I grinned like a maniac when I heard those drums in the end

What stood out for me was the session tracks. As a musician and engineer what I enjoy so much is to listen to them work. And those isolated strings for something and carry that weight. So beautiful... I m convinced more so than ever, that George Martin is the fifth Beatle. His collaboration with the four of them on a individual basis and as a group is unsurpassed. A moment in time. Imagine hearing Beethoven's 5th Symphony for first time. Magical!!! That's the only way to describe it. Thanks TJR...

Apologies if someone else mentioned this already, but I’m pretty sure those “pinging” notes are the very end of “Oh! Darling!” is a guitar, plucked between the bridge and tailpiece.

I've always believed that "Something" is the greatest song of the entire rock era. This version is absolutely stunning... the strings have more of a real strings feel, somehow they managed to make George's vocal sound even more emotional and sincere. There isn't a note or a harmony that doesn't belong there. It's a masterwork, as is "Here Comes the Sun". On first hearing I was concerned that the flute sound on "Here Comes the Sun" was pulled back too much, but I replayed the CD and 2009 versions and it's about the same level. I attribute the difference I was hearing to the studio monitors I got a few months ago... apparently when the speaker response is flat the frequencies I'm used to being enhanced on my old speaker/amp combo are no longer enhanced. This remix was worth the wait, and even though I've bought the album on vinyl, cassette, 8-track, and CD in the past, I have no problem with buying it yet again. Oh yeah, I was 5 when they recorded this.

TJR, your review is excellent! As well as your pen. Good job!

FYI, the last 6 notes at the end of Oh Darling are the guitar strings picked behind the nut on the headstock.

I'm happy for everyone who likes the recent remixes of Beatles albums (Pepper, White Album, Abbey Road). Further, while I personally am philosophically against tampering with "art", too many people disagree with me for me to think these remixes will stop anytime soon. I only wish that the remixed versions would come out labeled as such. "The New Abbey Road", "The New Sgt. Pepper", etc. Call it that on the cover art. Keep the original mixes in print as well. Give people a choice. There's actually a template for this. In 2012, Kiss remixed their 1976 classic album, Destroyer. It was issued as "Destroyer: Resurrected." Even the cover art was noticeably different. This should be standard operating procedure for remixes. After all, a remix is indeed a distinct creation, independent of the original. As far as the labels and artists are concerned, having two (or more) versions of their classic albums out simply means more ka-ching! So, I don't think they would mind. This concept should satisfy purists as well as the more casual, more modern fan who legitimately wants to hear 50 year old material reworked for 2019 ears. Make both available. Have a way to easily distinguish which version you're buying. Then enjoy!

Also the “little darling” during here comes the sun, you can hear double tracking of George ..l it was amazing

it's called Octopus's Garden

I’ve just listened to this in my studio on Dynaudio Monitors and I’m very impressed. Sounds more like a Rock band signaling whats to some in the 70s...than the polished Abbey Road I’ve always known and loved. Really think their next album would have been off the charts. Standout to me.... Sun King .... now I can hear the interplay between Johns Leslie’s guitar and George’s tremolo guitar. Vocals. The fact that George Harrison is All Over this record !!!! Moog and a lot of bass guitar work. His guitar work in She’s So Heavy. All background vocals... and you can really hear him. The fact that John played a lot more on these tunes than I thought. The rough mix of the Medley!!! More George in the mix, different vocal take from Paul, some ad libs from John. Oh Darling , John on Guitar, Paul piano and George bass. John does play on Octopus 🐙 Great work Giles. I don’t care what some say.

Thank you TJR for your wonderful, articulate review! I am very impressed by your scholarly presentation and your ability to put your thoughts out there from a musicians point of view. You put a lot of work into your presentation and it shows. Just the fact that you ABed between the 2009 and 2019 remix makes this review the most on-point, credible and in depth I have seen online. Thanks again!

I can hear 'extra voices after as the song "Come Together' that I've never heard before. You can hear them rig at 4:09 as the song begins to fade out.

Great review of each song , upon first listen i could hear the benefits of the remix it almost felt like i was hearing the band in the studio kind of feel their is more depth to the soundstage and upon further listens i enjoyed it even more ..the 2009 is great but this remix truly brought tears of joy what a masterpiece this album truly is i am humbled. Great review TJR .

