[.ca] 1958-1969 Back To Mono

From Amazon.com:
Among producers, his name remains the simile of choice. If some hotshot studio whiz emerges in, say, hip-hop, he's inevitably labeled "the Phil Spector of rap." That's quite a statement given that decades have passed since this boy from the Bronx remodeled rock & roll to suit his own visions of grandeur. The story of the girl-group auteur is a fascinating one. Spector composed a No. 1 hit at 17 (the Teddy Bears' "To Know Him Is to Love Him," its title inspired by the inscription on his father's tombstone). By 19 he was head of A & R for Atlantic Records. By the time he was 22, he'd founded his own label (Philles) and was churning out Wall of Sound hits at an unprecedented clip, beginning with the Crystals' "He's a Rebel." The four-disc Back to Mono befits its singular subject in both presentation (the richly annotated booklet includes a piece by Tom Wolfe) and content (60 songs cut between 1958 and 1969, plus the entire classic Yuletide LP A Christmas Gift for You). --Steven Stolder

There's a reason he's the only producer with his own box set:
Yes, he's a mad genius, the inventor of the Wall of Sound, inspiration for countless producers, the spark that gave birth to the greatest recording of all time ("Pet Sounds"), etc, etc. But if you're a non-believer, or a recent convert, listening to this set a couple times through will help out with your faith (you weren't aware he's also God?). You'll recognize a lot of the songs, as I'm sure you already have from the track listing, but there's also a smattering of unreleased or obscure tracks to perk your interest. Hidden gems like "I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine," "Every Breath I Take," and "So Young" are just as vital as "Be My Baby," "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," and countless others. But it's not really the music that's in question here... The sound quality is about as good as it's going to get, I suppose. Remastering a Wall of Sound gem is a fairly ridiculous concept. It's supposed to be muddy, it's supposed to be distorted, it's supposed to gel together. And, as its title says, it's supposed to be in mono. As for the value of the set itself, that could be a question. I almost docked it a star because it IS overpriced. Four CDs for the price of... four, if you get a good deal? Not exactly the best box set pricing. Especially since the run time on each is only around an hour. There are more songs in the catalogue that could have been added, and there was plenty of room. Aside from that, no alternate takes, peeks into the studio, nothing? It would have been nice to see what happened behind the Wall and get to listen in on Phil instructing everyone and making things happen. The booklet has been called into question, but it's fine with me. Sure, it's not exactly revelatory, but it has a great lyric section, and a few notes on the recordings. You could ask for more, but it's decent. Most others do better, informatively, but it's a fairly nice presentation. The included "Back to Mono" pin is practically worth it alone. Ok, maybe not, but it's a fun addition, at least. All in all, I should probably be giving this four stars, but the music blows everything else away. So, I'm forced to give it five. It's worth it, if only for the fact that tracking all of these recordings down on their own would take more time and money than I care to put forth. So, I'll just say it's one of the most essential box sets ever released. You heard me.

What a boxed set is supposed to be!:
This set is a compendium of many of the most popular recordings produced by the young genius. Most of the songs included were hits, and there is litle on this set not to remember and like. Say what you will about Phil Spector: He was arrogant, demanding, pedantic and every other derogatory adjective you can think of. Even given all this, however, one cannot seriously dispute the fact that he knew how to produce both popular and very memorable music. What a concept the Phil Spector "Wall of Sound" was! He would start with a whole boatload of instruments; from violins to castanets. To these he would then add some of the most beautifully haunting voices ever heard (those of Darlene Love, Phil's own wife Ronnie, a young singer known then only as Cher and even Tina Turner to name a few). Blended together, these would create a tsunami of sonic power. It creates a force bigger than any song, or any band, and truly become greater than the sum of the parts. Tack on a set of headphones, and you can just relax and let it just wash all over you! Baseball great Rickey Henderson once said of another great Nolan Ryan: "If he hasn't struck you out, then you ain't nobody." A musical corollary can be said for Phil Spector: If he didn't produce your music, you didn't put your very best work down on the vinyl (remember, this was thirty years ago, when '45's were as compact as discs could get). From the Beatles to Sonny Charles and the Checkmates Ltd., everyone who was anyone is here. Go back and marvel at what is here. The index of his songs in this set is nothing less that an anthology of some of the greatest music of the early pop era. You might disagree with Cousin Brucie for calling "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" the greatest song of the decade. You may call George Harrison crazy for declaring that "River Deep, Mountain High" was the only "perfect" rock and roll song; one which could never be improved upon. But no one could seriously suggest that Phil Spector's was anything but some phenomenal music. This collection would be a cornerstone of any collection of '50's and '60's music. Add some Atco, some British Invasion and a dash of Motown, and you need no more to get through the summer (or the rest of the year, for that matter). It is worth every penny of the cost (even without the Christmas album).

