Reviews (page 7 of 16)
I will never understand why there were so big. The first half of the record with their songs are bright and spangly and fun, but not unlike what you'd expect from any 60's pop record. The second half with the covers is extremely underwhelming and lacking in the soul and intensity of the originals. At least they had Ringo to stop it being boring!
Instant happiness!
I love the beatles, not my favorite album of theirs but its still classic.
Might be the worst beatles album, but that's saying a lot as it is still almost a 3.5
Anything by the Beatles is at least 4 stars but this one just doesn't have the wall-to-wall great songs like many of the other ones do. There are a few too many covers as Lennon and McCartney were still finding their voice. And, admittedly, I have a bias toward the later period Beatles. Still, this is a fun, raucous album that captured them just as Beatlemania was about to hit.
Not my favorite Beatles record pre- Rubber Soul, I'd give that to Help, but I love this one. Starts off with a bang with the first three tracks, All My Loving especially is one of my favorite Beatles songs. Yes, no one's favorite Beatles song is The Devil In Her Heart, but the covers don't detract from what's so good about this album. It doesnt feature the insanely creative songwriting that Lennon/McCartney show off later (although theres damn good pop songs here), but With The Beatles demonstrates on every track how incredible the band's chemistry is. A showcase in melodies and harmonies, and just having fun playing together. It will never not blow my mind that four lads from one city in the UK got together and just played so well off each other from the getgo. Makes you want to believe in fate
OK, THIS is why the band is so well regarded. I always thought I enjoyed them, but didn't think them as anything super spectacular. This is something special, however!
I loved it
2025-09-21: Happy-sounding music easy to get into in a short-duration form factor. I find it easy to give the album a 4, and I'll up it up a notch for fandom's sake, and because it might be worth it.
Great album. Had its highs and lows, but overall was fun to listen to. Can see myself coming back
What's not to like?
dirty fucking hippies.
Fine? I’m not a Beatles guy and the album I found on Spotify was mixed such that the right ear was all vocals and the left ear was all instruments so it sounded super wonky with headphones. Probably better listen with speakers.
Pretty good album, some pretty good songs here and there, but not really any that stand out. Quintessential 60s sounding , early Beatles, nothing that really stands out. 3.75/5
Beatles
Overall: 7/10 Potential hot take incoming: this is the worst Beatles album. There's too many covers, the originals aren't mindblowing and the making of the album isn't entirely interesting. With that being said, it's still The Beatles. There's great love songs here like All My Loving, Till There Was You and You Really Got a Hold On Me. I also really like George's first song that he wrote, Don't Bother Me. You may find yourself skipping about half of the album but there's still lots to like. Fav Song: All My Loving
i’ve heard this album. it’s good
A bit bland, but not bad
The covers were better than their own songs, but they are babies here.
Já é possível notar a generalidade da banda e como se destacava no cenário da época. Ótimo disco. QoA Vesper.
A great Beatles album. I have to try not to give all of them fives but object this has a ton of great songs and covers. Easily a 4 for me
Album sympa que je connaissais déjà, mais clairement pas le meilleur album des Beatles.
It’s fine. 2.75
1963 A smattering if ubiquitous songs heard many times before, along with a few covers. I would never deny The Beatles' influence over the music that we hear today, but I dont really need this album in my life. Heard before ❌️ in part, but not as a whole Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ Historical importance ★★☆☆☆ (4/10)
Good solid where it all started
Man there are some really cool songs on here. I wish they would’ve made more rock n roll.
I love The Beatles, but this isn't one of their best records. It has some classics on it however. Very textbook early mop-top Ed Sullivan Beatles here though I prefer Please Please Me. Not to mention they're still doing a majority of covers rather than originals, and let me tell you, the Lennon-McCartney originals are superior (6/10, 3/5 on this scale)
Fine enough, some classics - probably remarkable for the time
The Fabs' second album shows that they weren't slowing down songwriting wise. They have a mix of pure adrenaline pop mixed with their more esoteric tastes (for that time) with their choice of covers (musical, girl groups, soul) and they pull it off barely breaking a sweat. Goddamn these boys are good - they're going places. Best Tracks: It Won't Be Long; All My Loving; You Really Got a Hold On Me
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.
I've been a Beatles fan most of my life, but I know this material from how it was scattered among the shorter Capitol albums released in the U.S. This revisit was remarkable for me. First of all, I benefited by hearing these recordings in their remastered state which brought a whole new level of clarity and immediacy to my listening experience. Secondly, and this might be harder for younger listeners to understand, the sequencing of the songs totally changed the album-listening experience, in this case very much for the better. I think one of the intentions behind this 1,000 album project is proselytizing for listening to whole albums as a single artistic work in much the same way that reading a book involves reading, usually in a fixed sequence, all the chapters in that book. The book, not the chapters, is the work. The album, more than the songs, is the work.
I'm tired of listening to this album. 2.5/5
Okay. I realize I have an anti-Beatles bias and a chip on my shoulder about it - trying to preemptively defend myself against the masses who adore them. I made an effort here to get past my biases. This album is full of squeaky clean, inoffensive sixties pop. I can definitely hear the foundation for a lot of future music I enjoy being laid down - influential for sure. I also completely failed to enjoy the listening experience. I turned down the volume twice before I started petting a cat so my hands would be too busy to do that again, and then I got very involved in petting the cat. At least she's happy! My rating: two stars My eternally needy little tortie who got an extra half hour of dedicated attention out of this: five slow blinks out of five
Typical, I know, but I looove post-‘66 Beatles and am much more hit and miss on early-career Beatles. I typically don’t get into the early ‘60s rock n’ roll anyway, but now that I’ve listened to more records from that era, I can pick out the little qualities that made the Beatles stand out. They did have a little more of an edge and a force than their peers did, and that’s audible on this record. Some good tunes on here, but I probably won’t revisit it in full anytime soon. It’s only really a must-listen if you’re digging into the whole Beatles oeuvre.
One or two gems, but clearly not their best album.
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.
10/5 stars!
The Beatles are fine
Слабее первого альбома, но всё равно слушается на ура время от времени. 7 из 10.
Surprised this one is on here over a couple of their others. I've always thought of it as one of their weaker albums but even then I still enjoyed every song this time through. A couple fantastic songs, some underrated ones I forget about, and some decent covers. Cool album art as well. Still can't believe this one is here over Help but whatever I'll never complain to listen to some Beatles. It's always a fun excursion to go back and listen to one of their earlier albums, it always leaves me in a good mood. Rating: 4.4
Very good tubes !
