FOT Forum
FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: DanFromBrooklyn on September 02, 2009, 11:37:32 PM
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Hi all,
I'm a huge Beatles fan and plan on getting all the remasters, but I'm curious: which version(s) will everyone here, if you plan to, be buying? Mono or stereo? Box set or single releases? My knee-jerk reaction was just to get the stereo box, but then I heard some reports that the actual disc packaging is better in the single disc issues, etc. Plus, I'm wondering if its better to own the early albums in mono. (I'm a completest, but not that much of a completest that I'd buy the albums in both mono and stereo.) Thoughts?
Best,
Dan
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I'd like to get the mono box set, but they're pretty much gone everywhere. There are still some stereo boxes at Best Buy for $200, which I guess is a pretty good deal. While I'd prefer to hear the albums recorded for mono - everything up to THE WHITE ALBUM - as originally intended, the stereo mixes will probably still sound pretty great. You win either way.
Are they even releasing the individual albums in both mono and stereo? Looking at Amazon, they only list items like ABBEY ROAD (REMASTERED) and REVOLVER (REMASTERED), etc. I assume they're the stereo mixes. It looks like the only place to get the mono mixes is the sold-out mono box, which - despite the limited-to-10,000-copies news - they'll be making more of in the future. Still, the mono box costs about fifty bucks more than the stereo box, and even then you don't get ABBEY ROAD or LET IT BE, since they were recorded for stereo.
As you can see, I'm equally puzzled about all this. We'll make it, though.
September's looking to be pretty expensive, what with the Beatles reissues and the new YLT album next week, and the Big Star box the week after that. Yikes.
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You win either way.
Basically.
I think it depends on what your preferences are. If you want to hear the albums as they were intended to be heard (up until The White Album), you should go with the mono remasters. Personally, I prefer stereo. But like Matt said, you can't go wrong either way.
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Thanks, guys. Yeah, it's confusing, but I'm sure both will sound great and be really revelatory. And don't forget Beatles Rock Band. September will be crazy expensive.
Speaking of deluxe remasters, we really need one of RAM already.
P.S. Just found this insightful post at allmusic:
http://blog.allmusic.com/2009/8/31/a-splendid-time-is-guaranteed-for-all-the-beatles-remastered/
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Just saw this:
Geoff Emerick/Engineer - On The Beatles In Mono - Sept 2, 2009
Geoff Emerick was The Beatles principle recording engineer from Revolver through Abbey Road which is when The Beatles were doing their most adventurous work. Emerick was greatly responsible for the sound of those Beatles albums. When I say sound, I mean the sound - not the music. The music itself was made by The Beatles themselves with the help of George Martin on arrangements.
Because of Emerick’s close relationship to The Beatles recordings it makes sense to listen to what he says as far as the mono mix vs. stereo mix debate. I think they are enlightening as far as making clear why The Beatles Mono Box Set is so essential for serious Beatles fans. What follows are some quotes from Emerick on The Beatles in mono.
“Back in 1967, most people’s record players were mono; stereo was still largely the purview of high-end audiophiles. True Beatles fans would do well to avail themselves of the mono versions of Sgt. Pepper and Revolver because far more time and effort went into those mixes than into the stereo mixes.”
“In contrast to the way they carefully oversaw the original mono mixes, the group had expressed no interest in even being present when we did the [stereo mixes of Sgt. Pepper] that’s how little thought we all gave stereo in those days.”
“Only stereo mixes were done [for Abbey Road] (that had been the case since The White Album.)”
The Beatles Mono Box Set
The box set includes the original mono versions of The Beatles first 10 albums. The Beatles songs from Yellow Submarine are actually included as well (in the Mono Masters double disc set of non album tracks.) The Beatles final two albums Let It Be & Abbey Road are not included because (as Emerick’s quote above mentions) they were never mixed in mono.
These original mono mix Beatles CDs are not available for individual purchase, only as a part of this box set. The individual CDs available are only those in stereo. So if you want to hear The Beatles as Geoff Emerick believes you should hear them you will need to Buy The Beatles Mono Box Set and then you can purchase the stereo mixes for Let It Be & Abbey Road to complete your collection (although personally I ordered the entire Stereo Box Set too as I want to hear both versions of their albums.)
