The Beatles - Abbey Road 1987 Hq -

If you own a modern DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter) or a high-fidelity CD transport, The Beatles - Abbey Road 1987 HQ is a revelation. It offers the most "analog" digital version of the album. It refuses to apologize for the limitations of 1969 recording technology.

However, if you are a casual listener streaming on Spotify or Apple Music, you are hearing the 2009 (or 2019) version. The 1987 CD is for the enthusiast—the person who wants to hear the master tape as an engineer heard it in the control room thirty-eight years ago.

| Attribute | Details | |-----------|---------| | Artist | The Beatles | | Album | Abbey Road | | Original Release | September 26, 1969 (UK) | | 1987 CD Release Date | October 1987 (UK / US / Worldwide) | | Catalog Numbers | CDP 7 46446 2 (EMI / Parlophone), CDP 7 46446 2 (Capitol) | | Format | CD (AAD – Analog recording, Analog mixing, Digital transfer) | | Label | Parlophone (EU), Capitol (US) | | Reissue Series | The Beatles’ first international CD catalog (1987-1988) | | Remastering | Digital transfer from original analog master tapes, no noise reduction, pre-2009 “flat” transfer | The Beatles - Abbey Road 1987 HQ

Note on “HQ”: While not officially labeled “HQ,” the 1987 CD was considered a high-quality digital release for its time. It was sourced directly from the master tapes, used 16-bit / 44.1 kHz PCM encoding, and avoided early digital harshness. Audiophiles often refer to it as the “original 1987 CD master” – a benchmark before the 2009 remasters.

If you acquire an original 1987 pressing (look for the barcode-less tray and "DIDX" codes on the disc face), here is what you will hear differently: If you own a modern DAC (Digital-to-Analog Converter)

Listening to The Beatles - Abbey Road 1987 HQ with high-end headphones reveals details that are often buried in modern mixes:

All tracks written by Lennon–McCartney, except where noted. Note on “HQ” : While not officially labeled

| # | Title | Lead Vocals | Length | |---|-------|-------------|--------| | 1 | Come Together | John Lennon | 4:20 | | 2 | Something (George Harrison) | George Harrison | 3:03 | | 3 | Maxwell’s Silver Hammer | Paul McCartney | 3:27 | | 4 | Oh! Darling | Paul McCartney | 3:26 | | 5 | Octopus’s Garden (Richard Starkey) | Ringo Starr | 2:51 | | 6 | I Want You (She’s So Heavy) | John Lennon | 7:47 | | 7 | Here Comes the Sun (George Harrison) | George Harrison | 3:05 | | 8 | Because | Lennon / McCartney / Harrison (3-part harmony) | 2:45 | | 9 | You Never Give Me Your Money | Paul McCartney | 4:02 | | 10 | Sun King | Lennon / McCartney | 2:26 | | 11 | Mean Mr. Mustard | John Lennon | 1:06 | | 12 | Polythene Pam | John Lennon | 1:12 | | 13 | She Came In Through the Bathroom Window | Paul McCartney | 1:57 | | 14 | Golden Slumbers | Paul McCartney | 1:31 | | 15 | Carry That Weight | Paul McCartney | 1:36 | | 16 | The End | Paul McCartney | 2:05 | | 17 | Her Majesty | Paul McCartney (hidden track) | 0:23 |

Total Length: 47:23

Her Majesty originally unlisted on sleeve, separated by 14 seconds of silence after “The End.”