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Expectations have run high among fans waiting for the Fab Four’s complete original catalog in surround sound. This ain’t that, but it’s a step in that direction. This super-deluxe edition of the 1+ compilation, packaged in a hardcover portfolio with detailed liner notes, includes a stereo CD of the original 27-track 1 album and a pair of Blu-ray discs featuring 50 restored videos, some with alternative versions, in 5.1 surround mixes. Audio is offered in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (96/24), Dolby Digital 5.1, and LPCM 2.0. The surround mix of “A Day in the Life” alone is worth the price of admission. The earlier songs sound best on multi-channel stereo, the remixed vocals being brought into the center of the soundstage. Later material, beginning with the Help! era, fares best in surround. For example, the blaring horns in the fade-in coda to the Dada-esque 1967 video for “Strawberry Fields Forever” pan from the front to rear speakers. One of the best surround mixes is the “Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows” mashup from the promo video to Love, which was produced by Giles Martin. Also serving as remix producer on this set, Martin strenuously avoided gimmickry in handling these pop gems.
By Greg Cahill
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