The Beatles: The Original Studio Recordings

The following review, which has not been altered, was originally posted as a review for the Beatles Mono Box Set, but is also applicable to the Beatles Stereo Box Set.I held off completing and submitting this review until I had ample opportunity to listen to each of the newly re-mastered Beatles CDs, both in Mono and in Stereo, as well as to revisit many of the original 1987 Beatles CDs. I have now done so. Although I own many of the original LPs, I have not yet compared those. All listening was done on an excellent, but not quite audiophile (but very close!), stereo system.Like many of you reading this, I debated over which set - Mono or Stereo --- to purchase. I ultimately purchased and received first pressings of both sets. So what's the scoop? Here is a comprehensive - but lengthy - analysis.First, its all about the music -- really the best thing about these releases is that it reintroduces the wonderful music created by the Beatles into the popular culture. Love them or hate them, it is undeniable: The Beatles were a unique musical phenomenon and wrote and performed some of the best and likely longest lasting music of the Twentieth Century. In addition to the quality of the music, the Beatles were incredibly prolific: from 1962 through 1970 (a period of roughly seven years) they recorded an incredible twelve (12) UK albums, (albeit short albums by today's standards) plus Magical Mystery Tour and a couple of CDs worth of singles that did not appear on the UK albums (but which are collected on the Past Masters and Mono Masters collections, included in the new box sets). Unlike most popular music of the last fifty years, the music of the Beatles will likely still be played not just throughout the Twenty-First Century, but also in the Twenty-Second. The Beatles are the Beethoven of our lifetime. Teenage children of women that I date currently have Beatles posters on their walls -- forty (40) years after the Beatles (collectively) last recorded a record. That is amazing. The continued popularity of the Beatles is evidenced by the fact that the first pressings of both the stereo box and the "limited edition" mono box of re-mastered CDs immediately sold out upon - or before -- release.Second, chronologically listening through the entire Beatles catalogue gives one a sense of the development of the Beatles as a group and of the individual members. It certainly has been a labor of love (albeit somewhat time consuming!) The early Beatles, as a pure rock outfit, were clearly led by John Lennon, who sings lead on most of the early tracks. As time went on, John became the most experimental of the four in his songwriting and in the studio, and Paul emerged as the primary hit maker in the band, and, over time, composed more of the band's material than he had in the early years.Third, the 1987 Beatles CDs have been unfairly maligned in the reviews on this site and elsewhere. I have re-listened to quite a few of them and - as stand-alone CDs -- they sound just fine. The problem with those CDs is that - like most CDs of that era -- they are a bit shrill on the high end, and lack the warmth of analogue LPs. Moreover, they do not offer the clarity, detail and bass response offered by the new re-masters. Having said that, if your purpose is to listen to this music in MP3 format, through ear buds, or through tiny speakers, the old CDs will serve you just fine.Fourth, the new CDs offer sound that runs the gamut from just a marginal improvement (some of the tracks on the earlier albums) to a dramatic improvement (especially for the later albums, starting with Revolver) over the older CDs. OVERALL, the new CDs, both mono and stereo, offer much greater clarity and detail than do the old CDs, and the sound is warmer (especially the mono CDs) than the old CDs. Moreover, the new CDs have greater bass response (especially the stereo CDs). Overall, the deeper (chronologically later) into the catalogue that you go, the greater the sonic improvements. The vocals, Paul McCartney's terrific bass lines and Ringo Starr's steady drums - on most of the songs -- are now oh so clear. You will (especially on some of the mono tracks) hear or notice things you never heard or noticed before. The sound quality of these CDs is not, however, quite at the level of the SACD releases offered for Bob Dylan, the Moody Blues and the Rolling Stones, respectively. In particular, SOME of the tracks on the mono CDs lack definition, particularly in the midrange. These are, however, much improved CDs that are incredibly faithful to the original music. Here, the engineers - commendably -- did not succumb to the "loudness war" so prevalent in CD re-mastering since the advent of the