I keep reading on places like Steve Hoffman they were planning to before the pandemic, but that could've been wishful thinking. Wouldn't be surprised if it's not true given the Get Back/Let It Be stuff taking the attention
Do what I did. I managed to get hold of the 2014 US editions of Help/Rubber Soul/Yesterday and Today and Revolver which has the mono and stereo versions on the same disc. Then hunt down the original UK CD's of Please Please Me, With the Beatles, Hard Day's Night and Beatles for Sale - they were released in a standard jewel case and are in MONO. Unfortunately, Magical Mystery Tour was only ever released in stereo separately, and The White Album sounds better in stereo anyway. i know the US albums have different track listing, but one can always do your own CD with the tracks in the right order. :)
There are still used copies of the CD set floating around. My local music shop occasionally has one or two that come available for around $130. Keep an eye out for those. The LP package prices are ridiculously high.
I've always enjoyed how on the mono version of Sgt Pepper you get a few extra bars at the beginning of the Sgt Pepper reprise to actually hear the sfx tapes starting up and the studio chatter in the background. I think it benefited that album to lean in to the ramshackle puppet theater revue thing and to acknowledge the studio element more.
Andrew, the cropped appearance of the "Magical Mystery Tour" album cover is true to the U.S.A. Capitol mono original. Capitol printed slicks with both the mono & stereo catalog numbers on the spine area. Depending on whether the slicks were to be used for mono or stereo abums, either the top of the slick would be cropped (to reveal the mono catalog number, on the bottom of the spine area) or the bottom of the slick would be cropped (to reveal the stereo catalog number at the top of the spine area.). However, the slicks for original U.S.A. "Magical Mystery Tour" were fairly glossy. The version in the mono vinyl box is very matte. But the cropped top of the U.S.A. mono "Magical Mystery Tour" is absolutely true to the late 1967 original. By early 1968, Capitol stopped offering albums in mono. The remaining mono "Magical Mystery Tour" albums were exported to Brazil and sold there.
Your comments about mono and stereo copies being differently cropped also apply to RCA Elvis Presley albums. It’s very noticeable that on the mono copies, the image is placed higher and revealing more of the layout. In addition, the stereo copies often have high visibility logos - Living Stereo - and these use up a lot of space at the top of the sleeve design - forcing the portrait of Elvis to look comically low. This kind of sleeve construction is called a ‘paste board’, if I am not mistaken.
@@elvisonwax this is true also for a ton of records, particularly USA pressings, from the era. I was just looking at my moby grape s/t album and noticed that the mono has the top of the cover art cropped the same way. RCA, Colombia, Capitol and Reprise are just a few of the labels that did this, to save money.
I absolutely love my Mono cd box set. I wish I would have bought a vinyl Mono box set when it came out. Nowadays, I just can't afford one. Thank you for all your work to provide the sound comparisons for us. I'm sure all of us listeners appreciate it.
Aside from all the care and attention to detail given this release, what made it all the more worthwhile was that the LP's were pressed at Optimal in Germany. One of the best if not the best record producing facilities on the planet. These records sound terrific and play flawlessly. Another superb video, Andrew. You are on a roll. I look forward to your next.
Largest regret of my life: going so down hill in life that I had to sell off my copy of they mono set. I have the stereo one, but my heart still aches for the mono
Hope things improve....nothing worse selling something you really like....but when shit happens....you have to take care of it. Here's the point though - AT LEAST YOU HAD IT PHYSICALLY TO SELL... and you didn't just have a WORTHLESS streaming subscription.
@@dancalmpeaceful3903 yeah, got a point. I did a lot of stupid stuff back then, but to quote our four fabulous boys: got to admit, its getting better. Lol. I would go on to own the Stereo box set which is nice to just say i own them on vinyl again. One day, might get back the mono ones. And of course i would have to go woth physical media. Any number of things can happen to stop streaming services, but try and take away ones records. Good luck. Lol jk
Dude I’ve sold so many grails over the years because of financial emergencies. Especially in my 20’s. Hardest to let go were my 3rd pressing please please me, my 2nd state butcher, and my BC 13 blue box set. Various other early uk pressings as well. And that’s just from my Beatles collection. Trying to get that stuff back now and of course prices are even higher. Don’t feel too bad, you’re not alone. It’s just stuff, and hard times are something we can learn from.
The original stereo mixes of help and rubber soul were actually available on CD in Canada in the 80s by mistake. Apple accidentally sent Cinram Canada the wrong 1630 pcm masters and sent them flat copies of the original mixes instead of the 1987 George Martin digital remixes! The artwork and catalog numbers are the same as the 1987 remixes. The only way to identify them is the CD Mirror band. I have both of them and they sound excellent. I think they sound better than the bonus original stereo mixes on the 2009 mono box set. I have no clue why George Martin did the remixes as the original stereo mixes are fine! They should have shelved the remixes and used the original stereo mixes on the 2009 stereo box set.
This channel is UNIQUE. So many obscure facts, a great in-depth analysis and the way you talk to the audience. It's a shame copyright is so severe when playing just the short part of a song.
I'm glad I'm getting original Parlis back in my collection.Only from my buddy in North Jersey,and courtesy of Ebay!!I've gotten the Stereo b/y PPM('63er),Monos of With,HDN,(Pye pressing initial,For Sale,Help,Rubber Soul,Pepper;Stereos also of HDN(Pye press,initial),For Sale.The non-Pyes are the standard Phillips originals.The Hayes flagship plant did their own label font,and the PPM and Withs I have are those '63 pressings.Phillips redid the labels with their stick font when they did the newer pressings.They took over the production of the whole catalog in late '65 or '66.
I bought most of my original mono UK LPs and 45s from you on eBay circa 2010-2011 (which I still treasure). I'm happy to see you take your knowledge and turn it into these wonderful videos. They are a wealth of information that deserve a much wider audience. Great work!
Hello, I have just recently subscribed to this channel and I must say,so far it's awesome. I've been a Beatles fan since 1964, I was only 4 yes old but seeing Ringo playing drums on the riser inspired me to play drums. Later when I was 19, I bought a guitar and learned that. Thanks for the information on this channel and thank you Beatles brothers and sisters, ✌️ & 🤘😎. Brother Gary
Hey mate, the original mono US pressings of Magical Mystery Tour had a cut top, just like the 2014 mono pressing replicates. Its an odd sight when you first see it, however, it is completely accurate. It gets better at the fact that they replicated the US paste on cover for Magical Mystery Tour. Thought i would leave a comment correcting the spot you mentioned
@@bedlach That's how mono LPs in the states were packaged. The front cover had stereo on the bottom and mono at the top, so they were just trimmed according to format. The US A Hard Days Night was like that as well.
Thanks (belatedly), Alex. Glad you posted this info, reminding us again how close to 'original' the 2014 mono is . I've been checking out copies of the original MMT mono on Ebay, and sure enough there's the proof.
Thank you ever so much for showing off those RCA cables. I ordered some a few days ago, and they just arrived. Wow! What a difference! It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that my monophonic records sound tenfold better! There's virtually no noise during the beginning and end of playback, even on the most visually worn records, and a general muddiness that plagued my Beatles singles in particular has entirely gone! I can clearly distinguish the bass on their early recordings, and I can pick up subtle nuances that I've never heard before, not even on the mono CDs! I had no idea that singles could sound this good, and the mono albums sound suitably fab as well. Again, I can't thank you enough.