I Want You session track is truly great " My boys are READY!" -Lennon. Great job TJR

One does not simply remix perfection.

And don’t forget that the chorus beginning with “Out of college, money spent” from “You Never Give Me Your Money” doesn’t go from right to left like in the original release. It stays centered in the remix.

Great review TJR. You've kind of confirmed my thoughts on the remix giving the album room to breathe. Wonderful job done by Giles Martin & Sam Okell.

I agree with your review. Another pleasant surprise for me was the "white noise" section in "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" It sounds to me more clearer and I'm hearing stuff in the background I've never heard before. Just subscribed, btw,

I love oh darling. You really can hear Paul's rasping vocals more, as if you were there live. Giles Martin has done his dad proud. RIP Mr Martin senior

With regards to "The End", the bass during the pre-solo sequence is amazing. Not only is the playing great (of course) but the sound in the new remix makes if feel as if I am in the room with that bass amp. Then at the very end (no pun intended) when the orchestra reaches its final note, the heavy brass instruments really come out much louder than before. To use a phrase that seems to characterize this remix: it felt as though I was in a concert hall with live musicians.

Great review. I've only listened to my vinyl copy of the album once so far. The stereo separation has a so much wider, deeper, feel. The lead vocals are clearer as are the harmonizing vocals. I hear tambourines I have never heard before. I cant say enough for Pauls bass and Ringo's drums. I love the songs which those are more prominent. I did however notice (on first listen) that on "I Want You (Shes So Heavy)" that Ringo's drums are buried in the mix. Does anyone else hear tape hiss in the right channel of " You Never Give Me Your Money" , or is that my tinnitus. All in all, I love it so far, but will give it lots more listens in the coming weeks.

i,d glad that Giles Martin improved the 2019 mixes that sounds more superior listening experience that the lifeless 2009 version.

Great review! I am pretty sure that during the guitar solos on The End, at some point the vocals resume the “ Love You” line but was previously buried under the rhythm guitars on the original mix. Still very subtle in 2019 mix but definitely audible. I heard it while listening to the 5.1 mixes.

Very nicely done, TJR - thank you sir.

Well thought out review. It sounds amazing...I only heard this once but the difference is instantly noticeable. 2009 sounds more flat where this has a much more clean sound and the drums instantly smack you in the face. Still need to vibe with this a bit more. BTW....I checked out your Spotify TJR...You make great music my friend! I hit follow ;)

Abbey Road sounds sounds beastly great. Amazing!

I would say that John's vocals on Come Together are much more prominent--making one of my favorite Beatles songs just that much more enjoyable.

Excellent review - thanks so much

Great review and summary of the changes, I agree with a lot of your thoughts here. Here Comes The Sun and The End are the big 'winners' in my opinion. I dislike the changes to I Want You (less bluesy and dirty sounding) and Octopus' Garden (agree that jangly guitar in the verse intrudes too much, I didn't even know it was there before!). Regardless, I'm glad we have this remix, it does feel like a new perspective on these great songs.

Great review, many thanks!

Paul is doing the backup vocal on "Come Together".

got mine the other day, can't wait to break into it

Bought the three LP set. I have an early English release and a Japanese release. This is by far the best I've heard. Even hearing on the bonus LP's "The Ballad of John and Yoko" done by John and Paul, Fantastic.

The biggest thing with Her Majesty is how everything pans from one side to the other is a bit different. On the 2009 remix it was a jagged jump between the different sound channels, whereas this one sounds like paul is smoothly panning from the one side to the other. I liked it’

I'll be picking this remix up. Giles Martin greatly improved the sound of this album. If the Let it Be remix is done well I'll pick that one up I'll just be getting the single disc versions as i rarely listen to demos and outtakes. Great review TJ.

Great review!

Great and helpful review. I personally think that, for me, I will find this more useful in understanding the original mix. Some issues I have: •Sibilance and harshness on Maxwell’s Silver Hammer. There is some natural sibilance on the original due to all of the “S” sounds on this lyric. I find it difficult to listen to for this reason: that the S’s are simply to loud and forward. I suffer from Misophonia (sensitivity to some sounds) but I also have very good ears... Others may not even notice the sibilance. •Bass on some songs is a distraction for me. It’s nice to hear the first generation recordings but to me a great remix shouldn’t call too much attention to itself. I’m glad many enjoy this. I’ve picked up Pepper’s and White Album remixes and I’ll probably ask Santa for this as well... At some point I usually gravitate back to the original masters... Also on Maxwell... I think that some of the limitations of the source tape are more obvious...

