With The Beatles

Even great masters have to start somewhere. There are cringey moments and it's mostly standard boy band 60's pop, but if you listen close, you can see the hints of where it's all going (3.5)

Aggressively basic and average music. However, it is music I thoroughly enjoyed; really good listening. Please Mister Postman was my fav song of the album. All I've Got To Do (my fav first listen) and You Really Got A Hold On Me were my other highlights

Great early Beatles album! Has a lot of great covers and some great early Beatles work. There are better Beatles albums out there but this captures the essence of early Beatlemania!

The moment I was waiting for, the most overrated band in the world. Boring as fart.

So, after the third song, I realized that this was the album that I have heard so many times from the Beatles. It wasn't called this but my mom loved them. The thing is that when I was listening to this growing up, it was barely fifteen years sing it was released. Music had really moved and the 80s were around the corner. My mom would put this on and sometimes only one or two of her favourite songs. There are definitely ones that I don't care for but this is a solid album. And it is the Beatles. Some covers and still doing that whole harmony and lots of 50s influence still lingering before their production started changing everything. So, a bridge album to what they will become. I'm giving this a 5. At least half a point of that is nostalgia.

I get it. I completely get it. If I was a teenage girl in 1963, an avid reader of Non-Threatening Boys magazine, I'd hear The Beatles for the first time and be completely smitten. They spoke to girls in a way that I suspect few other artists did at that point. And they had the tunes and the looks! The girls wanted to snog The Beatles. And the boys wanted to be The Beatles, so they captured the hearts and minds of an entire generation. Critics could enjoy the music a couple of years later when it became more complicated and "meaningful", but for the time being, normal people had a band that spoke to them. Excellent album.

Quite good. I mean... Come on.

This is some classic Beatles, not sure another band could write pop bangers like them. Most of the songs on this album were hits but all of them are catchy as hell. Not sure there is a Beatles album I would rate under 5 stars on this list.

So, my theory is this: This is not the best Beatles album (though it's damn good), but it's in the running for most important Beatles album. Why? Because this is when they figured out they could do pretty much anything everyone else was doing better than everyone else, which got them confident enough to start to create their own thing (initially, the "clever Beatles", as George called them, then obviously way beyond). You don't start out with Revolver -- Picasso didn't start out painting people with guitars for faces either.

There were a lot of covers on this album and for the most part other people did them better. This may be a groundbreaking album, but I’m not sure it stood the test of time.

omg finally a beatles album!!!!! so fun. always enjoy the beatles

The first evidence that the Beatles got better with each album. This is their second and it's an obvious improvement over there first one which was pretty good.

Good album. Pretty early Beatles

I loved

Duh

Impossible to give it anything other than a 5

Even when they were writing more conventional pop songs early in their career The Beatles really were excellent. 'All My Loving' the highlight

Eternally fantastic

Still brilliant! ★★★★★

5 star sing along album

Enjoyed listening to these young fellas.

Heel bekend, leuk.

Really made me wish I could go back to see them working these songs out at the small clubs in Hamburg.

First pull of the GOATs on the list for me. I did get All Things Must Pass a couple months ago (easy 5 stars) but this is the first actual Beatle record I pull. It's magic, it's zero exaggeration to say these voices, these harmonies are ingrained into my very soul and are part of who I am. All my loving is fantastic, Please Mister Postman is one of the greatest covers of all time. First George composition as well (Don't bother me)! John's voice sounds fantastic all throughout. It's not my favorite Beatles record, but my scale for the boys starts at 5, no hesitation. Best to ever do it.

Just an absolute banger. One of the best early Beatles albums.