There's a simple (or some might say, complicated) reason why mono cables (or mono switches) improve the sound, and reduce unwanted noise, so much - that unwanted noise tends to be mirrored across the stereo image, i.e. noise (as in hiss and whooshing sounds from groove wear) that goes up in the waveform on the left channel will go down correspondingly on the right - so summing the two channels together cancels them out. Similarly with inner groove distortion, the microscopic tearing of the groove tends to affect the waveform in one direction on the left channel and the opposite direction on the right. As for clicks and pops, these are typically only found on one channel at any one point in time and so they will all be halved in volume.
I skipped on this set in 2014, as I already own all the old UK lp's. The originals have the sound, the looks and the quality that simply remain inimitable today and I didn't expect a reissue, no matter how well made, to add a great deal. But all the favourable reviews of notable people like yourself piqued my interest. I recently found this set at half price, because it is missing the book, unfortunately... Still, I simply couldn't pass it up this time, what with all the silly prices circulating online. You have done an excellent job describing it and I look forward to delving into this fine set myself. Again, thanks for the video and bravo on your great channel!
I really like this analysis video.... My own little story; when the mono cd box came out I was all over it, mostly because I thought there would never be an LP release because of the infighting to get the master tapes. Low and behold, they finally issued the LP box set, and at that time I simply didn't buy it, but I started cherry picking individual copies of the albums I wanted most. Passing up on the box, when I regularly saw them in stores surely backfired. When they were all gone, one day I wondered just how many of the mono's I had purchased. I was shocked that I had bought ALL of them EXCEPT for Rubber Soul! Dummy me... Anyway, the individual mono's are now sold out, so I had to track one down online, found one and paid double the original price. I didn't mind as I now have them all. BUT....I do not have the book or the big, beautiful white box. That's what I get for not buying it in the first place. Still happy to have all the mono albums, don't get me wrong, but hindsight being 20/20... 🙃
I just discovered this channel, I love it! So informative and calm and relaxing at the same time! Even though I will probably never be able to own some of the pressings and releases in the other videos, it's always fun to watch. But at least I was able to get a copy of this mono box when it was released so it's not all bad lol.
Great review- I found a copy 2 years ago in a small record store in New Hampshire while traveling on business - stuffed it in my suitcase for the plane ride home - they had 2 I kick myself for not buying both copies
I was so engrossed in this video and all the details and so used to the videos making me wish I had what you were demonstrating I totally forgot for a moment that I have it. Thanks for showing us all everything in a new light.
You have solved a 60 year question that has always intrigued me. My older brother and I decided to buy With The Beatles. He went and purchased it. When we played it, it jumped on "Roll Over Beethoven." He took it back, and came home with The Rolling Stones first LP. I thought someone in the shop had played With The Beatles and scratched it. Now this was in Australia. I presume the masters were sent out here for pressing before the recall. Unfortunately the LP had the horrible Aussie cover on it of just their heads.
Hi Andrew. I just acquired this box set recently, having had the good luck to find an unopened one for a little less than the down payment on a new house. All humour aside, I actually got it for a very good price from a good-hearted person who just wanted to make sure it went to a genuine fan. He found one. I don't have an excuse for not buying it in 2014 other than a belief that my hard-sourced originals had to be superior. After listening to the entire set several times to shake the newness off, I decided to perform a direct comparison test between the 2014 pressings and the originals, of which I am fortunate enough to own almost all in NM shape. After careful listening and volume correction (you are correct about the originals being cut hotter!) I came to this conclusion: The main difference is that there is a more pronounced midrange found in the originals. This creates a slightly warmer playback and in turn, creates a sense of slightly more "crispness" in the 2014 cuts, which is also likely due to more prominent higher frequencies. Speaking of, the 2014 cuts also have superior overall separation of frequencies. I can hear each instrument with more ease. Other, smaller things: I can hear more minute details in the 2014 cuts. Hard to describe, but perhaps you know what I mean. The "air" or "space" around instruments and even vocals. The millisecond of noise before tracks begin. Small things, but to someone intimate with these recordings, they are wonderful to hear and might be the most important difference for me. I won't part with my original mono pressings. Part of the allure of owning them is being able to listen to the exact same record that a young fan listened to in the 60s when all the excitement was occuring. Holding on to the same sleeve and reading the liner notes. Not a reproduction, but the same exact one. And I'm confident that you feel the same way, as do many of your subscribers. Nothing will ever beat an original pressing. But this box set is as close as it gets, and deserves all the accolades it has garnered.
Another wonderful video! This is fast becoming my new favourite youtube channel. It might be a good idea to invest in a mono cartridge, though, especially for the old lp's. It's the only way to produce a true mono signal, eliminating cross talk & tracking and phase errors. And since a mono cartridge only responds to lateral information in the groove, any (mostly unwanted) vertical information will not be reproduced, resulting in a much cleaner sound. It is really amazing sometimes how very good mono can sound using the correct cartridge, arm and setup - even when the record at first glance looks in real bad shape.
Man I really regret not buying when it came out. Now they go for at least a grand. I hope Apple does a second run. I did manage to snag a copy of the white album at retail price
This video is really great. Thank you for the time you've clearly put into it! As pure dumb luck would have it, I re-started my vinyl collection in 2017 (my toddler in 2008 ruined my old turntable). My obvious first move was to start collecting The Beatles. I had bought the MONO CD box in 2009 and loved it. The timing could not have been better, as I started snapping up individual 2014 MONO records as I would find them in stores. I am so glad I did. Just since 2017, which feels like yesterday, they are all but gone from record stores in my area and the online market has them going for much higher prices for mint copies!
I bought the box not long after it came out, read in the liner notes how much care and effort was made, then looked at my turntable in disgust - "Shit, I can't play this on that old thing!" Yep, the box prompted an upgrade to a newer turntable with a lightweight cartridge. It was well worth it.
Absolutely fantastic video. Thanks so much for presenting the wave forms. I feel extremely fortunate to have picked up this box set when it came out for a few hundred dollars, especially considering what they’re going for now on the secondary market. I still listen to it often. Thanks again for the wonderful video!
hi andrew, been watching for about a year now!! wanted to say thank you so much for the tip on using the RCA Y-connectors to recreate true mono…i’ve owned this box set for a little over a year now, listened to every disc many times, but couldn’t get past the harshness on some tracks (Rain, She Loves You). I am astonished at how much better it sounds after connecting the RCA Y-connectors…never heard Rain (or any of the early stuff) so clearly! thank you thank you thank you!!!
I am so glad I bought this box set. I also found a mint mono copy of Beatles oldies but goldies at add to it. I only play it on special occasions though. My only complaint is that the holes in centre are a little too small and they're difficult to get off the turntable.
I love the dynamics between the stereo version of all my loving and the Mono version it is one of the greatest songs that was ever recorded one of money. I simply love both the stereo and mono versions of every Beatles can
I do. Like every single Beatle release, I got it when it first came out. Though, I have to admit, I haven’t seen or heard about it in a long , long time.
I started collecting LPs in late 2013-early 2014 when I was starting college, naturally I was quite impatient and went straight for the Beatles, buying up all the later albums (Revolver-Let it Be) in the new stereo pressings. I immediately switched to the mono pressings for Please Please Me-Rubber Soul when those were released in September 2014, but regrettably I did not have the foresight to re-acquire all the later albums in mono. Earlier this year I finally got the bug and found an authentic CD box and what an experience it's been. I've had it for years, but not until hearing it on CD through headphones did it occur to me how loud Rubber Soul is, absolutely ripe for distortion at high volumes. Make no mistake it sounds incredible, but you have to be quite judicious for the sake of your ears. I've come to prefer the mono mix of Help. The overall swampiness is definitely jarring at first, and I don't think the perfect mix of the album exists, but the drum sound and overall punch of Help in mono absolutely puts the stereo mix to shame, in my opinion. An A to B comparison of Ticket to Ride (particularly with the original 1965 stereo mix) is perhaps the most revealing example of the mono mix's superiority.
