The Beatles - Revolver - Mono Vs. Stereo
By Marvin Marks on Oct 14, 2009 in Features
Picking up where I left off (quite awhile ago) with my track by track look at The Beatles albums in mono. My first post was on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. So I think I’m going to work back from there and then pick up Magical Mystery Tour & The White Album after I finish with Please Please Me.
As you probably already know, Let It Be & Abbey Road were never mixed in mono (and thus are not included in The Beatles In Mono Box Set.)
I’m using the new remastered mono and stereo versions (found in The Beatles Remastered Box Sets) for these mono vs. stereo comparisons (although that wasn’t the case for Sgt. Pepper because I hadn’t got the stereo box set yet.)
01. “Taxman”
The song has very wide panning with the drums, rhythm guitar, and bass being almost entirely on the left (a bit of the bass guitar can be heard in the right.) The right side has some percussion and the lead guitar solos & riffs. The lead vocals are up the middle while the backing vocals are in the right.
This wide panning can be distracting (particularly on headphones) and since it’s so unbalanced (so much more on the left) I don’t think it’s quite as clear as it could be. But I do think it’s quite a bit more clear than the mono mix. But on the side of the mono mix, the song clearly has a lot more “oomph” in mono than in stereo. It sounds much more aggressive with everything up the middle. To put it simply, it rocks harder in mono.
02. “Eleanor Rigby”
The stereo mix of “Eleanor Rigby” starts off great with the vocals surrounding listener. Unfortunately as the verse begins, the vocals move entirely to the right which sounds ridiculous on headphones. The vocals should definitely be up the middle with the strings panned around them. The good part of this stereo mix (and I’m really stretching looking for the good part) is that it does give the chorus more impact when the vocals move into the middle.) And yes the strings sound very clear in stereo.
I think this is one of the more obvious cases of the mono mix being better than the stereo mix because the verses in stereo sound so off balance. Although I think a properly mixed stereo version would be best of all. Luckily, there actually is such a properly mixed stereo mix available already: Check out the Yellow Submarine Songtrack version of the song (which was remixed along with being remastered.)
03. “I’m Only Sleeping”
The drums and the bass are in the middle in the stereo mix. The vocals are a bit too far off to the right, but not unbearably so (they’re not 100% right like the verses of “Eleanor Rigby.”) I think this is a pretty good mix and when the stereo mixes are done well, I tend to prefer them because they sound more clear to me and I can hear all of the individual parts easily.
The mono version of “I’m Only Sleeping” includes more backwards guitar than the stereo mix. Listen to the mono version at 1:25 and you’ll hear backwards guitar coming in, while in the stereo mix you have to wait until 1:33 for it to come in.
While I do dig the extra backwards guitar in the mono mix I do definitely prefer the stereo mix on this one. I think it fits the song better. I can hear everything clearly (including the bass which gets a bit lost in mono.)
04. “Love You To”
I think this is one of the better mixed stereo songs on the album. Everything is clear but it’s also “powerful” sounding with the vocals and the percussion up the middle. I love the way the song really drops in at about 36 seconds in. I think I prefer the stereo mix with this one. Although the mono mix does have a really nice deep bass sound (from the Indian drums) to it that seems to be somewhat lost in the stereo mix.
05. “Here, There, and Everywhere”
Mmm. Like butter. I love the remastered stereo mix of this one. It’s so warm, so clear. It surrounds me in a really gentle perfect way. What a ridiculously beautiful song. It sounds great in mono too (because it’s a great song) but I do prefer the stereo mix.
06. “Yellow Submarine”
The stereo mix has Ringo’s vocals all the way to the right and Ringo’s drums (and the guitar) all the way to the left! The cool thing about this somewhat ridiculous mix is how the sound effects and crazy horns come up the middle. It’s very trippy. It’s also very effective when all of the vocals come in at about 2 minutes in.
It’s a bit of a trade off though, you get these great effects when things come in big (like during the chorus of “Eleanor Rigby” and at the end of “Yellow Submarine”) when you do these kind of mixes, but at the same time it can be a bit unsettling when you’re listening on headphones for the vocals to be all one side and the guitar and drums all on the other side.
The mono mix sounds a bit claustrophobic to me in comparison. Although it is amazing at how clear it is despite everything being up the middle. It’s not quite as “bright” or as clear as the stereo mix but it has a charm of it’s own. Of course there’s also the stereo mix available on the Yellow Submarine Songtrack which has the vocals and the drums up the middle and lets the sound effects and backing vocals surround them.
