Reviews (page 8 of 15)
A Hard Day’s Night isn’t The Beatles at their absolute best — but it’s the sound of them getting there fast. Their third album, and the first to feature only original songs, marks a major step forward in their songwriting and confidence. The band was starting to evolve past their early pop roots, and you can hear the ambition beginning to take shape. The title track explodes out of the gate with one of the most iconic opening chords in rock history — a sonic announcement that this is a band leveling up. “If I Fell” is a standout ballad, tender and beautifully crafted, with that trademark Lennon/McCartney harmony melting perfectly in the chorus. “Tell Me Why” brings energy and urgency, while “And I Love Her” is a soft, heartfelt moment that shows McCartney’s melodic gifts were already in full bloom. It’s not their deepest or most adventurous work, but A Hard Day’s Night captures The Beatles on the rise — sharper, more cohesive, and ready to change the world.
Great but not as good as the others
This is what I mean when I tell people The Beatles are overrated. This is not good.
In so many ways the quintessential Beatles album. Mature and confident with Lennon & McCartney at the peak of their powers. No sitars, no George Martin experiments or Phil Spector Wall of Sound, just clean, pure, well composed and produced 60s pop music. I love it.
Not for me
Great Album. To me the overrated allegations is just bullshit. All their albums are at least good listenable which your super niche band have never done probably. Back to the album, it flows good and i like the beatles so i go with a (4.0/5.0)
I was never too enthusiastic about The Beatles, always just liked a few songs of them and that's it. However, I could not look my guitar teacher from my youth in the eyes, should I randomly encounter him in the supermarket tomorrow, if I didn't give this album less than 4 stars. So there you go! That being said, Tell Me Why and especially Can't Buy Me Love are some real bangers.
Like the Beatles this album gets better the longer it goes on, and there are flashes of what The Beatles would become, its just not enough to be an enjoyable listen.
Maybe not the White Album, but still one of the greatest albums ever released. Not bad for a boy band from Liverpool.
Love me some beatles tunes! ૮꒰˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶꒱ა
4 maybe 5
some classics! Is it evil if I give it 3 stars? I feel like it's an album of songs with a similar flow, not doxxing but not drawing me in mega you know.
The Beatles starting to find their feet.
mijn fav early beatles album denk ik
Great ALbum. Still classic. Amazing tunes.
As someone who has never listened to much of the Beatles, and this being my first full-record listen, I'm feeling like it's incredibly one-note. This is perhaps the band I'm coming into this project with the highest expectations for and while the bangers are obviously undeniable, I can't help but feel like I was just waiting to get through a few of these tracks. I don't know what it means for my feelings about the record but, I guessed and later confirmed that this had to be an earlier album in their discography. It was fine - I think there's almost certainly more interesting works from The Beatles than this record.
Was a fine album.
Very good album. Does not overstay its welcome and hits hard with classics like A Hard Day's Night, And I Love Her, If I Fell, and Can't Buy Me Love. Would rate this 4.5 stars if I could.
Big fan of the tight harmonies and soulful elements. The Beatles are obviously iconic and have so many catchy songs.
So many happy memories associated with this album and this movie. It's one of the greats.
Not my favorite of the pre-woke era Beatles albums.
Pretty bland by Beatles standards. It's early and it feels like it. It feels like the Beatles are convinced that if they work together they can be more than the sum of their parts. This is well polished and they show glimpses of what they would become.
I gotta say this is a really basic Beatles record. Sure the first track is a classic but the rest of it is pretty boring. I don't know what the chronological order of everything Beatles is but this has to be an early one right? There's none of the good stuff after they started getting more famous and went to India and whatnot. Don't get me wrong - they're good 60's pop songs, better than all the imitators, but that's basically it. I'm assuming this was innovative at the time. This is maybe just due to the rep but I expect a lot more out of the Beatles than this. This is an average album.
Heard this a lot in my youth, most of the songs came back to me. I always liked the boyband Beatles more than the acid laced Beatles. Coming back to it's wild that all of these songs are only memorable for the lyrics and I couldn't remember any of the guitars/drums. They are mixed out so hard. Massive at the time, kind of hokey looking back, it's fine.
classic
'A Hard Day's Night', 'And I Love Her' and 'Can't Buy Me Love'; great tracks. The rest, not so much. Not one of the Beatles' stronger albums. This doesn't stretch to much more than a 3/5 for me.
