Mono vs. Stereo


I've been wondering for some time what the sound difference and listening experience is between Mono and Stereo.  Let me acknowledge first off that I have not done an A-B comparison since I do not have both Mono and Stereo of the same release.  At least I don't think I do.  Would appreciate a couple of thoughts on the difference.  If someone has a good link to a source write-up, that would be appreciated as well.  

I've heard folks say the mono versions are better, but again, never did the A-B comparison.  

Thanks in advance.
pgaulke60
My speakers are hard to balance to each other, two attenuators, 1 for horn tweeter, 1 for mid horn. You cannot have certain frequencies going off center sporadically. i.e. Casandra Wilson’s (other singer’s) voice, any Piano,

I love my McIntosh Mode Control as an assist in blending my Speakers frequency performance L to R, as well as volume balance.

Stereo Reverse is a great tool. Mono, L+R to L; ....
Expanding on this, what about repressings that are done in Mono? For Example, just picked up the Stones' Let It Bleed box.  It has 180gr pressing of the Mono and Stereo versions.  (Haven't played it yet.) I assume that my existing stereo cartridge would work fine on this mono repressing?  Does that make sense?  I've never read that mono repressings have the same groove metrics of an original mono pressing.  
Depends on the record if this is the case you need 2 tonearms one with a great mono cartridge and the other with a great stereo cartridge.
Kind of defeats the purpose of having an exotic system(?)....if you want the soundstage to mimic the effect of listening to a 1960s AM radio station.  Don't 'ya think? ;(

I, personally, never minded the spatiality of wide stereo; because I hear it as a way of being able to focus on somebody's individual PLAYING when stereo tracks were mixed as lop-sidedly as a lot of stuff in the '60s was (usually: with bass, drums, and rhythm on the left, vocals and lead guitar on the right).  The "neck chills factor", to me anyway, is: when the separation is so extreme to the point of being isolated that it's like a karaoke effect, I just imagine it's like a "you are there"/time travel-trip back to being in the actual recording session booth with whatever legend made this music at THAT moment.

I never got that sense from a mono recording at all.  They sound too "dry" and with everything coming at you at once; like it's just the commodified production rather than revealing insight into the musicianship itself.