1. Mono box set

2. Abbey Road

3. Let It Be

4. Yellow Submarine

5. Past Masters


All available on amazon w/ reduced prices and free shipping.

Hm, 180$ is not that much compared to the 188€ I have to pay here. Now I'm thinking of ordering the stereo box in the USA...

I hope they keep the prices down because I won't be able to order before sunday.

"Hm, 180$ is not that much compared to the 188€ I have to pay here. Now I'm thinking of ordering the stereo box in the USA...

I hope they keep the prices down because I won't be able to order before sunday."

If you make your own import from US to EU via Amazon , you better take care of the TAXMAN ! But if you live in EU you can still save
money ( that`s what I want ) buying fx from amazon UK .


"What Beatles remas you getting" : For me Remasters will do it !

Ups

Guess they`re all remastered ( except Anthology ) , I meant Past Masters offcourse . The black & white now together in one edition .

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ComeOn
If you make your own import from US to EU via Amazon , you better take care of the TAXMAN ! But if you live in EU you can still save money ( that`s what I want cool smiley ) buying fx from amazon UK .

Yes, it totally depends on the country you live in. I have just spent a nifty half hour clicking my way through official tax-related webpages.
But now I know that in Germany you don't have to pay taxes if the imported article is worth less than 150€. So, no problem here. 180 US dollars are about 123 euros at the moment. The UK price is a good deal higher in comparison.

(maybe this information will prove useful to someone else besides me)

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Hairball
1. Mono box set

2. Abbey Road

3. Let It Be

4. Yellow Submarine

5. Past Masters


All available on amazon w/ reduced prices and free shipping.

Be aware that the Mono Masters disc in the Mono box contains the 4 original songs from Yellow Submarine (in mono)


I recommend that stereo White Album...sounds incredbible!

neither...

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Justin
Which set should I get: STEREO OR MONO????

It's a tough call. The mono is definitely "cooler" because you'll hear things in those mixes that you never heard before, but it's also more expensive, harder to find, and incomplete. You'll STILL have to buy some additional stuff if you want ALL the newly remastered tracks.

White Album
Abbey Road
Past Masters

As for the stereo vs mono dilemma, I have read from a number of blogs/ emails that the earliest albums are far better on mono, and the later (Post 67) are best on stereo. Earliest on stereo are primitive stereo mixes and sound weird, just like they did on LP way back when. I'm going to go to my local cd store tonight and ponder it all, maybe buy one cd... we'll see.

-T

Get the Mono Box, then get Abbey Road and Let It BE in Stereo, oh double up on The White Album.

Hmmm..

So the "early" recordings as found on the "Beatles 1" CD were all remaixed in stereo? Therefore would be the kind of "weird" sound I'd expect for these recordigns in this new stereo set?

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loog droog

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Hairball
1. Mono box set
2. Abbey Road
3. Let It Be
4. Yellow Submarine
5. Past Masters

All available on amazon w/ reduced prices and free shipping.

Be aware that the Mono Masters disc in the Mono box contains the 4 original songs from Yellow Submarine (in mono)


I recommend that stereo White Album...sounds incredbible!

Thanks for the heads up on this loog droog.
Since I placed my order only yesterday, and nothing has yet shipped,I was able to make a couple changes.

Below is a helpful customer review from Amazon:

[www.amazon.com]

5.0 out of 5 stars A Cheapskate's (Relatively) Guide To The Mono and Stereo Re-Issues, September 10, 2009
By James N. Perlman

Introduction: The following is pretty much a full review of both the mono and stereo reissues largely written in real time as a series of e-mails to an old friend who once owned a legendary record store here in Chicago. The story of the reissues really comes down to the technical limitations of two-track, four-track, eight-track, etc. recordings and the relative complexity of the music of the Beatles. Listening occurred on what would be considered an audiophile system with Quad 988's as the speakers.

Please Please Me: The sound on the mono is just amazing. You can hear the echo in the room as John sings Anna. The vocals just soar. Ringo was just so good, even at this early stage and so was Paul. They supported and framed the songs so perfectly. And just think, in twenty-one minutes, or so, Twist And Shout! Stereo can't hold a candle to this, if for no other reason than the left/right "stereo" found later in With The Beatles, Rubber Soul and Revolver.

