The early Dylan recordings are relatively high in sound quality (far better than The Beatles), perhaps because they were done so simply. A couple of mics, mic pre-amps, a mixer, and a 2-track-1/2" recorder, all tube of course. Those albums on stereo LP’s sound absurd: his voice in the middle, harmonica in one speaker, guitar in the other. And some tracks with the locations scrambled differently.
I have some stereo recordings with the drumset spread all the way across the soundstage: floor tom far right, hi-hat far left, everything else spread in-between. In commercial Rock recording, capturing and reproducing instruments and vocals true-to-life is not necessarily the objective.
Most of the early (pre-’68 or so) Kinks, Yardbirds (1st album with Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, 2nd with Jeff only, 3rd with Jeff and Jimmy Page, 4th with Page only) , Beach Boys, etc. albums were mixed only to mono only. The "stereo" LP’s of monaural recordings were simply electronically-manipulated to simulate stereo, and are atrocious sounding.
The self-titled debut Procol Harum album was mixed only to mono, and issued in England that way. In the U.S., Deram issued it in fake stereo. Look for the UK original on Regal Zonophone. An average album sonically, musically brilliant!
