Beatles in Mono. - Page 10

For anyone who was late to the party and didn't pre-order, I have a tale of hope...

I went in my local Borders today. Sitting on the top of their Beatles display table was *gasp* a copy of the mono box set. It was also marked 20% off, which put the price at around $240, which wasn't too far off from the online prices.

So, I snatched it up, elbowed an elderly woman, kicked a baby, and tipped over someone in a wheelchair during my race to the counter.

So, these boxes might be out there if you search hard enough. But if you can't, there's always the Amazon waiting list. The aftermarket jacked up prices really aren't worth it. ($580? Wow.)

I'm making a point of listening to the stereo albums with headphones.

I listened to Please Please Me the other night.  Now I know why George Martin dislikes the stereo version so much.  It just sounds odd, like my head is in a halo of music, with the vocals coming from the upper right and the instruments from the lower left.  It's almost a relief when the two mono tracks ("Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You") kick in.

Still, it doesn't diminish the revolutionary power of the album.  In an era of Brill Building pop, this must have hit like a bombshell. 

 

 

Picked up "Abbey Road" today at Starbucks...$9.50 with my discount and tax!  Gonna hit Target this evening for the titles that we don't carry.  And the $5 gift cards!

Yeah, I saw a stereo box set at Borders this afternoon.

From what I saw, that $580 auction was definitely the exception rather than the rule. I took a look at other auctions on Tuesday and they were mostly around $350 and $400. And now it looks most of them aren't even going for $300. The guy who paid $580 must be kicking himself.

I don't much care to listen to the mono recordings with headphones. I read an apt description in one of the reviews; it's as if the sound is coming from the direct center of your skull cavity.

Okay...let me see if I've got this straight...

The stereo mixes sound like a "halo of music" while the mono mixes sound like they're "originating in your skull cavity."

Can't we get Snoop Dogg to do some stereo re-mixes then or something?!?    Sir Mix-a-lot?  Phil Specter?  Mickey Hart?

On a lot of the stereo mixes of the earlier stuff, it is way noticable that the vocals are in one channel, and the music is in the other. The best song to hear this on is "In My Life". It's distracting. The mono version doesn't have that problem, because the same thing is coming out of both speakers.

And I don't know if it's possible to do "proper" stereo mixes of the earlier stuff. Do the elements exist to do that, or was it all recorded in a way that it can't be done?

I'm sure it's a long walk,my friend, but well worth it.  :D

I'm floored by the detail that went into the design of the CD packaging for the mono set.  All original labels (US/UK, with UK font on the Apple copyright notices), fold-over jackets for all the CD's up to PEPPER (except the gatefold on BFS), top-opening White Album (with black LP liners) and octagonal LP liner reproductions of all the originals. Nice CD liners and resealable mylar jacket protectors (just like the Japanese laserdisc slipcovers we all knew and loved).

Now, it's time to go home and give these a proper spinning...

What I'd like to see, and which would never happen, would be if they were able to go back to the original instrument tracks before they were bounced down and combined due to the two-four-and-eight track recording limitations of the time. If they could go back to the actual tape that recorded each instrument direct and do a stereo re-mix of it while George "The Fifth Beatle" Martin and Paul are still alive (though by all accounts Paul may be less than interested in doing this, so Sir George would be enough for me). Chances are they would abandon the 100% left channel, 100% right channel tendencies in the present recordings and do true, proper stereo mixes of the songs. Couple that with the added fidelity of the original instrument tracks and you'd have a near-orgasmic experience for Beatles fans.

That set I would pay $500 or more for.

Slap that on high bit rate Blu Ray a la Neil Young, and sky's the limit. 

EDIT - I see I was posting on an old version of the page and didn't see Shane's post, which contains many of my sentiments.

I don't know if the original elements still exist, I'm probably pipe dreaming. I'm not sure if after they were bounced down (several tracks combined into one track so it would free up additional tracks for use) the original stems were kept and, more important somehow preserved against the ravages of time. Also I don't know if the mix notes were kept, though again, since we would want them to abandon the old style of stereo mixing, I'm not sure the mix notes are all that important.