It's the Beatles. How can I rate them anything but five stars? These guys are the GOAT.
Never heard of them
Love songs aren't really my thing. And neither are generic "I love yous" and "I love hers". I prefer a song with intrigue and poetry. These Beatles songs sounded like Bo Burnham, " I love your greenish/bluish/brownish eyes." I know what songs I like from The Beatles and this album did not have them.
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.
Lacking the character that other early British invasion has and the technical skill that comes with later British invasion music. Not terrible, but not fantastic. Pretty unobtrusive, but that's not a good thing all the time.
Spero che i Beatles siano finiti...
A couple of duds but it’s a great listen and it’s full of classics like All My Loving and underrated ones like You Really Got A Hold On Me (a cover) and Not A Second Time. I enjoy it.
It’s not ‘Sgt. Pepper’s’ or ‘Abbey Road’, but this is still a lot of fun and very enjoyable. If anything, it’s a great counterpoint — listening to this alongside the Beatles’ later albums really highlights how quickly their sound and songwriting matured. Sure ‘With The Beatles’ feels a bit rushed and hastily put together, and with quite a bit of filler, but there’s still plenty to like. It’s catchy, energetic, and for the most part, infectious — a solid half hour of early Beatles charm.
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.
Is every Beatles album in the list? Anyway, it's nice, but the latter albums are exponentially better.
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.
tha beatle
This lot will never amount to anything
On pure enjoyability, it's probably a low 4, but the best songs on the album aren't Beatles songs, and they're generally worse than the original.
I never did like scousers
Think it's probably the worst Beatles album. Still great though
Dont really listen to that much early Beatles. Perfectly decent pop music but not in the same league as their later stuff
Still pretty true to the original music they started with. Simple, honest pop music.
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.
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.
I suppose that this is the archetypal "Difficult Second Album". After their original went thermonuclear, the four guys we bundled back into the studio to capitalise on their success. And, a not so great collection of original tunes, and some quick, by-the-books, cover versions were rushed out. It's still enjoyable, but ... it pales in comparison. "Don't Bother Me" is the stand-out track, IMHO, but album cover aside, there's nothing truly great here.
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’ve got nothing to add to the Beatles praise, only wondering why this average rating is so low. Y'all are crazy.
An essential album for any Beatles fan and any music fan for that matter!
I don't think I'm fluent enough musically to explain the effect that The Beatles had on music without just copying someone else's words. This album was good.
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.
If this was the only Beatles album I feel like you'd never hear of them too much but it's solid at what it's doing. Easy to listen to, hits the beats.
This is a solidly constructed album and more cohesive than some of the later ones, but it's a bit basic. A well calculated product for the time I'm sure. The cover songs don't quite live up to the originals, but they do a fine job.
маловато пронзительных хитов (ол май лавин! woo!) и многовато ремейков, не мой любимый
A few great songs, but it has its fair share of mediocre ones too. Would benefit from a remix to bring down the cymbals.
3.25/5
It's fun to hear the basis of their later sound! I've never listened to this album, and it's just hard to not compare it to their others (that I like much more). Wouldn't listen to again, but it's still the Beatles...
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 mean it's The Beatles. They have a basic quality floor. But this album didn't surprise me with anything other than "huh The Beatles have a version of this?" on a couple tracks. 3/5.
Better than I expected, always been a Beatles denier. Some of the covers on here really spoke to me, especially Till There Was You. Definitely feels like the primordial soup of rock n roll. Some of the mixing isn't made with headphones in mind, but it was last remastered in 2008 so I'll give them some slack.
I was pretty surprised at the number of covers in there, six! Overall pleasant to listen to, not their most influential stuff yet. 3.5
Putting these four goofballs together in one band is nothing short of miraculous. I often wonder if I'd rather have four really good bands - one for each Beatle - or just one Beatles. I always land on one Beatles but imagine what those four other bands could have done separately. That's a lot of great stuff.
decent
Meh
Ok listen I don’t love it but I do really like the Beatles… they just do such a good cover too, like it’s unique and in their voice which I feel like is pretty rare
Not bad.
I remember this album sitting in the special LP box that my family had, memorable because it is in black and white. I was born in 1960, so this would have been one of my early memories. At that age I would have been more into the Chipmunks. This evokes childhood memories for me, so how can I not be emotionally affected. Older siblings and parents would play the radio and record player, I would have no say and would naturally absorb the feelings the tracks evoked in others. Listening to this now, 60 years later, the hold has loosened somewhat. Some of the tracks are ok, the others are spared by the norms at the time of being under 3 minutes. I wonder if the size of each Beatles head on the cover meant anything to the photographer, in terms of who they thought was more important.
big 3
Upbeat, light, Classics
Everyone knows the sound of The Beatles' early Merseybeat records. The sound of US Rock and Roll and Rhythm and Blues can be heard throughout, particularly on the intricate and clever vocal harmonies. This is even more obvious with some of the cover choices (Please Mr Postman, Roll Over Beethoven). The music is stripped back in terms of instrumentation, keeping the vocals at the forefront. As a side note: some of the mixing choices on this remastered weren't great; panning the vocals completely to the right channel on some songs felt odd, almost distracting. Not my favourite era of the band, they are emulating a sound rather then their later more creative output but the vocals are crisp and enjoyable.
Iconic
Any Beatles album is top notch in my book!
Irrelevant band
Les Beatles quoi, ça s'écoute bien mais on n'est pas surpris
Toujours agréable d’écouter les Beatles, j’aime beaucoup ! Niveau instru : c’est assez classique mais les voix sont vraiment bien ! Album assez calme, pas le meilleur !
J'avais jamais écouté un album de Beatles du début à la fin, surtout celui là qui est un basique. Très sympa ! 4/5
till there was you 💗💗💗😽😽😽 3.5
(4) this sent me right back to my 2020 beatles phase love love love
Not bad. Brief but flowed well. 3/5
When do the drugs kick in?
