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Review
Who on earth would be interested in a set collecting the mono mixes of Bob Dylan’s first eight albums?
Well, as the success of The Beatles’ similar venture The Beatles in Mono demonstrates, quite a lot of people. And with good reason. Dylan – like the Fab Four and all of their contemporaries – didn't start treating stereo mixes as anything other than a sop to an elite part of the record buying market until the end of the 1960s. Mono mixes were supervised and approved by the artist, stereo mixes done as an afterthought by third parties. The albums Bob Dylan (1962) through John Wesley Harding (1967), then, are being presented here in the way the artist intended you to hear them. As Dylan’s mono albums were deleted unusually quickly, this is the first opportunity to experience such ‘director’s cuts’ for four decades.
It’s the early, acoustic albums that benefit most: stereo versions brutally divided up the elements of voice, guitar and harmonica on the debut, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, The Times They Are a-Changin’ and Another Side of Bob Dylan. As for the electric material, Blonde on Blonde’s epic Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands sounds significantly sweeter and more focused in mono, while Bringing It All Back Home sounds bolder and punchier throughout, with the excellence of the bass-playing on It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue particularly brought into focus. However, surprisingly it is not all one-way traffic, as illustrated by Like a Rolling Stone, which here sounds dismayingly sterile compared to the powerful stereo mix that has become far more familiar down the years. Meanwhile, the mono mixes on Stone’s parent album Highway 61 Revisited are sometimes shorter by half a minute – not a good thing when we’re talking about one of history’s all-time classics. John Wesley Harding sounds sharper and harder, but it’s noticeable how much less eerie is the monaural The Wicked Messenger.
The set is beautifully packaged, a handsome slipcase housing a lavish booklet and CDs in card facsimiles of the original album sleeves, with detail accurate enough to incorporate the original rough texture of the Times jacket and the trashy, advert-adorned inner bag of the debut. This will all presumably be some compensation for those purist audiophiles shocked to discover that mixing and matching between stereo and mono releases will be necessary to obtain the best listening experience.
(A single-disc ‘best of’ of these mono recordings is available – its tracklisting is to the left.)
--Sean Egan
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CD Description
This box collects Bob Dylan’s first eight 12-inch LPs, his albums from Bob Dylan in 1962 to John Wesley Harding in 1968 and a 60 page, full color book with new liner notes, rare photos, memorabilia, discographical information and more. Each CD is housed in a digipak, matching previous Bob Dylan reissues with a rigid slipcase to hold the 8 digipaks and book. Bob Dylan’s first 8 studio albums in mono are: Bob Dylan; The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan; The Time They Are A-Changin'; Another Side Of Bob Dylan; Bringing It All Back Home; Highway 61 Revisited; Blonde On Blonde and John Wesley Harding.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
71 of 72 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
There are a couple of reasons why you might want the mono issues of these seminal records. In the early sixties Mono was what everyone had; and mono mix was the one the artist and everyone else cared about. So in a real sense these are the recordings as the artist originally intended them, and as the world first heard them. Second, early stereo mixes were not that good. Once you get over the fact that it is mono, you'll find that Blonde on Blonde, for example, has a weight and a magic in the mono mix that it lacks in stereo.
I am not going to say much about the music. Not everyone gets Dylan; but if you do, you will find these CDs communicate on many levels and return to them again and again. There is not a weak album anywhere here.
It it great news then to find these eight CDs now made available in a tasteful package. Now, some will say the old LPs sound better and they could be right in a few cases - though if you are like me, you will have searched for years for a mono Blonde on Blonde in good shape at any kind of affordable price. You will also find considerable variations between mono pressings, especially with Blonde on Blonde where different mixes were used in different markets.
I think only the most dedicated Dylan fan should care about such things - for the rest of us, what you get is high quality transfers of the mono masters. They sound very good indeed.
You also get a voucher for downloading MP3s of the whole lot, which saves time if you were planning to rip them to iTunes or another digital library.
Sony/Columbia has done a great job with the packaging. The package is compact, but still most respectful. Along with an enjoyable booklet, you get the eight CDs with small variations that reflect, I guess, differences in the original LP covers, along with occasional inserts. Here is what came in my box:
- Free digital download insert which looks like it is actually a sticker reproducing the front cover of the box
- A little insert ad for the Witmark Demos CD
- The Booklet (of course)
- A sketch of Dylan insert in Highway 61
- The Times they are a Changin' has an unvarnished front cover
- The Times they are a Changin' has an double-sided insert of poems continuing what is on the back cover
- Printed Columbia inner sleeve in Freewheelin'
- Different printed Columbia inner sleeve with ads in self-titled
- All the other CDs have plain inner sleeves as well as the LP replica outer cover.
I realise these are small details but they add to the quality of the package. In these last days of the CD, we need something extra in the physical product, and this box has it.
I am not going to say much about the music. Not everyone gets Dylan; but if you do, you will find these CDs communicate on many levels and return to them again and again. There is not a weak album anywhere here.
It it great news then to find these eight CDs now made available in a tasteful package. Now, some will say the old LPs sound better and they could be right in a few cases - though if you are like me, you will have searched for years for a mono Blonde on Blonde in good shape at any kind of affordable price. You will also find considerable variations between mono pressings, especially with Blonde on Blonde where different mixes were used in different markets.
I think only the most dedicated Dylan fan should care about such things - for the rest of us, what you get is high quality transfers of the mono masters. They sound very good indeed.
You also get a voucher for downloading MP3s of the whole lot, which saves time if you were planning to rip them to iTunes or another digital library.
