The Beatles SINGLES COLLECTION is a very pricey set of the 22 British singles. Each of the 22 discs is comprised of the two songs from the corresponding original 45 rpm single along with the British-single artwork. (In America, we had different artwork and, to some degree, different singles.)

I bought this for one reason: to finally get the glorious mono versions of many of these songs on CD. Scores of us older Beatles fanatics--those of us who grew up as fans of the band in the 60s--bought the mono versions of these songs and became accustomed to their clear, full, focused, and balanced sound. George Martin spent the majority of time working on the mono mixes and comparatively little time on the stereo. Mono was, by far, the norm in those days; meticulous work and many hours went into making the mono mixes sound perfect. And they still do sound perfect. In fact, they still sound shockingly superior to the stereo versions in most cases. Why?

George Martin recorded the vocals on a separate track from the backing so that, in the final mix, the vocals would not become buried and the engineer would have the means to adjust their volume. Because of this, Martin's mono mixes were superb. But when it came to stereo mixing, the vocal track was sometimes shoved to one side of the stereo picture, giving an unnatural, lopsided left/right channel separation and making the vocals sound detached from the rest of the music. To make matters worse, the drums and bass--key instruments from which rock bands get their power--were usually shoved far left, robbing the music of much of its strength. (An example of this is the egregious stereo version of "Day Tripper.") Indeed, the stereo versions of many a Beatles tune sound artificial, unbalanced, and anemic.

The lack of time and effort spent on mixing the pre-1969 stereo versions reflects just how unimportant they were considered to be. It is documented that five songs from the BEATLES FOR SALE album were remixed for stereo in half an hour. As The Beatles recorded REVOLVER, showing more and more interest in the mix sessions, their attention was focused on the mono mixes. Even during the recording of SGT. PEPPER'S, the band members were all present for the mono mixes--the stereo being done in their absence. Moreover, when MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR was released in America, the stereo version of the album had mock-stereo versions of "Penny Lane," "Baby, You're A Rich Man," and "All You Need Is Love" because stereo versions did not yet exist for those songs. "All You Need Is Love" was mixed for stereo in October 1968 for inclusion on the YELLOW SUBMARINE album. But "Penny Lane" and "Baby, You're A Rich Man" did not receive stereo remixes until late 1971!

Many of the mono versions in this collection can be found elsewhere (either on the CDs of the pre-1965 British albums or on various compilations), so my reasons for obtaining this set are as follows:

Here, we get actual versions of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and "This Boy" used for the original single, sounding fabulous and in mono. The grossly inferior stereo mixes on PAST MASTERS VOLUME ONE are not the versions that sold millions, as the notes deceptively imply.

On PAST MASTERS, we are given the stereo "I Feel Fine," which has the drums and bass far left, the guitars far right, and the vocals--sounding abnormally detached and somewhat cavernous--in the middle. How realistic the mono sounds in comparison: power coming from the rhythm section, Ringo's magnificent drumming dancing around the vocals as it should, and the total sound focused and balanced (as if the band were right in front of us!).

Though the stereo version of "Ticket To Ride" improves upon the previous stereo mixes, the mono version reveals the degree to which the divine interplay of the rhythm section--especially Ringo's contagious drumming--is masked on the stereo by the peculiar channel separation. The mono gives us an astounding difference in power. The stereo version of "Yes It Is" sounds hollow and misshapen, almost a mutilation of the gorgeous piece of music presented on the mono track.

Many of us were infuriated when PAST MASTERS VOLUME TWO gave us the stereo versions of "Day Tripper" and "Paperback Writer," probably the two most disappointing mixes of all. In both cases--and to a shocking degree!--the anemic and gimmicky stereo mixes sap this incredible music of its original power. Though I still own the original 45s of both, how thankful I am to finally own the mono versions on CD!

I slightly prefer the stereo "Help!" (found on the HELP! CD) to the mono version, which was released as the single. The stereo is a different take: John sounds more involved, the whole track is clearer, and the added tambourine on the choruses makes those sections even more infectious. I also prefer the stereo versions of "Get Back" and "Don't Let Me Down," the first Beatles single to be released in stereo rather than mono. (In this set, we get the mono mixes.) Finally, "Something," "Come Together," and "Let It Be" were originally released in stereo, and that's what we get here.