With The Beatles I’m going to give this a 5 - it’s the Beatles, I’m emotionally dependent on them and there’s not enough Beatles in the World - but it’s probably my least listened album of theirs, or the one I have tended to find least interesting, sandwiched between two albums that I frequently return to. Please Please Me I love, as even 60 years later it's still imbued with the novelty and excitable charm of the group and you can feel the early 60s-ness of it all, and A Hard Day’s Night, which is a superb showcase of their quickly developing sophistication and cultural impact. And in my mind it even lacks some of the slightly frazzled oddness and hidden gems of Beatles for Sale. But having said that, this is an excellent listen, with a marked depth of sound compared to PPM. It might be a consequence of the more recent CD remastering but there is a noticeable growl to the bass on It Won’t Be Long as well as more depth to it on All I’ve Got to Do, with those two songs and the sweet pop perfection of All My Loving making an excellent opening 3 tracks. It Won’t Be Long is one of my favourite early songs of theirs and the highlight of the album, a superb distillation of their early style and a hint at their ability to seemingly casually toss off moments of melodic and harmonic brilliance - a lovely descending guitar hook, a typically great off beat Lennon rhythm guitar part, a memorable tune and a winning energy and charm. Don’t Bother Me has really grown on me over the years, George’s sullen delivery is fantastic, and I very much enjoy the sentiment of the lyrics (and the odd, thumping percussion sound at the coda). Aside from the twin classical guitars I’ve never really been that enamoured by Till There Was You, although I do like how it sits between the catchily throwaway Little Child and Please Mr Postman, with its superb lead and backing vocals. Hold Me Tight I think is a bit of a hidden gem - it seems to be very lowly regarded, and although Macca goes a bit out of tune it’s got an almost punkish energy, a great, grating guitar sound and propulsive rhythm. Not a Second Time is a bit of the inverse of Hold Me Tight for me. With William Mann’s analysis it seems to be held in high critical esteem, and while I think I can appreciate the moment of Aeolian Cadence on ‘You Hurt Me Then’, I’ve never really been struck by it. Of the covers, Money is superb, alongside Twist and Shout their best cover, sharing a similarly raucous and committed Lennon vocal, and I always enjoy the slightly sloppy version of Roll Over Beethoven and the fun of Please Mr Postman. And You Really Got a Hold On is another of their best covers. If this was an exercise of ranking only Beatles albums out of 5 it's probably a 4, it is certainly uneven, but if you compare it to any of their contemporaries 2nd or 3rd albums or many other rock/pop albums from 1963 it's on a completely different level. Thanks of course to George Martin and Norman Smith it sounds excellent, and they were already streets ahead in songwriting terms, even if they hadn’t reached the zenith of their pre Rubber Soul period. 🪲🪲🪲🪲🪲 Playlist submission: It Won’t Be Long Ps - one slight non musical thing, even though the cover is still fantastically striking, I wish Ringo wasn’t just stuck in the bottom corner like an afterthought.

Album sans aucun intérêt... écouté et déjà oublié !

Yay Beatles!! :3 This is the second band/artist to come up that I’m actually already a fan of. Even then, it’s been a while since I revisited the pre-Rubber Soul era. This was cool though! It’s a great time capsule of where the music industry was in the mid-60s. Technically speaking, it was their personalities that made them stand out. The way John and Paul harmonize and play off each other, Ringo’s playing style, and the very energetic yet “safe” way of going about their music ensured their success. It doesn’t strike me the same way anything Sgt. Pepper onward does, but it’s a very good listen! Favorite track: All My Loving (remembering this was the song that played in the hospital as John Lennon died was weirdly poetic, especially with it being a Paul song)

Not my favorite era of the Beatles, and honestly I was anticipating a low rating here. Every track on the album was fun and enjoyable. 60s pop at its best. My only real criticism couldn't be helped. Stereo mixes of the time were fucking awful. I'd rather listen to mono that vocals in one ear and instruments in the other. I'm so glad stereo mixing made great leaps early on because I'd hate to listen to some of my favorite classic rock tracks like this. Ugh ⭐⭐⭐⭐

god i love the beatles

This is definitely not The Beatle's at their best, but it's still The Beatles so it is still pretty good. This is clearly a band who is still finding their footing, but the talent is there. A lot of the best songs on here are covers, but The Beatles do a good job of making the songs their own. The album is pretty short just over a half hour long, but packs in 14 songs so they are quick and punchy. Nothing overstays it's welcome. An enjoyable listen, I was so happy to pull a Beatles album after some lackluster albums the last few days. Favorite Track - Please Mr. Postman Least Favorite Track - You Really Got A Hold On Me ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

While there are some people who criticize the Fab Fours' early discography for being straight pop, I'm certainly not one of 'em. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

Its the BEATLES - has to be a 5

It’s The Beatles. I can not be unbiased about them. While this is not my favorite or their best album, it’s still great. I like the Motown covers too. 5/5

What a delightful, sincere little album. My hot take is that this album is better than Abbey Road. Hear me out: on Abbey Road the Beatles had their heads way too far up their british arses and you can definitely hear that in their music. But here? They are still working as a team. And they are full of rock and roll energy.

