George Harrison's All Things Must Pass  Gets the 50th Anniversary Reissue Treatment August 6th

How would you like your All Things Must Pass?. Of course there's the original 3 LP set produced by George Harrison (who died in 2001 at age 58) and Phil Spector, which if you have on an original British Apple pressing sounds very good. The American pressing? Meh.

In 2001 Apple released a 30th anniversary Harrison supervised a digitally remastered edition by Jon Astley with engineering credit going to Ken Scott, one of the two original credited engineers. That was the one with the fanciful re-imagined colorized cover and the really re-imagined inner cover. In that remastered album's liner notes Harrison wrote, "I still like the songs on the album and believe they can continue to outlive the style in which they were recorded,” adding however, “it was difficult to resist re-mixing every track (none were). All these years later I would like to liberate some of the songs from the big production that seemed appropriate at the time”. When I want to hear this album I reach for the original U.K. pressing every time.

Now for the 50th we get yet another remixed and remastered ATMP released in a "stunning suite" of versions, this time by Paul Hicks, whose excellent track record (no pun intended) remixing John Lennon albums provides optimism for a successful outcome. The press release claims "the new mix transforms the album by sonically upgrading it - making it sound brighter, fuller and better than ever before." Maybe not good news if you liked getting lost in the original's murky undertow but maybe this re-mix will be more successful than the previous one.

The "Super Deluxe" edition pictured above, "collects 70 tracks over 5 CDs or 8 LPs including 42 previously unreleased demo recordings, session outtakes and studio jams." But there's even a more "complete" edition, a "very limited edition "Uber Deluxe" (that) includes 8 LPs and 5 CDs in a specially designed wooden crate along with elaborate expanded scrapbook, laser cut wood detailing from (an) oak tree in George's garden, 1/6 scale replicas of gnomes featured on iconic cover, lithographs and more..."

COMMENTS
Alan EE's picture

I have a 180g 3 album box set from 2017 (Apple SCTH 639) Believe it is remastered sounds pretty good, some tracks very good & some okay. Apple Records/DArk Horse Records/Universal Music. Look forward to reviews on this latest version.

Audiophilehi's picture

Do you know if the LP’s are remixed from analog tapes or from a digital file?
Thanks

andrewslattery's picture

Any news whether this will actually be AAA or just another digital cut?

tparker14's picture

Transfers from the multitracks to high-resolution digital files, with those being used to create a new digital mix? I doubt these are all-analog.

Jon Iverson's picture
AnalogPlanet's sister site, Soundandvision.com ran a detailed story about Paul Hicks' process:

https://www.soundandvision.com/content/making-john-lennons-gimme-some-truth-ultimate-mixes

I'm guessing much of it will apply to these mixes as well.

Ken Scott's picture

Hi Michael, It is with much regret that I must inform you that your information about the 30th anniversary release of ATMP is incorrect. It was remastered but certainly NOT remixed. The first and only remix is this new one from Paul and Dhanni. Hope you are well. Cheers, Ken

Michael Fremer's picture
It was kind of confusing given what George had written. I will amend the review. We are doing well. Great to hear from you!
PAR's picture

...1/6th scale replica gnomes. My secret dream come true.

Anton D's picture

I wish I could just buy the figurines.

I think I will try the green splatter pressing.

The kilo-dollar set is a little too rich for me.

DrJB's picture

that ATMP was transferred to a digital audio workstation (DAW) for remixing. However, that doesn't preclude the use of analog EQ's, vacuum tube compressors, analog reverbs, delays etc. Most engineers employ a hybrid approach when mixing on a DAW these days. This is what Steven Wilson has done with King Crimson, Yes, XTC etc.

Dhani: "Now, 20 years later [since the 2001 version], with the help of new technology and the extensive work of Paul Hicks we have realized this wish..."

