Thoughts on Let it Bleed/BB mono mix.

Hi, I have been listening a lot to the mono versions of Let it Bleed and Beggars Banquet lately and compared with the stereo's. I must say that they do sound different than if you just do a normal folddown of the stereo versions. The instruments are balanced differently, more bass, different volume etc. but nothing dramatic, it just feels different...it got me thinking, if these mono folddowns are made from different stereo mixes. Wouldn't it be pretty logical that Jimmy Miller did a new stereo mix made for folddown mono, both foldowns do sound really nice, and to me it just makes more sense... what do you reckon?

 

I think LIB was determined to be NOT a folddown.

 

I was just listening to the mono Beggars Banquet this morning and it's just hard for me to believe that this is a fold-down ( except SFTD ). I know it's a topic that has been discussed at length but the mono version has such a great sound to it and sounds so different than my UK Decca stereo pressing. I hear different details on the mono release that I don't hear on the stereo release. As you point out it has such a different feel to it that it just amazing. The mono BB is the way to go and even though it's a fold-down and I'd love to see a reissue because the old Decca's are getting harder to find in NM condition. We were all talking about the mono RAM a while back and even though it's a dedicated mono mix I really don't hear that much difference between the stereo version. As a matter fact I like my original Apple stereo better. I'm in search mode for a mono Let It Bleed and have come across a few that I'm watching.

 

It was? By whom?

 

Consensus on this board in a previous thread. No idea on details but I read it when it was up.

 

The only "consensus" I recall from multiple discussions over the years is that LIB is a folddown albeit a folddown that works well. Are you sure that the consensus you're thinking of wasn't just a couple of people chiming in multiple times about their doubts that it is not a dedicated mix? Other than conjecture, has anyone provided any substantive evidence that it is a dedicated mix? On logic alone there is little reason to think that in 1969, they would have created dedicated mono mixes when they didn't do the same the previous year for Beggar's (except for Sympathy for the Devil). Is it possible that they did do a mono mix? I suppose, but it's not likely.

For the record, I think it's a just a nicely done folddown.

 

"Let it bleed" is 100 percent a fold-down and "Beggars Banquet" is all a fold-down EXCEPT for "Sympathy for the Devil", which IS a dedicated Mono mix.

 

Depending upon how it was mastered -- i.e. EQ, compression, etc -- the "sound" could be subtantially different...I mean, isn't mastering differences what a substantial portion of the discussions on this board are about?

 

You're right, BB is a fold-down except for SFTD but it's an awesome fold-down. I have a great Decca stereo copy but enjoy the mono. It gives the album a whole different feel which is really liked by most who own a mono copy.