With The Beatles

Happy New Year, and welcome back for another album review from the LP boxed set "The Beatles In Mono". Today I will be discussing The Beatles follow-up record "With the Beatles"

 

 

Recorded in 1963, a mere 4 months after their debut album, "With the Beatles" continued the successful formula established on their debut LP "Please Please Me", by providing a balanced mix of original songs and American R&B covers. While providing a similar sound as its predecessor, this album begins to sow the seeds of experimentation that would define the latter part of The Beatles career. It is also interesting to note that the album did not include their hit single "I Want to Hold Your Hand", breaking stride from the practice of using established singles to sell LP's.

 

 

Before we get to the music, as always, let's take a look at the album artwork and packaging, faithfully recreated for this collection. The now iconic album cover is a bit of an artistic departure from other pop albums of the day. According to the companion book that is included with this release, record executives were not too pleased with the photo taken by Robert Freeman, but acquiesced to the bands wishes. This is the same photo that was later used for the bands debut American release on Capital Records "Meet the Beatles" as shown in the comparison below.

 

 

Cover comparison

 

 

These albums may have shared a cover photo, but many of the tracks contained on the albums were different. This practice would continue for many of the bands early American releases.  The construction of the records outer sleeve is identical to the set's reissue of "Please Please Me", but this time we get a slightly different Parlaphone label on the LP.

 

 

 

 

Now that we have taken a look at one of the greatest album covers of all time, let's see if the music lives up to the cover.

 

The album charges out of the gate with "It Won't Be Long". I was not familiar with this song until recently, but it is becoming one of may favorites. There is no intro or slow build. The song begins full throttle, a trend that will continue to manifest itself on many of the songs on this record. The vocals are really in your face, and are truly the focus of the track. McCartney's bass seems to have been pushed farther back in the mix and is less noticeable than it was on this albums predecessor. This is a great track to open an album with as it cannot be ignored.

 

Next is "All I've Got to Do" which has a similar sound to the opening track, with guitars and vocals at the forefront of the mix despite a polar opposite arrangement and feel.

 

The third track on the album is one of the bands early hits "All My Loving" This is another track that comes charging in. Paul is handling the lead vocals, and the rhythm guitar has a bit of a flamenco feel. It seems more noticeable and punchier than the many times I have heard the song in stereo. It gives way to a guitar solo by George that goes a different direction, with a bit of a country feel that comes across very strong in the mono mix. This song is clearly one of the stand out tracks on the record.

 

Next is "Don't Bother Me", the first song written by George Harrison to be featured on a Beatles LP. Harrison takes vocal lead here, with his voice being double tracked for a bit of an effect. There appears to be an effect on his guitar as well, which gives the track a bit of a 60's surf vibe. The song also features some unique percussion. (bongos according to the album jacket) It's clear the aforementioned seeds of experimentation are on display here, but the result sounds muddier than most of the previous songs on these mono reissues.

 

 

Next up is "Little Child", which is a piano and harmonica infused rocker. It is followed by "Till There Was You", which may be the best sounding track on the record. Paul's vocals on this peaceful cover from "The Music Man", sound like a live performance in the comfort of your home. The bass is back in the limelight on this track most likely because the other instruments featured on the song are acoustic. Harrison's guitar solo sounds amazingly clean, and Ringo is banging the bongos once more. In my opinion, audibly, this is the stand out track on the album, I've never heard it sound so good.

 

The album side finishes with "Please Mister Post Man". This may be the worst sounding song  (sonically) on the record. It is a bit pitchy and grainy. Lennon's voice however, seems to be tailor made for these early rock n roll covers. His vocal is the highlight of the track, and he really shines on this kind of material that stretches his range.

 

Track one of side two is a real treat for me, a cover of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven" I am a huge fan of Chuck and he was a big influence on The Beatles music. They covered a few of his songs on their albums, and would often perform them live. I normally don't appreciate most Berry covers because I am such a fan of the man who sang them first, but The Beatles do a great job of capturing the essence of Chuck's song while putting their own stamp on it. Compared to the Berry covers that The Rolling Stones were doing around this time, The Beatles versions just seem to have more life to them.

 

Me and Chuck

 

 

As far as the mono mix is concerned, this track sounds phenomenal, one of the better sounding songs on the album. The guitars, sound awesome, especially the rhythm, which has an almost percussive quality about it. The boys are really hanging with Chuck here, which is a tall order since the man is a guitar legend.

 

"Hold Me Tight" kicks in next. The track features a great bass line and is the vocal showcase of the album. It is followed by another crooner, the Smokey Robinson classic "You Really Got A Hold On Me". The band showcases a lot of soul on this one. They really seem to be in the pocket, locked in a nice slow groove. The piano and harmony vocals really shine through the mix on this particular song.

