Saturdays are becoming a real treat with a near weekly release from Techmoan and Parlogram one after the other. It’s like being a kid again and watching Blue Peter followed quickly by Magpie and with a bit of Tizwas thrown in for good measure . Don’t you dare die on us Andy , or at least have 6 months advanced videos prepared to lessen the blow......
I currently live in Tokyo and have been in love with the Japanese red vinyl. I decided as a fun side project that I would try and collect the 86 red vinyl mono collection independently whenever I ran across one in a record store. It’s getting harder and harder to find these even in Tokyo compared to 3-5 years ago and prices have gone up and continue to increase.
When my wife gave me the mono box for Christmas in 2014 I told her I would never need to buy another product from the Beatles. That was a lie... But it remains the best Christmas present I've ever received! Thanks for the comparisons!
My girlfriend bought the 2014 mono box as a present for me when it was just issued... it’s the only record gift she made to me but i think that this woman finally deserves to be married....😀
The 2014 box set is superior in so many ways... great sounding, wonderful flip-back sleeves, excellent book, solid outer box, and it contains the mono non-album singles on the Mono Masters compilation. It even contains true mono mixes of the four exclusive Yellow Submarine Beatles songs. Best of all, it's still the cheapest option, despite prices rising sharply over the past couple of years... just north of $1000 these days. It was a real steal for only $350 back in 2014. I also found that if you remove that foam insert, you have just enough room inside the box for the stereo Abbey Road and Let it Be LPs. That way you have the entire 60s core catalog in one box, minus three songs (Old Brown Show, Ballad of John and Yoko, and the single mix of Let it Be).
My plan: To buy the 2014 mono box and then, to buy good editions (maybe originals) of YS, AR and LIB... (I don't like 2012 stereo vinyl, cos the digital was for cds 🤷🏻♂️). Thanks!! Greetings
I always waited for the 2014 mono box set because the stereo is really bad sounding but....the new remix of Giles Martin is the real thing for me , today anyway !!
I live in Japan and can saying about this Lps make it here.Have a good sound clean,when you hear is different the songs,perfect.Uchino of Japan.Thank you.
You’re not showing the Japanese best mono albums on Odeon on EverClean red vinyl. They are unbelievable great. I haven’t heard the Japanese box set. The sashes ( obi ) add a lot of money to first Japanese pressings. I have a couple that appear to have scratches that play flawlessly after cleaning. EAS were the lease expensive Japanese pressings. The Japanese make the best quality vinyl records. ( and Fender guitars from 1982-84 ) … I have a first pressing Abbey Road that came with a book with all the songs lead sheets,with lyrics, chords,and notation of each song. Possibly my most rare album.
Thank you for production of this video. I think I prefer the Mono version of this video😉. Im trying to get the best MP3 version of Beatles Mono UK albums. Are the 2009 Remastered Versions the best ones out there for MP3??
I remember A/B'ing needledrops of the 2014, 1982, and original 60's mono versions at one point. The '82s always sounded too bassy for my tastes, although a lot of people would prefer the "deep" sound of the 82's. Slower songs like Here, There, & Everywhere benefit from the mastering, while faster one like She Said She Said don't sound as nice. The 60's and 2014 versions are super close, although the 2014 ones have a "softer" sound IMO. There's my 2¢, for what its worth.
Great review Andrew. I'm slowly trying to purchase all the original releases in MONO... and this was certainly a help in getting me on the right track. My latest buy was the 2014 Revolver which I picked up for a decent price... looking forward to hearing it when it arrives. Thanks again!
Excellent video as always! Quick note: there is an editing error with a repeated narration at around 4:50. It’s a very minor thing. Just creates a bit of deja vu. :)
@@davidheafield1436 haha. Naaa. Proves he’s human. Just like that first Revolver Uk pressing, oftentimes it’s the little imperfections that make things unique and valuable. :)
I notice the Japanese mono box set is the EAS series which for all intents the entry level Japanese Beatles albums. If you want to hear the absolute best sounding Beatles albums mono or stereo is the Japanese Odeon red vinyl with “ EverClean” on the back of the covers. I own a few of these,and they blow away EVERY other country in sound quality, and quality quality from the covers to the albums on virgin red vinyl . Catalog OR-OP and - AP ( which is later ) . Im going for the entire first run Everclean red vinyl in mono,and stereo. I dispense with the obi’s which will save a lot of money …
Always a joy to hear your thoughts on the various pressings and re-issues, delving into why one pressing beats another over a specific track ...The sort of talk one would expect to have with a sound engineer!
Nice comparison Andrew. I never owned any Japanese mono but once owned a few of the stereos from the 70's or 80's. I recall they had too much high end and limp bass. The UK LP's from the same time frame sounded better balanced. Please keep these reviews coming.
Hi Andrew, another finely crafted video with amazing detail, but at 4.30 I think you missed an edit when you repeated a couple of sentences. Please pardon this old tape engineer for pointing that out :) Yes Abbey Road is meticulous and protective with its paper work. When I toured there about 30yrs, ago, in the cutting room I was reading a Beatles master tape box label when the engineer came over and took it off me, saying an entry was wrong. But they didn’t want anyone knowing what they were doing at that time.
