Completely depends on the album. I like the first 4 in mono but after that I go for the stereo versions although the mono Something Else & VGPS are just fine and I do listen to them occasionally.
I'm sorry. I thought the original post asked me which I preferred. I answered, and gave the reason. There is no debate
I have two ears, and when I go to a concert I don’t hear the drums solely through my left ear and the guitar solely through my right. Early stereo (particularly for UK acts) was often an abomination, particularly if you’re a headphone listener. Add to that the fact that early stereo mixes for important artists like The Beatles were often done without artistic oversight, and subsequently missing elements or having poor mixes with key elements buried, and this kind of absolutism just gets you a worse listening experience. Good Stereo Mix > Good Mono Mix >>>>> Bad Stereo Mix > Bad Mono Mix.
I also dont like single speaker sounds that often, and I concur that there are many UK examples indeed. Not to mention fake stereo.
Mono Collection (vinyl) currently $140.69 (AUD) on the Australian amazon! https://www.amazon.com/Mono-Collection-Limited-10-LP-Vinyl/dp/B01LA1YT68
Everything from 1964-1968 (mono) 1969 and after (stereo) Village Green is my favourite album of all time, but I cannot listen to the stereo mix for the life of me.
Have you heard the remixes in disc 3 of the recent Deluxe edition? Not the whole album, but very close, in a very good stereo. That said, the mono is still the definitive version.
Yes I have actually, when I want to listen to these tracks separately, I listen to the remix. I love the extended endings on many of the songs and the end note of Picture Book without all its reverb just sounds so odd. Pity, not all of the tracks were remixed and some were done without vocals. Some also had some out of sync instruments (particularly the title track). Cool to get remixes of the unreleased stuff of the time.
Up until VGPS, I prefer everything in mono. VGPS is a draw for me - I probably listen to the stereo more often, but both versions are excellent. However, up through and including VGPS, all of the singles are preferable in mono. ("Days" in its original stereo mix is a mess; thankfully it was finally mixed properly for stereo on the Anthology 1964-1971 box!) After that, it's stereo all the way, including the singles.
The answer is, it depends. I prefer VGPS and Arthur in stereo, but prefer most of the other albums from the 60s in mono.
The Kinks (aka Black Album) is a mono only compilation release of their singles from 1970 on pye. Great if you can find it. Even pye thought mono was preferable for their early releases!
Starting with Something Else on, stereo. Before that mono although with some of the stereo remixes of the Face to Face album you can put together a half way decent stereo version.
Apart from some weird vocal and harmonica panning, and YRGM in fake stereo (lots of reverb in one channel) I like the debut album in Stereo, it really sounds like you're in the studio listening to them. For the rest it's a song by song basis. This is all UK discography, unlike The Fabs and The Stones I have no idea about the U.S. albums for the Kinks.
I love when in the middle of Long Tall Shorty, the instruments and the vocals swap channels for no reason.
I love Arthur in mono. The stereo is okay but doesn't hold together as well as the mono. Am I really the only one?
I agree. I've always defended the stereo Kinks. I don't undestand why Face to Face and Something Else have such inferior stereo mixes to these. This thread might help The Kinks' American Albums
Ray Davies prefers them in mono. This is one band where there is a clear winner in mono. Arguably Village Green is where this consensus breaks down. Personally I prefer all in mono and the AAA boxset of vinyl is one of my most prized musical items.
Funny, I just listened to those two boxes last night. I also enjoy the Kinks in Mono box, although for the life of me I can't understand why they didn't include Mr. Pleasant.
I bought this (2019 Deluxe 2CD Mediabook). UK Import Double CD, Extra tracks, Deluxe Edition, B-sides included at Bullmoose. Kinks - Arthur Or The Decline & Fall Of The British Empire
Mono, up until Arthur, which has some songs work better in mono, and some song better in stereo. After that, all in Stereo.
It was released as a single in the US and mainland Europe but not in the UK. It was released in the UK six months later as the B-side to "Autumn Almanac". The song is now available as a bonus track to their album Face to Face, and an alternate version was also released as a bonus track on the 2011 deluxe reissue of Something Else by the Kinks.
