Beatles Mono Box - Grail Or Overhyped? Part 1 Revolver vs. Iconic 1st UK Pressing

Matrix: XEX 606-1

Revolver is the seventh studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It was released on 5 August 1966, accompanied by the double A-side single "Eleanor Rigby" / "Yellow Submarine". The album was the Beatles' final recording project before their retirement as live performers and marked the group's most overt use of studio technology to date, building on the advances of their late 1965 release Rubber Soul. It has since become regarded as one of the greatest and most innovative albums in the history of popular music, with recognition centred on its range of musical styles, diverse sounds, and lyrical content.

The Beatles recorded Revolver after taking a three-month break at the start of 1966, and during a period when London was feted as the era's cultural capital. Regarded by some commentators as the start of the group's psychedelic period, the songs reflect their interest in the drug LSD, Eastern philosophy and the avant-garde while addressing themes such as death and transcendence from material concerns. With no plans to reproduce their new material in concert, the band made liberal use of automatic double tracking, varispeed, reversed tapes, close audio miking, and instruments outside of their standard live set-up. Among its tracks are "Tomorrow Never Knows", incorporating heavy Indian drone and a collage of tape loops; "Eleanor Rigby", a song about loneliness featuring a string octet as its only musical backing; and "Love You To", a foray into Hindustani classical music. The sessions also produced a non-album single, "Paperback Writer" backed with "Rain".

In the United Kingdom, the album's 14 tracks were gradually distributed to radio stations in the weeks before its release. In North America, Revolver was reduced to 11 songs by Capitol Records, with the omitted three appearing on the June 1966 LP Yesterday and Today. The release there coincided with the Beatles' final concert tour and the controversy surrounding John Lennon's remark that the band had become "more popular than Jesus". The album topped the Record Retailer chart in the UK for seven weeks and the US Billboard Top LPs list for six weeks. Critical reaction was highly favourable in the UK but less so in the US amid the press's unease at the band's outspokenness on contemporary issues.

Revolver expanded the boundaries of pop music, revolutionised standard practices in studio recording, advanced principles espoused by the 1960s counterculture, and inspired the development of psychedelic rock, electronica, progressive rock and world music. The album cover, designed by Klaus Voormann, combined Aubrey Beardsley-inspired line drawing with photo collage and won the 1967 Grammy Award for Best Album Cover, Graphic Arts. Aided by the 1987 international CD release, which standardised its content to the original Parlophone version, Revolver has surpassed Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in many critics' estimation as the Beatles' best album. It was ranked first in the 1998 and 2000 editions of Colin Larkin's book All Time Top 1000 Albums and third in the 2003 and 2012 editions of Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". It has been certified double platinum by the BPI and 5× platinum by the RIAA.

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[Pepper]

Michael, The yellow and black Parlophone records from 1963-68 were cut with an all-tube (valve) system for a unique and "different" sound, even the later Stereo Blue box set (HTM cuts) used this signal chain. The 2014 box set were cut using a completely different signal chain (no tubes) so there's no way they could sound the same.
A lot of what you're hearing is the difference between a tube cut system and a solid state cut system, of course the aging master tapes may have suffered degradation too.

[stringblues]

I have a mint German 70's pressing -2/-2 stereo and it is completely different from the my 2009 LP version. The first time I listened to Tomorrow Never Knows on the German Pressing I was blown away, I love having the different versions to appreciate the differences and enjoy them all.

[DelmarToad]

Great explanation about Night & Day difference! I’ve noticed similar well kept or sealed OG pressings have a dynamic that really makes you wonder what happened in between? So many generations, remastering, remixing away from mint OG. Almost as if a needledrop would’ve been a better source for the reissue?

[drbryant]

I have seen copies of Revolver -1, -1 UK mono Parlophone in VG+/NM condition sell for more than the price of the entire Beatles mono box. It was always highly sought after among collectors.

[Alan_Always]

Something to consider about the mono box at the time it was released - the popularity of vinyl was quickly rising and the mono box was an affordable way to get clean pressings of the whole mono catalog in AAA in one action. Sure, OG mono prices were also going up in price but the packaging, the quality, the convenience and the price made the mono box an easy choice. It was not expensive when I pre-ordered it. (Looking at my old email, I paid $284 after tax and shipping!!) You can always make the argument that something can be better ... but the mono box, for most of us, was good enough. Maybe Revolver sounds better from a 1st press but my box version of Sgt Pepper definitely sounds better than my mono UK 1st.

[evanshear]

Miss your video's my friend. This is the longest sabadical in a while. Look forward to the next one!