Another fantastic video Andrew...I was pleased to hear you confirm what I had already suspected...and that's the 2014 mono albums are top quality pressings. I'm a big fan of Japanese pressings in general but find that the sound of them is not always to everyone's liking..so it's not a matter of "it's a better pressing" it's if you prefer that type of eq setting that the Japanese engineers use. If you think of a graphic eq on a stereo...the Japanese approach their settings like the famous V setting....high bass and top end (usually) and no adjustment or cutting of the mid range. I also like the original UK pressings but find that their mid range adjustments sometimes don't agree with me. Again...it's just personal taste...there is no right or wrong. But there is one thing for certain...Japanese pressings always used the very best quality material (very quiet pressing due to virgin plastic material...no regrind) and thus made their pressings more desirable. Looking forward to your next video. Mark Anthony K Projekt Gemineye
Prior to the 2014 Beatles in Mono collection, I was seriously considering buying the 82 and/or 86 Japanese mono pressings. A really interesting comparison and good video. I still might try to pick up With the Beatles (Japanese) following this analysis.
This video you did is just great I do like the Japanese red vinyl I do like a lot . And I do have some but a lot of them are out of my $$$ range . But I do have the Mono box set and just love it . So is is good to know you like it and it is the way to go . !!!! Great video as all way . And take care Cheers !!!!
I was fortunate enough to get a copy of the 2014 Mono set in March 2015 on Amazon before going out of print. This was a very interesting video. Thanks for sharing this! Well done!
Thanks again for a marvelous video...always informative and very detailed. I would love a video comparing all these mono vinyl reissues with the mono CD box from 2009. Great job.
I own the Japanese CD version of the 2014 Mono set...can you do a comparison of the vinyl vs the overall CD sound quality...I myself have compared the White Album of both vinyl and CD and don't hear any major differences. I don't have the vinyl box to check any of the others. Thanks for all you do.
I didn't know that was a thing. I have the US Mono CD and the 2014 Vinyl Mono. I'd love to see an analog version of the stereo set. I have that also and it is very disappointing vs the Mono set.
Great video, very informative! Would you consider doing a comparison of 1st pressing LPs (too expensive for most people) vs later pressings that can be had for, say, under $100 each?
Hello, love your videos. Unfortunately, the more I look at your videos, the more I think, "I need to get a copy of that." I recently started buying Japanese first editions on red vinyl directly from Japan. Most are in excellent to near mint condition, and none of them cost over €75, before shipping, etc. It is far cheaper than buying them from Western auction sites. I would wholeheartedly recommend them, I have most of them now. I did a comparison between various pressing I have of Abbey Road, and the Japanese first edition was the best of quite a few editions, including the 1978 Pro-Use edition (I didn't like at all), only my 70's Irish pressing matched it (which surprised me). Unfortunately, I don't have the original UK edition yet. Same with Dark Side of The Moon (sorry, I know this is Beatles only). My Japanese first edition is excellent quality compared to other UK editions. To be fair, the 2016 remaster was very close. Again, I don't have a UK original of that either.
2300 Japanese Yen is 12 GBP / 16 USD. I heard rumor some of 1982 Japanese releases were needle drop from UK mono pressings. And obi of 1986 releases says アビイ・ロード・スタジオ・オリジナル・マスター / 英国カッティング means "Abbey Road Studios Original Master / Cutting in England". Is this true!? I haven't these red vinyls so I can't identified by myself.
I had all the 1982 Los and the were beautiful. . I was told by the importer that Toshiba did test pressings of "The Beatles" on white vinyl, but the sound quality lacked and was noisy
I just love collecting, so of course I want those tasty Red Vinyl. I only have the 82 Red Vinyl of With The Beatles. But I have most of the collection of Japanese vinyl from around 1976 the “country flag series”, and they are relatively affordable. I’ve gotten some complete (With Obi and insert) copies for no more than $50 each and they look like they were printed yesterday!
I wonder if they will ever re-release the 2014 vinyl set. I have the 2009 CD box but this set seems to be the one to get. I guess with all the remasters going on they won’t consider it for a while if at all.
I agree with Andrew, as well as many friends who have purchased the 2014 box set. It's .. For the money the best option. If I had unlimited funds and or a time machine (lol) I'd buy up everything I could in triplicate !
I heard somewhere that the unique songs on Yellow Submarine got dedicated Mono mixes for an EP that never happened, but I always thought those songs didn't get proper Mono mixes until sometime later.
Pround owner of two 2014 pressings White album and Revolver, I should have bought some more when the prices weren’t so high 😂 I actually bought Revolver two years ago for just 20 euro from guy who didn’t know what he had...
I’m trying to collect the mono remasters from 14 although trying to find them at a reasonable price isn’t proving easy. So far have the WA and BFS and mono masters… are the 1982 discs available individually? I might try and collect those too. Interesting video again Andrew. Thank you.
Love your vids as a fellow Beatles pressings obsessive. I have all three sets, so I very much enjoy the comparisons. One thing left out that one might mention--only in the 2014 do you get MMT and Mono Masters, thus the only set with the complete catalogue (although, alas, without George Martin's lamentably unappreciated YS contributions). I do love the red vinyl--btw, those are very subtlely different cuttings between the two Odeon sets. The 1986 are generally louder, for example, than the '82 Odeons.