Hello, Yes,to add to the comment below,the Capitol stereo US Mystery Tour LP has the the yellow space at the top between the banner and the top of the cover. The mono cover reproduction in the box set is accurate as Alex states.
This is a great video! love the hard work, detail, and love you put into this. I do have to say though I believe the zoomed-in crop on Magical Mystery Tour is actually correct. I have a couple of original US mono copies and they both have the awkward crop, this is due to the stereo and mono indications on the spine of the record. One of my copies actually has the "O" at the end of STEREO from the spine since it wasn't properly cut. Anyways, awesome video and cheers!
I was just going to write this but Brendan beat me to it. I took a photo of the cover and will email it to you. Great job and again, wonderful assessment of the box. I was lucky enough to go record shopping in Toronto the week before it was released and the store had put individual copies on the shelves. I had pre-ordered the box online but wanted to have these titles as soon as I could. They did not disappoint. I was quite surprised how much I thought Please Please Me sounded good based on being a tape copy but I will also agree, my 1N/2N sounds livelier. REALLY looking forward to your '82 mono box video!!
Any tips of taking care of the 2012 stereo vinyl box set and the 2014 vinyl mono set, in the long run? Is it better to take out all the vinyl from the box and put on rack or; leave it in the box? With all vinyl, book & foam in the box, it appear quite cramp and fit in the box.
Yeah It would be very very exciting to hear the original master tape sound of “Rubber soul”. But I don’t think that good systems couldn’t handle it, but I think if there’s plenty of the bass grooves would be too wide for standard LP
I have the vinyl box set of both And it does boil down to different songs on the albums some sound better in mono some are better in stereo. I thought the Mono version of the 1999 release of yellow submarine song track LP which I have a copy of, was a first real good sound of Mono, And then the No 1 lp mono version from 2000 sounded different to the singles. . Not sure where these were cut from or were they brand new cuts from late 90s But at that time they sound very new and crisp, like no other Mono versions I'd heard before. Love the video 👍
A very good alternative to the original mono pressings... Unfortunately prices have skyrocketed in recent years and some individual titles are even becoming more scarse than the originals... PS... These videos that compare Beatles pressings are very well executed... Straight to the point by someone who is knowledgeable about the topic... I hope you keep them coming...
Great video. My original Capitol Mono "Magical Mystery Tour" album also has an awkwardly zoomed in front cover. My copy also has the EMI import sticker on the front. Maybe it was only the stereo original onwards that had the correctly sized image?
I want it, yes....I'd love to have that book, however....to my ears, you only "need" Please Please Me, With The Beatles, Hard Days Night & Rubber Soul in mono. Stereo Beatles For Sale blows away the mono, stereo Help blows away the mono, stereo Revolver and Pepper are much better in stereo, as is the White Album....Hard to justify a $2k purchase for 4 albums and a cool book. With all that said, god how I want this mono boxed set.
technically when listening to a mono recording, you should also listen out of one speaker only -- adding another one, unless you have your placement and room perfect, only causes phase cancellations
For original mono Capitol MMT's, I have seen BOTH the ones with the odd cropping (as in the 2014 set) and without (which also corresponds to the original Capitol stereo issues). And I agree with Parlogram: the cropped version looks strange. Great video, and I enjoyed watching the 1982 comparison, too. Someday, might you be tempted to compare the 2014 mono box to original UK stereo pressings, to determine once and for all which one is "better"? I don't know if I want to know the answer lol
Brilliant video! Thanks for this quite insightful, concise and well thought-out analysis of The Beatles in Mono boxset. A nice mixture of subjective (listening) and objective (waveform) analysis. I have both this and the 2012 Stereo boxset. To my ears, most of the albums in the 2014 Mono boxset are the definitive version of the album. I know, I know... but I don't have the time and/or money to curate a collection of first pressings in mint condition. So for me, this is it. However, there are two big exceptions - and again, that's only to my ears - that suffer in comparison to their 2012 Stereo versions: Beatles For Sale and Help! These two plus a copy of the 2012 Past Masters, the 2017 Stereo remix of Pepper and the 2018 remix of The White Album and you are pretty much done without even a need for the 2012 Stereo boxset. I don't have a strong opinion on the 2019 remix over the 2009 remaster of Abbey Road: the differences are more subtle to me than in the previous remixes, so either one will do. As for suggestions for a future video, an album-by-album comparison of both the 2012 Stereo and 2014 Mono boxsets might not be a bad idea. Cheers and congrats on your great channel. You found your niche and you are good at it, so count me in for the ride!
@@Parlogram You're welcome! In this record collecting hobby sometimes there's unnecessary duplication (or even worse) when you are trying to simply curate a collection of the best version (to my ears) of each album from a particular artist among multiple releases and boxsets. For example, who needs both a Mono AND Stereo version of Beatles for Sale? Probably the completist do but an average audiophile like me doesn't. There are exceptions though, when two different versions of an iconic album sound so different and great at the same time. Case in point: the 2014 Mono and 2018 Stereo remix of the White Album. Just some of the reasons why a Mono vs Stereo analysis is warranted.
I wish you would compare the mono CD set from 2009 with any of the vinyl mono record sets to tell us if they are even worth getting, since the CD set is much easier to obtain...
I love the dynamics in the queue thousand nine mono box set an a stereo box that I noticed some slight differences like John Lennon San Juan words in the stereo version of please please me then he sings that correctly in the mono mix both from the thousand nine and I also would love to hear the original master tape of rubber soul and how much bases on that one.
Andrew, I notice you've never done a video on the 2009 mono CD box, though you've mentioned it in passing in other videos. What is your verdict on it? Some people dislike the flat transfer but I like it.
Enjoyed the video. I own this box set, though I've never played any of the albums. I also have them separate too, except for Mono Masters. I've played some of them but some are still sealed and un-played. This is because I also own the original pressings, mostly 1st pressings in good/very good condition and would prefer to play those at the moment if I wanted to listen to them. I'll probably will listen to the 2014 remasters when I am more sorted out. I decided to purchase the 2014 box after reading reviews in magazines, online and here on TH-cam when they said that they were cut from the original analogue tapes, were great sounding pressings and the dynamics were better than the originals. I would be interested to find out what the 1982 mono pressings sound like? One of my friends has a 1982 mono pressing of Revolver. I've heard it a couple of times and it sounded great from what I can remember. Thanks again.
The 2014 box set and LPs are out of print but are available second hand (near mint) or even in mint condition, still sealed, but expect to pay £50 and upwards for each one for sealed copies and less for opened played copies
I don’t know why Thomas but when I was trying to order the vinyl box that the guy at my favorite music storms at Millennium was telling me as I was trying to order them that it’s out of print I hope that Apple releases the mono box that and so it can become in print again being a huge Beatles fan that I am and a collector.
I had a bootleg copy of that CD box which EMI confirmed was fake. I asked if they wanted to know where I got it from and they weren’t interested. No wonder they went bust!
Very informative video. I’m hoping you’ll do a video on the 1987 Capitol British releases and tell us what you think of the sound. I bought them back then and haven’t played them in decades.
"Please,Please me," casette is tape two? I have mono casette,it is made from original tape.Former Yugoslavia record and casette sellers had the best contracts with licence owners. When comes to records,I have German pressings,stereo and all "Apple," labeled.I have Dutch.CD of Sgt.Pappers,that have both,stereo and mono mix,for both discs. Original,and outtakes. Great stuff.