[TheVinylSalute]

Another great video Michael, thank you. Fantastic.

[The_]

Michael - I have the Mono box and a early first press mono Revolver (not the 606-1 mix that you have) but it still beats the Mono box pressing (on my system) in overall sound quality. No mistake the Mono box is great. I bought the Mono box because acquiring clean pressings was getting difficult and expensive. The Mono box, when released was a great way to get good sounding, clean copies at a relatively reasonable price. Unfortunately, if you didn't purchase when it was released, today you have to pay a premium. Love your channel.

[luxnerSD]

This is my favorite Beatles album and I heard for years that the mono version was the one to get, in part because the Beatles themselves were mainly concerned with it, while the stereo version was basically a novelty item. When these 2009 mono reissues came out I didn't buy the Box, but instead bought a few of them individually, including Revolver. I enjoy it to this day, but I've always been underwhelmed by the sound, especially after hearing about how great the mono is supposed to be, and how these reissues were all-analog (unlike most other newer Beatles reissues). Now I would really like to hear this comparison for myself. Thanks a lot!

[zrx]

Makes me want to get my ‘78 version out and have a listen. It’s been years 👍😎

[chesterpielock]

Michael I really appreciate your observations.The Blue Train stereo is exactly as you stated! The Beatles pressings have so many versions.... I have the Beatles Blue Box stereo from 1978, FANTASTIC! Japanese red vinyl monos, diffierent. Some very early UK pressings including the Horzu issue also very enlightening. The mono box is still fantastic if you purchased it when it was released.All in all The Beatles will be forever! Cheers, Chet

[thomascars]

I have a -2/-1 OG Mono pressing, as well as I once had a -2/-2 and a -2/-3 cutting with Times New Roman font on the label. All of them sounded very harsh and rough, in my opinion. The 2014 mono reissue is better in terms of clarity, and quality of vinyl IMO.

To be fair, none of them are sonic masterpieces. Every version of revolver I’ve heard sounds like crap compared to everything else they’ve done.

However, the comparisons aren’t done yet! Can’t wait to get my hands on the new AAA cut from the 50th anniversary box

[chaky]

Sir, thank you for including the wax info, so critical nowadays with the flood of sellers trying to capitalize on the resurgence of buyers of vinyl; many of them are finding out what they paid for is not the correct pressing …another valuable tool for buyer beware !!👏

[johnnytheg]

Excellent video Michael. I have my copy of XEX 606-1 of Revolver as well as the second press 606-2 and both of them sound incredible. I have all first pressings of mono UK Beatles albums and they are in excellent condition and as far as I am concerned, the best sounding versions of Bealtes albums anywhere and in any format. I was going to buy the remastered mono box, but when I saw how outrageous the cost was, I decided to go with the originals and I am so glad I did.

[四塚文雄]

Hi Mike, Have you listened to the Mobile Fidelity version of Revolver? This was pressed inn Japan back in the 80s and I know a lot of people trash it but it does sound quite good. I'm talking about the stereo version though.

[rangerunner]

Great review. Regarding Mono, the cheapest format at the time was radio, in mono, putting a stereo record on was a shock. So have always stuck to the mono.

[drwinstonoboogie]

Hello Micheal hope you are feeling OK. Michael Fremer traveled to Abbey Road to advise on the MONO box. I would love to hear his views on this also.

[DaveDenyer]

Hi Michael, great video. I had a similar experience when I first got the mono box. I have all the original Beatles monos, and stereos for that matter. So, like you, I compared one of the LPs. A Hard Day’s Night I seem to recall. Anyway my original sounded better: more drive, more immediacy. So after a year or two I sold my mono box. I did make a small profit, but more fool me, if I’d kept it another few years I’d have made a small fortune!
To be honest I’ve been buying LPs for decades and rarely bother with reissues. My ongoing quest is for the earliest and best condition original.
Btw. If playing original monos, up to around mid sixties a proper mono cartridge makes a huge improvement. But you absolutely must not play a stereo record on a proper mono cartridge.

[heybulldog]

First off, thank you for your videos! I always look forward to watching them. I have a NM UK mono Revolver with the 606-1 matrix on side 2 and also a UK 1968 mono copy with the 606-2 matrix on side 2 and they both sound better to me than the 2014 vinyl. For this comparison, the midrange and treble are must more present on the UK early pressings. My gear is rather modest compared to your equipment, Technics SL1200 G with 2M MONO SE going thru a Project Phonobox RS2.

[Deebhoy]

Amazing video Michael. I sense your excitement and delight. I feel like jumping on a plane to Germany just to hear it 😂