Sony/Columbia has done a great job with the packaging. The package is compact, but still most respectful. Along with an enjoyable booklet, you get the eight CDs with small variations that reflect, I guess, differences in the original LP covers, along with occasional inserts. Here is what came in my box:
- Free digital download insert which looks like it is actually a sticker reproducing the front cover of the box
- A little insert ad for the Witmark Demos CD
- The Booklet (of course)
- A sketch of Dylan insert in Highway 61
- The Times they are a Changin' has an unvarnished front cover
- The Times they are a Changin' has an double-sided insert of poems continuing what is on the back cover
- Printed Columbia inner sleeve in Freewheelin'
- Different printed Columbia inner sleeve with ads in self-titled
- All the other CDs have plain inner sleeves as well as the LP replica outer cover.
I realise these are small details but they add to the quality of the package. In these last days of the CD, we need something extra in the physical product, and this box has it.
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I couldn't quite believe how superior the sound is in Mono. I have the SACD remixes which sound hugely inferior to these majestic versions.
The Mono sound is warm, rich and vibrant. Its really quite moving and a more intimate experience.
Thank goodness they've been released.
The Mono sound is warm, rich and vibrant. Its really quite moving and a more intimate experience.
Thank goodness they've been released.
39 of 40 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
A time ago I bought the Sundazed recordings of these 8 albums on LP (which are cut from the same masters as these cds) and wondered if they could possibly sound so good on CD. Well, apart from the certain warmth that vinyl inspires in me I have to say that this release is every bit as good.
From the raw primitive blues of Dylan on the eponymous first album through to the sonic power of Bringing it All Back Home to Blonde on Blonde and the freshness of John Wesley Harding this set really reveals Dylan in all his 'raging glory'. No longer do we have the weird experience of Dylan's voice filling the left speaker while his harp and guitar fill the right speaker but the solid presence of Dylan with guitar, harp and band filling the room with the fully integrated power of his music.
Some people have wondered aloud whether Dylan's complete catalogue couldn't be released this way and I can understand why if they have never heard Dylan as he is here in Mono. The only track in which the stereo release is on a par with, some critics have said 'better' is on 'Rainy Day Women 12 & 35' which utilises stereo by creating a broader soundstage for the track. However, crank up the volume on the mono version and Dylan and his band fill the room - up close and personal.
I've noticed that this review is being used for the vinyl set, which is prohibitively priced - especially compared to Sundazed. It always angers me that Sony always optimises the profit they make out of vinyl junkies but - rant over.
This is the most rewarding re-issue of Dylan's early albums ever and makes the SACD experiment redundant.
From the raw primitive blues of Dylan on the eponymous first album through to the sonic power of Bringing it All Back Home to Blonde on Blonde and the freshness of John Wesley Harding this set really reveals Dylan in all his 'raging glory'. No longer do we have the weird experience of Dylan's voice filling the left speaker while his harp and guitar fill the right speaker but the solid presence of Dylan with guitar, harp and band filling the room with the fully integrated power of his music.
Some people have wondered aloud whether Dylan's complete catalogue couldn't be released this way and I can understand why if they have never heard Dylan as he is here in Mono. The only track in which the stereo release is on a par with, some critics have said 'better' is on 'Rainy Day Women 12 & 35' which utilises stereo by creating a broader soundstage for the track. However, crank up the volume on the mono version and Dylan and his band fill the room - up close and personal.
I've noticed that this review is being used for the vinyl set, which is prohibitively priced - especially compared to Sundazed. It always angers me that Sony always optimises the profit they make out of vinyl junkies but - rant over.
This is the most rewarding re-issue of Dylan's early albums ever and makes the SACD experiment redundant.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Lovely
I absolutely love this set of Bob Dylans Mono recordings. Highly recommended! I love the packaging and all the little bits and bobs that you get with the box.
Published 4 months ago by g_g_g
POSITIVELY DYLAN - THE VINYL BOX SET
This is just about the best thing to happen to vinyl. Talk about the bee's knees. I was daft enough to miss these albums when they first came out, too busy buying my Beatles,... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mr. John K. Bishton
Throw out your Stereo editions
The Mono versions of all these albums now sound as if Dylan and his band (or on his own) are now directly in front of you.I went back to the s.a.c.d. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Michael Boyle
Mono Dylan makes a difference
I had all on these albums on cd. False stereo of course. But this package is wonderfully packed, with the original artwork, in cd format, and an extensive book, with photos and... Read more
Published 14 months ago by Rodrigo Madeira
Stunning
I've had these Dylan albums in stereo for over thirty years, first on vinyl and then on CD, and I'm staggered at the quality of the mono releases. They are fantastic. Read more
Published 16 months ago by A reviewer
Gold comes in mono, too
The Original Mono Recordings are a wonderful presentation of seminal albums, several of which I also happily own on vinyl! You can't have too much of a good thing, I say.
Published 17 months ago by John R. Caruth
The most amazing songwriter in popular music gets the treatment his...
On opening this wonderful boxset, it was a pleasant surprise that everything about it reminds me of the orginal vinyls complete with inner sleeves etc
In fact Its like a... Read more
In fact Its like a... Read more
Published 18 months ago by Zissimos Philippou
No need to wash those old L.P.'s and record them to cassette.
I bought at least three of these first time round in vinyl. Listened to them all long and hard. They were the soundtrack of my 20's. Read more
Published 19 months ago by Kerouac fan
bob dylan mono box set
This is a terrific box set.It reminded me listening to these albums on my radiograme. Now older just over 69 years,I bought this box set and listen to them on headphone,it bring... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Mr. M. Beebejaun
everything a remastered box set should be
The mono recordings: If you're a Dylan fan, these mono recordings are essential, absolutely. Dylan's early "solo" albums always sounded pretty awkward in stereo, the only available... Read more
Published 19 months ago by Malachi Beale
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