The Beatles 1967-1970 (2023 Edition) Half-Speed Mastered 180g 3LP

The Beatles' 1967-1970 ('The Blue Album') landmark compilation introduced generations of fans to the incredible history of the most storied band in music. For its 50th anniversary, the collection has been expanded: 'Blue' has 9 additional tracks added chronologically, including "Blackbird," "Glass Onion" and the last new Beatles song, "Now and Then." "Now and Then" completes John Lennon's 1970s vocal and piano demo recording with parts played by Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, as well as a new arrangement for strings.

The 3LP collection now contains 37 tracks, 6 of which have new mixes for 2023. The set's 9 newly added tracks are collected on its third LP. An insert contains new sleeve notes by journalist and author John Harris.

For current fans and future generations alike, the new 1966–1970 collection is a joyous celebration of The Beatles' timeless musical legacy.

The expansion corrects a couple of flaws on the original sequence of the Blue Album by adding George Harrison's Indian exploration 'Within You Without You,' the lovely pair of 'Dear Prudence' and 'Blackbird' from the White Album, plus the heavier rockers 'Hey Bulldog' and 'I Want You (She's So Heavy).' The big news about this particular reissue is all tied to the machine-learning technology developed for Peter Jackson's 2022 documentary Get Back. This technology allowed Martin to isolate elements of the original mixes, thereby enabling him to develop dynamic new mixes that employ the full range of the stereo spectrum. These new remixes retain the spirit of the original but leap from the speakers, sounding bigger and bolder than before.

The original British monos still may win on pure immediacy, but these close the gap. If you grew up listening to the American pressings in processed, hard-panned stereo, these are stunners and worthy additions to any Beatles collection.