| When The Beatles got their start in the early | | | | With the release of The Beatles in Mono Box Set |
| 1960's, mono was considered to be the standard | | | | many Beatles fans are able to hear their songs in |
| for music. The music that The Beatles listened to | | | | mono for the very first time (up until now only |
| was in mono and almost all of their fans listened | | | | the stereo mixes for many of their songs have |
| to their music in mono. At that time stereo was | | | | been available on CD.) |
| considered to be something for "high end | | | | Two examples of songs that I think sound far |
| audiophiles" who were usually more interested in | | | | better in mono than they do in stereo are 1965's |
| classical or jazz music. | | | | "Day Tripper" (which can be heard in mono on the |
| Because of this, The Beatles and their production | | | | Mono Masters compilation included in the Mono |
| team didn't spend much time on their stereo | | | | Box Set) and 1966's "Eleanor Rigby" (which can be |
| mixes. They really spent the majority of their | | | | heard in mono on the mono version of Revolver |
| time mixing the mono versions of their songs. In | | | | included in The Beatles in Mono Box Set.) |
| contrast the stereo versions were sort of | | | | In the stereo version of "Day Tripper" the vocals |
| "thrown together" in a rather "experimental" | | | | are panned hard right and the drums are panned |
| fashion. | | | | hard left. This is extremely annoying when |
| Many of their stereo mixes (especially from the | | | | listening on headphones. Obviously with the mono |
| earlier songs) sound quite disconcerting by today's | | | | version, everything is mixed right up the middle. |
| standards. Many of them have all of the vocals on | | | | This gives it a much "powerful" sound. |
| one side and all of the drums on the other for | | | | In the stereo version of "Eleanor Rigby" the |
| example! This is particularly an issue when listening | | | | vocals on the verse are hard right while the |
| on headphones (another important point is that | | | | strings are in the center (and basically nothing is |
| nearly as many people listened to music on | | | | on the left.) This is a very lopsided mix which is |
| headphones in the 1960s as they do today.) | | | | why I think it sounds better in mono. |