Bob Dylan has just released his first eight albums in mono, perhaps following in the steps of last year's Beatles' Mono remasters. The packaging is white, just like that of The Beatles remasters. Dylan was not really in need of a sonic upgrade; his albums had been remastered in a steady stream from 2003 to 2009. The Beatles in mono were revelatory for me, especially on later albums where the mono versions differed considerably from the stereo versions I'd spent the better part of high school and college obsessing over.
It was a big deal for me because The Beatles were all about crafting sonically perfect records. Dylan's approach to making a record was slightly different; it was less about sculpting a perfect record and more about laying down a track with the right amount of energy. Dylan sought to capture what he called "that thin wild mercury sound." Which is why there wasn't as much fanfare about Dylan in mono as The Beatles in mono. Granted, The Beatles' catalog hadn't been remastered since 1987 and Dylan's catalog had been remastered quite recently and sounded great.
It's a different take on Dylan and you have to keep in mind that stereo was something of a novelty during the 60s, the mono version of the album was considered by the artists to be the real one. One of the best things the set does is improve the mixes on Dylan's earliest records when it's just him with a guitar and harmonica. The previous incarnations had this sharp channel separation that was quite jarring to listen to. Dylan's voice was in the left channel and his guitar was in the right. It's a problem that The Beatles stereo remasters had. I still get irritated by the channel separation on my stereo remasters. This production choice was completely illogical, given that Dylan was playing and singing at the same time. Perhaps knowing this colored my perception of the first few albums, but I found myself enjoying them a lot more than I had previously. The sound is a little warmer than the SACD remasters.
The SACDs have a brighter sound, so hearing the mono recordings might take some getting used to. I was slightly disappointed by the sound of "Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again" and "Like A Rolling Stone" when I first listened to them, but they really sound great when your ear adjusts to the new mix. I found on Blonde On Blonde in particular, that the separation of instruments was really improved. I also was able to hear instruments that I'd never heard before. The mono gives the songs a really punchy, fantastic rock & roll sound. Another album that truly benefits from being in mono is John Wesley Harding, the mix really brings out Charlie McCoy's bass. The Original Mono Recordings aren't quite as amazing as The Beatles Mono remasters, but they're still well worth picking up for every serious Dylan fan.
Grades:
Bob Dylan - B
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - A
The Times They Are a-Changin' - A
Another Side of Bob Dylan - A
Bringing It All Back Home - A
Highway 61 Revisited - A
Blonde On Blonde - A+
John Wesley Harding - A
-Andrew Crowley