The Beatles set such a standard, that I think this gets rated a 5 if they're a random band, but this probably evens out to around a 3 for them. Sooooo, I'm giving it a 5. Nothing ground breaking here, but just love this 60s pop/rock sound. 5/5

pleasant! clearly trying to appeal to their newly gained american fans with all the motown / american covers. & they did keep two of the best songs from those recording sessions off this album (she loves you and especially i wanna hold your hand). i still find all my loving to be the best track on the album but that's just my paul girlie sensibilities... iconic cover to be fair, i just know theres other beatles eras i like better

With The Beatles might be the best example on this list (so far, at least) of a record that you should only listen to before you die because of its historical importance. Almost everything else the band did was better and grander than it. Still a solid record though, with some amazing lesser-known tracks that got overshadowed by the dozens of masterpieces the band would put out afterwards.

Maybe it's not their best, but it was enjoyable and catchy

Punchy and Coy. Fun early Beatles album with a lot of their own writing. Not much to add but this album goes quick and has decent songwriting while also showing their influences. They struggle a bit on the more American or swaggering styles like Roll Over Beethoven or Money, I think their other poppy songs suit them much better at this phase. Highlights: It Won't Be Long, All I've Got to Do, All My Loving, Til There Was You

While clearly not yet the fully formed version of the band that would go on to be so influential, there is a lot to like here. And while some probably write these songs off as being too pop, there are lots of examples of some pretty atypical chord structures here that I think hint at what these guys were on the verge and capable of.

with the beatles. i'm always with the beatles. i personally love young beatles, short songs, easy lyrics, rythms that invite you to move your body, lovely melodies and great stereo sound. although, their songwriting abilities were not fully developed yet, probably the best songs in this album are covers. mccartney's young voice has the ability to touch my heart every time. listening to the beatles without headphones should be a crime. this album contains the first harrisong, "don't bother me". written while on tour, while he was ill in bed. 3 stars out of 5. favourite tracks: all my loving, don't bother me, till there was you (cover), you really got a hold on me (cover), devil in her heart (cover).

Visually, a classic album. Not to be infused with “Meet the Beatles”, the U.S. release. This album has a lot of good songs. Many state “I wanna be your man” is the weak link but I disagree, it was written for the Rolling Stones but I feel like it adds a nice charm to this album. The covers and the originals blend really well, I think Mr Postman is my favorite, but All My Loving is definitely the song that made this album shine.

This was interesting. People often write off earlier Beatles music because of how much they changed over the years, but while this isn't Abbey Road by any imaginative stretch, it's still solid and holds up pretty well. They still had their nice three part harmonies and still had some solid songwriting. Favorite Track: All My Loving

Great tunes. Wow they sound so dated compared to their later stuff though. 3.5

This is going to be hard to review, seeing as I absolutely love The Beatles. I don't think they are overrated, there music is just so full of joy to me. I haven't listened to this one before, which is surprising. "It Won't Be Long" felt like classic Beatles, the incredibly twangy guitar strings, Lennon and McCartney's vocals bouncing off one another in such a fun and uplifting way. From this track straight into "All I've Got To Do", I get the feeling I will love the entire album for the same reasons as outlined about. That being said, it makes me reflect on a band's sound and if that sound isn't 'a bit of you' I can understand why you would hate The Beatles; their core sound throughout their entire career is pretty consistent even with the introduction of sitars and dreamy psychedelic lyrics in later albums. In the same way I stung Destiny Child's Survivor album that appeared to me as the album before this one, there is something to be said about subject of each song: Love/Relationships/Women. It would be unfair of me to not make the same criticism of The Beatles just because I prefer their delivery of these types of songs. That being said, the vibe of a Beatles love song feels much more innocent or for the sake of love itself, as opposed to the feelings of 'one-up-man-ship' or who has more value in the relationship that I got from Destiny's Child. That may not be the fault of Destiny's Child though, and more just the feelings around relationships in the time that album released (2001). As the album progressed, there still wasn't a single song I didn't like. "Till There Was You" had a beautiful - what I can only describe as - 'vintage innocence' to it, it's guitar and lyrics invoking a children's storybook version of love that was just amazing. Their cover of "Please Mister Postman" by the Marvelettes was also a delight to hear. The fast pace created by the beachy guitar and claps of "Roll Over Beethoven" made it a another fun track to listen to. There isn't much more to be said about each track individually... it's The Beatles. Still the most recognized band globally and for good reason too. This was a fun one and, honestly, if something like White Album or Rubber Soul ever comes up, I won't even bother to review them as thoughtfully as this; I have no constructive criticisms of either with both being integral to my music taste.

