The Beatles - The Beatles 1
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Free Music Notes for The Beatles 1
Free Music Review: Beatles for the new Milenium
Hit: 5 Stars
It looks like Beatlemania will be part of the new milenium and not just as a musical footnote. It looks like as the new decade ,century and milenium,are concurrently begining ( Yes, 2001 not 2000 marks this ), something old is something new! Well at least as far as music and the people who love music are concerned. Beatlemania as a dominate pop cultural phenomenia of the 20th Century 1960's is being re-experienced again in the 21 Century with the release of the chart toping "The Beatles 1" CD and concurrently the " Beatles Anthology " Book ( #1 nonfiction best seller list). Is this a paradox of time in any literal or figurtive sense ? Is this merely coincidnece ? Well it is neither. What is realy happening is a transcendence of a particular positive cultural aspect in this case the music of Lennon/McCartney and Harrison. Exactly what does this mean ? Basically the music really is that good.! What seems to be really transcendent are the energies, the ideas ,the spirituality of our friends the Beatles( please forgive the poetic liberties I am taking). More importantly there also seems to be a reciprocating synergy between the Beatles and their fans, both new and old alike. This feeling is unlike anything else at least as far as music is concerned. The "Beatles 1" extraordinary play list is highlighted by the same 24 bit technology used in the previous release of "Yellow Submarine". Essentially the remastered recordings are sonically flawlwss , even if you own these songs already this disc is worth buying. The (2000) state of the art digital technology transcends ( that word again) the state of the art 1960's techology. One of the things worth noting are how chromatic the instrumentation sounds on all tracks, an excellent example is "A Hard Day's Night". In the old days this would have required some very expensive equipment. The mono tracks 1 -3 ,Love Me Do",From Me to You" and " She Loves You" are excellent examples of how the FAB 4 may have sounded in the studio. This should be of interest to new fans. My favorite tracks are the back to back single #1's of "Daytripper" and "We Can Work it Out". There are very few of these occurences in music history. This is certainly noteworthy. All 27 tracks were legitemate #1's. There are actually more #1's recorded by the Beatles, e.g. "Michelle","Nowhere Man","Twist and Shout","Please,Pleae Me","All My Loving" and "Magical Mystery Tour". So why was this collection only limited to a single disc? I can only speculate on this however one possible answer is in the fact that all of the mentioned songs can be found on #1 EP's, primarially in the UK. These songs could be packaged with other top 10 hits and demo versions of Beatle songs that became top 10 hits. Examples of this are "A World Without Love", "Those Were the Days", "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window", and " Child of Nature (Jealous Guy)". I would not count on this happening though. Now for a 2001 wish list, hopefully we can count on some of this happening. Mono versions of "Sgt. Pepper","Magical Mystery Tour " and the " White Album". CD release of "Beatles Live at the Hollywood Bowl ( Capitol)" and " Beatles Live in Italy (Parlophone)". Release of the CD singles of the American Versions (Capitol et. al.) that were #1 in the US circa 1963 to 1970. I am particullary interested in " I Want to hold Your Hand/I Saw Her Standing There" ( my first Beatle record ). How about some more Anthology Discography while we at it? And Finally on the DVD front. Where are the films " Let it Be", and "A Hard Days Night" ? I am hoping to see the DVD's available soon. Merry Christmas and a Happy new Year,Decade,Centuryand Milenium to everyone! No matter what your musical tastes are. 12/25/00 David BabinchakFree Music Review: "One" Fine Compilation
Hit: 5 Stars
"1" is a compilation of 27 songs by the Beatles, one of the most popular group of musicians in the world. They're probably my most favorite band too. They did pop, they did rock, they experimented, they joked around and most of all had personality and warmth, which shone through in the recordings. This was a band whose members were very close indeed.
You get 27 chart topping hits on this disc, spanning 1962 to 1970, though it excludes certain famous tracks that were on those singles (like "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "I Am The Walrus") The style of the group shifts and tumbles as you go, and its an interesting thing to listen to. Since its #1 hit based, sometimes there'll be an album from which you'll get no songs at all, which is a shame.
Here's a breakdown:
1 song from "Please Please Me" (1963)
Nothing from "With The Beatles (1963)
2 songs from "A Hard Day's Night" (1964)
1 song from "Beatles for Sale" (1964)
3 songs from "Help!" (1965)
Nothing from "Rubber Soul" (1965)
2 songs from "Revolver (1966)
Nothing from "Sargeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967)
3 songs from "Magical Mystery Tour" (1967, techincally a compilation CD more than an album)
Nothing from "The White Album" (1968, what a shame! My favorite)
2 songs from "Abbey Road" (1969)
2 songs from "Let it Be" (1970)
Some of the singles here weren't released on the albums, but are available on the Beatles "Past Masters" compilations. There are:
4 songs from "Past Masters Volume 1"
7 songs from "Past Masters Volume 2"
The tracks on this CD have been remastered. The biggest difference, I think, is that the sound of the songs is a lot warmer, there's a richer bass, if that makes sense. It makes listening to some of the hard-panned stereo tracks a lot easier to listen to on headphones. I don't know if that was intentional, but being a big headphone listener, it works for me!