I figured as much. Guess I'll be holding out for a mono box, then...
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i wonder if the mono remasters will sound any better than the dr ebbetts mono red wax needledrops ive been listening to for years
those were revelatory to me
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I have a stereo box on pre-order. How much was it going for on Amazon before selling out?
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i wonder if the mono remasters will sound any better than the dr ebbetts mono red wax needledrops ive been listening to for years
those were revelatory to me
Yeah me too. The guy behind the DESS sets came out a month or so ago and said he heard the new remasters and stopped working on masters and pressing his cds because he said that there was no way that he could ever do better than these new remasters. That's pretty great considering how amazing the mono (and stereo) Ebbetts pressings sound. If he says they're amazing, that's about as glowing of a review as you can get.
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i wonder if the mono remasters will sound any better than the dr ebbetts mono red wax needledrops ive been listening to for years
those were revelatory to me
Yeah me too. The guy behind the DESS sets came out a month or so ago and said he heard the new remasters and stopped working on masters and pressing his cds because he said that there was no way that he could ever do better than these new remasters. That's pretty great considering how amazing the mono (and stereo) Ebbetts pressings sound. If he says they're amazing, that's about as glowing of a review as you can get.
What are the Ebbetts pressings? I've heard about them and I've tried to read about them, but I could never find a clear explanation that I felt really explained to me what people were talking about.
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They are basically needle drops on the highest quality equipment of original copies of what are considered the best pressings of all of the Beatles releases. They aren't remasters, but rather masters. The original CD's were awful remasters in stereo. The Ebbetts are pretty easy to track down on the web and like Ian said, they are revelatory. I'm very surprised that they will be surpassed by a remaster.
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one of my first posts on here was asking why tom preferred mono versions of albums, it was before i really "got" it.
then i heard the mono mix of revolver and when taxman kicks in... you hear all the instruments working together, front and center, instead of hard panned left or right. it was a major "oh" moment.
i guess for the non-nerd types, who don't track down weird bootleg recordings clandestinely, you're gonna be in for a treat when you get to hear how many of these albums were really meant to sound.
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Amazon has a note that more mono boxes will be produced due to unprecedented demand.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_85181171_3?ie=UTF8&docId=1000419971&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=hero-quick-promo&pf_rd_r=1KQFTMQNMPXZ3WBZQK5F&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_p=488831391&pf_rd_i=B002BSHWUU
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Looking at Amazon Canada, they have mono boxes available for $600-plus. Stereo boxes, on the other hand, are only $175.
Another complication with the mono box is that the copy of PAST MASTERS includes songs from YELLOW SUBMARINE - "All Together Now", "It's All Too Much", etc. - at the expense of latter-day singles like "Old Brown Shoe" and "The Ballad of John and Yoko". So, if you wanted remastered versions of those singles, you'd have to go ahead and purchase a stereo copy of the album anyway.
I think I'll just buy the stereo box and be done with it. The mono mixes will always be out there on the Internet.
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one of my first posts on here was asking why tom preferred mono versions of albums, it was before i really "got" it.
then i heard the mono mix of revolver and when taxman kicks in... you hear all the instruments working together, front and center, instead of hard panned left or right. it was a major "oh" moment.
i guess for the non-nerd types, who don't track down weird bootleg recordings clandestinely, you're gonna be in for a treat when you get to hear how many of these albums were really meant to sound.
I think you just convinced me to go Mono!
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How many times in my life will I have to buy the Beatles' catalog?
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How many times in my life will I have to buy the Beatles' catalog?
The Beatles catalog hasn't had a reissue since the late 80's.... unless you count the US Capitol box sets.
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Yeah, for being pretty much the most popular, overexposed band of all time, they've been surpringly restrained with the reissues. It's not like they're Elvis Costello, putting out a new version of THIS YEAR'S MODEL every six months.
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Yeah, for being pretty much the most popular, overexposed band of all time, they've been surpringly restrained with the reissues. It's not like they're Elvis Costello, putting out a new version of THIS YEAR'S MODEL every six months.
Exactly. I just preordered the stereo box, though I'm definitely interested in getting the mono box if I ever have the funds.