If any other early 1960s band had written something as evocative as Things We Said Today or as catchy as You Can't Do That, it would have probably been their biggest hit. For The Beatles, they were deeper cuts because they knew there were plenty more pop classics where those came from. That's why they were always ahead of the pack, even before they got experimental.
It’s hard to bash the Beatles. Their songs are so tight, so well constructed that I can’t see anyone not enjoying them at least a little. Even as someone who’s not a huge Beatles fan, this is still a solid album. There’s no wasted frills, nothing that doesn’t add to the songs.
Classic early Beatles. Great tunes but doesn’t compare to their masterpieces.
Absolute classic, very short but to the point, all good vibes though
One of the best of their early period. It holds together well despite it being half soundtrack to the film and half their hits of that time. Never realized how many if the film's songs are Lennon's and he seemed to dominate the songwriting during that time.
Again not the best Beatles album imo but still v nostalgic to me as we had it in the car
Not my best Beatles but goood
Ah the teen pop days of the Beatles. Before the LSD and Hari Krishna meditation. The boring but catchy Beatles that are obsessed with young romance. A Hard Day's Night is a great album, but I do prefer the psychedelic Beatles more. This feels like the standard early 60's earworms they would play at the sock hop. It's fine. Sounds like a car show your dad takes you to when you're 7 and your parents are divorced and he thinks standing around staring at car engines in the heat is fun for you but really you're just listening to the music that is already old as shit anyway. Anybody else get that vibe from this album? No? Just me? Anyway, it's got some real bangers and a few that I can't say I've ever heard or ever care to hear again. After the 5th song about unrequited young love or how much that love makes you happy, the message runs stale. We get it. Thanks for the catchy tune.
The Beatles sound a lot better once they discovered drugs.
Some well-crafted, bopping little tunes. But they lack the artistry, creativity, and magic of later Beatles. With our final Beatles album, I once again think I should have listened to them all chronologically to better understand the evolution of the band (and rock music in general along with them).
The thing about a Beatles album is that if you're a big fan, repeated listenings only serve to deepen your appreciation of their work. I know all of these songs, some very well, and without fail they prove to me what an iconoclastic and influential band they were. Even some of the "lesser" songs that some may deem filler play a part in their legacy. Tracks like Things We Said Today, Tell Me Why or I'll Be Back won't make any Beatles top 10 (or even top 50) list, but had they been recorded by another group, they would likely have been big hits in their own right. And there's no denying the staying power of the biggies on this disc - Can't Buy Me Love, If I Fell (those harmonies!), And I Love Her (a perfect love song for it's time) and the title track all cemented the Beatles as one of the all-time greats. As for this list, I can confidently say that I'd rather listen to this album than about 95% of the other entries, and that's why it gets a 5 from me.
Title track shows their potential but too much of this album is forgettable.
Can’t Buy Me Love and the title track stand out. The rest vary between good and filler. I know this is historically significant for its timing with the Beatles’ US invasion and Lennon-McCartney authoring all the tracks, but I feel like this album could be sacrificed to make room for another groundbreaking sound.
all great, doesn’t have the no skip star power of the later records.
I know it’s critically great, but not my style
Comment ne pas mettre un 5 à cette musique phénoménale et intemporelle ?!
Early Beatles albums are so fresh ! Unbeatables vocal harmonies, inventive melodies...However, I like this album less than the others: too many ballads, no cover (the Beatles are a great cover band) and especially no Ringo tune !
A solid Classic overheard so much time with yet underestimated titles such as You can't do that. I remember the feeling of deja vu when I heard Kurt Cobain's (great accoustic) cover of and I love her. That's because although these song aged with maybe vocals "tto clean" and theme still mainly about teens' love.
Many average tracks, but the few big hits are worth a 3-star rating for this album. Can't buy me love of a 4th star despite a hard day's night... ;-)
My mom’s favorite album right up there with Claude François and Sheila, and probably the only time Ringo Starr ever looked halfway decent in photos. Not a single ball hanging out … after a hard day, no smashing things, just a hug and it’s all better. With lyrics the same level than 2be3, it somehow ended up shaping rock history more than the Kinks ever did. I guess it was just easier to twist to this while screaming in a plaid skirt and a turtleneck. Simple and efficiently crafted.
