Songs on the Beatles Revolver That Are Better in Mono - "Taxman" & "Eleanor Rigby"

There are some mono lovers who will say thatUsually the one good thing about such extreme
every song on Revolver sounds better in mono!panning is how clear each individual part is, but
And of course there are some who can't standbecause they put everything over on the left,
listening to music in mono and will prefer thethat's not really the case with this track. Sure we
stereo mixes even when they are mixed in acan hear the percussion (which is about the only
very strange way (which is the case with thething on the right for most of the song!) really
songs I am highlighting in this article.)clearly, but that doesn't make up for everything
Personally I take it on a song by song basis.else being smushed together on the left! Not by a
Some Beatles songs sound better in stereo andlong shot.
some of them sound better in mono. I believeIn mono everything is up the center which works
these songs on The Beatles 1966 classic albumpretty well for a heavy rocker like this. The mono
Revolver do, indeed, sound better in mono (ofmix is much "punchier" than the stereo mix.
course the original mono mix of Revolver has"Eleanor Rigby" - The stereo mix on Revolver of
been made available on CD for the very first timethis song is nuts. On the verses the strings are in
as a part the Beatles In Mono Box Set.)the center and the vocals are completely to the
"Taxman" - The panning on this song is totally offright and there's nothing over on the left at all.
the mark. I wonder what they were thinking?This is not good. The mono mix works very
They put almost everything in the left (the guitar,nicely on this song because there aren't very
the bass, and the drums!) and the vocals are inmany elements (just vocals and the strings) so
the center which leaves the right channel almostthere's not much to get buried (which is my
totally empty. This sounds really unsettling whenbiggest complaint with mono mixes, usually.
listening to the song on headphones.