Monday, February 07, 2005
REVIEW: "THE BEATLES: THE CAPITOL ALBUMS VOL. 1" CD BOXSET
by Don Rose
The subtitle to this collection coulda been "The Beatle Box you Better Buy your Baby Boomer".
Or, "The Ka-ching Continues".
Yes, serious coin careened into Capitol coffers this Christmas, and should still be pouring in, as this long-overdue remastered-rerelease of the first four American Beatle albums is finally in fans' hands. Meet the Beatles, The Beatles Second Album, Something New, and Beatles '65 can finally be yours, in one set, with both mono AND stereo mixes on each disc, digitally remastered. What a joy to hear all these sonically scintillating stereo songs -- like a great novel you can't put down, I devoured all the notes in one sitting. (You might want to reserve some time the first time you spend time with these discs.)
I also like the way the four discs are packaged -- pull them out of the box and it's like you're holding mini versions of those original four vinyl albums. The original front and back covers of the vinyl versions are reproduced in exact detail. A nice touch of nostalgia, and also information; I loved reading the original notes that appeared on each album. Interesting how the "Meet The Beatles" debut cover billed the band as a "pop combo", not a rock band.
Come to think of it, perhaps "pop combo" IS the best description for these moptops. Sure, there is great rock on the quartet's first disc-quartet (like "Rock 'n Roll Music" -- which outrocks the original by its creator, Chuck Berry -- as well as "Slow Down", "Roll Over Beethoven" and many more). But there are great melodic croonfests and ballads too (like Paul doing "Till There Was You", "And I Love Her" and "I'll Follow The Sun"). Want a little countryesque pickin' and rabble rousin'? That's here too ("She's A Woman", "Honey Don't", "I'm A Loser", "Matchbox" and "Everybody's Tryin' To Be My Baby"). Heck, you even get a song sung German (a version of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" meant as a nod to their early Deutschland fans, where they trained for greatness as rough youths; listen for the opening flubbed vocal in your right ear at the very very beginning!). Yes, there truly is something for every musical taste on these four CDs -- great pop in all its forms, combined in unique, satisfying ways.
While each CD does contain all the original tracks in both stereo and mono, this reviewer gave the edge to the stereo mixes. I went back and forth on several tunes, and couldn't find one that seemed better in mono ("I Saw Her Standing There" is a good example, from the first record -- the stereo "Standing" simply sends an emotion explosion the mono can't match). For Beatlemaniacs who simply must own all songs in all forms, of course, this two-discs-in-one inclusiveness will be a welcome feature. (But will they experience the irony of playing both versions of "Not A Second Time"?)
Also in the box is a fine photo booklet about the band (as all boxsets must naturally contain) -- with words from the four lads themselves. Kinda like a super-condensed mini-earlyyears Beatles Anthology. It's pleasing to peruse, informative and fun -- but for such an important boxset I couldn't help wishing it was a little longer, a little larger, a little more chock full of rare/unseen pix, info and liner notes. Of course, I'll take what I can get; it's just that for the best band ever, I expect the very best -- and the box could have held a bigger booklet. (Chris Carter, host of L.A.'s great radio show "Breakfast with the Beatles", has mentioned the existence of another booklet that can fit into the box, and serves as a nice companion to the official booklet; according to WhatGoesOn.com , this item "is available exclusively through [Beatle author] Bruce Spizer's website www.beatle.net at a cost of $3, which includes shipping and handling". Sounds good.)
Another interesting touch: each disc says "Recorded In England". Wow. I guess that narrows it down. (I assume this is a relic from the original vinyl days, when American audiences had never experienced an English rock/pop band that was so, well, beatific!).
So, to sum up:
Are all the songs here from the first four Fab Four albums, with dual mixes?
Yep.
Is there a booklet included, with cool pix and quips?
Yep.
Is there an extra little guitar-sliding-lick I never heard before, at the very very end of "Tell Me Why"?
Yep!
Were all the songs recorded in England?
Bloody well right.
Do you have to play the entire disc all the way through before taking it out of your player?
