The entire Beatles Catalog has been rereleased in three different ways.
In stereo: Remastered and available as individual CDs, they feature new expanded packaging that includes extensive new liner notes, new photos, and are enhanced with a mini documentary on the making of the album. These new Stereo remasters are also available as a box set that includes all 13 Beatles albums, the 2 disc Past Masters CD (containing every song that was not released on an album) plus an additional DVD containing all the mini Documentaries. These new stereo remasters are widely available.
The stereo Box set currently sells for 179.99 on Amazon prices of he individual albums vary depending on where you go.
Not so widely available is the limited edition Mono Box set. It features the first 10 albums remastered from the original master tapes that where used for the original UK mono releases. Each one is packaged in meticulous re-creation's of the original vinyl packaging right down to the last detail (including inserts and paper sleeves). Also included is the 2 CD Mono Masters with the UK mono mixes for every Beatles song that was not released on their albums, the mono mixes for the originals songs featured on the Yellow Submarine movie, a very nice booklet with essays and photos and what has been dubbed as the 1965 stereo mixes for Help and Rubber Soul
The Mono Box set currently sells for 229.99 on Amazon
I have decided to forgo these new Stereo masters in favor of the mono box set.
WHY MONO?
Isn’t Stereo better? And the Mono Box set doesn’t contain the entire Beatles catalog! Plus it costs more! Why in the world would anyone choose to pay more for something that has less?
I thought the same thing….at first. But sometimes, in order to understand art, you have to understand the history behind that art. So let’s look at the history first.
The Beatles first 3 albums where recorded and released in the UK and America in Mono….Because at that time there was no such thing as stereo.
When Stereo was first introduced, it caught on big in the US. But in Europe, not so much.
So little so, that the Beatles continued to record and mix their next 7 albums in Mono for their UK releases.
They would then send of a 2nd generation copy of the master tape to the US where it would be panned right and left for stereo release in the US.
Stereo was still a new thing in the US at the time, and in order to show off (dramatically) the difference between stereo and mono (and probably to help sell more stereo gear) These albums where panned far left and far right.
In other words: (as an example) You play a US release of the Beatles and you hear the drums and vocals panned to the extreme far right of your speaker system and guitar and bass panned to the extreme far left. Turn down or disconnect your right side and you can’t hear the vocals and drums. Just the guitar, and bass.
These are not true full stereo mixes.
WHAT IS TRUE FULL STEREO?
In True full stereo we are trying to create a mix where it sounds like the band is in the room with you. Lead vocals are in the center, drums are more or less centered with perhaps the high hat panned slightly right and cymbals and toms panned slightly left to right depending on brightness. Guitars, Keys, Bass, and back up vocals are each individually panned to varying degrees somewhat to the right or somewhat to the left. The idea is to create a more surrounding mix. Panning hard left or hard right is mostly not done except to create an effect or emphasis.
These ping pong stereo mixes of the Beatles albums, that I referred to earlier, where just an afterthought to satisfy the US marketplace at the time. The Beatles had no real input on them. And their producer George Martin had only minimal input on them. They where also taken from a 2nd generation master tape (which means that there was already a degradation of quality).
…………And for years this is how we listened to the music of the Beatles in the US.
It took so long for Stereo to catch on in the UK, that only their last 3 albums, Yellow Submarine, Abbey Road & Let it Be, that the Beatles had their albums mixed in stereo for both the UK and US releases (although there where mono mixes of the 4 original songs on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack there where released as singles in the UK….more on this in a moment).
THE 1987 RELEASES TO NOW
In 1987, when the Beatles albums where first released on CD, the first 3 where re mastered versions of the original Mono US releases. The next 7 albums, where taken from the same stereo masters that where used for the US vinyl stereo releases, so they featured the same extreme hard right, and left panning
Now back in 1999 in conjunction with the release of the Beatles movie Yellow Submarine on DVD, Capital records did an interesting thing. They not only remastered, but remixed all the songs from the film and released them On CD. For the first time these songs (at least) could be heard in true stereo (rather then the hard left and right panning that was previously available). Many fans found the difference to be quite astounding with favor falling towards these new remixes over the 87 remasters.
