Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. I Saw Her Standing There [Mono Version]
2. Misery [Mono Version]
3. Anna (Go to Him) [Mono Version]
4. Chains [Mono Version]
5. Boys [Mono Version]
6. Ask Me Why [Mono Version]
7. Please Please Me [Mono Version]
8. Love Me Do [Mono Version]
9. P.S. I Love You [Mono Version]
10. Baby It's You [Mono Version]
11. Do You Want to Know a Secret [Mono Version]
12. Taste of Honey
13. There's a Place [Mono Version]
14. Twist and Shout [Mono Version]

Disc 2:

1. It Won't Be Long [Mono Version]
2. All I've Got to Do [Mono Version]
3. All My Loving [Mono Version]
4. Don't Bother Me [Mono Version]
5. Little Child [Mono Version]
6. Till There Was You [Mono Version]
7. Please Mister Postman
8. Roll Over Beethoven [Mono Version]
9. Hold Me Tight [Mono Version]
10. You Really Got a Hold on Me [Mono Version]
11. I Wanna Be Your Man [Mono Version]
12. Devil in Her Heart [Mono Version]
13. Not a Second Time [Mono Version]
14. Money (That's What I Want) [Mono Version]

Disc 3:

1. Hard Day's Night [Mono Version]
2. I Should Have Known Better [Mono Version]
3. If I Fell [Mono Version]
4. I'm Happy Just to Dance with You [Mono Version]
5. And I Love Her [Mono Version]
6. Tell Me Why [Mono Version]
7. Can't Buy Me Love [Mono Version]
8. Any Time at All
9. I'll Cry Instead [Mono Version]
10. Things We Said Today [Mono Version]
11. When I Get Home [Mono Version]
12. You Can't Do That [Mono Version]
13. I'll Be Back [Mono Version]

Disc 4:

1. No Reply [Mono Version]
2. I'm a Loser [Mono Version]
3. Baby's in Black [Mono Version]
4. Rock and Roll Music [Mono Version]
5. I'll Follow the Sun [Mono Version]
6. Mr. Moonlight [Mono Version]
7. Kansas City: Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!
8. Eight Days a Week [Mono Version]
9. Words of Love [Mono Version]
10. Honey Don't [Mono Version]
11. Every Little Thing [Mono Version]
12. I Don't Want to Spoil the Party [Mono Version]
13. What You're Doing [Mono Version]
14. Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby [Mono Version]

Disc 5:

1. Help! [from the Film "Help! "] [Mono Version]
2. Night Before [from the Film "Help! "] [Mono Version]
3. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away [from the Film "Help! "] [Mono Versio
4. I Need You [from the Film "Help! "] [Mono Version]
5. Another Girl [from the Film "Help! "] [Mono Version]
6. You're Going to Lose That Girl [from the Film "Help! "] [Mono Version]
7. Ticket to Ride [from the Film "Help! "] [Mono Version]
8. Act Naturally [Mono Version]
9. It's Only Love [Mono Version]
10. You Like Me Too Much [Mono Version]
11. Tell Me What You See [Mono Version]
12. I've Just Seen a Face [Mono Version]
13. Yesterday [Mono Version]
14. Dizzy Miss Lizzy [Mono Version]
15. Help! [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
16. Night Before [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
17. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
18. I Need You [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
19. Another Girl [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
20. You're Going to Lose That Girl [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
21. Ticket to Ride [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
22. Act Naturally [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
23. It's Only Love [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
24. You Like Me Too Much [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
25. Tell Me What You See [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
26. I've Just Seen a Face [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
27. Yesterday [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
28. Dizzy Miss Lizzy [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]

Disc 6:

1. Drive My Car [Mono Version]
2. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) [Mono Version]
3. You Won't See Me [Mono Version]
4. Nowhere Man [Mono Version]
5. Think for Yourself [Mono Version]
6. Word [Mono Version]
7. Michelle [Mono Version]
8. What Goes On [Mono Version]
9. Girl [Mono Version]
10. I'm Looking Through You [Mono Version]
11. In My Life [Mono Version]
12. Wait [Mono Version]
13. If I Needed Someone [Mono Version]
14. Run for Your Life [Mono Version]
15. Drive My Car [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
16. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
17. You Won't See Me [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
18. Nowhere Man [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
19. Think for Yourself [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
20. Word [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
21. Michelle [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
22. What Goes On [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
23. Girl [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
24. I'm Looking Through You [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
25. In My Life [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
26. Wait [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
27. If I Needed Someone [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]
28. Run for Your Life [Original 1965 Stereo Mix]

Disc 7:

