Beatles Remasters [split topic]

[weirdbeard]

God, I hope they're bothered to remix them as well as remaster them.   The balancing on Rubber Soul in particular is terrible.  A first CD stereo release for A Hard Days Night though, which, having got a needledrop of the original vinyl, is glorious.

[biggytitbo]

Are there any samples available of 1 track from the new mono remasters? I wouldn't mind having a listen to see if its worth getting the whole thing.

[Paaaaul]

http://rapidshare.com/files/276372774/01_The_Beatles_-_A_Hard_Day_s_Night.mp3.html

[El Unicornio, mang]

Demonoid has the goods now. The Mono version certainly seems to be the best option.

[Custard]

I got all the stereo set off MiniNova. Will get the Mono too, methinks. Will be better for the early stuff.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

http://rapidshare.com/files/276372774/01_The_Beatles_-_A_Hard_Day_s_Night.mp3.html

Thanks for that. Sounds great - much chunkier and punchier, even through these crappy computer speakers. Definitely back to mono for me.   

[Hans Resist]

Skipping through my favourite songs from Revolver and The White Album in mono has just left me looking like the mother at the end of Close Encounters. So together you keep thinking something has to give, but it never does. Just beautiful beyond all expectation.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Thanks for that. Sounds great - much chunkier and punchier, even through these crappy computer speakers. Definitely back to mono for me.   

Seconded - that sounds fantastic.

[El Unicornio, mang]

I've compared a few different songs so far. My initial impression is that the mono ones sound great but hearing them not in stereo is going to take a bit of getting used to. 'Eleanor Rigby' for one, I'm so used to having McCartney singing in my left ear that it's a bit odd when everything is right down the middle.

Edit to add: God, Abbey Road sounds awesome. The bass guitar especially.

[Marty McFly]

Christ, these mono remasters are astounding. Absolutely brilliant, it really is like hearing them again for the first time. Almost makes me not want to download the odd few stereo albums now..

[El Unicornio, mang]

Christ, these mono remasters are astounding. Absolutely brilliant, it really is like hearing them again for the first time. Almost makes me not want to download the odd few stereo albums now..

At the very least get the remaster of Abbey Road, it sounds incredible.

[Hans Resist]

It really does. If you have any attachment to Abbey Road at all, Golden Slumbers to The End will cut you in half.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Listening to the stereo version of Past Masters at the moment and it sounds magnificent.  'I'm Down' is just rattling - picking up so much detail I'd missed before.

I seriously think I'm going to shell out on these (mono).

New light through old windows and all that.

Edit:

It really does. If you have any attachment to Abbey Road at all, Golden Slumbers to The End will cut you in half.

Oh, Christ, yes...

[Smeraldina Rima]

I would love to here even more discussion of the merits of mono and stereo, album by album.
I've only got most of these albums on cassette tape as oddly, I was a massive fan of the Beatles as a 4 -8 year old, i loved it! I remember my mum taking me to WHSmiths for Rubber Soul. So now I think i will buy the box set, and am leaning towards stereo simply because it is a fair bit cheaper. But this thread is making me think I should splash out the extra thirty pounds. Generally i'm quite enthusiastic about stereo, but i don't want to find those first albums sound comparatively rubbish as i am a big fan of the early Beatles sound and would probably listen to them a bit more.

[Marty McFly]

I would love to here even more discussion of the merits of mono and stereo, album by album.

more in-depth than you're ever likely to worry about:

http://www.columbia.edu/~brennan/beatles/

you could be there a while.

[Egyptian Feast]

I would love to here even more discussion of the merits of mono and stereo, album by album.

Seconded. I was tempted by the box sets, but the prices are ridiculous, so I reckon I'll just be cherry picking the best sounding CDs and stealing the rest.

[Jaffit]

Anyone else got any small snippets/samples for me to listen to? That original download link is no longer accessible.

[Paaaaul]

One thought from listening to The White Album mono this afternoon - Revolution #9 is pretty savage in mono. It's so much busier and more real than the dreamlike stereo mix.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Personally I would say that the only ones really worth having in mono rather than stereo are Rubber Soul, Revolver and Magical Mystery Tour, and the first two, purely because the hard panning on them is a big distraction. The first five sound great either way (on the remasters) but having listened to them today I think the stereo versions of the other three sound a lot better. The stereo has been used properly, and they now have a lot more space and clarity.

[Serge]

Fucking hell.

That's about all I can say right now, my mind is truly blown.

[CaledonianGonzo]

Anyone else got any small snippets/samples for me to listen to? That original download link is no longer accessible.

Check out the cello on this bad boy:

http://sharebee.com/209e6aea

(Stereo version)

[Custard]

Christ, these mono remasters are astounding. Absolutely brilliant, it really is like hearing them again for the first time. Almost makes me not want to download the odd few stereo albums now..

Isn't it! It's All Too Much and Tomorrow Never Knows nearly moved me to tears of joy earlier. They sound incredible.

[Jemble Fred]

Well, he always claimed he learned how to play chess on that album. Which is more than I can claim.

[lipsink]

He could've done something productive, like learn to paint with his knob.

[Serge]

Isn't it! It's All Too Much and Tomorrow Never Knows nearly moved me to tears of joy earlier. They sound incredible.

I've 'only' got the stereo versions so far, but I was nearly crying with happiness. I'm glad to see it's not just me being a big soppy get.

'Helter Skelter' sounds phenomenal, there are bits in 'Strawberry Fields Forever' that I've never heard in 25 years of listening to it, and 'A Day In The Life' blew my head off.

Whoever at EMI or Apple was responsible for letting the old CD versions stand as the official releases for so long should be taken out and shot.

[Jemble Fred]

Wouldn't that ultimately be the already sadly deceased Neil Aspinall?

[Serge]

There you go, spoiling a perfectly good rant by being rational. Can't we just shoot some guy in a suit anyway?

[lipsink]

So, in mono, will 'Strawberry Fields' still have the bit in the second chorus where the drums are in one speaker and the rest in the other? I always thought that was an important part of the song. Where it goes from all dreamy and lovely to slightly sinister.

[Paaaaul]

^ Huh???

[lipsink]

I've just double checked in case I've gone mad.

In 'Strawberry Fields Forever' at the 2nd chorus just after 'Let me take you down' the guitar, keyboard, bass is taken out of the left speaker so it's just left with drums and vocals in the left speaker.

Combined with the fact that at the exact same point the recording was spliced together by George Martin with a different vocal take that has been slowed down. Resulting in Lennon's voice sounding suddenly deeper.

So, with the new mono mixes having everything in both speakers will the guitar, bass, keyboard still be in the left speaker after the 2nd chorus?

This effect was always intended to be in the song, was it not?