To those who have longed for the mono versions, I say only: Well, here they are but they are indeed expensive. Unfortunately, it's the only way that some of these masterpieces can be had. If you are a Beatles fan and have not heard many of these mono versions (and if the price is not a problem), go for it; the difference in the quality of these mono-mixed gems will truly astound you.

The simple fact is, these original British MONO mixes sound much, much better than the "primitive stereo" US releases. Back in 1962-63 Rock and Roll was new and "stereo" was even newer. People didn't have Ipods, satellite radio, or 19-channel home theater systems. We (yes, "we!") had AM radios and portable record players. Even our parents' home "Hi-Fi" was usually mono. And that's something George Martin and the Beatles had to consider when intentionally mixing their music in Mono. Let's face it, commercial "stereo" technology was in its infancy and it would take several years of growth before it sounded even close to realistic. Compared to modern recordings, many of Rock's early stereo and "simulated stereo" recordings sound unnatural with guitar/vocals hard-left in one speaker and bass/drums hard right in the other and pretty much nothing going on in the middle. Played on a modern system, these original mono mixes actually sound like a band playing right in front of you. (Especially if you turn it up! C'mon, it's the Beatles!) Instruments and vocals are bright and clear and and everything is nicely centered. I think you'd be very pleasantly surprised at the overall improvement in sound quality.

Actually, ALL of the Beatles' music was mixed in mono for release in the UK, even the later true stereo releases, but, no, the UK mono versions are not "easily found on other [US] albums." I've managed to find all the UK mono albums through "Let It Be" and have compared them to the US stereo versions and I personally prefer the UK monos. (Frankly, "Abbey Road" and the "White Album" sound just fine in stereo. I guess by '68 they were finally getting the hang of it!) If you're interested, check Google and Yahoo for "Beatles Mono" for more detailed info on the subject and for product sources.

OK, so the early UK monos sound a lot better than the early US stereos. As for the "package," well, yeah, it was definitely marketed to "Collectors." The original 12 4-song British EPs (Extended Play vinyl records) are duplicated here on CDs in cardboard sleeves that mimic the original record jackets. Also included is the original 6-song EP release of "Magical Mystery Tour" on 2 separate mono and stereo CDs in a nice fold-out that looks like the LP jacket. (The US "Magical" had songs added by Capitol to fill out an album length.) The last disc contains "rare" UK stereo versions of 4 B-sides. Then there's the the nice black storage box that looks like one I used to keep my 45s in back in my misspent youth, oh so long ago(!)

If you don't have any audiophile-wannabe tendencies and you're content with the US stereo versions that you've probably grown up with, then no, I don't suppose you need this collection. But, if you'd like at least some of your "golden oldies" to sound more natural and realistic then go for it. And as for the expense, do you really expect to pay full price for something on Amazon?

I was a little hesitant to buy this due to the "extremely" high price, but I took the plunge.

I'm glad I did... the mono mixes of most of these tracks ROCK.

My favorites are Paperback Writer/Rain, Revolution that screams out of your speakers, and I Feel Fine/She's A Woman.

You really need to be a Beatles fan is you are going to spend the dough on this though.

Think about it.

My purchase of the Beatles EP Box in Mono was an economic way of

getting the Mono best of the Beatles, without paying $250 for the

re-mastered 9-09-09 box set. Yes, I'm missing a few albums in

Mono that came out after MMT, however, the quality of the British EPs is as close to the Original mixes and sound great without

the NEW sound of modern day Digital DAWs. Basically, this is

Vacuum tube sound, not 24 bit , just great MONO. The shipment

was fast...the packing avoiding any damages...and the EP sleeves

were pristine....made me very happy!

This is a must for every Beatles fanatic! Here are the Beatles' original 22 British singles in their original mono mixes (with the exeption of the last couple of singles which WERE originally released in stereo) with the cover art too.