The Beatles Mono Box Set features The Beatles first 10 albums in their original mono along with the “Mono Masters” double CD set which includes the original mono mixes for all of their non-album tracks which were mixed in mono.
The Beatles In Mono Box Set is a real “revelation” in some cases. A lot of the band’s earlier songs really sound a lot~better in mono than they do in stereo because they were originally mixed in mono and the stereo mixes were often done as an “afterthought” (because stereo wasn’t taken very seriously at the time.) Many of The Beatles stereo mixes are totally “wrong” by the standards of today because they pan everything to one side or the other which can be unsettling to listen to (especially on headphones.)
It’s great to be able to hear tunes like “Taxman” & “Eleanor Rigby” without the very wide panning approach that mars their stereo versions of these tracks.
Panning is not the only differences between the mono & stero mixes. In quite a few cases there are actually different takes and different effects used! And in many more cases different instruments/parts are highlighted in the mono mix vs. the stereo mix.
A great example of a significantly different mix in mono vs. stereo is how “She’s Leaving Home” is sped up (and thus faster & higher in tone) in mono.
“I’m Only Sleeping” is a another good example of mixing differences between the two versions beyond simple panning differences. There is more backwards guitar in the mono mix of the song than in the stereo mix.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the Beatles Mono Masters is that it includes four previously unreleased mono mixes (”All Together Now,” “Hey Bulldog,” “Only a Northern Song and “It’s All Too Much.”) These four mono versions of these songs have never been released before in any format (not CD, LP, or tape!)
Tags: Beatles in Mono, Beatles Mono Box Set, Beatles Remastered, Remastered Beatles, The Beatles