Beatles Mono VINYL box set (Part #16)

Ok, I am very mono White Album envious. That's the only new mono vinyl I don't have, and my wife's in no hurry to get me one. Should I be on any hurry at all? I can't help but a little crazy here.

 

Yes, hurry up & get the box set while they're still available, you won't regret it.

 

Look at it this way - an EX mono WA will cost you the best part of $500, if you can even find one. The reissue will cost you 1/10 of that. And its mint

 

Unless the total production numbers of the box sets were highly inflated (and why would any record company do that?), I think its safe to say that there are plenty of sets available and should be for a while. My guess is the prices will continue to fluctuate and probably will have a few significant drops until the supply gets down to a manageable level, say, 5000 units. Will the set drop below $250 again?... dunno, but that was my target and if the stock moves too slowly, sellers get nervous and folks can reap a good deal.

IIRC, 35-40,000 sets were produced (or at least expected to ship) and while the numbers aren't easy to find, I'd be surprised if sales have topped 25,000 units yet. That being said, the vinyl box as well as the individual titles are a 'gift' to all of us who have had to put up with less than pristine-sounding originals (or nothing at all). According to many reviews, the LP's rival and in some cases, surpass the SQ of all but the best original pressings and given the price of the original Parlophones, this set is a stone-cold bargain.

You can certainly hold off for a better price (Amazon has the set for $319 as of today's date) but don't let the opportunity to own a beautifully crafted and outstanding sounding collection pass you by or 5-10 years down the road, you'll be kicking yourself...hard!

 

When the blue boxes came out there was a black mono box. Later there was a red mono box. It is entirely possible I have the date wrong but I believed the black box came out when the blue box did (1978). Please correct me if you have better dates for these mono boxes.

 

It's really, really good. I've listened to it three or four times. Some songs may be better in stereo, but overall the mono is really cohesive and engaging.

 

The Blue Boxes (nothing special about the pressings, of course, just whatever was laying around in the warehouse at the time, so there were no 'blue box pressings') were available between 1978 and the late '80s (I bought one in 1978 and one in 1988, although I still saw them in the shops a couple of years after that). The black (and red, too) mono boxes were available from late '81 along with the separate mono albums. As with the Blue Boxes, they just contained the regular newly-issued pressings that were issued separately at the same time.

 

I bought an unplayed mono WA for £10 in 1982. A dealer had - God knows how - stumbled upon an unopened box of them. Fortunately, it was a dealer I got a lot of my boots from and he knew I'd want one, so he saved one for me. THAT is what I miss about not going to record fairs for the last twenty years. VERY good mates. It wasn't a particularly low numbered copy, but what the hell? £10........................

 

On my first trip to the UK in 1982, I was buying Fabs like crazy and I remember so well the Our Price shops and they had all the mono boxes broken down and sold individually so I bought them all that way, costing 3 quid each when the exchange rate was about 1.02 to a british pound. The White was like 5 quid. Got Yellow Sub mono for 3 as well Still have them all!

 

*Drops mic* This man gets it.

 

Do both of your Blue Boxes sound the same on any given pressing? I ask because I have a 1985 Pressing Blue Box.

 

Tbh, I've never detected any great difference; if it was pressings from 1971 and 1981, then there would be.

 

Over the past week I've given the entire box a second listen since buying (I still have yet to listen to the White Album, which I intend to do after posting).

Wow.

This has to be one of the most satisfying reissues on vinyl I've ever bought. Just fantastic sound quality, packaging, everything.

Going back over some of the complaints I have to think many people never had much opportunity to listen to original Parlophone monos. These sound awful damn close to the originals. So much so I don't have much desire for originals anymore, save winning big at Powerball and having money as no object.

Sure, Help! wasn't a stunner, but the original wasn't either. Please Please Me didn't slay me or anything, but it sounds good. Beatles For Sale on a 2014 mono reissue beats an original UK mono to my ears. I still prefer stereo, but this mono is a keeper.

