Disco de The Beatles: “Compact Disc Singles Collection [Box]”

In 1982, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Beatles' first hit single, Love Me Do, EMI in the UK re-released the single on 7" vinyl in a specially designed picture sleeve. All of the original Beatles UK singles were then subsequently re-released, in sequence and on their 20th anniversary, from 1983 through to 1990. A box set was also released in 1982 containing these 7" releases.

This box set contains CD versions of the 22 original 7" singles the Beatles released in the UK between 1962 and 1970 and the discs are packaged in picture card sleeves, each of these replicating, in CD form, the 7" vinyl singles re-released during the 1980s.

The interesting thing about this box set is the fact that many of the tracks are in mono (up until the last few singles - Ballad of John & Yoko was the first UK single to appear in stereo, in 1969) and this is the only way, on CD at least, to obtain mono 7" mixes of songs like Help!, Day Tripper, Strawberry Fields Forever, Eleanor Rigby, Hey Jude, All You Need Is Love & Get Back. The mixes of some of these songs is quite different in mono form, making this an essential purchase for any Beatles fan.

I listened to the whole set in sequence when I first got the box, from Love Me Do right through to Let It Be including all the B-sides. Listening on headphones made hearing the differences in the mono mixes even more apparent.

Depsite all the critical acclaim heaped on the Beatles for their classic albums, many forget these guys were a great singles band too, without doubt THE great singles band of all time.

In summary this is an excellent package and a must for Beatles fans and collectors. For the more casual listener, this is probably not appropriate - instead check out the new 1 compilation or, for a broader selection of their best-known work, check out the 1962-1966 (Red) and 1967-1970 (Blue) albums.

Well this is it. The greatest collection of singles of all time! This box will make you smile all the way through! From the greatest rock group of all time comes 22 CD versions of their original 45's. The box has a few rarities included. Inside you will find the original monophonic 45 mix of 'Help!' which features a different lead vocal from John Lennon. Also included are the superior monophonic mixes of 'I Feel Fine', 'She's A Woman', 'Day Tripper', 'Paperback Writer', 'All You Need Is Love', 'Lady Madonna', 'Revolution' (be ready for a hurricane when this one comes on). In the USA, 'Get Back' was the Beatles first stereo single. In the UK, it was 'Ballad Of John & Yoko'. Included here are the UK mono mixes of 'Get Back and 'Don't Let Me Down'. Each single comes with a picture sleeve. The only annoying thing about that is EMI used the same photos used on the 20th anniversary singles from the 1980's. The box is rather attractive even if EMI has used that layout a few thousand times in the past as well. Perhaps in the near future, EMI can include 'Free As A Bird' and 'Real Love'. That would be rather nice.

Sure, these songs are all available on CD elsewhere, but in this CD Singles Collection, you get the original release artwork from all 22 Beatle singles in one package. Purists may want to seek out the original boxed set on 45 RPM records, but this collection is a great way to get all of The Beatle "singles" and their matching picture covers on CD.

It is fasinating to flip through these discs and see the changes the Beatles went through from "Love Me Do" in 1962 to Let It Be" in 1970. I am a Beatle fan from "way back" and this collection is for me, a fun addition to the rest of the Beatles Albums and past masters on CD. A guilty pleasure. Sometimes it is just so nice to indulge.

Overpriced. I only own this set because, twelve years ago, a local branch of a major retail chain had this mismarked with the "1" accidentally left off of the then-$150 price tag (then it became a heck of a deal!). You can pretty much get any of these songs on all of the other lower-priced Beatles CDs out there. There are, however, some great carrots for collectors in the form of the mono mixes, especially on the Magical Mystery Tour disc (which is actually presented in stereo AND mono).

While the first seven discs contain widely-available mono mixes, the final eight discs contain mono tracks unavailable anywhere else. Some of these mixes are significantly different from the stereo mixes. This is nowhere more evident on "I Am the Walrus", in which the mono mix contains a couple of extra bars in the middle of the song.

Over all, a ripoff for non-completists but almost worthwhile for obsessive collectors.

Many other reviewers here on Amazon have done a sufficient job of telling you about the contents of this set, but the ultimate question that needs answering is: Do you really need to own this set?

If you're a casual or mildy fanatic fan, the answer is probably a "no." It's an expensive set to say the least. You are paying for 22 CDs containing 2 songs each. Depending on where you buy this set, you are paying (on average) $7-10 per disc...or $3.50-$5.00 per song! Also, all of these tracks can be found on the 13 original albums and the two compilation discs (Past Masters 1 and 2). You can actually buy the 13 original albums and two compilation discs as a package deal for just a little more than what this singles box set will cost...and will end up with all of the officially released songs, not just the 48 songs that were released on singles in the UK.

If you are an obsessed fan or a raving lunatic (like myself), you'll want to own this set, however. While it's nice to have the box and the 22 individual sleeves recreating the artwork in the singles, the real strength of the set is the sound quality. All of the singles (with the exception of the last couple of singles, which were stereo only) are presented in their original mono mixes, just as released in UK. While some people view "mono" as a dirty word, it really is the best way to hear these singles...as the Beatles and George Martin invested most of their time on the mono mixes, with stereo mixes made later (almost as an after thought). As others have pointed out, songs like "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" which sound full and bright in mono, sound rather thin and weak in the stereo mixes presented on the Past Masters compilations (and on the "1" CD, unfortunately).

In summary, casual Beatles fans can steer clear of this box. Diehards and fanatics, however, may find this box set will be a valuable addition to their collection. If you can find a slightly used copy on the second-hand market for much cheaper, even better.