please help a Beatles novice
Posted by: Thomas K on 18 January 2004
I confess to having lived 35 years without owning a single Beatles recording. (I understand that in some circles this is a capital offence.)
Could you please advise me on which three or four albums to get as a starter kit. Maybe "Rubber Soul", "Revolver", "Sgt. Pepper" and "Magical Mystery Tour" (my girlfriend wants the latter for "Penny Lane")?
I'm particularly interested in which CD versions sound best, and less interested in compilations.
Many thanks in advance.
Thomas
Could you please advise me on which three or four albums to get as a starter kit. Maybe "Rubber Soul", "Revolver", "Sgt. Pepper" and "Magical Mystery Tour" (my girlfriend wants the latter for "Penny Lane")?
I'm particularly interested in which CD versions sound best, and less interested in compilations.
Many thanks in advance.
Thomas
Posted on: 18 January 2004 by herm
Hey Thomas,
just get Rubber Soul* and MTT - if only because after Penny Lane you get Baby You're a Rich Man, with it's astoundingly funky opening.
After that comes All You Need Is Love. I can still recall watching the world-wide televised broadcast of this song as a kid (probably half world-wide, but never mind). The funny thing is, it strikes me as a rather sad song now, with those drooping lines.
Herman
* The best Beatles album, period.
just get Rubber Soul* and MTT - if only because after Penny Lane you get Baby You're a Rich Man, with it's astoundingly funky opening.
After that comes All You Need Is Love. I can still recall watching the world-wide televised broadcast of this song as a kid (probably half world-wide, but never mind). The funny thing is, it strikes me as a rather sad song now, with those drooping lines.
Herman
* The best Beatles album, period.
Posted on: 18 January 2004 by Tarquin Maynard - Portly
Thomas
My Beatles primer consisted of the Blue and the Red double albums.
Good place to start IMO.
BTW, how is the Lulu shrine?
Regards
Mike
On the Yellow Brick Road and Happy
My Beatles primer consisted of the Blue and the Red double albums.
Good place to start IMO.
BTW, how is the Lulu shrine?
Regards
Mike
On the Yellow Brick Road and Happy
Posted on: 19 January 2004 by Chris Metcalfe
If you're only getting four, I would get:
1 (aka One) - most of the hits bar Please Please Me
Revolver - the aesthetic choice
Sgt Pepper - still casts its spell
Abbey Road - mature brilliance
1 (aka One) - most of the hits bar Please Please Me
Revolver - the aesthetic choice
Sgt Pepper - still casts its spell
Abbey Road - mature brilliance
Posted on: 19 January 2004 by --duncan--
All good choices representing The Beatles - Great Rock Band. You might also think of taking one from the earlier years. A Hard Day's Night still sounds great to me. That fantastic opening chord, in retrospect it's like they were shouting "the sixties starts now!"
duncan
Email: djcritchley at hotmail.com
duncan
Email: djcritchley at hotmail.com
Posted on: 19 January 2004 by woodface
I would go for Rubber Sole, Revolver, Sgt Pepper & Abbey Road. I really like Sgt Pepper and think is in no way over rated; When I'm 64 is a wonderfully cynical song! Ultimately you will end up buying them all as none of their albums is without merit (although 'Beatles for Sale' comes close). They were/are simply the best pop band ever!
Posted on: 19 January 2004 by greeny
Abbey Road
White Album
Revolver.
The above three I would get first, you could then add to that any from: Rubber Soul, Magical Mystery Tour, St Pepper, Let it be.
All the mentioned albums are superb (IMO) and Abbey Road is frequently Vying for title of best album ever in my head with Love's Forever Changes and the first Stone Roses album.
White Album
Revolver.
The above three I would get first, you could then add to that any from: Rubber Soul, Magical Mystery Tour, St Pepper, Let it be.
All the mentioned albums are superb (IMO) and Abbey Road is frequently Vying for title of best album ever in my head with Love's Forever Changes and the first Stone Roses album.
Posted on: 19 January 2004 by Rockingdoc
I'm a life long Beatles fan, and my vote would be the White Album, but skip Revolution No.9 until you are a fan too.
Posted on: 19 January 2004 by TomK
I know you said you're not so interested in compilations but I'd still recommend the red and blue albums as a great place to start. If you don't love the Beatles after listening to them (particularly the blue one) you never will.
