Yeah, I know it came out way back on 09/09/09. Good for you--you've got what used to be called petty cash, so you could spring for the mono (or stereo) box if you felt like it. I couldn't and tried to convince myself over several weeks that I didn't really need or want that damned thing.
But I got the itch late last fall and...here we go! Some radio stations were giving it away! Alas, the competition there was insane. Next, I saw that the syndicated radio show "Beatle Brunch" (they really should make that plural) was holding a contest. All I had to do was just sign up. Then I found out what the signup was for: receiving their emails is free, but to enter the contest, you need a yearly membership in the Beatle Brunch Club...39 bucks. You've got to be kidding. That would buy me two of the remastered stereo albums that are not part of the mono box, Abbey Road and Let It Be.
It finally dawned on me that I could get together some old records and CDs I no longer wanted and get credit for them at my local music store (Rainy Day Records) in my silly, ambitious quest. Some folks aren't lucky enough to have a store in their town anymore. That's a sad thing.
Naw, I wasn't giving away my collection. The most rare music I have will eventually be placed on an online auction. In the meantime, I had a ton of records I now own on CD, and other items just taking up space, like 12 inch singles. Cool stuff, but I certainly could nudge myself to part with lengthy singles and a bunch of rootsy stuff I say I'm going to eventually play on my radio show but never do. I'll never stop enjoying vinyl, but looking around at shelf after shelf of it made me realize that I've got too much. After a lot of toiling and deciding what I should keep and what I could stand to lose, I had enough store credit to get the mono box.
Anyway, it's just brilliant to hear The Beatles the way I enjoyed them when I was so young: Ringo's metallic high-hat on most of the early tracks; George's ringing and then harsh guitar; John and Paul's emotional, incredibly accomplished singing. And group dynamics that leave you breathless--power, melody and so much more, in natural mono and not fake stereo. This is where I came in.
Details later. Wow! I feel so alive. Hey, did I tell you that I've got The Beatles in Mono?