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Those box sets are awfully tempting. But for right now, I think I'll just go for the individual releases (namely The White Album, Past Masters, Magical Mystery Tour, and Revolver).
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I think I'm going to download a couple songs first to see if they live up to the hype.
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I think I'm going to download a couple songs first to see if they live up to the hype.
Legally one hopes.
If you do so Don't trust iTunes.
Everything sounds thin and tinny to my ears.
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This is true, with some of the early stereo recordings they'd put one instrument in the left ear and another in the right ear, and it ends up just being distracting. I can see where mono would be better in those cases.
one of my first posts on here was asking why tom preferred mono versions of albums, it was before i really "got" it.
then i heard the mono mix of revolver and when taxman kicks in... you hear all the instruments working together, front and center, instead of hard panned left or right. it was a major "oh" moment.
i guess for the non-nerd types, who don't track down weird bootleg recordings clandestinely, you're gonna be in for a treat when you get to hear how many of these albums were really meant to sound.
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Also, I'm going for the White Album and Rubber Soul (for starters).
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I'm into listening in on the sessions. It's crazy that, like a fly on a wall, I can listen to all of the starts and stops and changes of songs, discussions, jokes, arguments, all of it. I mean, someone has managed to find and upload every second of the Abbey Road sessions - like 20 hours or something.
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We've isolated each of the Beatles' inhalations and exhalations in this recording of a smoke break.
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haha, yeah.
After a lengthy discussion about why every time they get together to record an album they build a castle around it, there's a tired silence then, I think Lennon says, "goodnight, Dick" and they both burst out laughing.
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I actually like the Abbey Road medley. I've found that to be rare among fans.
I sorta got "Beatlesed out" in high school because I listened to them so much. But I still enjoy hearing them pop up on the iPod.
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I actually like the Abbey Road medley. I've found that to be rare among fans.
I sorta got "Beatlesed out" in high school because I listened to them so much. But I still enjoy hearing them pop up on the iPod.
I love the Abbey Road medley. Possibly it's my ADHD, but I can listen to Revolution #9 all the way through, too.
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I actually like the Abbey Road medley. I've found that to be rare among fans.
I sorta got "Beatlesed out" in high school because I listened to them so much. But I still enjoy hearing them pop up on the iPod.
I love the Abbey Road medley. Possibly it's my ADHD, but I can listen to Revolution #9 all the way through, too.
my mom was a huge fan of Abbey Road side 2; she used to play it all the time when I was a kid, so the suite is one of my all-time faves. and apparently when I was really little, I used to love "Maxwell's Silver Hammer", to the point of jumping up and down to the bangs every time it played (which eventually ruined my mom's vinyl copy)
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I actually like the Abbey Road medley. I've found that to be rare among fans.
I sorta got "Beatlesed out" in high school because I listened to them so much. But I still enjoy hearing them pop up on the iPod.
I love the Abbey Road medley. Possibly it's my ADHD, but I can listen to Revolution #9 all the way through, too.
my mom was a huge fan of Abbey Road side 2; she used to play it all the time when I was a kid, so the suite is one of my all-time faves. and apparently when I was really little, I used to love "Maxwell's Silver Hammer", to the point of jumping up and down to the bangs every time it played (which eventually ruined my mom's vinyl copy)
Which Newbridgite takes down the whole Beatles oeuvre by saying "Bang bang Maxwell's Silver Hammer came down"?
This is not a trivia question - I just can't remember at the moment. It's not Ronald Thomas Clontle, I don't think.
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abbey road second side is my single favorite side they ever made
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I'm into listening in on the sessions. It's crazy that, like a fly on a wall, I can listen to all of the starts and stops and changes of songs, discussions, jokes, arguments, all of it. I mean, someone has managed to find and upload every second of the Abbey Road sessions - like 20 hours or something.
Wow, where did you get that?
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I'm not sure. Purple Chick put out a 12-disc bootleg version of The White Album with studio chatter, outtakes, etc. that's really worth listening to. He/she might have done the same for Abbey Road.
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I'm not sure. Purple Chick put out a 12-disc bootleg version of The White Album with studio chatter, outtakes, etc. that's really worth listening to. He/she might have done the same for Abbey Road.
