The Beatles Mono Box Set

WOW
I waited until this month to purchase the mono box and I am simply blown away. Now I have both the stereo and mono boxs. There are different takes and mixes throughout the box making it a must buy. The only thing that angers me is why mono is limited edition. The first two albums in mono blow away stereo hands down. I was shocked by the difference. There is no left right vocal issue and the mixes are tighter. They should have kept the first four albums in mono like the 87 cd's. I never realized what a mess the Beatles catalogue is. Between the American versions and mono and stereo. Certain songs on Magical Mystery Tour are much heavier and fuller. Sgt. Pepper was like a religious experience. I have to admit, I didn't understand what the big deal was about this album until I heard it in mono. Lucy in the sky with diamonds is so much more trippy and With a little help from my friends sounds much more complete. The mono booklet states songs like Please please me and If I feel are inferior takes in stereo, yet these are the definitive versions now? Even the booklet in the stereo Please please me states mono was the main focus and stereo was just to back up the mono mixes. So now these inferior stereo mixes are the only version you can get? Does that make any sense? They need to create a new stereo mix staying true to the original sound of the Beatles.

Mono vs. Stereo: a short take
I never considered the writing of a review of a CD (or set of CDs) to be a daunting task. Nonetheless, I have been sitting on the idea of writing this review (my first for Amazon) for some months now as I absorb these remasters, Mono and Stereo, and fully collect my thoughts on them. The full version of this review was posted under the Stereo box heading and includes thoughts on the stereo-only discs. The enormity of what the Beatles accomplished and their musical legacy have been well documented, and I will not presume to try to educate the reader. My assumption is that if you are reading these reviews you already have a firm appreciation for the importance of the music contained on these discs and want to determine if these "new" remasters (they're already almost 5 months old) are worth buying. The simple answer is a resounding yes. If you are a fan of the Beatles, a fan of Pop music or just a fan of late 20th Century culture, these remasters are essential. Even if you already own these recordings in one or another of their previously released forms you have never heard the music like this, and there are many earlier reviews posted here that detail all of the reasons why: Improved sonics across the board. Clarity. Detail. Punch. Dynamics. The accolades read like a high-end speaker manufacturer's website. There is really no way to describe in words the job that the engineering team did on these remasters - Clichéd as it sounds, you simply must hear them to believe them - and it should be underscored how fantastically they performed given the overwhelming task they were assigned: Take the canon of popular music, the foundation upon which all Pop since has been built, and improve it sonically whilst simultaneously leaving the original mixes intact. And they did this brilliantly. But that brings us to the not so simple answer. Mono or Stereo? Or Both? But before I get to that I want to say a few words about the packaging of the remasters: The Mono box is exquisite. I can find no fault in either the decisions made about how to do the packaging or the production of the packaging. The end product is truly befitting the music contained inside and the limited-edition nature of the set. Five stars. The Stereo box is a more pedestrian offering, but still impressive. The individual packaging of the CD's is overall very good for the mass-produced nature of them. There are some functional flaws as I see it, however, with the box containing them. The shape of the box is unusual and does not conform to a standard size for CD's, so it either goes in a bookshelf or you remove the individual discs from it to put into your CD rack. Which, on inspection, may not be a bad idea as the discs lay flat on top of each other inside the two sections of the box and are removed, en masse, using a fabric pull that is attached to the bottom of the box and hangs out the side. So, for example, if you want to listen to Revolver (which is near the bottom of the top section) you tug on the fabric to pull everything in that section - from Please Please Me through Sgt. Pepper - out of the box, and then retrieve the disc you want to play. Not at all efficient or easy. The Stereo packaging gets only 3 stars. So on to the question of which to buy, and as I said, not so simple. Not so simple at all. You see, despite the fact that Mono was the prevalent and preferred format for most of these releases at the time they were recorded, it remains a fact that the Stereo versions were originally released concurrent with the Mono and so we have two different but equally legitimate versions of most of these recordings. In some cases three, but more on that later. That being said, my goal here is to compare the Mono and Stereo versions side by side and offer my opinions so that, hopefully, you can make a marginally more informed decision about which set is right for you, or maybe you will feel that you really need to have both. I'll go through them now and give a quick rating for each as we go, and suffice it to say that the Beatles music catalog, taken in whole, gets 5 stars and these reviews are strictly for the quality of the remasters vis-à-vis the original vinyl and '87 CD issues. One caveat - I don't think the 5-star rating is comprehensive enough to really compare them side by side, but I will conform to this standard as it is the Amazon convention. Off to the recordings: Please Please Me Mono: 5 stars Stereo: 3 stars The stereo retains the hard panning of instruments left/vocals right. But instruments and voices are more defined and have much more openness and bloom. A vast improvement, however the Mono just kills it: here, the band is cooking. This thing thumps and is an absolute revelation. Where the Stereo is polite, the Mono shouts. Where the Stereo purrs this one growls. Mono is definitive for this album. With The Beatles Mono: 4 stars Stereo: 3 stars Again the stereo has the hard panning, but the same attributes as PPM apply with overall improved sound. The Mono version loses some of the immediacy you hear on PPM, and the band does not come across as strongly. There is also a bit less definition between the instruments than on the stereo, but the Mono still easily wins. A Hard Day's Night Mono: 4 stars Stereo: 4 stars With the advent of more sophisticated recording techniques, we now get to the point where we hear a more balanced stereo mix and begin to get some sound stage out of the recording. Here, the distinctions are less clear between Mono and Stereo and both definitely have their strong points. The stereo is sweeter and