Luv your clips. I just received my copy & I have had a first listen too. This is probably the hardest for Giles to remix because the original 1969 mix was sooo good. I need to take a lot more time to listen, hear & be less subjective about this mix. Anyway, I don't care, because anything so caringly produced & new is a bonus for me. I am very conscious of the fact that we are just lucky to hear & learn how they all worked & developed such an amazing album. GAZ (Melbourne/Australia)

the song that popped the most for me on this remix was Because. This was on the LP.

Good review. Just curious why you chose to go audio only for this video.

Is the guitar amplifier "hiss" still present in the verses of I Want You(She's So Heavy)?

Giles did a great job on "come together" & "something" and "Maxwell" and "here comes the sun" but the medley is pretty much the same, well "carry that weight" sounds better now...

Why don't they put out the track stems and let us do our own mixes?

I love how he mixed the guitars on "The End" Each phrase layers either higher or lower, slight left and slight right to pop each one over the other. The 2009 mix was very flat.

I agree with all your saying mostly seid the volume of the remix is soft the uk version is my favor because it has no digital its made like 50 yrs ago

I love hearing new remixes of my fave albums even nirvana have done it with both nevermind and in utero (the nevermind mix I think eclipses the original)

the 2009 remaster was great I thought...I just hope Giles didn't just put a overall louder volume and actually did work and each track

Nice review TJR, but did you allso listen to original vinyl album? I mean you refere to the 2009 remaster but, a comparisson to the original would be more intresting. I know ofcourse it depends on the gear you use but, really listen to the 1st release of 1969 and then the 2019 you will notice then the differance is not that much, at least in my ears. The 2009 release was to me a bad thing, they only used an equalizer to make it sound more fresh.

OMG! Paul isn't wearing any shoes! He forgot to press the 'buy now' button on Amazon....

These Beatles remixes come at a time when I am really into a number of newer artist and I want to take a break from classic rock. With a limited vinyl budget I chose to buy the new Brittany Howard solo album Jaime over Abbey Road. The new album by the neo-psychedelia band Temples entitle Hot Motion is on my next to buy. I will eventually buy Abbey Road remix but again I want to support newer artist with the purchase of their work so the Beatles will have to wait. For now the 2009 reissue of Abbey Road will have to do with me.

Out of the 3 remixed albums which one is your favorite.

Didn’t sound good to me. I played the older one back to back. The remix sounded dull. Do I need to run it through eq?

Couple of things that most serious Beatle fans probably already know - 1) the jarring opening chord on Her Majesty is actually the final chord of Mean Mr. Mustard 2) George plays bass on Oh Darling, Octopus's Garden and Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight 3) John didn't play on a handful of tunes 4) The arpeggio at the end of Oh Darling is John playing behind the nut of his guitar

Thing that bugs me tho is the tambourine in Mean Mr Mustard. Fading in and out between lines in a really clumsy way

