Mark Cormican Music

McCartney Vs. Lennon

It is the oldest Beatles discussion: “Lennon vs. McCartney” Which one was most essential to The Beatles music? It’s my opinion as a huge Beatles fan that the real answer is “both!” It may sound like a cop-out but I actually believe it’s the best answer.

I’m not one of those critics that goes out of his or her way to disparage the solo careers of Lennon and McCartney but I do think it’s obvious that they never reached the same level on their own as they did together with The Beatles I think that’s pretty good proof that there was something special about their songwriting partnership that allowed their work together to to reach a level that has rarely been reached by other songwriters.

A lot of The Beatles best work wasn’t the songs that Lennon or McCartney mostly wrote by themselves but were the songs that they worked on together. Many of their early hit singles such as “Please Please Me” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand” were written together and some of their best work such as “A Day in the Life” were actually combinations of different bits that John & Paul wrote separately which were then added together to make a whole song.

Even when Lennon or McCartney would write a song mostly on their own, there would often still be important improvements added by the other.

Lennon would sometimes offer helpful advice on lyrics to McCartney. With “Hey Jude,” John told Paul to keep the “the movement you need is on your shoulder” bit that Paul actually wanted to drop from the song as he felt it was too weird. Lennon added the “it couldn’t get much worse” line to “Getting Better” which helped to offset the relentless positivity of the rest of the lyrics.

Paul McCartney added some incredible bass parts to John’s songs such as “Rain,” “Come Together,” and “Dear Prudence.” Without the great bass parts on these songs, they’d be nowhere near as great!

The big point being that both Lennon and McCartney were essential to making The Beatles music so fantastic.

The Beatles Mono Box Set CD Review

The Beatles Mono Box Set features The Beatles first 10 albums in their glorious original mono mixes along with the “Mono Masters” 2 CD set which includes the original mono versions for all of their non-album songs that were mixed in mono.

The Beatles Remastered Mono Mix Box Set is a real “revelation” in some cases. A lot of the band’s earlier songs really sound a lot~better in mono than they do in stereo because they were originally mixed in mono and the stereo mixes were often done as an “afterthought” (because stereo wasn’t taken very seriously at the time.) Many of The Beatles stereo mixes are totally screwy by the standards of today because they pan everything to one side or the other which can be annoying to listen to (particularly when listening on headphones.)

It’s wonderful to be able to hear tracks like “Eleanor Rigby” without the ridiculous panning technique that mars the stereo mixes of those songs.

But there’s more differences to these mono mixes than just the panning. In some cases there are actually different takes and different effects used! And in many more cases different instruments/parts are highlighted in the mono mix vs. the stereo mix.

A great example of a different mix in mono vs. stereo is “Helter Skelter” because it’s almost a full minute shorter in mono than in stereo and it doesn’t include the “blisters on my fingers” yell at the end.

“I’m Only Sleeping” is a another good example of mixing differences between the two versions beyond simple panning differences. There is more backwards guitar in the mono version of the song than in the stereo version.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about the Beatles Mono Masters Compilation is that it includes four previously unreleased mono mixes (”All Together Now,” “Hey Bulldog,” “It’s All Too Much,” and “Only a Northern Song.”)

The Beatles Stereo Box Review

Now that I have been listening to The Beatles In Stereo CD Box Set for almost a full seven days I think it’s time to do a review of the set as a whole. Now I have heard everything at least once (although some albums I’ve heard multiple times and others just once) and I have no reservations in saying that these remastered CDs are far superior to the old CDs most of us Beatles fans owned previously.

It’s fantastic how much more clear these new discs sound in comparison to the old discs. I hear lots of details in these songs that I have never heard before! It’s really like rediscovering The Beatles timeless songs all over again as I go through each of the 14 albums in The Beatles Remastered Stereo Box Set.

There’s already been a lot of debate among fans of The Beatles over what sounds better; The mono mixes or the stereo mixes? This debate is raging because along with this stereo box set The Remastered Beatles In Mono CD Box Set was also released this month.

I think the stereo CDs definitely sound better for the later LPs because they allow for greater clarity which is particularly essential considering how much is going on in most of the later mixes. But with the earlier albums it’s a bit of a closer call. I still like the clarity of the stereo mixes even with the earlier albums, but it is true that the really wide panning can be a bit distracting so I think there’s a good case for the more “powerful” sounding mono mixes too!

In short, I’m very glad that I bought both box sets and I really think they are both essential for serious Beatles fans. After all the mono mixes were how the albums were originally intended to be heard so they have great historical value, but the stereo mixes sound really really good, so you have to have those too.

And while the major reason I’m so excited about this box set is, of course, how great the music sounds – another great thing about it is the awesome packaging. An informative booklet with many pictures and notes on the historical context of the album and the recording process for that album is included with each CD.

Gift Ideas For Beatles Fans

If there is a Beatles fan in your your circle of friends (yourself included!) you must circle 9/9/9 on the calander because that’s the day three incredible Beatles related gifts are being released. The stereo box set, mono box set, and Rock Band video game. In this article I’ll go into a little detail about what makes each of these products such a good gift idea.

The Beatles Remastered Stereo CD Box Set

Every recording The Beatles recorded and released from 1962 through 1970 in very high quality stereo. That’s all 13 British albums from 1962’s debut Please Please Me through 1970’s Let It Be. And yes this is a great gift even if the Beatlemaniac in question already owns all of their albums on compact disc. Why? Because these CDs sound far better than the older discs.

More of the sound of the original analog master tapes was captured with these CDs in comparison with the old Beatles CDs. In fact many claim that these new CDs sound better than the original vinyl albums.

