September 9, 2009, will be a huge day for Beatles fans and plastic-instrument musicians around the globe!
On that day, The Beatles' entire catalog will be re-released on CD, digitally re-mastered for the first time. As taken from The Beatles' official website:
"Each of the CDs is packaged with replicated original UK album art, including expanded booklets containing original and newly written liner notes and rare photos. For a limited period, each CD will also be embedded with a brief documentary film about the album. On the same date, two new Beatles boxed CD collections will also be released.
The albums have been re-mastered by a dedicated team of engineers at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London over a four year period utilising state of the art recording technology alongside vintage studio equipment, carefully maintaining the authenticity and integrity of the original analogue recordings. The result of this painstaking process is the highest fidelity the catalogue has seen since its original release."
The date also marks the release of The Beatles: Rock Band on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, & Wii. While similar to previous Rock Band games, allowing wanna-be rockers to sing & play guitar/bass/drums, it will feature music by The Beatles (including several unreleased tracks) and a story mode. In this mode, up to 4 players play as the band, playing from their early years through their rise to fame.
The "Limited Edition Premium Bundle" (aka: EXPENSIVE) version will include the game, a bass guitar controller (a replica of McCartney's iconic Höfner bass), a Ludwig-branded drum set, and a mic with stand. Rumors suggest that multiple mics will be supported, to allow harmonizing on the vocal tracks.
While waiting for Beatlemania to arrive this September, check out our catalog to get your fix. Anyone else going to have a lighter wallet on 9/9?
More Information
- EVPL Catalog: Find CDs, DVDs, & books by/about the Fab Four.
- The Beatles' Official Website: Find out more about the digitally-remastered CD re-releases. Scroll down to the 4/7 post.
- Joystiq.com: View all posts about The Beatles: Rock Band on Joystiq, a gaming blog.