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The Beatles Box Of Vision; The Ultimate Showcase For The New Beatles Remasters

The Beatles Box Of Vision; The Ultimate Showcase For The New Beatles Remasters

Okay you’ve just blown your budget acquiring the stereo or mono (or both!!) box sets of the new Beatles Remasters. That’s a big bundle of discs that you’ve just added to your collection. Sure they sound fabulous but the slipcase packaging is a bit awkward and less than deluxe. And where are you going to put it? It won’t fit on a typical CD rack and it would look goofy next to your prize Parlophones LPs. What now? After finishing my review of the new Beatles Remasters (to be published in Issue 198) this is exactly the situation I was facing. So when I was asked whether I’d like to check out The Beatles Box of Vision, I figured why not? From its appearance I immediately fell for it’s hybrid personality–the fact that it celebrates the analog LP even as it provides a very cool, storage and preservation solution for all the digi-pack Beatles remasters discs. Conceived by Jonathan Polk, a music industry veteran it could also easily be used for an existing collection as well. Although in the latter instance you’ll have to store or toss (er, recycle) those yucky plastic “jewel” boxes. The glamorous large format linen covered storage box with silver embossed Beatles logos opens like a clam shell to reveal double-sided pockets where you insert the disc on one side and the digi-pack on the other. This was you can easily slide out the disc without rummaging through the digi-pack cover. Beautfully executed the 13” x 13” box features the iconic image of The Beatles photographed by Robert Freeman for the cover of With The Beatles. It’s exterior is cleverly edged with the faux spines of the Beatles vintage vinyl LPs.The Beatles Box Of Vision; The Ultimate Showcase For The New Beatles Remasters

It also includes a stunning 200-page LP-size linen-bound book containing all of The Beatles’ LP artwork, restored in pristine new art prints. This is the first time that all of The Beatles UK and US album artwork has been collected together in a single LP sized book. And man, it’s also a sad reminder about how album art fell off the map of our collective consciousness when we transitioned from the LP to the teeny, tiny CD format. Does anyone really think the existing Sgt Pepper “museum” cover would have even happened had the large format LP “canvas” not been around to inspire the artists? I digress. From Please Please Me and With The Beatles through Love, this nostalgic book includes front covers, back covers, gatefolds, inserts, and the complete LP booklets. It really gives you the flavor of owning the LPs even if you’ve never spun a single record in your life. Additionally there’s the “Catalography,” (see image below) a new, full color discography guide with photos, text and track-listings, providing the first-ever side-by-side presentation of the UK albums and their US counterparts, with an exclusive essay by Beatles author and historian Bruce Spizer. The only drawback? When the Box Of Vision is fully laden, it weighs in at around thirteen pounds. A small sacrifice to preserve some of my very favorite music. Worth checking out. For a “virtual tour” and more information visit: www.BoxOfVision.com Price: $89.99The Beatles Box Of Vision; The Ultimate Showcase For The New Beatles RemastersThe Beatles Box Of Vision; The Ultimate Showcase For The New Beatles Remasters

 

By Neil Gader

My love of music largely predates my enthusiasm for audio. I grew up Los Angeles in a house where music was constantly playing on the stereo (Altecs, if you’re interested). It ranged from my mom listening to hit Broadway musicals to my sister’s early Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Beatles, and Stones LPs, and dad’s constant companions, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. With the British Invasion, I immediately picked up a guitar and took piano lessons and have been playing ever since. Following graduation from UCLA I became a writing member of the Lehman Engel’s BMI Musical Theater Workshops in New York–working in advertising to pay the bills. I’ve co-written bunches of songs, some published, some recorded. In 1995 I co-produced an award-winning short fiction movie that did well on the international film-festival circuit. I was introduced to Harry Pearson in the early 70s by a mutual friend. At that time Harry was still working full-time for Long Island’s Newsday even as he was writing Issue 1 of TAS during his off hours. We struck up a decades-long friendship that ultimately turned into a writing gig that has proved both stimulating and rewarding. In terms of music reproduction, I find myself listening more than ever for the “little” things. Low-level resolving power, dynamic gradients, shadings, timbral color and contrasts. Listening to a lot of vocals and solo piano has always helped me recalibrate and nail down what I’m hearing. Tonal neutrality and presence are important to me but small deviations are not disqualifying. But I am quite sensitive to treble over-reach, and find dry, hyper-detailed systems intriguing but inauthentic compared with the concert-going experience. For me, true musicality conveys the cozy warmth of a room with a fireplace not the icy cold of an igloo. Currently I split my time between Santa Fe, New Mexico and Studio City, California with my wife Judi Dickerson, an acting, voice, and dialect coach, along with border collies Ivy and Alfie.

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