Yeah, purple chick looks like a good one. Session mp3s are everywhere. I had a different one, but I'd have to search for it.
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I actually like the Abbey Road medley. I've found that to be rare among fans.
I sorta got "Beatlesed out" in high school because I listened to them so much. But I still enjoy hearing them pop up on the iPod.
I love the Abbey Road medley. Possibly it's my ADHD, but I can listen to Revolution #9 all the way through, too.
The Abbey Road medley is my favorite thing the Beatles have done. Seriously, I never tire of it and cannot WAIT to play/sing it in Beatles Rock Band.
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abbey road second side is my single favorite side they ever made
Mine would be side three of The White Album. Or side two of Please Please Me.
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From what I've heard, the mono box is excellent. It beats the original Cd's by a landslide, and the Ebbetts mono release by a quite a bit as well.
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These leaked a while ago, and I've listened to lossless versions of the stereo and mono boxes as well as V0 rips. I'm not going to pretend to be an audiophile They all sound about the same as the Beatles CDs I bought used years ago. They sound a little better, but not hundreds of dollars better.
I guess I'm more of a quantity guy with music. I'd rather buy some stuff I've never heard from the 1960s than the same albums over again.
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These leaked a while ago, and I've listened to lossless versions of the stereo and mono boxes as well as V0 rips. I'm not going to pretend to be an audiophile They all sound about the same as the Beatles CDs I bought used years ago. They sound a little better, but not hundreds of dollars better.
I guess I'm more of a quantity guy with music. I'd rather buy some stuff I've never heard from the 1960s than the same albums over again.
I usually am about quantity too and loading up on things I haven't heard about, but not with the Beatles. I'm pretty obsessive about their catalog. This remaster is easily the best I've heard... one day I'll be able to afford the original UK mono pressings or who knows, maybe even the Japanese red wax (yeah right) and I can compare flac to cd to mp3 to vinyl, but to my ear, these mono remasters in lossless quality are easily the best I've heard. I'll definitely purchase it when I can.
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I won't break down the exact issues because I think that these new remasters are probably the best but here's what I prefer when it comes to mono/stereo for each album:
Please Please Me: I've been mono on this one, but the songs I've heard from the new stereo master are really well done. But, I think mono is probably still the best because a lot of times you still get the voice separation.
With the Beatles: Not even close. Mono.
A Hard Days Night: Another easy choice for mono.
Beatles For Sale: I prefer the stereo on this one. The voices aren't as separated as other albums and mono mix lacks the fullness of the other mono releases.
Help!: Very close, but I like the stereo release. I like the vocals a little more in mono even though the stereo doesn't suffer from separation, but the instruments really shine on the stereo mix.
Rubber Soul: After two solid stereo albums, Rubber Soul takes two steps backwards in the stereo department which isn't surprising since this is the album that the Beatles started doing some studio experimentation creating a challenge to create a stereo mix on only four tracks.. But oh that mono mix is so, so good. If the whole world only heard this in mono it might just be considered the Beatles masterpiece.
Revolver: Still experimenting with moving things around in 2 channels and still failing miserably. Mono by a landslide.
Sgt. Peppers: If Rubber Soul took two step backwards, Sgt. Peppers took two more. Voices, handclaps, instruments seem randomly placed in one channel and it's especially annoying to listen to on headphones. Like Lennon said, you haven't heard Sgt. Peppers until you've heard it in mono.
Magical Mystery Tour: While not perfect, you can tell that they are almost there on getting stereo to work well with complex studio production. I could go either way here... some songs sound better in mono, some in stereo but if I was listening to the whole thing I think I'd choose stereo.
White Album: A lot of people think that the mono release was actually a fold down to please mono enthusiasts. Either way, mono is for collectors only because of the different mixes, the White Album finally gets stereo right and of course becomes the last album the Beatles release in both formats.
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Hey all,
FYI Amazon just released more Mono boxes for sale. I ordered mine...I suggest acting fast if you're interested!
Dan
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Hey all,
FYI Amazon just released more Mono boxes for sale. I ordered mine...I suggest acting fast if you're interested!
Dan
I got mine too! Git on it while the gittin's good!
