The Beatles - Please Please Me
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Free Music Review: the album that changed the world
Hit: 5 Stars
there have been only 7 people i would consider to be musical geniuses since musics inception.theres mozart,beethoven,bob dylan,jimi hendrix and ozzy osbourne.then theres the 2 guys who made this spectacular album come to life and changed the world and music forever.they were john lennon and paul mccartney[ringo and george are cool too just not geniuses].this was thier debut album.im sure youve heard of beatlemania.well this was what spawned it.it starts with "i saw her standing there".its a listenable tune about a underage chick and how she used his trust against him to break his heart.tiffany covered the song many years later.then johns very 1st "im so sad i could just die" type songs.it was called "misery".a great song for if youre very depressed.i dont really recall "anna" to much but its ok."CHAINS" comes in next.no its not about bondage,its about the ol ball and chain and inescapable love.as with every beatle song,its good."boys" is next.i made a top 1000 songs i know and like one time and this was #1000.its my least favorite beatle song but thats not saying much since they are all at least good.then on with the #1s."please please me" rolls up next.like a said,a smash hit!then the next #1.one of the most recognizable beatle songs and the only one to use the harmonica a whole bunch,"love me do".at one time,these 2 songs were #1 and #2 at the same time on the singles charts.they had a record for that that they broke 2 more times.the new record is they had the top 5 and another for having 7 in the top 10."ps i love you" is a i miss you song thats pretty.i remember the chipmunks doing this one and a few others.then the greatest song i have ever heard bar none!"baby its you".i totaly love this song and it made #1 on my top 1000.the other chipmunk song came next."do you want to know a secret?".the secrets out.he loves her."A taste of honey" is some odd attempt at olden times country.even in thier debut album they were experimenting with unfamiliar musical styles and instruments."theres a place" is borderline meditational in substance.but thats a story ill tell you laster.last theres one im sure youve heard all around called "twist and shout".a very danceable song.this album completely changed music back in the early 60s and everybody should own it. Free Music Review: The Beatles: Please Please Me (1963)
Hit: 5 Stars
The Beatles have been the groundbreakers in music history. If The Beatles had not released their now more-than-popular music, no other act would have been involved in the music industry, such as Madonna, Cher, Heart, Richard Marx, David Bowie, George Michael, Stevie Nicks, Phil Collins, and so on. The Beatles, whose lineup has always been, PAUL MCCARTNEY (Bass Guitars & Lead Vocals), JOHN LENNON (Rhythm Guitars & Lead Vocals), GEORGE HARRISON (Lead Guitars & Lead Vocals), & RINGO STARR (Drums & Lead Vocals), were & are the epitome of classic Rock & Roll.
In 1963, The Beatles had released their first album entitled, PLEASE PLEASE ME. This album is far beyond amazing. All fourteen songs on this album are just outstanding. Only six of these fourteen songs were covers, leaving the other eight songs to be written by Beatles members, Paul McCartney & John Lennon.
I SAW HER STANDING THERE
That 1-2-3-4 countdown in the beginning of this outstanding song is so recognizeable today that you can't help yourself when you count along. This song is one of The Beatles' greatest songs to be recorded in all music history. In 1988, Tiffany had recorded this song on her first album, only she had called the song, "I Saw Him Standing There". Tiffany had butchered the living hell out of it. The Beatles rendition will always remain the classic. I also enjoy hearing this song because Bassist, Paul McCartney takes the lead on this song. Paul is actually my favorite Beatle.
MISERY
A great song.
ANNA (GO TO HIM)
Great.
CHAINS
Great.
BOYS
Taking over the lead vocals for this song is Drummer, Ringo Starr. This is another of my favorite songs.
ASK ME WHY
Not bad.
PLEASE PLEASE ME
The album's incredible title track. How could anyone not love this song? This just "Please Pleases Me".
LOVE ME DO
That harmonica in the very beginning of the song is one hell of an opener and the most recognized sound ever heard. Great song.
P.S. I LOVE YOU
Great song.
BABY IT'S YOU
Great.
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET
Lead Guitarist, George Harrison had decided to take over lead vocals on this incredible song that I still very much enjoy today.
A TASTE OF HONEY
Great.
THERE'S A PLACE
Great.
TWIST AND SHOUT
John Lennon, who does a handful of lead vocals on half of The Beatles' music, sings here, as on many of this albums songs. This song was originally recorded by Chuck Berry. Now, I hate 50s music. It sucks. The Beatles had the guts to re-record this song and make it a classic hit.
