Brian, Listen again. The backwards voices are most clearly evident right after the line "Well it only goes to show". For the album, I used to prefer the mono but now I'm not so sure, after listening to the stereo yesterday. It's nice to have both.
I'm not Brian, but I sure can't hear them, no matter how loud I crank it. As far as my ears are concerned, absolutely none of the backwards vocals/drums track appear in the mono mix.
My bad. I thought Brian meant he couldn't hear the backwards vocals in the stereo mix. For the record, I can't hear them in the mono mix either.
Perhaps what that website is saying might just be poorly worded. I'm thinking they might mean: "The stereo mix includes a backing vocal track (mixed in the centre) that is used far less in the mono mix. The stereo mix also features the vocal track reversed at various points of the song, starting after the first line of the first verse. There are no backing vocals at all on the mono mix until the second chorus". Actually, the lead vocal is also reversed on the stereo, not just the background vocals (it sounds to me like the entire track is reversed - perhaps the finished mono mix!).
I had the mono version first which was ok until I got a cassette version in Italy. This copy was the German stereo version and it was quite revelatory. When I got back in the states I found the German vinyl pressing and this is my "goto" version.
It's close and I enjoy both, but I'll go with stereo. I guess it is because I grew up with the 1987 CD and don't like some of the differences in mono.
But even in the mono version, there is a real discontinuity when the 2 different takes are joined at the 1 min mark - not as marked as the stereo version, but still noticeable. Just listen to the drums, there is a totally different acoustic which is still very distracting. But agree, mono is preferred. BTW - still my favourite Beatles track, love this song, shame that they couldn't get it all done it one take.
MONO for the most part, especially the side 2 songs. The stereo mix of Baby You're a Rich Man just sounds totally wrong without those twangy bits at the end of each line. All You Need Is Love sounds anemic.
No, I was replying to the thread which stated "hardly used" for the mono mix when it sounds like it wasn't used at all.
I like both versions but I prefer the mono version of "Penny Lane". McCartney's vocal seems to be overwhelmed by too much backing detail in the stereo version. The opposite occurs in "Baby You're a Rich Man" where that peculiar (keyboard?) instrument is almost totally lost in the stereo mix.
Stereo. Can't stand "Your Mother Should Know" in mono (the phasing makes it sound like a mangled tape), and then there's the missing backwards stuff in "Blue Jay Way"... apart from that, it just sounds so glorious in stereo...!
Slightly confused, you had stated apart from that (two issues you mentioned) you prefer the stereo, but the issues mentioned had nothing to do with the stereo mix....
So far, I have compared only a few tracks. After a careful listening and A-B comparison, the following are my prferred mix. I Am the Walrus (stereo) - This is the kind of song that should only be heard in stereo. Strawberry Fields Forever (mono) - The mono version sounds more magical. A Fool On the Hill (mono) - This song has started to bore me until I heard the louder piano sound on the mono mix.
I have a GER stereo HorZu, copies of the mono and stereo UK EP set and a US Capitol mono LP. I listen to and like both mono and stereo mixes, but I seem to always gravitate back to the HorZu. There's just something about it... Dale
Bad phrasing on my part; I meant in addition to the those reasons for preferring the stereo, it just sounds so wonderful! The most colourful collection of tracks the Beatles ever did.
Sgt Pepper is wonderful in mono but I just don't understand how some people can prefer MMT in mono? The most dramatic upgrade in my life was when I bought the Horzu vinyl in the late 1970's. The 2009 mono cd just seems like a step backward ....flat sounding without that magical separation of the music that fills the room in stereo. Worst yet, try listening with headphones to the mono ......
I have two ears which enjoy to hear different things - so I go for the stereo. Also the mono sounds like a faulty fold down from stereo sometimes with very ugly phasing here and there.
