The Beatles Mono Box Set

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Product Reviews

(4 stars) - Beatles on mono-(what you need to know)
-What a few reviewers here are ignorant of is the reason why EMI Apple and Capitol Records/USA decided remastering the mono versions of the Beatles work in the first place.

You need to know something about the recording process to begin with.
Contrary to popular belief, most mono mixes are NOT simple fold downs of the stereo mixes.
The mono mixes and stereo mixes of a given recording are usually totally separate mixes!

In the 1960s days ([prior to 1969) the preferred mixes produced were always the mono mixes. There was a tremendous amount of work in producing the mono, since the rationale was that relatively few people actually owned home stereo hi-fi equipment in those days. Also a large consideration was taken into account that these Beatles songs would mostly be heard through a car's small radio speaker on AM radio and had to sound good on it.
-In the Beatles case this point is quite significant. Once the mono mixes were complete, only then would the separate stereo be made with the EQ being at different settings. The stereo was usually done quite rapidly verses the much longer time spent mixing and lavishing the mono.

For example, the entire time spent doing the original stereo mixes on "Beatles For Sale" was sometimes less then 30 minutes per track, verses sometimes hours for the mono.

The stereo was considered "frivolous" and done almost as if a second thought. The Beatles themselves never even heard the stereo mixes to their own work until the original L.P.s were commercially released!

There are things noticeably different on the various mono mixes. Sometimes the edit pieces for the solos are from different takes. Sometimes George Martin's piano is at a much lower volume levels on the mono and the guitars stand out more.

The Abbey Road engineers will tell you that the only "true version" of Sgt. Fender is the mono one. George Harrison himself told it on the Beatles Anthology project that he never liked the stereo versions of their work and thought the whole "directional sound" thing was a gimmick and wrecked their sound!
Word of this has gotten around globally over the years and hence the pent up demand for a Beatles mono CD product in a stereo world.

(5 stars) - An Outstanding Box Set on its Own Merit
I just finished typing a very long critique about this set, when I was I pressed the "Preview your review" button, everything was eraced! Therefore, I'll try to be brief. I think both the stereo and mono box sets have their own distinct features: The Stereo Box Set contains all the official studio albums and has been remastered to be accessible to just about anything that plays music; from a small portable CD player to an MP3 player. Whereas the Mono Box Set was made to be listened to a portable CD player or 'normal' stereo, and to have the viewer capture a piece of history was mono was the mainstream. (It became the mainstream right up until the 1970's. Then stereo became the mainstream, and it's been that way ever since.) There have been debates about which box set is better. My answer is this: In terms of the collection of all official studio albums, THE BEATLES STEREO BOX SET is the definitive one. (Note that it features YELLOW SUBMARINE, LET IT BE, and ABBEY ROAD. All three of these albums were originally mixed in stereo, which is why they're not included in the mono box set.) Now in terms of how versions sound, my answer is neither. Both have their own distinct features. So I will say that the mono box set is great in its own way. Well, that's my opinion. Who cares? Oh, one more thing. When all else fails, JUDGE FOR YOURSELF!

(2 stars) - Why Mono?
I'm not convinced that it's such a big improvement. In fact, I'm sure it's not. Some of my old stereo cd versions seem crisp compared to the mono versions which seem a bit dull. And, if I wanted to hear the music in mono I could just flip a switch.

I don't understand why it had to be mono. If you have the original tracks you can do remix in stereo just as easy. From what I understand about the Stereo set is that the kept the vocal on one side and instruments on the other and that's it's not worth the money (being remastered and not remixed). Why they couldn't make a clean, clear, crisp, decent stereo version is beyond me.

One thing I have read about the Mono set is that it's supposed to sound like it did when it originally played on AM radio or// Monaural record players. My thought is this.. Why do you want their music to sound like it's being transmitted from a crappy AM broadcast signal to a crappy AM receiver (or a really bad AM transistor radio), or if you had a mono record player with low-fi electronic and a needle arm being held down on a 45rpm vinyl grooved record by coins or washers with the music being pushed through a 2" to 4" paper speaker with a power rating of about 3 watts?

Some have comment about the cover art being so great. Well it's fine but you are wrapping questionable quality in a pretty box.

(5 stars) - Mono Please.

Contains essential mixes of all albums ( minus Abbey Road, Let It Be and Yellow Submarine), singles and compilation appearances in glorious vintage mono sound. Yes the sound is condensed and may not be as effective as the remastered stereo versions but who cares they sound so good and pure. I don't have original mono copies of any Beatles LP's as a comparison, only the hollow duophonic stereo ones released in the 70's and 80's. Even my 87 CD versions of Revolver , Rubber Soul and White Album sound better than those.
The whole set does their recorded output a big solid favor. You would have to be a jerk to not think they sound better or a waste of money. I'm sure a remix of their albums will come but do you really want to change the recordings that much?
Expensive but money well spent. I enjoy the slight differences in Revolver and Sgt. Pepper andThe White Album the most. Rubber Soul, Help and A Hard Days Night are untouchable. These mixes are really concentrated and get into your head. I would even recommend one get them in remastered stereo. They are all brilliant.

(5 stars) - The Fab Four
I've been a Beatles fan all of my life.From the first time I ever seen them on Ed Sullivan playing Lady Madonna.They hit this America like a whirlwind no one has ever seen.They swept all the girls off there feet,and well the guys just liKed the music flat out.This remake of all there music ,mono and stero is awsome.I dare to think what they would have been like with todays technology.But the mono cd's that I purchased really brings out the best of them all and there instruments.I would highly recomend this set to anyone who might be thinking about buying them.

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