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20 August 2013
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parlance said
parlance said
Ken Scott will be hosting a talk at the Grammy Museum on Wednesday on the mono box. I had plans already unfortunately, but a friend is going. I’ll let you know what she says.parlance
Plans changed so I’m going to the event tonight, whee!
parlance
We will be waiting for the inside scoop reporting.
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8.11pm
20 September 2013
Offline Joe said
@Oyster Black Pearl Do you have any of the original 60s mono albums? I’m interested in whether these sound that much better in comparison.I’m still unsure as to whether to buy this set or get the remaining originals I need – the box looks lovely but money’s quite tight at the moment.
I have very good original mono copies of With The Beatles , Help and Sgt. Pepper . The new LP’s are a step-up in quality, they really are that good. They have a depth I didn’t think mono could have, even compared to the originals and the mono CD’s.
Should you not look for any originals? If you are buying them purely for the mono sound on vinyl, then no. The new LP’s are what you need. But what they can’t replicate is the ‘somebody bought this in the 60’s’ authenticity. Plus originals will always raise in value, it doesn’t look as if this box is limited, the Mono CD box is onto it’s second run I believe?
Don’t know if you are aware the LP’s are available individually? This works out a bit more expensive than eventually buying the box, but at least you can dip your toe in the water?
Hope that helps? (Probably not, but I tried!).
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Bongo, Joe2.07am
4 September 2009
Offline I received my package today! I opened it up to carefully go through each LP to look for any issues, and I have a few questions…
1. The box was not in shrink wrap like the Stereo Vinyl Box was. The box was in the sleeve only. Anyone else get theirs unwrapped?
2. The backs have a gloss cover and a matte finish for WTB, AHDN , Help , RS, Revolver (?)
3) On Sgt Pepper , the name on the spine reads from the bottom to top instead of top to bottom (?)
4) MMT cover was not glossy (?)
5) Mono Masters were in shrink wrap and not a sleeve.
Since I ordered these directly off Beatles.com, I’m sure all is well. Just would like some clarification.
Thanks! Time to crank it up!
Oh BTW, my White Album ‘s number is “9018512”
Look Up The Number
2.47am
28 March 2014
Offline Oyster Black Pearl said
Joe said
@Oyster Black Pearl Do you have any of the original 60s mono albums? I’m interested in whether these sound that much better in comparison.I’m still unsure as to whether to buy this set or get the remaining originals I need – the box looks lovely but money’s quite tight at the moment.
I have very good original mono copies of With The Beatles , Help and Sgt. Pepper . The new LP’s are a step-up in quality, they really are that good. They have a depth I didn’t think mono could have, even compared to the originals and the mono CD’s.
Should you not look for any originals? If you are buying them purely for the mono sound on vinyl, then no. The new LP’s are what you need. But what they can’t replicate is the ‘somebody bought this in the 60’s’ authenticity. Plus originals will always raise in value, it doesn’t look as if this box is limited, the Mono CD box is onto it’s second run I believe?
Joe, I don’t think I could have said it better then OBP just said. The Originals will always increase in value, whereas these re-issues will not. I’m very contempt that I own the original 60’s UK LPs, but damn it is very tempting to buy these new improved mono’s.
BEATLES Music gives me Eargasms! 
6.59am
8 November 2012
Offline 
I just got back from the event at the Grammy Museum with Ken Scott and Steve Berkowitz, who supervised the vinyl box set. It was incredible!
We got to hear songs from the set on a $110K sound system (the needle alone was $1,200), complete with speakers that vaguely reminded me of Daleks. 
I’ve only hear a little bit of the mono albums on YouTube, and I’ve certainly never had the opportunity to listen to music on a pristine sound system, and probably won’t again. And it was magical. I now understand why people become audiophiles. You could really hear the harmonics, the twangs in the guitars and the texture of the drums, and the middle harmonies were more crisp than ever. When I closed my eyes, it was as if the Beatles were right there on the Grammy Museum stage performing. And it was such a beautiful experience to be in a room full of people bouncing their heads and tapping their feet and immersing themselves in the music.
