Isolated Beatles vocal tracks: 'Words don't do justice'

Randall Roberts, the LA Times pop music critic, and a bunch of my Facebook friends are raving this afternoon about videos that isolate the original vocal tracks of various Beatles records. "Just when you thought it wasn't possible to experience the Beatles' work with fresh ears, there arrives a reminder of their power, focus and vocal skill," Roberts writes. "As the fantastic website Dangerous Minds pointed out, a trove of a cappela recordings are floating around YouTube, featuring the voices of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in perfect harmony. The best of them further reveal the untapped riches still to be discovered in the Beatles archives.

"A stumble on one of them can often lead into a YouTube wormhole in search of more gems, and sure enough, the bounty reveals music perfect for afternoon surprise."

Of the isolated vocal tracks for the second side of "Abbey Road," Roberts says: "Before you click, understand that it's over 16 minutes long, and it will be virtually impossible to abandon it once you start listening. Words don't do justice."

Roberts embeds another half-dozen videos and provides links to others.