But locating the hundreds of instrument tracks per album, in a sea of multiple takes per song, would be a daunting task. One which I'd gladly undertake for a pittance...just in case Sir George is reading...

 I received my mono box set from Amazon today, and the box was completely smashed in on one corner, although the disks seem fine.  I called for a replacement and they told me it would be end of October, but I would have to return this set within 10 days.  Having it in my hands I'm reluctant to let it go, but a smashed box on a collector's set in unacceptable.  Last time I order anything collectable from Amazon.  Are there any mono box sets still on the shelves out there?

Ugh that's horrible news. I hope mine is okay. Amazon has in the past done well in shipping me items because I'm very particular in my collectibles (particularly special edition novels by Stephen King). Amazon has, knock on wood, performed stellar. I'm hoping you are the exception and not the rule.

And according to some people if you look in enough places that aren't the usual suspects for buying music, like a BN or Borders store, you might find one at "MSRP" price not the reduced Amazon or Best Buy sale price, but also not marked up like an eBay auction.

Have you considered opening each disc for, um, inspection prior to returning it to Amazon? Did they tell you that you had to keep all of the individual CDs in shrink wrap in order to facilitate the exchange?

Just got a shipping notice for the Mono box.  The Stereo box isn't shipping until the end of September or October.  Ironic.
Edited by Ted Todorov - 9/11/09 at 8:46pm

Bummer.
My Stereo box arrived today (yes, I had to have BOTH) and Amazon had kindly double boxed it with some big bubble thingies.

Just re-experienced Abbey Road. It's nice to know most of my compadres here have something really excellent to listen to music on. 
Amazing how many (who can damn well afford better) make do with something that cost $59.99 at WalMart.
Anyway, there is SO much going on in the Abby Road grooves...

 

Sorry Terry, not trying to pour salt in the wound, mine arrived in great condition.

Can I just say how AWESOME the LP replica packaging is? Nowhere near as "comprehensive" as the stereo set in terms of album-specific notes (both original and retrospective), but since most mono owners will have the stereo set as well, I don't think those need to be repeated here.

Currently enjoying the heck out of Please Please Me. I'll admit I'm more of a "late Beatles" fan, but this mono mix I'm listening to for the first time is making me seriously re-evaluate their earlier material.

I think I'm going to use EAC to rip exact copies of them on CD-Rs so that I won't damage the packaging by constantly taking them out of the sleeves!

Even though I used their free Super Saver shipping, I got both sets from Amazon today (in unsmashed condition, fortunately). I was really holding my breath, as I've rarely received anything from Amazon that didn't come in a smashed box (but since I usually order DVDs from them, it usually doesn't affect the contents). I was surprised at how small the mono set is.

After inspecting each disc to make sure that all the right discs were in the right sleeves (I learned to do this after my first "Anthology 1" set had two "Disc 1" discs in it), I've decided that I dislike the packaging for the stereo set. At least the mono set has those little plastic sleeves, but the discs fit so tightly in the stereo covers, and since they have no sleeves, I had a real hard time getting them out and back in again (especially the 2-disc albums). I was afraid of scratching them! I think that if I'm going to be listening to these on a regular basis, I will have to store the discs in jewel cases.

But the packaging IS beautiful, though, for both sets. I love the idea of mini-LP covers (I also have the Japanese mini-LP of Cheap Trick's "In Color") I just wish they'd provided protective sleeves for the stereo set, as well.

Money is tight, so my family will be giving me the mono set for my birthday at the end of this month, and the stereo set will be for Christmas, so I won't be listening to them until then.

BTW, for the mono set, are we supposed to insert the discs and their plastic sleeves into the little paper sleeves that are provided?
Edited by MielR - 9/11/09 at 7:42pm

Thank you very much for the information!