you can track individual instruments better while mono is more tightly layered and rocks a bit harder. My overall nod goes to Stereo, but this one is very close. Beatles For Sale Mono: 3 stars Stereo: 4 stars Most all of the comments regarding AHDN apply here, the most significant difference being a loss of midrange clarity and dynamics on the Mono version. Both of these have a nice, round, tempered sound to them and it will come down to preference, but I think the space between the instruments on the stereo version gives it the edge. Stereo wins. Help! Mono: 4 stars Stereo: 5 stars '65 Stereo: 4 stars Of all of the recordings, Help! Is among the most transformed. And we have the added bonus of the original 1965 stereo mix (contained on the mono disc) to make things even more interesting. The Mono mix is a great improvement and has a lot of slam and power that didn't exist in this album before. It is an electric blast to listen to at volume. But what the Stereo mix lacks in force it more than makes up for in musicality and detail. There is a groove to the whole album in stereo that is just a bit lacking in mono, and also better than the '65 stereo mix, which while a really nice curiosity, can't compete with the new (1987) mix for overall musicality. Here, the stereo version is definitive. Rubber Soul Mono: 4 stars Stereo: 3 stars Recording techniques couldn't quite keep up with the Beatles creativity, and on the stereo release of Rubbber Soul we are back to hard panning. It's slightly distracting, but with this album it definitely doesn't take away from the listening experience. The vocals and instruments have a vibrancy and tactile "feel" that wasn't present on any previous Beatles album. But where Rubber Soul really shines is in Mono. Here we start to understand what the fuss is about, and the mono version gives us a first taste of the remarkable dynamics and subtlety contained in much of the Beatles catalog. The mono is the clear winner here. Revolver Mono: 5 stars Stereo: 5 stars Both the Mono and Stereo are so strong as to make any comparisons essentially moot. The main strength of the mono version is the weight of the mix and the overall power the band managed to get across in the recording. The dynamic range is also intact here, so we get more emphasis of that power. But at the same time, there seems to be more detail in the presentation of the instruments in the stereo version, and we start to get our first taste of swirling psychedelic soundspaces. My subjective preference tends toward the stereo, but the truth is I can't get enough of either version. A draw. Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band Mono: 5 stars Stereo: 4 stars What they've told you is true: You haven't really heard Sgt. Pepper until you've heard it in mono. Trust me, the stereo sounds great - fantastic, in fact, compared to the previous releases. And there is definitely some merit to the swirling effects you get with stereo, but mono walks all over it. This time it's all in the mix as sonically they are very similar. But this mono mix is astonishing and is without question the preferred version. Mono is definitive. Magical Mystery Tour Mono: 4 stars Stereo: 4 stars As an underrated gem in the catalog, not even conceived as a real album, I don't think this one has ever gotten the treatment it deserved, and the original release was horrible sounding. Here we have a staggering improvement in both mono and stereo, on par with the quality of the Revolver remasters. There is new found detail and emotion, and I find myself being drawn to this recording as if I had never heard it before. The two versions are close, but despite some panning issues with the stereo, it exudes a warmth and sense of musical detail that I think put it slightly in front. Stereo by a hair. The Beatles (White Album) Mono: 5 stars Stereo: 3 stars Both are improvements over the '87 CD release in sonics and musical detail, especially in the vocals, but in comparison the stereo seems only marginally improved, while the mono is another revelatory experience. As amazing as the Sgt. Pepper mono mix is, this may be the most unexpected of the mono enlightenments. I never really thought that The Beatles was inferior in either mixing or sound quality in its previous stereo releases and therefore wasn't necessarily looking forward to listening to this mono mix as much as some of the others - in fact, it was the last of all of the albums that I played. Big mistake. This thing just plain cooks, and it is as all over the board as the music on it. One moment huge sounding and the next stripped down and quiet. Everything is better, everything is amazing. Mono in a landslide. Mono Masters/Past Masters Mono: 3 stars Stereo: 5 stars No, they are not identical in track listings, but the idea behind them remains the same and they contain largely the same material. In either case, these are vital to telling the whole Beatles story and should be evaluated in context. Personally, I prefer to listen to the songs with the album release from their era and this helps me to appreciate them more. From the point of view of the remastering, the same care has been applied to these singles as to the albums themselves, and my thoughts on the quality of the job done are much the same as those for their contemporary album releases. All in all, these are standout, but the stronger track listing and overall quality of the included material make the Stereo the better listen, and I would judge the stereo set to be essential. So there you have them... I hope that this can be of help as you evaluate them yourself. Taking a look, the final tally is as follows: Of the 11 recordings that were mixed in both Mono and Stereo (including mono/past masters), I have entered a vote for 5 better in Mono, 5 better in Stereo, and 1 draw. Then there are the three albums that were only released in Stereo, two of which you should also purchase if you choose the Mono box (Abbey Road and Let It Be). So which would I recommend? The Stereo box if you can buy only one. For virtually all listeners in virtually all scenarios this set will serve them as well or better than the mono box. That being said, if you have the means you really should think about acquiring both. I bought both and I am very glad that I did. I do prefer some of these recordings in mono (but I will also confess that I play the stereo versions almost exclusively when listening "casually" or while working and save the mono for critical listening) and it was worth it to have not just the recordings but the incredible packaging. (One note about the hard-panned albums - It never really bothers me much when listening to vinyl, but I find it somewhat distracting with the CD releases. I realized somewhere along the line in comparing them that it is because of the inherent crosstalk present when listening on a turntable vs. the absolute channel separation you get with a CD. For this reason alone I "generally" prefer the Mono versions)