I think this statement supports the DAW based mix. The original was 23 tracks. I've been wrong about these things before, but I can't imagine remixing a 23 track project exclusively in the analog domain. Want AAA? Find an original from 1971.

DrJB's picture

I'm guessing there's a Dolby Atmos surround mix on the Blu Ray that comes with the all-digital $150 package. This would certainly require a transfer to Pro Tools or a similar DAW.

Jack Gilvey's picture

track I found on Qobuz is any indication, this will sound great.

DaK's picture

about who mastered the new version and who will cut it to vinyl?

Paul Boudreau's picture

To add to the confusion, there was a 2010 numbered Record Store Day version with a sticker on the front that read “Remastered for vinyl from the original analogue stereo master tapes. Album replicates design and construction of the original release. 180g Heavyweight vinyl.”

Lars Bo's picture

Thanks, Michael.

Looking forward. I'm all for the undertow in murky waters on this one - hopefully, it can get even stronger.

StonedBeatles1's picture

I'm truly surprised to learn that the 30th anniversary didn't have some songs remixed since some tracks definitely appeared to be brighter and less muddy than the original. I also thought that George did some 2000 overdubs on My Sweet Lord 2000 and the finally released I Live For You?

More a fan of George Martin, Phil Spector, Ken Scott and Geoff Emerick's work, I'll keep my fingers crossed that Paul Hicks somehow enhances this masterpiece while keeping the feel and integrity of the original intact. The wooden crate version is just killer, but sadly it's a killer on my non existent wallet. A promo anyone with holes drilled into the oak please??

rich d's picture

The title is especially poignant after that bad burrito I ate last night.

JEB-42's picture

I notice that the SUPREME Deluxe set is no longer on Geogie's site. The prices have also risen. I paid $75 for the E-Exclusive Splatter vinyl set and it's now $95 same with all the other sets too.

https://georgeharrison.tmstor.es/products/menu/ATMP%2050

MX5Bob's picture

The CD release, which is awful. I'll be happy with the 3 LP set.

RG's picture

Is there any reason to believe that the new vinyl version of the LP would sound better than it’s CD version? Digital to vinyl is still digital.

Mark Evans's picture

as to who plays and sings on each song and his recent YouTube post provides anecdotal evidence contrary to the information provided in the upcoming reissue. Not that this is unusual as credit errors and omissions frequently occur in these matters. It makes it all the more interesting when listening to this 50 year old recording as to who is doing what.

mpb's picture

hi!

the trouble with the new ATMP is in the dynamics-limited mastering, not the mix. alas, for whatever reason, the "unlimited" version of the album was not released online (like some of McCartney's archive releases) or on the blu-ray (as was for Abbey Road). all stereo versions are the dynamics-limited master. but the dolby atmos tracks are not so limited. so, since listening to the new stereo version was giving me a headache, and since i don't have an atmos decoder, i tried downmixing the atmos channels to approximate the stereo version as best i could **. and lo and behold this thing sounds pretty nice--no more headache, and no more bloated bass either. i've always loved the ATMP castle-in-the clouds sound. however, the new mix's cleaner, warmer and more intimate approach ALSO works--i dig it too! the uptempo tracks like What is Life and Art of Dying have momentum and groove here which i daresay was clouded in the original. the Isn't it a Pity v1 fade is a whole new thing--and it's great too. the more i listen to the whole thing, the more the trivia/novelty recedes and cream rises to the top--the songs and performances shine here. ATMP-50 is real pleasure this way. mastering the new ATMP so loud made a lemon, but i recommend to anyone who is interested to investigate the un-squashed atmos tracks for a stereo workaround.

(** a straight fold didn't quite match the stereo--maybe because of stereo / surround mix differences, maybe because of the way heavy compression can affect subjective levels. i settled on wiggling down the center channel and wiggling up the atmos surrounds--maybe you might prefer something a little different. if you can, try it!)

....i hope the upcoming Let It Be set won't have these issues. but i'm not holding my breath.

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