After a decade away, The Beatles’ 14-LP In Mono box set returns on July 18. Music fans will find nine British mono-released albums, from Please Please Me to The White Album. The collection adds the Magical Mystery Tour LP and the Mono Masters album, an all-mono version of Past Masters. It also comes with copies of studio photos, archival documents from the 1960s, and a limited edition hardcover book about the mastering process by Kevin Howlett. The book is 108 pages long.
At Abbey Road Studios, Sean Magee, and Steve Berkowitz worked their magic, sticking to analog methods. “In the main, we thought in mono,” Paul McCartney told . “The stereo mix wasn’t really important to us – we figured, well, you just spread the mono.”
In a 1995 interview from The Beatles Anthology, George Harrison shared, “When they invented stereo, I remember thinking, ‘Why? What do you want two speakers for?’ because it ruined the sound from our point of view.”
German plant Optimal Media pressed each record on thick, 180-gram vinyl to ensure a premium listening experience. The packaging mirrors the 1960s originals, down to the smallest detail. These mono albums showcase unique vocal effects and instrumentation.
Sharp ears will catch the mono and stereo splits across the tracks. “Helter Skelter” runs shorter in mono, missing Ringo’s shout. The mono mix brings Eric Clapton’s guitar work front and center in “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”
This fresh pressing should cool the wild second-hand market, where prices hit $1,000. The . This reissue comes after the release of the 1964 U.S. Albums in Mono box set last year.