Oh I always love when I open the site and see a Beatles album. This is the only Beatles album on the list that has a significant amount of covers so I’m gonna start with those. “Till There Was You” is the best Beatles cover, Paul’s voice is gorgeous on it and that solo from George is great. I’ve never cared particularly for the covers of “Please Mister Postman” and “Roll Over Beethoven” but both are good. “You Really Got A Hold On Me” is pretty good, “Devil In Her Heart” is one of my favorite Beatles covers, it’s so good. “Money” is also a good cover. As for the originals: opening with “It Won’t Be Long” is genius, that song gets us energized and ready for a fun album. “All I’ve Got To Do” is beautiful and John’s vocals are amazing. “All My Loving” is one of the first songs I loved as a child, amazing track. “Don’t Bother Me” is George’s first song with the band, it’s pretty decent. “Little Child” is the only kinda bad song on the album, the tune is ok but those lyrics ruin it, most Beatles songs with questionable lyrics are catchy enough and musically interesting enough for the lyrics to be ignored, not this one. “Hold Me Tight” is pretty good. “I Wanna Be Your Man” is good. “Not A Second Time” is also good. Look, if I’m honest this album is the least essential Beatles album on the list, I’d argue “Please Please Me”, “Help!”, “Magical Mystery Tour”, and “Let It Be” are all more essential. But this album is also one of the most singularly fun albums in history. The vibe is consistently fun and enjoyable even in the worst moments. If I’m being honest this album is a 4/5 but The Beatles are the greatest of all time and I will be awarding this record a 5/5 on principle
Love this era of The Beatles! Great recommendation.
Till there was you I got to learn that song on ukulele and sing it to my 3-year-old
Great. It's a classic with a mix of some original songs and some covers.
Heard some songs off this before but wasn't familiar with the album. Fucking banggggggs
Pretty interesting that so many of these are covers. Cool to see some of their influences.
Such a funny album to be here cause like yes, it's the Beatles so of course it's good and iconic but I don't honestly think that a single person on the planet would say that this is the best Beatles album out there. In fact, it's probably the worst, but it's still the Beatles so... 6/10
Early Beatles, in all of their monotone glory. Every song is a classic!
Enjoyed it, felt dated
Rating: 4/5 One-line review: Basically the musical version of your first cool leather jacket: youthful, a little smug, but still timeless enough to borrow from forever. Highlights? “All My Loving” is still an uppercut of charm. “It Won’t Be Long” is a bop that sounds like the boys were trying to impress every girl at once. And “Till There Was You”? That’s Paul serenading your mom, respectfully.
I mean it's the Beatles!
Is there a world in which a Beatles album - any Beatles album - would not get 5 stars?
Standouts All My Loving Til There Was You Please Mr Postman Roll Over Beethoven You Really Got a Hold on Me Money
Not my favourite of the earlier stuff, but still better than Beatles For Sale
Would listen again. 4 sterren
Excellent
Such a brilliant sound.
classic beatles
There some interesting songs here but the covers are stronger than a lot of the original songs. Which I don't think bodes that well?
i don't think this will be my favorite beatles album, but this one really pops off in the second half after "roll over beethoven". have to respect it, didn't know you could shake ass to the beatles like that.
This was a fun early album. You can really hear how The Beatlea progressed musically in future albums. Good listen.
With The Beatles is certainly one of the first Beatles albums i'll give it that. This album easily does deserve it's place on this list because it was definitely one of the first albums of it's kind and influenced loads of other bands. I still don't think this album is all that great. Most of the songs are far too samey and this album just doesn't really have any standout tracks (outside of Please Mister Postman, that track was pretty solid). I also feel like the songs go by too quickly, not giving them enough time to sink in and just makes them all get lost in the shuffle. I don't think its a bad album, the musicianship is good and it deserves it's place here, It just isn't great and a bit disappointing considering this is the album that was generated for me on my 21st birthday. Best Song: Please Mister Postman Worst Song: Little Child
Altså, der er da et par udmærkede numre imellem, også nogle ok covers. men det er godt nok sukkersødt. Som jeg også fik skrevet om det andet start-60'er-album, jeg har lyttet til. Åbningen "It won't be Long" var ret fin, men så bliver det godt nok meget af det samme. Måske det bare skulle have været deres egne otte numre, og så var det fint, men så ville den selvfølgelig kun have varet et kvarters tid.
Wcześni Beatlesi, więc trochę błędów nowicjuszy i takiego oldschoolowego grania, ale nadal to jest płyta najlepszego zespołu wszech czasów. 8/10 i wielkie miejsce w moim sercu.
I know I'm biased on the beatles but this is a 5, good energy, harmonies, fun Ringo drums
Lovely album, but not a masterpiece. Still enjoyed it.
Bad and boring for the beatles
Nostalgia at its best! Some classic Beatles and a few forgotten gems.
Hate the Beatles. Only good songs are covers.
And I described Prince as foundational music. This is it, this is at the center of who I am and who I have become musically. These first two Beatles albums are imprinted on me from as far back as I have memories. Watching the Let It Be documentary made all of their music that much more meaningful and even more fascinating. What a story. So grateful to have had this music moving through my life.
It's hard to believe this was one of the first albums from one of the most influential and long-lasting bands of all time. Judging a 60 year old album with modern sensibilities and tastes seems unfair, but this is definitely not an album I'd listen to again.
I'm sorry but I was quite bored through most of this 😭 It's not terrible, but it's not great either. Highlights: All My Loving, It Won't Be Long
It was just a bit meh Fav song: all my loving
It’s the Beatles!!
Seemed like a lot of covers. Underwhelming, considering how strong most of their music is.
I really wanted to hate on this one, but I just cannot do it
This is the good old Beatles, back to where it started. I like this stuff a little more than when they start to get weird. It's crazy how many bands in the early 1900s walked so the Beatles could run on their first few albums, and then how many bands exploded because of the Beatles and you can really hear that on this album. With The Beatles is a fun listen, quick, and full of jams. There are a couple hits here and a fair bit of more forgettable songs. It is a good album to just play through in its entirety though. It's a bit formulaic for the time period and has a lot of harmonies and catchy guitar riffs and hooks that just make it a good time, even if not a particularly novel one. Standouts for me are "It Won't Be Long" "Please Mister Postman" and "Roll Over Beethoven" I do think this is one of the Beatles weaker albums, and it's still going to come in at a 3 for me. There are only a couple of songs to really keep coming back to here, but in the moment it's pretty solid!