1. Taxman [Mono Version]
2. Eleanor Rigby [Mono Version]
3. I'm Only Sleeping [Mono Version]
4. Love You To [Mono Version]
5. Here, There and Everywhere [Mono Version]
6. Yellow Submarine [Mono Version]
7. She Said She Said [Mono Version]
8. Good Day Sunshine [Mono Version]
9. And Your Bird Can Sing [Mono Version]
10. For No One [Mono Version]
11. Doctor Robert [Mono Version]
12. I Want to Tell You [Mono Version]
13. Got to Get You into My Life [Mono Version]
14. Tomorrow Never Knows [Mono Version]

Disc 8:

1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band [Mono Version]
2. With a Little Help from My Friends [Mono Version]
3. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds [Mono Version]
4. Getting Better [Mono Version]
5. Fixing a Hole [Mono Version]
6. She's Leaving Home [Mono Version]
7. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! [Mono Version]
8. Within You Without You [Mono Version]
9. When I'm Sixty-Fout [Mono Version]
10. Lovely Rita [Mono Version]
11. Good Morning Good Morning [Mono Version]
12. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) [Mono Version]
13. Day in the Life [Mono Version]

Disc 9:

1. Magical Mystery Tour [from the Film "Magical Mystery Tour"] [Mono Versi
2. Fool on the Hill [from the Film "Magical Mystery Tour"] [Mono Version]
3. Flying [from the Film "Magical Mystery Tour"] [Mono Version]
4. Blue Jay Way [from the Film "Magical Mystery Tour"] [Mono Version]
5. Your Mother Should Know [from the Film "Magical Mystery Tour"] [Mono Ve
6. I Am the Walrus [from the Film "Magical Mystery Tour"] [Mono Version]
7. Hello, Goodbye [Mono Version]
8. Strawberry Fields Forever [Mono Version]
9. Penny Lane [Mono Version]
10. Baby, You're a Rich Man [Mono Version]
11. All You Need Is Love [Mono Version]

Disc 10:

1. Back in the U.S.S.R. [Mono Version]
2. Dear Prudence [Mono Version]
3. Glass Onion [Mono Version]
4. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da [Mono Version]
5. Wild Honey Pie [Mono Version]
6. Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill [Mono Version]
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps [Mono Version]
8. Happiness Is a Warm Gun [Mono Version]
9. Martha My Dear [Mono Version]
10. I'm So Tired [Mono Version]
11. Blackbird [Mono Version]
12. Piggies [Mono Version]
13. Rocky Raccoon [Mono Version]
14. Don't Pass Me By [Mono Version]
15. Why Don't We Do It in the Road? [Mono Version]
16. I Will [Mono Version]
17. Julia [Mono Version]

Disc 11:

1. Birthday [Mono Version]
2. Yer Blues [Mono Version]
3. Mother Nature's Son [Mono Version]
4. Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey [Mono Version
5. Sexy Sadie [Mono Version]
6. Helter Skelter [Mono Version]
7. Long, Long, Long [Mono Version]
8. Revolution I [Mono Version]
9. Honey Pie [Mono Version]
10. Savoy Truffle [Mono Version]
11. Cry Baby Cry [Mono Version]
12. Revolution 9 [Mono Version]
13. Good Night [Mono Version]

Disc 12:

1. Love Me Do [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
2. From Me to You [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
3. Thank You Girl [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
4. She Loves You [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
5. I'll Get You [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
6. I Want to Hold Your Hand [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
7. This Boy [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
8. Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
9. Sie Liebt Dich [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
10. Long Tall Sally [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
11. I Call Your Name [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
12. Slow Down [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
13. Matchbox [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
14. I Feel Fine [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
15. She's a Woman [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
16. Bad Boy [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
17. Yes It Is [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
18. I'm Down [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]

Disc 13:

1. Day Tripper [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
2. We Can Work It Out [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
3. Paperback Writer [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
4. Rain [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
5. Lady Madonna [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
6. Inner Light [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
7. Hey Jude [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
8. Revolution [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
9. Only a Northern Song [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
10. All Together Now [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
11. Hey Bulldog [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
12. It's All Too Much [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
13. Get Back [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
14. Don't Let Me Down [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
15. Across the Universe [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]
16. You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) [2009 Digital Remaster][Version]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #65 in Music
• Released on: 2009-09-09
• Number of discs: 13
• Formats: Box set, Limited Edition, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: 1.86 pounds

Album Description
FEATURES:

-Dimensions: 5.75" x 5.38" x 2.63"

-Description:

      ·Hard white glossy slip box
      ·Limited edition
      ·CDs packaged as mini LP replicas (replica artwork, sleeves and gatefolds)
      ·Remastered by Paul Hicks, Sean Magee with Guy Massey and Steve Rooke

-Contains:

 Original Mono version - 11 albums (12 discs)

        += mono mix CD debut

      ·Please Please Me
      ·With The Beatles
      ·A Hard Day's Night
      ·Beatles For Sale
      ·Help! (CD also includes original 1965 stereo mix)+
      ·Rubber Soul (CD also include original 1965 stereo mix)+
      ·Revolver+
      ·Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band+
      ·Magical Mystery Tour+
      ·The Beatles+
      ·Mono Masters (features all of the mono tracks that appeared on singles, EPs. or that never made it onto the 13 albums)

-Essay written by Kevin Howlett

*note: Yellow Submarine, Abbey Road and Let It Be are not included, as they were originally recorded in stereo.

