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Author Topic: With The Beatles  (Read 842 times)

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BlueMeanie

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With The Beatles
« on: November 22, 2007, 02:24:48 PM »
So, it's 44 years ago today that With The Beatles was released. What does everyone think of this album?

I must admit that until recently I had thought of WTB as a blip on the landscape along the road to the great A Hard Day's Night. But recent listens - prompted by the Song Survivor Game - have greatly changed my mind. I am guilty of overlooking this album, sandwiched as it was, between their debut, and AHDN. But I'm forced to admit that it really is an unheralded little gem, including one of Paul's first 'great' songs - All My Loving, as well as the best crop of cover versions to be found on any Beatles album, and a great Lennon vocal to close - Money. Sessions for this album also produced their American breakthrough single - 'I Want to Hold Your Hand', and the rest is history.

If you've previously dismissed this album as just a stopover on the way to greatness, I strongly urge you to give it another listen, you won't be disappointed.
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Beatles

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Re: With The Beatles
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2007, 02:38:32 PM »
Yeah, I've always considered this my second least favorite album of their's right in front of Beatles For Sale.  I'll give it another listen :)
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Kevin

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Re: With The Beatles
« Reply #2 on: November 22, 2007, 02:53:10 PM »
I've said it before and I'll say it again - I see A Hard Days Night as an aberation. With it's all-originals and inclusion of hit singles it distorts the album lineage, especially in that it makes the albums either side - With The Beatles and Beatles For Sale - seem tame (even poor) by comparison. If you remove AHDN  the run from Please Please Me through to Rubber Soul seems much more seamless.
I think the leap in confidence, ability and songwriting btween PPM and WTB is almost as great as the leap from RS to Revolver. They go from a tentative  awkwardness to bolshy swagger. And it must be one of the few rock albums from those murky black and white  days that still sounds so immediate and fresh
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BlueMeanie

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Re: With The Beatles
« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2007, 03:08:55 PM »
That's always been my opinion of AHDN. Even though it's actually my favourite Beatles album, it seems out of place. WTB has definitely suffered from it. A comparison I often make is with Led Zeppelin. Led Zep 4 is an anomaly, sandwiched between LZ 3, and it's natural follow up - Houses Of The Holy.
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Kevin

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Re: With The Beatles
« Reply #4 on: November 22, 2007, 03:17:49 PM »
If WTB had been allowed to follow the format of Please Please Me and A Hard Days Night, the inclusion of She Loves You (no more alien to it than Can't Be Me Love is to AHDN??? ) and I Want To Hold Your Hand would have made it majestic. It, like Beatles For Sale, definately suffers from a lack of one ot two outstanding big tunes.
Conversley, take AHDN and Can't Be Me Love out of AHDN (?), throw in a few covers and its stock starts dropping.
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don't follow leaders

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Re: With The Beatles
« Reply #5 on: November 22, 2007, 10:51:06 PM »
Quote from: 483
So, it's 44 years ago today that With The Beatles was released. What does everyone think of this album?

I must admit that until recently I had thought of WTB as a blip on the landscape along the road to the great A Hard Day's Night. But recent listens - prompted by the Song Survivor Game - have greatly changed my mind. I am guilty of overlooking this album, sandwiched as it was, between their debut, and AHDN. But I'm forced to admit that it really is an unheralded little gem, including one of Paul's first 'great' songs - All My Loving, as well as the best crop of cover versions to be found on any Beatles album, and a great Lennon vocal to close - Money. Sessions for this album also produced their American breakthrough single - 'I Want to Hold Your Hand', and the rest is history.

If you've previously dismissed this album as just a stopover on the way to greatness, I strongly urge you to give it another listen, you won't be disappointed.

I've never dismissed WTB--always felt it to be a classic album. Ironically it's the soundtrack Lp for AHDN that I've always dismissed (on UA) The film itself is probably their greatest, but apart from "And I Love Her" & "You Cant Do That", I've never been a big fan of the album--and not of soundtrack albums generally speaking (including the American (Capitol) version of Help!)
WTB, on the other hand is worthy to sit side by side w/ Please Please Me as their great opening works. Along w/ the songs you mentioned, I'd add "Little Child", "Till There Was You" (Paul's beautifully sung version of the Meredeth Wilson song from "The Music Man"), and..probably my favorite song on WTB, "Hold Me Tight" (for late 1963, that song rocks)

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Re: With The Beatles
« Reply #6 on: November 22, 2007, 11:00:09 PM »
Quote from: 483
That's always been my opinion of AHDN. Even though it's actually my favourite Beatles album, it seems out of place. WTB has definitely suffered from it. A comparison I often make is with Led Zeppelin. Led Zep 4 is an anomaly, sandwiched between LZ 3, and it's natural follow up - Houses Of The Holy.

I wouldnt say it's their best Lp, but I'd never go so far as call Zep 4 an anomaly. True, the vastly overated (and excessively touted) "Stairway To Heaven" resides there w/ undue cockiness, but lest we forget "Black Dog" "Rock & Roll" and "Battle of Evermore" do too--all landmark cuts by Page, Plant and  Co.

(the masterwork Zep #1, HOTH, and the great "Physical Graffiti" still reign supreme w/ me)
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BlueMeanie

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Re: With The Beatles
« Reply #7 on: November 22, 2007, 11:20:51 PM »
Quote from: 829

I wouldnt say it's their best Lp, but I'd never go so far as call Zep 4 an anomaly. True, the vastly overated (and excessively touted) "Stairway To Heaven" resides there w/ undue cockiness, but lest we forget "Black Dog" "Rock & Roll" and "Battle of Evermore" do too--all landmark cuts by Page, Plant and  Co.

(the masterwork Zep #1, HOTH, and the great "Physical Graffiti" still reign supreme w/ me)

It's a great album. But I've always though it out of place between LZ 3 and HOTH. The same way that AHDN is. It's one of those unexplainable oddities.
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CleanOldMan

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Re: With The Beatles
« Reply #8 on: November 23, 2007, 09:00:38 PM »
A Hard Day's Night would sound pretty damn good between Beatles For Sale and Help!.
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Andy Smith

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Re: With The Beatles
« Reply #9 on: November 23, 2007, 10:00:17 PM »
It's an excellant Beatles album, & i think their first best album by a mile!!
It's over 30 mins of such exciting wonderful energy that leaves you
wanting more. & as it said on the back cover of the album by Tony Barrow,
i hope it dosen't leave you breathless than to flick onto side 1 again.
that's exactly what i did when i discovered my mum's vinyl! & of course
the cover's wonderful & iconic too!
 
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