Beatles Remasters: Mono vs. Stereo Debate Thread

Mapman, yes, i've got all the whole Anthology set and 'Live at the BBC' too. i've not gone thru them in years. when i find the time i'll go thru them and listen to the relevant cuts.....thanks for the suggestion.

personally; i value a simple pure recording....live to 2-track.....in stereo. i have a (15 ips 1/4") master dub of the Count Basie Band doing a New Years Eve party in 1961. they set up 2 mics, the band played for an hour (there are 2 reels) and there was no EQ or anything. it's magnificent.

i have many Jazz Lps (from the 50's and 60's) which are recorded and mixed mimimally where the purity and simplicity of the recording process is certainly part of the magic.

OTOH some of my most loved music (like the Beatles) is heavily layered and manipulated. so there is no right or wrong to it; it's art and sometimes the engineering and mixing is part of the art.

would i love to have the whole Beatles catalog 'live to 2-track'? sure; but it would be a different creature than what we have. the Beatles music is 'power pop' and 'pop' music is intended for 'everyman'.....so the focus of it's mix is to sound good on the lowest commom denominator gear of it's era. the artist's vision for the sound can be all over the place.

BTW, fantastic marketing move issuing two box sets knowing that Beatles completists will have to have both in order to retain that status.

The charitable thing to do would have been to issue both mono and stereo versions in a similar reasonably priced package.

Oh well, great art does not come cheaply I suppose....

I think it's all good. What really comes across to me on their mono stuff is how much fun they're having and how intricate and well crafted their work was. I got Abbey Road (only in stereo) and it is awesome. Ringos drum solo at the end of Carry That Weight is dynamic and tight, it all sounds great and so involving on my Magnepans. I've got the MOFI box but plan on getting the stereo box CD set. I also got the Beatles Rock Band for Wii on 09-09-09 (of course)and it's alot of fun. I haven't made any comparisions between versions and don't plan on any critical listening but I'm just enjoying the music. It has made me smile and brought tears to my eyes.

I just think it is stupid that the mono version is a limited version. Why on earth do that. I'm not a fan of limited editions, I don't think it serves a point. well maybe the one point is that the record componies are sure to sell out.

I think the whole box set is overpriced anyway. I hope that the CD's will also be sold seperatly. I think the beatles are ok but I don't want 20 beatle albums 2 or 3 is enough for me.

The mono is NOT limited, as it turns out. More are coming in October. The monos are sold only in the set, while the stereos are sold individually.

OK, there were 13 Beatles albums - British versions. The American albums were different because of singles releases, etc., but it's the same music. Add on an album of singles that weren't on albums, and we have 14 albums. Not 20.

Which 2 or 3 do you choose? Pepper, Revolver, and Abbey Road? What about the White Album? Rubber Soul? Please Please Me, etc.?

You know what I'm saying - don't hate. Just because you don't like the music is no reason for your attitude. This is the most important CD release of the year. If there were a Bernstein or Armstrong box issued under the same circumstances, why come down it?

Is it overpriced? A little - it should be $40 cheaper. But then I think your cd transport is overpriced.