Posted on: 19 January 2004 by Wolf
I agree Rubber Soul is the peak of their earlier style with some great tunes. And then I'd pick the White album since it has so much stuff in it. I have been on and off different songs for many years now and had fianlly decided it is their best effort tho they had so many other albums like Abbey Road and Sgt. Pepper psychadelia to which they summed the period up.
Do note that the Yellow Submarine CD has many of their psychadelic songs (and dropped the orchestral arrangements). Not sure but think Penny Lane is in that collection. I bought it for my niece this Christmas and listened to it, several times. They must have remastered it because everything was so clear and detailed. When they were having fun in the studio it was all brilliant and magic was made. No one else could do it as well as they did that consistently.
Life is analogue
Do note that the Yellow Submarine CD has many of their psychadelic songs (and dropped the orchestral arrangements). Not sure but think Penny Lane is in that collection. I bought it for my niece this Christmas and listened to it, several times. They must have remastered it because everything was so clear and detailed. When they were having fun in the studio it was all brilliant and magic was made. No one else could do it as well as they did that consistently.
Life is analogue
Posted on: 19 January 2004 by fred simon
Wolf, I believe that there are two Yellow Submarine CDs, the original soundtrack and a more recent "songtrack," which contains all six of the Beatles songs that appear on the soundtrack, but instead of George Martin's orchestral incidental music, it substitutes another nine Beatles songs from the back catalogue; this is no doubt what you bought.
All songs on the songtrack have been not only remastered but actually remixed, which is why it sounds so clear and detailed to you. I haven't heard it yet, but someone whose ears I trust said it was mind blowing and not to be missed.
All songs on the songtrack have been not only remastered but actually remixed, which is why it sounds so clear and detailed to you. I haven't heard it yet, but someone whose ears I trust said it was mind blowing and not to be missed.
Posted on: 20 January 2004 by Thomas K
Thanks for all of your recommendations. It'll be interesting to see how your descriptions match up with what I'll get to hear.
You seemed very preoccupied with the music bit at first, but thankfully the hifi/mastering/sound nerdery came in at the end ;-)
Trust Nick to be there first!
Mike, the Lulu shrine, alas, has had to go.
Thomas
You seemed very preoccupied with the music bit at first, but thankfully the hifi/mastering/sound nerdery came in at the end ;-)
Trust Nick to be there first!
Mike, the Lulu shrine, alas, has had to go.
Thomas
Posted on: 20 January 2004 by Chris Metcalfe
Fred,
The Yellow Sub songtrack CD is indeed mind-blowing, and doesn't include Penny Lane, which is one of the reasons I recommended '1'. However, listening to '1' again in part last night, I think it is a little messy and does miss out a few goodies (Penny Lane but not Strawberry Fields ?), so I'd stick with the main albums.
None of the Beatles albums have been remastered since the mid-1980s except:
Yellow Sub 'songtrack' (remix/remaster)
Let It Be 'Naked' (remix/remaster)
The Beatles (remastered 1998, 30th anniversary limited edition, I have a copy!!)
...and the songs on '1' (which therefore makes it a compulsory purchase).
The Yellow Sub songtrack CD is indeed mind-blowing, and doesn't include Penny Lane, which is one of the reasons I recommended '1'. However, listening to '1' again in part last night, I think it is a little messy and does miss out a few goodies (Penny Lane but not Strawberry Fields ?), so I'd stick with the main albums.
None of the Beatles albums have been remastered since the mid-1980s except:
Yellow Sub 'songtrack' (remix/remaster)
Let It Be 'Naked' (remix/remaster)
The Beatles (remastered 1998, 30th anniversary limited edition, I have a copy!!)
...and the songs on '1' (which therefore makes it a compulsory purchase).
Posted on: 20 January 2004 by fred simon
Actually, 1 would make a pretty good Beatles sampler. You could do much worse.
Yeah, Strawberry Fields would have been great (one of my very favorites) but, alas, it didn't reach #1 in the charts.
Yeah, Strawberry Fields would have been great (one of my very favorites) but, alas, it didn't reach #1 in the charts.
Posted on: 20 January 2004 by JohanR
And, Thomas, when you have turned into a Beatles fan, don't miss this if you goes to London:
Beatles walk
I did it this summer. The highlight, after the Zebra crossing walk, for me, was an American "girl" in the audience who happily confessed that she had "just screamed and screamed" when she saw Beatles for the first time on American TV (until here mother told here to "Shut up, or I switch the TV off!"). Those where extraordinary times!