One thing this compilation's done for me is made me see how the Beatles must have looked to the older generations during the 1960s. Snatching glimpses of #1 hits on their radio and television, their impressions may have been based on a playlist very much like this. A popular group, a group that plays well, a group that changed with, if not led, the popular trends. It's a perspective that I probably wouldn't have gained, as I wouldn't have thought to have compiled all the Beatles number one hits. If you didn't already know, I think it'd hard to believe that the same band that sang "Love Me Do" is the same one that did "Eleanor Rigby" and the same one that did "Something"
Unlike the Beatles studio CDs, the booklet that comes with "1" is lush and lavish. It's choc-a-block full of sleeve pictures of the singles, from around the world in some cases. This also adds to the experience of what it must have been like for a casual listener in the 1960s. This is what they all must have seen in the record store back then. Unfortunately, there's no lyrics for the songs, but there is a little preface by producer George Martin, singing their praises. What happened to Mark Lewisohn writing liner notes, like on the "Past Master" CDs? Ah well. It's very nice to hear from Mr Martin.
Personally, if I was a newcomer to the fab four, I'd get myself the studio albums one by one. "Magical Mystery Tour" and "Abbey Road" were the first CDs I ever purchased for myself, lots of radio hits and album track classics. They were a good enough introduction to the Beatles for me. "Past Masters Volume 2" would go down well too, its a fine mix of singles and unique rarities. Still, this is all very good music on "1", and the Beatles will be a welcome addition to nearly any CD collection, I'm sure.
Free Music Review: The Beatles: 1 (2000)
Hit: 5 Stars
In November of 2000, The Beatles released their 33rd album entitled, 1. The album contains all of The Beatles' number one hits from 1963 to 1970. This album is absolutely worth your time and money. I know you have all these songs, whether on the albums, compilation albums, or singles. But owning all of the number one hits on one CD is just for you.
LOVE ME DO
From the album PLEASE PLEASE ME (1963). One of the best.
FROM ME TO YOU
From the single release of FROM ME TO YOU (1963). Great.
SHE LOVES YOU
From the album THE BEATLES' SECOND ALBUM (1964). Gotta love this song.
I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND
From the re-release album MEET THE BEATLES (1964). Remember that the MEET THE BEATLES album is the American-ized version of the WITH THE BEATLES album, only this song never appeared on WITH THE BEATLES, but on MEET THE BEATLES. Great song.
CAN'T BUY ME LOVE
From the album A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (1964). Awesome song.
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT
From the album A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (1964). Awesome.
I FEEL FINE
From the single release of I FEEL FINE (1964). One of the greatest, where it stands as the only rock & roll song with feedback recorded onto the song intentionally.
EIGHT DAYS A WEEK
From the album BEATLES FOR SALE (1965). Great song.
TICKET TO RIDE
From the album HELP! (1965). Awesome.
HELP!
From the album HELP! (1965). Great song.
YESTERDAY
From the album HELP! (1965). Great song, and the most recorded song in music history.
DAY TRIPPER
From the single release of DAY TRIPPER (1965). Not one of my favorites.
WE CAN WORK IT OUT
From the album YESTERDAY...AND TODAY (1966). One of my all-time favorites.
PAPERBACK WRITER
From the single release of PAPERBACK WRITER (1966). Not one of my favorites.
YELLOW SUBMARINE
From the album REVOLVER (1966). Great song, especially for the kids, which is why Ringo calls it the Kiddie Song.
ELEANOR RIGBY
From the album REVOLVER (1966). This is my all-time favorite song off of the REVOLVER album, with the second being "Tomorrow Never Knows".
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE
From the album MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR (1967). Great song.
HELLO, GOODBYE
From the album MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR (1967). Great.
LADY MADONNA
From the single release of LADY MADONNA (1968). Great song.
HEY JUDE
From the single release of HEY JUDE (1968). Later included on the album HEY JUDE (THE BEATLES AGAIN) (1970). The best Beatles song ever.
GET BACK
From the album LET IT BE (1970). Great song.
THE BALLAD OF JOHN AND YOKO
From the album HEY JUDE (THE BEATLES AGAIN) (1970). This was known as The Yoko Song. I call it The IT Song because Yoko is not a human, for she is an IT because of her hideousness.
SOMETHING
From the album ABBEY ROAD (1969). Great.
COME TOGETHER
From the album ABBEY ROAD (1969). Great song.
LET IT BE
From the album LET IT BE (1970). Great song.
THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD
From the album LET IT BE (1970). A beautiful ballad.
This album will ever you listening to it over and over again, for it features nothing but the best of The Beatles' number one hits from their entire career. 1 is a great album and for you to buy right now.
Free Music Review: All You Need Is...THIS CD...
Hit: 5 Stars
While critics and fans alike will argue endlessly over what constitutes the Cream of the Beatles Vast selection of music, there is no doubting the success of those 4 lads from Liverpool. There have been plenty of comments regarding the addition of 'Something' which did not reach #1 status on either the American or the British charts and yet 'Please, Please Me' was a #1 hit and yet was somehow omitted. While this really IS a legitimate gripe, I really have no problem with it simply because I feel that 'Something' truly is a much better song.
