The Beatles hits compilations "1962-66" and "1967-70" will be reissued, using the 2009 remasterings, in October. (yawn). If you bought the complete set of 2009 remasters, you can create the remasters of the two hits collections on your computer. Maybe EMI might sell a few of these compilations to casual consumers, but it is basically too little, too late.

  

They first came out on cd in 1993, 6 years after the albums did. I don’t understand the negativity towards compilations. As many cds that have sold for the remastered albums, certainly there are many casual fans out there who might pick them up, and definitely during the holiday period which these will be released.

Completists will want them, of course. And this gives me some hope that the Singles and EPs boxes will be reissued with the remastered tracks. (I know most of you don't want them, but I do.)

I wonder if the Red and Blue collections might be decent Christmas season sellers to the casual buyers who want the improved sound but didn't want to pay for a whole box set?

I am personally quite fond of them because finding the cassettes of the Red and Blue albums in my Dad's stereo case were what made me want to explore the Beatles more fully, so I am excited to get these. Also, the Blue album does have the clean edit of "With A Little Help From My Friends".

I'm one of those who'll be getting these even though I have everything else. As for sales potential, it doesn't hurt that these are the two biggest selling albums in the Beatles catalog (other than the "White" album). The red one has sold 15 million and the blue 16 million.

My only prior interest in these was they seemed to have better sound then the 1987's.

And judging from the price, it would appear that Red album is still spread over two CDs.

They were always overpriced, but that's been EMI's complete strategy with the Beatles in the cd age.

This is one instance where I advise burning your own CD-R. Even with one CD, you could still squeeze some extra tracks onto it.

Besides, my copy of the Red LP clearly had some US mixes as "I Feel Fine" was drenched with echo and "Help!" had that James Bond-ish intro lead in. I believe the CDs use the British mixes.

"And judging from the price, it would appear that Red album is still spread over two CDs."

Yes, but it's almost an hour long.

Didn't the original CD reissues have unique mastering? They sound better than the '87 CDs, if ya ask me.

I'd rather have an official CD reissue of Hey Jude, but I suppose it'd be easy enough to burn one's own copy.

Will I get these new pressings? Take a guess...

The tracks which made their EMI CD stereo debut on the red album 2-CD set were newly mastered by Mike Jarrett.

The tracks on the 1993 issue come in two forms - those from the transfers done for the 87/8 separate issues and the stereo tracks newly done by Mike Jarrett but the mastering by that I mean how all these tracks are compiled and equalized digitally is different for the older transfers.
Although they used some noise reduction ('we bought the software and now we're gonna use it') to remove tape hiss - noticeable in I Feel Fine and While My Guitar Only Sleeps losing a little of the 'air' between the instruments, the EQ is appreciable fuller compared to the parent issues from 87/8.In addition She Loves You is the transfer from the EP box set of 1992 and is much better than the original on Past Masters Vol:1
In terms of stereo image you'll notice All My Loving and Can't Buy Me Love are narrower on 1962-1966 compared to the 2009's although the intro to A Hard Day's Night, mangled on the 2009 stereo is present and correct on the 1993 which is the only concern I would have if I were to get the new sets.
Actually it was a suggestion of mine at another site that I am no longer in membership of, that these two sets should be re-issued in a newly mastered form because notwithstanding the sense of owning a complete set of remastered original albums and the new Past Masters, these sets do give a casual fan an excellent insight into the Beatles as well as serving as good precise for the hard core collector of their output. Also since 1993 Apple seem agreeable to allowing the 'twin track' stereo tracks on cd so it looks odd not to have Please Please Me and From Me To You in stereo on 1962-1966 as of course it was on the record and tape issues in 1973 and are on the 2009 remasters.

i never owned them on vinyl or CD.

i'm just not into repeating what i have, but aqs jay points out, a clean edit of "with a little help from my friends" might be nice to have.........

i have the neil young greatest hits with the only unique item being the clapping on "the needle and the damage done" fades out into silence instead of the big opening chord of "words".

I'll probably pass on these. Once the remastered catalog came out, I gave my son my CD copies. I do have great memories of these 2 albums when I was a kid. I got them as birthday gifts and played them day in and day out. I didn't have the full catalog as I do now, so they filled my Beatles needs back then. Of course, these were followed by The Reel Beatles and The Beatles Rarities...also fun stuff back then.

I'm still waiting for a live box set...

The same is true of the Blue album. Mike Jarrett also remastered the songs on that set hence the "cold" opening of "A Day in The Life".

Per Beatles Examiner, these are going to use the 2009 remasters.

Yes, that's obvious.

Showing up at HMV UK with pre-order price of GBP £8.99 each delivered which is good enough for me to get my order in as Amazon UK haven't listed them as of a minute ago. Given I paid around GBP 25 back in '93 for RED alone it's a bargain.

When will the ROCK 'N ROLL compilation be reissued?

Well, I just ordered them. I got them back when they came out on vinyl and then on CD and now I'll get them again. While admitedly, I'd buy any official release/re-release from the Beatles, this pair is special to me because it was the first (in the US, anyway). Plus, I was in London when this set was just released and snuck off from my tour group to go to Apple. There were two huge replicas of the covers hanging in the front window. I took a picture which is in a box somewhere. As fate would have it, my reflection got caught between the covers, so to me, I'm forever linked with these two releases!