A transitional record. At the time, it was transitioning to something that didn't exist yet. Now it is overshadowing by what came after. Half the songs have been immortalised by their part in the great Beatles story. The other half are frozen in the record before the movie, before the explosion of Rubber Soul, never included in collections, never in a montage or an advert. Both sets of songs have similar assets and detriments. The modal writing that elevates the compositions above contemporary rock'n'roll, experiments in recording and arranging, the singular vocal blend of their harmonies. Still, the lyrics are sentimental and unsophisticated (for the most part) and some of the melodies are syrupy. Case in point, If I Fell, which would be easy listening, where it not for the strange harmonic shifts - the melody is never not smooth, but chords are a pleasant surprise. The best songs - the title track, If I Fell, And I Love Her, Can't Buy Me Love, Things We Said Today, You Can't Do That - are a more prominent part of the Beatles cultural presence and that might be because they were always better or they sound better on the record because they are so familiar. The transitional record had the effect of changing everything and nothing can go back to how things were before. Some of the songs here are from that before time and the Beatles transformation ended up tarnishing them. It made me think of this from the end of Machen's The Great God Pan: "And I forgot, as I have just said, that when the house of life is thus thrown open, there may enter in that for which we have no name, and human flesh may become the veil of a horror one dare not express. I played with energies which I did not understand, you have seen the ending of it... The blackened face, the hideous form upon the bed, changing and melting before your eyes from woman to man, from man to beast, and from beast to worse than beast, all the strange horror that you witness, surprises me but little." 3.5 George Martin clearly drew on his knowledge of classical music sequencing this album; people love Beethoven, make sure the odd numbers are all good. Maybe there isn’t much more structural principle at play than that and there is certainly an imbalance between the first and second sides of this album however - what a pile of songs. This would have done rightly as a greatest hits for many other bands of the time. Even the slighter numbers tend to have something to recommend them: the weird tom hit on Happy Just to Dance…., the bizarre piano octaves on Any Time at All, the playful bass part on I’ll Cry Instead. Alright that last one was number 9 and doesn’t quite live up to the Beethoven principle. But Things We Said Today comes straight after it. 3.5/5
I learned that Hommood doesn't know one song off this album. Definitely not their most popular, but so many catchy songs. I rated this in a vacuum of only Beatles albums...
Doesn't reach the levels of greatness as their later albums but very pleasing 1960s pop songs nonetheless.
Lennon’s masterpiece.
The Beatles might be my favorite band of all time, but A Hard Day's Night is not their best album by any means. While it doesn't have the same cultural influence like the White Album, Abbey Road, or Sgt. Peppers, A Hard Day's Night still feels innovative and interesting compared to other pop music of the 1960s. Songs like Can't Buy Me Love and A Hard Day's Night are catchy, but still have something intangibly exciting about them. Almost every song on the album has glimpses of what the band was capable of. A Hard Day's Night isn't the best Beatles' album, but it's impossible to tell the story of the Beatles, and modern music, without it. Best Songs: A Hard Day's Night, Can't Buy Me Love, I'll Cry Instead, I'll Be Back Worst Songs: You Can't Do That
I keep forgetting how early the Beatles were in the business. There are some unmistakable individual pieces on the album that I think are part of the Beatles sound. I didn't always like it. Now I think it's great. Nevertheless, this album is not one of my favorites despite some unique gems. 4/5
So much better after they took drugs
The happy go lucky love song era of the Beatles is, admittedly, my least favorite. I realize that it was monumental in its contribution and still unrivaled in its popularity. But that doesn’t change the fact that it isn’t what I need from them. The songs are creative, brief and to the point, and the harmonies are on point though.
The Beatles went on to bigger and better stuff, for sure, but as a snapshot of Lennon and McCartney working together as partnership firing out quality pop tunes for a standard band set up on demand, nothing really beats A Hard Day's Night. Unique in being the only Beatles album to feature original compositions by John and Paul exclusively, while it may be a tad dated lyrically in places, it is melodic and infectious throughout. Short, snappy and to the point from that famous opening chord to the final strains of I'll Be Back, as far as I'm concerned this is joy from start to finish. A slightly superficial joy in light of what was to come, but a joy nonetheless. For my money, the best "early" Beatles album.
