When EMI decided to release The Beatles' output on CD in the late 80s, they chose to issue the albums in their British formats and supplement them with two discs of non-album material called PAST MASTERS.
PAST MASTERS VOLUME ONE gives us a mix of things, mostly singles--some A-sides, some B-sides--including "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and "She Loves You" sung in German. But there is a serious downside to this release: We are given the stereo versions of 11 of the 18 selections, and this is sad because, with the exception of "Bad Boy," they were originally issued on vinyl (and sounded fantastic!) in mono.
Mono was the standard for years, but in the late 60s there was a major push within the record industry to make stereo the standard. And the industry did its best to brainwash the public into thinking that stereo was better than mono in all cases. Though the industry was surprisingly successful with its marketing tactics, the truth remains that much pre-1969 stereo rock 'n' roll sounds gimmicky at best, presenting severe and perverse channel separation that often saps the music of its power and realism. It is well documented that until 1969, George Martin spent the majority of time working on the mono mixes and comparatively little time on the stereo; stereo was just not deemed as important. Sadly, today the term "mono" is associated with inferior sound in the minds of most people. This myth is so ingrained in consumers' thinking that the word "mono" does not even appear on the outside packaging of PAST MASTERS VOLUME ONE (lest it deter anyone from a purchase), even though the mono tracks are marked with an asterisk. The four-letter word appears only in fine print and somewhat hidden within the booklet.
"Love Me Do" differs from the well-known version found on the PLEASE PLEASE ME album. This is the recording that was the original British single in 1962.
"From Me To You," "Thank You Girl," "She Loves You," and "I'll Get You" are in mono and can be found on other compilations. (But this British version of "Thank You Girl" differs from the one we got on the American LP of THE BEATLES SECOND ALBUM. The American version had harmonica in spots where this one doesn't.)
These stereo versions of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and "This Boy" are not the versions that were released as the single, as the notes deceptively imply. The single was in mono and did not have the ridiculous left/right channel separations that we have here. The original versions--in glorious-sounding mono--can be found in THE BEATLES SINGLES COLLECTION boxed set.
"Long Tall Sally," "I Call Your Name," "Slow Down," and "Matchbox" were released together as an EP in England but were scattered across three different albums in the U.S. "Slow Down" and "Matchbox" were also released together as a single in America. In particular, the stereo mix of "Slow Down" sounds mutilated and severely saps the performance of its delirious intensity and power. It's plain and simple: Whereas the stereo versions found here sound disjointed and undernourished, the mono versions found in the BEATLES EP COLLECTION boxed set sound full, focused, and realistic.
"I Feel Fine" is another song that sounds far more realistic in mono. We are given the stereo version here, which has the drums and bass far left, the guitars far right, and the vocals--sounding abnormally detached and somewhat cavernous--in the middle. "She's A Woman" doesn't sound as bad. The mono versions of both, however, can be found in the BEATLES SINGLES COLLECTION boxed set.
During the HELP! sessions, they recorded two songs by Larry Williams, "Bad Boy" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy," specifically for Capitol in the U.S. Both songs appeared on BEATLES VI (and, for some reason, "Lizzy" was spelled "Lizzie" on that album.) Though "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" was included on the British release of HELP!, "Bad Boy" was not released in the U.K. until the December 1966 compilation A COLLECTION OF BEATLES OLDIES. I have always thought that both songs sound lackluster compared with the white-hot "Slow Down" (another Williams tune), recorded the previous year. In the spring of 1965, the band was beyond that style of music anyway.
"Yes It Is" was the B-side to the "Ticket To Ride" single and also appeared on BEATLES VI. Many Beatles fans who owned the stereo version of that album are used to the version we get here. But many of us infinitely prefer the richer and more focused sound of the mono version.
I would have been much happier had Paul's delightfully raucous "I'm Down" ended the HELP! album instead of "Dizzy Miss Lizzy." Oh well. This stereo version of "I'm Down" is no match for the exhilarating mono mix issued as the flip side of the "Help!" single. Furthermore, the version of "Help!" released as the single differs significantly from the album version. One wonders why the single version did not turn up here. But it is available, along with the mono "I'm Down," in the SINGLES COLLECTION boxed set.
For those looking for a compilation to serve as an overview, THE BEATLES/1962-1966 (Red Album), THE BEATLES/1967-1970 (Blue Album), or BEATLES 1 will do much better than the PAST MASTERS discs, which were not designed for that purpose. Because the boxed set collections mentioned above are priced beyond reason, I will not recommend them to the more casual or more recent Beatles fans (though--by far!--they best represent this material). I can recommend PAST MASTERS VOLUME ONE without reservation to those fans who are unfamiliar with the mono and, therefore, do not share in my rather severe prejudices.
Companion to the British albums through HELP!
Helps complete the "Beatlemania" picture for Americans
18 tracks
18 tracks