The stunners for me were Magical Mystery Tour and Mono Masters. Those are both flat incredible. I have a UK '76 mono singles box I haven't listened to for quite a while. I'm sure those are mastered louder, but are they better than Mono Masters? I'm not so sure they will be.

And Magical Mystery Tour. Wow, again. I have an original US Capitol mono and the reissue blows it out of the water IMO.

Now on the issue of bass. I think a lot of complainers wanted lots more bass than ended up on these. If that's the case, they need stereo MFSLs from the circa 1980.
The bass on the reissues is true to originals and clean, as least as much as you can expect bass on 60s rock records to be clean.

This mono box constitutes one of the best reissue campaigns ever -- it was done right IMO.

I've been burned a number of times in the past 10 years or so with shididdly digital remixed reissues, I had the Beatles stereo USB and ended up thinking so what and selling it...etc., etc., disappointed again and again with subpar SQ.

I'm happy for once. They did a stellar job.

 

I just listened to it for the second time the day before yesterday and I was floored. I owned a UK original some years back (and got rid of it because I couldn't justify owning such an expensive piece when I never listened to it), I've owned a '82 UK mono and a '82 Japan red vinyl mono and eventually got rid of both because they just didn't 'do it' for me. I believe the 2014 mono I now have to be the best I've owned. No need for any other. It flat sounds great. If not better than the UK original, then it sure comes damn close to it. YMMV.

 

No, I totally agree with you. I bought a "New" White Album, exactly seven days ago at my local record shop. Variety Records, here in Tennessee. When I got home and put it on, I was also floored. I did some comparisons with a couple of UK stereo pressings I have, and there is no contest. Yer Blues was blasting with it's crunchy sizzling guitars, great organic bass, perfect dynamics, and clear realistic sustain on the cymbals and high end. John's soulful screaming vocals, F'n fabulous.

 

The rockers really benefit from the mono mix, that's for sure. I still like the stereo mix for the acoustic songs and the 'lighter' songs like Piggies or Cry Baby Cry, though I think I might prefer Good Night in mono. But yeah, Yer Blues slays in mono, I'm So Tired, Birthday...I'm pretty sure I prefer every rocker or slow tune that's full electric in mono.

 

Unplayed mono WA? Wow!! I didn't think they existed. Imagine what it would cost today...

 

Yes, I was very lucky as a teenager to bag an original EX+ mono copy of Pepper at a Car Boot Sale for £6 ($10)! (for our US friends a 'car boot sale' is a UK phenomenon, where folk park up in a field and literally sell stuff out of the boot of their car...)

Along with my Paul Simon Songbook original for 20p (also from a car boot sale), that has to be one of my greatest bargains ever! When I think of stuff I potentially passed on that I could have had for pennies back then, I hate to think...!

 

I agree. The Mono records sound really good. Now I want stereo too.

 

I think you could probably name your price. It's the only time I was collecting that I had a GENUINELY unplayed '60s Beatles vinyl pressing in my hands. The sleeve was white beyond belief, and when I opened the gatefold, it made THAT sound that only something that had never been opened before makes. Probably the best £10 I ever spent.

 

I've read through most of this (the world's longest) thread, and I hope people don't hesitate to buy the box set based on the debates regarding what are the best versions. I own some, and have heard many more, NM UK first pressings, and I prefer the new box set versions. My only complaint is that I had to return about 1/3 of the records to Amazon for replacement. It was worth every bit of hassle. Anyone who is on the fence with the box set would be crazy not to buy it while it's still at $300.00. There is a 0% chance that it will depreciate in value, and once you here it you won't consider selling it anyway. Best thing to happen to vinyl in ages.

 

Good lord that's embarrassing, I need to proofread my posts.

 

Well my box was there, but now it is here, where I can hear it. I'm certainly not going to there it anytime soon.

 

I hope they do the AAA stereo just for the sake of Abbey Road.

 

Two right.