Nothing really special about this one, a lot of covers. Seems like this was only released to capitalize off Beatlemania
Another masterpiece from the Beatles! The Beatles get moody on the non-smiling album cover art of their second album, but you will be all smiles as you listen to yet another five star album from the lads!
Not for me, not huge on the Beatles. It's easy to listen to. For being their second release - they're starting to sound more polished. I am not too into the covers, but they're not terrible. Although the Roll Over Beethoven cover is played about as well as I can play it, and that's not great.
In my opinion the worst pre-Rubber Soul album for the beatles. Young, immature song writing and uninspired covers make for a 30 minute LP that feels like an hour. I'm genuinely surprised this is on the list. Considering this didn't release in the US or Canada, it's hard to attribute the cultural phenomenon of Beatlemania to it even. A great example of what the floor is for The Beatles.
i did not enjoy that one bit. no sax solos too.
Is this the Beatles before they were cool? Vocals all being in exclusively the right ear is not pleasant.
музыка, написанная абюьзерами, изменщиками, гомофобами с неконтролируемой агрессией, но хэй, это же битлз!! легенды!! я никогда не поменяю своего мнения, они ужасны, их музыка ужасна во первых, песни по две минуты? это типа нам на донышке налили и с кончика ложки дали? во вторых, восемь каверов в альбоме? всего композиций 14. я не могу понять влияния битлз на историю музыки, вы не простите, но бог простит. голоса у них вообще неприятные
It's The Beatles. Good, but far from hitting their peak.
It's not the peak of their songwriting, but it actually is a lot more interesting than I expected. I've heard a couple songs off of this before, but I've never sat and listened to it.
Vroege Beatles. Qua muziek en samenzang gewoon heel goed. Wat leuke aanstekende muziekjes, maar beetje simpel. Hoogtepunten: Please mr Postman Roll over Beethoven
Favorite songs: Roll Over Beethoven, Please Mister Postman, Money (That's What I Want), Little Child, All I've Got To Do Least favorite songs: Not a Second Time 3/5
Even though this isn’t the quintessential Beatles album, every song in here made me want to sing along, even when I heard it for the first time. However, I’d say it’s not as good as other albums in the same spirit (anything by the Kinks)… Favorites: - It won’t be long - All my loving - Hold me tight
Not their best, but still …
Wasn’t particularly special? I liked a few songs and the whole album was good but there wasn’t anything that stood out to me
Great Album from the beginning of their career, some legendary tunes
I have listened to this album. Discovered when I was 19
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
Half covers. Few memorable originals. Not the Beatles era I love. 14 lovely perfectly sappy early 60s pop songs from their boy band era.
My Beatles knowledge is patchy at best - I believe I've only ever listened to the "1" compilation album, so I know of their obvious hits via that. This one didn't blow me away. It's a reasonable enough listen, but it offers little explanation towards the revered, global mega-entity that they would go on to become, and I would suggest that it is by no means essential. It's one that you'd put on to gain a greater understanding of the band's early trajectory, but there's little in the way of replay value for me here as it just felt a bit too simplistic.
I definitely prefer later, post-touring beatles. This album has some good songs on it, but many are not so good and sound similar to other songs.
Can’t believe this is the same band that made Revolver. Good for the time and place but nothing like what they would become.
Can't really say anything bad about a foundational album for modern rock.
Wasn’t expecting to like it, but every song was great
*1963 - second studio album. *I liked a lot of this. *Simple lyrics and melodies for the most part, with some cool bits thrown in. *Not the bubble gum pop Beatles and not the drug-fueled, introspective stuff either. RATING - 7/10
Première écoute de cet album des Beatles et pourtant, je les ai écoutés en boucle à un moment! On retrouve bien leur sonorité! ❤️❤️❤️ Album de taille parfaite pour commencer la matinée, différents instruments qu’on entend plus actuellement et qui apporte ce petit plus aux chansons! 5/5
Não gosto muito dos beatles
I'm definitely a Beatles fan and, while I enjoy this album, I recognize that it is far from their best and not deserving of 5*. There's definitely a reason that I don't listen to it a ton and much prefer most of their other albums. Favorite songs: All I've Got to Do, Till There Was You, Please Mister Postman, Devil In Her Heart
Favorite tracks: All my loving Heard before: N/A 3
Lots of short songs Not bad
The Beatles é uma das minhas bandas favoritas e é difícil ser imparcial. Não é o melhor álbum deles mas é bom!
I get that the Beatles are THE BEATLES, but this is such an also-ran album from them. 2.5
6/10 You can hear their talent for songwriting even if the result isnt quite as timeless as their later work Highlight: It Wont be Long
It’s an okay album. Probably on the list to compare to what the Beatles eventually became. Not as many hit songs and much of is pretty average. 3/5 Might listen again
Some class songs but just not their best
It's not my early Beatles go-to (that would be A Hard Day's Night) but the three-in-a-row "All I've Got to Do" and "All My Loving" and "Don't Bother Me" is pretty killer.
With The Beatles starts off with the urgent “It Won’t Be Long” and rarely lets up. It showcases uptempo rockers, great harmonies, Lennon’s chiming Rickenbacker and clean production, which lets you hear each instrument and the vocal harmonies. The covers are all well chosen and performed, though a few of the originals, while good, stick to a formula and pale against the kaleidoscopic development of songwriting chops to come. It’s not hard to imagine how exciting this must’ve sounded to a postwar generation starting to come of age, fueling their the fizzy optimism and overactive sex drives.
Not my speed.
This is pretty much the Beatles at their corniest... and if you can manage to trick yourself into listening to this with fresh ears, it cannot be denied that every song slaps.
There is no way that 7 of 13 beatles lps are essential before you die. Especially this one thats more simplistic than Chuck Berry. I'm rating this low not because I hate the fab 4 but because this woo! Yeah yeah yeah era is so not essential even if they did eventually make Sgt peppers.
I really like the post-LSD Beatles. I can appreciate the pre-LSD Beatles for their mark on pop-culture, but the music just doesn't do it for me. Gonna save a few stars for one of their later albums.
Too doo-oppy for me. I mean I get that it's the Beatles but all the beats sounded the same, like they were running with the beach vibes and never looked back.
Super fun pop album. Classic Beatles at some of their best. I loved the whole thing.
I'm only 6 albums in on this list and I would be very surprised if not every Beatles album shows up. This was their second album in a year. Lots of covers but lots of original classics. The album photo is just as iconic and copied as the tunes inside.