Boring. Hopefully I’ll like one of the other 700 albums of theirs that made it on this list.

The Beatles! some good stuff here, with some hits and some misses, but overall? A good listen. When this came out I was 11 years old, and Beatlemania was taking off. Also, I didn't buy albums back then, just the 45s that they issued. Makes it different, listening to the whole thing.

Not their best album by any means. Still better than 99% of anything released by anyone else. It speaks volumes that this group of guys recorded for 7 years together and had the impact in music and culture that they did. All of their accolades are deserved.

I think what I like best about this album is the rawness of everyones voice. Everyone sounds a little hoarse but it also sounds like they are having fun. This album is so good, so fun, and over way to quick.

Slightly odd choice, as from the pre-Rubber Soul years I'd have picked Please Please Me, Hard Day's Night or Help! ahead of this one. But anyway it's still good. Probably notable for George Harrison's first writing credit and All My Loving is a highlight of their touring era. Think it's a 4 as I don't find the second half so amazing with all the covers. However I do find it telling to see where The Beatles' influences were coming from (rock 'n' roll, Motown) when you consider how much they pushed things forwards - the psychedelica, experimentation and baroque pop of their mid-60s output seems a million miles from this despite only being a few years later. But I'm not rating on potential so 4* it is

Totally mystified why an album that's 50% seriously shitty covers made it on this list - other than the general wankery of including every fucking thing from certain monolithic bands. The other 50% of this album are evidence of Buddy Holly & the Cricket's influence, where it's clear the Lennon/McCartney writing duo haven't yet found their own voice or sound. So it's just really old-fashioned sounding for the most part, with nothing really innovative to recommend it. Seriously forgettable - especially compared to their later output - and honestly should have been forgotten.

With the Beatles is a classic example of the band’s early, slightly naïve approach to love songs. The album leans heavily into simple romantic themes, which can feel a bit corny at times, but it suits the youthful energy the Beatles were projecting at this stage of their career. One of the record’s strengths lies in its cover songs. The Beatles deliver solid and well-executed versions of non-original tracks, showing their tight musicianship and obvious influences, even if these songs don’t always feel essential to their legacy. The album is short and efficiently put together, making it an easy and light listen from start to finish. It flows well and never overstays its welcome. However, this also contributes to one of its weaknesses: With the Beatles isn’t particularly memorable as a whole. While it’s enjoyable in the moment, few tracks truly linger after it ends. I listened to the master from the Beatles in Mono edition (5099963379716). It’s a good-quality master that respects the original recordings, although it’s obvious that the material comes from early 1960s sessions—the age of the recordings is clearly noticeable in the sound. That said, songs like “All My Loving” and “Money (That’s What I Want)” stand out as highlights, offering more energy and personality than the rest of the tracklist. 7/10

‘Don’t Bother Me’ is a cool song and will make the playlist for sure, but I would really only recommend the rest of the album to Beatles enthusiasts. Nothing about this album seems like an essential listen, especially as it is sandwiched between other more significant albums in their discography.

Unrelated to this 1001 albums listening project, I came across a list of the greatest bands of all time earlier today. Unsurprisingly, The Beatles were at the top of it. I don’t think this is at all controversial, but it’s also kind of the bummer with these kinds of things, because at least when it comes to rock and pop music, I can’t see anything else having close to the impact that The Beatles had either musically or, maybe more importantly, culturally. All of which is to say that everything Beatles carries a huge amount of weight. And in the case of With The Beatles the significance of their later albums I think has led people to maybe hold their earlier ones in higher regard than they strictly deserve. Half of this album is covers, which serves to highlight how good of songwriters they were on their original tracks, but they don’t quite feel fully formed as a band here yet. The best was still a couple of years off for them yet.

