The Capitol Albums Vol. 1
The Beatles
I admit I was a slightly disconcerted in 1987 when the Beatles rolled out their precious catalog on compact disc, and they decided to release the British versions instead of the American versions. After all, I was weaned on Meet The Beatles and Something New, not With The Beatles and Beatles For Sale. On the other hand, being the purist that I am, I could also appreciate that the 1987 CDs represented the titling, packaging and song selections of the Beatles themselves, not the executives at Capitol. But hey, as long as the songs are intact, that’s all that matters, right? Apparently not. In a final stroke of the Beatle’s 40th Anniversary in America marketing savvy, Capitol has boxed up the first four American albums from 1964 and tagged it The Capitol Albums Volume 1 — meaning, of course, there must be more to follow. While a few by-the-book diehards will undoubtedly cry wolf, Capitol is hedging its bets that a huge constituency of Beatle fans will snatch this box up like a long-lost chum. When you throw in the nifty, economical packaging with the recreated original sleeves, both remastered duophonic stereo and mono versions of each and every song, and a 48-page booklet, it’s simply too much to resist.
At the heart of The Capitol Albums Volume 1
are 45 Lennon-McCartney originals that set the stage for the greatest
rock and roll band of all time (for all you confused Rolling Stone readers,
“all time” means past, present, and future). Simple, concise
and exuberant, the Beatles’ early music struck a powerful chord
throughout the world. Americans in particular, who, in 1964, were still
mourning the loss of JFK, went bonkers for the shaggy-haired foursome
from Liverpool. Meet The Beatles, The Beatles'
Second Album, Something New, and Beatles
’65 seemingly resuscitated America’s spirit, each
becoming multi-platinum, Top Ten albums (three Number Ones and one Number
2), boasting over a dozen singles, including “I Want To Hold Your
Hand,” “She Loves You” and “She’s A Woman”
— all in a single year! Criticism of Capitol’s simulated stereo
processing, fewer tunes than their British counterparts, competition from
other labels, and Dave Dexter’s twist on sequencing would eventually
come under fire. But when it comes right down to it, the no-fuss, average
fan can do without the trivialities. Clearly, the Beatles and Apple Corp.,
whose famous logo adorns the CDs and much of the restored artwork, have
no objections. So one has to ask: why should anyone else?
Disraeli Gears (Deluxe Edition)
Cream
No other group with so short a history has been tossed, turned and reexamined as much as Cream. Releasing four albums in a span of three years, Cream unhinged a blues-based thunder that begat Led Zeppelin and an entire wave of hard rockers and heavy metalers that followed. Disraeli Gears, their second LP, is arguably their finest moment. An amalgamation of jazz, blues and psychedelic rock, this winter release of 1967 features the seminal Cream Top 10 single, “Sunshine Of Your Love,” as well as “Strange Brew,” “Tales Of Brave Ulysses,” and “SWLABR” — alternately known as “She Was Like A Bearded Rainbow.” And I'll bet she was! Disraeli Gears, which takes its title from a mispronunciation muttered by a Cream roadie, finds all the pieces of the puzzle functioning at their peak. Next to Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton was everyone’s favorite guitarist (he was way past the God stage at this point). The Jack Bruce and Pete Brown songwriting team was just beginning to take flight. Ginger Baker was incorporating blends of ethnicity into his jazz-flavored percussional style. And producer Felix Pappalardi and engineer Tom Dowd provided the ambience, musicality and proper motivation to bring it all together. Recorded in New York, Disraeli Gears is a recent recepient of Universal’s Deluxe Edition series, which has expanded the album to two CDs, including both mono and stereo mixes of every song, outtakes, demos, and nine live performances from a couple of BBC sessions. Even if much of the bonus material can be found on other compilations, the day-glo packaging is still too cool to pass up.
- Shawn Perry
~
For additional reviews, be sure to check out
the Classic Eye on About.com:
© Copyright 1997, 2004 Vintage Rock