Pretty solid. Even though it has a lot of covers, I still prefer their covers over some of the originals.
It took to album #20 to get to my first Beatles album. With this being the first, I'm very surprised that one of the their weakest albums in their discography made this list. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those people who will say that "The Beatles are overrated" (I'm a big fan of them), but this album can be a bit uninspiring to listen to considering the rest of their work especially in their later years. I just feel this is one of those 50s-60s albums that has a lot of filler with just one single to make it standout from the rest. As much as I love this band and the work they did, this album really is just something I don't care about too much. But hey, in my opinion, even the worst from the Beatles isn't bottom of the pit for me. Favorite Tracks: It Won't Be Long, All My Loving, Roll Over Beethoven Rating: 3/5
elämän riemua täynnä oleva beatles albumi
3.5
3.5
I love the Beatles and grew up (in the 90’s) listening to all of their music. I think this record is the one time has been most unkind to. There’s not a ton of growth from Please Please Me compared to their meteoric growth soon after this, and while the songs are well performed there’s not much to take away here 60+ years after Beatlemania. I’d probably rank it at the bottom of the Beatles discography.
3/5
This album is nice, it has good lyrics but it’s not my cup of tea. Being a person whose first language isn’t English, and also being 2000born kid, i wouldn’t prefer to listen to this music.
Maybe it's because this was my second Beatles album in a row, but this one didn't hit as hard as Hard Day's Night for me. Still solid Beatles music, albeit a little older style. Some songs on here I didn't remember being related to The Beatles like "Money (That's What I Want)" and "Please Mister Postman". This does have a lot of the songs from the 2000s movie Across the Universe and it made me want to go back and rewatch that since it's been a while, so it wasn't all for nothing!
Meh. Much like the early Rolling Stones albums, the second Beatles album is packed with unnecessary cover songs. The originals are good, but most have been overplayed through the years. The six(!) cover songs are nothing special. Maybe they should have released an EP instead.
Of all the great Beatles albums that could make the list, they include the one with only one hit song, and 6 cover songs? I mean it's good, it's the Beatles, but give me an album that is entirely written by the Beatles.
Far better than I expected it to be. Of course I have listened to a ton of early Beatles - my mom had all these albums - and I enjoyed them when I heard them back in the day. However, I had forgotten how incredibly tight the band was and how much energy there was in their performances. John's vocals in particular on this record are impressive. Such a striking contrast between this record and the early Stones record we got a few weeks ago. This sounds great and that sounds like something me and my high school buddies would have recorded in Hairboy's garage. (Still not his real name.)
It takes some chutzpah to listen to Little Richard and think "I could do that." This is no one's favorite Beatles album (and I guess it wasn't released in this form in the US at all), but it definitely showcases George as a promising songwriter.
3.5
The Beatles are always brilliant, not my favourite album as I like the later albums better but there isn’t a song I would skip. The ultimate rock band
Nice early Beatles. No desire to listen to again
This album seems like it was rushed out by the record execs to capitalize on the Beatles’ fame at the time. Too many lackluster covers, pretty forgettable.
The Beatles – With The Beatles With The Beatles is the sound of a band still in their sharp suits, still smiling for the press, but starting to get restless behind the scenes. It’s only their second album, released just months after their debut, but already there’s a bit more confidence, a bit more swagger in the playing. The harmonies are tighter, the guitar work more assertive, and there’s a cool, shadowy vibe to the cover that hints at the sophistication to come — even if the music inside still mostly plays it safe. There are great moments here. “All My Loving” is a perfect slice of early Beatles charm, and George gets his first proper vocal spotlight with “Don’t Bother Me,” which adds a darker tone that stands out among the breezier tracks. But a big chunk of the album is still padded with covers, and while they’re fun (especially their storming take on “Money”), it feels like the band is still figuring out their identity. There’s less of the raw excitement of Please Please Me, and not yet the bold experimentation that would define their later work. It’s a stepping stone
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What a band! I love these early albums because you're basically getting them live in the studio with maybe some handclaps or a doubled lead vocal added after. These are the days when they would record five or six tunes before lunch. The music may sound basic but there are very few ensembles of any kind who could crank out performances like this, one after the other. Whenever I play this record I skip immediately to Please Mister Postman and then go back and listen to the whole album from the top. For me it rivals the original, with John's pleading hitting harder than the Marvellettes could ever muster. On the intro of Roll Over Beethoven, George's lead guitar is pushed to what sounds like the absolute outer limit of his chops. I like to imagine he stayed up all night practicing, knowing they were going to record it the next morning. Some days this is a five for me. Today's it's a four.
Although I think I recognize a few of the tunes on this album (mainly the opening track "It won't be long" and "All my loving", maybe?), I haven't heard most of the tracks before on this early Beatles album, so that's kind of nice, I suppose. I like it how short and sweet both the songs and the overall album are, but I'll admit that most of the songs are pretty forgettable and rarely show any evidence of their later musical talent and exploration, not to mention that nearly half the songs are covers (and not all that great at that). A few were kind of distinctive, like "Till there was you", and some tracks were fairly painful (like "All I've got to do"). I'm sure this album is a must-have in a Beatles heritage tour collection, and perhaps distinctive in that it had no Beatles singles, but I'm not sure I really needed to hear this before I die.
I love the Beatles but this isn't an exceptional album and didn't need to be part of this project. Meet the Beatles would've been a better choice to highlight their early work.
Fetus Beatles!
Great. Nothing amazing, seems like a bunch of covers but good ones.
here we go, something to talk about that's BEEN talked to death about. this one is up there for me in their career. Beatles go covers, to a transition, to a high point, and then off the deep end. this is a combo of those early days and then moving somewhere no one has ever been before. while the covers are a sticking point, (are they better versions? no. do they bring attention to the original artist TODAY? yes. BACK THEN? no) there is enough of their own songs to prove they are more than ears for good music. All My Loving stands as one of their most played songs. That alone sets their status to greatest of all time. but then you have genius Harrison putting out bangers like Don't Bother Me, showing clearly the trajectory that was about to occur. It Won't Be Long is a bold start. I'm not really gunna talk about the covers, they speak for themselves but i don't consider them Beatles songs. Little Child is fun, even if no one likes it. there is history here like they wrote I Wanna Be Your Man but then the Stones did it and then they recorded it, so who's is it really? as of this review, these songs have basically been conditioned, so there is a numbness to the billionth listening. but lesser known jams like Not a Second Chance show exactly which member has what style. after listening through this time, i do admit its really not that impressive as the hype builds up. its the start of their meteoric rise that is present here. punk, modern rock, and metal are basically starting right here. 3/5 the next 3 and half records after this are pret much 5's.