IPOD. With respect to the mono set, there has reportedly been no compression whatsoever. The CDs are actually lower in volume than the 1987 discs. They have a warmer sound that one associates with LPs. With respect to the stereo CDs, there has reportedly been only minimal compression added, and the fine sound reflects that. Only Abbey Road struck me as being somewhat louder. Lastly, the CDs have not been remixed. Although the remixed 1999 Yellow Submarine CD (which I have not heard) and the remixed 2006 Love CD (which I have heard and is fantastic) have been well received, I think that the fact that these new CDs were not remixed is a good thing, as what we getting here are better sounding versions of the original releases, not new (changed) versions of the music (although the mono versions will be a revelation to many). To me, remixing classic music has been hit or miss. I love the remixes of the Doors CDs, but am less than pleased with the remixes of the Genesis CDs, which, in addition to being remixed, are overly compressed. That is not the case here.Fifth, with respect to the present mono v. stereo debate, I would suggest that a purchase of either set, or any of the individual CDs, would be satisfying. The preferred version depends on the song and/or the CD in question, as well the listener's tastes. If I HAD to choose one box set, it would be the mono. The mono CDs are better packaged (see below), are warmer sounding, in some cases offer unique mixes and are more engaging. Having said that, to my ears, OVERALL the stereo CDs do SOUND better than the mono CDs. They offer greater clarity and are brighter, without being overly harsh the way the older CDs were. That makes sense - the intent was to create a better sounding uniform Beatles catalog, and that is the stereo version. Moreover, the stereo box set includes ALL of the Beatles original catalogue, including Yellow Submarine, Let it Be and IMO the Beatles' finest album, Abbey Road, each of which are not included in the mono box set, as they were not originally mixed in mono. [Note: Yellow Submarine only contains four "new" Beatles songs, which are included in the mono set on the Mono Masters collection.] Further, as of this writing, each stereo CD contains a video component, which are collected on a separate DVD included in the stereo package, concerning the making of each album.Nevertheless, for many of the CDs or for specific songs, the mono versions are indeed superior. To my ears, and this is consistent with other reviews listed here, of the ten Beatles albums included in the mono CD box set (not counting the Mono Masters collection), five are (overall) preferable to their stereo counterparts: Please Please Me, With The Beatles, Help, Rubber Soul and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. For me, the mono White Album also comes close. As many reviewers have noted, Please Please Me, With The Beatles, and to a slightly lesser extent, Help and Rubber Soul, are all superior in mono, in large part because the mono versions do not have the left-right issue (all vocals on one channel and all instruments on the other channel) and the latter two CDs also offer the original stereo mix (George Martin remixed Help and Rubber Soul for the 1987 CD releases, and a re-mastering of each of those versions is what is included on the new stereo CDs). As many reviewers have correctly noted, the mono versions offer more punch than the stereo versions. For the early albums especially, the sound is akin to a live rock performance. Further, SOME of the mono versions are a revelation. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band -- which is incredible in its new stereo incarnation - is MINDBLOWING (and very different than the stereo version) in mono. This one CD - which I had once thought was over-rated (silly me) -- practically justifies, in and of itself, the higher price of the mono set. It is undoubtedly the crown jewel of the mono box set and if that box set does go out of print there will be - at a minimum -- tremendous demand for the release of the mono Sgt. Pepper's. Further, the mono White Album, which had never before been released in the U.S., is so very different - and some of the tracks reveal so many different layers -- than the stereo version! Here are some other examples. For me, "Yesterday" (which appears on Help) in mono just sent chills down my spine. I did not experience that in the stereo version. Similarly "Nowhere Man" (which appears on Rubber Soul) is just stunning in mono. On the other hand, to me, John's breathy "Girl" (also on Rubber Soul) sounds better in stereo, as, being on one channel, the distinctive vocals are clearer, and George Harrison's instrumental break (with a call and