Christmas may be over but giving a gift can be on any day, and to our mind, one perfect gift of all time is something connected with music. Because everyone loves to listen to music.

And here’s something we recommend as a special gift of music – the Beatles Stereo Boxset. This is especially nice for Beatles fans to have.

We’ve been having The Beatles’ albums on CD. This time, EMI is bringing you a brilliant audio collection comprising the magical journey of the Fab Four with The Beatles Stereo Boxset distributed by PolyEast Records. This perfect gift is now exclusively available at all Odyssey outlets.

For the first time, their entire recorded output has been re-mastered for the 21st century, complete with unique liner notes and special digital packaging to boot. Plus, the boxset does include a bonus DVD featuring all of these short sequences together so you can enjoy it on your very own DVD player. You can also avail The Beatles Stereo Boxset in a limited edition 16G USB Flash Drive housed in a green aluminum apple which contains full contents of the Beatles Stereo Boxset; 13 mini-documentaries in MPEG 4 video format; and custom-designed Flash Player menu system with full booklet artwork, album cover wallpapers and photo gallery.

What you have here are the original British Beatles albums just like what had been released before; only now, listeners can enjoy the first four albums – “Please Please Me,” “With The Beatles,” “Hard Day’s Night,” “Beatles For Sale” – available in true stereo for the very first time. Combined with the remaining nine albums recorded by the group between 1965 and 1970, this is a masterpiece set, and a special treasure trove of timeless, classic songs that changed the entire structure of popular music as we know it today.

Each title also comes with a special CD booklet containing many unreleased photographs that represent the time each album was originally released, plus well-written liner notes (including the original notes from the first four albums). The “Yellow Submarine” booklet contains both the original UK and US back cover notes together for the very first time. And what a thrill it is to finally be able to have the photo/comic-strip booklet from “Magical Mystery Tour” that was initially issued in the American LP in 1967, in an official CD release for the very first time. The “White Album” packaging includes the original poster, in a CD sized reproduction, that features the photo collage on one side, and the album’s song-lyrics on the other side. This marks the second time that this poster was made available in a “White Album” CD release, following the 30th anniversary reissue from 1998.

“Love Me Do” (both versions), “P. S. I Love You,” “Only A Northern Song,” “She Loves You,” “I’ll Get You” and “You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)” are all represented in their original monaural mixes, whereas the remaining songs are all in true stereo. Even “I Am The Walrus” still has its original mix of half-stereo/half-duo phonic, just like the first time around.

And, the bonus DVD boasts a well-produced mini documentary. Each segment features audio comments from The Beatles themselves along with George Martin. This DVD gives a fascinating insight into why these classic albums have stood the test of time so well, and continues to be so popular, even into the 21st century.

Collected in 16 CDs plus one DVD, the Beatles Stereo Boxset is now available at the following O Music and Odyssey Music & Video outlets. Limited copies are only available at: O Musci Greenbelt, O Music Rockwell, Odyssey Megamall, Odyssey Gateway, Odyssey Robinsons Ermita, Odyssey Filinvest Festival Mall Alabang, Odyssey Alabang Town Center, Odyssey SM Southmall, Odyssey SM Mall Of Asia and Odyssey Quad.

* * *
National TV ratings

From an e-mail sent us by ABS-CBN, it shows that the Kapamilya Network’s shows are now dominating national ratings. This was proven in a survey conducted by TNS last Dec. 28.

Primetime Bida shows “May Bukas Pa,” “TV Patrol World” and “Dahil May Isang Ikaw” continue to reign supreme in the national TV ratings, according to the survey. “PBB Double Up” remains unshaken due to its high ratings. Teen drama “Katorse” has a strong following, landing on 5th spot while “Wowowee” is still the undisputed leader in noontime block. Korean fever of “Boys over Flowers One More Time” still leads over its competing program.

A comparative National Ratings Data showing the ratings of the two giant networks (ABS-CBN vs. GMA) follows:

“Gising Pilipinas” (1.0%)/“Todo Balita” (1.7%) vs. “Eateria” (Replay) (1.1%); “Umagang Kay Ganda” (5.3%) vs. “Unang Hirit” (3.5%); “Mr. Bean” (8.6%) vs. “Hunter X Hunter” (7.0%); “A Snow White Christmas” (10.2%) vs. “Pokemon Master Quest” (8.6%); “Naruto Shipuuden” (Season 2) (10.2%) vs. “Bleach” (10.0%); “Three Dads with One Mommy” (10.3%) vs. “Knock Out” (11.1%); “Showtime” (20.2%) vs. “Sis Janice & Gelli” (5.0%)/“Fated to Love You” (7.4%); “Nagsimula sa Puso” (18.2%) vs. “Kaya Kong Abutin ang Langit” (11.4%); “Maria De Jesus Ang Anghel sa Lansangan” (13.5%)/“Banana Split Daily Servings” (13.6%) vs. “Tinik sa Dibdib” (10.5%)/“Slamdunk” (5.5%); “Pinoy Big Brother Double Up Uber” (14.0%)/“My Cheating Heart” (15.3%) vs. “One Piece” (5.1%)/“Family Feud” (7.6%);  “SNN Showbiz News Ngayon” (9.9%) vs. “Ripley’s Believe It or Not!” (9.8%); “Bandila” (6.8%) vs. “Saksi Liga ng Katotohanan” (5.5%); “XXX (Exklusibong Explosibong Exposé)” (4.5%)/“Pinoy Big Brother Double Up Late” (1.9%) vs. I-Witness The GMA Documentaries “Kwento ng Kagitingan” (2.7%).

* * *
Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings on Jan. 8 go to Dr. Jaime Laya, Judge Aurora P. Navarrete-Recina, Mrs. Amparo Aspiras, Mrs. Rowena Bautista-Mendiola, realtor Louismil Gala, Frances Alincastre, jeweler Benjamin Yap, Carrie Javier, Berni Espiritu, Manny Hernandez, Mrs. Carmencita Valentino, Tom Canchela, Noriel del Rosario, Graham Rae Buenaseda, Marciana Daet, Joselito Tesda, and Tanya Scaife of ABS-CBN Star Magic. Happy wedding anniversary to John and Lisa Cortado; and Mr. and Mrs. Medardo del Rosario of Baldwin Park, California.