I have listened a couple of times this new remix. The difference between me and other people, maybe like you is that as born in the 90s all I have always listened is the 2009 remastered version. Which to me is "the only" Abbey Road that has ever existed. The first thing it came to my mind is, I believe the 2009 mix is kind of what the Beatles would sound if they were recorded on a modern studio. Everything just sounds so "professional" and "perfect". But when I listen to this new remix is like, I don't know, "a new sophisticated way" to listen to a band that even if it's a 2019 release you'll notice from the very first moment that is a 1969 rock band. I don't know if this makes any sense, but it is what I have developed as an opinion comparing 2009 to 2019 mixes. I agree as Maxwell's is one of the most "enhanced" songs or at least you get a whole new experience. Also, I do like it so for me is a completely win-win scenario. I would say, Come together, Something, Oh Darling and Because are the other songs that really really make a difference. Now talking to particular bits of the remix i have things that I don't like also. Something which I feel kind of disturbed cause I was waiting this 2019 remix so much since Sgt Peppers got a remix in 2017. So I was hoping you know this would be a dream come true and a whole new way to listen an album that I love so much. One of the things I wanted so bad to have a much clean and enhanced detail was on the second time they hit the "she's so heavy... (heavy)... (heavy)". When on the last chorus, Paul goes full rock and roll screaming. Well, that was I don't know why pretty much muted by the instruments. In 2009 version you get a better impression. The guitar on Octopus's Garden feels like it mixes so much you don't get to distinct every lick? A bit too fuzzy or something like that. I think we disagree on this. Although I don't play guitar so this is only my impression as a singer haha . But the song gets crisper on every other aspect so this feels weird. The intro of You never give me... is an example of what I said about how I feel about the 2019 mix. You know, you can even listen when the mic channel opens every time Paul sings (remember I'm talking about the intro) and the white noise you get on this section to me is really annoying. To me it was so disturbing I had to stop the song and go back to the 2009 version to see if this was always like that. Here is when you remember that you're listening to a 1969 album. And this is not a bad thing, but makes the 2009 remastered version a truly outstanding improve. My apologies if any of these thoughts don't make sense to you. Before listening the whole album I came to a conclusion: the best things out of this remix will not come on the Meddley section but on songs on A side. And I believe this was true. I really didn't get any new experience apart from drums on Polythene Pam, guitar on Mean Mr Mustard, the outro of You never.. Also, I had this weird vibe on the three guitar solos of The End?? Don't know if its only me, but when Paul plays and finish his two bar section his channels abruptly mutes and its transition to George's part feels so forced. Luckily, this happens one time, cause upon that every transition is smooth as always was. Please check the 2009 version. Even if it looks like I didn't enjoy this remix, I do. Of course, most of what I love and to me is new is on the A side. But just to have the chance to listen again in a different way an album that I love is enough to make this release worth it. Cheers from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

I ordered the 3lp from Amazon but instead got the super deluxe edition. I'm gonna keep it because I only paid for the price for the 3lp instead the price of the super deluxe edition. I saved money on it for sure. Lol. I'm enjoy the super deluxe edition so far. Take care.

Just finished my first listen of the 50th anniversary remix of Abbey Road (I bought it on CD as it is digitally mastered from the original analogue tapes so not sure why I would get it on vinyl). I had read some great reviews of this new release. Now I probably need a few more listens to get a more in-depth view on the result. It somehow feels like the original work has been tinkered with and that can of course feel like a bad thing, as Abbey Road is one of those albums I have an emotional response to, The Beatles' final work. At first, listening to the first 5 songs, I was enthused. There was a new clarity and freshness to the music. I was however disappointed with the remix of "I want you / She's so heavy", which to my astonishment has some of the harmonies removed and the clarity and instrument separation that I appreciated on the rest of the first side was a disadvantage on this song, which needs to be grittier than this. I didn't like the way "You never give me your money" was remixed either, the weight given to each instrument not quite right. That is what happens when you separate the instruments in the way Giles Martin has managed to do, you have to get the respective weight of the instruments right. In my humble opinion he has not always succeeded (the same with the last notes on "The End" for example and then an odd version of "Her Majesty") He has also given more prominence to Paul McCartney's bass lines on most tracks and this worked well on tracks that need a strong bass like "Come Together" or "Sun King" on which it works marvelously. However, much of The Beatles "hidden" beauty lies in Paul McCartney's melodic and inventive bass work. Bring it too much to the front like Giles Martin did on "You never give me your money" and "She came in through the bathroom window", and it becomes too obvious on the foreground, the delight in the bass parts is that it is obscured behind the music to some extent and adds detail to the songs, and delight when paid close attention to. This is now gone to some extent. Still, with up to date mastering and mixing technology, the remixed version of Abbey Road adds a wonderful soundscape and depth to much of the record. It's different than the original (I have a second (1969) press vinyl which is still my favourite, and the 2017 remaster on vinyl and CD) which is sometimes a good thing. I probably need another few listens...

It's OK for a modern remix and certainly better than the Pepper 50 sonic disaster. Giles Martin still uses ADT (fake stereo) as a remix crutch unfortunately.