07. “She Said She Said”
In stereo the vocals and bass are up the middle with the drums on the left and the guitar on the right. This is an unusual mix by modern standards but I think it works pretty well. Having the bass up the middle takes away some of the awkwardness of having the drums on the left. The stereo mixes really sound most lopsided (like on “Taxman”) when all of the rhythmic bits are only on one side.
08. “Good Day Sunshine”
Similar mix to “She Said She Said” with the vocals up the middle and the drums mostly on the left. But I think it’s a bit better because the piano is spread around and there is some drums that come in the right. I actually quite dig this stereo mix. It sounds fantastic. As yes, The Beatles Stereo Box Set = Delicious.
The mono mix sounds great too, don’t get me wrong. But for me I tend to prefer the stereo whenever they’re not completely screwed up (like with “Taxman” and “Eleanor Rigby.”
09. “And Your Bird Can Sing”
The stereo mix of this song really comes in like a ton of bricks. Awesome. It’s too bad they didn’t mix “Taxman” more like this. It still has some unusual idiosyncrasies (drums mostly in the left) but overall it’s a much more “surrounding” mix. In fact I quite like wide stereo panning when it’s done right. It’s great how you can hear the bass guitar pulsating away in the right channel. But it’s also great how the guitar riffs that really make the song are right up front in center.
The mono mix sounds like it has a bit of an effect on the vocal that isn’t there in stereo. It may just be the way the vocals sound all stacked up on top of each other. The mono mix does rock pretty hard and I’m sure there are quite a few that prefer it, but I’ll take the stereo mix.
10. “For No One”
Vocals are way up front in the middle in stereo with the piano in the right and the bass in the left. Clearly this is a song where the vocals are of primary interest but they may be a bit too up front. I think this may be one where the mono mix is superior. The panning in the stereo version is a bit over the top.
11. “Doctor Robert”
The stereo mix of this one kind of reminds me of “And Your Bird Can Sing” and I think it works similarly well. Interestingly, just like with “And Your Bird Can Sing” the mono version seems to have a bit of an effect on the vocal that the stereo mix doesn’t have. I think it’s mostly just the difference between having the vocals spread out and having them all in the same space.
12. “I Want To Tell You”
The stereo mix has drums on the left and bass on the right. This highlights the bass in an interesting way. The vocals are mostly on the right which sounds a bit off. Overall, I think the mono mix does work a bit better on this one.
13. “Got To Get You Into My Life”
Listen closely to the left channel as the stereo version starts. There’s some talking there that I had never noticed before until just now. Good stuff. I’m really just enjoying the remastered stereo mix of this track right now. It sounds fantastic. So warm, like a cozy blanket. And so clear too. On the other hand the mono mix sounds great too. It has a more “solid” sound to it. It’s a punch in the face while the stereo mix is a big warm hug. I do really dig how the bass sounds in the mono mix.
14. “Tomorrow Never Knows”
With all of the layers of sound in this song, it really benefits from the stereo mix and since the drums and bass are up the center (with everything else swirling around that groove) I think it works perfectly. In mono the drums and bass sound huge (as does the backwards guitar solo that starts at 1:07) which is very cool. But overall I prefer the spread out sound of the stereo mix so I can hear all of the individual bits in their own space.
1966, The Beatles, Beatles Mono Albums
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Thanks for the great review of this classic Beatles album.
From what you’ve written it’s pretty obvious you prefer the stereo remaster CD to the mono.
And to think theat the two worst mixes were the first two tracks.
Taxman is one of George’s best early songs and it’s a pity that the stereo mix was so inferior to the mono one.
I look forward to your upcomming reviews comparing the other mono and stereo Beatles remastered CDs.
Phil Anderson | Oct 16, 2009 | Reply
Thanks Phil. It is strange that the two most lopsided mixes are right at the front of the album. I really don’t know what they were thinking when they were mixing those songs. Of course these days all of the songs are mixed rather strangely (by modern standards) … but in some ways that doesn’t bother me that much(unless it’s really over the top like with the first two tracks) because it sort of adds to the uniqueness of The Beatles music.
As far as my general preference for the stereo over the mono. Yes… I think the stereo sounds more clear. To me mono sounds sort of “muffled.” But I’m someone that has grown up listening to stereo - maybe someone used to the mono versions would prefer them. And I’m definitely not saying I think the mono box set isn’t worth buying. I definitely enjoy listening to the albums in mono too, it’s very interesting to me to hear these songs how they were originally heard by most people in the ’60s.