With The Beatles: As with Please Please Me, the mono sounds so, so, nice. As the stereo has that annoying left/right "stereo," no contest: mono hands down.

A Hard Day's Night: Seems better and more enjoyable in stereo. I think the reason is that they now had four tracks so George Martin could do proper stereo mixes and still have a mostly fresh first generationish sound. Remember, there were only two track available for Please Please Me. However, when they got to Rubber Soul and Revolver, four tracks weren't enough, which required, in some instances, numerous dubs of the four tracks to another four track tape, merging the four tracks to one track, thereby opening up three new tracks. While this degraded the sound somewhat it also made it difficult to back-track and do the after-thought stereo mixes, which is why we have the atrocious "stereo" of Rubber Soul and Revolver. Consequently, the reason the monos of these albums rule has mostly to do with technical limitations. While the mixes on A Hard Day's Night are true stereo mixes, they carry George Martin's idiosyncratic, but really right, decision to put the vocals in the center, the rhythm section to the left and the other instruments to the right. I always have loved how Martin took care to isolate the brilliant work of Ringo and Paul so many times instead of just following the convention of placing the drums in the center. This is why one of Martin's memoirs is entitled: "All You Need Is Ears."

The Beatles For Sale: Comments, preference and reasons for preference similar to A Hard Day's Night.

Help: Well, thank God we have three different versions to compare to make life ever so easy. First, mono is the definitive mix, that's a plus. As a minus, while it sounds richer, it is also a bit muddy compared to the stereo mixes. As for the stereo mixes, the remaster of George Martin's '87 remix does show some limiting in this new incarnation. A bit a hard to dial in the right volume. Sounds fuller, but that's the limiting. Not sure I care for this version too much. As for the `65 stereo version, that comes on the same disc as the mono version, as this album is somewhat acoustic, the absence of the limiting that was done to the new stereo remix/remaster is a plus. The delicacy is there in I Need You. Overall, the "old" stereo is prettier than the "new" stereo. One can argue over whether the "new" stereo or the ""old" stereo is better, I come down on the side of the "old" stereo, I like pretty. But as you get both the mono and the "old" stereo on the single mono disc, the cheapskate in me screams if you had a pistol to your head and only had to purchase one version of Help, it would be the "mono" disc.

Rubber Soul: Mono over stereo, if for no other reason than the left/rt channel mix that plagued Please, Please Me, With The Beatles and Revlover.

Revolver: There is a section of Run For You Life where Ringo is just so muscular and explosive in the mono that is missing in stereo and this is before we get to the issue of the left/right "stereo" of the stereo mix. Plus, there is just this overall richness of sound to the mono that is missing in the stereo. That said, it is a bit cooler to hear Tomorrow Never Knows in stereo. But, overall, mono.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: The things you have heard are correct about the mono mix, the clarity and control over the notes, instruments and vocals is all there. Overall, it just sounds better, fuller and richer than the stereo, plus it is what the boys intended. Oddly, the thing that was most breathtaking was She's Leaving Home; just a full, gorgeous, sound. In stereo, it just sounds relatively wrong; thin compared to the mono. That said, because Day In The Life is such a mind-f the stereo is the definitive version of this song.

Magical Mystery Tour: While Pepper's sounded better in Mono, MMT sounds better in stereo.

The Beatles (The White Album): Both versions have their merits, you need both. If you can only go for one, it's the stereo.

Abbey Road: The defining moment of these reissues, and why it took four years, may be found on AR's I Want You (She's So Heavy). Because they couldn't take the tape hiss out without compromising the sound, they didn't. But when it came to John's final "she's so heavy" which was over saturated and clipped previously, they were able to take the clipping out, and for the first time, you can hear all of John's vocal. Second side now, Here Comes the Sun and now Because. Wonderful sound throughout. Can't wait for Ringo at the end.

Let It Be: It is what it is. I prefer the Naked in vinyl.

