Moderators Lee Knight Posted November 20, 2010 Moderators Share Posted November 20, 2010 Bob Dylan - The Best of the Original Mono Recordings. I didn't hear the box set due to... well... $. So when I saw this best of the box... Holy Zimmerman! Was there ever an artist that was more negatively effected by stereo? I love those old recordings (usually), and never really gave any thought other than my initial dislike of them back then. And the occasional cringe when he'd whip out the harp and dig in. "Bob? A little piercing?". ...and what's that tambourine doing so freakin' loud in Rolling Stone? Sometimes they sounded great and other times I'd just hate it. Mono... it does things. Or rather, doesn't do things. These performances have a pointed, non-diffuse, in your face sense about them that, until an hour ago, I didn't realize were much better suited to MONO!!!! Do I really want his guitar over there? But this? Great. There's Bob with his guitar an harp. Deadish strings. The harp somehow less abrasive. It's not pretty. It's folk punk. Or angry troubadour art, or something. It's indescribable and like hearing it for the first time. It's Bob. Gone are the weird juttings out of bionky elec. guitar. Rainy Day Woman's (must get stoned) horn, piano, tamb and drunken off mike shouts cohere into this thing. This AM radio from the 60's thing that just works. Big in its limited smallness. Tombstone Blues is truly godlike. He sings: The Commander-in-Chief answers him while chasing a flySaying, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lukenskywalker Posted November 20, 2010 Members Share Posted November 20, 2010 ^ Geez, that's one very spirited post..... Can I get whatever he is having to drink in his Avatar? Looks like a 'Shirley Temple'...Hold the fruit. Wayaminit, I took a second gander, and it looks a martini olive on a toothpick in the glass.... You go boy... G'wan wif yo bat se'f!' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted November 20, 2010 Author Moderators Share Posted November 20, 2010 I don't drink anymore. I'm just passionate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Lukenskywalker Posted November 21, 2010 Members Share Posted November 21, 2010 I don't drink anymore. I'm just passionate! nice post...passion abounds, it's obvious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members blue2blue Posted November 22, 2010 Members Share Posted November 22, 2010 Bob Dylan - The Best of the Original Mono Recordings. I didn't hear the box set due to... well... $. So when I saw this best of the box... Holy Zimmerman! Was there ever an artist that was more negatively effected by stereo? I love those old recordings (usually), and never really gave any thought other than my initial dislike of them back then. And the occasional cringe when he'd whip out the harp and dig in. "Bob? A little piercing?". ...and what's that tambourine doing so freakin' loud in Rolling Stone? Sometimes they sounded great and other times I'd just hate it. Mono... it does things. Or rather, doesn't do things. These performances have a pointed, non-diffuse, in your face sense about them that, until an hour ago, I didn't realize were much better suited to MONO!!!! Do I really want his guitar over there? But this? Great. There's Bob with his guitar an harp. Deadish strings. The harp somehow less abrasive. It's not pretty. It's folk punk. Or angry troubadour art, or something. It's indescribable and like hearing it for the first time. It's Bob. Gone are the weird juttings out of bionky elec. guitar. Rainy Day Woman's (must get stoned) horn, piano, tamb and drunken off mike shouts cohere into this thing. This AM radio from the 60's thing that just works. Big in its limited smallness. Tombstone Blues is truly godlike. He sings: The Commander-in-Chief answers him while chasing a flySaying, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted November 22, 2010 Author Moderators Share Posted November 22, 2010 I noticed the same thing with mono versions of old Byrds stuff. The mono versions make a lot more sense. That said, I'm a big stereo hound. I listened to at least as many ping pong matches and locomotives roaring by and various stereo test records (Yes, I had a whole album of trains going by !) as I did music, I think, in a couple of brief periods. *EDIT: Actually, I now remember I did see a promo image on Bob's site the other day when I was linking to it as an example of a Drupal site. I meant to check it out, so we'll consider this a second chance. **EDIT 2: Rhapsody already has the Best of the Original Mono Recordings comp... I guess I'll lobby their Twitter stream for the whole thing, just to make sure they know there's demand. (That hasn't worked to get back a bunch of Rory Gallagher stuff that disappeared a month or two ago, however. But I haven't given up.) EDIT 3: I've been listening about the last hour and I'm really, really enjoying it. But I have to say that the harmonica on "I Want You" is still pretty dang harpoon-like... a big old rusty but still pointy one right into the ear. There is the occasional harpoon to the skull, yeah. But I haven't stopped listening for a couple days. I'm totally moved by these recordings again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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