The songs we heard were When I Saw Her Standing There , Boys , I Should Have Known Better , When I Come Home, Yesterday , I Feel Fine , Taxman , A Day In The Life , Within You Without You , I Am The Walrus , Glass Onion and the Mono Masters version of Revolution . My favorite experience was hearing Within You Without You . I have a much better appreciation for the tapestry of sound after tonight. I would have loved to hear Helter Skelter , but of course, time was limited. I’m not great at describing music technically, but this Examiner account of last week’s Abbey Road presentation parallels my experience.
It was a pleasure to hear Ken Scott tell stories – some of them “embarrassing” – like the time he accidentally taped over overdubs for Ringo’s drums in “Glass Onion .” He is truly a fan, and he started out a fan, telling us that this was his favorite band when he got the job as a tape loader at EMI when was only 17. And as we were listening to the songs, he was also closing his eyes and smiling. He told us that it was a phenomenal experience to hear things in these songs that he had forgotten. He was at the presentation at Abbey Road last week, and he described the experience of hearing the music in the same studio it was recorded in as “surreal.” He spoke glowingly of Norman Smith, saying that he was responsible for educating the Beatles “sonically” early in their recording careers, and pushing them to experiment with making each album sound different.
Steve Berkowitz echoed the sentiment that you will hear something different every time you hear these mono recordings. He described the moment of being handed the original tapes with the albums as receiving “eight Mona Lisas.”
Afterward, I met Ken and told him it was an honor. He said, “Pbbbbt. I was just at the right place at the right time.” But it was an honor. It’s not every day you meet someone who had a hand in bringing some of the world’s most beloved music to light. I didn’t have anything Beatley for him to sign, but we had been given bracelets for the event, so I popped mine off and asked him to sign the back of it. Very sweet man. I’m going to put his book on my wishlist.
As usual, I posted photos at Instagram: 1 2. I don’t know when I’ll ever be able to afford to set myself, but tonight’s event made me wish I could. So grateful to the friend who made it possible!
parlance
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Joe, meanmistermustard, Bongo, Ahhh Girl, Mr. Kite, DrBeatle, Bulldog7.21am
20 September 2013
Offline Afterward, I met Ken and told him it was an honor. He said, “Pbbbbt. I was just at the right place at the right time.” But it was an honor. It’s not every day you meet someone who had a hand in bringing some of the world’s most beloved music to light. I didn’t have anything Beatley for him to sign, but we had been given bracelets for the event, so I popped mine off and asked him to sign the back of it. Very sweet man. I’m going to put his book on my wishlist.
parlance
He’s an absolute gem, you’ll love his book, seems like you had a wonderful time. Jealous!
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parlance7.26am
20 September 2013
Offline c64wood said
I received my package today! I opened it up to carefully go through each LP to look for any issues, and I have a few questions…1. The box was not in shrink wrap like the Stereo Vinyl Box was. The box was in the sleeve only. Anyone else get theirs unwrapped?
2. The backs have a gloss cover and a matte finish for WTB, AHDN , Help , RS, Revolver (?)
3) On Sgt Pepper , the name on the spine reads from the bottom to top instead of top to bottom (?)
4) MMT cover was not glossy (?)
5) Mono Masters were in shrink wrap and not a sleeve.
1 Yes
2 Gloss front? Matte back? My originals are like that.
3 Correct as per original issue
4 My 70’s US import is matte, I think the original issue was glossy? Could be wrong?
5 It’s too big! A great package though, even though the 2nd LP is a pain to get out of the cover, as quite a few of them are.
9028282
10.17am
31 March 2008
Offline
Oyster Black Pearl said
Joe said
@Oyster Black Pearl Do you have any of the original 60s mono albums? I’m interested in whether these sound that much better in comparison.I’m still unsure as to whether to buy this set or get the remaining originals I need – the box looks lovely but money’s quite tight at the moment.
I have very good original mono copies of With The Beatles , Help and Sgt. Pepper . The new LP’s are a step-up in quality, they really are that good. They have a depth I didn’t think mono could have, even compared to the originals and the mono CD’s.
Should you not look for any originals? If you are buying them purely for the mono sound on vinyl, then no. The new LP’s are what you need. But what they can’t replicate is the ‘somebody bought this in the 60’s’ authenticity. Plus originals will always raise in value, it doesn’t look as if this box is limited, the Mono CD box is onto it’s second run I believe?
Don’t know if you are aware the LP’s are available individually? This works out a bit more expensive than eventually buying the box, but at least you can dip your toe in the water?