The first of what I'm expecting to be a myriad of Beatles albums on this list. Can't say this was the one I was expecting to hear first. Never been in love with The Beatles, but it's hard to deny their influence, so it'll be fun to hear some of their early work. Never heard this one in full, though I do recognize a few tracks. I don't expect to have my mind blown, but I'm hoping for a pleasant and easy listen. A Hard Day's Night Decently catchy little tune. Has some good melodies and a solid vocal performance. Does a lot right, feels like a textbook example of a mid '60s rock track. Decent. 3.5/5 I Should Have Known Better Don't really like this one. The individual elements (guitars, vocals, harmonica) sound very disconnected from each other. Don't like the vocal effect. Through modern eyes the writing sounds a bit basic, though this is the Beatles who sort of invented what "basic" is. Ends up being a bit boring. Did not like. 2/5 If I Fell Lovely vocal melody. Has some great harmonies. A pretty cute love song that doesn't take up too much space. Is content with being what it is. Fine. 3/5 I'm Happy Just To Dance With You I enjoy the sparse instrumental. The premise works well. The vocal melody feels like its dancing on top of the instrumental. Unremarkable, but fine for what it is. 3/5 And I Love Her Fsntastic guitar. A sweet little love song, with an instrumental that has a sentimental effect even without the lyrics there to spell it out. Decent. 3.5/5 Tell Me Why Has a fun energy to it. The chorus is pretty catchy. Decent. 3.5/5 Can't Buy Me Love Feels timeless in a way. Like it has always existed. The chorus has a very bouncy and infectious energy to it. I like the peppy bassline. Decent. 3.5/5 Any Time At All Has a bit of a kick to it. Great performance on the chorus. I like the guitar line that comes immediately after it. Has some cool rock n roll swagger to it. Good. 4/5 I'll Cry Instead Don't have much to say about this one. It's really well performed and does everything it's set out to do. Fine. 3/5 Things We Said Today Has some decent drama to it. Like the moodiness present in the vocal/guitar melody. Kinda hate the tambourine here. The vocal interplay adds a lot of atmosphere. Decent. 3.5/5 When I Get Home Comes in swinging with everything it's got. An extremely competent rock track with some grit and personality to it. The perspective in the lyrics is written effectively. Decent. 3.5/5 You Can't Do That The lyrics are kinda cringe and pushy. Instrumentally it's pretty cool, the cowbell is a nice touch and I really like some of the riffs here. Good vocal performance. Fine. 3/5 I'll Be Back Again Pleasant. Stays in its lane while never really dropping off. It's good for what it is, but feels a bit predictable. Kinda fades into the background towards the end. Average. 2.5/5 Didn't really do much for me. Shows a lot of promise for days to come for The Beatles, showcases their potential aptly. Just falls into "ham sandwich" territory, where it's a pretty good sandwich made with high quality ingredients, but at the end of the day it's a ham sandwich, not the most exciting meal. It's not boring, it's not uninteresting, it's not unimpressive. It just causes me to barely react, having very little to say about each track. Great as an historical piece, but overshadowed by even The Beatles' own later discography. 3/5 Fave track. Any Time At All Least fave track. I Should Have Known Better
Meh
I love this record. It’s simple and energetic rock music and it’s the Beatles. What else do you want?
4.0 2x not my favorite Beatles album but still a good one
Solid and nice? Not enough to make me a big Beatles fan, but I enjoyed their relentless sweet 60s optimism more than I thought I might
I've never felt strongly about the Beatles one way or the other, but this challenge has given me a new appreciation for them. Especially in the 60s, it seems the alternatives were bleak. And knowing what came later, it's clear the Beatles were important to the evolution. This is actually the first Beatles album I've ever listened to in full, and while it doesn't feel particularly impressive, it's nowhere near as bad as many of the other entries this algorithm dropped these last few weeks. Plus, I really appreciate that the Beatles stick to the radio standard of not droning on beyond a couple minutes per song. Smart. This keeps the weak tracks from dragging down the experience, and there are a number of them - "You Can't Do That" being particularly cringy. Overall, and in the greater context of what I've heard so far in this 1,001 stack, I'd say a 3 is fair.
