Beatles
Remastered

The Beatles In Mono

The Beatles In Mono
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RRP: £236.99
Our Price: £108.99 (subject to change)

Reviews


mono remasters
Review date: 2010-07-09 Rating: 10 out of 10

Having got most of the remasters in stereo i eventually had to go for the mono box set, due to all the reviews i'd heard that said these versions were the real thing, as the band had intended their listeners to hear. It is a lovely package, with true replicas of all the album sleeves, though without all the extra notes etc contained in the stereo remasters. This hardly matters, as when i started listening many tracks revealed themselves to me in a way i'd not previously heard. I am of the generation who first listened to the stereo vinyl records. All i ever had in mono was the odd e.p. handed down or 45 single.
I have now played the entire mono c.d. collection enough to give my opinion. Most of the beatles albums in mono do indeed sound more like the band should do, ie the overall mix is just punchier, heavier with the bass more prominent, & sometimes the drums too. I played them all in order from please please me, & was suprised that on the early albums i didnt notice that much difference until i got to certain songs on beatles for sale. On that album, eight days a week & everybodys trying to be my baby were more pokey than in stereo. And on the first disc of the past masters compilation, long tall sally e.p. really jumped out of the speakers, especially slow down! Bad boy, yes it is were nice & full sounding slso! And the early singles here like i wanna hold your hand are best heard in mono too.
Help im not so sure is beter in mono, as the stereo 1987 remix by george martin did a lot of justice to this particular album, & probably sounds more grainy or sligthly muddy in mono, as does much of rubber soul - listen to norwegian wood or michelle on both versions to see what i mean. But the word, what goes on, if i needed someone & particularly run for your life are more rocking in mono, where the bass is far more booming, and really sounds better.
Fraom revolver to the white album is where i found the mono mixes most different to the previously familiar stereo. Revolver, Sgt pepper & mystery tour albums i much prefer to the stereo versions. Much has been written about these, and i would agree with such positive reviews. There is something just sharper on taxman for example, and side 2 of revolver is great on dr. robert, i want to tell you & tomorow never knows, but all the tracks are more together and fresher sounding than the stereo remaster. I think the first 3 songs on pepper stand out most on that album, but it is also just an improvement overall. On mystery tour i noticed penny lane & all you need is love had more of a variation in mono, just hearing such tracks in a way i never had before.
The white album has many differences too. Although much of the mono sounds not too different than the stereo here, albeit less clear than in stereo perhaps, it is on songs like happiness is a warn gun where i heard the bass part much more prominently on the "mother superior jump th gun" section and was blown away! The extra loud grunt on piggies just made me laugh! Other selected songs on side 3 are noteably different like yer blues & helter skelter, & i prefer these to the stereo white album. Also, long, long long & savoy truffle sound more powerful too. Otherwise im not sure this album is better in mono or stereo, as both are good ( just as well i have them both then! )
Lastly, the past masters disc 2 in mono is a pleasing listen, more so with songs like day tripper, paperback writer, though i didnt think the 4 yelow submarine tracks sounded all that much better in mono than on the original album. Think disc 1 of past masters in mono is where the best is heard in this format. Overall the mono box set is a wothwhile investment, and fits the discs into a neat little white box that doesnt take up as much space as the remasters in stereo! Shame they didnt just throw in let it be & abbey road in stereo to amke up the entire collection, but i have also recently bought let it be naked & the newly remastered abbey road anyway to be on the safe side! The mono remasters are certainly as the beatles intended their work to be heard, as these mixes got total priority in the mixing room with the band present.
If one day the beatles albums were remixed in stereo it is doubtful that they could ever sound that much different or better, as most of their work was recorded on 4 track master tapes, or in the case of please please me & with the beatles, just 2 track tapes! Overall, the mono remasters sound very good. Might be more affordable to younger listeners etc if the beatles c.d.s were released though in future with both stereo & mono versions of each album on each of the discs. They managed to do this with help & rubber soul, & it would be great if they then became purchasable inividually.

