"For some, it will provide a first-time experience of this magnificent music in mono — the closest you can get to hearing the authentic sound of The Beatles." Kevin Howlett, liner notes for The Beatles in Mono, February 2009
What hit me when I first listened to The Beatles in Mono was that they really were a band. That may sound strange but it has been so many years since they were together and we now tend to think of them as individual artists who happened, at one time, to be in a group. What is forgotten is that they performed hundreds of times as a group before they were ever famous and it shows in these recordings. Listening to this collection, especially the earlier stuff and WOW they're a band again. The individual voices, the harmonies ... The mono recordings have an immediacy and energy that is slightly missing in the stereo versions.
What is important to know about the albums included within The Beatles in Mono box set?
| - | The albums were originally recorded in mono and later adapted for stereo. | ||
| - | Includes their first ten albums plus an eleventh, a two-disc compilation of their singles that were never included on their UK albums. Their UK albums did not include a released single until Abbey Road with the A/B sides of "Something" and "Come Together". | ||
| - | Also included are the original stereo mixes for the 1965 albums Help! and Rubber Soul. George Martin was not involved on all of the original stereo mixes of these two albums and remixed them for their CD releases in 1987. | ||
| - | The albums mirror their UK releases, which in the beginning were quite different from their US counterparts. | ||
| - | The album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band really does sound better in mono. |
The packaging for the mono box set is entirely different from the packaging for the stereo box set. For the mono set they have recreated the original UK vinyl cover art including the paper inner sleeve for the disc and all the original inserts. Also, the original LP labels are pictured on each CD. Even the covers are made in the same manner as the originals, with the earlier ones having the fold-over tabs in the back.
Something that I just came across that could be of interest to anyone who's a fan of the mono box. On lulu.com (where you can create and print your own book), I came across The Beatles in Mono by Andrew Hickey. Mr. Hickey examines, track by track, The Beatles' work as it was originally created, in mono. He goes through The Beatles in Mono box set, looks at the band's influences, their musical techniques,and the progression of their career from "Love Me Do" through to "Get Back."
| The Beatles in Mono |