Nope.
(Just wanted to see if you were paying attention.)
But you WILL want to play all the songs over and over, over the years, and you won't get over it!
Yes, this Beatle box is a marvelous must-have, a fine compilation by Capitol that should help keep the boys in the public consciousness well into this new century and beyond. And well they should be -- because this "pop combo" was simply the most versatile, talented, talked-about, prolific, popular and influential musical group of the sixties, of the last century, and perhaps of all time.
And now, to end my review of the Fab Four's First Four, four more words:
Bring on Volume Two!
---------------------------------------
THE BOXSET SONGS
(this list shows when each original U.S. LP was released,
and the songs that appeared on its original A and B sides;
each tune appears twice in the boxset -- one stereo, one mono):
1964-01-20 - Meet The Beatles!
A: "I Want To Hold Your Hand"; "I Saw Her Standing There"; "This Boy"; "It Won't Be Long"; "All I've Got To Do"; "All My Loving";
B: "Don't Bother Me"; "Little Child"; "Till There Was You"; "Hold Me Tight"; "I Wanna Be Your Man"; "Not A Second Time"
1964-04-10 - The Beatles' Second Album
A: "Roll Over Beethoven"; "Thank You Girl"; "You Really Got A Hold On Me"; "Devil In Her Heart"; "Money (That's What I Want)"; "You Can't Do That";
B: "Long Tall Sally"; "I Call Your Name"; "Please Mister Postman"; "I'll Get You"; "She Loves You"
1964-07-20 - Something New
A: "I'll Cry Instead"; "Things We Said Today"; "Anytime At All"; "When I Get Home"; "Slow Down"; "Matchbox";
B: "Tell Me Why"; "And I Love Her"; "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You"; "If I Fell"; "Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand"
1964-12-15 - Beatles '65
A: "No Reply"; "I'm A Loser"; "Baby's In Black"; "Rock And Roll Music"; "I'll Follow The Sun"; "Mr Moonlight";
B: "Honey Don't"; "I'll Be Back"; "She's A Woman"; "I Feel Fine"; "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby"
The subtitle to this collection coulda been "The Beatle Box you Better Buy your Baby Boomer".
Or, "The Ka-ching Continues".
Yes, serious coin careened into Capitol coffers this Christmas, and should still be pouring in, as this long-overdue remastered-rerelease of the first four American Beatle albums is finally in fans' hands. Meet the Beatles, The Beatles Second Album, Something New, and Beatles '65 can finally be yours, in one set, with both mono AND stereo mixes on each disc, digitally remastered. What a joy to hear all these sonically scintillating stereo songs -- like a great novel you can't put down, I devoured all the notes in one sitting. (You might want to reserve some time the first time you spend time with these discs.)
I also like the way the four discs are packaged -- pull them out of the box and it's like you're holding mini versions of those original four vinyl albums. The original front and back covers of the vinyl versions are reproduced in exact detail. A nice touch of nostalgia, and also information; I loved reading the original notes that appeared on each album. Interesting how the "Meet The Beatles" debut cover billed the band as a "pop combo", not a rock band.
Come to think of it, perhaps "pop combo" IS the best description for these moptops. Sure, there is great rock on the quartet's first disc-quartet (like "Rock 'n Roll Music" -- which outrocks the original by its creator, Chuck Berry -- as well as "Slow Down", "Roll Over Beethoven" and many more). But there are great melodic croonfests and ballads too (like Paul doing "Till There Was You", "And I Love Her" and "I'll Follow The Sun"). Want a little countryesque pickin' and rabble rousin'? That's here too ("She's A Woman", "Honey Don't", "I'm A Loser", "Matchbox" and "Everybody's Tryin' To Be My Baby"). Heck, you even get a song sung German (a version of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" meant as a nod to their early Deutschland fans, where they trained for greatness as rough youths; listen for the opening flubbed vocal in your right ear at the very very beginning!). Yes, there truly is something for every musical taste on these four CDs -- great pop in all its forms, combined in unique, satisfying ways.