Beatles Photos

The Beatles Merchandise

The Beatles Rock Band

More from The Beatles

The Beatles Stereo Box Set

The Beatles [USB] [LIMITED EDITION]

Abbey Road

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

The White Album

Rubber Soul

Amazon.com
The Beatles Mono Box Set was compiled as a special interest package for the hard-core fan. It presents the first ten albums in re-mastered mono (the final 3 albums made their debuts in stereo only), and a double album of singles and EPs, called "Mono Masters". At the time of writing, the mono albums are not available individually. Why would anyone want a newly minted mono collection? The final mono songs were sometimes different. Stereo mixes were usually done days, if not weeks after the original mono mix, and could include different takes when the engineers made the overdubs. Stereo mixes, particularly for the first five albums, did not include as much critical listening from George Martin, and almost none from the Fab' Four. Also, stereo in early 60's England was not broadcast over the air, and the format was largely the preserve of the hi-fi snob. For more than half The Beatles recorded repertoire, the most affordable "weapon of choice" for the twisting, shouting teenage market was the mono mix. Ironically - this box set is the best The Beatles have ever sounded. Like the stereo sibling these are re-mastered, not re-mixed, but unlike the stereo, they have not been clipped or limited to push levels closer to current music ingested through our MP3 players. These albums are cleaner than ever before and compared to the 1980s CD editions you're taken aback by how much dynamic range is on those original tapes. Nothing in this box sounds like a 45 year old recording. Each disc is presented as if it were a miniature "33", replete with plastic anti-scratch sleeve, inner paper sleeve, original album cover, inserts and all original text rendered frustratingly small for anyone old enough to have bought the LPs the first time around. -- Hugo Munday

Customer Reviews

A Cheapskate's (Relatively) Guide To The Mono and Stereo Re-Issues
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. If following reading this review, you wish to read an expanded essay by me on the box sets, please visit The Beatles Wiki site by Hyperarts.

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 I Want To Tell You 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 "yeah" 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: Now that I have had the time to compare three versions of LIB, an original 1970 EMI vinyl, this remastered CD and LIB Naked, it turns out that LIB is one of the more interesting remaster releases. First, LIB Naked has it all. It is true to the original vision of the Beatles for this music. It has clarity, correct dynamics and musicality. One of the places you can hear this best is in the title track and the differences between the Martin and Spector mixes. Martin got the church-like nature of the song. Consequently, you get more organ and the choir-boy harmonies of John and George, which Spector dubbed over with horns, strings and over the top solos by George. And I'm with Sir Paul concerning the damage done by Phil to The Long And Winding Road. As for the 1970 LIB vinyl, it has its problems from a sonic standpoint, particularly as it is a Phil Spector production. This brings us to this remastered CD. It trumps the 1970 standard vinyl in clarity but not LIB Naked. The real surprise is that the compression added to this remaster actually makes this a more Phil Spectoresque production than the original. And surprisingly, I like it, at least compared with the 1970 vinyl. Still, Naked is what you want.

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 Pepper's.

9/12/09 THANKS TO ALL: The past few days, following the posting of my review, have been a lot of fun. So many people have taken the time to write me, quite a number saying the review was flat-out the best review of any sort they have read. Others shared memories and feelings about how important this music is to them. Amazingly, two brother, one in Boston one in Paris, found they were reading the same thread and were kind of amazed by the co-incidence. All in all, it has been a very rewarding experience. I thank Amazon for providing this opportunity, and those of you present and future who have/will take(n) the time to play.

A superb sounding mono Beatles experience
Those of us old enough to have experienced the Beatles first hand will never forget the excitement of hearing their latest release being played for the very first time. Each record as the band matured was invariably a step forward in creativity. And each release in those early days of FM and the continuing dominance of the AM format was invariably heard in Mono. Stereo was mixed differently in those days. In order to promote the new Stereo recording method as a distinct sonic experience from Mono, engineers created the widest possible soundstage with music heavily separated into the left and right speakers. If you really want to hear a typical difference in mixes listen to Cream's I Feel Free in both Mono and Stereo. The Stereo mix seems equally divided into each speaker with almost nothing coming from the center. As a result the music sounds diffuse and oddly unreal in the Stereo version with barely any bass at the bottom. The Mono mixdown, on the other hand, is sonically powerful and beautifully focused with Jack Bruce's 6-string bass and Clapton's amazing guitar solo now full-throated and much punchier. The Mono version is preferable even after all of these years of remasterings.