Arguably the most important pop record ever. As the poet Philip Larkin wrote, "sexual intercourse began in 1963." It's hard to overstate how much the Beatles transformed popular culture, personal politics, and social mores at that time. Beatlemania was a world-changing event for young people, especially girls. This record signals a total redistribution of the sensible (what people now crudely call "shifting the overton window"). Contemporary listeners often misunderstand the early Beatles era as a necessary phase to get into the more "revolutionary" style of their middle period. It's true that the revolutionary New Left movements of the mid-late 60s (the anti-war movement, the free speech movement, the sexual revolution, women's liberation, psychedelic counterculture, etc) all had some kernel that originated with the screaming girls who overpowered the police (the late great Barbara Ehrenreich makes this point in one of the best essays ever written about the band). But this early phase was radical in itself. The Beatles completely changed how people thought of the auteur-performer in rock n roll; if you need proof, look at the list of 1001 albums and count how many guitar rock bands wrote their own songs before 1963. (spoiler: it's 1...Buddy Holly and the Crickets, which might as well be a solo act with a backing band. Compare that to the number only 2 years later in 1965.) Not to mention, they had a totally distinct visual style (thanks to Brian) and were witty and charming as hell. When they landed in NYC in early 1964, they were like aliens from another planet. For context, the Beatles also released 3 non-album singles within 6 months of this album: "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "She Loves You," and "From Me to You." Part of the problem with the 1001 album project is it places undue importance on "the album" as the ultimate recorded musical work. In 1963, albums were still a relatively new medium and the Beatles were still figuring out how to do it; they didn't even consider putting their 3 strongest singles on their new album and insisted on including only brand new material. They were among the first musicians to think of albums as complete art objects (see the Astrid Kircherr-style cinema verite photograph on the cover) instead of just a way to repackage popular singles around some extra filler. In other words, without With The Beatles there is no 1001 albums list.

I am starting to understand the beatles but also it felt like a bunch of covers or maybe i dont know music

I’m giving it a 5. There are better Beatles albums but this was a joy to revisit.

I was very much into the Beatles as a youth in the 90s. This is the one record I didn't fork over 25 of my hard earned Canadian dollars for, and I still think that was a good decision. With The Beatles really created the trope of 'rushed second album to capitalise on the debut's success' which so, so many other groups have fallen into in the years since. I'm being harsh of course, the worst Beatles record is still pretty darn good. The drop off in quality I'm sure wasn't noticed by the fans at the time because I Want To Hold Your Hand was released as a single at about the same time, which overshadowed With The Beatles save the iconic album cover. My two favourite tracks here are You Really Got A Hold On Me and Money - two covers! Also I don't think this record should be on this list.

#30 I see Beatles on the list, I snooze 😴

Early fave! Can’t get better than early Beatles !

with the Beatles, you have to take in the incredible impact of their music. am i going to listen to this a ton, probably not. but its a really good album that continued to make waves in the music community. that said, this album had some pretty great songs on it. personal faves are 'it won't be long', 'all my loving', 'hold me tight', 'please mr. postman'. man, the beatles really had something, didn't they?

The second Beatles album. It might actually be the worst of their studio albums as not much of a progression from their debut. But set in the context of 1963 and not knowing what came later, let's take a look A lot of it is early Beatles by the numbers, "It Won't Be Long" rings through with teenage optimism and there's no doubt a lot of mushy sentimentality here - "All I've Got To Do" being quite throwaway stuff really. But when it hits it works well with "All My Loving" still sounding a classic and of the few cover versions the gorgeous "Til There Was You" shines through as the pick of the bunch with its simplistic beauty, one of McCartney's best vocals of the early Beatles era. Most of the other covers here have been done better, not that it's a crime to fail to do Roll Over Beethoven as well as Chuck Berry, like. By the next album onwards it would feel that every new release shifted them up a gear, but even the Beatles weakest work is still a pretty good album.

