Although the Beatles were still touring by the end of 1965 they were turning their attention to writing and experimentation. The first result of this is Rubber Soul. It was recorded in a few weeks at the end of 1965 to get it released for Christmas. The album makes a change also in that you can hear the influences of Bob Dylan and The Byrds. This is more of a folk-rock album than a rock and roll album.
New instruments were not out of place during these sessions. The Sitar on Norwegian Wood is of course the most famous, but French-like guitar lines and fuzz bass are also heard. The piano in In My Life is made to sound more like a harpsichord. Psychedelic sounds are also heard for example in the song The Word.
One last note about the Stereo mix. Although they were mixing songs with vocals in the center in the stereo, George Martin wanted to find a way to make a stereo album sound good on a mono record player. He went back to the earlier mixes of the vocals out of the right and instruments out of the left, which when played on a mono record player sounds pretty good. This is why the mono mix is as good if not better than the stereo. Mono was still the primary concern of the Beatles and the stereo mixes were given much less time and effort.
Drive My Car – Stereo. The music is much clearer and this is an almost perfect mix.
Norwegian Wood – Stereo. Putting the sitar mainly out of the left with some of its own notes (the long twangy ones) out of the right is almost genius. This may be one of the best mixed songs of the Beatles.
You Won’t See Me – Stereo. The sound is crisp and sounds almost new.
Nowhere Man – Mono. The stereo is fine but I did not like the opening. The vocals are too much out of the right with too much reverb.
Think For Yourself – Tie. I like the stereo mix for the music and the mono for the vocals.
The Word – mono. There is just not enough coming out of the right in the stereo until the spoken part and then it goes back to the left.
Michelle – Stereo. This mix has more depth and sounds fuller.
Here are both versions of Norwegian Wood. You choose!
Enjoy!
Mono
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGsJzx9E3-g]
Stereo
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWPYTDAJ8sI]
I am used to the stereo mix, but I honestly prefer the mix as a total in mono, despite the clarity of the stereo.
As you will see tomorrow, I agree. George Martin did not put much time in general to the stereo mixes. As I said above he went back to the old stereo ideas to try and make the stereo mix sound good on a mono player.