While each CD does contain all the original tracks in both stereo and mono, this reviewer gave the edge to the stereo mixes. I went back and forth on several tunes, and couldn't find one that seemed better in mono ("I Saw Her Standing There" is a good example, from the first record -- the stereo "Standing" simply sends an emotion explosion the mono can't match). For Beatlemaniacs who simply must own all songs in all forms, of course, this two-discs-in-one inclusiveness will be a welcome feature. (But will they experience the irony of playing both versions of "Not A Second Time"?)
Also in the box is a fine photo booklet about the band (as all boxsets must naturally contain) -- with words from the four lads themselves. Kinda like a super-condensed mini-earlyyears Beatles Anthology. It's pleasing to peruse, informative and fun -- but for such an important boxset I couldn't help wishing it was a little longer, a little larger, a little more chock full of rare/unseen pix, info and liner notes. Of course, I'll take what I can get; it's just that for the best band ever, I expect the very best -- and the box could have held a bigger booklet. (Chris Carter, host of L.A.'s great radio show "Breakfast with the Beatles", has mentioned the existence of another booklet that can fit into the box, and serves as a nice companion to the official booklet; according to WhatGoesOn.com , this item "is available exclusively through [Beatle author] Bruce Spizer's website www.beatle.net at a cost of $3, which includes shipping and handling". Sounds good.)
Another interesting touch: each disc says "Recorded In England". Wow. I guess that narrows it down. (I assume this is a relic from the original vinyl days, when American audiences had never experienced an English rock/pop band that was so, well, beatific!).
So, to sum up:
Are all the songs here from the first four Fab Four albums, with dual mixes?
Yep.
Is there a booklet included, with cool pix and quips?
Yep.
Is there an extra little guitar-sliding-lick I never heard before, at the very very end of "Tell Me Why"?
Yep!
Were all the songs recorded in England?
Bloody well right.
Do you have to play the entire disc all the way through before taking it out of your player?
Nope.
(Just wanted to see if you were paying attention.)
But you WILL want to play all the songs over and over, over the years, and you won't get over it!
Yes, this Beatle box is a marvelous must-have, a fine compilation by Capitol that should help keep the boys in the public consciousness well into this new century and beyond. And well they should be -- because this "pop combo" was simply the most versatile, talented, talked-about, prolific, popular and influential musical group of the sixties, of the last century, and perhaps of all time.
And now, to end my review of the Fab Four's First Four, four more words:
Bring on Volume Two!
---------------------------------------
THE BOXSET SONGS
(this list shows when each original U.S. LP was released,
and the songs that appeared on its original A and B sides;
each tune appears twice in the boxset -- one stereo, one mono):
1964-01-20 - Meet The Beatles!
A: "I Want To Hold Your Hand"; "I Saw Her Standing There"; "This Boy"; "It Won't Be Long"; "All I've Got To Do"; "All My Loving";
B: "Don't Bother Me"; "Little Child"; "Till There Was You"; "Hold Me Tight"; "I Wanna Be Your Man"; "Not A Second Time"
1964-04-10 - The Beatles' Second Album
A: "Roll Over Beethoven"; "Thank You Girl"; "You Really Got A Hold On Me"; "Devil In Her Heart"; "Money (That's What I Want)"; "You Can't Do That";
B: "Long Tall Sally"; "I Call Your Name"; "Please Mister Postman"; "I'll Get You"; "She Loves You"
1964-07-20 - Something New
A: "I'll Cry Instead"; "Things We Said Today"; "Anytime At All"; "When I Get Home"; "Slow Down"; "Matchbox";
B: "Tell Me Why"; "And I Love Her"; "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You"; "If I Fell"; "Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand"
1964-12-15 - Beatles '65
A: "No Reply"; "I'm A Loser"; "Baby's In Black"; "Rock And Roll Music"; "I'll Follow The Sun"; "Mr Moonlight";
B: "Honey Don't"; "I'll Be Back"; "She's A Woman"; "I Feel Fine"; "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby"
