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Unboxing My Beatles Boxed Sets

posted by Rob on September 17, 2009 at 2:11 pm | Comments (11)

They’ve arrived! (And to prove it, they’re here.)

I just got back from the post office after waiting in line for what seemed like an hour. Finally, I have the Beatles mono and stereo remastered CD boxed sets:

Flickr – Unboxing my Beatles boxed sets, Jersey City, NJ 9/17/09

The two sets contain 29 CDs in all, plus one booklet and one DVD. The mono set contains 11 albums (13 CDs) and the booklet. The stereo set contains 14 albums (16 CDs) and the mini-documentary DVD. (The Beatles and Past Masters are double albums included in both sets.)

The mono CDs and booklet come packaged in a square glossy white box. The section that actually holds the discs and booklet slides in and out. It’s clean and simple.

The stereo CDs and documentary DVD come packaged in a rectangular glossy black foldout box. There are little magnets embedded in the flap and the side of the box, so it “snaps” shut. I like that. The discs are stored in two wells, each one featuring a ribbon that can be pulled up for easy access to the discs at the bottom without ruining their cardboard sleeves. I like that, too.

It turns out the CDs in the stereo boxed set come in the same foldout cardboard sleeves as the individual versions. The mono CDs come in simple cardboard sleeves inside resealable clear plastic sleeves.

As you can see in my Flickr photo set, the mono and stereo versions of the Beatles’ albums feature different layouts on the back. It seems like the backs of the mono CDs feature the original vinyl artwork, while the backs of most of the stereo CDs have been redesigned. Am I correct?

2009 mono (left) vs. stereo (right) CD backs, click each to enlarge

I still have some work I need to finish this afternoon, but I will post my review of another one of the albums tomorrow. Just like in my Abbey Road review, I’ll post plenty of pictures, waveforms, and audio comparison samples for each CD.

Which album should I tackle next?

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Categories: Blog | Comments (11)

Tags: Beatles, boxed sets, CD, compact disc, mastering, mono, music, packaging, photos, pictures, remaster, remastered, review, stereo, unboxing

11 Comments

By Michael Tsantilas, September 17, 2009 @ 2:45 pm

Hi! You can start chronologically. Love your posts by the way!
By Wayne, September 17, 2009 @ 4:39 pm

Yep, you are correct Rob. The mono box CD covers are true mini replicas of the original album covers.

Incidentally, you are a good blogger! I am almost completely blind and I love bogs and web sites that are well laid out, such is yours. Thank you.

Just my opinion here, but I believe the mono box is the true star of this round of Beatles releases.

Wayne
By Jayson, September 17, 2009 @ 4:48 pm

I agree with Michael, Chronologically.

It will be interesting to hear your thoughts on the mono vs stereo mixes and mastering.
By Rob, September 18, 2009 @ 4:02 pm

Great, so I’ll start with Please Please Me.

I actually won’t be able to get to my review today, but definitely Sunday. I’ve been so busy with work recently and want to be able to devote a good chunk of time and my undivided attention to the review.

Wayne, thanks for the compliments!
By Various, September 20, 2009 @ 4:47 pm

I would have suggested that Past Masters/Mono Masters would be the best place to start with. Because those compilations cover music from throughout their career, a review of them would be a good way of giving an overview of how the remasterings have affected the music of different periods.

As well as comparing the new releases to the 1987 CDs, will you be comparing certain tracks to Let It Be… Naked and the Yellow Submarine Songtrack, too?
By Israel, September 21, 2009 @ 7:14 pm

Hey! When is the next review? I look forward to reading it.
By Angie, October 16, 2009 @ 9:32 pm

That’s so cool! My dad is a HUGE Beatles fan and he would die if he had a hold of all that stuff! you are a lucky lucky man.
By Rak, October 23, 2009 @ 5:24 pm

Hello from the UK. Excellent blog. Great intelligent posts too.

I’ve put my mono CDs in the stereo packaging. There’s room for them with the booklets. The Japanese plastic envelopes fit in there nicely even on the Past Masters set. The mono CDs also tuck neatly into the White Album stereo sleeve, but I took the booklet out to put into the slipcase sleeve so nothing got damaged.

Anyway, it’s not rocket science, but it does mean my fab mono replica sleeves are being less disturbed while I play the CDs.

I’m still enjoying listening to both the mono and stereo sets. Not sure which I prefer yet but have also gone back to the most essential book about the music. If anyone doesn’t know it do check it out: Revolution In The Head by the late Ian Macdonald.

http://www.amazon.com/Revolution-Head-Beatles-Records-Sixties/dp/1556527330/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256332866&sr=8-1.
By Foxx, October 24, 2009 @ 11:33 am

The boxes are not very handy, esp the stereo box. Also, the individual CD-packages seem they can easily be damaged. Therefor, I put the stereo Cd’s in the 1987 CD thingies. For the monos I bought new empty ones. The old CD’s are now in the stereobox.
By Den, November 15, 2010 @ 8:13 pm

I agree with Wayne (`…Just my opinion here, but I believe the mono box is the true star of this round of Beatles releases…).