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Brammy,

When you mention the "filler muzak tracks" on Help!, are you referencing the American release with the instrumentals on it, rather than the British release?

Robert

At one time the logic behind sticking to the British versions would've made total sense to me. Not anymore. Meet The Beatles and The Beatles 2nd Album are killer and as for the soundtrack albums, both A Hard Days Night and Help!, I dig 'em. Not a tad bit of filler on either of them. Yellow Submarine's problems would have been largely mitigated if George Martin's music had been blended with the Beatles' tunes. That's what a soundtrack is all about. Let It Be mostly turned out better as Let It Be Naked, except Spector's version of the Long and Winding Road kicks butt on the remix.

So, Folkie...

The inclusion of the Long Tall Sally ep points to the difficulty of sticking to the British running order criterion. Do we then get to include singles? Past Masters I and II fulfill their function of providing a vehicle for the singles to make it to cd but don't necessarily make for the best listening experience. So then we're into vinyl. Lord knows I don't even have a turntable hooked up to the stereo anymore.

The Capitol Records guys were in the enviable position of picking the most dynamic track list for an album. They didn't have the restriction of not including singles on albums, and could hold back tunes to use on later product, etc. Plus they had the luxury of enhancing the sound by turning up the bass and adding some reverb.

But with all of these points and many others aside:

I can't do it! I love all of the Beatles' music. My mood at the moment dictates my favorite. Earlier stuff usually gets my first preference because I love to rock, and then again Beatles For Sale so eloquently points to the group's growing ability to draw a listener in. By that time you're hooked and the next thing you know, Paul is singing odes to marijuana!

Who would have thought that so many years after these recordings of joy, love and peace were made the world would still be suffering from violent warring egotism? Why can't we love and let love and find solutions to our problems in more peaceful ways?

Peace my friends.

The Bitter End/You Can't Do That

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waWN25g ... D&index=11

I stipulated that we stick to the original British releases because I believe those are the "authentic" albums, meaning the ones put together as the band intended them to be. Interestingly, I grew up listening to the American releases--"Meet the Beatles," "The Beatles Second Album," and so on--until I started to shop at a record store that carried imports. I've always thought the Parlophone version of "A Hard Day's Night" was MUCH stronger than the United Artists American version. The same goes for "Help!" "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver," IMHO. I never intended to allow singles onto the list, which is why I chose my title. I do realize how tough it is to rank albums of such different styles, from such disparate periods in the band's development, in a hard and fast manner. I love ALL the albums. But I hoped the thread would generate a little fun.

The White Album #1......

Would be even better if they'd reduced it AND added Hey Jude/Revolution (recorded at the same time as The White Album), and Lady Madonna (recorded 3 months earlier)

Undoubtedly making it the greatest record in history....in my opinion!

SIDE 1

Hey Jude
Glass Onion
Lady Madonna
Cry Baby Cry
Blackbird
Sexy Sadie
Back in the U.S.S.R

SIDE 2

Revolution
Ob La Di, Ob La Da
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
I'm So Tired
Mother Nature's Son
Dear Prudence
Helter Skelter
Happiness is a Warm Gun

Fun indeed, Folkie, but what a task!

And really, aside from loving those first two Capitol releases, I'm totally with you. I grew up with the Capitols but had a similar experience in high school and regrouped with the imports. I love that picture on the back of Oldies but Goldies (Paul looks really stoned!). I rediscovered the Capitol albums when I found a cassette of the 2nd Album. It really slams and may be their most straight ahead Rock album, all due respects to Please Please Me, which most likely is my favorite using your standard.

Those movie soundtracks are pretty special. Before video tape and DVDs, soundtrack albums were there to evoke memories of the movies and/or shows. George Martin did A Hard Days Night, which sounds so sixties swingin', I think it was Ken Thorne who did Help! Without intending to, that soundtrack really points to the shift in the Beatles' music and reflects some major changes in pop. I'm super happy that those albums were reissued.

If one really hates those instrumental tracks, then by all means they should avoid "Off the Beatle Track" by the George Martin Orchestra!

Thanks again for the thread.

Here's the back cover.

Folkie wrote:Brammy,

When you mention the "filler muzak tracks" on Help!, are you referencing the American release with the instrumentals on it, rather than the British release?

Robert

Yes. Naturally, the British release didn't have those:

The fact is, I can't stand the American version of Help! But I think the British release contains some of their strongest work.

The British version of Help! is great and A Hard Days Night too, with Lennon really shining. It helped open my ears to country plus its got that cool bass solo in I'll Cry Instead. Any opinions on Beatles For Sale?

Kiddwad57 wrote:The British version of Help! is great and A Hard Days Night too, with Lennon really shining. It helped open my ears to country plus its got that cool bass solo in I'll Cry Instead. Any opinions on Beatles For Sale?

Critics have suggested there's a heavy Dylan influence on Beatles For Sale, but I just can't hear it. I do think there's a big Dylan influence on the lyrics to "Norwegian Wood" from Rubber Soul, though.

As much as I like listening to it, I think that Beatles For Sale is one of their weaker albums. I've always thought of it as sort of a "cleanup album".... they were very busy (touring, movies etc) and were under contract to release another album. They had a few good original songs (No reply, I'm a Loser, Eight Days a Week, I'll Follow The Sun). To fill in the album they threw in some weaker material (Mr Moonlight, Every Little Thing, I Don't Want To Spoil the Party, What You're Doing) and still didn't have enough so just covered some old non original standards.

As great as some of the material is, I put Beatles for Sale (released Dec '64) in the same category as Beatles VI (released June '65) as both come in a relatively ** weak period for the group...... looking a bit deeper, I think they were completing their "early phase" by just releasing everything they had and then some. Rubber Soul (one of their GREATEST) came out in Dec '65, and I think this represents the beginning of their "middle phase", which also included Revolver, Pepper and MMT.

** of course any other pop group on the planet would have given anything to even come close to a "relatively weak" Beatles period.

I gotta get back into comparing the Parlophone and Capitol albums. I could even see creating playlists in the American orders. Does anybody know who oversaw the programming of the American albums? Was it one guy or did they change it up? The song that most makes me think of Dylan is You've Got to Hide Your Love Away.

Beatles For Sale is definitely transitional, even George Martin considered it weak. Words of Love is one of my favorites on the album, but I like the feel of the album overall. It'd be high on my list. Mr. Moonlight somehow reminds me of Don't Let Me Down. The rock and roll covers are rockin'.

As for ordering the albums, all I can say for sure is that Please Please Me is first. Everything else follows one way or the other.

Kiddwad57 wrote: it was Ken Thorne who did Help!

Trying not to derail this anymore than I already have but just discovered this:

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/ken-thorne-dies/

So he did have an indirect association with Beatles related projects over the years.