Marvin Marks | Oct 16, 2009 | Reply
Great clear piece, mirrors my own general views on mono stereo, having bought the mono box but as yet only Abbey Rd & White on remastered stereo. I was from reading other views expecting mono to be a real revelation, & while I’ve no regrets about buying the box, now comparing White mono to stereo, once the mix isn’t too lopsided, which is rarely the case on White, the stereo just sparkles in a way the mono doesn’t. The sense of space & richness of individual reverb just gets lost in mono.
Individual highlight for me of mono set I htink Ticket to Ride- the band as if playing in a cavern with all that denseness perfect.
Andrew | Nov 4, 2009 | Reply
Hi, I’ve read your comments with interest. I went out and bought the Yellow Submarine Songtrack because you said the mix of Eleanor Rigby worked better, as you say the fluffed vocal on the stereo usually has Macca’s voice jump from right to middle and become double tracked, it’s amateurish.
But I while the Yellow Sub version corrects this, it’s imo the worst mix of Eleanor Riby I’ve heard. The rhythm section and orchestration is too low in the mix, with Macca’s voice the focal point. Consequently, the song drags its feet, it’s just clunky. Even with the glitch, I much prefer the remastered version on the new Revolver. I wonder how the version on the Beatles 1 album compares?
Clive Morris | Nov 14, 2009 | Reply
Ahem! On the other hand, I listened to Eleanor Rigby on the 1 album, the Beatles remastered Greatest Hits. And this is definitively the best version for me. Yes, the vocal still jumps from right to centre, but this time it’s so much subtler that you hardly notice. The orchestration has verve but is not over the top, it drives the song along.
In fact all the tracks on this album sound so brilliant, in an unobtrusive way, that I wish all the new remasters sounded like that. It’s like you’re hearing them out of a transister radio (in a good way) the energy is retained, the sound is crisp but not too clean or ‘digitalised’.
Clive again | Nov 17, 2009 | Reply
I gotta disagree Clive, I really prefer the new remasters to the Beatles 1 remasters.
But… the world would be boring if we all agreed on everything
And I do think we can both agree that “Eleanor Rigby” is a fantastic song, regardless of these variations in mastering.
Marvin Marks | Nov 17, 2009 | Reply
I find the world boring whether we agree or not…
We put the disc into discord! lol
Clive again | Nov 20, 2009 | Reply
Hi Marvin I picked up [b]Revolver [/b]mono remaster on eBay and what can I say? The packaging is very good. Otherwise, I feel a bit conned. Scarcely any track sounds to me better than the stereo remaster, although I had issues with that also. I agree with your review, though I wanted to hear it out of curiosity.
[i]Taxman[/i]… okay it’s nice to have the rhythm section coming out of both speakers. But that only emphasises how repetitive and tinny the rhythm guitar is, and Paul’s bass can only compensate so far. About 30 seconds in you have this awful hi-hat, which sounds like Ringo artlessly banging a tin kettle. It’s sounds cack, embarrassing.
[i]Eleanor Rigby[/i]… not so bad but it’s grim and monochrome; I suppose it suits the song though it put me in mind of Hindley and Brady. As for [i]I’m Only Sleeping[/i], it lacks the sumptuousness of the stereo, all the sounds are cramped together and there’s this odd backwards guitar that appears from nowhere that adds nothing to it. All the while there seems to be a touch of discord or distortion to the mix across the whole album.
Only [i]Here There And Everywhere[/i] seems an improvement, the Ink Spot harmonies are toned down and the Beatley guitar is more noticeable as a counterbalance. [i]Got To Get You[/i]… is brassier and more stomping Northern Soul, but it’s swings and roundabouts as the wonderful drum clatter that takes us into the song title is muted.
Overall it makes for a grim, bruising experience. It’s like trying on a new pair of your fave shoes but finding them a bit cramped. I think I know why, it may be because they’re on CD. CD flattens everything, condenses it. With stereo that means at least some of the sound can get shoved right and left. On vinyl it’s okay because it allows for depth, the different sounds can sink into the groove. With a mono CD you get the worst of both worlds, imo.
Clive one more time | Nov 23, 2009 | Reply
Hi, I guess I must eat humble pie. Preparing to resell my mono CDs on eBay, I burned a copy onto a Maxell For Music CD. Amazingly and unbelievably, when I tested it out the music sounded terrific! Why this should be, when the original sounds unlistenable I do not know! I guess the disc itself originally must have been at fault while the copy exhibits the music files properly! Anyway it’s worth a try for anyone shaking their heads at the mono recordings. Burn a copy onto a quality CD and see if it makes a difference.
Clive over and out | Dec 3, 2009 | Reply