My favorite albums are Rubber Soul, Revolver and Abbey Road. Sgt Pepper can maybe take honours as the first overproduced record made.
JohanR
Beatles walk
I did it this summer. The highlight, after the Zebra crossing walk, for me, was an American "girl" in the audience who happily confessed that she had "just screamed and screamed" when she saw Beatles for the first time on American TV (until here mother told here to "Shut up, or I switch the TV off!"). Those where extraordinary times!
My favorite albums are Rubber Soul, Revolver and Abbey Road. Sgt Pepper can maybe take honours as the first overproduced record made.
JohanR
Posted on: 20 January 2004 by Chris Metcalfe
Fred
"Yeah, Strawberry Fields would have been great (one of my very favorites) but, alas, it didn't reach #1 in the charts."
Well, this highlights the illogic of the selections for this CD. Day Tripper and We can Work It Out were a double-A side and are both included, but Strawberry is omitted even though it was also a double-A side (with Penny Lane).
Of course the biggest omission was Please PLease Me, long regarded as their first British no. 1, but inexplicably not by the strange chart used by the compilers.
"Yeah, Strawberry Fields would have been great (one of my very favorites) but, alas, it didn't reach #1 in the charts."
Well, this highlights the illogic of the selections for this CD. Day Tripper and We can Work It Out were a double-A side and are both included, but Strawberry is omitted even though it was also a double-A side (with Penny Lane).
Of course the biggest omission was Please PLease Me, long regarded as their first British no. 1, but inexplicably not by the strange chart used by the compilers.
Posted on: 20 January 2004 by Ross1
For your info, initially Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields were supposed to be on Sgt Pepper' album ...It would have been great..
To appreciate the Beatles you have to go by period:
1st period - The beginning: Beatles 2nd album
2nd period - Experimentation: Rubber Soul and Revolver
3rd period - Psychedelic: Sgt Pepper
4h period - Maturity: White album, Abbey Road, 5th period - The end: Let it be
Best of all: White album
Long time fan..
To appreciate the Beatles you have to go by period:
1st period - The beginning: Beatles 2nd album
2nd period - Experimentation: Rubber Soul and Revolver
3rd period - Psychedelic: Sgt Pepper
4h period - Maturity: White album, Abbey Road, 5th period - The end: Let it be
Best of all: White album
Long time fan..
Posted on: 20 January 2004 by fred simon
I guess ultimately it's their album and they can put whatever they want on it. 
Every song on it was a #1 hit in either the UK or the USA or both. Strawberry Fields Forever never reached #1 anywhere.
The case of Please Please Me is controversial because it never reached #1 on the official chart used at that time, Record Retailer (later called Music Week), despite the fact that it did so on almost every other UK chart.
It also occurs to me that I'm not sure that 1 was ever purported to be an exhaustive compilation; the sticker on the cover truthfully boasts "27 No.1 singles on 1 CD," and clocking in around 79:10, they're pretty much up against the limit.
Oh, well, complete or not, it's still a great collection of songs.
Every song on it was a #1 hit in either the UK or the USA or both. Strawberry Fields Forever never reached #1 anywhere.
The case of Please Please Me is controversial because it never reached #1 on the official chart used at that time, Record Retailer (later called Music Week), despite the fact that it did so on almost every other UK chart.
It also occurs to me that I'm not sure that 1 was ever purported to be an exhaustive compilation; the sticker on the cover truthfully boasts "27 No.1 singles on 1 CD," and clocking in around 79:10, they're pretty much up against the limit.
Oh, well, complete or not, it's still a great collection of songs.
Posted on: 20 January 2004 by fred simon
quote:
Originally posted by Ross1:
For your info, initially Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields were supposed to be on Sgt Pepper' album ...It would have been great..
For whatever it's worth, at least one source I've seen says that these songs were originally intended for a proposed album about The Beatles' childhood, which was never made. Instead, they made Sgt. Pepper's ...
Let's call Paul and ask him.
Posted on: 20 January 2004 by Rasher
Just get them all and forget the compilations.
You have to have them whether you eventually like them or not. Its the law.
I am with you, that compilations bypass the historical aspect and evolution of the band. It's not Jive Bunny!
You have to have them whether you eventually like them or not. Its the law.
I am with you, that compilations bypass the historical aspect and evolution of the band. It's not Jive Bunny!