Such a great and iconic album. You forget how many songs The Beatles did you just listen to one album.
Classic!
Yes, the Beatles are the biggest band of all time and for good reason, but this album wasn't an amazing record for me. The good: There’s actually a lot of diversity in the sound of a lot of these songs, at least more than I expected at this stage in their careers. And that sound is really quite great, if we look at these songs through the lens of the time in which they were written. Also, they are excellent singers and the songs are generally fun and catchy. The bad: Where there wasn't diversity? The theming. I'm going to get the girl, I am going to call the girl, I'm going to kiss/love the girl, I've lost the girl, the girl is far away, I'm with the girl . . . even where's my letter from my girl? We were halfway through the album before something different finally came on with Roll Over Beethoven. Oh and then right back to the girl: please hold me, she has a hold on me, I want to be with her, she loves me but she's the devil, I'm not giving her another chance. Mercifully, a song about money to close the album. Sure, not the greatest theme ever - I just want money - but at least it wasn't being used to get a girl! This will undoubtedly be well rated because it is the Beatles, but this really didn't get a hold on me (yes, I did just bend one of their songs). It's good, but not great.
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The great thing with the Beatles is that you can put any album and have a good time. From moment one, you just want to party with them, and make no mistake, you are invited. Paul and John's voice comes through powerfully--is it a wonder that the entire western world was seduced by these guys? This being said, the music does feel dated--it doesn't have the timeless quality of the later Beatles. We clearly hear that this was made in the 60s, especially with songs like Little Child. Later, you have a couple of covers of popular songs that get Beatle-ized. They're pleasant, but nothing spectacular (Mister Postman is great though). And then, out of nowhere, you get tracks like Till There Was You whose instrumentation sounds almost like a classical Spanish love song. So in this album, the depth comes and goes, but the potential is always there and when it's fulfilled, it hits you like nothing else. Unfortunately, the album seems front loaded, with the back half being much less impressive--you'll only like it as far as you already appreciate 60s rock.
Very good sophomore album by the Fab Four. Many covers, but some great originals as well. Has what I believe to be the definitive version of Twist and Shout.
❤️
5/10 Favourite: Don't Bother Me Least Favourite: Little Child
Nice to have a palate cleanser after all the drum machines with some old school Beatles.
I love early beatles + I'm feeling generous so 4 stars it is
2 because it’s below average. The Beatles are influential, but it doesn’t means I particularly enjoy listening to them. Like it’s such an important part of musical history and that’s really my only enjoyment of this album.
Early Beatles, a big hit with All My Loving. Half the songs sounded exactly like I Want to Hold Your Hand, which was a little uncanny, so I guess this album is a precursor to that one peculiar song.
First time I've heard a full Beatles album, and not a cover. I like Mr Postman, Roll Over Beethoven (first seen from the dog movies), Hold me Tight. Even though it's a bit old, you can still hear their influences today (2025)
Not the best nor my favorite Beatles album but still good. Not many probably won't say this but I absolutely love All My Loving.
Easily the Beatles album I like the least, but there's still a few great tracks on it. I really don't know why anyone would pick this one for an essential listening though.
It's the worst The Beatles can do, but it's still pretty good. That says something!
I don't know why it's on this list as it's not even a top 10 Beatles record. That said, I still love this album so much. It Won't Be Long, All My Loving, Don't Bother Me... There are nice cuts in it.
Had I been a young men in the 60's, I'd have fracassed myself on this but... Meh
3 у меня по нелюбимости альбом данной группы но как и все остальные он очень классный и вообще у группы нету плохих песен,в нем нету чего то необычного
You know, I honestly haven't listened to this one before, surprisingly. I know a couple songs off it (All My Loving and I Wanna Be Your Man, both classics), but the rest of the tracklist feels kinda pedestrian, especially for The Beatles. It's good, but nothing really special. Kinda derivative of other artists at the time (Elvis, Chuck Berry, etc.). Obviously, they'd go on to make much better, and interesting music. But as it stands, this album is just OK. If ever there was a Beatles record to drop from the list, this one could definitely be in the running. Even during this era of The Beatles they had much better material.
Excelente, como todo de los 4 de Liverpool
I liked them better during their pop phase, as uncool as that is. Classic performances, but also the classic criticism of relying on too many covers.
You can really see all of their potential just ready to burst out of them. Great production, playing, and the vocals are spot on. Not my favorite Beatles record, but… well, it’s still a Beatles record.
kinda beatless
Yeah this was fine in an early Beatles kind of way. I already had a soft spot for some of the songs. I associate All My Loving with a weird period in 2017 when I was in Liverpool for a bit and had really bad insomnia. That’s it really.
Beatles have never been my cup of tea, but could see the appeal to the pop demographic.
Absolutely classic. The fearsome foursome as they call them(do they?). Roll over beehtoven is one of my favorites - obviously a massive play on Chuck - but later amplified by ELO. Is this the best beatles record? No. Some might say yes - but it's just always so cool to hear how they've progressed and push the envelope every damn album. And it all happens so fast. There's a Jim Morrison quote that i absolutely love - though it's a little sad when you break it down. But.. "I see myself as a huge fiery comet, a shooting star. Everyone stops, points up, and gasps, 'Oh, look at that!' Then—whoosh, and I'm gone... and they'll never see anything like it ever again—ever". And to me that's the Beatles - and obviously the doors too. Just this fiery comet that BURST onto the scene and absolutely CHANGED THE GAME. 5 stars forever
In a nutshell: the beginning of the invasion. The Beatles, love them or loathe them, are part of popular music cannon. These four charming lads took the world by storm mere weeks after this album was released. Their influences/inspirations are on show here- The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, blues standards, Motown... But it's not great. Some of the covers are weak, despite the energetic input. The OG songs are lyrically clumsy in parts. We know John and Paul get better. I think you can skip this and go straight to A Hard Day's Night. Overall: 4/10
Middle of the road tracks, but easy to listen to i guess. You Really Got a Hold On Me is my favorite. Money is the worst.
