Im not sure if the correct term is "better" regarding mono. The thing is, mono was the recording method of the time. Most people listed to music back then with a single speaker player and all the original studio work was designed for this setup. I have mono and stereo versions of some songs through the various re-releases over the years and some songs sound better in mono and some better in stereo. If your a purist you may want them remastered in their original mono format. I personally dont have a strong belief either way. Some of the samples Ive heard in stereo actually sound like slightly different songs but its all good.
The first four albums were recorded and mixed only in mono and the rest up through the White Album in mono and stereo. When you take an original mono mix and try to make a stereo version electronically, the results are sometimes horrible, as in the late 1960's phony stereo versions of the mono albums. They were really bad. Some of the early stereo mixes were not too good either since they only had four-track recorders then and they just put the rhythm section on one channel and the vocals on the other sometimes. But the mono mixes were very high fidelity mixes with a front-to-back blend instead of a left-to-right blend. There are noticeable differences in how you hear different elements. Sometimes they are even different takes at different speeds than the stereo mixes. It was the mono mixes that the Beatles approved until 1968. I have the old mono LP's on British pressings and have been waiting for a digital version for a long time now.
A big decades-old legal squabble between Apple Corps and Apple is still in the way. Apple Corps allowed Apple Computer to use the name "Apple" for a big settlement in the early 1980's with the agreement that Apple Computer would stay out of the music business. Well, the ITunes store is definitely the music business as far as the Beatles are concerned and there was a big lawsuit which Apple Computer won. But it didn't make Apple Corps happy and now they intend to get their way on how the Beatles catalog is distributed on iTunes including a bigger cut of the profits. iTunes needs the Beatles more than the Beatles need iTunes, so they will be caving in sometime next year, I expect. Else, The Beatles will go their own way with a download site.
I have "Please Please Me" in stereo and its an original release. I know they put most of their efforts into the mono mix but this album was released in stereo too. Couple of observations, "I Saw Her Standing There" is better in stereo. "Anna" is better in mono. You are right about the stereo separation. On "I Saw Her Standing There" the vocals and guitars are panned hard right. Bass and drums are panned hard left. Anna is better in mono because the vocals get over powered in stereo.
Released in Stereo, yes. But it was just the 2-track original recording with the vocals on one channel and the instruments on the other with a lot of reverb, which some folks like. The mono mix has always sounded better to me.
a co-worker picked up Revolver and Please, Please Me today. We listened to Taxman on the way back to the office from Best Buy. All I can say is WOW! Paul's bass line just jumps out at you. the sound quality is unreal. I'm sold. Gonna get the entire Box soon
I went to Best Buy tonight and bought Beatles Rock Band. I looked at the box set, but I couldn't drop $199.99 on it without hearing it first.
The best thing about the new remasters is that they don't use much dynamic compression. They had to in the old vinyl days to keep the bass from bouncing the needle out of the groove. Also the old 45 mixes were designed to be heard on a 4-inch car radio speaker which couldn't reproduce the low bass anyway. The new masters really let the bass line punch through.
so, did you buy the whole set? can I expect the same upgrade across the catalogue as what is on revolver?