It's fun because it's the beatles but the album wasn't particularly inspiring.

Dare I say it, but it’s distinctly average.

Its just 60s pop, and covers of 50s songs. I can't really say its bad at all, but its not exactly amazing either is it. Its just music, impressive they are so young and stuff and i imagine at the time it was very cool. Best song: Please Mister Postman, but mainly cus it reminds me of that vine

In their early days, my understanding is the Beatles were playing multiple gigs a night for years before breaking out. This is how I imagine one of those performances may have sounded. Solid collection of covers and easy pop numbers… for the time. Beyond its time capsule value, I don’t understand why someone might prefer to listen to this over say, the Marvelettes or Smokey Robinson. Particularly mediocre, especially when compared to their other albums.

Pre Rubber Soul Beatles isn't really my thing, even if their graduation is so historically vital and fascinating. There is raw excitement here and a youthful charm but the real art and craft was still a couple of years off. I didn't necessarily yearn to finish it early, but was quite relieved when it was over.

Is every Beatles album in the list? Anyway, it's nice, but the latter albums are exponentially better.

Dont really listen to that much early Beatles. Perfectly decent pop music but not in the same league as their later stuff

The inclusion of this album on the list kind of baffles me. I get that this was probably important at the time but for an album containing 6 covers, and nowhere near their best work, it feels more important in the evolution of The Beatles than music as a whole, especially when they have 6 other albums on the list, including the follow up A Hard Day’s Night which feels more significant to me. Anyway, this is fine, there are some good songs but I’m not sure I’d include any individual tracks among my favourite Beatles songs. They were still heavily influenced by rock’n’roll and doo-wop at this stage and is evident here.

I love the Beatles but somehow had completely missed this album… but after listening to it, I hadn’t missed out on anything. For the most part a very forgettable album.

This was alright, but you'd expect something great from the Beatles, especially if featured on this list. None of the tracks stood out to me, and by the end it all I found myself bored.

The Beatles are always very listenable, perhaps from the familiarity that comes with hearing John/Paul, but the Beatles' earlier stuff just falls short compared to their later stuff.

This was fine, I definitely prefer their later output but it was a good straight up ‘rock’ album. I actually liked the covers best, especially Please Mr. Postman. I had this on in the background while doing other things and it kind of grated on my nerves at times, not sure I was in the mood for it.

At first felt too sock-hop for me, then I really enjoyed the middle third, then it started to feel hokey again. 3.5 rounded up. EDIT: I just learned all the songs I liked the most on this album are covers. Downgrading from 3.5 to 2.5, and rounding down.

Early stereo recordings were crazy. Bet this is better in mono, but I’ll disregard that. The songs are great of course, but these were still early days and it feels more like a collection of well-crafted pop songs than a proper album like the ones that would follow just a few years later. 3/5.

I'm going to say something that is going to piss some people off, but I really don't understand how The Beatles became like so insanely popular. I know it probably is more of a "you had to be there" thing, but whenever I listen I don't think "wow this is so much better than similar artists from this period. Okay hater time over, I really enjoy their music, and this album in particular has a lot of really good tracks that I'd never heard before. Devil in her heart and All my loving were the standout tracks to me.

I have never listened to a Beatles album from start to finish before, but I had a really good time. So many songs that I didn't know, but I fair amount that I did recognise. I can understand why the girls were screaming for these men