Phil Spector BOX set is 6 stars!:
This is great stuff!.Only why only 4 CD's in this box. Perhaps the true Fan needs ALL his hits (and misses). The christmas album shines in these dark days.

I wish I could give it more stars.:
Two words - Phil Spector. "Nuff said!

Back to Mono - Phil Spector:
I originally purchased cassette tapes of Back to Mono when it first came out years ago. I just recently purchased the CDs to enjoy even better quality than I had. What can I say that hasn't already been said about Phil Spector? He is a genius, quirky, but a genius nonetheless. Listening to the Ronnettes, the Crystals, Darlene Love, and the other artists on these CDs has to make anyone who was born in the 40s and 50s feel nostalgic. They just don't make music like that anymore. If you don't already have this box set as part of your collection, \opick\c it up while it's still available.

• To Know Him Is to Love Him - Teddy Bears
• Corrine, Corrina - Ray Peterson
• Spanish Harlem - Ben E. King
• Pretty Little Angel Eyes - Curtis Lee
• Every Breath I Take - Gene Pitney
• I Love How You Love Me - The Paris Sisters
• Under the Moon of Love - Curtis Lee
• There's No Other (Like My Baby) - The Crystals
• Uptown - The Crystals
• He Hit Me (And It Felt Like a Kiss) - The Crystals
• He's a Rebel - The Crystals
• Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah - Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans
• Puddin' N' Tain - Alley Cats
• He's Sure the Boy I Love - The Crystals
• Why Do Lovers Break Each Others Hearts? - Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans
• (Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry - Darlene Love
• Da Doo Ron Ron - The Crystals
• Heartbreaker - The Crystals
• Why Don't They Let Us Fall in Love - Veronica
• Chapel of Love - Darlene Love
• Not Too Young to Get Married - Bob B. Soxx & the Blue Jeans
• Wait 'Til My Bobby Gets Home - Darlene Love
• All Grown Up - The Crystals
• Be My Baby - The Ronettes
• Then He Kissed Me - The Crystals
• Fine, Fine Boy - Darlene Love
• Baby I Love You - The Ronettes
• I Wonder - The Ronettes
• Girls Can Tell - The Crystals
• Little Boy - The Crystals
• Hold Me Tight - The Treasures
• (The Best Part of) Breakin' Up - The Ronettes
• Soldier Baby (Of Mine) - The Ronettes
• Strange Love - Darlene Love
• Stumble and Fall - Darlene Love
• When I Saw You - The Ronettes
• So Young - Veronica
• Do I Love You? - The Ronettes
• Keep on Dancing - The Ronettes
• You Baby - The Ronettes
• Woman in Love (With You) - The Ronettes
• Walking in the Rain - The Ronettes
• You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' - The Righteous Brothers, The Righteous Brothers
• Born to Be Together - The Ronettes
• Just Once in My Life - The Righteous Brothers, The Righteous Brothers
• Unchained Melody - The Righteous Brothers, The Righteous Brothers
• Is This What I Get for Loving You? - The Ronettes
• Long Way to Be Happy - Darlene Love
• (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons - The Righteous Brothers, The Righteous Brothers
• Ebb Tide - The Righteous Brothers, The Righteous Brothers
• This Could Be the Night - Modern Folk Quartet
• Paradise - The Ronettes
• River Deep, Mountain High - Ike & Tina Turner
• I'll Never Need More Than This - Ike & Tina Turner
• Love Like Yours (Don't Come Knocking Everyday) - Ike & Tina Turner
• Save the Last Dance for Me - Ike & Tina Turner
• I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine - The Ronettes
• You Came, You Saw, You Conquered - The Ronettes
• Black Pearl - Sonny Charles & The Checkmates, Ltd.
• Love Is All I Have to Give - The Checkmates