response guitar line) is more engaging. As aforesaid, in many cases it simply depends on the particular album or song, and the listener's tastes.Sixth, the packaging for both the mono CD box and the stereo CD box is gorgeous. As is well known, the re-mastered mono CDs are not (currently) available individually and are only offered in the purportedly "limited edition" box manufactured in Japan, which has a stellar reputation for production of outstanding sounding CDs with packaging that is faithful to the original LPs. (The packaging for this set reminds me of the recently released and excellent Led Zeppelin Japanese made box, which I also reviewed here). The box itself, which will fit nicely on most CD racks, is constructed of a hard cardboard material and is coated with a white sort of laminate, with very simple and tasteful title graphics and the familiar green apple. Each individual CD package and CD is an exact replica of the original UK mono LP release (except for Magical Mystery Tour, which is a replica of the US mono release), down to including all of the original inserts. Like all Japanese made CDs, each album is housed in a re-sealable cellophane envelope (there is no OBI strip, however). As advertised, this set was clearly designed with the collector in mind. The stereo box is made here in the USA. It is larger than the mono box (about the size of a shoe box, similar to the two Grateful Dead box sets of their [mostly] studio albums). Like the mono box, the stereo box has a sort of laminate, this time in black, with tasteful graphics and the familiar green apple. The box closes with a hidden magnet, like, for those who are familiar with it, the Phish box set Hampton Comes Alive. The box itself is housed in a (temporary?) cardboard sleeve. Each individual CD is housed in a digipak which contains a nice booklet, printed on glossy paper stock, which contains the original liner notes (if any) of the album along with recording notes and very nice pictures of the fab four. The White Album is nicely housed in a slip case with the embossed: "The Beatles." As other reviewers have noted, the stereo CD digipaks house the CDs in a slip with no protective sleeve. Why didn't designers of the packaging include a CD holder, like the Bob Dylan re-masters? Nevertheless, the cardboard stock of the digipak is study enough so that the package can be propped open (without damaging the packaging) to permit safe removal of the CD, although you may have to touch the edge of the CD to do so (possibly leaving fingerprints). I suspect that the digipaks will soon be history and will be replaced with more conventional (and horrid) jewel boxes, which would at least more safely store the CDs. (Collectors note: the original pressing of the Magical Mystery Tour stereo CD label has a misprint re: the Let It Be documentary video being on the disc. That misprint is reportedly being corrected for future pressings of the CD).Lastly, a word about the pricing. The box sets ARE expensive. In spite of this, demand has clearly - for now - exceeded supply. All box sets tend to be expensive, and with respect to Japanese made mini-LPs, these are often very expensive. The "Japanese" mono box, which likely contains the very same CDs as the Japanese made CDs contained in the "limited edition" mono box sold in the US, costs approximately, or more than, twice as much. If money is an issue, you can avoid the box sets and focus on the following (listed chronologically): Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Peppers, The Beatles (the "White Album") and Abbey Road, each of which is amongst the very best rock albums ever made, and the very fine stereo re-master of each is readily available at a reasonable price. If you want to experience the early Beatles, the 1987 CDs of the Beatles first four UK albums, Please Please Me, With The Beatles, A Hard Day's Night and Beatles For Sale, all in mono, are likely [for now] still available. You can add the new stereo versions of Help, Past Masters, Magical Mystery Tour, Let It Be [or even better, Let It Be . . . Naked] and Yellow Submarine, in that order, as funds allow.So what's my recommendation? That depends on who you are (and what your budget is). If money is an issue, see the previous paragraph. If you already own any or all of the 1987 CDs, and plan on only listening on ear buds or a less than high quality system, save your money and stick with those, and supplement your collection as necessary with the individually available stereo CDs. If you want the absolute BEST possible sound now available on CD, overall the stereo CDs are the way to go, and they are and will be readily available (although the first pressing of the box set is currently sold out, the second