Have you checked out the Steve Hoffman Music Forums? Much discussion about the best sounding versions. The answer would probably be the first pressing from the country of origin, Britain in this case. Unfortunately they would cost a fortune if you could find them. Next would be first pressings of another country, like the U.S., Germany or Japan. The recent Beatles in mono on vinyl seemed to be very popular too. |
This is an absolute minefield and there are no easy answers. The original mono (up to and including the White album) tube cut UK vinyl is best. However there are obvious problems with condition and cost. A more sane way is to get either of the two box sets, either the 1978 The Beatles Collection (Blue Box) https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles_Collection or the 1982 The Beatles: The Collection (MFSL/mofi) box https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles:_The_Collection Neither are quite authentic or complete but then nothing else is either. Failing that the 2014 all analogue Mono reissues (again up to White album) are the cheapest and easiest way to go. Beware the 2012 digital stereo transfers. https://www.beatlesbible.com/2014/09/09/beatles-mono-vinyl-worldwide-release/ There’s quite a few other opinions out there here’s just one of many https://theaudiophileman.com/beatles-mono-vinyl-version/ For me personally, nothing sounded as good as the original UK Red and Blue album compilations released in 1973 but that might just be familiarity. However I can’t escape the feeling that these things were made by people who knew how to use their ears. |
grey market 15ips 1/4" tape sounds better than any pressings i have heard. and considering what the very best pressings might cost and the difficulty finding them, the tapes are reasonable to purchase and find. and I have spent considerable efforts finding great pressings and own most/all of the box sets too. i have 6 Beatles albums on tape and while i have no idea (no one would) the exact provenance of these tapes they easily surpass my good to very good pressings including some original pressings. so...….get the tape. |
Thanks for the great references and feedback. Particularly interesting to hear about the tapes. I never would have went there. One more follow-up question I do have a handful of older Beatles records but was wondering if there was a source or some kind of table that could help me understand their source. Curious to know the age and how and where they were mastered and pressed. Again thanks in advance for all the great information. |
I am not a Beatles collector: there are, however a few web resources that may help: [url]http://yokono.co.uk/collection/beatles/beatles.html[/url] [url]http://www.rarebeatles.com/boxsets/boxset.htm#BOXSET[/url] There was another site that is now gone. For fun, you might look for a German Horzu Die Beatles -2 stereo. It was a two track sent to Germany for a special release connected with a magazine, and it (mistakenly?) contained no additional mixing or reverb. So, you wind up with hard panned L and R, unadorned early Beatles. There were a couple issues of this anomaly, i put it on occasionally, but there were also "correct" mixed copies bearing the Horzu label so do your due diligence. I’m operating from memory here. I think an early Blue Box from the UK and that recent mono set are both really good values unless you are chasing early tube cut copies; some of the deadwax in the occasional blue box sets BC-13 will have tube matrices, I’m told, but that’s hit or miss, it was really whatever was in production at the time- still good though. Many of these sets were bought or given as gifts-- and often were rarely played. You should probably search through the Hoffman forum- there are people there who make the Beatles a religion. And, I do know a dealer on the West Coast who only specializes in first pressings--his name is Jeff Gold, he’s a nice man and has found some pretty cool stuff over the years. He’s also published at least one book but it is not limited to the lads. [url]https://recordmecca.com/about/[/url]. |