Novembre 1963, moins de huit mois après le coup d'éclat de "Please Please Me", The Beatles livrent leur deuxième album, "With The Beatles". Et par la même occasion, le Royaume-Uni et bientôt le monde entier sont saisis par une fièvre nouvelle : la Beatlemania. L'album s'ouvre sur les chapeaux de roue avec "It Won't Be Long", une composition de Lennon-McCartney qui incarne tout ce qui fait le succès du groupe à ce moment-là : une énergie contagieuse, des harmonies vocales précises et ce fameux "yeah, yeah, yeah" qui devient leur signature. C'est direct, efficace et terriblement entraînant. Le principal atout de l'album réside dans cette vitalité. On sent quatre jeunes hommes au sommet de leur popularité, jouant avec une confiance et une fougue communicatives. Le disque contient sans conteste l'une des plus belles pépites de leur début de carrière : "All My Loving". Cette chanson de Paul McCartney est une merveille de composition, bien plus sophistiquée que la plupart des morceaux pop de l'époque. La ligne de basse déambulatoire de Paul, la guitare rythmique effrénée de John et le solo impeccable de George en font un classique intemporel et le point culminant incontestable de l'album. Dans un registre plus sombre et introspectif, "Don't Bother Me" marque la toute première composition de George Harrison à figurer sur un album des Beatles. Bien qu'elle n'atteigne pas les sommets de ses futures contributions, elle témoigne d'une personnalité musicale en gestation et apporte une couleur bienvenue à l'ensemble. Malgré tout, l'album manque dans l'ensemble d'homogénéité car sur quatorze titres, six sont des reprises de standards de la Motown et du rock 'n' roll. Si cet exercice était courant à l'époque et déjà présent sur le premier album, il donne ici une impression de remplissage, comme si le groupe, pris dans le tourbillon des tournées, n'avait pas eu le temps de composer suffisamment de nouveau matériel original. Certes, certaines de ces reprises sont magistrales. La voix écorchée de John Lennon sur "Money (That's What I Want)" est à donner des frissons, concluant l'album avec une puissance viscérale. Sa performance sur "You Really Got a Hold on Me" est également poignante. De même, leur version de "Please Mister Postman" est pleine d'un entrain joyeux. Néanmoins, d'autres reprises peinent à convaincre. "Till There Was You", ballade issue d'une comédie musicale, semble un peu mièvre et détonne avec l'énergie rock du reste du disque. "Devil in Her Heart" ou "Roll Over Beethoven" (chantée par George) sont sympathiques, mais n'apportent pas la plus-value ou la réinvention qu'on attendrait des Fab Four. Elles donnent l'impression que le groupe se contente de jouer des morceaux qu'ils aiment, sans forcément se les approprier complètement. Même du côté des compositions originales, tout n'est pas au niveau de "All My Loving". Des titres comme "Little Child" ou "Hold Me Tight" (une ancienne chanson retravaillée) fonctionnent grâce à l'énergie du groupe mais manquent de la finesse et de l'inventivité qui caractériseront leurs futurs morceaux. il faut prendre "With The Beatles" comme un album charnière, mais un album essentiel pour comprendre l'ascension fulgurante du groupe. Il a parfaitement rempli sa mission en 1963 : satisfaire l'appétit insatiable des fans avec une nouvelle dose d'énergie Beatles. Cependant, l'album reste inégal. Pris en sandwich entre l'explosion brute de "Please Please Me" et le génie mélodique 100% original de "A Hard Day's Night" (sorti moins d'un an plus tard). C'est un album qui consolide un succès plus qu'il ne le réinvente. Un 3 sur 5 pour un bon album, témoin de son temps, mais pas encore le grand disque des Beatles.

I used to absolutely love this album when I was at university so it has a special place in my heart for sure. That being said, I know for sure this is nowhere near the best album of the Beatles. Arguably their first album, though with less originals, actually has something more endearing and more of a cohesive feel to it. It’s still a quality album there is no denying that, and I actually heard some new things in the songs this time around too which is testament to the timeless quality of the Beatles. Despite my familiarity, I’m still changing and chopping my favourites years after first hearing it. 4/5 Standout tracks (this time): Don’t Bother Me Til There Was You Roll Over Beethoven

It may look like there’s two Beatles missing (Bob Dylan and Yoko) but it’s just Bobby, Yoko’s hair is helping her camouflage in the dark.

A lot of people hate the early Beatles albums because it lacks the perfection the later albums achieve both lyrically and musically. My argument for this is that they are SO DAMN CATCHY! I could listen to this for hours on end and even if it is far from their best, I can't stop listening to it!

I love the Beatles and I’ve never listened to this album. I already love the sound. This is classic Beatles sound. “All my loving” is such a great song. Every bit of it. This album is so great. And it’s a great snapshot of how the music industry worked at that time and how it was changing.

These lads can write some decent tunes, but someone should probably give them drugs so we can see what they can really do.

Even early/not fully baked Beatles are good Beatles.

