Which albums sound old?

[EddieV]

For me : With the Beatles, Beatles For Sale and Sgt. Pepper sounds old (but they are still great)

[bonovox66]

I don't know if I could say any one album sounds old or dated, but certain tracks I would agree with. For Sgt. Pepper I'd say Lucy and Within You Without You. She's Leaving Home and WHen I'm 64 still sound very fresh to me.

Beatles for Sale, I'd agree with you on that one Eddie. The majority of the album does sound a little dated.I'll Follow the Sun and 8 Days a Week are probably the only songs on that album I'd say do not sound dated.

Parts of the White Album and HELP! certainly sound old as well.

What's amazing is even there first couple albums still sound amazingly recent. Most of the songs on there I could picture a modern band doing. I'd even go so far as to say Please Please Me was a little punkish well before there was punk.

I'd have to say the only album has remained completely fresh (at least to me) is Abbey Road.

But as always, you compare it to any of their contemporaries and the beatles sound newer and fresher than any of them.

[ahawk66]

I think "Magical Mystery Tour" sounds old. Maybe it's the psychedelic feel to most of it (although I still love "Baby, You're a Rich Man"), which is why Sgt. Pepper might be in that category. Strangely, I find if I pull certain songs from Pepper, they don't quite sound as tired as when I play the whole album. Maybe the concept really is stronger than the reality of that one.

Conversely, I'd put "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver" into a fresh category. They sound very cleanly recorded and still have an energy to them that's stood the test of time, I think. Plus, their innovations are striking (sitar, tape loops, leslie speakers on "Tomorrow Never Knows", etc.).

[glassonion]

For me the first two albums sound old. They have a very late 50s, early 60s feel. But I love these too.

[warmerchord]

With The Beatles sounds oldest to me, and brief moments on Sgt Pepper (particularly Lucy, which is obviously the best thing ever but still has that dated 1967 Syd-Barretty Procol-Harumy harpsichordy "ooh whoopsy daisy lyrically trippy sitting on a sunflower drinking colourful tea" feel.) (If you know what I mean). The rest of the album has stood the test of time very well considering its era.

[efghijiloveyou]

It's o.k. if it has a vintage feel to me, I prefer that anyway. Most of today's music sounds flat and hasn't any dynamics left after all the sound is compressed and then smashed into our ears. I was listening to With the Beatles the other night and I marveled at how good it sounds, having been remastered and that goes for all the remasters. The Beatles were so much better than their contemporaries weren't they? And no one sounds like them today, although many try.

[mr h atom]

y'know...to me...the only things that ever really sound 'dated' or old are the songs that they did not write: to me, they, alone, feel confined and not very inventive...

but from the moment they started doing their own thing...watch out

and one must be quazee to find anything off sgt p or da WA as being outdated...

but, hey....as always...to each his own: it takes all kindsa critters to make Farmer Vincent Fritters !

[james1985]

The first two albums in stereo sound really dated. Some of the mixing is just an absolute mess (I think Not A Second Time or Little Child are the worst offenders) Which is why I really want to get the mono box....


But in terms of sound...not really. There's just so much energy in the early stuff for it sound old. Maybe something like Blue Jay Way or Too Much sound a little periody...

[Girl4Beats]

Sorry Folks, but I find none of the Beatles albums sounding dated, only the way they were recorded. Some might possibly say the "Hippy Trippy" songs but I find those just fine. I like all the albums, well I take that back. I was not thrilled with Rubber Soul although some say that was the best one so far but I still don't care for it. Good album? Abbey Road comes to mind.

[chris]

the way i interpret this is...not which albums sound old, but which ones, if any, sound dated. that is...clearly made during a single period. as much as i love pepper, it sounds as if it were recorded in 1967 (kaleidoscope eyes and sitar music). whereas i don't think revolver has a (clearly from this year) stamp on it.

i think abbey road not only sounds as if it were timeless, the guitar work predicted the way guitars were to sound in the following decade (as opposed to jimi hendrix which clearly sounded from the 60's).

maybe the music from the 60's had such an effect on us...and evolved so much from the music from the previous decade, that it couldn't help but have a certain sound, groove or vibe. nothing wrong with that. brian wilson's beach boys pet sounds clearly sounds as if it were made in the 60's. and that is one of the greatest albums ever.