Posted on: 20 January 2004 by --duncan--
quote:
Originally posted by Ross1:
For your info, initially Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields were supposed to be on Sgt Pepper' album ...It would have been great..
Pulling Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields from St Pepper was down to EMI wanting a single out whilst they were waiting for the new album. At that time it wasn't the done thing to take singles off LPs! George Martin later described it as 'The worst decision of my professional life' ( in Summer of Love). The loss of those two songs put to bed the original concept of St Pepper as an album about the Beatles' Liverpool childhood.
Another way of getting the material that didn't come out on the 13 official LP is via the two 'Past masters' compliations. This has all the EPs, singles, german versions and the like.
Holding a (warm) gun to my head, and allowed to choose only one, I'd have to go for Rubber Soul.
duncan
Email: djcritchley at hotmail.com
[This message was edited by djc on TUESDAY 20 January 2004 at 23:06.]
Posted on: 20 January 2004 by fred simon
quote:
Originally posted by djc:
George Martin later described it as 'The worst decision of my professional life' ( in _Summer of Love_). The loss of those two songs put to bed the original concept of St Pepper as an album about the Beatles' Liverpool childhood.
Interesting. I wonder where they would have gone in the Sgt. Pepper's sequence ... did Martin offer conjecture on that?
It would be fun to burn a compilation adding Strawberry and Penny to Sgt. Pepper's. Wow, what an album that would make!
Posted on: 21 January 2004 by Ross1
Interesting Fred,
My line-up would have been:
A- B-
Sgt Pepper Strawberry Field
With a little help Within me ..
Lucy in the sky When I'm sixty ..
Getting better Lovely Rita
Fixing a hole Good mornin'
She's leaving home Sgt Pepper
Penny Lane Day in the life
For the benefit of Mr Kite
On A side:
Sgt Pepper anf Little help goes together
Lucy in the sky is a good intro after the two firsts
On B side:
Good mornin', Sgt Pepper and Day in the life goes together
You can't place any song after Strawberry (surely not When I'm sixty four)
What is your advice ?
I think I will try it on a CD/R
My line-up would have been:
A- B-
Sgt Pepper Strawberry Field
With a little help Within me ..
Lucy in the sky When I'm sixty ..
Getting better Lovely Rita
Fixing a hole Good mornin'
She's leaving home Sgt Pepper
Penny Lane Day in the life
For the benefit of Mr Kite
On A side:
Sgt Pepper anf Little help goes together
Lucy in the sky is a good intro after the two firsts
On B side:
Good mornin', Sgt Pepper and Day in the life goes together
You can't place any song after Strawberry (surely not When I'm sixty four)
What is your advice ?
I think I will try it on a CD/R
Posted on: 21 January 2004 by Ross1
Sorry for the text ...
Side A
Sgt Pepper
With a litle help
Lucy
Getting better
Fixing a hole
She's leaving home
Penny Lane
For the benefit of Mr Kite
SideB:
Strawberry
Within ..
When I'm sixty four
Lovely Rita
Good Mornin'
Sgt Pepper
Day in the life
Side A
Sgt Pepper
With a litle help
Lucy
Getting better
Fixing a hole
She's leaving home
Penny Lane
For the benefit of Mr Kite
SideB:
Strawberry
Within ..
When I'm sixty four
Lovely Rita
Good Mornin'
Sgt Pepper
Day in the life
Posted on: 21 January 2004 by fred simon
It's a fun puzzle ...
My instinct is to preserve the original sequence and find the least obtrusive way to include SF and PL. So perhaps the best place for them would be between the two former sides, after Mr. Kite and before WYWY, probably SF first and then PL.
My instinct is to preserve the original sequence and find the least obtrusive way to include SF and PL. So perhaps the best place for them would be between the two former sides, after Mr. Kite and before WYWY, probably SF first and then PL.
Posted on: 21 January 2004 by --duncan--
quote:
Originally posted by fred simon:
It's a fun puzzle ...
Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane were recorded between Nov '66 and Jan '67, the first and third songs originally for the 'Album after Revolver' and came out in Feb '67. The other sessions for Pepper started after PL was finished in Jan '67 running through to April '67 so the tracks were extracted fairly early in the conception (Lewisohn - The complete Beatles recording sessions). I think I remember one of the Beatles saying that after PL/SF was released it felt that they were starting all over again. I don't think they ever got close to sequencing them but it's still fun pondering a great musical 'what-if'...
duncan...who takes an unhealthy interest in Beatles minutiae