@@Parlogram The differences are so close as to be almost imperceptible, but as you noted, they are different matrices. Another interesting thing--no inner groove loop in the '86 Pepper--on the '82, there's a bizarre edit of a single pass of it at the end of Day in the Life--BEFORE the dead wax engages. Sounds for all the world like a needledrop. Also, I much prefer the '82 obis, and you always address the packaging, so why not mention it.
After all "improvements" are accomplished, the best way to own any recording is always on a compact disc, unless you're just into the nostalgia of vinyl, and you must have it.
I’m proud of myself for getting MOST of the 2014 mono pressings before they became cost prohibitive. I wonder what he thought of the mono masters 3 lp set? I also managed to get that early on. I only lack about half of the albums.
Very interesting, i have the 2014 box and to me it sounds amazing!!!!!!, Thanks for this video comparison, very very interesting as all your vids. Greetings.
It’s curious what you say about A Hard Days Night mono. If you heard the first Odeon red vinyl mono everclean it would blow you away,both mono,and stereo.
To me, the 2014 pressing of ‘Beatles For Sale’ trumps the original (of which I several copies with varying 3N/4N combinations); it has a more open treble/top-end, and a more dynamic attack through the mids on the main instruments.... the original always sounded a little more ‘dark’ and closed-in; even though I’ve loved it all my life from first hearing it back in the 60s.... the 2014 mono versions just seems to open it up more and make the slightly more ‘morose’ songs sound a little less ‘morose’, and a bit more lively...!
The Japanese 1981 Red Vinyl mono Japanese discs mostly do sound great, excepting the title track of "A Hard Days Night", where there are phase/tape skewing issues. I have the complete 1981 Red vinyl series (some say that they were actually released January 1982). I suspect that for a few albums in the "1981" Japanese Red Vinyl mono albums, that the Japanese simply used their own copy tapes that they had held since the 1960's, hence the poor sound on "A Hard Days Night". Trivia note: The Japanese cobbled together their Stereo "Please Please Me" album from a copy tape of the U.S.A. "The Early Beatles" album, plus various other sources, hence 1960's & 1970's Japanese "Please Please Me" have FOUR fake stereo tracks ("Love Me Do", "P.S. I Love You", plus "MIsery" & "There's a Place")
Japan never had mono Beatles releases in the 60's, so I doubt they had tapes. As I said further up, the 1986 are UK cuttings, as stated on the obi. No idea why the cuttings were made inferior to the 1982 cuts. The 1982 Jp sound wonderful to me! Beating the 2014 in some areas for sure.
I am always learning here.... I don´t think you have already dived into the German Beatles and Tony Sheridan recordings, do you? I mean, concerning the best sounding pressings etc. Nelio
Did you compare running times at all? I've noticed that when they try slightly speeding up the tracks, the result is usually tinny, lo-fi and fairly unlistenable.
Sorry for the ignorant question. But do these LP's from Japan sound best when a stylus from Japan is used? As well as a turntable from the land of the Rising Sun?
I own a Japanese red vinyl 1982 Pepper mono and it’s on Par if not slightly better than the 2014. I also own a UK mono Pepper (cannot say whether it is a 86 or 82) that sounds rather flat and dull... Overall, for me the 2014 mono box wins. But well, this is what the video says too 🤭
I always thought the '82's sounded better than the '86's -- for some reason the later cuts sounded harsher and "toppier" to me. But for me it all became moot when the 2014 mono box was issued. I found I liked those pressings better than any of the Japanese. One of the reasons that I came to that conclusion that I haven't seen mentioned is a "sound" I heard in both the JPN '82's and JPN '86s on every LP. It's hard for me to describe, but it was, for lack of better word choice, a "processed", electronic sound. I'm not talking about anything "in your face", but a kind of background patina. Once I started noticing it I couldn't un-hear it and it drove me nuts, worse than the 120Hz hum heard on all the MFSL Beatles albums (which bothered me less than the electronic sound on the JPN issues). I came to the conclusion that what I was hearing on the JPN issues was an equipment sound -- maybe the console Odeon/Toshiba used for the remastering. Still, something that really can't be argued -- Japanese vinyl quality. Superb, silent pressings, even on thin vinyl. One wishes there was that kind of quality control now.
As a note, stay away from the EPs. I have mid-70s red-vinyl copies of Hits and Long Tall Sally and let me tell you, they sound terrible. They're cut way too loud, and sound distorted. But, as a plus, the quality of the vinyl itself is amazing. Surface noise, crackles, pops, nonexistent. Also, Hits plays too fast, at least I think. Beautiful to look at, I can pick up new Japanese words with the included lyric sheets, but they are just not good to listen to. 33 1/3 speed + the EP format + being cut too loud is a recipe for failure.
Is it justified to pay near to $2,000, for great sound? as you state in the opening. Why aren't all Beatles albums, or any artists work just released in the best possible sound to do the music justice.
As vinyl expert you should know that coloured vinyl sound worse than on harder black vinyl - I cant take this seriously -.This were obvious in my young youth that record labels sold colour vinyl as a "cool" vinyl for unknowing and ignorant listeners .