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I just read that the main reason iTunes and Amazon MP3 etc don't have any Beatles songs is to avoid cannibalizing box set sales, and also that this box set is basically seen as the last hurrah for CDs. Pretty good way to go out.
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Chuck Klosterman is one of those "college" writers that I avoid, but this is pretty funny--
http://www.avclub.com/articles/chuck-klosterman-repeats-the-beatles,32560/
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Chuck Klosterman is one of those "college" writers that I avoid, but this is pretty funny--
http://www.avclub.com/articles/chuck-klosterman-repeats-the-beatles,32560/
75% of the articles I've read about the remasters use the same "some obscure 60's band" joke.
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But do they say that Yellow Submarine "might have been a Halloween record"?
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Damn. I need to get the Mono box now.
I won't break down the exact issues because I think that these new remasters are probably the best but here's what I prefer when it comes to mono/stereo for each album:
Please Please Me: I've been mono on this one, but the songs I've heard from the new stereo master are really well done. But, I think mono is probably still the best because a lot of times you still get the voice separation.
With the Beatles: Not even close. Mono.
A Hard Days Night: Another easy choice for mono.
Beatles For Sale: I prefer the stereo on this one. The voices aren't as separated as other albums and mono mix lacks the fullness of the other mono releases.
Help!: Very close, but I like the stereo release. I like the vocals a little more in mono even though the stereo doesn't suffer from separation, but the instruments really shine on the stereo mix.
Rubber Soul: After two solid stereo albums, Rubber Soul takes two steps backwards in the stereo department which isn't surprising since this is the album that the Beatles started doing some studio experimentation creating a challenge to create a stereo mix on only four tracks.. But oh that mono mix is so, so good. If the whole world only heard this in mono it might just be considered the Beatles masterpiece.
Revolver: Still experimenting with moving things around in 2 channels and still failing miserably. Mono by a landslide.
Sgt. Peppers: If Rubber Soul took two step backwards, Sgt. Peppers took two more. Voices, handclaps, instruments seem randomly placed in one channel and it's especially annoying to listen to on headphones. Like Lennon said, you haven't heard Sgt. Peppers until you've heard it in mono.
Magical Mystery Tour: While not perfect, you can tell that they are almost there on getting stereo to work well with complex studio production. I could go either way here... some songs sound better in mono, some in stereo but if I was listening to the whole thing I think I'd choose stereo.
White Album: A lot of people think that the mono release was actually a fold down to please mono enthusiasts. Either way, mono is for collectors only because of the different mixes, the White Album finally gets stereo right and of course becomes the last album the Beatles release in both formats.
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Thanks, gilly. Like Steve, I think I need to find a way to get the mono box.
BTW, I picked up Magical Mystery Tour and The White Album today. They were well worth the price. The packaging is very nice and the sound quality exceeds the '87 issues by leaps and bounds. My only complaint were the cardboard sleeves, which made it somewhat difficult to remove the CD's from the packaging.
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Posted on my infrequently-updated blog middle8.blogspot.com, but pasted here for your convenience/comment:
I don't know what your sense of Sgt Peppers is, but before about 40 minutes ago, I would have put it in the "important to be sure, but not really all that great song-for-song" category. My experience was based pretty much completely on the '87 cd, of course. While the album is front- and back-loaded with undisputed masterpieces, the middle wavered much more than an album with such a classic reputation probably should. I mean, no one ever put "Good Morning, Good Morning" or "Fixing A Hole" in their top ten list. Gimmicky, needlessly shrill, too in love with goofy effects over genuine emotion. That's pretty much my old opinion of this album.
Well, I also read that quote variously attributed to John and George Martin that "if you haven't heard Pepper in mono, then you haven't heard Pepper," and thought, "well, maybe, but that's a bit of hyperbole." It's not. The mono version of this album is A. Whole. New. Ballgame. For the first time in my life, this record feels utterly revolutionary today, not retro-revolutionary. There is so much more going on here, and it's not just a case of hearing new effects. Take "Good Morning, Good Morning." The old CD made the horns so shrill sounding, that I usually rushed to forward to the next track. Now I feel like the song may hold the key to the whole record. In this mono mix, those "shrill" horns are really over-saturated and kind of slowed down. You know what this song is? It's the perfect morning song between the twin classic John's "I'm Only Sleeping" and "I'm So Tired." It's got the same sense of woozy disorientation and hits me emotionally in an entirely new place.