Forever Beatles
I have collected Beatle albums since I first saw the Yellow Submarine and Hard Day's Night on television, 10 yrs old. I fell in love with them and continue that zest even today. I bought this set for pure pleasure and fell in love with them and their music all over again. I introduced my 4 year old to them and she loves both St. Pepper's and the Yellow Submarine music. She can belt out "A Little Help by my Friends" loud with gusto. I have always admired their creative talents for years and exposed myself to all types of music just to appreciate them even more. I like the sound of the cd's and recommend them to anyone who is a fan.

WAY BETTER THAN STEREO MIXES
I won't go into some long spiel about the technical specs etc. Suffice it to say that the stereo mixes of the Beatles were always quirky. The mono mixes bring the songs to life and the subtleties of the music come out in George Martin's painstakingly precise mono mixes. He spent all his time mixing the mono versions... The stereo mixes were whipped out quick. (All this is excluding Abbey Road which was the only album where stereo was the only mix... Any Beatles fan must hear the mono mixes... AND its NOT the same if you buy stereo and just convert to mono...

Delicious Beatles!
This boxset is a bijoux for anyone who is a Beatles and/or music fan. Absolutely love the packaging and every cd is a mini replica of the LP, with its own little mini sleeve. A pleasure to take them out and play them. As for the music , most albums sound better or just as good in mono as they do in stereo, except Sgt Pepper which is an absolute MUST in mono. I have both boxsets and I think they are the definite Beatles collection and a wonderful journey through the history of modern music. If you have to choose a boxset, go with this wonderful mono box and then complement with individual cds of Abbey Road, Let It Be.