The Beatles

Mosh said:
My least favorite Beatles songs are pretty easy picks:

A Taste of Honey
Roll Over Beethoven
Act Naturally
Good Morning Good Morning
Only a Northern Song
All Together Now
It's All Too Much
For You Blue
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I think I like different Beatles covers than most people because "Act Naturally" is one of those tracks I'd probably pick over something more iconic like "Twist and Shout". Ringo's voice is perfect for the lyrics and I love the lush, warm instrumentation on the track. I've come to appreciate "A Taste of Honey" a bit as a spotlight on Paul's voice, which sounds great on that track. "Roll Over Beethoven" is fine, just a serviceable rock 'n' roll cover.

"Good Morning Good Morning" is definitely the weakest track on Sgt. Pepper, but I like its placement and think it's just fine overall. The best thing about it is how the animal noises segue into the title track reprise. Kind of a funny Pet Sounds nod since these two albums are such close landmarks in music history.

I'm with you on "All Together Now", it's a nothing song, but I like George's two inclusions on Yellow Submarine. "Only a Northern Song" is a cool psychedelia parody and "It's All Too Much", while running longer than it needs to, is a very fun song about self-exploration that also explores musical arrangement.

And "For You Blue" is underrated, IMO, just a simple little song with some lovely guitarwork.

Also I've finished going through the mono box set and I would definitely say that the majority of it is better than the stereo. Those early albums really come to life and Sgt. Pepper cooks. I think I need some more time with Rubber Soul and Revolver; the vocals not being centered is really the biggest issue for me in stereo, but that said a song like "Norwegian Wood" sounds better to me with the sitar and guitar panned in separate speakers. The White Album is the one where I think I can pretty much stick to the stereo version since the band put focus into both mono and stereo mixes for that record. "Helter Skelter" sounds way heavier in mono but is missing the iconic outro; "Don't Pass Me By" sounds worse sped up; and "Revolution 9" is more alive with the abilities stereo affords it.

"She's Leaving Home" is really the biggest revelation for me. I had no idea till I got the box that the stereo version was actually slowed down and hearing the original mono speed I'm torn. It sounds brighter and more colorful in mono, and while the stereo version is almost mournful, and honestly I think both versions are great for what they are. One of them just happens to have come about thanks to a mixing mistake.
 
One side effect of listening to nothing but mono for a week is that it really made me appreciate the stereo production of Let It Be and Abbey Road. I thought the latter sounded great even compared to the albums in stereo, but after hearing the other records in mono it almost blows your mind how much better this album sounds in comparison. One of those records that has pretty much perfect production (and still my favorite of their albums overall).
 
Time for some Beatles takes. Gonna be jotting down notes for each of the band's album songs as well as their singles. Kinda hoping to rank every Beatles song at the end of this, as well as ranking their singles based on both the A and B sides. All of my comments will be based on the mono versions through Magical Mystery Tour, after which I will switch to stereo.

Single #1:

A. Love Me Do - Really simple debut single, but I have fond memories of it as the opener to the Red Album. That bass that just plods along in the background is so silly. Ringo's drumming here is a bit lifeless and I can kind of understand why George Martin wanted someone else in that seat, as much as that was a dick move. Solid start to their career. 6/10

B. P.S. I Love You - Another simple, understated song, but it's grown on me a bit over the years. Ultimately Paul's wistful and smooth voice is really what draws me in. I also love the little editions at the end, John's "OH!", Paul's "YOU KNOW I WANT YOU TO", and George's "Yeahhh!" add such a personal touch to the affair. 6/10

Total: 6.0/10

Single #2:

A. Please Please Me - Big step up right here. This song has a lot more pick to it and it is absolutely pumping. Love the way the guitar revs up between the verses like it's a hot rod. The back and forth on the "Come on!" line is so much fun. The one thing that takes me out a little is that Paul's vocal line in the verse is a bit too straightforward, but otherwise this is a strong song and deserving of that first #1 spot. 7/10

B. Ask Me Why - The a-side presents the hard rockin' side of the band, the b-side the quieter, more subdued side. This song is kind of underrated. The nuances in John's performance are so cool, the smooth falsetto on "should never, never, never be BLUUUUUUE" contrasting with the calculated crack on the word "cry". And the way the guitar does the 'rev-up' thing from "Please Please Me" during the middle-eight providing a connecting point between the tracks. Really cool. 7/10

Total: 7.0/10

Please Please Me (1963)

1. I Saw Her Standing There - Is there a more iconic album intro? Paul's count-in plunges us right into a band fully gelling with each other. The Ringo of "Love Me Do" is replaced by an energetic drummer who is completely locked-in, giving us tasty fills and becoming more intense on the high-hat as the song goes on. Paul is in full control, both vocally and with his pumping bassline, and that archaic guitar solo is just the cherry on top. The band's first great song. 8/10

2. Misery - I really dig this song, it's short and sweet and incredibly infectious. That piano intro and the doomy "The world is treatin' me bad!" makes you expect a slow track but then the beat picks up and we are just popping along. I love John's vocal on this one. 8/10

3. Anna (Go to Him) - The sounds of Louisiana steamboats make their way to Liverpool in the form of this cover song. I really like John's voice here, the ghostly backing vocals in the chorus are cool, I just think it loses a bit of steam in the bridge, which we have to hear twice. But it's a solid song. 6/10

4. Chains - Very passionate harmonica intro. George's first vocal spotlight is a cover mostly dominated by harmony vocals. It's fine. You will not believe how much better his songs get by 1969 though. 5/10

5. Boys - The Beatles genderbend a girl group song and Ringo comes in all guns blazing for this one. Infectious atmosphere but at the same time not one I'll be writing home about. 6/10

6. Ask Me Why - See single notes. 7/10

7. Please Please Me - See single notes. 7/10

8. Love Me Do - Honestly don't know what Andy White brings to this take that Ringo didn't already have in the single, but Ringo's addition of the tambourine does make things livelier. I could do with either version though. 6/10

9. P.S. I Love You - See single notes. 6/10

10. Baby It's You - Always liked this one, but I don't think it does enough for me to warrant more than a 6/10.

11. Do You Want to Know a Secret - Simple song but we get to hear George's silky voice much more in its element than on "Chains". The opening always utilizes the same intro trick from "Misery" and I dig it. 6/10

12. A Taste of Honey - I used to think this was bottom of the barrel material from the band but I've grown to appreciate Paul's voice on it. That being said, musically it's a bit dull. 5/10

13. There's a Place - The simple and to-the-point penultimate track of the album. Love the John and Paul harmonies. 6/10

14. Twist and Shout - I've never been in love with this cover like some people but it is pretty clearly the best of the bunch. John famously torched his voice on it and that adds a great raw feel to the performance. The true highlight is that slowly stacked rising harmony in the transition back to the verse. 7/10

OVERALL

There really isn't much to say about this album. I think by itself it feels like a really fun setlist of where The Beatles were in 1963. The more I've been spinning it though, the more I feel like there really isn't all that much going on in some of these songs. They're mostly just solid, but I'm getting hungrier for where the band will go next. Hard to argue against it as a debut album though.

Total: 64%
 
I love the box set, I’m going through it myself these days. Please please me have a couple of great songs. I saw here standing there is actually one of my favorite Beatles tracks, and a blueprint for a opening track. Anna is a great track as well, I hum that one quite often for some reason. Twist and shout is fantasic, great ending by John with the raw, blown up voice
 
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