The Beatles actually recorded this album in one whole day. They did record the album in one of the members' houses, but I don't exactly remember who, but I do remember that The Beatles' producer, George Martin, who has a handful of help in The Beatles songs, such as "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" & "In My Life", had requested that The Beatles record "Twist And Shout" last because he knew that it would make John's voice sound raspy after all of the singing the guys did with the first thirteen songs on this album. If you are a crazed Beatles fan, such as myself, then buy PLEASE PLEASE ME and get a first taste of The Beatles' music.
Free Music Review: Ar!
Hit: 5 Stars
It irritates me to see people say things like "The vocals are shakey," "it's raw" and "It wasn't about musical talent" and stuff like that. All the notes are perfectly fine, the timing is perfect, the chords are played perfectly, everything is in key. It's all close to perfect, as it would be with any real musician. Vocals are 100% on now because of auto tuners. Anyway
Two notes in Anna sound a little weird because the song is in D, and the notes go from E to F#, and neither of those notes are within the G chord which is being played behind it. This is still correct, though.
Anyhow, this album is great. Their earlier songs are the best to me, because it was more about the sound of the music other than the 'message' they were trying to send out. And after all, people originally listen to music because of how it sounds, not what it says, right? I've never seen a four year old contemplating deeply on the lyrics of a Radiohead song. So if you like music for music and not just for "messages" then this is for you.
Free Music Review: Here It Began
Hit: 4 Stars
It is fitting that the first Beatles album to be released in the United Kingdom begins with a Paul McCartney and John Lennon penned song, "I Saw Her Standing There." This song led the remaining 14 and helped keep this album atop the British charts for a record 30 weeks, a record that I believe still stands. Ironically, this album was toppled by "With the Beatles." This song is one of the rockers from this album that is raw, and yet very enjoyable.
The second song begins in a manner similar to some other British rock groups of the time. "Misery" has harmonies and styles that are a bit more derivative than most of the other music on this album. This song also features a brief but clearly noticeable piano, which is uncharacteristic of the typical Beatles sound in their early years.
The third song is relatively unremarkable. "Anna (Go to Him)" contains some Beatles elements, but is otherwise a throwaway song. The third song was written by Gerald Goffin and Carole King. "Chains" is a relatively unsophisticated pop song that is below average for this album. In yet another irony, Goffin and King also wrote a number of songs for the Monkees, including hits. "Boys" was also written by other artists, and is yet another unremarkable pop song. The next song is "Ask Me Why," which was written by McCartney and Lennon and contains many of the features that makes Beatles songs so enjoyable, though it is difficult to precisely define what that feature is. Later in the album is "Baby It's You," which sounds like a 50s leftover. "A Taste of Honey" is uncharacteristic for the Beatles, sounding like a completely different group. The latter two songs were covers.
The seventh song is one of the standout songs on this CD. "Please Please Me" is wonderfully written and performed. A harmonica is effectively used to provide a unique sound to this pop love song. The effective use of guitars and vocals make this short (2:03) song feel longer and more complex. The first time this song was released it went no where. The second time the song went to #3. This song remains a classic rock standard.
The next song is yet another of those songs that helped define the Beatles. "Love Me Do" is a simple love song that uses vocals and a harmonica to expand the depth of the music. The singable lyrics and catchy pop hooks made this song a sure winner and another classic in the Beatles catalog, reaching #1 in the charts.
Many groups struggle to have even a single great song. The Beatles had several excellent songs on this album. "P.S. I Love You" was a wonderful song that was easily better than most of the pop of the era. This song could have been a hit single had it been released in the U.S.
"Do You Want to Know a Secret" achieved #2 or #3, depending on the chart. This song is relatively simple, but pretty. This song is also very short at just under two minutes. Showing that even McCartney and Lennon had clunkers is "There's a Place." I find it difficult to recommend this song. The vocals sound strained, and the music is neither innovative nor remarkable.
This CD closes with "Twist and Shout." This song reached #2 or #1, depending on the chart. A rarity for the covers on this CD, this song is well done and does the Isley Brothers credit. The Beatles make it their own with a rendition that makes this song one of a Beatles classic.
The initial impression you get from hearing this CD is that the music is relatively unrefined. You can also get the impression that this was a group of energetic young guys with far more talent than skill. The most amazing thing is to listen to the evolution of the Beatles from this 1963 release to "Rubber Soul," "Revolver," and "Sgt. Pepper." It is incredible how quickly this group matured from a talented group of boys to the most influential rock group in history.
The Beatles actually had a bit of a rough start before their music became popular, but once it did it was unstoppable. Even those singles released from this early album were competing with each other on the charts, which would continue for the next few years as Beatlemania swept the country, and then the world.
Free Music Review: Beatles were the best live band in Britain
Hit: 5 Stars
This is The Beatles' first album, and shows what the prior four years of gigging can do for a band with an encyclopedic knowledge of American pop and rock n' roll.
