The Sinatra Cycles Mono version has the right channel of the stereo mix, cut to mono. It‘s a technical oddity. And an absolute dog. All you hear is the right channel. There is no true mono version of Cycles.
It was already discussed in this thread Frank Sinatra's Capitol and Reprise recordings now under one roof
Well, listened to it today. It's a crappy mix: it's boxy, thiccckkkk and very dark. But still, it's better than the stereo version: at least it's not headache inducing! For 5 pounds, a welcome addition.
It seems to me there's more than than. Meaning: I have tried to listen to both isolated channels of the stereo LP, and they are anemic. Empty sounding. This mono at least has meat on its bones. It's "different" from taking one channel from the stereo LP. It still sucks, but it sucks a bit less.
I am listening now to the US version of "Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits Vol. 2" (original FS1034 pressing). A curiosity: it contains "Cycles", and it's a hugely superior mix to the CSG version on the original album! It sounds completely untampered to me, which means (contrarily to what many think) that the original master does NOT have CSG baked-in. Too hopeful to think that a similarly clean master exists somewhere for the other album tracks too?
It could be that the master doesn't have CSG, or that the CSG was reversed for the GH LP. Having a "pure" master without CSG is ideal, but reversing it isn't a huge deal.
It would seem very weird that in the early '70s Reprise would go to the pains of reversing the CSG for a cheap compilation, especially considering that they haven't done it for ANY other release. So this leaves me hope for a future untampered-with remaster!
Not Reprise, but that happened with (at least) the copy of Wheels of Fire pressed by Columbia. It's not unprecedented.
IIRC, Ultimate Sinatra contains "Cycles" with proper stereo imaging. Whether it's the original stereo mix sans CSG processing or a modern remix, I do not know.
My CD of FSGHV2 has "Cycles" with the CSG processing still intact. Frank Sinatra - Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits Vol. 2
Yes, it's very nice! By comparison, there is a UK version with the same name.... but with a completely different tracklisting, and of inferior sound quality. Never understood the reason of Reprise releasing two very different compilations in the UK/Europe and US with the same title! UK version: Frank Sinatra - Greatest Hits, Vol. II