@Jim McCracken Have Australian original from 1987."Sgt.Papper."too.(Stereo,only.)Got pirate China(Japan labeled,"Sgt.Pappers,it was a present and only cd without "stop," between first and second song,just like record.)All other "originals," have that "stop."
I bought the two y-cables today, but I was surprised they are not marked red and black/white, so how do you know if the cables go into the red or black/white chinch port on your amp?
Hi Andrew, great Video! One question: I own the 2014 Mono pressing of "Rubber Soul". Is it only me who hears distortion on the backing vocals of "Michelle" ? I also have the "loud cut", the backing vocals there are much smoother in my ears...... Best regards, Manfred
The Stereo vinyl box sounded terrible. I’m glad Michael Fremer got in and influenced them doing the mono box full analog. Glorious. I like my a little noisy original mono and stereo parlaphones but the mono is fabulous.
Greetings Andrew, Well! After months of me asking for it...you finally did the 2014 mono box comparison. ..and my stupid phone didn't give me the notice of your video til yesterday. .grrrr. With that said. ..it was worth the wait. ..this is another fantastic video...full of incredible information and details. I'm not surprised that that 2014 albums did so well...but I am surprised to hear you say that you think they are better then the original UK pressings. A victory for vinyl collectors who can't always afford to shell out hundreds sometimes thousands of dollars for original mono pressings. Thanks again for your brilliant videos....and it seems there are 2 more for me to watch....hmmm 1982 red mono box? ? This should be interesting. I hope you are doing well and keeping safe in these crazy times. Mark Anthony K Projekt Gemineye
lol. I use the Y cable trick. I thought I was being clever. I had no idea anyone else was doing it. On a side note: I still can't find a copy of Beatles For Sale. The only ones I find in my budget range ship only within the UK.
I bought the Beatles "1" compilation on CD when it came out do you think they used the best possible versions or not, that's if you ever listened to it? I enjoy your info!
Speaking about the 2015 edition, I'm pretty sure that the CDs were re-mixed from the multitracks where possible, only to alter the placement of the vocals to the center where they were previously hardpanned left. The rest are comparable to the 2009 remasters (though I'm unsure if they are them). It's a stellar sounding album nonetheless!
regarding the cds, what is your opinion about the sound quality of the 2009 mono cd box set compared to the stereo cd box set? i personally dont like the mono. the vocals sounds lower, muddy in some cases, i much prefer the stereo cds because they sound more cristal clear
Well done. Very informative video. Do you feel the Beatles mono vinyl box set will be reissued? I was busy working in remote location in 2014 to 16. And missed out on buying. Regards
How good is the please please me in this set compared to the original mono and stereo releases? Do I have to seek out the 1N 1N release if I have this set?
I wish he would play some of the songs he mentions.. this was interesting. I’m a collector ,and had ALL the first UK pressings. However I’m retired,and have sold many off. Condition. I had around five to ten copies of each album. Some VG+ , others Ex ,and I’m now sitting on two UNPLAYED original mono copies of Please Please Me and Beatles For Sale. Clean as the day they left Hayes Middlesex. BFS covers always split at top,and bottom of spine. Not this one. I’ve had these in metal boxes. Albums taken out of the original Emitex inner sleeves , as you don’t want any splits in inner sleeves. These two albums I bought in Europe that were being exported to another country. They had put the albums in plastic wrap. The ONLY DOWNSIDE was from handling the covers. Both have slight crease in upper right hand corner of clarfoil . But that is next to nothing. I know of no one that has two unplayed 63,and 64 pressings, albeit PPM is fifth pressing. Gold-Gold-33 1/3 no pub. No pub or 33 1/3 ,and finally fifth pressing . All Parlophone rim prints, no SIUK on PPM. BFS variation two 3N-4N , still Parlophone rims etc. Now with Corona Virus here in San Francisco we are all bleeding any money we had. I hate this,but I’ll have to sell them. Sadly no major auction houses are having Beatles memorabilia auctions. If they did I would get what their really worth . C’est la vid et mort. Ps. I have sold most of my high end Beatles to Japanese collectors. They are serious Beatles fans.
Depressing. :( Looking at prices on Amazon and eBay I can't afford the Mono Vinyl Box Set. I have the Stereo Vinyl Box Set but this music deserves to be heard in Mono. How does the Mono CD box set compare to the Mono Vinyl Box set? Thinking of getting the Mono CD Box set.
I do have the Mono vinyl box set and wow do I like it . But I do have a lot of the first UK pressing and I do feel that the UK are just a bit better . I did find this video very informative !!! Thank you for the great video cheers !!!
Please help me to understand why the stereo Revolver from 1999 i believe has so much more treble than the mono version from this set. There is very little over 7khz on the 2014 from what I hear.
I wish they would re-issue this box or at least re-issue the mono albums individually again.
It’s not happening, that would be too kind of Apple!
I keep reading on places like Steve Hoffman they were planning to before the pandemic, but that could've been wishful thinking. Wouldn't be surprised if it's not true given the Get Back/Let It Be stuff taking the attention
Do what I did. I managed to get hold of the 2014 US editions of Help/Rubber Soul/Yesterday and Today and Revolver which has the mono and stereo versions on the same disc. Then hunt down the original UK CD's of Please Please Me, With the Beatles, Hard Day's Night and Beatles for Sale - they were released in a standard jewel case and are in MONO. Unfortunately, Magical Mystery Tour was only ever released in stereo separately, and The White Album sounds better in stereo anyway. i know the US albums have different track listing, but one can always do your own CD with the tracks in the right order. :)
The mono mixes should be the standard, most readily available copies.
There are still used copies of the CD set floating around. My local music shop occasionally has one or two that come available for around $130. Keep an eye out for those. The LP package prices are ridiculously high.
That chunky low end of The Beatles’ mono albums is just unmatched. My favorite part of Beatles music is Paul’s bass so for my money it can’t be beat.
I've always enjoyed how on the mono version of Sgt Pepper you get a few extra bars at the beginning of the Sgt Pepper reprise to actually hear the sfx tapes starting up and the studio chatter in the background. I think it benefited that album to lean in to the ramshackle puppet theater revue thing and to acknowledge the studio element more.
Andrew, the cropped appearance of the "Magical Mystery Tour" album cover is true to the U.S.A. Capitol mono original. Capitol printed slicks with both the mono & stereo catalog numbers on the spine area. Depending on whether the slicks were to be used for mono or stereo abums, either the top of the slick would be cropped (to reveal the mono catalog number, on the bottom of the spine area) or the bottom of the slick would be cropped (to reveal the stereo catalog number at the top of the spine area.). However, the slicks for original U.S.A. "Magical Mystery Tour" were fairly glossy. The version in the mono vinyl box is very matte.
But the cropped top of the U.S.A. mono "Magical Mystery Tour" is absolutely true to the late 1967 original. By early 1968, Capitol stopped offering albums in mono. The remaining mono "Magical Mystery Tour" albums were exported to Brazil and sold there.
Your comments about mono and stereo copies being differently cropped also apply to RCA Elvis Presley albums. It’s very noticeable that on the mono copies, the image is placed higher and revealing more of the layout. In addition, the stereo copies often have high visibility logos - Living Stereo - and these use up a lot of space at the top of the sleeve design - forcing the portrait of Elvis to look comically low. This kind of sleeve construction is called a ‘paste board’, if I am not mistaken.
@@elvisonwax this is true also for a ton of records, particularly USA pressings, from the era. I was just looking at my moby grape s/t album and noticed that the mono has the top of the cover art cropped the same way. RCA, Colombia, Capitol and Reprise are just a few of the labels that did this, to save money.
Actually,a lot of the Scranton Monos got exported to the UK because of the demand of the lp format of MMT.
