AF to do Simon & Garfunkel's Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme

I have to believe Roy Halee was somehow involved with the mono mix lps and very likely involved with the siongle mono mixes. For me, that means he would at least ask Paul. I believe Simon has always been very hands-on, or anal, about everything he sings/writes. I don't believe he would hand over that much say-so, even to Halee.

 

Where is it written that Paul Simon dislikes the mono mixes and has refused to allow them to be reissued anyway? This thread seems to just assume it.

 

Spot on. I've heard that (about Simons dislike of the mono mixes) so many times here. Can anybody substantiate it with one quote/reference? It just seems to get trotted out....

 

Would there be a market for a MonO BOOKenDs Gold cd/SaCd ?

 

Mono was so passe back then the suits tossed 'em.

 

Those old dudes again, eh.

 

The reason for no mono may be the obvious. They are unusable or lost. Stated in a previous post they were aimed at radio and lo-fi so seen as surplus to requirements in the stereo age. Only (worn) mono of PSRT I have heard left me unimpressed.

 

Remix = no sale.

 

The mono albums and mixes are actually very punchy and HiFi sounding, like a lot of Columbia mono LP's from the 360 Sound era. The drums are great and everything is just more cohesive sounding compared to the stereo mixes, which suffer from the stereo panning and separation. For the stereo, I assume, some bass roll off used to master them, as many labels did then, so that the stereo cartridges of that era could track the records. PSR&T has much more impact in mono, especially on tracks like "Patterns" where the impact of the percussion is much more pronounced in the mix. Same for other albums, Leaves That Are Green, Save the Life Of My Child, etc. etc.

 

Would there be a market for something rather like the forthcoming Analogue Productions Nat King Cole SACDs?

Original stereo, original mono, and multi-channel.

Everybody can live and let live and listen to the mix that floats their boat.

 

IIRC, Paul told Rolling Stone in 1972 that he and Art did not attend the mix sessions for Sounds Of Silence, but starting with PSR&T they were involved.

 

Very well put. This should be essential reading for anyone who deosn't understand the concept of why mono is sometimes better than stereo.

 

Would you not agree that one man's "cohesive" is another man's "cluttered"? It really does come down to personal preferences. Some of us listen for different things. I have no problem with mono mixes getting remastered, but I really find it unfair when existing stereo mixes are passed over or left out of remastering efforts in favor of the monos, which like it or not, are a small niche market within a small niche market. I'm not trying to argue that stereo is better than mono, or anything, but neither is a mono mix by nature better than a stereo one.

As for the roll off, etc., that may have occurred due to stereo cartridges of the day, well that will be irrelevant for a Hoffman and/or Gray remaster to CD.

 

Exactly! Although I my personal preference for overall listening is a stereo mix, I like having all other mixes available to hear alternate takes on the same piece of music. Mono does give a nice sense of how a performance works as a whole whereas nothing beats a good multichannel mix for getting into the middle of a performance and hearing the individual instruments.

 

A mono Bookends? I would buy it in a second.

One of my favourite albums, and I have never heard or even seen the mono mix.

 

I've been comparing the mono and stereo PSR&T for the past couple of days and I think that both mixes have their strengths. I don't think this is a case where one is really better than the other. Personally, I would like for the mono to be released, but if it was the original stereo mix I would probably pick it up too.

 

ditto.

 

Of course, as somone pointed out in a previous thread, hearing a mono mix on a CD today is not the same as hearing the original 45 on AM radio back in 1966. It's a different experience altogether, combining the "primitive" aspect of mono with today's high fidelity playback. It's sort of the best of two possible worlds, combining old and new, to create a unique listening experience. For us old-timers, it's like sprucing up old memories. like taking old photos and "digitizing" them. But as has been mentioned numerous times, hearing these vintage mono mixes today has revealed just how well done they really were, in a way that simply couldn't have been realized then. Many have shrugged off CD's as being overrated, too "digital" sounding, not "warm" sounding, which may be, but had it not been for the advent of the CD I seriously doubt if any of these old mono mixes would have ever resurfaced, in any form.

 

I am sure I will buy this regardless of what version they decide to use. I am just a sucker for this sort of thing.

 

I have no interest in the primative aspect of mono. I like imaging. The only reason IMO to use a mono mix is because it is simply sonically superior. In this case i don't think it is superior at all. That is my personal take. For me, AM sound for nostalgia? No thank you. Mono for nostalgia? No thank you. if possible, fix the stereo mix if there are problems. I only think these things should not be touched when they simply obviously nailed it the first time. It's not like this is a rare LP. If one wants the original mono or stereo it's easy to find. All I would want from a remaster is something better than what I have. IMO that would be something in stereo maybe with a few fixes in the mix and of course no roll offs or compression. But that is me.

 

I think Deluxe editions of each S&G album is the answer...Mono/stereo 2 disc sets with rarities...since its only 5 studio albums couldn't be too hard to do plus reassign the bonus material from the box sets...and dig out some more stuff...

 

Then, if you don't have it already, you would be very pleased with Vic Anesini's current stereo remix of this album. It's excellent IMO and available as I write this for $6.99 from Amazon.com and contains two bonus tracks

 

The MONO Bookends ya think ?

 

So, could someone from AF chime in here as to what version is being released? It was pointed out that the cover shown on the Audio Fidelity website shows the Stereo 360 logo. Does that mean this is the original stereo mix? Is this just a mock-up cover? Seems odd to start promoting an item and not list some of this important technical info if it's directed at audiophiles.