So prior to their 09/09/09 release date, there where a lot of speculation that these new rereleases would also be remixed in true full stereo.
Sadly for many fans, this was not the case.
So while these new Stereo remasters may be an improvement over the 87 versions (opinions vary on this greatly though). What we have with these new releases, are remasters of the same hard right and left panning that has plagued the US Beatles releases since day one.
Given the Beatles and Producer George Martin’s almost complete lack of involvement in the original US stereo releases, and given the fact that at times it would seem that the stereo releases where engineered more to show off how different stereo was from mono at the time (and not to serve the songs themselves). It is my opinion that, in the case of the first 10 albums, it is the mono mixes that are the definitive mixes. These are the mixes that the Beatles and George Martin took part in and signed off on. This is what they heard in the studio and this is the way they wanted audiences to hear these songs. And I have decided that this is the way that I want to hear them.
BUT DOES IT REALLY SOUND ANY BETTER?
In music, beauty is in the ear of the beholder. But most audiophiles who have compared the mono mixes to the stereo releases will agree (due to the hard R/L panning of the US stereo releases) that the Mono releases sound fuller and better. When you play them on a good stereo if feels more like the band is in the room with you. Also there can sometimes be startling differences. In some cases the American engineers may have used a different vocal take, Certain vocal and guitar effects may have gotten washed out during the conversion to stereo and sometimes (due to the tape machines) the speed of the recording was changed. The Sgt. Pepper album offers some of the most apparent differences. I had the chance to listen on line to the original mono mix of She’s Leaving Home. The song is already a thing of beauty, but it was unbelievable to hear how much different it sounded from its stereo counterpart. The tempo was a bit faster and it had a gorgeous richness that the stereo mix never had.
But once again, these mono mixes are what the Beatles and George Martin labored over and signed off on.
WHAT ABOUT THE LAST 3 ALBUMS?
The Yellow Submarine soundtrack, Abbey Road, and Let it Be are not included since they where mixed and released in stereo only. The mixes for the US and UK releases are the same. Therefore (in my opinion) the stereo mixes of these albums are definitive (and I already bought them back in 87).
The Original Yellow Submarine soundtrack album only featured 4 new Beatles songs (the movies title track and All you Need is love had been previously released) The rest of the album featured George Martin’s very under appreciated orchestral score for the film. But since Mono mixes of the original songs where released in the UK as singles, they are also included.
WHY ARE HELP, AND RUBBER SOUL ALSO INCLUDED IN STEREO?
Why not the other albums? Apparently George Martin did try some experimentation with Stereo mixes for these two albums. He was trying to create a stereo mix for the UK that would play well on Monaural players. These stereo mixes where not the same as the American versions. So they have been included in the Beatles Mono Box set.
FINALLY
So far from all the samples I have heard, and I have only heard these on youtube which is going to have compressed audio, these original Mono mixes are fuller and feel more real than their American stereo counterparts and probably always will be until they are not just remastered but remixed in true stereo.
But until the release of this new Mono Set, the only way you could hear these mixes was if you had those original British vinyl pressings. So this new Mono set finally offers a chance to hear these recording the way they were always meant to be heard.
I have not had the opportunity to hear the new Stereo remasters yet. They are more than likely an improvement over the 87 versions. And if you have never owned any Beatles CDs, I am sure they are worth your money, but it’s hard to believe that for decades now, We Americans have been hearing the Beatles music in mixes that where designed, more or less to show off stereo and sell stereo equipment, rather than a truly great and real sounding stereo mix.
Even more hard to believe is that their have been two opportunities (back in 87 and on 09/09/09) to fix this oversight.
I want the Beatles in stereo too. But I want to hear it done right. Until then…..Make mine mono.
TJR 09/21/09
Beatles Stereo Box Set
Beatles Mono Box Set
Listen to the mono mix of "She's Leaving Home".
Listen to the mono mix of the Sgt Pepper reprise (notice Paul calling out at the ending and other differences)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dm5vBl1cQ30&feature=PlayList&p=9250DD99EC529736&index=5
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