Page 119 - Hi-Fi World (January 2020)

VINYL SECTION

a global audience, it’s appropriate SINGLES LIST
to use album sleeve presentations
from elsewhere. Makes my gripes 1) Love Me Do / P.S. I Love You
seem xenophobic, but yet I still 2) Please Please Me / Ask Me Why
craved deep authenticity as I see 3) From Me To You / Thank You Girl
it with this collection – especially 4) She Loves You / I’ll Get You
as it hit me hard as a travel back 5) I Want To Hold Your Hand / This Boy
to 1960s Britain. Somehow I don’t 6) Can’t Buy Me Love / You Can’t Do That
remember them as Los Beatles. 7) A Hard Day’s Night / Things We Said Today
The recordings are from 8) I Feel Fine / She’s A Woman
analogue cutting masters, since 9) Ticket To Ride / Yes It Is
the original tapes are too old and 10) Help! / I’m Down
fragile to be run over and over 11) We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper 18) Hey, Jude / Revolution
again. Exceptions are Love Me Do 12) Paperback Writer / Rain 19) Get Back / Don’t Let Me Down
and She Loves You that were un- 13) Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine 20) The Ballad of John and Yoko / Old Brown Shoe
retrievable, Abbey Road told me. 14) Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane 21) Something / Come Together
Sound quality varies but is 15) All You Need Is Love / Baby, You’re a Rich Man 22) Let it Be / You Know My Name
generally good. ‘Love Me Do’, their 16) Hello, Goodbye / I Am The Walrus (Look Up The Number)
first single from 1962, is a tad vague 17) Lady Madonna / The Inner Light Free as a Bird / Real Love (bonus)
but the bass line prominent. ‘Please
Please Me’ is strident and has
obvious wow at fade out, likely from I worked through the singles they I can understand why millions will
the original tape recorder. ‘She Loves varied in sound quality, some good, be doing it (again). This box set is
You’ is also strident, but then my some not so good – so sonically obligatory for those able to spin 7in
two originals were similar, so it’s an there’s a mixed bag here. 45s and want to hear what shook the
accurate transcription. Irrespective of sound quality, world long ago – and draws people
I also compared All You Need is this singles box set does give what to that crossing today.
Love, We Can Work It Out and Help John Lennon wanted – a fast delivery
original singles from my collection from the outset, songs that take
to these new ones and off from the first groove. Vivacious, For assessment I used an Audio
Technica VM750 SH (Shibata) stylus
differences were small. There young and full of energy, also simply moving magnet cartridge in an SME309
is a tad more treble, likely romantic – at least in the early arm on our Timestep Evo modified
cutting lathe differences and/ days. No wonder the Beatles singles Technics SL-1210 Mk2 Direct Drive turn-
or my singles are knackered! bulldozed a path to acceptance of table. Loudspeakers were Martin Logan
With ’Things We Said them around the world. ESL-X hybrid electrostatics, driven by
Icon Audio Stereo 30SE valve amplifier
Today’ the sound was Making this box set a strong fed by an Icon Audio PS3 Mk2 valve
smooth and dynamically experience; you get songs that phono stage for authentic sound of the
deeper, making for an easy whistled home – as they still do era (brought up to date!).
and lovely analogue listen. today. OK, playing 5 minute, 45rpm
And that’s how it went; as singles is a peculiar ceremony, but

www.hi-fiworld.co.uk JANUARY 2020 HI-FI WORLD 119