 

Next up is "I Wanna Be Your Man", a rousing rocker featuring Ringo on vocals, much like "Boys" on the previous record. The guitar solo sounds a bit different in mono to me, I may need go back and do a comparison to see what is catching my attention. It's a very quick song though, the fade out comes much sooner than you'd like, and then it's on to our next track "Devil in Her Heart". I was not familiar with this song until I spun this reissued LP for the fist time. It is a super catchy tune that really gets your head bobbing. The song features back and forth vocal exchanges that had me singing along by the time I got to the second chorus. 

 

After "Not A Second Time", which is not one of the albums stand out tracks, the LP closes with "Money" Much like the closing track on "Please Please Me", this rousing number ends the album on a high note, with another memorable vocal performance by John Lennon. His voice cuts like a knife on the track, and it's one of the heavier sounding songs on the album, For a beefier number, it sounds impressively clean in this mono mix, A great way to cap of the listening experience.

 

Final thoughts

 

Much like "Please Please Me", "With The Beatles" takes the listener on a trip through the bands many talents. Rock, pop, soul, ballads, you'll find a bit of everything on this record. It is truly a worthy follow-up to it's predecessor, and structured in a similar fashion. I am not sure if it's a better album than their debut, but it's at least as good. What stands out the most is the confidence the band had gained in the short amount of time since their first album had been recorded. This shows in the album cover, the song selection, and the songwriting. It is also an ambitiously recorded album, that shows a young band willing to expand on their sound and try new things. This trait would serve them well later in their career.

 

 

 

 

 

Things that stood out about "With the Beatles"

 

• It is a different sounding record than it's predecessor. Guitars and vocals have been brought forth in the mix with less emphasis on the bottom end. New instrumentation, especially in terms of percussion are utilized.  

• The songs, while sounding familiar, are structured a bit different than "Please Please Me". There are lots of stops and starts. Songs crash in from out of nowhere, and arrangements are more ambitious.

• The band sounds great, but they are still finding their voice and filling out the album with material that is not their own. This would soon change.

 

Join me next time as I review The Beatles third LP "A Hard Day's Night" Happy New Year!



 



 

 

 

 





 



Please Please Me



The first album I’ll be reviewing is the Beatles debut LP “Please Please Me”. At this early point in their career, The Beatles had a released a few 7 inch singles and EP’s that had risen up the charts as the bands popularity grew. Parlaphone, in an effort to capitalize on that popularity, would rush-release the mono version of this LP, with the stereo release to come later. It is important to remember that mono was still king in the early 60’s. Most fans of pop music were young, less affluent, and often couldn’t afford the cost of an LP let alone a high-end stereo system.

Before we dive into the record, review the packaging. The LP cover is pretty simple, with the now famous Angus McBean photo of the band looking down the stairwell at EMI’s London headquarters. The original packaging is recreated as close as possible here, with a glossy jacket folded over a matte finished back cover. The review of the album printed on the back, would have served as a nice introduction to the band at the time. Another interesting thing about the album cover is the tag line “With Love Me Do and 12 other songs” emblazoned across the bottom. LP’s sales were strongly driven by hit singles at the time, and the record company was clearly hoping to hype this particular release by letting the record buying public know that The Beatles hit singles were included on the album.



Now let’s get to the music! It is kind of exciting to sit back and imagine someone playing this LP for the fist time in 1963.It is equally exciting to know that the mix I am hearing is quite possibly the closest reproduction of that listening experience available today. It is hard to imagine someone listening to this record and not knowing who this band was or what their music sounded like. We are talking about some of the most well known songs ever recorded. But I will do my best to put myself in that frame of mind as I not just listen, but truly hear this album in it’s entirety for the fist time.

First needle drop… absolute silence.

I own several reissues and 180 gram pressings that promise an “audiophile experience” but I have never played a record on my turntable that is as absolutely silent between songs or quiet passages as the records in this box set are. I already feel like I am getting my money’s worth.

The familiar chords of “I Saw Her Standing There” burst forth from my speakers. What a great opening track! The fist thing that jumps out is McCartney’s bass. This song contains one of my favorite bass lines in The Beatles catalog, and it is front and center here. I didn’t think the bass would be so noticeable in the mono mix, but it is booming! However its presence is not overshadowing the other instruments in the mix, because there is very clear separation. Guitars sound punchy, and nothing sounds muddled or compressed. Are those handclaps I hear in the background? I’m pretty sure I have never noticed those before. I am hoping to discover several little surprises like that one as I make my way through this set.

I make my way through “Misery” (who’s piano sounds like it’s in the room with me) and come to “Anna (Go to Him)” Lennon’s vocal sounds amazing on this cover. Very soulful and unpolished, in a good way! The bass is really standing out to me again. It will continue to do so as the album progresses.

Next is “Chains” featuring a lead vocal by George Harrision, which is followed by one of my favorite Beatle covers “Boys” This track features our first vocal by Ringo and it’s a joyful rocker, adapted from its’ original incarnation which was sang from a female perspective by the Shirelles. The “bop-shoo-bop” background vocal sound amazing, and as the track draws to a close, I swear I am hearing some screams in the background I have never caught before. I love this song!