@@Parlogram I have had black japaneese vinyl bought ages ago -Very good . Coloured vinyl ws a failure when i bought them -maybe it has changed but I cant afford the money for a highend system to find out anymore
The 1986 red mono records are considered inferior to the 1982 discs. I wish you would do this with the 1982 discs. Also, the obi (no S, just obi! No "S's on Japanese words!) state that the records have UK cuttings. So the BAD parts of the 1986 records are down to the UK, not Toshiba E.M.I. So they are not true Japanese pressings. I only own the 1982 records which I bought after the 2014. I prefer the Jp pressings on quite a few of them. Not least of which is the DEAD QUIET vinyl! Every single one of my 2014 discs have SHIT pressing quality! I bought THREE Rubber Soul before giving up! Every pressing has a big long mark across the vinyl, as if the machine handling them scratched them! I detest modern records and the rubbish pressing quality! Everything about the 2014 cuts were amazing but were let down by that rubbish German pressing plant. My Beatles For Sale is so noisey, you'd think it was a 1982! My HDN developed a jump in If I Fell out of nowhere. It had been fine at first. But anyway! I love the 1982 red vinyl. If you have a comparison of the UK and Jp 1982 and 2014 discs, please let me know! I wish I still had my mum's With the Beatles, For Sale and ESPECIALLY Sgt Pepper! Her Sgt Pepper was MINT!! Had barely been played before I got into it at around 12. I loved, loved, LOVED For Sale as a kid. Listening to it when I was 3. My sister and I watched the cartoon which must have been in reruns in 1980, and that led to For Sale. I have no memory of the sound quality of For Sale, but sadly, for unknown reasons to me, AHDN, For Sale and HELP! did not use UK plates like all the other AU pressings. The Sgt. Pepper was essentially a UK first press. The covers (wide spine), inner and cut outs were the UK first press covers and of course the record was made from a UK plate with the wonderful think, high quality vinyl E.M.I Australia used at the time. DAMB I wish I still had that record! Plus all the singles and E.Ps mum had. Oh well, I have the very early childhood memories! I started listening to and buying records at 3 (Super Trouper and KISS UNMASKED) were early christmas presents from my wonderful mum in 1980 for instance). The Beatles were a big part of that listening at 3 and 4. It is just a shame I did not carry that through the rest of my childhood and teenage years. I remember when the red vinyl Sgt Pepper was released for the 20th Anniversary in 1987. I almost bought it just because I liked the red wax. Ha, too bad! That thing is pretty rare.
1. Japanese pressings can Never be the best sounding pressings, for the consistent Lack of Bass. 2. Colored vinyl pressings of Anything can Never be the best sounding pressing, for the consistent surface noise and thin & weakness of the overall sound. Mystery solved 😆
Saturdays are becoming a real treat with a near weekly release from Techmoan and Parlogram one after the other.
It’s like being a kid again and watching Blue Peter followed quickly by Magpie and with a bit of Tizwas thrown in for good measure .
Don’t you dare die on us Andy , or at least have 6 months advanced videos prepared to lessen the blow......
Cheers, Dai. I guess I'm a bit more Swap Shop than Tizwas
I fully agree... nice to wake up on a Saturday morning and have new videos from Techmoan and Parlogram!
Two of my fave UA-camrs in one post.
I currently live in Tokyo and have been in love with the Japanese red vinyl. I decided as a fun side project that I would try and collect the 86 red vinyl mono collection independently whenever I ran across one in a record store. It’s getting harder and harder to find these even in Tokyo compared to 3-5 years ago and prices have gone up and continue to increase.
So glad I have the 2014 box. It's the best sounding and is one of my holy grails. Thanks for posting this!
My pleasure!
When my wife gave me the mono box for Christmas in 2014 I told her I would never need to buy another product from the Beatles. That was a lie... But it remains the best Christmas present I've ever received! Thanks for the comparisons!
My girlfriend bought the 2014 mono box as a present for me when it was just issued... it’s the only record gift she made to me but i think that this woman finally deserves to be married....😀
Definitely, Sir!
The 2014 box set is superior in so many ways... great sounding, wonderful flip-back sleeves, excellent book, solid outer box, and it contains the mono non-album singles on the Mono Masters compilation. It even contains true mono mixes of the four exclusive Yellow Submarine Beatles songs. Best of all, it's still the cheapest option, despite prices rising sharply over the past couple of years... just north of $1000 these days. It was a real steal for only $350 back in 2014. I also found that if you remove that foam insert, you have just enough room inside the box for the stereo Abbey Road and Let it Be LPs. That way you have the entire 60s core catalog in one box, minus three songs (Old Brown Show, Ballad of John and Yoko, and the single mix of Let it Be).
Good tip!
My plan: To buy the 2014 mono box and then, to buy good editions (maybe originals) of YS, AR and LIB... (I don't like 2012 stereo vinyl, cos the digital was for cds 🤷🏻♂️). Thanks!! Greetings
I always waited for the 2014 mono box set because the stereo is really bad sounding but....the new remix of Giles Martin is the real thing for me , today anyway !!
You always make my weekends awsome! Saw the set on discogs. Might get one day. Haven't watched the whole video, but your videos are always great!
Glad you like them!