This is the album where the Beatles start to realize their potential. The album isn’t a couple of singles surrounded by their amateur show material. It’s a little more thoughtful and is the beginning of the through line to the band that changes everything.

Garage Rock meets Power Pop. Long before anybody uses these terms. Great album

Pure bliss. Old bliss admittedly, but bliss nevertheless.

The Beatles were about to take over the world. 5 starrs or A-.

One of my favourite bands of all time; my very first record ever was The White Album, and it changed my life. Hearing this record makes me reflect on the wonder of chance and fate - that these four young men should find each other, blend their sounds and thoughts and opinions on music - and that the end result would be arguably the most consequential pop music of the 20th century. 1000 stars out of 5.

Good album from the Beatles. Underrated by beatles fans.

What a fun album

Early Beatles has a time and a place. The time being 60 years ago and the place being nowhere near me.

Very of a time, didn't make a huge impression though. It's just so much apart of the fabric of music it's difficult to think about it as an artistic thing

Absolute banger after banger, 0 skips. It's The Beatles I don't gotta say anymore.

I knew most of these songs from just playing them at jams, hearing them at musicals, etc., but I've rarely listened to the originals. They are classics tho, and I like playing them. It was fun to hear them all in one "playlist". I usually just know them as "the early beatles". I was doing some chores while listening, so it didn't feel like a deep dive. But the album doesn't feel like something that needs a deep dive. It feels more like party music, vibes, rebellious, white people dancing music. It sometimes did feel like I was listening to a white and british interpretation of some very important and historic african american music. But then again, doesn't the majority of popular western music fall into that category. Funny to hear some of the biggest songwriters ever in their early stages. I don't know Beatles lore that well, so would be interesting to know how important this album is compared to some of the more popular once. It's definitely not their best work imo.

People who say the Beatles are overrated are obviously the most annoying, but people who say they didn’t really get good until Rubber Soul/Revolver aren’t far behind. Five stars.

I think there’s two ways of approaching ‘With The Beatles.’ The first is that it’s from 1963. The concept of the album as we now know it now, didn’t really come about until 1966. This couldn’t really be seen as a great album by our current standards, or even the strongest conceivable album The Beatles could have come out with at that particular time. Whilst starting off strong, it does descend into a load of Motown covers; which whilst technically good, never better the original. It’s a solid, yet an uneven, collection of songs. The second way of looking at it, IS THAT IT’S LITERALLY ‘WITH THE BEATLES’ BY THE LITERAL BEATLES. What more do you want? The fact this album still sounds THIS energised, exciting and full of life is absolutely astonishing. How is this even possible…

If there is one Beatles album that doesn't get its proper due in the current age, then it has to be this one. I have a suspicion that some of it is because of its particularly egregious stereo mix, which is the only available version on streaming services. It's of course also because of the albums that came out before and after this one. Please Please Me has the underdog thing going for it, with endless charm and a true live quality. A Hard Day's Night is more sonically varied, ridiculously catchy, and made up completely of Lennon/McCartney originals. With The Beatles bridges that gap perfectly. The work they did in this little period was obviously crucial to their later astronomical success, and was apparently the lasting favorite album for a lot of first generation fans. Lennon even called it "the true sound of the Beatles". To me it's very easy to hear why. The first three joints are a brilliant knockout of fantastic melodies, great vocals, and a whole lot of energy. And they keep up that energy throughout the runtime. Macca sings 'Til There Was You beautifully over some surprisingly sophisticated jazz chords. Some more highlights are their three Motown covers, during which John Lennon gives some fantastic full-throated performances. There a couple of spotty songs like Little Child, Roll Over Beethoven, and I Wanna Be Your Man (sorry Ringo) which don't do much other than keeping up that energy. Other songs like Hold Me Tight and Not A Second Time are quite enjoyable, but more forgettable in terms of songwriting. This is far from their strongest collection of songs, yet there's always something worthwhile to listen out for: the triplets on All My Loving, their passionate harmonies throughout, unassuming yet effective guitar- and drum fills, the infamous "aeolian cadence" on Not A Second Time. Its a lot of sugary fun. This sound was revolutionary at the time. And it's got such an innocent quality as well. I just never get tired of the sound of these fellas.