pressing is available by pre-order). If you want to experience the Beatles as it is reported that they originally intended, if you want to hear different mixes (often revelatory and in many cases superior), if you are a completest and/or if you want collectable facsimiles of the original UK LPs, pick up the "limited" mono box set., which, at the time of this writing, is once again available by pre-order (for the second pressing). As aforesaid -- and this is a personal choice -- if I had to choose just ONE set, I'd go with the mono set, and I would supplement it with the new stereo Abbey Road and the previously released Let It Be . . . Naked. Whether the mono re-mastered box will be available beyond the purported "second pressing" is, at the time of this writing, unknown and the subject of much speculation. If, however, the mono box is history, then the stereo re-masters are terrific.ADDENDUM: The only additions/modifications to the foregoing review that I would now offer are the following: (1) I believe that most or all the stereo CDs (not just Abbey Road) are a bit louder than the earlier versions of same; (2) I acknowledge that those who submit that the stereo CDs should have been remixed (like the 1999 Yellow Submarine disc, which I have now listened to) have a legitimate point, although I still stand by what is expressed above; and (3) No offense is meant towards those who utilize MP3 players, indeed those who download the CDs utilizing a higher bit rate (256 or Apple Lossless) should notice a difference (overall) between the old and the new CDs. Whether that difference justifies the new purchase is an individual decision.Happy listening!

This review also applies to The Beatles Mono Box Set.It took 22 years, but with the newly remastered stereo and mono box sets, The Beatles' music finally gets the treatment it deserves! Kudos to the EMI Abbey Road team for doing a terrific job with the remastering.I'll try not to duplicate what others have written, but here is my review of the remasters, based on a disc-by-disc comparison that I did against the original 1987 CDs a couple of months ago:PLEASE PLEASE ME, WITH THE BEATLES, A HARD DAY'S NIGHT, BEATLES FOR SALE: These first four albums were originally issued as mono CDs back in 1987, though many of the stereo mixes later appeared on the Capitol Albums box sets and other compilations. Actually, only four songs make their global CD stereo debut here: "Misery" and "There's a Place" from PLEASE PLEASE ME, and "I Should Have Known Better" and "You Can't Do That" from A HARD DAY'S NIGHT. George Martin did not want the twin-track mixes of the first two albums issued on CD, and insisted that the mono versions be used; for the second two albums, recorded on 4-track tape, Martin wanted to remix those two for CD, but was informed by EMI that it was too close to the release date deadline, so four mono CDs were released in 1987. There is not a whole lot of difference between the 1987 and 2009 mono versions, though the new ones are cleaner and less muddy. The stereo versions, however, blow both mono sets out of the water, as far as I am concerned. NOTE: The "fake stereo" versions of "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You," which were issued on the original stereo vinyl album, were replaced with the standard mono versions on the new PLEASE PLEASE ME CD. For those who must have the fake stereos, they are available on THE EARLY BEATLES CD, included in THE CAPITOL ALBUMS, VOL. 2 box set. NOTE: The 2014 reissue of THE EARLY BEATLES (available separately, and included in the new THE U.S. ALBUMS box set) has the true mono mixes of the songs, just like the 2009 versions of PLEASE PLEASE ME.HELP!, RUBBER SOUL: Because he was not satisfied with the original 1965 stereo mixes, George Martin did remixes of these two albums for their 1987 CD release. The remastered stereo CDs use these remixes, and while they sound considerably better in 2009, my preference is for the original 1965 stereo mixes, which appear alongside the mono mixes in the mono box set. The monos are good as well - in fact, they sound better than the 1987 stereo CDs, though not as good as the 2009 stereo versions. American listeners may find the mono mixes to the soundtrack (first) half of HELP! a little strange-sounding. This is because the mono version of the Capitol album (available on THE CAPITOL ALBUMS, VOL. 2) is a "fold-down" of the stereo mix - that is, the two channels of the stereo master tape are combined onto one track during the disc-cutting stage. UPDATE: The 2014 reissue of the Capitol HELP! ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK CD has both the original U.K. mono mixes and the 1987 stereo remixes.REVOLVER: My favorite Beatle album (next to ABBEY ROAD). Both the mono and stereo versions of the new CDs are far superior to the 1987 stereo version. Save for "Yellow Submarine" and "Eleanor Rigby," which have appeared in mono on CD singles, the mono mix of REVOLVER makes its global CD debut in 2009. It's a shame that American fans were denied the full 14-song version of this album until vinyl imports became available in the late 1970s; three of John Lennon's best numbers ("I'm Only Sleeping," "Doctor Robert," and "And Your Bird Can Sing") were issued on the "YESTERDAY"...AND TODAY album in America, leaving the U.S. version of REVOLVER with just 11 songs. Both of the latter two titles were released on CD in 2014, as part of THE U.S. ALBUMS box set, and as individual CDs.SGT. PEPPER: A magnificent album, in both stereo and mono, and again far superior to the 1987 CD. Although I generally prefer the stereo release, the mono version has its virtues as well, particularly on "She's Leaving Home," which is at its original speed on the stereo version, but sped up in mono to make Paul sound younger (per Bruce Spizer). Also, the laughter at the end of "Within You Without You" and Paul's scat vocal at the end of the "Sgt. Pepper" reprise are much louder in mono.MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR: Because the original six-song double EP (released in CD format in 1992 as part of the COMPACT DISC EP COLLECTION) was not viable in the U.S. market in 1967, Capitol Records added the group's five 1967 single releases to create an 11-song LP, which was ultimately released in the UK in 1976. The newly remastered stereo CD, like its 1987 predecessor, is based on the 1971 German LP issue, which contained all 11 songs in full glorious stereo. The original Capitol album had the last 3 tracks in simulated Duophonic stereo, as well as different (earlier) mixes of "I Am the Walrus" and "Strawberry Fields Forever." Strangely, when Parlophone issued the album in the UK in the 1970s, the cassette version (Parlophone TC-PCS 3077) used the all-stereo German master, but the vinyl (Parlophone PCTC 255) reverted back to the original Capitol version with the Duophonic mixes. The remastered stereo CD is the clear winner here. Although all of the mono mixes have been issued on the EP and SINGLES COLLECTION CD box sets, this is the first time that the actual mono album has been issued since Capitol deleted it in early 1968 (and, according to Beatles historian Bruce Spizer, the surplus mono albums were sent to Brazil, of all places).THE BEATLES (THE WHITE ALBUM): Of all of the remastered albums, the White Album is the most significantly improved. The original 1987 CD was flat and lifeless and had three indexing errors: when the songs "Wild Honey Pie," "Rocky Raccoon," and "Cry Baby Cry" were programmed to play by themselves, the intros of the next three songs (respectively, "Bungalow Bill," "Don't Pass Me By," and "Revolution 9") are heard as well. These errors have been corrected on the new remastered CD, and the entire album sounds fantastic. The mono version is also quite interesting because it was not originally issued in America, although the mono versions of two songs ("Helter Skelter" and "Don't Pass Me By") were issued on the Capitol RARITIES album in 1980. While the mono version is fascinating, the stereo is much better.YELLOW SUBMARINE: This is the original soundtrack album, with six Beatle songs on the first half and the seven-song George Martin film score on the second half. On the original LP, "Only A Northern Song" was mixed only in mono because of technical limitations at the time; a fake stereo version appears on that LP and the original 1987 CD, but the previously unissued mono mix appears on the new CD. The mono UK release of the YELLOW SUBMARINE album was a "fold-down" version of the stereo. Although Martin's score sounds magnificent, as does the rest of the remastered CD, listeners who purchase the CDs individually are advised to purchase 1999's YELLOW SUBMARINE SONGTRACK, which contains 15 remixed versions of the Beatle songs in the film, including the first-ever true stereo mix of the "Only a Northern Song" master. An alternate stereo take of that song appears on the ANTHOLOGY 2 album from 1996.ABBEY ROAD: The Beatles' recording swan song (though the next-to-last release, and, if you count the HEY JUDE LP, the third-from-the-last release in America). My favorite album (George Martin's too), and a magnificent presentation that is leaps and bounds over its 1987 CD predecessor. One minor beef: at the end of Side One of the vinyl LP, the song "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" has a closing instrumental riff that abruptly cuts off, creating a dramatic effect. On the original CD, "Here