I live in Japan and can saying about this Lps make it here.Have a good sound clean,when you hear is different the songs,perfect.Uchino of Japan.Thank you.
I have 2 red japanese mono pressings, a Revolver from 1986 and a Sgt Peppers from 1982. Both sound great.
You’re not showing the Japanese best mono albums on Odeon on EverClean red vinyl. They are unbelievable great. I haven’t heard the Japanese box set. The sashes ( obi ) add a lot of money to first Japanese pressings. I have a couple that appear to have scratches that play flawlessly after cleaning.
EAS were the lease expensive Japanese pressings. The Japanese make the best quality vinyl records. ( and Fender guitars from 1982-84 ) …
I have a first pressing Abbey Road that came with a book with all the songs lead sheets,with lyrics, chords,and notation of each song. Possibly my most rare album.
Thank you for production of this video. I think I prefer the Mono version of this video😉. Im trying to get the best MP3 version of Beatles Mono UK albums. Are the 2009 Remastered Versions the best ones out there for MP3??
I remember A/B'ing needledrops of the 2014, 1982, and original 60's mono versions at one point.
The '82s always sounded too bassy for my tastes, although a lot of people would prefer the "deep" sound of the 82's. Slower songs like Here, There, & Everywhere benefit from the mastering, while faster one like She Said She Said don't sound as nice.
The 60's and 2014 versions are super close, although the 2014 ones have a "softer" sound IMO.
There's my 2¢, for what its worth.
The U.K. set from 1982 is worth having too
It is very interesting to note why the Japanese versions always have lower treble.
Great review Andrew. I'm slowly trying to purchase all the original releases in MONO... and this was certainly a help in getting me on the right track. My latest buy was the 2014 Revolver which I picked up for a decent price... looking forward to hearing it when it arrives. Thanks again!
Excellent video as always!
Quick note: there is an editing error with a repeated narration at around 4:50. It’s a very minor thing. Just creates a bit of deja vu. :)
Yeah I noticed that too ....shall we get him arrested?
@@davidheafield1436 haha. Naaa. Proves he’s human. Just like that first Revolver Uk pressing, oftentimes it’s the little imperfections that make things unique and valuable. :)
I threw it in just to see if you're paying attention ;)
@@Parlogram absolutely! I even learned about XEX 606-1 from you!
I notice the Japanese mono box set is the EAS series which for all intents the entry level Japanese Beatles albums.
If you want to hear the absolute best sounding Beatles albums mono or stereo is the Japanese Odeon red vinyl with “ EverClean” on the back of the covers.
I own a few of these,and they blow away EVERY other country in sound quality, and quality quality from the covers to the albums on virgin red vinyl .
Catalog OR-OP and - AP ( which is later ) . Im going for the entire first run Everclean red vinyl in mono,and stereo. I dispense with the obi’s which will save a lot of money …
Always a joy to hear your thoughts on the various pressings and re-issues, delving into why one pressing beats another over a specific track ...The sort of talk one would expect to have with a sound engineer!
Great video Andrew! Makes me want to get all of them!
Thanks Chris! You really can't go wrong with any of these.
@@Parlogram I already own all the 2014's ;) (Except MMT)
@@chrismcgovern1647 I'll be listing the Japanese box on eBay soon ;)
Nice comparison Andrew. I never owned any Japanese mono but once owned a few of the stereos from the 70's or 80's. I recall they had too much high end and limp bass. The UK LP's from the same time frame
sounded better balanced. Please keep these reviews coming.
Cheers Bob, will do.
Hi Andrew, another finely crafted video with amazing detail, but at 4.30 I think you missed an edit when you repeated a couple of sentences. Please pardon this old tape engineer for pointing that out :)
Yes Abbey Road is meticulous and protective with its paper work. When I toured there about 30yrs, ago, in the cutting room I was reading a Beatles master tape box label when the engineer came over and took it off me, saying an entry was wrong. But they didn’t want anyone knowing what they were doing at that time.
Another fantastic video Andrew...I was pleased to hear you confirm what I had already suspected...and that's the 2014 mono albums are top quality pressings. I'm a big fan of Japanese pressings in general but find that the sound of them is not always to everyone's liking..so it's not a matter of "it's a better pressing" it's if you prefer that type of eq setting that the Japanese engineers use.
If you think of a graphic eq on a stereo...the Japanese approach their settings like the famous V setting....high bass and top end (usually) and no adjustment or cutting of the mid range.
I also like the original UK pressings but find that their mid range adjustments sometimes don't agree with me. Again...it's just personal taste...there is no right or wrong.
But there is one thing for certain...Japanese pressings always used the very best quality material (very quiet pressing due to virgin plastic material...no regrind) and thus made their pressings more desirable.
Looking forward to your next video.
Mark Anthony K
Projekt Gemineye
Thanks, Mark. It was great to finally listen to these pressings. I guess I'm just too used to the originals.
Prior to the 2014 Beatles in Mono collection, I was seriously considering buying the 82 and/or 86 Japanese mono pressings. A really interesting comparison and good video. I still might try to pick up With the Beatles (Japanese) following this analysis.
This video you did is just great I do like the Japanese red vinyl I do like a lot . And I do have some but a lot of them are out of my $$$ range . But I do have the Mono box set and just love it . So is is good to know you like it and it is the way to go . !!!! Great video as all way . And take care Cheers !!!!