I absolutely love my Mono cd box set. I wish I would have bought a vinyl Mono box set when it came out. Nowadays, I just can't afford one. Thank you for all your work to provide the sound comparisons for us. I'm sure all of us listeners appreciate it.
Aside from all the care and attention to detail given this release, what made it all the more worthwhile was that the LP's were pressed at Optimal in Germany. One of the best if not the best record producing facilities on the planet. These records sound terrific and play flawlessly. Another superb video, Andrew. You are on a roll. I look forward to your next.
Thanks, Bob. Those Germans know how to press a record.
Pallas is the best in Germany and RTI in the USA is the best in the world in my opinion
@@Parlogram Unfortunately, in the 60s and 70s the Germans just loved that "rechanneled stereo" thing.
@@Parlogram One the other hand, "Those Germans" sure are lousy in the World War department.
0-2
aka the boxset everyone wants to see re-released as single copies have skyrocketed in price second hand.
Largest regret of my life: going so down hill in life that I had to sell off my copy of they mono set. I have the stereo one, but my heart still aches for the mono
Hope things improve....nothing worse selling something you really like....but when shit happens....you have to take care of it. Here's the point though - AT LEAST YOU HAD IT PHYSICALLY TO SELL... and you didn't just have a WORTHLESS streaming subscription.
@@dancalmpeaceful3903 yeah, got a point. I did a lot of stupid stuff back then, but to quote our four fabulous boys: got to admit, its getting better. Lol. I would go on to own the Stereo box set which is nice to just say i own them on vinyl again. One day, might get back the mono ones.
And of course i would have to go woth physical media. Any number of things can happen to stop streaming services, but try and take away ones records. Good luck. Lol jk
@@zachbrehany2253 Sounds like you are doing better! Take care!
Dude I’ve sold so many grails over the years because of financial emergencies. Especially in my 20’s. Hardest to let go were my 3rd pressing please please me, my 2nd state butcher, and my BC 13 blue box set. Various other early uk pressings as well. And that’s just from my Beatles collection. Trying to get that stuff back now and of course prices are even higher.
Don’t feel too bad, you’re not alone. It’s just stuff, and hard times are something we can learn from.
The original stereo mixes of help and rubber soul were actually available on CD in Canada in the 80s by mistake. Apple accidentally sent Cinram Canada the wrong 1630 pcm masters and sent them flat copies of the original mixes instead of the 1987 George Martin digital remixes! The artwork and catalog numbers are the same as the 1987 remixes. The only way to identify them is the CD Mirror band. I have both of them and they sound excellent. I think they sound better than the bonus original stereo mixes on the 2009 mono box set. I have no clue why George Martin did the remixes as the original stereo mixes are fine! They should have shelved the remixes and used the original stereo mixes on the 2009 stereo box set.
This channel is UNIQUE. So many obscure facts, a great in-depth analysis and the way you talk to the audience.
It's a shame copyright is so severe when playing just the short part of a song.
I'm glad I'm getting original Parlis back in my collection.Only from my buddy in North Jersey,and courtesy of Ebay!!I've gotten the Stereo b/y PPM('63er),Monos of With,HDN,(Pye pressing initial,For Sale,Help,Rubber Soul,Pepper;Stereos also of HDN(Pye press,initial),For Sale.The non-Pyes are the standard Phillips originals.The Hayes flagship plant did their own label font,and the PPM and Withs I have are those '63 pressings.Phillips redid the labels with their stick font when they did the newer pressings.They took over the production of the whole catalog in late '65 or '66.
I bought most of my original mono UK LPs and 45s from you on eBay circa 2010-2011 (which I still treasure). I'm happy to see you take your knowledge and turn it into these wonderful videos. They are a wealth of information that deserve a much wider audience. Great work!
Great to hear from you. Glad you liked the videos!
Brilliant video, as ever. I really wish this mono set would be rereleased. 🙏
The Beatles in Mono Vinyl Box Set is the best addition to my collection
Hello, I have just recently subscribed to this channel and I must say,so far it's awesome. I've been a Beatles fan since 1964, I was only 4 yes old but seeing Ringo playing drums on the riser inspired me to play drums. Later when I was 19, I bought a guitar and learned that. Thanks for the information on this channel and thank you Beatles brothers and sisters, ✌️ & 🤘😎.
Brother Gary
Welcome aboard, Gary!
Hey mate, the original mono US pressings of Magical Mystery Tour had a cut top, just like the 2014 mono pressing replicates. Its an odd sight when you first see it, however, it is completely accurate. It gets better at the fact that they replicated the US paste on cover for Magical Mystery Tour. Thought i would leave a comment correcting the spot you mentioned
In point of fact, my original US copy is cropped even more severely than my 2014.
@@bedlach That's how mono LPs in the states were packaged. The front cover had stereo on the bottom and mono at the top, so they were just trimmed according to format. The US A Hard Days Night was like that as well.
Thanks (belatedly), Alex. Glad you posted this info, reminding us again how close to 'original' the 2014 mono is . I've been checking out copies of the original MMT mono on Ebay, and sure enough there's the proof.
The Japanese really know how to make quality packaging! I love their attention to detail.
Thank you ever so much for showing off those RCA cables. I ordered some a few days ago, and they just arrived. Wow! What a difference! It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that my monophonic records sound tenfold better! There's virtually no noise during the beginning and end of playback, even on the most visually worn records, and a general muddiness that plagued my Beatles singles in particular has entirely gone! I can clearly distinguish the bass on their early recordings, and I can pick up subtle nuances that I've never heard before, not even on the mono CDs! I had no idea that singles could sound this good, and the mono albums sound suitably fab as well. Again, I can't thank you enough.
Great to hear they worked for you. Spread the word!
Yes! I had no idea. I too ordered some cables and I can’t wait to listen to my beloved box set, which I just learned is quite special
There's a simple (or some might say, complicated) reason why mono cables (or mono switches) improve the sound, and reduce unwanted noise, so much - that unwanted noise tends to be mirrored across the stereo image, i.e. noise (as in hiss and whooshing sounds from groove wear) that goes up in the waveform on the left channel will go down correspondingly on the right - so summing the two channels together cancels them out. Similarly with inner groove distortion, the microscopic tearing of the groove tends to affect the waveform in one direction on the left channel and the opposite direction on the right. As for clicks and pops, these are typically only found on one channel at any one point in time and so they will all be halved in volume.
Watching this for the second time, and as an owner of that white Mono box set, they're amazing, inside and out.
I skipped on this set in 2014, as I already own all the old UK lp's. The originals have the sound, the looks and the quality that simply remain inimitable today and I didn't expect a reissue, no matter how well made, to add a great deal. But all the favourable reviews of notable people like yourself piqued my interest. I recently found this set at half price, because it is missing the book, unfortunately... Still, I simply couldn't pass it up this time, what with all the silly prices circulating online. You have done an excellent job describing it and I look forward to delving into this fine set myself. Again, thanks for the video and bravo on your great channel!
Finally found an affordable set and it’s one of the most beautiful things I have seen in my life.
Congratulations and enjoy!
I really like this analysis video....
My own little story; when the mono cd box came out I was all over it, mostly because I thought there would never be an LP release because of the infighting to get the master tapes.
Low and behold, they finally issued the LP box set, and at that time I simply didn't buy it, but I started cherry picking individual copies of the albums I wanted most.
Passing up on the box, when I regularly saw them in stores surely backfired.
When they were all gone, one day I wondered just how many of the mono's I had purchased.
I was shocked that I had bought ALL of them EXCEPT for Rubber Soul!
Dummy me...