This happens at least 7 more times in different places, but I don't want to spoil it for you. I'll point out a couple more tiny bits: the background vocals (for the first time throughout you get to hear separate voices, and it's obvious that the Beatles did not deploy their vocals cavalierly) in "When I'm Sixty-Four" no longer descend from space. Now they sound like their coming from over Paul's shoulder, right where they would be if it was sung by the old-timey band they meant it to sound like. The only thing more fucked-up sounding than the "tape solos" in "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite," is the slower, heavier ending to "Lovely Rita." The "each song is played by a different band, none of them the Beatles" conceit makes complete sense for the first time.
Before I go, let me just say a quick word about the sense of presence I get here. This record feels so made, so labored over. It's not just about the clarity of mix, but the spaces you can now hear around the voices and instruments make you feel the clarity of purpose. The difference is like seeing a photo of a painting on the one hand, and then seeing the original. What looked flat (but colorful and framed well and all that) in the photo, now looks like what it is: layers of paint painstakingly (or maybe even haphazardly, but still) put there by someone.
I don't really know what this is meant to signify yet, but I feel like I can hear this thing the way it must have sounded the summer of '67. I don't mean the "pop music used to sound like this, now it sounds like THIS" thing that I've always imagined. I mean emotionally. A real revolution in the head. What was once over-rated is now, finally, earning (sorry) its stripes. I cannot fucking believe it.
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Awesome post, pscan. Glad I chose mono!
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I'm really hoping I can find a way to swing the mono box. It kinda bothers me to pay more for less (13 CDs in the mono box vs. 17 in the stereo but mono costs $40-$50 more?), but I'd really rather have these the way they're meant to sound.
I did pick up the remasters of Abbey Road and Let It Be and they sound GREAT.
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I'm really hoping I can find a way to swing the mono box. It kinda bothers me to pay more for less (13 CDs in the mono box vs. 17 in the stereo but mono costs $40-$50 more?), but I'd really rather have these the way they're meant to sound.
I did pick up the remasters of Abbey Road and Let It Be and they sound GREAT.
I got a good deal on the stereo box because I had a bunch of Best Buy certificates so I decided to jump on a mono box when more became available. Of course at the moment they're both back-ordered so I've got more waiting to do.
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http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/thelife/news/story?id=4474313
I'd much rather listen to Oasis than The Beatles. Oasis, or any band that came after The Beatles, learned from The Beatles, improving on their work by listening to, building on and perfecting the styles pioneered by The Beatles. The result: The arrangements used by Oasis are more complex, the sound is denser, the production is better. Claims that Oasis is nothing more than a Beatles tribute band do little to disprove my theory. There is no question that Oasis was influenced by The Beatles -- most rock bands are. That influence was likely heavier with Oasis, but even Oasis -- brash as the band is -- understands the power of what came before. After all, Oasis named an album "Standing On the Shoulders of Giants."
For that, I'm going to ask my editors at shovel.com if I can write an article about how Cole Hamels is a better pitcher than Sandy Koufax.
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http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/thelife/news/story?id=4474313
I'd much rather listen to Oasis than The Beatles. Oasis, or any band that came after The Beatles, learned from The Beatles, improving on their work by listening to, building on and perfecting the styles pioneered by The Beatles. The result: The arrangements used by Oasis are more complex, the sound is denser, the production is better. Claims that Oasis is nothing more than a Beatles tribute band do little to disprove my theory. There is no question that Oasis was influenced by The Beatles -- most rock bands are. That influence was likely heavier with Oasis, but even Oasis -- brash as the band is -- understands the power of what came before. After all, Oasis named an album "Standing On the Shoulders of Giants."
For that, I'm going to ask my editors at shovel.com if I can write an article about how Cole Hamels is a better pitcher than Sandy Koufax.
I'm sure someone somewhere could make a valid "Beatles = meh" argument, but it shouldn't rest on the idea that Oasis "improved" on the Beatles. If Oasis is an improvement on the Beatles, then a xerox of a first printing of "The Great Gatsby" is better than the original.