With its improved songwriting and tighter arrangements, "With the Beatles" stands as a vast improvement over "Please Please Me". Unlike with the previous album, the Beatles spent a lot of time in the studio developing a more focused product. 'It Won't Be Long' showcases the band's masterful vocal arrangements and Lennon's unique chord progressions. The chordal structure defies diatonic harmony. Written in E Major, the verse includes an unexpected flatted major VI chord (CM). The bridge features a smooth, yet unexpected chordal descent from the tonic. Not many of the Beatles’ 1963 pop contemporaries ever came close to using such unconventional progressions. 'All I've Got to Do' greets the listener with a dark and dissonant jazz Eaug11 chord. 'Don't Bother Me' introduces George Harrison's cynical songwriting. I've never quite cared for McCartney's tedious 'Hold Me Tight' (a reject from the debut album). Interestingly, "With the Beatles" gives seven covers (as opposed to the six of "Please Please Me"). Regardless, the baffling cover of 'Till There Was You' from The Music Man stands out as top material. On top of McCartney's smooth melody, Harrison delivers such a tasty solo! At this point, the Beatles were experiencing the beginnings of Beatlemania, and perhaps the constant attention drained some spark of youth from the group. As such, the album cover's plain-faced shadows mark a drastic contrast to the colorful smiling of the Please Please Me cover.
In the first phase of the Beatles, which goes up to Help inclusive, this is my 3rd favorite album.
Think I knew one song previously. I don’t really listen to them, but this still wouldn’t be my go to album of theirs if I decided to put them on
Classic music. You can really see why they were the quintessential band back in the day.
I’m far from a Beatles fan. I like a few of their songs and definitely respect what they did for music, but their style just isn’t really my thing. That said, With The Beatles has its moments. You can hear the energy and charm that made them so influential, even if it doesn’t fully land for me personally. It's a solid early snapshot of a band that would go on to shape music history, just not an album I’ll return to.
Oh piss off. I've just written a review for Amnesiac where I said that there were too many truly excellent Radiohead albums on this list for me to want to listen to a merely good one. Having every Beatles album on this list is a real waste of a limited space. Only Revolver and Sgt Pepper's are truly great albums, the rest of the Beatles works are occasional great songs, a lot of filler and some real shite. This album has the extra annoyance of being nearly 50% cover songs. On the one hand, the cover songs mean there's nothing truly crap like Maxwell's Silver Hammer or Wild Honey Pie on this album. On the other hand, they're still just pub band covers. Ultimately, despite this album barely being more than half an hour long, I was mostly just waiting for it to be over.
I mean, yeah. Of course this is a good record.
After their first album, The Beatles were under a lot of pressure to deliver another hit, and they recorded this album just a few months later. What’s amazing is that even with such a short turnaround, this album not only solidified their success but made them even more popular than they were after their debut.
Yes, they wrote catchy tunes, but it all seems to trite and cliched now. They’re later stuff is just so much better and this is the musical equivalent of looking at a toddlers preschool scribblings stuck to the fridge door
So happy to have something listenable vs some of the junk I’ve gotten lately. That said, it’s not the Beatles best of course. But All My Loving is classic McCartney. 3.5 stars, but 4 feels too generous so I’ll round down.
I mean it's the Beatles, so it's going to be good. This album didn't really resonate with me overall though.
Beatles have never been my favorite. I know they’re popular and everything, doesn’t change the fact.
It's The Beatles, it's obviously good. I'm not big on this era of them, but it's better than 99% of the pop music of the time. "All My Loving" is the standout for me, as that always gets in my head for days after hearing it. "Don't Bother Me" is also interesting as a George song. I'm not as interested in the covers like "Please Mister Postman" or "Roll Over Beethoven" but they are certainly good. That's kind of how I feel about the album overall: it's good, but not very remarkable, especially in the context of the Beatles' catalog. I really disliked the stereo 2009 remaster of this. The hard-panning left and right is absurd and unlistenable with headphones. It wasn't until I found a mono mix on YouTube that I could really sit down and listen to the album in full.
Nope.
Classic Beatles songs
This is not the best of the Beatles I did not know these songs
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Songs were solid and enjoyable, but it’s early Beatles, so it’s not going to be as good as their later material. Also not really a fan of how the instruments are like 80% in my left ear
Great collection of singles
Can immediately hear that 50s rock and roll/doo-wop influence. But why such aggressive panning on track 1? Very distracting Otherwise not very groundbreaking Some covers as well Nothing special at all Best track - Money (That's What I Want) but is it a cover? I Wanna Be Your Man 2 stars
The Beatles are a band I'm excited to get into during this exercise, since I really haven't before now. Good album, but not sure it's going to convert me
The earlier pop Beatles songs I don’t care for as much as the more complex and varied albums of the later 60s. It’s not bad, plenty of good musical elements. A little repetitive.
Classic album. Always enjoyable listening to the Beatles.
I love the beatles
Not for me
Cool record You can hear the blueprint of what the Beatles would become. I enjoyed some of the covers.
more of an late-stage Beatles fan personally
Enjoyed this more than I expected to, to the extent I'd probably listen to this again.
Yeah, this is really good and some all timers included (come together, something, here comes the sun, because) but Maxwell's Silver Hammer is atrocious.
good
Half the record was cover songs.
My main thing is about money (thats what I want) this is an all time classic and the theme song to one of my favourite shows (brassic) but don’t go for the beatles version. If it were in modern times I think this would’ve been merged with please please me and some of the best older singles (e.g. she loves you and I want to hold your hand) and it would be a classic than the majority of the covers would be nifty bonus tracks. But this was the 60’s and I don’t hate this whatsoever, but please please me would’ve been the better early beatles pick 3/5
Probably their worst album other than Yellow Submarine. Still 3 stars easily.
The panning on headphones was a little much but it was good.
Probably my favorite album of theirs so far. It's not great but that's an improvement. Still, it's pretty generic stuff.
Pretty good. Not the best Beatles album I've heard.
Beatles early days, when they were pop heavy. Not bad, but I don't listen to the Beatles for their early stuff.