It is amazing !

for those of us the heard the original sounds from the actual vinyl album. it's the worst nightmare you can imagine. over decades an album decays, whether it's the one in your home or the one broadcast over the radio. what diminishes is the high end frequencies. in, 'she said, she said' the high organ note that drones thru almost the whole song is gone. it's like rewriting history. this new recording erases tambourine, and high hat percussion. this is with just one listening. they did bring up the backing harmony on 'oh darlin' - but i feel gored.

but why so much hiss go with vocals on this album? I mean, on the other albums there is less of it

For me there is too much change. I don't mind when they move where the instruments and vocals are but I do not like when they change the relation of the space around the instruments. This remix also adds or removes some reverb or echo from certain elements which I also take exception to. The energy is different .The overall sound on this remix is wider, fatter, warmer, comes with greater strength but and this is a big but... It has too much change!

This was an excellent remix. Finally, we get centered vocals on "Here Comes The Sun" and gone is the tape hiss that sucked the life out of "I Want You (She's So Heavy)".

I disagree. The remix sound much better. All tracks are more accurate and clarity sound. What was perfect has been enhanced.

The BBC had a whole Beatles Radio Station last week, and they had a list of the top ten most steamed Beatles Song. I was surprised to see the number one was... Here Comes The Sun

My least favorite beatles song is You know my Name Look Up thy Number

Excellent job, I'm so grateful for having this access to your experienced and balanced thoughts.

Abbey Road is an interesting album because by that time it was possible to use 16 track. The production on it was as good as it was ever going to be. The material is pretty patchy, some real gems and quite a lot of filler. Lennon wasn't a fan of the Rock Opera thing on the B side and he said that the album had no life in it, so we are left with great production work that carries the whole album. It's still very good for a band that was at the very end of its recording career. I am doubtful about the instrinsic abilities of people easily recruited and promoted because of family connections. I do know for sure that somebody like Giles would have folded easily and given up when faced with some of the difficulties of life trying to get on in the entertainment business. The listening public in 2019 is the first group of people which has had to have music updated so that they can enjoy it, rather than hearing great production from the past. Aside from work needed to make a recording from the 1960s sound right on new media such as the CD, people have enjoyed it for 50 years without having to have had remade for them. I have listened to his remix of Here Comes The Sun so far and this is my review of it. A dull generic bland muddy sort of mix is probably the best we can expect from Giles. The delightlful acoustic guitar melody has been pushed back into the the mix and the Moog synth parts almost inaudible. The adventurous use of the Moog saw-wave is pushed back into the mix so as not to offend anybody. The Mogg sine wave counter-melody right at the end, which is hallmark Mc Cartney on which the end of the song seems to float and hang delightfully is almost not there any longer. The end of the song has been more than trashed frankly. Giles is obsessed with mixing and making everything nice and safe for millennial generation listeners. The bass part is just humpf humpf humpf, just some loud compressed sound. I know all this material has been remixed for people to enjoy on headphones, but it really is mixed with little sensitivity for the original, just louder and louder and louder. In the original there are distinct parts which very cleverly can be heard high in the mix and then not because different parts solo from time to time, even the saw-wave. Giles doesn't understand the musical idea of a lead-break or dynamics, it's just compressed audio wallpaper all the way through. Mixing isn't just about making a kind of soup where you can hear everything comfortably. Frankly Giles doesn't know what production is, which is big step on from mixing. This re-mix is worthy of a rookie engineer but George's son should never have been allowed to get his hands on any of this material, simply because he is the son-of somebody-or-other. Do yourself a favour, get hold of the orginal vinyl or any 16bit and beyond CD re-issue released in the 20th century. The George Benson and Cockney Rebel covers were certainly NOT inspired by this load of rubbish.

It is OBVIOUSLY McCartney singing harmony on Come Together,and he is doing a GREAT Mick Jagger impersonation.

This is how you do a review.

Did you notice in You Never Give Me Your Money: The Original mix at “Out of college, money spent” The vocal used to start Panned Hard Right...and gradually pans from right to Hard Left...before “but oh that magic feeling...” I loved that panning... In the 2019 Remix however...the vocal stays in the Center the entire time. Carry on

You forgot to review Bathroom Window!

