Alphaboo 2010-02-28

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

I grant it was my fault. I should have checked to see if there were any non remastered copies of the Beatles Magical Mystery Tour available. I have learned my lesson. I had bought an entire set of Beatles CD's while living in Germany ten years ago including a numbered limited edition of the white album (1 million copies). These were beautiful records (actually Cd's) and even though they were not vinyl for CD's they were fantastic. However, they were lost in transit when I came home. I have been slowly rebuilding my collection but the quality of the American versions are horrible and SIR--Ha-HA-- George Martin has done a disservice to us all in his remastering. He has cleaned up things like when Paul's voice doesn't quite make that note on Lovely Rita and his voice breaks, a beloved moment for me, now gone. However the worst yet is my recently purchased Magical Mystery tour. It's Bass is so over done and the highs are pumped up. It sounds like some group trying to be the Beatles and almost but not quite pulling it off. It is all shiny and new and polished but nothing like the original. It also seems to be a tradition to rip off Americans on Beatles recordings. I really wish I had my european Beatles CD's back. The were un-remastered and sounded like the records I grew up with. Why george Martin felt he had to clean up these recordings I don't know. It is the biggest sin since the evil munchkin felt the Beatles needed a wall of sound for their Let it Be album. But for me The Magical mystery is the worse by far. Do yourselves a favor and try to find used CDs for all your Beatles recordings from now on and especially avoid this one it is the worst of the lot so far. Why Sir Martin, Why? You would never had gotten away with it if John was still here. What's next removing Revolution #9 from the white album because it's odd and most people don't like it? But to be on point. It just doesn't sound as good as my old CD and in no way sounds anything like the album I used to have.

Hope this helps.

P.S. Does anyone know the difference between enhanced and remastered?? Thanks.

I hope someone wakes up and reisues these recordings as is.

K. Stevenson 2010-02-11

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Wonderful cd!!
If you are a Beatles fan you will certainly enjoy this cd!!

Gregory N. Perkins 2010-02-06

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Among The Beatles' late 60's string of classic albums, "Magical Mystery Tour" often gets lost behind "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," "The White Album," and "Abbey Road." That is a shame, because for my money, this album trails only "Abbey Road" of all the other ones mentioned for sheer brilliance.

Every element of the sound of The Beatles is here, from the pleasantly experimental "Flying," to the daringly old-fashioned "Your Mother Should Know." The latter song is extremely catchy and entertaining while also being instructive material on the music of artists like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. I suspect that this song began to make some closet Beatles fans out of the fabled "Older Generation" of the time. Additionally, the band treats the listener to the brilliant "I Am the Walrus." I still argue that "I Am the Walrus" was the first rap song, with its slowed-down cadence, and John's remarkable gift for musical talking on full display. Lastly, the title track is an odd combination of whimsicality and urgency that is an appropriate entry to such a varied album.

Also featuring solid songs like "Penny Lane," "The Fool on the Hill" and the anthemic "All You Need Is Love," "Magical Mystery Tour" is an invaluable piece of The Beatles' musical lore.

Morten Vindberg 2010-01-24

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

"Magical Mystery Tour", probably the Beatles' most psychedelic album, was released in late 1967 - the same year as the legendary "Sgt Pepper's". The music was written for a 50 minutes TV-film about a magical but-trip, which was shown on BBC in December 1967. Actually it was not meant a real album release, and in England and most of Europe the music was originally released on a double EP, but since this format was declining in the U.S., the music was released as an album, with an addition of 5 single-tracks previously released in the course of 1967.

This release was a huge success and the album has gone down in history as one of the group's core albums.

Logically, the music is similar to both "Sgt Pepper's" and the "Yellow Submarine" soundtrack, with some recordings made simultaneously. McCartney, who was the main man behind the idea of TV-movie, contribute here with some of his best songs.

"Fool on the Hill" and "Penny Lane" are both lyrically and musically some of the finest on his part. Also his "retro-song" "Your Mother Should Know" is quite charming. Interesting too, that The Kinks also around this time, made a horn arrangement for one of their songs; "Dead End Street", which was actually released before "Penny Lane".

The title track "Magical Mystery Tour" is the perfect opening number with its optimistic catchy melody and fine vocals from Lennon and McCartney. The reason that the album appear quite psychedelic is mainly due to the Lennon and Harrison contributions. There are lots of musical experimentation in both "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "I Am the Walrus" - while the lyrics opens for broad interpretation. Both numbers are also among Lennon's best from this period. Harrison was very inspired by oriental music at this time, which clearly shows on "Blue Jay Way" and "Flying" - the latter is in reality a 12-bar blues and basically not very interesting. "Blue Jay Way" is not the worst from Harrison in in this genre, but not the best either.

"Hello Goodbye" and "All You Need Is Love" were two great singles this year, and especially "All You Need Is Love" was one of the big songs in the 1967 'summer of love'. "Hello Goodbye" is the musically a great recording, but lyrically it may seem a bit silly.

"Baby You're a Rich" contributes to the overall psychedelic impression, and it is actually quite a nice number, though the chorus may not quite reach the ususal standards of the band.

In any rate, the album is another gem in the Beatles catalogue.

GaryShawn 2010-01-03

0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:

Amazing remastered edition of a classic album, but my CD has the Let It Be documentary on it.

Anyone else with this error?