Beatles Vinyl Box Set
This is the time of year when record labels put out box sets that celebrate the work of their biggest acts and here we recommend a huge vinyl box set from the biggest act of them all, the Beatles!
The Beatles - 1964 US Albums in Mono - (Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe) (Eight LPs on 180 gram vinyl, mono)
Here's a real treasure trove of early material from the Beatles, presented in the way that they were originally released, on vinyl in mono. That doesn't mean the sound quality here is less than stellar; in fact each album, pressed on audiophile vinyl, was sourced directly from the original mono master tapes. Issued in conjunction with 2024 being the 60th anniversary of the onset of Beatlemania, all of the albums in the set have been out of print on vinyl for nearly 20-years. All albums were originally released on Capitol Records except where noted. Here's what's in the box:
Meet the Beatles!
Appropriately-titled for a first album,
Meet the Beatles! introduced the mop tops in a big way as it held hits "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "I Saw Her Standing There," "All My Loving" and the very brief rave-up "I Wanna Be Your Man." Ten of the 12 tracks here are Lennon/McCartney originals but George Harrison is represented too with the Lennon/McCartney-esque "Don't Bother Me." As with all of the albums in the set, there's a nice insert included with credits and an essay about the making of the album, the beginning of Beatlemania and info on why Capitol Records changed the album title from
With the Beatles as it was called in England. The insert also reproduces the cover of the original master tape box, amusingly referring to the band as "The Beatles of England."
The Beatles Second Album
With Beatlemania in full swing
The Beatles Second Album was rush-released less than 90-days after Meet the Beatles! and the short turnaround time is probably the reason why only half of the 10-song set consists of Lennon/McCartney originals, notably including "She Loves You." The rest of the track list features chestnuts like "Please Mister Postman," "Long Tall Sally," "Money," Smokey Robinson's "You Really Got a Hold on Me" and the always popular Chuck Berry hit "Roll Over Beethoven."
A Hard Day's Night - (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (United Artists Records)
The Beatles go to the movies! This is the soundtrack to the film of the same name, the first cinematic effort from the Beatles. Every song on the album was written by Lennon/McCartney and six of them were brand new: "I Should Have Known Better," "If I Fell," "Tell Me Why," "And I Love Her," "I'm Happy Just to Dance With You" and "I Call Your Name." The soundtrack is also notable for containing the rocking title track and instrumental versions of "And I Love Her," "I Should Have Known Better," "A Hard Day's Night" and "Ringo's Theme (This Boy)."
Something New
Taking its title from the fact that there are six new Beatles songs included, the newbies are: "I'll Cry Instead," "Things We Said Today," "Any Time at All," "When I Get Home," Larry Williams' "Slow Down" and the great Carl Perkins cut "Matchbox." Side Two of the album features songs taken from the A Hard Day's Night soundtrack including "Tell Me Why," "And I Love Her," "I'm Happy Just to dance With You" and "If I Fell" along with a fun take on "I Want to Hold Your Hand" sung in German and titled "Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand."
The Beatles' Story - (2-LP, Gatefold jacket)
This one is a bit of an odd duck, but one that fans ate up back in the day and one that fans will still find fun today. Subtitled "A Narrative and Musical Biography of Beatlemania," the album is packed with details, anecdotes and facts about the foursome that were previously unknown and also features commentary from and interviews with John, Paul, George and Ringo themselves, all adding up to a comprehensive deep dive into what made the Fabs tick. There's also commentary from Brian Epstein and George Martin as well as snippets of interviews with some of the group's biggest fans. Included music is presented mostly as song clips ("Twist and Shout," "You Can't Do That," "She Loves You," etc.) and there's also Beatles music as performed by the Hollyridge Strings. Eleven nice (black & white) photos decorate the inside of the gatefold jacket and the included insert has plenty of information about the making of the album. This album is only available in this box set.
Beatles '65
Despite referencing 1965 in the album title, Beatles '65 was actually released in late 1964 and was the band's fifth album release of the year. By this time fans the world over (and their bemused parents) were beginning to realize that the Fab Four were here to stay. Consisting of all new songs that had not appeared on previous albums with seven of the 11-cuts penned by Lennon and McCartney: "No Reply," the self-deprecating "I'm a Loser," "Baby's in Black," the mellow "I'll Follow the Sun," "I'll Be Back," "I Feel Fine" and the boisterous "She's A Woman." The rest of the offering finds the Beatles covering Chuck Berry ("Rock and Roll Music") and dipping into the Carl Perkins catalog again for two cuts, "Honey Don't" and "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby," a cut the guys could no doubt really relate to considering their newfound popularity. Rounding out the covers is a nice take on "Mr. Moonlight," a cut originally done by Dr. Feelgood and the Interns in 1962.
The Early Beatles
This final entry in the box set was originally released in early 1965 but it features tunes that the band released in 1964 for a label other than Capitol. It wouldn't be long before the Beatles started adding psychedelia to their sound but here the innocence of "Please Please Me," "P.S. I Love You," "Do You Want to Know a Secret" and "Love Me Do" are the order of the day. Besides those Lennon/McCartney songs there are familiar covers like "Twist and Shout," "A Taste of Honey," "Baby It's You, " the Gerry Goffin/Carole King gem "Chains" and a take on Arthur Alexander's "Anna (Go to Him)."
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