I think the 5.1 mix is excellent. The stereo lacks cohesion, it loses its band feel. IMO it's a downmix from the surround. Some are better than others, the real let down being She's So Heavy.. it was so spooky before.. now it's like a jazz tune.

Never understood why there's confusion over Come Together's backing vocals. It's clearly Paul. Which I love, given the somewhat bogus notion of internecine warring between the two on this album.

FAB!!

Besides backing vocals more prominent , center lead vocal on " Here Comes The Sun " and on the " Carry That Weight " Ringo's vocal seems a bit more prominent in the mix . One " the End " each guitar solo is placed in a place on the stereo mix. George on the left , Paul on the right and John in the center. On the track following " P Pam " you can hear the 12 string accoustic guitar on the left a bit more than before .

There’s really not a lot of criticism here. But a nice recap

I was expecting to listen to the lost guitar solo on 'Here Comes The Sun', but no, it never happened.

OctoPUS'S garden. Plural

13:57 I don't know why some editions of "Abbey Road" list "Her Majesty". IIRC it was never listed in the old days, just like the extras in "Sgt. Pepper". The last track of the last Beatles album is called "The End".

Mean Mr. Mustard is so so different. You can barely hear the buzzing of the bass like the original. You can hear the other instruments better.

Re: something...the guitar solo is pushed back too far in the mix hence, taking away that unique, almost crying texture heard in the original mix. Also, there's distortion within the first couple of notes of the solo. While I agree on the added presence and beauty of the strings, this being my favorite guitar solo ever by George Harrison, the remix of this track disappoints.

If I don`t hear it for myself, can`t take your word for it. You never played anything, even if it was 5 seconds long.

Vocals are crystal clear. Spacing of instruments very good. I can’t stand the base. Too much base frequencies and volume in all songs. Adjusting but getting the same in the car, on studio monitors, on headphones too much base; dealbreaker for me.

I'm not happy with this mix. Octopus's Garden sounds really harsh and hurts my ears, and The End sounds like a jumbled mess. Some of the backing vocals are much clearer now, so that's nice. But overall, the album sounds as if Giles Martin spilled beer all over the mixing desk and said: "Fuck it. The sheep won't hear the difference!".

These re mixes are a waste of money. You will need a sound system practically as good as Abbey Road studios themselves to hear the difference.

They didn't even fix the wrong note in She's So Heavy.... lax

개처량한 세상.. 피 맺히는 음악..ee

Boring more repackaged old stuff the Beatles them selves thought of Putting out due to being boring. Just like the Anthology series. They cannot get enough money. Oh and as for Mr Ringo Starr, he don’t care just keep the money coming, poor Beatles Fans.. wake up... why do something much better and help the homeless in your city provide food and shelter to Starving families in Africa. That’s a good start.

Yawner.

This is another Beatle money grab. This album has 4 good songs, Come Together, Something, Octopus's Garden and the iconic, Here Comes The Sun. I Want You could have been great but at the end it becomes a boring repetitive agony that goes on and on and on, with the listener screaming WHEN DOES THIS THING END! Maxwell's Silver Hammer is not only the worst Beatle song ever recorded, it is one of the worst songs of all time. Another McCartney ego driven disaster. Oh Darling has a good vocal but the arrangement has been done by numerous people in numerous songs. McCartney's ego strikes again.The song Because might have been ok but the morose harmonies (something that sounded right out of a Disney movie) are repeated in The Sun King. Two similar morose multi layered harmonies on the same album is unlistenable times ten. Then shockingly, The Beatles took a whole bunch of unfinished songs and looped them into a medley. Though a tribute to the great recording team at Abbey Road Studio, it is a disgrace. Its especially insulting since George Harrison was sitting there with Isn't It a Pity (his greatest song) and All Things Must Pass. What is very significant is the album does show McCartney bullied George Harrison over-taking lame-o, over-rated McCartney as a songwriter. In all fairness, McCartney's bass work throughout the album is remarkable especially on I Want You. The truth is The Beatles were on fumes since Peppers. The White Album had 15 songs that were good and 14 songs that were bad. The Let It Be Album was mediocre at best. If you want the great Beatle albums, listen to any album up to and including Peppers. You can also include the Something New Album, Yesterday and Today Album, Beatles VI, and Beatles 1's. All those albums were simply a joy and sensational