The Beatles recordings were similarly constructed with their earliest Stereo albums attempting to showcase the new recording method by separating the music into the widest possible soundstage. This was meant to be more lifelike than Mono but to my ears it always seemed to dilute the music a bit. On the Stereo albums Paul's bass lost a bit of its punch and never really reproduced the 'fat bottom' that anchored those beautifully recorded Beatle records. The wide dispersion of the vocals had a similar effect. Those glorious John + George or Paul + George harmonies, often originally meant to be sung into a single microphone, never sounded as solid and rich in Stereo as they did in Mono.

On this new Mono box set we can hear for perhaps the very first time (in a non-bootleg recording) the experience one had during those long ago days when these immortal records were first released. Here we can hear Paul's bass producing the same deep, flowing lines that revolutionized the way bass was presented in popular music. The vocals are now full and rich, with harmonies that flow like sonic honey ON TOP OF THE MUSIC instead of weakly dispersed at its periphery as in the Stereo versions. Ringo's tom-toms and bass drums are powerfully propulsive, causing my floor to bounce on several occasions. Revolver is a revelation in Mono with tracks like Tomorrow Never Knows and Taxman now having a 3-dimensional depth to them. Eleanor Rigby with its overwhelming power will make you weep. Rubber Soul has a similar depth that is lacking in the Stereo version. Sgt. Pepper sounds so much more unified in Mono: it is acoustically less jittery than the Stereo version which occasionally suffers from excessive brightness and brittleness.

The first few Beatles albums all have that early wide Stereo separation with a center one could drive a truck through. In these excellent new Mono remasterings solidity has finally been returned to the early Beatles albums. Where the Stereo versions were weak these new Mono versions are powerful with a propulsive inevitability to the music that reminds me of what made the Beatles so very special in the first place. More than anything else, these new Mono remasterings recreate the experience of hearing the Beatles with all of their brilliance and freshness intact. And for that I am eternally grateful.

Mike Birman

FAST AND EASY REVIEW TO HELP YOU DECIDE! MONO RULES! :)
FAST FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE! What is great about this box set?

*Album (CD) covers are Exact replicas of those issued in the UK

*The CDs are replicas of the record labels issued in the UK

* The CD covers are larger than normal size making them very easy to handle and easier to read and enjoy!

* The booklet is large and full of info and photos

* Also, the "Help" and "Rubber Soul" CDs include the additional 1965 original stereo mixes on them so that is very cool.

* And please note that even though this is a USA Box set, ALL the CDs state that they were manufactured in Japan. That's actually a good thing.

* The four Beatles songs from YELLOW SUBMARINE album which were not previously issued in Mono on CD ARE included on the Mono Past Masters CD in this box set. They are "It's All Too Much", "All Together Now", "Hey Bulldog" and "It's Only A Northern Song".

* Wonderful, clear mono sound with special goodies like the Original Single Record version of "Help", the fast version of "She's Leaving Home" which is how Paul intended it to sound (By the way, when George Martin made his "Insightful Comments" on the "Making of the Pepper Album", he never talked about "She's Leaving Home" as he did not actually produce it in its entirety. Paul was upset with Martin's availability at the time and had someone else do the initial arrangments of the song. This fact is rarely discussed and it is still iritating to George Martin.


**In overview, these CDs are great with excellent packaging that includes plenty of photos. But be careful Beatle People, it isn't worth more than $230.00 and people (Blue Meanies) are selling these sets for $400.00 on Ebay. Don't even fall for that. Stick with Amazon! It is by far your best buy!

Looking Forward to the future CD release of the USA Issue of "A Hard Day's Night" which has some outstanding instrumental music on it by George Martin and His Orchestra i.e. "Ringo's Theme (This Boy)" and "And I Love Her". Those two songs actually charted on the Billboard 100 in 1964. And I actually bought the 45 record when it came out. I just thought it was so good! And being very young at the time ( and very ignorant), I actually thought that The Beatles played some of the instruments on these songs. I remember thinking "Man, are these guys talented" :)

PS: Even though The White Album is interesting to listen to in Mono, the Stereo Issue is still sooo much better....cuz you can see that Paul really put some quality time in on his bass dubs. GENIUS! BRILLIANT! :)