment of that flipper project.
 
Is this the damaged box sale? Last time I dud one of those hoping for just a ding or missing shrink wrap I was in fir a shocker. Luckily I was about to strip out each item and sell A la-carte and turn a profit on my investment of that flipper project.
My copy was essentially pristine, but mileage varies. For those of us who like the Beatles and surround but perhaps aren't superfans this is a good deal, I suspect right now flipping might be difficult.
 
Guardian.uk:

The webcam link is cool. LIVE NOW! Abbey Road Cam


Abbey Road zebra crossing repainted in coronavirus lockdown
Council workers take advantage of the empty streets to spruce up the crossing featured on the cover of the 1969 Beatles album

5988.jpg




The iconic Abbey Road zebra crossing made famous by the 1969 Beatlesalbum of the same name has been repainted while the streets of London are empty because of the coronavirus pandemic.
A highways maintenance crew quietly repainted the normally busy zebra crossing on 24 March, the day after the prime minister ordered Britain to go on lockdown in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus.
A spokesperson for Westminster City Council said: “This is a very busy zebra crossing and we repainted the line markings to ensure visibility and increased safety for drivers and pedestrians. Our contractors follow government advice on limiting the spread of covid-19, including social distancing and hand washing.”

The brightened markings can be seen in action on the Abbey Road webcam.

The government designated the crossing a site of national importance in 2010 and it can be altered only with the approval of local authorities. “This London zebra crossing is no castle or cathedral but, thanks to the Beatles and a 10-minute photoshoot one August morning in 1969, it has just as strong a claim as any to be seen as part of our heritage,” John Penrose, minister for tourism and heritage said at the time.
 
Guardian.uk:

The webcam link is cool. LIVE NOW! Abbey Road Cam


Abbey Road zebra crossing repainted in coronavirus lockdown
Council workers take advantage of the empty streets to spruce up the crossing featured on the cover of the 1969 Beatles album

5988.jpg




The iconic Abbey Road zebra crossing made famous by the 1969 Beatlesalbum of the same name has been repainted while the streets of London are empty because of the coronavirus pandemic.
A highways maintenance crew quietly repainted the normally busy zebra crossing on 24 March, the day after the prime minister ordered Britain to go on lockdown in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus.
A spokesperson for Westminster City Council said: “This is a very busy zebra crossing and we repainted the line markings to ensure visibility and increased safety for drivers and pedestrians. Our contractors follow government advice on limiting the spread of covid-19, including social distancing and hand washing.”

The brightened markings can be seen in action on the Abbey Road webcam.

The government designated the crossing a site of national importance in 2010 and it can be altered only with the approval of local authorities. “This London zebra crossing is no castle or cathedral but, thanks to the Beatles and a 10-minute photoshoot one August morning in 1969, it has just as strong a claim as any to be seen as part of our heritage,” John Penrose, minister for tourism and heritage said at the time.

Ugh...the UK Prime Minister has tested positive.
 
Ugh...the UK Prime Minister has tested positive.

Checking the webcam periodically.
Mrs Wave had a peek since we were there 25 years ago on a Beatles walking tour.
We saw a tourist couple take a picture, as usual, and at less risk because traffic is light.
Then we saw a red double-decker bus roll by with no people on it.:unsure:

Just now watched a couple take selfies in the crossing wearing their surgical masks. :eek:
 
I dont know why either.... but why 7 DVD players?
From the bottom up.
Toshiba HD - discontinued format and I have about 40 discs that can only play on this player.
Sony 4k- also plays DVD A and Sacd, but not Dolby Vision.
Lg 4k - can play Dolby Vision and Hdr
Yamaha- plays DVD A and Sacd
Oppo- region free and analog DVD and Sacd
Thats my main 5-- a little overkill, but I use them all.
Sony 4k in the bedroom and Panasonic Blu ray in my den makes 7.
 

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