Mono - the only way to listen to The Beatles (pre-Abbey Road)
Review date: 2010-05-31 Rating: 10 out of 10

If you're under 50 years of age the chances are that you built up your Beatles' album collection after the mid-1970's. (Unless you nicked the original 60's copies from your parents or older siblings!) From 1973 to around 1982 Beatles albums were only available in that horrible "enhanced" stereo...Remember vocals to the left - and everything else to the right? Yes, in the worst cases, it was almost as bad as that! There were technical reasons why recordings were then made like that, paricularly as Mr Martin and his engineers only had two or four tracks at their disposal. These two or four track recordings were compressed to create the best possible MONO tracks which have now been remastered and reissued on CD as the definitive versions that The Beatles intended. The original releases of Abbey Road in 1969 and Let It Be (1970) are only available in remastered stereo. By then a lot of the record buying public had also invested in stereo equipment, so for a few years both mono and stereo copies of new releases were issued.

Incidentally, all Beatles albums are also available in remastered stereo and are a vast improvement on the original stereo mixes.... but trust me, MONO is the only true way to listen to The Beatles before Abbey Road.

Not so hung up on Mono
Review date: 2010-04-07 Rating: 6 out of 10

Ive wasnt that impressed when I first heard them and Im still not sure about them now.
I know the original Stereo mixes pretty well and listen to vinyl also. I found nearly all albums to be more clinical sounding and though initially quite a novelty to hear the more accurate depiction of instruments, I find that the mono albums pretty much grate on me after a while. I have listened back to back all mono albums vs stereo (original pressing - not remasters) and prefer the overall presentation of the stereo mixes. I know people will suggest this is down to familiarity, but I wonder if others have noticed a "grating" or shrillness on vocals that wasnt there on the older presses? (to my tastes the older cds sound more natural). I agree that PPM sounds better than the original on most tracks, but I struggle to listen to any other full album without feeling the vocals are recessed or artificially affected in some way. For me, the vocals are the most important part of the music. Overall, I dont think they better the original stereo pressings in terms of enjoyment - Yes, they sound "better", but not "better" if you know what I mean! Im thinking of having a look at the stero mixes - as for me, the monos didnt do it. I reckon the old stereo albums do a pretty good job and had I heard the mono set before I bought blind, I wouldnt have. I think they got part of the mixes right (instruments) but feel they have neglected the vocals in their place....Try the mono presses against the old cd albums - listen to the vocals and see if they seem recessed or in certain cases..lifeless or scratchy. Compare the Help album, tracks 1 and 15 (help). No.1 is the remastered mono version and track 15 is the complimentary original stereo version. To me, track 15 has more energy and sparkle and this was the version WITHOUT remastering. The same can be said of tracks 2 and 16. I think that some tracks are certainly more successful than others. For example "till there was you" sounds poor on the remastered cd, but super on the old stereo ( a matter of preference I suppose). However, my choices for the mono albums would be Please Please Me (most songs) Rubber Soul (really good) With the Beatles (not sure about 6, 8, 11) and Sgt. Pepper, as everyone says its better in Mono, but individual tracks need to be considered individually eg "shes leaving home" Im not keen on the mono mix. The White Album is also good in places, but Blackbird, Mother Natures Son and Helter Skelter (amongst others) didnt do it for me. In short, I find it a bit of a chore to compare mixes to see which is best and dont enjoy comparing tracks for the sake of it. A good cd should be put in a dedicated player and left until the last track. If considering the Mono versions, I would buy PPM, RSoul first (knowing especially that PPM is one of the best improvements in the collection) and consider the others if you think they rate well against your original cds. The choice for me is whether to sell my boxset, re buy some individual mono cds and stick with my old stereo cds. I have Abbey Road on both old and new stereo format and think the older stereo version does very well in comparison, though on some tracks the new version wins. On my favourite track on Abbey Road (something) the old version wins it for me - the newer mix sounds wrong. I wouldnt spend £200 0n these knowing what I know / think I know now (I appreciate that it is subjective), Id be happy to stick with my original cds and also avoid the countless fake box sets that are clearly sweeping the 2nd hand market.

amazing release, not sure about the marketing
Review date: 2010-04-06 Rating: 8 out of 10