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http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/thelife/news/story?id=4474313
I'd much rather listen to Oasis than The Beatles. Oasis, or any band that came after The Beatles, learned from The Beatles, improving on their work by listening to, building on and perfecting the styles pioneered by The Beatles. The result: The arrangements used by Oasis are more complex, the sound is denser, the production is better. Claims that Oasis is nothing more than a Beatles tribute band do little to disprove my theory. There is no question that Oasis was influenced by The Beatles -- most rock bands are. That influence was likely heavier with Oasis, but even Oasis -- brash as the band is -- understands the power of what came before. After all, Oasis named an album "Standing On the Shoulders of Giants."
For that, I'm going to ask my editors at shovel.com if I can write an article about how Cole Hamels is a better pitcher than Sandy Koufax.
I'm sure someone somewhere could make a valid "Beatles = meh" argument, but it shouldn't rest on the idea that Oasis "improved" on the Beatles. If Oasis is an improvement on the Beatles, then a xerox of a first printing of "The Great Gatsby" is better than the original.
Scratchbomb, you hit the nail on the head. This article is unbelievable. Another quote:
There's almost no way that someone from my generation can listen to the primitive hackings of "Eleanor Rigby" finish, and then listen to "November Rain" and say, "Yeah, 'Eleanor Rigby' is the better piece of music."
???
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So you're saying that ESPN isn't the authority on music?
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So you're saying that ESPN isn't the authority on music?
I used to read Shirley's diaries when he was talking about his experiences as the Suns 12th man but I had no idea he now writes solely about music for ESPN. I glanced back at a few of his other articles and wasn't impressed. He does provide a great defense of Nickelback though...
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Scratchbomb, you hit the nail on the head. This article is unbelievable. Another quote:
There's almost no way that someone from my generation can listen to the primitive hackings of "Eleanor Rigby" finish, and then listen to "November Rain" and say, "Yeah, 'Eleanor Rigby' is the better piece of music."
???
Wow. I didn't even notice that. Insane.
Not even worth savaging this guy anymore, since he obviously knows nothing about music. Also, I was unaware he was a basketball player (don't follow hoops nearly as obsessively as baseball).
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it's weird that he cites some california band as "faking" a southern rock sound as part of his what the fuck ever rock credentials, and then in the same article mentions creedence as a favorite band
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Also, I was unaware he was a basketball player (don't follow hoops nearly as obsessively as baseball).
He was a 12th man who bounced around the league some, eventually landing on the Suns a few years back. If I remember correctly, he had a blog or something on nba.com and Simmons picked up on him and turned him into a minor sensation. He wrote a book a couple years ago about life on the NBA bench that was actually a pretty entertaining read (he's also played in Russia and Europe).
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I'm sure someone somewhere could make a valid "Beatles = meh" argument, but it shouldn't rest on the idea that Oasis "improved" on the Beatles. If Oasis is an improvement on the Beatles, then a xerox of a first printing of "The Great Gatsby" is better than the original.
While sitting around one time, many years ago, some friends of mine came up with the idea that they'd rather listen to the Bad Brains than the Beatles. They were probably high & were having one of those insane circular conversations, but I kinda got what they were getting at, if you know what I mean.
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Paul Shirley lacks the humility and the sense of the contingency of his own opinions that I've come to expect from rock critics.
Oh wait, they're all full of ludicrous half-baked opinions that they put forth as fact, too. They've just read more liner notes.
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Wait, so just for clarification (and my anal retentive ass to know), "The Beatles" was a stereo process priority? Or did they still prefer mono and that is the "definitive" version? That was the only album I was confused about. Stereo or mono?!?
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The Beatles released a UK only version of "The Beatles" in mono. In the US, "The Beatles" was released in stereo only. So unlike the previous albums, the stereo version of the album was indeed the first priority. To my ears, I think the stereo version sounds a lot better than the mono version. The general consensus is that the stereo version is better.
Most everything prior to "The Beatles" is probably best heard in mono, in particular, "A Hard Day's Night," "Revolver," and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."