Like seltzer water
I've always really enjoyed "wait Mr Postman" and "All my Loving." This album is a generally pleasant listen but overall is not too interesting, some of the songs towards the end are pretty saccharine
Classic and dated
not a really interesting album to me, but not terrible. I Want to Hold Your Hand was released as a loosie in this same time period and stands above all the songs here IMO
Not super exciting - some hints of the songwriting strength that would mature in a couple of years, but out of that context not an altogether earthshaking experience.
I was going to do this whole bit about how this record was bad because the Beatles had gone hippie. But the reality is, these early records are fine, but not great. The significance of this release has been diminished by time. It's still good though.
Yep that's The Beatles. You can hear the foundations of music in this, it's like hearing proto english
First listen to the Beatles. Hard to comprehend the hype for these older albums. Sounds basic but that’s just the nature of the times. Good album, didn’t dislike any song but it helps that they are so short.
Great
Songs are pretty short and don't flow into each other well. Great, sweet love songs with very little complexity. No difficulty hearing any lyrics. Till There Was You is a beautiful showcase of Paul's singing at its best. I like the subversiveness of 'You've Really Got A Hold On Me,' where the singer admits the object of his affection treats him badly. That's about as edgy as it gets.
It will never cease to be anything less than mind-blowing to me that just three or four years after recording songs like Til There Was You and Please Mister Postman, they were coming out with Tomorrow Never Knows and I Am the Walrus. Literally everything they did was groundbreaking and brimming with that magical, larger-than-life quality, yet I’ve had socks for longer than the Beatles were together. They were incredible. And so were the Beatles.
Off the cuff remark: I'm no Beatles aficionado but I see this as when they were still "just" a great pop band, littered with (great) covers before their songwriting mastery is to the fore, but hinted at. Standout track(s): the two hints come in It Won't Be Long and All My Loving, wonderful gems amongst the gold. Revisit?: Undoubtedly. Having said all that I assume there won't be only one Beatles album in amongst this collection of albums. A strange choice if that is the case...
good but not that good
Was genuinely surprised by this album. Wouldn't actively queue it up, but wouldn't skip it either.
Svært at tage seriøst, når man i forvejen er en Beatles skeptiker. Specielt ikke deres tidlige musik. Ikke mig. 3/10
It was ok
My first ‘Beatles’ album in this list! An exciting day for any fan. Personally, I think this is one of their weaker albums due to the fact they are still attempting covers and haven’t yet hit their creative peak (and oh boy, do they deliver). However, as it’s the fab four I can’t give it less than 4 as this album undoubtedly includes some of their classic hits!
The album is fine. I’ve never loved their early work. I always appreciated their later album when they were on drugs. Those are much more interesting and creative. This album is well made and of its era. I liked the cover songs more than their originals.
even I as one their biggest fan would have to admit - they've got better ones.
would rather end my life than listen to the beatles willingly
I mean, that's Beatles, that's good
Early Beatles are just ok. A couple of good songs but I really do prefer later Beatles.
Fun poppy songs. I think I was familiar with only one, but that's the only one that stuck with me. Not sure why this particular album makes the cut, unless it was just because it was early
Me encantó. Un disco lleno de temazos y clásicos con un sonido súper fresco (considerando que son de los años sesenta).
Впервые в жизни слушаю битлов полностью, раньше слышал только отрывками отдельные треки. Честно говоря, ничего сверхиновационного не услышал, разве что It Won't Be Long - звучит необычно и заедает в голове
I love the Beatles, but although the musicianship is there, this doesn't have the composition strength of later albums. Standout song is All My Loving, which is great (Hold Me Tight is a bit of a stinker though). Serviceable covers played with verve (Money is among the best). A lower end four.
Old Beatles, can’t really go wrong.
Wait, really? I'm surprised to see this album on the list. I thought it was generally agreed that The Beatles fell into a slump with "Beatles For Sale" and "With The Beatles". In any case, I'm keen to give this album another go. I don't give it a spin nearly enough, The songwriting and rhyming conventions are pretty barebones, though the album is pleasing enough if you just go along with it. The three opening tracks are decent, though none of the remaining home-grown Beatles songs do much for me. The album falters very heavily down the center, with songs like "Don't Bother Me" and "Little Child" leaving a bit of a sour taste in my mouth, though the album ends on a solid enough note with "Devil in Her Heart" and "Money". The original material isn't much different from the covers aside from them being of a slightly-lesser quality in the songwriting department. If I'm to look at this album optimistically I think that's part of the charm. If I want to lose myself in some very of-the-time pop rock music I can just put this baby on. It's remarkably consistent in that regard. It's very difficult to comment on the merit of the covers, though I doubt anyone else is busting out the old ass showtunes for the sake of authentically reviewing this album. I guess my opinion is as good as anyone else's. The aforementioned "Til There Was You" is one of my favourites of the album - nothing like a good McCartney performance. "Devil In Her Heart" is my favourite song on the album. Some nice vocals from George Harrison (though I could have sworn it was Lennon on the lead vocals - strange). Can't complain about "Money", either. It's a classic for good reason. So, why's this album on the list? I imagine it's due to "With the Beatles" being generally more competent than "Please Please Me". It was either one or the other for this band, though I'd probably side with this album, too. In any case, lemme check the book. First album to ever sell a million copies in the UK. Motown influence. A formative moment for many of the band members. I'd quibble and moan about this album not being good enough on objective merit, but it's the "debut" album of The Beatles, man. Of course it's mandatory pre-mortem listening.
Sooooo good!!!
Whatever
A short and sweet Beatles record, pretty much during the height of "Beatlemania" and during a time where record companies expected multiple albums per year ("Please Please Me" was released just eight months prior). Hard to deny the talent and charm early on in their careers, but listening to this within the context of the present and their entire discography at my disposal is interesting. Yes, the group would blossom from a creative sense in just a few albums after this and they were still doing some early motown/rock n roll covers here. The original material is enjoyable though, if not a little cookie cutter looking back on this era of music. I can understand the inclusion of at least one pre-1965 Beatles album on this list given the initial hype and their ensuing artistic evolution.
I am very familiar with psychedelic era Beatles, but really haven't spent much time with the early Beatles era. It's genuinely wild referring to these as different eras considering it was only a few years between this album and when they started getting into psychedelic music. Incredible evolution over such a short career! Overall, I enjoyed this album. It's not something I'd listen to all the time, but I can see myself throwing it on from time to time.
quite liked this one, wish it wasn't in stereo though. official beatles album rankings so far: 1. with the beatles 2. rubber soul