Next up is “Ask Me Why” which really showcases what the boys were capable of vocally. It is followed by the title track, “Please Please Me”, which rounds out side one of the record. I have heard this song hundreds of times and it sounds noticeably different in mono. The guitars are really in your face, and the background vocals seem much larger and more noticeable than usual. Overall the track sounds a bit less polished and a tad grittier than its stereo counterpart… I like it!

Excerpt from the set's companion hardcover book



Side two opens up with the bands other hit at the time “Love Me Do”. The percussion is more noticeable in this mix, and the backbeat seems less buried than the many listens I have given this track in stereo.

“P.S. I love You” and “Baby it’s You” both sound clean with excellent separation in the mono mix. They are followed by “Do You Want to Know a Secret”. This is one of the standout tracks on the album in my opinion. The song sounds so clean and much more guitar driven in mono. It’s an incredibly catchy tune as well, which shows that Lennon and McCartney were already masterful pop craftsmen even this early in the game.

The final three tracks are “A Taste of honey” “There’s a Place” and “Twist and Shout”, which is a fitting closer for the album. I have read that this song had to be recorded last because Lennon’s voice couldn’t hold up to multiple takes. He had to really give it his all to get it on tape, and he is really belting it out indeed. His voice is raw, and is truly the lead focus in the mix. The signature Ahh… Ahh… AHHH! Sounds brilliant in this presentation.

Final thoughts:

What a great debut album! This LP is truly a wonderful showcase for the bands talents. Not only is it a great introduction, but it is also an indicator of what’s to come.  With a diverse track listing, and spots for every band member to shine, I am not sure you could ask for much more from a debut LP. As far as the mono mix is concerned, It sounds clean and clear, but not polished or without soul.

Things that stuck out to me about the album “Please Please Me”

·         There is a LOT of harmonica on this album

·         I have always been more of a McCartney guy than a Lennon guy, but John’s voice really shines on this album

·         Bass! The low end is really thumping on this record, it seems much more noticeable than the stereo I am used to hearing.

Join me next time as I review The Beatles follow-up LP, “With The Beatles”

Merry Christmas!

I hope you all had a merry Christmas. I know I did! Santa (aka my wonderful wife Heather) brought me the one and only present I asked for this year, The Beatles In Mono!

If you are not familiar with this recently released boxed set, then allow this description from Amazon to catch you up to speed:

"This is how most listeners first heard the group in the 1960s, when mono was the predominant audio format. Up until 1968, each Beatles album was given a unique mono and stereo mix, but the group always regarded the mono as primary. THE BEATLES IN MONO VINYL BOX SET is released in mono on fourteen 180-gram vinyl LPs with faithfully replicated artwork, newly mastered from the analogue master tapes."

Manufactured for the world at Optimal Media in Germany, The Beatles' albums are presented in their original glory, both sonically and in their packaging. The boxed collection's exclusive 12-inch by 12-inch hardbound book features new essays and a detailed history of the mastering process by award-winning radio producer and author Kevin Howlett. The book is illustrated with many rare studio photos of The Beatles, fascinating archive documents, and articles and advertisements sourced from 1960s publications.

Now that we are all on the same page, let me explain to you why I am so excited about owning this collection. I love music, I love The Beatles, and I love listening to music on vinyl. Unless I am in my car or at my desk at work, I almost always listen to music on vinyl. I love the warmth and added dimension of sound that records bring. I've been listening to The Beatles for many years, but I haven't heard many of their albums as they were originally released in England. the majority of my Beatles experience comes from greatest hits compilations or American LP's. These albums often contain fewer songs, different track listings, and have normally been in stereo. Up until about a year ago, I would have scoffed at listening to music in mono, but I have seen the light. Mono recordings have a more solid feel to them, like the artist is right in the room with you. Frankly, in my opinion, it just rocks harder. The music of the early 60's was meant to be listened to in mono, and now I've got my chance!

So why am I writing this blog? I thought this would be a great opportunity to share my journey through the music of one of the most popular and influential groups in the history of music. As I work my way through these albums, I want to share my experience with you. How do they sound? What tracks stand out? What is the packaging like? How did the music make me feel? And finally, when my journey is complete, which one of these albums is my favorite? Until now, I have always considered Rubber Soul to be my favorite record of the Fab Four, but will it remain so?

It must be stated that I am not a music critic, nor a recording expert. I am just a normal guy who loves the Beatles and loves records. I think I have a pretty nice audio set up in my man cave, but it's not like I spent thousands of dollars on the equipment. I just want to provide the perspective of an average music fan, listening to these records as they were meant to be heard for the first time. Audio snobs need not apply.

I hope you will look past my lack of writing and music experience and enjoy the journey with me. You've got a ticket to ride my friends...