Hope that helps? (Probably not, but I tried!).
Thanks. It does help. I think the box is limited, although that doesn’t mean it’ll sell out any time soon. All it really means is “We’ll keep manufacturing copies until sales drop off, oh, and buy it soon because we want you to.”
I guess I’ll probably end up buying the new box. It’s bad timing with this, the George Harrison box set and the Wings reissues, all of which would end up costing quite a bit. But I’ve not heard a bad word about the mono vinyl, so I really need to get hold of this. I bought a great new turntable earlier this year and want to stretch its legs.
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5.44pm
20 December 2010
Offline I agree that the mono vinyl remasters sound great. The only thing is that records wear out even after one play. You start to loose the high end and then the midrange. This has always been the problem with vinyl whether virgin or not, records do wear out! I think if a CD is done correctly using analog tapes and mastering process into the digital format they will sound awesome but hands down, analog is the way to go for more warmth and clarity especially with analog recordings of yesteryear.
The further one travels, the less one knows
5.59pm
8 November 2012
Offline ^^ I’m no expert by any means, but someone on the panel claimed that with great care, records “wear well” and not out. Michael Fremer, the guy who did the needle drop was almost hilariously careful, wiping the records and stylus with each play. Point being I suppose that a case can be made that virgin vinyl can last longer than most people might think. Of course, the average person won’t be going to the same lengths as that guy.
parlance
6.18pm
20 December 2010
Offline parlance said
^^ I’m no expert by any means, but someone on the panel claimed that with great care, records “wear well” and not out. Michael Fremer, the guy who did the needle drop was almost hilariously careful, wiping the records and stylus with each play. Point being I suppose that a case can be made that virgin vinyl can last longer than most people might think. Of course, the average person won’t be going to the same lengths as that guy.parlance
I used to work for a music company back in the 80’s called ‘The Last Factory’ which stands for ‘Liquid Archival Sound Treatment’. I was their National Sales Manager. We made a product that would stop record wear. They are still in business. Here is their website: http://www.thelastfactory.com/
Check them out. This product line was very innovative back in the 80’s and still is.
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12.50am
8 November 2012
Offline2.32am
Reviewers
Moderators
1 May 2011
Offline Speakeasy, in their blog published on the 17th September 2014, report the sales of the mono vinyl boxset to be 2,300 in the first week and that “the LPs are also being sold individually, leading four Beatles albums to hit the Billboard 200 albums chart this week with sales of more than 2,000 copies each for “Sgt. Pepper ’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” the White Album , “Revolver ,” and “Rubber Soul .” “.
Additionally the same report adds that the 2009 mono cd box has sales of 72,000.
"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)
11.22pm
28 March 2014
Offline meanmistermustard said
Speakeasy, in their blog published on the 17th September 2014, report the sales of the mono vinyl boxset to be 2,300 in the first week.
I have to agree with them. This is probably the best recording out there to date! But what will be next?
As I’ve been saying all along, people will want the 2012 Stereo LP’s done in Analog next.
Will the 2009 mono CD set have to be remastered to Analog only (AAD) before being transferred to Digital?? Instead of ADD???
There will always be improvements, so your wallet will determine how much you want to spend.
Me, I’m content with my Original 60’s UK Parlophone/Apple LP set, and the 2009 CD set/iTunes, as my “go to” listening experience.
***I know I’ve said this before, but what people pay for all these sets, you can afford an original set of LP’s.
BEATLES Music gives me Eargasms!
4.10am
21 September 2014
Offline Hey,
Just dropping a line because there’s a new review of the awesome new Mono vinyl reissue of The White Album up now on Ground Control. You can check it out here, if you’re interested:
http://groundcontrolmag.com/de…..il/9/3936/
…This reissue sounds so good! Speaking as somebody who heard the last round of CD reissues as well as some of the ones which came before that as well, the new reissue of The White Album really proves itself to be the best way to hear this album.
Thanks,
PostNoBills.
5.10am
Moderators
Members
Reviewers
20 August 2013
Offline @PostNoBills, I brought the review into the thread where we are having the discussion about this reissue.
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1.49pm
Reviewers
29 November 2012
Offline
parlance said
I just got back from the event at the Grammy Museum with Ken Scott and Steve Berkowitz, who supervised the vinyl box set. It was incredible!We got to hear songs from the set on a $110K sound system (the needle alone was $1,200), complete with speakers that vaguely reminded me of Daleks.
