Mono Version

[Gilly]

I had a lot of the "great albums" (digitally) that were special editions with mono and stereo versions.  I finally ended up deleting all the mono versions for the sake of saving space and satisfying my OCD for having my digital music collection be orderly. 

Like Gilly asked: Is there one great example of mono v. stereo that I can find and listen to the two back to back for comparison?

I've been looking through Rhapsody for some albums and the only one I can find is Pet Sounds and Velvet Underground and Nico (Deluxe Edition). I'll tell you what, I must have heard a junk rip of the Pet Sounds mono because that is much better. Sorry Tom. The Velvet Underground one is really interesting. I haven't decided if I like it better or not.

[Andy]

ok, I just listened to Journey's album Escape back to back, mono then stereo.

My verdict: you mono guys are crazy.  stereo is better.

[A.M. Thomas]

Monaural kills stereophonic every time.

Also, Tom couldn't have been more right in regards to the importance of the The in The Pink Floyd.  Syd Barrett's The Pink Floyd: one of the greatest bands ever.  Pink Floyd: bland prog for aging acidheads and overweight "rockers" in suits.  Everything after Piper at the Gates of Dawn is junk, except for Jugband Blues, which was a Barrett composition of course.

I love Jugband Blues:

[youtube=425,350]RTtXVrANEhU[/youtube]

[Gilly]

Alright, I stand corrected. Mono is definitely better than stereo when it come to albums originally released that way. My entire argument was based on what must have been a terrible rip of Pet Sounds. I've heard 6-7 albums now back to back with the stereo version and the mono wins every time. I am humbled.

[masterofsparks]

Also, Tom couldn't have been more right in regards to the importance of the The in The Pink Floyd.  Syd Barrett's The Pink Floyd: one of the greatest bands ever.  Pink Floyd: bland prog for aging acidheads and overweight "rockers" in suits.  Everything after Piper at the Gates of Dawn is junk, except for Jugband Blues, which was a Barrett composition of course.

I can't say I'm surprised to read this, as it's kind of the prevailing opinion among fellow rock geeks, and it is the view I myself once held. However, I don't think it's entirely fair or accurate to say that everything after Piper is junk. Granted, I have very little use for Dark Side of the Moon or anything after, but the stuff in between Piper & Dark Side is actually very good, especially if your favorite stuff from Piper is the harder, spacier stuff like Interstellar Overdrive, Lucifer Sam, or Astronomy Domine. A viewing of Live at Pompeii might give you pause, as might a listen to "The Nile Song." Or maybe not.

On the other hand, if you like Piper for the whimsical, Tolkien-inspired fairy & gnome-land stuff like Bike and The Gnome, I can see why you hate everything else.

Edit: Sorry if this comes across as smug - it wasn't supposed to be.

[Andy]

ok, so I'm comparing Odessey and Oracle by the Zombies.  I listen to This Will be our Year (one of my all time favorites.)  The mono version has horns that got dropped on the stereo version.  I'm not that into the horn parts, but it is alarming that they would drop a major piece of the song like that.  I guess that's pretty common?

[buffcoat]

I'm not ashamed to admit it - I like much of the bloated, bland prog-rock post-Barrett output of Pink Floyd.  Up to and including several tracks on "Momentary Lapse of Reason," which is really more a David Gilmour-Bob Ezrin collaboration than a Pink Floyd record anyway.

Sure, only about 3 minutes of the 23 minutes of "Echoes" is interesting in any way, but there's nothing wrong, in my opinion, with being able to appreciate "Sheep" and "March of the Chrome Police" in the same sitting.  Vive le Ipod and Vive les late 70s.

[dave from knoxville]

People really get all into being condescendingly cool way too much. "Dogs" is an exceptional cut. Parts of The Wall are ridiculous, but other parts are satisfyingly lush and beautiful.

Listen to everything, and every once in a while something will stick. Drop your guard and be open to something you're already convinced you'll hate. You've made mistakes before, who's to say you're not in the middle of one?

Like what you like, and don't apologize for it.

[fyodor]

Friend of the show, Vincent Gallo, and his love for Monaural.

[Gilly]

I've been hunting down a ton of mono since we started talking about this. Well, not a ton. It's hard to find and I don't own a working record player so it's even harder to find. But, I am changing my stance 180 degrees on this. Mono is always better. I've listened to Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, The Beatles, Beach Boys, Cream, Pink Floyd, The Supremes, The Who and the Velvet Underground and it all sounds so much better. I need to find myself a record player now so it will be easier to get stuff.

[ian]

Things might be going off the deep end when it's iconoclastic to defend Pink Floyd's "The Wall" album.

[John Junk]

Things might be going off the deep end when it's iconoclastic to defend Pink Floyd's "The Wall" album.

Wait, Whuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut?

[A.M. Thomas]

Also, Tom couldn't have been more right in regards to the importance of the The in The Pink Floyd.  Syd Barrett's The Pink Floyd: one of the greatest bands ever.  Pink Floyd: bland prog for aging acidheads and overweight "rockers" in suits.  Everything after Piper at the Gates of Dawn is junk, except for Jugband Blues, which was a Barrett composition of course.

I can't say I'm surprised to read this, as it's kind of the prevailing opinion among fellow rock geeks, and it is the view I myself once held. However, I don't think it's entirely fair or accurate to say that everything after Piper is junk. Granted, I have very little use for Dark Side of the Moon or anything after, but the stuff in between Piper & Dark Side is actually very good, especially if your favorite stuff from Piper is the harder, spacier stuff like Interstellar Overdrive, Lucifer Sam, or Astronomy Domine. A viewing of Live at Pompeii might give you pause, as might a listen to "The Nile Song." Or maybe not.

On the other hand, if you like Piper for the whimsical, Tolkien-inspired fairy & gnome-land stuff like Bike and The Gnome, I can see why you hate everything else.

Edit: Sorry if this comes across as smug - it wasn't supposed to be.

No need to apologize; my opinion on Pink Floyd could be seen as equably, if not more, smug.  I have ventured past Barrett era Pink Floyd many times.  I'll admit there is some stuff worth listening to, but it just doesn't have the same impact on me as the Barrett songs.

I apologize if I came off as condescending.

[bongo]

Hearing the mono Pipers after listening to the stereo a zillion times is quite ear-opening and really makes me smile. I imagine Syd was involved with this mix much more than the other one, as Tom mentioned earlier on this thread. I do wonder though, if people who loved the original mono lp when it was released were just as stoked when a new "stereo mix" came along (assuming this happened somewhat later on I guess; 70s perhaps). I'd very much wish to have this mono re-master on the lp format, so make it happen EMI or whoever! uh, please...

[emdasher]

This is late, but continuing with Pink Floyd--

One of my favorite Best Shows ever is the one where Tom plays Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety while taking calls from obviously stoned listeners and eating a Twix bar during "On the Run." It captures perfectly everything I love and hate about that album.

"There can't be any fighting when you're listening to this--the only thing you could fight about is who could fall asleep first in a little sleep race."