Comes the Sun" begins just a few seconds later and this effect is lost. On the remastered CD, there is only a one-second break between the tracks. It's too bad that the engineers didn't add a one-minute band of silence between the two songs, which would have restored the original effect.LET IT BE: This is the much-criticized Phil Spector "reproduction" from 1970, and the sound quality of the remaster compares favorably to the 2003 release, LET IT BE...NAKED. Though NAKED is the better version, the lack of quality is not all "Crazy Phil's" fault; the songs themselves were not up to normal Beatles standards, probably because the group was not getting on well at the time. Actually, I prefer Phil's mix of the title song. The group wisely reunited later in the year to record ABBEY ROAD; they obviously wanted to finish out on a positive note, and certainly did.PAST MASTERS/MONO MASTERS: Originally issued as two separate CDs (VOLUME ONE and VOLUME TWO) in 1988, the two PAST MASTERS discs have been combined into one set for this remastered CD release. All 33 of the group's original non-LP tracks are collected here, and four songs that were issued in mono on the 1988 version are in wonderful stereo here - "From Me to You," "Thank You Girl," "Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand," and "Sie Liebt Dich." The sound quality on all of the other tracks is a significant improvement over the earlier version, as well. Interestingly, "Thank You Girl" appears in its original stereo mix for the first time (at its natural speed and without the echo effects that appeared on THE BEATLES' SECOND ALBUM version). Disc one of MONO MASTERS (included in the mono box set) has the same tracks as PAST MASTERS, but all in mono; disc two is similar, but replaces "The Ballad of John and Yoko," "Old Brown Shoe," and the single version of "Let It Be," which were only mixed in stereo, with the mono mixes of four songs from the YELLOW SUBMARINE album - "Only A Northern Song" (also found on the remastered YS CD), "All Together Now," "Hey Bulldog," and "It's All Too Much" (unique to this compilation). These mono mixes were intended for a YELLOW SUBMARINE EP that was prepared in March 1969, but never released. The mono mix of "Across the Universe" originally donated to the World Wildlife Fund, was also intended for that EP; it follows the mono UK single versions of "Get Back" and "Don't Let Me Down" on this CD. A stereo mix of "Universe" with bird sound effects was prepared for NO ONE'S GONNA CHANGE OUR WORLD, the World Wildlife Fund charity album, in late 1969. Interestingly, these same bird sound effects (at the beginning and end of this song) are also on the mono version. NOTE: Because no stereo mixes exist for "Love Me Do (Original Single Version)," "She Loves You," "I'll Get You," and "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)," those four songs appear in mono on both PAST MASTERS and MONO MASTERS. (Although a reedited and extended stereo mix of "YKMN (LUTN)" was prepared for ANTHOLOGY 2 in 1996, the original has only been issued in mono).The stereo CDs are packaged in digipaks with expanded booklets with original liner notes and new historical and recording notes. A modified version of the 1987 SGT. PEPPER booklet is included, as well as the complete MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR booklet. The YELLOW SUBMARINE booklet has the U.S. Dan Davis liner notes, as well as the U.K. Tony Palmer/Derek Taylor notes. The mono box set, manufactured in Japan, has the CDs packaged in mini-LP sleeves with resealable outer sleeves, complete with the original inner sleeve LP dust jackets, static-free rice paper sleeves for each CD, and such amenities as the MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR booklet with the Capitol logo, and the SGT. PEPPER cutouts.Each CD has its proper period label: the gold-and-black Parlophone label for PLEASE PLEASE ME, yellow-and-black Parlophone labels from WITH THE BEATLES to SGT. PEPPER; the original Capitol rainbow label for MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR; and green Apple labels for the last four albums. PAST MASTERS and MONO MASTERS have the yellow-and-black Parlophone label on disc 1, and the Apple label on disc 2. The Mini-Documentaries DVD (included with the stereo box set) has a red Apple label. The mini-docs (also included as QuickTime files on the individual stereo CDs) don't have a lot of new material, but are a nice touch nonetheless.If you can only afford one set, get the stereo box, but if you can afford it, get the mono box set too, as well as the Capitol Albums sets, YELLOW SUBMARINE SONGTRACK, LET IT BE...NAKED, and LOVE.As they say in "Mr. Kite," a splendid time is guaranteed for all.