I’ve only hear a little bit of the mono albums on YouTube, and I’ve certainly never had the opportunity to listen to music on a pristine sound system, and probably won’t again. And it was magical. I now understand why people become audiophiles. You could really hear the harmonics, the twangs in the guitars and the texture of the drums, and the middle harmonies were more crisp than ever. When I closed my eyes, it was as if the Beatles were right there on the Grammy Museum stage performing. And it was such a beautiful experience to be in a room full of people bouncing their heads and tapping their feet and immersing themselves in the music.
The songs we heard were When I Saw Her Standing There , Boys , I Should Have Known Better , When I Come Home, Yesterday , I Feel Fine , Taxman , A Day In The Life , Within You Without You , I Am The Walrus , Glass Onion and the Mono Masters version of Revolution . My favorite experience was hearing Within You Without You . I have a much better appreciation for the tapestry of sound after tonight. I would have loved to hear Helter Skelter , but of course, time was limited. I’m not great at describing music technically, but this Examiner account of last week’s Abbey Road presentation parallels my experience.
It was a pleasure to hear Ken Scott tell stories – some of them “embarrassing” – like the time he accidentally taped over overdubs for Ringo’s drums in “Glass Onion .” He is truly a fan, and he started out a fan, telling us that this was his favorite band when he got the job as a tape loader at EMI when was only 17. And as we were listening to the songs, he was also closing his eyes and smiling. He told us that it was a phenomenal experience to hear things in these songs that he had forgotten. He was at the presentation at Abbey Road last week, and he described the experience of hearing the music in the same studio it was recorded in as “surreal.” He spoke glowingly of Norman Smith, saying that he was responsible for educating the Beatles “sonically” early in their recording careers, and pushing them to experiment with making each album sound different.
Steve Berkowitz echoed the sentiment that you will hear something different every time you hear these mono recordings. He described the moment of being handed the original tapes with the albums as receiving “eight Mona Lisas.”
Afterward, I met Ken and told him it was an honor. He said, “Pbbbbt. I was just at the right place at the right time.” But it was an honor. It’s not every day you meet someone who had a hand in bringing some of the world’s most beloved music to light. I didn’t have anything Beatley for him to sign, but we had been given bracelets for the event, so I popped mine off and asked him to sign the back of it. Very sweet man. I’m going to put his book on my wishlist.
As usual, I posted photos at Instagram. I don’t know when I’ll ever be able to afford to set myself, but tonight’s event made me wish I could. So grateful to the friend who made it possible!
parlance
Thats an amazing review, thanks so much for sharing! What an experience that must’ve been. I’ve got the stereo and mono box sets on CD and both are incredible but my dream is to someday get the vinyl box sets, if I can ever afford them. Even on CDs the difference between the mono and stereo is hugely noticeable, I can only imagine on vinyl and with such a high end sound system what it must’ve sounded like. I’ll be sure to check out your photos of the event!
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12.01pm
20 September 2013
Offline Listening to Mono Masters. The package is superb, great sleeve-notes and photos.
One gripe is the level of each track varies quite a bit, probably due to the individual master tapes being recorded in ‘batches’, i.e. both sides of a single being consistent etc.
A bonus is side 5 gives us the 4 Yellow Submarine tracks together in one place 
As with the rest of the box, it sounds great. Highlights for me – the cowbell on I Call Your Name , the click-track on Hey Bulldog , Hey Jude sounds fresh (complete with more prominent expletive), George’s Yellow Sub tracks are absolute stormers. She Loves You blew me away, well done to Norman Smith for capturing the bass drum so well, although the edit in the middle is a bit ‘tippy’ and stands out a bit too much. The German tracks still grate though.
Great stuff!
10.00pm
28 March 2014
Offline Oyster Black Pearl said
Listening to Mono Masters.George’s Yellow Sub tracks are absolute stormers.
OBP are you talking about 
or 
regarding the Yellow Sub tracks?
BEATLES Music gives me Eargasms!
9.26am
20 September 2013
Offline Bongo said
OBP are you talking about
I’m referring to young George – I’ve not been a big fan of these songs, not because I don’t rate them that highly, but because the stereo versions lack unity (Songtrack versions excepted).
OBP
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