It’s amazing how, nearly 40 years after they split, The Beatles remain extraordinarily relevant. Just in the past five years, their music has been showcased in a cult film beloved by teens and adults alike (Across the Universe), provided the inspiration for an elaborate Cirque du Soleil show and its accompanying soundtrack (Love) and served as the basis for a much anticipated Rock Band video game.

And now, as of last week, all of The Beatles’ album have been remastered and re-released for the first time since they showed up on CD 22 years ago. I gobbled those up when they first came out and at the time they sounded great (they were among the only CDs I owned). But when I listen to those CDs now, they stand out as far more muddied and far lower in volume than most of my music.

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