Mono Past Masters: Right now, listening to the The Inner Light, which I hate, but it sounds so, so, so good in mono that I may actually like it. And, look out, Paul's bass piano notes in Hey Jude are right there as is Ringo's tambourine. Can't wait for Revolution plus the mono songs from Yellow Submarine. The mono Past Masters would have been perfection if they had added a stereo Let It Be and The Ballad Of John and Yoko. After all, the "stereo" Past Masters is actually a mixture of stereo and mono.


So kids, here's where we end. Your core, oddly enough, should be the mono box set. Augment this with the stereo Hard Day's Night, The Beatles For Sale, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Magical Mystery Tour, The Beatles, Abbey Road, Let It Be and stereo Past Masters.

Addendum: As I live in Chicago, and have access to one of the country's remaining great stereo stores, that also boast three incredibly knowledgeable owners and an original Sgt. Peppers British Stereo pressing, following posting this review I went over there to compare the original vinyl with the two new CD reissues. We listened to the reference system, Naim Audio electronic and Quad speakers. There was total agreement on what we heard. First, Pepper's mono CD had better tonal balance than Peppers stereo CD. Pepper's stereo CD had better coloration than the mono, but this was defeated by the harshness of the sound (more on harshness shortly). Thus, overall, between the two CD's we preferred the mono CD. All that said, the stereo original British vinyl pressing crushed both. It had both tonal correctness and coloration.
Now as to the harshness issue, please be mindful that I have listened to these discs on two audiophile systems. Something like harshness is likely to be more prevalent the higher up you get in the stereo food chain. Thus, someone who doesn't have an audiophile system may not experience the harshness at all, but it really is there. This may render some of the stereo CDs more listenable for these people than they were for me, at least when it comes to Peppers.

Wow great review...that might just be the help I was looking for.

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JumpingKentFlash

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out of my head
Get both stereo and mono box sets from nowtorrent for free. Lossless FLAC and superb sounding. Same quality as the store bought CDs. Mono set sounds amazing. Wish they would release the early Stones in mono. Or have they done that ? I dont believe so.

That is just plain respectless. Taking money from bands is just wrong. I hope to get the stereo box, mono box or the rock band game for my birthday. Not downloaded, but in it's full glory released form.

Have to agree with Kent on this one. Not cool to download an artist's work if it is commercially available. But to stay on topic, I'd love to get the mono remasters!

I already gave them my money once when I bought the original black box thing and '87 CDs. Not gonna do it again.

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out of my head
I already gave them my money once when I bought the original black box thing and '87 CDs. Not gonna do it again.

Hey, but they already spent all that money. They need more.

Ringo's hungry.

i downloaded both the mono and stereo boxes but did go out and buy the Mono box on release, i'll also get the stereo only albums.

I can understand people downlaoding music they have allready bought at lest once, its a little bit easier to justifythan taking the music for free for people who are depinding on for their living and to continue producing music.

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why spend $$$ on such overrated drivel? Save it for THE STONES tour!

Yeah, as if that won't be overrated drivel.

Would buy them if they werent so damned overpriced. Waaaayyy too much money for those sets. Especially the mono one.

Monobox and stereo ones: Help, Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt Pepper, Abbey Road, Let It Be & Past Masters. Maybe A Hard Day's Night also.

I put in for the mono and stereo boxes. I am awaiting their arrival.

I got the Mono and Stereo Boxes yesterday. I haven't gotten to any of the stereo discs yet, but the four mono discs are heard (Revolver, Rubber Soul, Help! and Beatles for Sale) are just breathtaking.

I have never heard any of their studio albums before- bought Rubber Soul yesterday- great sound and great songs!

Will probably get 1 a month

Justin, go for stereo for the time being.

Mono is 'cooler', but the stereo mixes sound fantastic. IMO, after listening to my fathers mono vinyl copies of Revolver and Sgt Pepper, I personally feel these records sound equally as good in stereo. Sgt Pepper is a colourful set of recordings - ripe for Stereo.

The stereo mixes of early tracks like Thank You Girl sound really good.