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Okay, that's what I was wondering. And yeah, I love the mono versions I've heard of the other stuff pre-"The Beatles" but was iffy on which was supposed to be the "better" version of it. I also have no thought of my own on the differences apparently.
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Some people think that The White Album in mono was put out as a joke, with the Beatles changing a few takes and folding down the stereo to mono although t doesn't sound like a fold down to me. But, the stereo is a much better listen.
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So it looks like the place that was supposed to get me a mono box is gently starting to edge away from that promise. Does anybody have the honest to goodness facts about how many copies they're going to issue on the second run and when it is gonna come out? I CANNOT MISS OUT ON THIS A SECOND TIME!
Tom.
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It looks like Amazon.ca might have a few left, Tom.
I had a feeling a lot of people would be burned by the second round of mono boxes. I had one preordered on Amazon, but saw a copy in a store and had to have it then and there. I felt like an idiot because I paid quite a bit more than I would have otherwise, but in retrospect it might've been a smart move.
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Amazon has it listed, just out of stock. It seems like they are getting more so I think if you just place an order you should be okay. And honestly, I have a feeling this will be readily available come a year from now. Wasn't that the case with the Anthology sets (limited at first, readily available later? I don't remember as I was 10 when they were released. Going off of a friend's claims)?
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Amazon has it listed, just out of stock. It seems like they are getting more so I think if you just place an order you should be okay. And honestly, I have a feeling this will be readily available come a year from now. Wasn't that the case with the Anthology sets (limited at first, readily available later? I don't remember as I was 10 when they were released. Going off of a friend's claims)?
I don't think so, they were the best selling albums in the US for a few months when they came out.
Has anybody heard if they are marking the second pressings as such?
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Amazon has it listed, just out of stock. It seems like they are getting more so I think if you just place an order you should be okay. And honestly, I have a feeling this will be readily available come a year from now. Wasn't that the case with the Anthology sets (limited at first, readily available later? I don't remember as I was 10 when they were released. Going off of a friend's claims)?
The status on my order estimates that it will be shipped in early October.
Stupid Best Buy still has my Stereo Box on backorder.
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You're not getting the full experience unless you get it on blu-ray.
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You're not getting the full experience unless you get it on blu-ray.
My local Best Buy still has a half dozen of the Neil Young Archives blu-ray sets collecting dust.
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You're not getting the full experience unless you get it on blu-ray.
My local Best Buy still has a half dozen of the Neil Young Archives blu-ray sets collecting dust.
Ugh this set I see EVERYWHERE. Is Tom the only one who bought it?
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The painful acidic burning is gone. I canceled my pre/back order of a stereo box placed online and purchased it locally this afternoon. It was quite a bit more, but it feels good to have done the right thing.
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Can someone email me a mono track that's a good example of why it's so important. Yes, I own every single Beatles album, so I'm not after ripping anyone off, I just want to hear this difference before plunking down all that money.
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Got my mono set. It is seriously worth it. The packaging is just awesome, and the sound really is amazing. I'm hearing stuff I never heard before! Pscan's post on Sgt. Pepper NAILED it.
Tom, I don't think they gave a definitive number on the second pressing. I'd just advise signing up on Amazon to be alerted for when they restock.
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Got my mono set. It is seriously worth it. The packaging is just awesome, and the sound really is amazing. I'm hearing stuff I never heard before! Pscan's post on Sgt. Pepper NAILED it.
Tom, I don't think they gave a definitive number on the second pressing. I'd just advise signing up on Amazon to be alerted for when they restock.
I've been really impressed with how HEAVY some tracks sound. I was actually in shock when the guitar and drums first kicked in during "Paperback Writer", it rocked so hard. It really shows how piss-poor the 1987 remasters were in the first place. Oh, well. We were young then, I guess.
But yeah, the mono box has a thousand "Oh shit!" moments like that one, just waiting to be (re-)discovered: The first orchestral swell in "Glass Onion"! The for-some-reason-completely-excised-on-the-1987-CD first chord of "Yellow Submarine"! The bass on "What Goes On"! The more audible drums on "I'm So Tired"! It all sounds awesome and is a joy to listen to.
And for the record: Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney = best rhythm section ever. Ringo especially gets his due with these remasters.