The Beatles Mono Box Set (Remastered)

This is a great present for any serious Beatles fans because this is what all of the true “Beatles purists” have been waiting for: Finally, the mono mixes from the ’60s are available on CD. This is the first time that these orginal UK albums will be heard as they were originally intended to be heard by many younger fans!

Each of the band’s first 10 albums (up through The White Album) was mixed in mono and the band actually spent far more time working in mono than they did in stereo. Why? Because in the ’60s most people listened to music in mono.

Beatles Rock Band Game

This is a great gift for any Beatles fan who also enjoys playing games. But I must say that you don’t have to be a video game addict to like playing Rock Band. I hate games in general but I love playing Rock Band.

If you have younger “gamers” in your family who don’t yet know or appreciate The Beatles music this may be a great way to get them into it.

3 Must Buy Gifts For Any Beatles Fan

9/9/9 is a worldwide Holiday for Beatles fans. That is the day that The Beatles two stereo and mono box sets and Rock Band video game are finally released. Many Beatles fans (like myself) have already pre-ordered all three of these items online and are only waiting for them to be shipped!

#1 The Beatles Remastered Stereo Box Set

This stereo box set includes every single recording The Beatles originally released from 1962 through ‘70 in remastered stereo sound quality.

The new remastering will allow listeners to hear The Beatles timeless music with new clarity and detail. The CDs should sound significantly better than the 1987 CDs which have been The Beatles standard for 22 years now.

#2 The Beatles Remastered Mono Box Set

The first 10 Beatles albums are included in their original mono mix. These original mono mixes haven’t been put on CD until now. These mono mixes are thought to be the “real” versions of The Beatles songs by many Beatles purists because these were the mixes that the band worked most hard on in the 1960s.

Incredibly, the mono mix of The White Album has never been officially released in the US. Not even on LP or tape! Why? Because by the time The White Album came out in 1968, mono had already been completely “phased out” of the US marketplace so the original mono mix was only released in the UK at that time.

#3 The Beatles Rock Band Game

Rock Band is the best music related video game and The Beatles Rock Band will be the greatest version of the game. It will include over 40 Beatles songs which can be sung, drummed, and rocked. Entire albums will also be available for download. The first album to be made available for download will be Abbey Road.

This Beatles version of Rock Band will be the first which includes harmony singing. Up to three different people can sing at once allowing you and your friends to recreate The Beatles famous harmonies in your own living room.

The Beatles Remastered CDs Out On 9/9/9

On 9/9/9 remastered versions of The Beatles 13 official studio albums will finally be released after over 20 years of waiting. The 1980s CD versions are thought by most to be a very poor example of mastering for CD which is a big reason why people have been wanting new better versions for so long.

But the excitement from 9/9/9 doesn’t just come from the fact that the albums are being remastered for the first time since their original release on CD, it also comes from the mono box set that is being released on that day. This is the first time that the original mono mixes of The Beatles albums (up through 1968 which is when they stopped doing mono mixes) are going to be available on CD.

So why should we care about such an outdated way of listening to music here in the 21st century? Mono was being phased out in the 1960s, why should we listen to mono mixes today? Sure a lot of people think that stereo is all you need because it’s the standard these days, but for those curious about the original intention of The Beatles and their production team the mono mixes are of great interest.

The mono versions are what The Beatles (along with their production team) were primarily focused on. The Beatles stereo mixes were done with little input from the band while they were very involved with the mono mixes which were worked on until they were just right. And because of this effort put into the mono mixes, many feel that the original mono mix of Sgt. Pepper is the “real” version of the album.

But there’s even more Beatles stuff for fans to get excited about coming out on 9/9/9, for gamers there’s the Beatles Rock Band game which looks awesome from the previews of it I’ve seen. It basically allows you to play through The Beatles career from the days of “Beatlemania” through the psychedelic era all the way through the end. The Beatles Rock Band instruments even look like the real Beatles instruments (check out Paul’s bass guitar!) And for the first time harmonies are included as a part of Rock Band.

The Beatles Mono CD Box Set

Mono Mixes Were The Focus In The 1960s

It was not until the time of Abbey Road & Let It Be that the stereo mixes became The Beatles primary focus. Until then they were actually far more interested in the mono mixes because they were considered to be the “standard” at that time.

The Beatles Albums In Their Original Form

You can make a great case that these Beatles original mono mix CDs represent The Beatles albums in their true form. These are the mixes that most people heard back in the 1960s. These original mono mixes are the ones that made them the most popular band ever. Hearing these albums in their original stereo mixes, even if they are poor mixes, is interesting to real Beatles fans.

The Beatles Mono Box Set Includes

• Please Please Me through The White Album in their original mono mixes.
• The original stereo mixes of Help! & Rubber Soul
• The Mono Masters collection of the mono mixes of the band’s non album songs.

Where’s Their Final Three Albums?

The band’s last three studio albums were actually never mixed in mono because by 1969 stereo was the standard and mono mixes had been completely phased out.

Why Are Stereo Mixes Of Two Of The Beatles Albums Included?

The two albums included in stereo (Help! & Rubber Soul) were recorded in 1965. Why is that relevant? Because that’s when the band first started to do these stereo mixes and they were very experimental. Because of that when the bands albums were first put on CD in the ’80s they didn’t use the original stereo mixes and made brand new stereo mixes to replace them with. The original stereo mixes for these 1965 classic albums have never been on CD until this new mono box set.

The White Album In Mono In The US For The First Time

One really cool thing about this box set is that it will actually be the first time that The White Album has ever been released in mono in the United States in any format.

The Beatles Remastered CD Box Sets

There are two box sets being released on 9/9/9. A mono box set & a stereo box set. Both are necessary purchases by~essential for} real Beatles fanatics.