So if it is simply amazing why only four stars? I guess that is because of the conundrum surrounding the Beatles re-releases.
The the music is amazingly, almost insidiously brilliant is beyond doubt. The sheer amount of songs on all of these albums that are recognizable is beyond doubt. The Beatles influence on modern music cannot, in my estimation, be underrated.
All of the albums have remarkable musical strengths. In this mono re-release my standout three would be Rubber Soul, Revolver and Sgt Peppers.
So the downside.
The downside...
Nothing to do with the actual music, but rather, the apparent greed of the label. For the vast majority of the Beatles albums sound better on the mono release.
The latter albums sound better in stereo, and, the mono version does not contain the later releases that were stereo only (Yellow Submarine, Abbey Road, Let it Be, also the videos).
So you have three choices:
1) Buy the mono, and if you want the latter albums, buy them separately. Considering the mono version is more expensive to start with this is a frustrating option.
2) Buy the stereo version. You get all the albums, and thus some sense of completeness, with this method. But not all, or even the majority are in their optimal format.
3) Buy both. Maybe the only way to make sure you get your preferred version of each album. The obvious annoyance, is cost. And who really wants to buy two boxed sets for completeness sake, apart from those like me who want both optimal and completeness. It does annoy me that to get this I needed to have so much space taken up, but, such is life.

Comparatively, my review is not as good, nor anywhere as extensive as many of the others here, that is obvious, but as a mainly metal fan I still have to admit to this bands genius and believe most collections are replete without at least one of these re-releases. It's just a shame about the purchasing options..
If you do a review of many of the 4 star reviews you will see a lot of comments along the same line.
I also want to be absolutely clear here. My review is based on this is a product. Not just the music. I wish I could have separate reviews for them both but I cannot - in fact it would be very handy for the Amazon system to have review sections with something along the lines of Music/Packaging/etc with the overall rating out of that being used as the main score. I also wish there was some way to have a review of both albums combined in the amazon system but that is not possible.
As per my stereo boxed set review, it is a shame that the releases have come out like this, but I have to recommend the stereo boxed set over this mono as a product, especially if you only wish to own one of the boxed sets for whatever reason you have, although if you are a completist or a purist (I may be both to my wallets distress) then buy both.

Product Details/Specifications


Artist(s):
The Beatles

Recording label: Parlophone
Manufacturer: Parlophone
EAN: 5099969945120
Binding: Audio CD
Format: Box set, Mono, Original recording remastered,
Release date: 2009-09-09
Number of discs: 13

Disc 1 Tracks:
1. I Saw Her Standing There
2. Misery
3. Anna (Go To Him)
4. Chains
5. Boys
6. Ask Me Why
7. Please Please Me
8. Love Me Do
9. PS I Love You
10. Baby It's You
11. Do You Want To Know A Secret
12. Taste Of Honey, A
13. There's A Place
14. Twist And Shout


Disc 2 Tracks:
1. It Won't Be Long
2. All I've Got To Do
3. All My Loving
4. Don't Bother Me
5. Little Child
6. Till There Was You
7. Please Mr Postman
8. Roll Over Beethoven
9. Hold Me Tight
10. You've Really Got A Hold On Me
11. I Wanna Be Your Man
12. Devil In Her Heart
13. Not A Second Time
14. Money (That's What I Want)


Disc 3 Tracks:
1. Hard Day's Night, A
2. I Should Have Known Better
3. If I Fell
4. I'm Happy Just To Dance With You
5. And I Love Her
6. Tell Me Why
7. Can't Buy Me Love
8. Any Time At All
9. I'll Cry Instead
10. Things We Said Today
11. When I Get Home
12. You Can't Do That
13. I'll Be Back


Disc 4 Tracks:
1. No Reply
2. I'm A Loser
3. Baby's In Black
4. Rock 'n' Roll Music
5. I'll Follow The Sun
6. Mr Moonlight
7. Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey
8. Eight Days A Week
9. Words Of Love
10. Honey Don't
11. Every Little Thing
12. I Don't Want To Spoil The Party
13. What You're Doing
14. Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby


Disc 5 Tracks:
1. Help
2. Night Before, The
3. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
4. I Need You
5. Another Girl
6. You're Going To Lose That Girl
7. Ticket To Ride
8. Act Naturally
9. It's Only Love
10. You Like Me Too Much
11. Tell Me What You See
12. I've Just Seen A Face
13. Yesterday
14. Dizzy Miss Lizzy
15. Help
16. Night Before, The
17. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
18. I Need You
19. Another Girl
20. You're Going To Lose That Girl
21. Ticket To Ride
22. Act Naturally
23. It's Only Love
24. You Like Me Too Much
25. Tell Me What You See
26. I've Just Seen A Face
27. Yesterday
28. Dizzy Miss Lizzy


Disc 6 Tracks:
1. Drive My Car
2. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
3. You Won't See Me
4. Nowhere Man
5. Think For Yourself
6. Word, The
7. Michelle
8. What Goes On
9. Girl
10. I'm Looking Through You
11. In My Life
12. Wait
13. If I Needed Someone
14. Run For Your Life
15. Drive My Car
16. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
17. You Won't See Me
18. Nowhere Man
19. Think For Yourself
20. Word, The
21. Michelle
22. What Goes On
23. Girl
24. I'm Looking Through You
25. In My Life
26. Wait
27. If I Needed Someone
28. Run For Your Life


Disc 7 Tracks:
1. Taxman
2. Eleanor Rigby
3. I'm Only Sleeping
4. Love You To
5. Here There And Everywhere
6. Yellow Submarine
7. She Said She Said
8. Good Day Sunshine
9. And Your Bird Can Sing
10. For No One
11. Dr Robert
12. I Want To Tell You
13. Got To Get You Into My Life
14. Tomorrow Never Knows


Disc 8 Tracks:
1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
2. With A Little Help From My Friends
3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
4. Getting Better
5. Fixing A Hole
6. She's Leaving Home
7. Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite
8. Within You Without You
9. When I'm Sixty Four
10. Lovely Rita
11. Good Morning Good Morning
12. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (2)
13. Day In The Life, A


Disc 9 Tracks:
1. Magical Mystery Tour
2. Fool On The Hill, The
3. Flying
4. Blue Jay Way
5. Your Mother Should Know
6. I Am The Walrus
7. Hello Goodbye
8. Strawberry Fields Forever
9. Penny Lane
10. Baby You're A Rich Man
11. All You Need Is Love


Disc 10 Tracks:
1. Back In The USSR
2. Dear Prudence
3. Glass Onion
4. Ob La Di Ob La Da
5. Wild Honey Pie
6. Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill, The
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
8. Happiness Is A Warm Gun
9. Martha My Dear
10. I'm So Tired
11. Blackbird
12. Piggies
13. Rocky Raccoon
14. Don't Pass Me By
15. Why Don't We Do It In The Road
16. I Will
17. Julia


Disc 11 Tracks:
1. Birthday
2. Yer Blues
3. Mother Nature's Son
4. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey
5. Sexy Sadie
6. Helter Skelter
7. Long Long Long
8. Revolution 1
9. Honey Pie
10. Savoy Truffle
11. Cry Baby Cry
12. Revolution 9
13. Good Night


Disc 12 Tracks:
1. Love Me Do
2. From Me To You
3. Thank You Girl
4. She Loves You
5. I'll Get You
6. I Want To Hold Your Hand
7. This Boy
8. Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand
9. Sie Liebt Dich
10. Long Tall Sally
11. I Call Your Name
12. Slow Down
13. Matchbox
14. I Feel Fine
15. She's A Woman
16. Bad Boy
17. Yes It Is
18. I'm Down


Disc 13 Tracks:
1. Day Tripper
2. We Can Work It Out
3. Paperback Writer
4. Rain
5. Lady Madonna
6. Inner Light, The
7. Hey Jude
8. Revolution
9. Only A Northern Song
10. All Together Now
11. Hey Bulldog
12. It's All Too Much
13. Get Back
14. Don't Let Me Down
15. Across The Universe
16. You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)

Publishers: Parlophone

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