Anyway, the individual mono's are now sold out, so I had to track one down online, found one and paid double the original price. I didn't mind as I now have them all.
BUT....I do not have the book or the big, beautiful white box.
That's what I get for not buying it in the first place.
Still happy to have all the mono albums, don't get me wrong, but hindsight being 20/20... 🙃
Managed to pick up the mono vinyl set yesterday for £600. Can't wait to get stuck into it next week. 😇
Enjoy! 👍
I just discovered this channel, I love it! So informative and calm and relaxing at the same time! Even though I will probably never be able to own some of the pressings and releases in the other videos, it's always fun to watch. But at least I was able to get a copy of this mono box when it was released so it's not all bad lol.
Thank you Joe and welcome to the channel!
Great review- I found a copy 2 years ago in a small record store in New Hampshire while traveling on business - stuffed it in my suitcase for the plane ride home - they had 2 I kick myself for not buying both copies
I was so engrossed in this video and all the details and so used to the videos making me wish I had what you were demonstrating I totally forgot for a moment that I have it. Thanks for showing us all everything in a new light.
Thanks for watching, Ayd.
You have solved a 60 year question that has always intrigued me. My older brother and I decided to buy With The Beatles. He went and purchased it. When we played it, it jumped on "Roll Over Beethoven." He took it back, and came home with The Rolling Stones first LP. I thought someone in the shop had played With The Beatles and scratched it.
Now this was in Australia. I presume the masters were sent out here for pressing before the recall. Unfortunately the LP had the horrible Aussie cover on it of just their heads.
Hi Andrew. I just acquired this box set recently, having had the good luck to find an unopened one for a little less than the down payment on a new house. All humour aside, I actually got it for a very good price from a good-hearted person who just wanted to make sure it went to a genuine fan. He found one. I don't have an excuse for not buying it in 2014 other than a belief that my hard-sourced originals had to be superior.
After listening to the entire set several times to shake the newness off, I decided to perform a direct comparison test between the 2014 pressings and the originals, of which I am fortunate enough to own almost all in NM shape. After careful listening and volume correction (you are correct about the originals being cut hotter!) I came to this conclusion: The main difference is that there is a more pronounced midrange found in the originals. This creates a slightly warmer playback and in turn, creates a sense of slightly more "crispness" in the 2014 cuts, which is also likely due to more prominent higher frequencies. Speaking of, the 2014 cuts also have superior overall separation of frequencies. I can hear each instrument with more ease.
Other, smaller things: I can hear more minute details in the 2014 cuts. Hard to describe, but perhaps you know what I mean. The "air" or "space" around instruments and even vocals. The millisecond of noise before tracks begin. Small things, but to someone intimate with these recordings, they are wonderful to hear and might be the most important difference for me.
I won't part with my original mono pressings. Part of the allure of owning them is being able to listen to the exact same record that a young fan listened to in the 60s when all the excitement was occuring. Holding on to the same sleeve and reading the liner notes. Not a reproduction, but the same exact one. And I'm confident that you feel the same way, as do many of your subscribers. Nothing will ever beat an original pressing. But this box set is as close as it gets, and deserves all the accolades it has garnered.
Congratulations David and thanks for your fine analysis.
Another wonderful video! This is fast becoming my new favourite youtube channel. It might be a good idea to invest in a mono cartridge, though, especially for the old lp's. It's the only way to produce a true mono signal, eliminating cross talk & tracking and phase errors. And since a mono cartridge only responds to lateral information in the groove, any (mostly unwanted) vertical information will not be reproduced, resulting in a much cleaner sound. It is really amazing sometimes how very good mono can sound using the correct cartridge, arm and setup - even when the record at first glance looks in real bad shape.
Thanks! I'd like to try a good mono cartridge someday on a good system.
Excellent review! I am just starting to collect 2014 spares, looking forward to hearing these.
In my book you are The Beatles audiophile bible. Incredible knowledge and detail.
Thank you!
Can’t wait for the 1982 video. I’ve always been saddened that I never got a hold of this set
Man I really regret not buying when it came out. Now they go for at least a grand. I hope Apple does a second run. I did manage to snag a copy of the white album at retail price
Me too
Amazing content. I’m happy to have found this channel. Feeds my life long Beatles addiction quite nicely.
Glad you enjoy it!
The 1965 stereo mix of Help! and Rubber Soul has been released before in CD by Capitol in Canada in 1987 by mistake ....
The "Disque Americ" pressings, right?
This video is really great. Thank you for the time you've clearly put into it! As pure dumb luck would have it, I re-started my vinyl collection in 2017 (my toddler in 2008 ruined my old turntable). My obvious first move was to start collecting The Beatles. I had bought the MONO CD box in 2009 and loved it. The timing could not have been better, as I started snapping up individual 2014 MONO records as I would find them in stores. I am so glad I did. Just since 2017, which feels like yesterday, they are all but gone from record stores in my area and the online market has them going for much higher prices for mint copies!
Thanks for watching. Glad you managed to get hold of some of the albums. Keep them away from your children!
I have all the UK originals in mono in great shape but I had to get me this box too!
Hell if I know why I didn't buy it.... it's my greatest regret!
I bought the box not long after it came out, read in the liner notes how much care and effort was made, then looked at my turntable in disgust - "Shit, I can't play this on that old thing!" Yep, the box prompted an upgrade to a newer turntable with a lightweight cartridge. It was well worth it.
Absolutely fantastic video. Thanks so much for presenting the wave forms. I feel extremely fortunate to have picked up this box set when it came out for a few hundred dollars, especially considering what they’re going for now on the secondary market. I still listen to it often. Thanks again for the wonderful video!
Thank Nick. Glad you enjoyed it!
COUNTERFEIT?? Of the 2014 monos? I had no idea such things existed..
hi andrew, been watching for about a year now!! wanted to say thank you so much for the tip on using the RCA Y-connectors to recreate true mono…i’ve owned this box set for a little over a year now, listened to every disc many times, but couldn’t get past the harshness on some tracks (Rain, She Loves You). I am astonished at how much better it sounds after connecting the RCA Y-connectors…never heard Rain (or any of the early stuff) so clearly! thank you thank you thank you!!!
Glad to help and thanks for watching!
I am so glad I bought this box set. I also found a mint mono copy of Beatles oldies but goldies at add to it. I only play it on special occasions though. My only complaint is that the holes in centre are a little too small and they're difficult to get off the turntable.
Agreed Mike, mine are a tight fit too.
The thing with the Y spliter cables was absolut what I need. I have bought 2 cables from Audioquest
I love the dynamics between the stereo version of all my loving and the Mono version it is one of the greatest songs that was ever recorded one of money. I simply love both the stereo and mono versions of every Beatles can
Probably among my favourite x-mas present ever.
I do. Like every single Beatle release, I got it when it first came out. Though, I have to admit, I haven’t seen or heard about it in a long , long time.
I started collecting LPs in late 2013-early 2014 when I was starting college, naturally I was quite impatient and went straight for the Beatles, buying up all the later albums (Revolver-Let it Be) in the new stereo pressings. I immediately switched to the mono pressings for Please Please Me-Rubber Soul when those were released in September 2014, but regrettably I did not have the foresight to re-acquire all the later albums in mono. Earlier this year I finally got the bug and found an authentic CD box and what an experience it's been. I've had it for years, but not until hearing it on CD through headphones did it occur to me how loud Rubber Soul is, absolutely ripe for distortion at high volumes. Make no mistake it sounds incredible, but you have to be quite judicious for the sake of your ears. I've come to prefer the mono mix of Help. The overall swampiness is definitely jarring at first, and I don't think the perfect mix of the album exists, but the drum sound and overall punch of Help in mono absolutely puts the stereo mix to shame, in my opinion. An A to B comparison of Ticket to Ride (particularly with the original 1965 stereo mix) is perhaps the most revealing example of the mono mix's superiority.
