Couldn't help but notice the lack of any new 60s Stones material this holiday. Same ol stuff...ABKCO needs to understand that people are tired of hearing the Stones in MONO. The Rolling Stones recorded in True stereo starting in 1964.True Stereo is easily recognized by the separation of sound;meaning that different instruments are heard in each speaker. That means that songs like Satisfaction, Get Off My Cloud, 19th Nervous Breakdown,As Tears Go Bye, Mercy Mercy, The Last Time and a slew of others remain in the vaults and are not available to the CD buying public. It's also puzzling why a company such as ABKCO would spend lots of money by hiring Bob Ludwig to remaster the collection in 2002 using the pricey SACD format and leave the majority of the songs in MONO. To achieve the 5.1 Surround Sound effect that SACD format is famous for, the songs must be in Stereo. Very Puzzling!! Whats also puzzling is the way they seem to pick and choose what songs are to appear in True Stereo and what songs remain in MONO. For instance they did release certain songs in Stereo such as Time Is On My Side, It's All Over Now,Heart Of Stone,I Can't Be Satisfied and a few others. However, these releases only graze the surface of available Stereo Tracks. Stones Fans have been hounding ABKCO to release ALL The True Stereo Tracks As Well As Outakes & Unreleased Songs For Over 25 Years. ABKCO needs to realize that the music business has changed. Almost every major band from the 60s has released live BBC recordings as well as outakes of their hits: The Who, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin,The Birds, Cream,The Doors etc.. Even Motown features a four cd box set of their greatest hits in True Stereo. All Have opened their vaults and appeased their fans and prospered in the process:All That is except for ABKCO who for some strange reason seems to squirrel their rare recordings away in the vaults; there bye depriving the pleading Stones fans and the music world of their audio and visual rarities. Strange.

The Beatles records sound like crap in stereo through Revolver, with instruments in one channel and drums and vocals in the other. On the early records, mono is the way to go.

Many of the early records were recorded using only three or four tracks. Leave the Stones recordings in their original state, be it stereo or mono.

Yes but the point is that the songs should be available in MONO and STEREO where applicable..Not ABKCO picking and choosing...

The True Stereo Version of Satisfaction and Get Off My Cloud Blow Away The Mono Versions!

Soul

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soulsurvivor1
The True Stereo Version of Satisfaction and Get Off My Cloud Blow Away The Mono Versions!

Probably not, but they have their strong points. They could have sounded great in stereo, better than in mono, but they have some mixing issues.

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ab
... with instruments in one channel and drums and vocals in the other.

Yes, but in my opinion not really a decisive disadvantage if the balance is right. Such recordings can sound very good.

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ab
The Beatles records sound like crap in stereo through Revolver

I think that Rubber Soul definitely is better in stereo, and most tracks on Help too. On the very early albums, I generally also prefer stereo, although often mono is better.

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soulsurvivor1
ABKCO needs to understand that people are tired of hearing the Stones in MONO.

Speak for yourself. I for one love the original mono mixes. Keep in mind that when the Stones began their recording, most car radios and home record players only had a single speaker so the emphasis until the late mid 1960's was on mono mixes. If you prefer stereo, great, but for recordings originally recorded and mixed in mono. I much prefer them over reprocessed stereo anyday...

Reprocessed stereo is not what we want. Reprocessed stereo usually is fake stereo made from mono and sounds horrible. True stereo, however, is made from the original 3, 4, 8 or even 16 track tapes that were used during the 60's. Stereo with the music in one channel and vocals in the other is not interesting and I have never ever heard any Stones recording that way. Even the earliest true stereo recordings of the Stones has instruments in both channels and vocals in the centre, and we all know that many more recordings exist in stereo, or at least recorded on different channels possible for stereo mixes. I agree, one can really wonder why ABCKO don't make these available? Could it be so that it has anything to do with the rights, or are they keeping them in the vaults, to have something to present in the future? when nobody's interested any longer?
Mats

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Matt
Reprocessed stereo usually is fake stereo made from mono and sounds horrible.

Generally true stereo is preferred, but reprocessed stereo from mono can sound better than "original" mono and true stereo with mixing and/or mastering defects.

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Matt
... we all know that many more recordings exist in stereo ...

Many more compared to what?! Most known true stereo recordings, to my knowledge, have been available through either regular releases or bootlegs. Often those are IMO not really an improvement over existing mono. Interesting and arguably important to have, but not really essential.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2011-01-03 16:53 by lsbz.

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lsbz

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Matt
Reprocessed stereo usually is fake stereo made from mono and sounds horrible.

Generally true stereo is preferred, but reprocessed stereo from mono can sound better than "original" mono and true stereo with mixing and/or mastering defects.

[No way that mono recordings reprocessed to fake stereo can sound better than the original mono mix. It can only sound processed with more echo, delay, or bass and treble separated.quote=Matt]
... we all know that many more recordings exist in stereo ...

Many more compared to what?! Most known true stereo recordings, to my knowledge, have been available through either regular releases or bootlegs. Often those are IMO not really an improvement over existing mono. Interesting and arguably important to have, but not really essential.[I'm not sure that many more recordings exist in stereo, but I'm sure that many more are possible to remix in stereo since recordings, made at the same sessions have appeared in stereo versions and must have been made at least on 3 tracks or more. /quote]

The problem with early stereo is that both artists and engineers often missed the point of it.

It was a new toy... and instead of using it to produce a believable and natural soundstage they often ended up with a very un-natural image with silly instrument placemement to enhance the dramatic effect of the Stereo.

It cost a lot of money and they were determined that we would hear what it could do...whether it enhanced the musical experience or not ! ;^)

As a result, many mono mixes sound better. The stereo technology wasn't the issue..it was the industry's poor understanding and use of it.

I usually prefer stereo versions. The Hot Rocks that came out in the late 80's was a revelation at the time. I have picked up Could You Walk on the Water and the Chess Sessions over the years and they are mixed better than the official versions that haver surfaced.

soulsurvivor1, you actually EXPECTED something from ABKCO?

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

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Spud
The problem with early stereo is that both artists and engineers often missed the point of it.

It was a new toy... and instead of using it to produce a believable and natural soundstage they often ended up with a very un-natural image with silly instrument placemement to enhance the dramatic effect of the Stereo.

It cost a lot of money and they were determined that we would hear what it could do...whether it enhanced the musical experience or not ! ;^)

As a result, many mono mixes sound better. The stereo technology wasn't the issue..it was the industry's poor understanding and use of it.

Good analysis...that makes sense.

Just got the Beatles mono boxset and comparing songs side by side, there is NO comparison. Mono wins hands down, and I'll bet it is because the stereo mixes (not supervised by the Beatles) were not handled as well as they might have been.