Cheers Brad, glad you liked it. Take care!
It was just great :). Thanks so much for the video !!! All the best to you .
Andrew, hello! What do you think about 1982 japanese A Hard Day's Night? Is it better than 1986 LP?
I was fortunate enough to get a copy of the 2014 Mono set in March 2015 on Amazon before going out of print. This was a very interesting video. Thanks for sharing this! Well done!
And well done you for getting a set. Thanks for watching!
Thanks again for a marvelous video...always informative and very detailed. I would love a video comparing all these mono vinyl reissues with the mono CD box from 2009. Great job.
Great suggestion, Jess.
I own the Japanese CD version of the 2014 Mono set...can you do a comparison of the vinyl vs the overall CD sound quality...I myself have compared the White Album of both vinyl and CD and don't hear any major differences. I don't have the vinyl box to check any of the others. Thanks for all you do.
That would be a very cool video to see. Great idea!
I didn't know that was a thing. I have the US Mono CD and the 2014 Vinyl Mono. I'd love to see an analog version of the stereo set. I have that also and it is very disappointing vs the Mono set.
Great video, very informative! Would you consider doing a comparison of 1st pressing LPs (too expensive for most people) vs later pressings that can be had for, say, under $100 each?
...specifically UK mono
Great idea! That's definitely something I'd do.
Hello, love your videos. Unfortunately, the more I look at your videos, the more I think, "I need to get a copy of that."
I recently started buying Japanese first editions on red vinyl directly from Japan.
Most are in excellent to near mint condition, and none of them cost over €75, before shipping, etc. It is far cheaper than buying them from Western auction sites.
I would wholeheartedly recommend them, I have most of them now.
I did a comparison between various pressing I have of Abbey Road, and the Japanese first edition was the best of quite a few editions, including the 1978 Pro-Use edition (I didn't like at all), only my 70's Irish pressing matched it (which surprised me). Unfortunately, I don't have the original UK edition yet.
Same with Dark Side of The Moon (sorry, I know this is Beatles only). My Japanese first edition is excellent quality compared to other UK editions. To be fair, the 2016 remaster was very close. Again, I don't have a UK original of that either.
2300 Japanese Yen is 12 GBP / 16 USD. I heard rumor some of 1982 Japanese releases were needle drop from UK mono pressings.
And obi of 1986 releases says アビイ・ロード・スタジオ・オリジナル・マスター / 英国カッティング means "Abbey Road Studios Original Master / Cutting in England".
Is this true!? I haven't these red vinyls so I can't identified by myself.
Love those 1982 Japan mono red vinyl LPs!
I had all the 1982 Los and the were beautiful. . I was told by the importer that Toshiba did test pressings of "The Beatles" on white vinyl, but the sound quality lacked and was noisy
I love your videos please do the Japanese EAS stereo 1976 pressings next
I just love collecting, so of course I want those tasty Red Vinyl. I only have the 82 Red Vinyl of With The Beatles. But I have most of the collection of Japanese vinyl from around 1976 the “country flag series”, and they are relatively affordable. I’ve gotten some complete (With Obi and insert) copies for no more than $50 each and they look like they were printed yesterday!
As always...so well researched and well presented. Thank you so much 👍
So nice of you, Steve. Glad you enjoyed it.
I have a bunch of flag series records but I would love to have these!
I wonder if they will ever re-release the 2014 vinyl set. I have the 2009 CD box but this set seems to be the one to get. I guess with all the remasters going on they won’t consider it for a while if at all.
Did they release a CD version or Mp3 version of the 2014 box set?
I agree with Andrew, as well as many friends who have purchased the 2014 box set. It's .. For the money the best option. If I had unlimited funds and or a time machine (lol) I'd buy up everything I could in triplicate !
Excelente Andrew! um bom trabalho de pesquisa.
I heard somewhere that the unique songs on Yellow Submarine got dedicated Mono mixes for an EP that never happened, but I always thought those songs didn't get proper Mono mixes until sometime later.
Love your album comparisons. Would love to hear other artists like CCR, Stones.
Pround owner of two 2014 pressings White album and Revolver, I should have bought some more when the prices weren’t so high 😂 I actually bought Revolver two years ago for just 20 euro from guy who didn’t know what he had...
I’m trying to collect the mono remasters from 14 although trying to find them at a reasonable price isn’t proving easy. So far have the WA and BFS and mono masters… are the 1982 discs available individually? I might try and collect those too. Interesting video again Andrew. Thank you.
Thanks, James. I see them quite regularly in eBay/Discogs, but they're not cheap.
Excelente... Un Saludo muy Cordial desde Cortazar, Guanajuato, Mexico.
Love your vids as a fellow Beatles pressings obsessive. I have all three sets, so I very much enjoy the comparisons. One thing left out that one might mention--only in the 2014 do you get MMT and Mono Masters, thus the only set with the complete catalogue (although, alas, without George Martin's lamentably unappreciated YS contributions). I do love the red vinyl--btw, those are very subtlely different cuttings between the two Odeon sets. The 1986 are generally louder, for example, than the '82 Odeons.
Interesting to hear about the difference between the '82 and '86 sets.
