Which beatles albums are better in mono and which ones in stereo

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Shady24, Mar 31, 2017.

  1. Shady24

    Shady24 New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Perú
    Hi, Is my first post so, wich beatles album are better in stereo and in mono?
    I wanted to download but it but there is a lot of dispute between mono or stereo
     
  2. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    This is such a loaded question and any answer is simply one person's opinion. Overall, I prefer TRUE stereo separation to mono but the Beatle albums which excel in mono above their stereo counterparts are Please, Please Me and Rubber Soul and, until it hopefully gets a stereo remix someday, Revolver. That's about it as far as "better". Others in which one is at least as good as the other for different reasons are With The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper and The White Album. Those which I feel are definitively better in stereo are A Hard Day's Night, Beatles For Sale (much brighter and richer in stereo, to my ears), Help! (same reasons) and most of all, Magical Mystery Tour.
     
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  3. Bingo Bongo

    Bingo Bongo Music gives me Eargasms

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    I "even prefer" the early 2 track stereo to the mono. As long as I'm sitting in my sweet spot between both speakers, I get lost in the music, and don't sweat it!
     
  4. Merrick

    Merrick The return of the Thin White Duke

    Location:
    Portland
    Personally I prefer the mono from Please Please Me through Magical Mystery Tour, then stereo for The White Album.
     
    Artdob, mschrist, Casino and 14 others like this.
  5. Daniel Plainview

    Daniel Plainview God's Lonely Man

  6. noahjld

    noahjld Der Wixxer

    Whichever sounds the best to YOU, and YOU alone, on your music system.
     
  7. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    It can't be said any better than that.
     
  8. Gaslight

    Gaslight ⎧⚍⎫⚑

    Location:
    Northeast USA
  9. All mono except stereo for Beatles for Sale, Help! Revolver, Pepper and on. Pepper and the White album are cool in Mono as an alternative experience, but I prefer them both in stereo, despite what they say about the Beatles preferring the mono version.
     
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  10. royzak2000

    royzak2000 Senior Member

    Location:
    London,England
    So go out and buy a mono and stereo of each album cool.
     
  11. EdogawaRampo

    EdogawaRampo Senior Member

    The question gets muddied when mastering, pressing and other SQ considerations come in to play. Please Please Me is an excellent example of the problem. Considering the wide-stereo, two track stereo mix of the music, many listeners, maybe even most, will prefer the mono for its cohesion. Till you hear the German HorZu stereo press. Then all bets are off. That's my go-to for PPM and I'm pretty sure it always will be.

    Rubber Soul is one for which preference for mono is less debatable and one for which mono is the choice for the overwhelming majority. Myself included. Yet I still find myself listening to and liking the stereo mix sometimes -- not for the messed up separation, but for the life and clarity, the extra air you get in the stereo mix and the way the acoustic guitars sound.

    I think similar debates can be had for most Beatles albums. Sometimes I think it makes more sense (this is the obsessive position) to make track-by-track choices. Take the White Album for example. I always find myself thinking the loud rockers sound better in mono and the acoustic mid-tempo numbers sound better in stereo.

    I read somewhere that either the Brazilian or the Argentinian mono issue of the Hey Jude LP actually used mono single mixes and wasn't a fold-down from stereo as was typical for many South American issues. How's that for muddying the debate? I'd love to hear it, though I realise you can now make your own, probably superior version using the 2014 Past Masters as a source...

    So which is better, mono or stereo? The obsessives can't really decide and usually have ended up with both.
     
  12. Izozeles

    Izozeles Pushing my limits

    I don't have an opinion for their full catalog, so I can only recommend for what it's crystal clear for my taste: mono for PPM, Revolver and Pepper. I remain undecided for the rest.
     
  13. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    I prefer the mono Abbey Road... ;)
     
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  14. Bingo Bongo

    Bingo Bongo Music gives me Eargasms

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    I will never, ever, ever get over the fact that Ringo "does not" scream I've Got Blisters On My Fingers, on the mono.... :sigh:
     
  15. Clonesteak

    Clonesteak Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kalamazoo, MI
    Please Please Me: Mono
    With The Beatles: Mono
    A Hard Days Night: Both maybe Stereo
    Beatles For Sale: Stereo
    Help!: Original 65 Stereo
    Rubber Soul: Mono
    Revolver: Mono
    Sgt. Pepper: Both maybe Mono
    Magical Mystery Tour: Stereo
    Yellow Sub: Mono
    White Album: Stereo
    Let It Be: Stereo
    Abbey Road: Stereo

    My preferences for best listening and mix experience.
     
  16. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Ringo played a lot harder on the stereo version of "Helter Skelter"... ;)
     
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  17. broshfab4

    broshfab4 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Long Island, NY
    Pepper in MONO. How it was intended to be heard!
     
  18. Clonesteak

    Clonesteak Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kalamazoo, MI
    Next thread should be which Beatles songs sound better in Mono or Stereo?
    :ignore:
     
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  19. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    everything is better in stereo, IMHO.
     
  20. Better in stereo - all

    Better in mono - none
     
  21. zambon12

    zambon12 Active Member

    Location:
    South America
    My favorite Beatles albums are:

    Please Please Me: Mono
    With The Beatles: Mono
    A Hard Days Night: Mono
    Help!: Mono
    Revolver: Mono
    Abbey Road: Stereo

    Well, mono are the only way to appreciate the 60s records, with rare exceptions
     
  22. dbacon

    dbacon Forum Resident

    PPM mono
    WTB mono
    Beatles Second Album stereo (yeah with reverb)
    AHDN stereo
    BFS stereo
    Help! '65 stereo
    RS '65 stereo (I know, I know)
    Revolver mono
    Pepper mono
    MMT stereo
    YS ...I'll go with songtrack remixes
    White Album stereo (but mono is fun)
     
    quicksrt likes this.
  23. Roland Stone

    Roland Stone Offending Member

    Mono across the board. The mono CDs were a revelation. Everything locks into place with the correct weight and balance. Most importantly, the rhythm section has the propulsion of real rock and roll.

    Having acclimated to the mono, the stereo versions come across as a little off, with elements improperly highlighted or isolated by the stereo mix, especially the vocal blends and their balance with the music.
     
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2017
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  24. DK Pete

    DK Pete Forum Resident

    Location:
    Levittown. NY
    We almost totally agree...almost..sort of.
     
    Mazzy likes this.
  25. noahjld

    noahjld Der Wixxer

    I do appreciate it may be difficult to listen/compare the mono and stereo versions.
     
    john morris likes this.

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