Steve

That's how I did it. I look at it as an extra layer of protection against the relatively rough paper or cardboard.

Anyway, I really liked the LP Replica packaging in the mono set. Since the Stereo sets are just the mass issue single discs packaged in a box, I understand that they probably couldn't have done the stereo sets mith the replica packaging unless they made "limited edition" stereo sets... and that would have pissed off more people than are already angry.

I like what we got, but I really wish the Beatles remasters had been done the same way the latest set of Monkees remasters were done... 2 disc sets, Stereo mixes on disc one, mono mixes on disc 2, and god help us for the 4 disc White Album package.

 I'm glad everyone else's set arrived safely.  Mine was packaged in a larger box, with no protection, just banging around in it.
I did open the box, and plan to play them for the next 10 days until I have to send them back.  
They certainly could have included the stereo mixes on the same disk, at least for the early disks, as they did for Rubber Soul and Help, but overall I'm very pleased with the set.
Edited by TerryPM - 9/11/09 at 10:11pm

Can anyone with a scanner post a good quality scan of the cover [at preferably 500x500 pixels or larger] for Mono Masters? I would like to add the album cover to my iTunes and I've used Google and Bing and can't find a scan of that cover.

Many thanks!

This did prove surprisingly hard to find, I put one together;

   I've never seen packaging this cool, truly, although it's not that easy to get a disc out (you almost have to grab the playing surface, or maybe I'm just more ham-fisted than you all). I plan on ripping them to a server so I don't have to touch them much. I may go totally geek-out on this and grab that "Box of Vision", which will display it all (I grabbed both boxes) while still offering protection.

This sets up my question: I listen to everything through iTunes (I have my entire CD collection ripped to Apple Lossless and a digital connection to my receiver), so obviously I have all the 1987 Beatles CDs in iTunes.  Will the new Mono and Stereo collections be somehow distinguishable via CDDB Album naming, or will I have to manually rename stuff myself to know which is which?

Looks like it depends. I pulled in the mono Revolver and it added (2009 Mono Remaster), but Abbey Road was just "Abbey Road".

 Edit: Just doing the Stereo MMT now and it's calling it (2009 Stereo Remaster). The new Abbey Road replaced an old one, so perhaps it took the old name when I ok'd the import/overwrite. Dunno...

I think the CDDB has been updated.  Whern I was halfway through the conversion process, WMP started to recognize the new discs.

CDDB is always being updated/edited so as you rip you may find that what wasn't recognized is suddenly recognized.

Thanks for the mock-up cover Zack. Until I find a real scan of the actual cover that will suffice. What font did you use to try and match up "MONO" with "MASTERS"? (I can tell you mocked it up because there isn't an Apple logo on the Mono Masters cover, but nice job anyway!)

Personally after doing some light A/B'ing, I have found no need to keep the 1987 CDs on my iTunes. Between the remastered stereo and mono sets, I think that's about all I need as far as their recorded, officially released work (in addition of course to Let It Be, Anthology, Yellow Submarine 1999 reissue, etc.)

Check out Album Art Exchange. LOTS of excellent high-quality scans. Here's the one for Mono Masters
http://www.albumartexchange.com/covers.php?id=57593&q=Mono+Masters

I did complain earlier in this thread and although I still do think that for the prices that are being asked, they should have included the mono and stereo mixes in the same set, I do have to admit that the mono set packaging is gorgeous. From what I can tell they look like pretty much exact replicas of the original vinyls, even down to the paper sleeves on the inside, You open it up and it rally does look like a vinyl record collection. The only slight complaint I have is that the clear plastic sleeves that cover the albums have a sticky opening flap that is a bit annoying when trying to carefully remove and then put back the albums but otherwise it's a beautiful set.

 I actually found the plastic sleeve preferable to shrink wrap as it can be kept and used, unlike shrink wrap. What I don't really like, as I'd noted, is that on the fold-outs the disc is not easy to remove if you only want to grip the edges. All the more reason to rip 'em.