@@Parlogram The differences are so close as to be almost imperceptible, but as you noted, they are different matrices. Another interesting thing--no inner groove loop in the '86 Pepper--on the '82, there's a bizarre edit of a single pass of it at the end of Day in the Life--BEFORE the dead wax engages. Sounds for all the world like a needledrop. Also, I much prefer the '82 obis, and you always address the packaging, so why not mention it.
After all "improvements" are accomplished, the best way to own any recording is always on a compact disc, unless you're just into the nostalgia of vinyl, and you must have it.
I’m proud of myself for getting MOST of the 2014 mono pressings before they became cost prohibitive.
I wonder what he thought of the mono masters 3 lp set? I also managed to get that early on. I only lack about half of the albums.
a very informative and interesting video as always...I do love the 2014 monos
Thanks for watching, Steve.
Very interesting, i have the 2014 box and to me it sounds amazing!!!!!!, Thanks for this video comparison, very very interesting as all your vids. Greetings.
Glad you found it interesting. The 2014 set is indeed amazing.
My God... 2.000 dollars... Great video, as always... Thank you so much!!
Has anyone put out a yellow vinyl yellow submarine album?
Another well done video.
I know you focuse most of your videos on vinyl but it would be interesting if you compared the different cd releases of the beatles albums
I'd like to do that sometime in the future, Maximo.
It’s curious what you say about A Hard Days Night mono. If you heard the first Odeon red vinyl mono everclean it would blow you away,both mono,and stereo.
I have all the mono records from 2014...I need the box and the book
To me, the 2014 pressing of ‘Beatles For Sale’ trumps the original (of which I several copies with varying 3N/4N combinations); it has a more open treble/top-end, and a more dynamic attack through the mids on the main instruments.... the original always sounded a little more ‘dark’ and closed-in; even though I’ve loved it all my life from first hearing it back in the 60s.... the 2014 mono versions just seems to open it up more and make the slightly more ‘morose’ songs sound a little less ‘morose’, and a bit more lively...!
Fantastic my friend
Love videos on the best band in the world keep up the good work Dave.
Many thanks, Dave!
veryinteresting video
The Japanese 1981 Red Vinyl mono Japanese discs mostly do sound great, excepting the title track of "A Hard Days Night", where there are phase/tape skewing issues. I have the complete 1981 Red vinyl series (some say that they were actually released January 1982). I suspect that for a few albums in the "1981" Japanese Red Vinyl mono albums, that the Japanese simply used their own copy tapes that they had held since the 1960's, hence the poor sound on "A Hard Days Night". Trivia note: The Japanese cobbled together their Stereo "Please Please Me" album from a copy tape of the U.S.A. "The Early Beatles" album, plus various other sources, hence 1960's & 1970's Japanese "Please Please Me" have FOUR fake stereo tracks ("Love Me Do", "P.S. I Love You", plus "MIsery" & "There's a Place")
Japan never had mono Beatles releases in the 60's, so I doubt they had tapes. As I said further up, the 1986 are UK cuttings, as stated on the obi. No idea why the cuttings were made inferior to the 1982 cuts. The 1982 Jp sound wonderful to me! Beating the 2014 in some areas for sure.
Have you done a episode on the japanese EP's ?
I am always learning here.... I don´t think you have already dived into the German Beatles and Tony Sheridan recordings, do you? I mean, concerning the best sounding pressings etc. Nelio
Thanks for watching, Nelio. The German pressings are on my list of subjects to cover in a future video.
I think the red wax Japan pressings from 1986 are the best sounding beatles records ever made. the guitars sound best on these.
How do you identify the single 1982 pressings from all the other issues
Would love to hear your thoughts on the mono masters vinyl pressing
This is my video about the 2014 mono set: ua-cam.com/video/uZJnsy34uD8/v-deo.html
4:37 groundhog day!
Still great job. Thanks
Just checking to see if you were paying attention ;)
Did you compare running times at all? I've noticed that when they try slightly speeding up the tracks, the result is usually tinny, lo-fi and fairly unlistenable.
Sorry for the ignorant question. But do these LP's from Japan sound best when a stylus from Japan is used? As well as a turntable from the land of the Rising Sun?
No, it's just mastered the way the Japanese tend to like their music (quiet vinyl, a bit more treble).
@@jasonsmith9845 ok all right..not only do they like the music that way, so do I!
Another Beatles obsessive’s wet dream of a video. Feeling even better about my 2014 mono box now.
I thought I read somewhere that the red vinyl Japanese pressings were fold downs for some pressings - was that a different series?
The red vinyl Japanese EPs Collection box set were all fold downs, except Magical Mystery Tour.
@@Parlogram that’s good to hear. I always avoided playing my copy of Help! on red vinyl because I thought it was a fold.
Yep, there it is, the awful mono mix of the song “Help” and oof that treble roll off sucks the wind out of everything!
that is absolutely right...1982 japanese mono isnt as good as 2014 sets
I’ve been told the Japanese 82’ set sounds better than the Japanese 86’ set.