But this is not just any band-- this is the newest version, with the final piece of the miraculous puzzle in place: I mean Ringo Starr, of course, who was the best drummer in Liverpool at the time.
He was the one primarily responsible for putting the "beat" in The Beatles, and having him at last made The Beatles ready for the big time. As it was, his swinging and driving drumming, those funky tom tom rolls, and that splashy cymbal work made the band's early music BREATHE with energy, character, excitement.
George Martin basically tried to record the club act as honestly as possible, but even then Martin was working magic in terms of editing-- George's solo on "I Saw Her Standing There" is a patch job of several different takes.
And on this opening number we already hear something new and different: John's modal harmony under Paul's melody-- something Everly-esque but different and darker. This kind of intertwined line shows up throughout their career, most notably in "If I Fell" and "Hey Jude". We also hear a tight band with each member propelling the other along, Paul's staccato bass synching up with Ringo's propulsive drumming, and John playing rhythm guitar in the upper register like a whirligig trying to lift the song off the ground.
On "Misery" we are introduced to the primal/sexual rock howl of John, "hampered" by a nasty head cold but carrying on with cough lozenges and cigarettes. This time Paul harmonizes above John in a more conventional manner, and we hear how the timbres of John and Paul's voices mesh together so well. On the fadeout the falsetto "la-la"s give us that Lennon humor.
"Anna" shows that the band were real students of American music, always looking for obscure B-sides to exploit and show how they have mastered and made their own such material. This song is a showcase for John. His voice is one of the great instruments of rock n' roll as well as rock n' soul, and he is at this point a far more expressive, sexy, and sincere singer than Paul.
"Chains" is another cover that shows how nicely the three singers can harmonize at this early stage, and George handles the lead vocal with a kind of one-off casualness that is endearing. Imagine having John and Paul as your backing vocals!
"Boys" is a great rocker and features a fun vocal by Ringo with backing vocals by John and Paul, whose joyousness is infectious.
"Ask Me Why" is a fun little song, with tight three-part harmony and a campy John extending his "why", "you", and "true" with playful "woo-woo-woo"s.
"Please Please Me" was their first hit single and was actually recorded a few months earlier. The song's call and response climb-up is erotic and infectious, Paul's bass playing is bouncy and chugging all at once, Ringo's drumming is swinging, and John's voice swoops and soars on the refrain around the other vocals in such a way that it sounds like more than two voices. David Crosby must have picked up some tips from Lennon on this song when he formed The Byrds.
"Love Me Do" is lovely and simple yet has a deceptively complex harmony. I feel it shows that John and Paul were mates and really cared for each other, and its echoes can be heard all the way to "Two of Us" on their final album, "Let It Be".
"P.S. I Love You" is a nice solo vocal showcase for Paul, and is Elvis-like in concept but is all Paul in terms of sweetness and romance. This is the kind of innocent and non-threatening element that made teeny-boppers develop mad crushes.
"Baby It's You" is another cover song that exceeds the original version by The Shirelles. It exceeds because of John's vocal once again, at turns intimate and passionate. Paul and George do a great job backing him.
"Do You Want to Know A Secret?" is another song by Lennon/McCartney written for George, and George makes no effort to hide his Liverpudlian accent on words such as "well" and "tell," and the result is a performance of great charm. It's to his credit that George avoids sounding saccharine and cloying all at once with such a teeny-bopperish tune. Imagine if this song were sung by Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits. Yikes!
"A Taste of Honey" is probably the only "mistake" on this album. Why include an American show tune? I find it implausible that John, George or Ringo would have volunteered this song. That said, John does a nice job once again harmonizing underneath Paul, keeping the song a safe distance from cutesy. "Honey" indeed.
"There's A Place" is a truly excellent song about youthful confusion and angst around an infatuation that conveys much lyrically in very few words. Yet somehow a certain "old-soul" aspect adds maturity and depth to the song. The passion and understanding that John and Paul bring to the words is palpable, and adding George in on the repeated last line is a bonus. Greatness, and it could very well have served as a fitting end to this album but for...
"Twist and Shout" is a perfect coda to the album, a perfect bookend to "Saw Her Standing There", and a perfect first take which propels the whole album into the stratosphere. As with "Baby It's You" it supercedes the original in its directness and power. Ringo locks in to the perfect "twist" tempo. Everyone cherishes this song and it establishes John's place as one of rock's greatest singers. Listen for the "cluck" that Paul must have added at the very end, a little touch that echoes down and expands out to his "Her Majesty" on Abbey Road.
People who claim that this first album is not as great as their later work miss the point entirely-- this is not an "album" so much as England's best LIVE rock 'n roll band (at the time) captured in all their glory on tape. They did not become a STUDIO band until quite a while later.