I found one individually and its a great replica! Great sound as well!
At last I was able to pick up a vinyl Mono Box in mint condition. It's really amazing.
Congratulations!
Hello, Yes,to add to the comment below,the Capitol stereo US Mystery Tour LP has the the yellow space at the top between the banner and the top of the cover.
The mono cover reproduction in the box set is accurate as Alex states.
Thanks for the info!
This is a great video! love the hard work, detail, and love you put into this. I do have to say though I believe the zoomed-in crop on Magical Mystery Tour is actually correct. I have a couple of original US mono copies and they both have the awkward crop, this is due to the stereo and mono indications on the spine of the record. One of my copies actually has the "O" at the end of STEREO from the spine since it wasn't properly cut. Anyways, awesome video and cheers!
I was just going to write this but Brendan beat me to it. I took a photo of the cover and will email it to you. Great job and again, wonderful assessment of the box. I was lucky enough to go record shopping in Toronto the week before it was released and the store had put individual copies on the shelves. I had pre-ordered the box online but wanted to have these titles as soon as I could. They did not disappoint. I was quite surprised how much I thought Please Please Me sounded good based on being a tape copy but I will also agree, my 1N/2N sounds livelier. REALLY looking forward to your '82 mono box video!!
Any tips of taking care of the 2012 stereo vinyl box set and the 2014 vinyl mono set, in the long run? Is it better to take out all the vinyl from the box and put on rack or; leave it in the box? With all vinyl, book & foam in the box, it appear quite cramp and fit in the box.
Just tried the Y connection and yes it really is worthwhile, much better sounding with reduced surface noise, Beatles for sale sounds so much better.
Yeah It would be very very exciting to hear the original master tape sound of “Rubber soul”. But I don’t think that good systems couldn’t handle it, but I think if there’s plenty of the bass grooves would be too wide for standard LP
I have the vinyl box set of both
And it does boil down to different songs on the albums some sound better in mono some are better in stereo.
I thought the Mono version of the 1999 release of yellow submarine song track LP which I have a copy of, was a first real good sound of Mono,
And then the No 1 lp mono version from 2000 sounded different to the singles. .
Not sure where these were cut from or were they brand new cuts from late 90s
But at that time they sound very new and crisp, like no other Mono versions I'd heard before.
Love the video 👍
A very good alternative to the original mono pressings... Unfortunately prices have skyrocketed in recent years and some individual titles are even becoming more scarse than the originals...
PS... These videos that compare Beatles pressings are very well executed... Straight to the point by someone who is knowledgeable about the topic... I hope you keep them coming...
Thanks for your support, Dimitri. There will be more soon.
Great video. My original Capitol Mono "Magical Mystery Tour" album also has an awkwardly zoomed in front cover. My copy also has the EMI import sticker on the front. Maybe it was only the stereo original onwards that had the correctly sized image?
Yes, it seems the stereo version has a correctly aligned cover.
I want it, yes....I'd love to have that book, however....to my ears, you only "need" Please Please Me, With The Beatles, Hard Days Night & Rubber Soul in mono. Stereo Beatles For Sale blows away the mono, stereo Help blows away the mono, stereo Revolver and Pepper are much better in stereo, as is the White Album....Hard to justify a $2k purchase for 4 albums and a cool book. With all that said, god how I want this mono boxed set.
technically when listening to a mono recording, you should also listen out of one speaker only -- adding another one, unless you have your placement and room perfect, only causes phase cancellations
For original mono Capitol MMT's, I have seen BOTH the ones with the odd cropping (as in the 2014 set) and without (which also corresponds to the original Capitol stereo issues). And I agree with Parlogram: the cropped version looks strange. Great video, and I enjoyed watching the 1982 comparison, too. Someday, might you be tempted to compare the 2014 mono box to original UK stereo pressings, to determine once and for all which one is "better"? I don't know if I want to know the answer lol
Brilliant video! Thanks for this quite insightful, concise and well thought-out analysis of The Beatles in Mono boxset. A nice mixture of subjective (listening) and objective (waveform) analysis.
I have both this and the 2012 Stereo boxset. To my ears, most of the albums in the 2014 Mono boxset are the definitive version of the album. I know, I know... but I don't have the time and/or money to curate a collection of first pressings in mint condition. So for me, this is it. However, there are two big exceptions - and again, that's only to my ears - that suffer in comparison to their 2012 Stereo versions: Beatles For Sale and Help! These two plus a copy of the 2012 Past Masters, the 2017 Stereo remix of Pepper and the 2018 remix of The White Album and you are pretty much done without even a need for the 2012 Stereo boxset.
I don't have a strong opinion on the 2019 remix over the 2009 remaster of Abbey Road: the differences are more subtle to me than in the previous remixes, so either one will do.
As for suggestions for a future video, an album-by-album comparison of both the 2012 Stereo and 2014 Mono boxsets might not be a bad idea. Cheers and congrats on your great channel. You found your niche and you are good at it, so count me in for the ride!
Thanks for watching, Fernando and for your interesting comparisons. Your suggestion about a stereo/mono box set comparison is very tempting.
@@Parlogram You're welcome! In this record collecting hobby sometimes there's unnecessary duplication (or even worse) when you are trying to simply curate a collection of the best version (to my ears) of each album from a particular artist among multiple releases and boxsets. For example, who needs both a Mono AND Stereo version of Beatles for Sale? Probably the completist do but an average audiophile like me doesn't.
There are exceptions though, when two different versions of an iconic album sound so different and great at the same time. Case in point: the 2014 Mono and 2018 Stereo remix of the White Album. Just some of the reasons why a Mono vs Stereo analysis is warranted.
I wish you would compare the mono CD set from 2009 with any of the vinyl mono record sets to tell us if they are even worth getting, since the CD set is much easier to obtain...
Amazing video! 2 questions: how many prints of this box was made in 2014 and which vinyls is 200 grams? Thanks!!
40,000 copies were made
So the sealed Stereo and MONO vinyl boxes I picked up locally in April were a good buy at $450 Canadian a pop.
Yep, I’ve seen mono set selling for $2000 on eBay.
Another nice video from you, Andrew. Please, keep em coming, Cheers, Nelio.
Thanks for watching, Nelio. More to come!
I love the dynamics in the queue thousand nine mono box set an a stereo box that I noticed some slight differences like John Lennon San Juan words in the stereo version of please please me then he sings that correctly in the mono mix both from the thousand nine and I also would love to hear the original master tape of rubber soul and how much bases on that one.
I want more I liked and subscribed😬!! I’m very glad I purchased this mono box. They are really pricey now. It’s a masterpiece.
Thanks for subbing! The box really is a treasure.
Andrew, I notice you've never done a video on the 2009 mono CD box, though you've mentioned it in passing in other videos. What is your verdict on it? Some people dislike the flat transfer but I like it.
Enjoyed the video. I own this box set, though I've never played any of the albums. I also have them separate too, except for Mono Masters. I've played some of them but some are still sealed and un-played. This is because I also own the original pressings, mostly 1st pressings in good/very good condition and would prefer to play those at the moment if I wanted to listen to them. I'll probably will listen to the 2014 remasters when I am more sorted out. I decided to purchase the 2014 box after reading reviews in magazines, online and here on TH-cam when they said that they were cut from the original analogue tapes, were great sounding pressings and the dynamics were better than the originals. I would be interested to find out what the 1982 mono pressings sound like? One of my friends has a 1982 mono pressing of Revolver. I've heard it a couple of times and it sounded great from what I can remember. Thanks again.