I own a Japanese red vinyl 1982 Pepper mono and it’s on Par if not slightly better than the 2014. I also own a UK mono Pepper (cannot say whether it is a 86 or 82) that sounds rather flat and dull... Overall, for me the 2014 mono box wins. But well, this is what the video says too 🤭
I always thought the '82's sounded better than the '86's -- for some reason the later cuts sounded harsher and "toppier" to me. But for me it all became moot when the 2014 mono box was issued. I found I liked those pressings better than any of the Japanese. One of the reasons that I came to that conclusion that I haven't seen mentioned is a "sound" I heard in both the JPN '82's and JPN '86s on every LP. It's hard for me to describe, but it was, for lack of better word choice, a "processed", electronic sound. I'm not talking about anything "in your face", but a kind of background patina. Once I started noticing it I couldn't un-hear it and it drove me nuts, worse than the 120Hz hum heard on all the MFSL Beatles albums (which bothered me less than the electronic sound on the JPN issues). I came to the conclusion that what I was hearing on the JPN issues was an equipment sound -- maybe the console Odeon/Toshiba used for the remastering. Still, something that really can't be argued -- Japanese vinyl quality. Superb, silent pressings, even on thin vinyl. One wishes there was that kind of quality control now.
too bad there was not a true mono mix of the Yellow Submarine album issued for the 2014 box
Some of it is on the "mono masters" lps at least.
As a note, stay away from the EPs. I have mid-70s red-vinyl copies of Hits and Long Tall Sally and let me tell you, they sound terrible. They're cut way too loud, and sound distorted. But, as a plus, the quality of the vinyl itself is amazing. Surface noise, crackles, pops, nonexistent. Also, Hits plays too fast, at least I think. Beautiful to look at, I can pick up new Japanese words with the included lyric sheets, but they are just not good to listen to. 33 1/3 speed + the EP format + being cut too loud is a recipe for failure.
Anyone got a download link?
How does this dude has so much money?😭😭
Where's MMT?
Japan is well know...justifiably known,in fact...for the ultimate in quality in everything they make. So why should this be any different?
Is it justified to pay near to $2,000, for great sound? as you state in the opening. Why aren't all Beatles albums, or any artists work just released in the best possible sound to do the music justice.
Badum-Dadum !
save your $2k... If there is money to be made by these exec's, a better set will soon be released.
As vinyl expert you should know that coloured vinyl sound worse than on harder black vinyl - I cant take this seriously -.This were obvious in my young youth that record labels sold colour vinyl as a "cool" vinyl for unknowing and ignorant listeners .
Have you ever heard any Japanese red vinyl pressings yourself?
@@Parlogram I have had black japaneese vinyl bought ages ago -Very good . Coloured vinyl ws a failure when i bought them -maybe it has changed but I cant afford the money for a highend system to find out anymore
The 1986 red mono records are considered inferior to the 1982 discs. I wish you would do this with the 1982 discs.
Also, the obi (no S, just obi! No "S's on Japanese words!) state that the records have UK cuttings. So the BAD parts of the 1986 records are down to the UK, not Toshiba E.M.I. So they are not true Japanese pressings.
I only own the 1982 records which I bought after the 2014. I prefer the Jp pressings on quite a few of them. Not least of which is the DEAD QUIET vinyl! Every single one of my 2014 discs have SHIT pressing quality! I bought THREE Rubber Soul before giving up! Every pressing has a big long mark across the vinyl, as if the machine handling them scratched them! I detest modern records and the rubbish pressing quality! Everything about the 2014 cuts were amazing but were let down by that rubbish German pressing plant. My Beatles For Sale is so noisey, you'd think it was a 1982! My HDN developed a jump in If I Fell out of nowhere. It had been fine at first.
But anyway! I love the 1982 red vinyl. If you have a comparison of the UK and Jp 1982 and 2014 discs, please let me know!
I wish I still had my mum's With the Beatles, For Sale and ESPECIALLY Sgt Pepper! Her Sgt Pepper was MINT!! Had barely been played before I got into it at around 12. I loved, loved, LOVED For Sale as a kid. Listening to it when I was 3. My sister and I watched the cartoon which must have been in reruns in 1980, and that led to For Sale.
I have no memory of the sound quality of For Sale, but sadly, for unknown reasons to me, AHDN, For Sale and HELP! did not use UK plates like all the other AU pressings. The Sgt. Pepper was essentially a UK first press. The covers (wide spine), inner and cut outs were the UK first press covers and of course the record was made from a UK plate with the wonderful think, high quality vinyl E.M.I Australia used at the time. DAMB I wish I still had that record! Plus all the singles and E.Ps mum had. Oh well, I have the very early childhood memories! I started listening to and buying records at 3 (Super Trouper and KISS UNMASKED) were early christmas presents from my wonderful mum in 1980 for instance). The Beatles were a big part of that listening at 3 and 4. It is just a shame I did not carry that through the rest of my childhood and teenage years. I remember when the red vinyl Sgt Pepper was released for the 20th Anniversary in 1987. I almost bought it just because I liked the red wax. Ha, too bad! That thing is pretty rare.
1. Japanese pressings can Never be the best sounding pressings, for the consistent Lack of Bass. 2. Colored vinyl pressings of Anything can Never be the best sounding pressing, for the consistent surface noise and thin & weakness of the overall sound. Mystery solved 😆
Oof...
Obis can be faked, you know.