Every once a while, I go through a Beatles phase. For reasons psychological and emotional that I can't really explain, but that are probably along the same lines as the desire for comfort food, a fab four frenzy comes upon me and I start listening to all the albums again, watching segments of the Anthology documentary, reading bits and pieces of their history that I've read countless times before, and bemoaning the fact that certain items, such as the original mono mixes of Revolver and Sgt. Pepper, aren't available on CD (I have two mono Peppers on vinyl, and the US Revolver, but they're both a bit scratchy, and the US Revolver doesn't have "And Your Bird Can Sing" and "I'm Only Sleeping").

I've been going through one of these phases the last week (touched off by reading Andrew Loog Oldham's memoirs), and through one of those wonderful bits of serendipity that happen now and again, it comes at the very moment that EMI and Apple have finally gotten their act together and announced the complete remastering of the Beatles catalog, a project that includes stereo reissues of their entire output plus--and I for one can't believe this is finally happening--a special box set of every mono mix, albums and singles. That means every album through The Beatles and every single through "Hey Jude". Best of all, since this particular Beatles phase is fading, it doesn't come out until September, which should be just about time for my next one (and just before my birthday, too--hmm).

Still no word on a digital release, but give them chance. It took them four years to get this together (half as long as The Beatles' actual recording career), and I have a feeling it will all be ironed out by September.