Rolling Stones in Mono - 2016 - Content Discussion Only (Mixes, Tracks, etc.)*

I just received my vinyl box set. WOW, this is so much better than I was expecting.

The fold down of the top cover is the best I have seen on a box set. The vinyl is in my fav covers33 polylined cut off paper sleeves.

The pressings seem perfect. I am finding it hard to believe the vinyl was pressed at GZ media as its better than anything I have ever seen from them. They look more like Optimal.


well done. as Fremer says. I think these will now be my go to copies

 

Got my box last week... my head was spinning from reading all these posts... what's in, out, folded, dedicated... wow so much data (and I say that out of appreciation)
Anyway... from a layman's perspective.. all I've listened to so far is 'Flowers' and I was very impressed with the sound and the pressing (flat, clean and quiet). I do have an original US mono 'Flowers' but would have to dig it out to compare, but I am sure it will not be as quiet as the one from the box.

 

Listening to the mono Beggars Banquet. I'm having trouble believing this is actually the "correct" pitch. It seems less natural sounding at this faster speed. Perhaps the true pitch is somewhere in between.

 

I don't think so. If it's slower it's not very much slower.

 

Listening now to be my early seventies stereo UK and it's a bit flat. The mono sounds sharp to me. I think the true pitch is inbetween.

 

Your UK LP is sourced from an off-speed copy tape.

 

It sounds it. Were all the UKs?

 

As far as I know, everything was except certain US pressings.

 

In '68 when BB was recorded it's my understanding that the group's instruments were tuned to Concert Pitch. Richards had begun his lifelong love of open tunings - firstly E or D then later open G [often capoed at the fourth fret giving - in effect - open B tuning... see Happy, Tumbling Dice etc] but everything was tuned to concert pitch. So anybody with an instrument tuned to concert pitch and a half decent ear can establish whether or not a record has been produced at the pitch it was originally performed in. The original UK Beggars played slow as did the single '68 single [Jumpin' Jack Sprat]. So Sympathy - which was performed in the key of E [see One Plus One] plays back somewhere between Eb and E on everything it was issued on prior to 2002.

 

This is slightly off topic, but since all of the mix experts hang out here, were the-- I think 12 released in stereo--Chess Studio cuts mixed to stereo at the same time? I ask because some were released on 12x5 (6 by my math) then the rest spread out over subsequent releases, and I was not sure if the mixing approaches varied.

 

I believe they were only mixed to stereo and folded down for the mono releases.

 

Yes and thanks I agree completely based on all I've read, but without knowing how the band/producer did things, were all those recordings mixed roughly at the same time, or were the mixing sessions spread out as the non-12x5 songs were prepared for release over the subsequent few years; if I am reading it right: Now!, December's Children, Big Hits, not counting what I think is a demo on Metamorphosis. I'm more curious if they sound different if mixed at different times.

 

Not Luke, but...

1. Yes, except the 1964 Chess tracks, where the mono versions have always been folds of the stereo mixes. But most of the pre-Aftermath material is mono-only.
2. True stereo.

 

Yes. Though as I noted, because most of the pre-Aftermath material is mono-only anyway, you'll have a lot of repetition mix-wise on that material.

 

All dedicated. The original US LP used fold downs, but they have been replaced by the dedicated monos on the CD.

Same for Back Street Girl and Please Go Home on BTB (UK) and Flowers (US),

 

I'm nearly certain they were mixed in stereo at Chess, at the time of the sessions (June 1964 and November 1964), and then were folded to mono later as necessary.

 

Thanks @lukpac

 

Loving the Flowers mono, so much quieter and better than my old beat up copy!

 

Just got done with the vinyl box set. Beautiful set, no pressing problems, great sound.

 

The pressings are great. I'm making my way through the box and the sound is good and easy to listen to which often was not the case with the Stones. Everything kind of sounds the same on the records I've played which is interesting. Not a bad thing necessarily
for it makes an enjoyable listen.

 

When will the vinyl be sold individually?