I know what you mean, Neil. The '82 pressings are good, but there's nothing like the originals.
does anyone know why they stopped releasing them? I really want to buy the mono mixes but i cant get them :(
The 2014 box set and LPs are out of print but are available second hand (near mint) or even in mint condition, still sealed, but expect to pay £50 and upwards for each one for sealed copies and less for opened played copies
I don’t know why Thomas but when I was trying to order the vinyl box that the guy at my favorite music storms at Millennium was telling me as I was trying to order them that it’s out of print I hope that Apple releases the mono box that and so it can become in print again being a huge Beatles fan that I am and a collector.
I had a bootleg copy of that CD box which EMI confirmed was fake. I asked if they wanted to know where I got it from and they weren’t interested. No wonder they went bust!
Can you please do the cd vs vinyl of this set?
Very informative video. I’m hoping you’ll do a video on the 1987 Capitol British releases and tell us what you think of the sound. I bought them back then and haven’t played them in decades.
One of the best channels on TH-cam. Please do pet sounds
"Please,Please me," casette is tape two? I have mono casette,it is made from original tape.Former Yugoslavia record and casette sellers had the best contracts with licence owners. When comes to records,I have German pressings,stereo and all "Apple," labeled.I have Dutch.CD of Sgt.Pappers,that have both,stereo and mono mix,for both discs. Original,and outtakes. Great stuff.
@Jim McCracken Have Australian original from 1987."Sgt.Papper."too.(Stereo,only.)Got pirate China(Japan labeled,"Sgt.Pappers,it was a present and only cd without "stop," between first and second song,just like record.)All other "originals," have that "stop."
Is there any chance Apple/Universal Music re-release this box set? Hope so. Thanks for the post.
I bought the two y-cables today, but I was surprised they are not marked red and black/white, so how do you know if the cables go into the red or black/white chinch port on your amp?
Hi Andrew, great Video! One question: I own the 2014 Mono pressing of "Rubber Soul". Is it only me who hears distortion on the backing vocals of "Michelle" ? I also have the "loud cut", the backing vocals there are much smoother in my ears...... Best regards, Manfred
Great video....very informative! I have all the 2014's from Rubber Soul onwards and they do sound great
The Stereo vinyl box sounded terrible. I’m glad Michael Fremer got in and influenced them doing the mono box full analog. Glorious. I like my a little noisy original mono and stereo parlaphones but the mono is fabulous.
Hi Andrew,I’ve got the 1992 cd sets for the singles and ep’s… will you be making a future video for these?
Greetings Andrew,
Well! After months of me asking for it...you finally did the 2014 mono box comparison. ..and my stupid phone didn't give me the notice of your video til yesterday. .grrrr.
With that said. ..it was worth the wait. ..this is another fantastic video...full of incredible information and details. I'm not surprised that that 2014 albums did so well...but I am surprised to hear you say that you think they are better then the original UK pressings. A victory for vinyl collectors who can't always afford to shell out hundreds sometimes thousands of dollars for original mono pressings.
Thanks again for your brilliant videos....and it seems there are 2 more for me to watch....hmmm 1982 red mono box? ? This should be interesting.
I hope you are doing well and keeping safe in these crazy times.
Mark Anthony K
Projekt Gemineye
You're welcome, Mark. It's a great set and worthwhile investment. Keep watching and stay safe. Andrew.
How do you compare the sound quality of the 2009 mono CD set with the 2014 vinyl set?
lol. I use the Y cable trick. I thought I was being clever. I had no idea anyone else was doing it.
On a side note: I still can't find a copy of Beatles For Sale. The only ones I find in my budget range ship only within the UK.
Can you tell me how you did it please
Magical Mystery Tour stereo reissue sounds GREAT, by the way.
I bought the Beatles "1" compilation on CD when it came out do you think they used the best possible versions or not, that's if you ever listened to it? I enjoy your info!
Speaking about the 2015 edition, I'm pretty sure that the CDs were re-mixed from the multitracks where possible, only to alter the placement of the vocals to the center where they were previously hardpanned left. The rest are comparable to the 2009 remasters (though I'm unsure if they are them). It's a stellar sounding album nonetheless!
The only one of this set I have is Beatles for Sale, and that was on accident!
regarding the cds, what is your opinion about the sound quality of the 2009 mono cd box set compared to the stereo cd box set? i personally dont like the mono. the vocals sounds lower, muddy in some cases, i much prefer the stereo cds because they sound more cristal clear
Well done. Very informative video.
Do you feel the Beatles mono vinyl box set will be reissued?
I was busy working in remote location in 2014 to 16. And missed out on buying.
Regards
Thanks for watching, Brent. I don't think the box will be reissued, but I hope I'm wrong.
How does the Mono Masters vinyl sound? How does that compare to the original singles?
How good is the please please me in this set compared to the original mono and stereo releases?
Do I have to seek out the 1N 1N release if I have this set?
saludos andrew, tambien tengo los cables para convertir a mono
I wish he would play some of the songs he mentions.. this was interesting. I’m a collector ,and had ALL the first UK pressings. However I’m retired,and have sold many off. Condition. I had around five to ten copies of each album. Some VG+ , others Ex ,and I’m now sitting on two UNPLAYED original mono copies of Please Please Me and Beatles For Sale. Clean as the day they left Hayes Middlesex.
BFS covers always split at top,and bottom of spine.
Not this one.
I’ve had these in metal boxes. Albums taken out of the original Emitex inner sleeves , as you don’t want any splits in inner sleeves.
These two albums I bought in Europe that were being exported to another country.
They had put the albums in plastic wrap.
The ONLY DOWNSIDE was from handling the covers. Both have slight crease in upper right hand corner of clarfoil . But that is next to nothing.
I know of no one that has two unplayed 63,and 64 pressings, albeit PPM is fifth pressing. Gold-Gold-33 1/3 no pub. No pub or 33 1/3 ,and finally fifth pressing . All Parlophone rim prints, no SIUK on PPM.
BFS variation two 3N-4N , still Parlophone rims etc.
Now with Corona Virus here in San Francisco we are all bleeding any money we had.
I hate this,but I’ll have to sell them. Sadly no major auction houses are having Beatles memorabilia auctions.
If they did I would get what their really worth .
C’est la vid et mort.
Ps. I have sold most of my high end Beatles to Japanese collectors.
They are serious Beatles fans.
The video would be removed if he did.
Depressing. :( Looking at prices on Amazon and eBay I can't afford the Mono Vinyl Box Set. I have the Stereo Vinyl Box Set but this music deserves to be heard in Mono. How does the Mono CD box set compare to the Mono Vinyl Box set? Thinking of getting the Mono CD Box set.
Thanks Andrew. Great video!
Thanks Bob, glad you liked it!
I LOVE this video! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
We should have gotten 65 stereo Help and Rubber Soul as bonus lps. They were in the Mono cd box set.
I do have the Mono vinyl box set and wow do I like it . But I do have a lot of the first UK pressing and I do feel that the UK are just a bit better . I did find this video very informative !!! Thank you for the great video cheers !!!
Thanks for watching, Brad. I agree with you and am happy to hear you have the mono box.
:).
I do love it and thanks for the video :). Cheers.
Less surface noise on all of the 2014 albums, without exception.
I Just made a bid for the book from the vinyl mono box on ebay! I'm disappointed that my mono cd box over $400 came with a little book!
Please help me to understand why the stereo Revolver from 1999 i believe has so much more treble than the mono version from this set. There is very little over 7khz on the 2014 from what I hear.