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Rolling Stones Mono Box Set (lp or cd)

I wanted to get the ball rolling. I thought that including both formats here would be beneficial to the entire discussion. I personally have little experience with the Rolling Stones. However, I think I can add an opinion in the form of having heard lots of music from this era and how this box relates to the Beatles Mono Box. I'm currently using my stereo cart. I've listened to the first 5 lps in chronological order.

One thing that has stood out to me is how consistent these 5 lps are in sound quality. ( "Out Of Our Heads", US has more pronounced bass, haven't listened to the UK yet.) This is kind of unusual in my listening experience. Compared to the Beatles Mono box which wasn't as consistent, album to album. I find the detail, the ambient retrieval, and the bass overall to be very good. What bothers me is I feel it is recorded too hot as well as I feel the overall sound seems somewhat very slightly artificial. ( I never felt this way listening to the Beatles Mono box). These last two issues may have to do with the re-mastering chain. It may be the quality of the mics, the recording venue, etc...I don't know. I don't have the originals to compare. There is the dimensional character of the soundstage that is very nice as was the Beatles. The vinyl itself is super quiet but I see that a few of these will need to be flattened. So far, there isn't an pressed "off-center" issue.
astro58go
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
"As for dynamic range--I listen to a lot of classical music and acoustic jazz with tremendous contrasts in volume and I find Abbey Road to be far closer to that than Sticky Fingers. That’s exactly what I’d expect from a classical producer-turned-pop/rock. Don’t get me wrong--the Muscle Shoals sound is great but I don’t think it compares favorably in this case."

if you consult the Dynamic Range Database you will find that the vinyl versions of Sticky Fingers and Abbey Road have almost exactly the same dynamic range. If you were comparing CD versions the dynamic ranges vary all over the place depending on which release you listened to.

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=Beatles&album=Abbey+road

Cheers

astro58go OP
542 posts
 
jafant,

How does my assessment so far, conform with your overall impressions of your RS experience?
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,431 posts
 

drsteve, you are so right about semi-pro (or even amateur) recordings being better sounding than many commercially produced ones. I recorded the Jump Blues/Swing band I was playing in with a pair of omni condenser mics straight into a Revox A77 at a live gig, and it sounds much more "alive" (in sound quality) than most of my LP's and CD's/SACD's. I used the same mics into a Teac 4-channel 2340 in a home studio on a singer/songwriter recording gig, and it too sounds great. Very transparent, with great transient "snap" and dynamics (not as good as a Direct-to-Disc LP played with a Decca/London pickup though), and quite lifelike instrumental (acoustic piano, acoustic guitar, electric guitar & bass---plugged straight in without an amp amp, and drumset) and vocal timbres.

Almost all commercial recordings are very heavily processed, the mic signal travelling through all kinds of outboard gear (mixing boards, mic pre-amps, compressors, limiters, equalizers,, electronic reverb and echo simulators, etc), to make it sound "better" (whatever that means). The mastering process used to turn recordings into playable formats involves the use of many of those same pieces of outboard gear again!

I use my tapes in evaluating reproduction gear. Everyone, if possible, should!

jafant
18,821 posts
 
You scored a very nice deal on your set- astro58go-

now, onto your assessment;
History tells us that The Rolling Stones turned into a "party" band, entertainers, drug use excesses earlier than The Beatles and The Who,
IMO.  Knowing this intel, their albums were not as consistent a their competition.  No doubt, those 1st 3-4 RS albums are great, even excellent.

(2) dynamics changed- The Beatles stopped touring and became studio wizards, The RS kept touring and partied for the rest of the 60's.
As a result- The Beatles gave us Sgt Pepper and The RS would finish the 60's with 'Let it Bleed'.  The force that is Jagger/Richards were no questionably influenced by Sgt Pepper!

The RS also gave us 'Get your Ya-yas' if only for the scorching live version of "Midnight Rambler". As a music lover, I would be very sad knowing that this song would never have reached the public w/o this pivotal live album!
jafant
18,821 posts
 
The Rolling Stones also gave us "The Rock N Roll Circus" although self-indulgent, no doubt, it had a real historical presence as well.

Keep me posted as you work your way and listen to this boxed set-
astro58go.  I am already looking for a domestic RS Mono CD set for listening purposes.
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