Other than that, all I can say is, "WOW!" What an impressive collection. There are so few people in HISTORY who can claim even one single Number One song, let alone an entire CD FULL of them. It really was a different time during the 60's -- and not just socially and politically but ENTIRELY. The Beatles hold so many world records, but I personally believe their biggest and greatest accomplishment on the charts HAS to be when they held the #1, #2, #3, #4 AND #5 spots on the Billboard chart AT THE SAME TIME. This is one particular feat that I guarantee you will NEVER be repeated -- not because there will never be a band as good who could do it (which of course IS true) but because of the way the chart system is run these days, it simply WON'T happen again.
The Beatles broke so many different barriers during their absolute dominance over the charts of the 60's, and when you become one of their fans, its easy to see why. The music transcends so many areas of our lives that it allows us to identify with so much they sang about, even if we have literally nothing in common with the men who wrote and sang them. My older sister used to tell me that The Beatles were the Greatest band of all-time and I used to argue her---USED TO being the key phrase. Since getting into radio back in the early 90's, I discovered by myself in the media that helped launch the Fab Four into the stratosphere of popularity that they deserved literally every ounce of praise they received. Even Frank Sinatra said that George Harrison's 'Something' was one of the top 5 love songs of all-time (HIGH praise from a guy who was notorious for snubbing virtually everyone who sang Rock & Roll--with only a tiny number of exceptions).
All I can say is this: In the year 2000, The Beatles outsold every act on earth. Now it is essential to fully appreciate just how incredible that feat is, you must remember they broke up exactly 30 years before. How many records will Britney Spears be selling in just TEN years from now let alone 30? Now get this: not only were they the biggest selling group or individual that year, they outsold the #2 thru #10 best selling albums COMBINED. They routinely sell a half-million records each year. The simple reason is this: while some acts come and go, every single year a new batch of kids discover the brilliance of The Beatles for themselves and they almost ALWAYS buy at least one or two of their albums. This is one statistic that is pretty much unique in the world of music, there ARE a few others, but very few. The amazing truth of the matter is that The Beatles did what nobody before or since have achieved: they produced song after song that quite literally CONNECTED with an incredible number of diverse people all over the world. Why? Who knows? It just happened and continues to this day...and this CD is a fantastic example of what made these four young men the icons they are today.
Free Music Review: Very wisely goes with chart success over personal taste
Hit: 5 Stars
With such an important body of work, The Beatles are one of the most highly regarded bands of the 20th century. Doing a best of compilation over such as a band has inherent problems. Because all their albums (especially everything from 1965's Rubber Soul on) are such important monuments of popular culture, any tracklisting proposed as "This is The Beatles' best work" will be hotly contested, and fans will be left alienated and left wondering why this one song was put in place of another and how dare they leave off this other song. Even as an introduction to people who aren't familiar with The Beatles (that would be all the people just now arriving on planet earth), any compilation of their work will divide fans, saying there are too many songs missing, and the fans would probably be right.
The Beatles 1 album very, very wisely avoids all this controversy by sticking with their number one hits. All though there is some debate even over what constitutes a number one song (back in the 1960s some of the different charts showed "Please Please Me" as a number one), this criteria gives the album a purpose and a goal. It's also a compiler's dream; rather than sifting through all The Beatles' work and trying to assemble a piece-meal, artificial best of which will ultimately be derided by fans and critics alike, there's a very clear reason why which songs were chosen to appear on this album.
Does that make 1 a good representation of The Beatles' work? Yes and no. Yes, because the album shows a clear trajectory of the band's evolution, and also how much they changed the face of popular music. The early, infectious singles are a totally separate era from their middle and later period. Music went from being primary driven by hit singles to a more album oriented form of art. The Beatles were largely responsible for this change, and also explains why Past Masters Vol 1 & 2 are so important. Several of their biggest hit songs (including "She Loves You," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "I Feel Fine," and "Hey Jude," arguably the biggest song of the `60s) never appeared on albums. 1 gives you an aural autobiography of popular music in the 1960s.
On the other hand, there are some necessarily HUGE blind spots in 1. There's absolutely no songs from SGT PEPPER (one of rock's most acclaimed records) or THE WHITE ALBUM (which is my personal favorite). In a way, it's almost appropriate because those two projects were first and foremost albums (especially SGT PEPPER), and they established albums as the dominant artform in popular music. Their absence from 1 is justified because no chart topping singles were released from either album.
That's why 1 succeeds. It gives us all The Beatles' number one hits (there's some historical quibbles on this, but not enough to disrupt the causal listener). It became a huge seller upon its release, showing that in the musical atmosphere of nu metal and nauseating bad pop that The Beatles are still highly relevant. 1 shows the evolution of a musical era long past, as well as one of the most highly mythologised times in the Twentieth Century (the 1960s). It's an excellent snapshot of rock's most important band, and succeeds because it wisely sticks to chart success, not personal taste (which would be highly contested). It's certainly not the only Beatles album you need, but it's a great place to start.