This was the kind of thing I hoped to get on this experiment. I’ve never really cared to listen to a full Beatles album. Now that I have, I will say it was a good listen. Perfect run time with some catchy songs. I liked the stuff I didn’t know more than the songs I did know. This didn’t wow me though
enjoyable but obviously early stuff
This is my second Beatles album in 29 days. I know that there are more to come and I welcome them. I have heard the singles on this album many times. This album sounds great (I listened to the 2009 remastered version) and I appreciate that at least. There is nothing on here that I need to hear again. 1.75/5
J: 3, N: 4
As someone doesn't experience Beatles music in full album format, A Hard Day’s Night is a refreshing listen. It’s packed with familiar hits alongside a few lesser-known gems that deserve more attention. While it doesn’t come together as a cohesive concept album, each track overflows with the Beatles’ signature creativity and melodic brilliance. It’s a vibrant snapshot of a band hitting their early stride.
Early Beatles have a historic sound. It's incredible and the beginning of their complex harmonies. But it's also still early days. It's a sound that i like for its nostalgia, but not as much the actual sound. I prefer when they get a little weirder and a little more complex.
It’s the Beatles, classic album - ‘Anytime At All’ was a new find
Ça s'écoute mais rien d'exceptionnel ni de mémorable
Pure pop perfection. Impeccable harmonies, infectious choruses and the first two tracks have even better bridges! I am surely in the minority here, but I think this is better than both Revolver and Abbey Road. Yeah, I said it.
Love the Beatles but just decent
surprisingly good
Pretty indifferent towards this one. Some classics on here but the rest was pretty meh.
not their best album
olyan ikonikus ez az egész, meg annyira ismerem minden akkordját és másodpercét, hogy tudom, hogy objektíve nem ötös, és mégsem tudok kevesebbet adni ❤️
One of my favorite albums of all time
Me guuusta! Suena a los primeros Beatles pero mejor :) Y me gusta mucho 'And I love her' :)
Pretty good, some classic hits and lesser known song
After getting Sgt. Pepper and Revolver, I got my first pre-experimental Beatles record on this album journey. A Hard Day's Night has historical significance as the first album in which all the songs were original compositions, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. That fact alone gives it some historical significance in placing it on this list. It also helps that this album is a good romp. This early on in their career, John and Paul incorporated some of their personalities into their penned songs, usually through their insecurities on "I Should Have Known Better" and "You Can't Do That" as well as their desire for a more realized relationship on "Can't Buy Me Love" and "I'm Happy Just to Dance With You". Pair those words with solid guitar hooks and a tight rhythm section, and you've got a formula that works. I will say there is a small drag in the second half of the record between "I'll Cry Instead" and "When I Get Home" before the cowbell kicks in on "You Can't Do That". Not all of the songs could be bangers at this point. Also, it’s admittedly hard to judge this album compared to what comes later. As it stands, A Hard Day's Night is still a commendable effort and worthy of this list.
335/1001 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
Another clinic in songwriting from the greatest rock-'n'-roll band of all time. 5
Can't deny their greatness!
Fun rock-pop in the distinctive Beatles style. Wouldn't seek this out on my own, but I appreciate the appeal for what it is.
A bit too much of the usual early ‘60s simple love song style songs for it to be amazing. A decent amount of pretty solid tracks here too though. 6/10
Some high points, but not my favorite Beatles album
Blah. Not a good album. Still on the fence about this band...
Beatleada average genérica. Bastante escuchable, pero no me liaría
Esta bé, no obstant, encara així esta bé
This review stands outside of what I have rated other Beatles albums here. This was MY first Beatles album way back when I first started listening to music (27M) and even after listening to thousands of other albums, of course including the Beatles own work as a group or individually, this one is still a certified banger.
Hate this band but found some bangers
Solid early Beatles love songs.
The Beatles just out here doing there thing. All hits all the way through.
of course a classic
I can respect their impact on music but the Beatles bore me to death.
60. Godine prošlog vijeka. Svijet u kojem je kontroverzno djelo bilo ,,Lovac u žitu". Mekano, osrednje, fine pjesmice za babe. Vrijedi: -hard days night -any time at all -and i love her
Quite good. Prefer later Beatles
Fabulous
“a hard day’s night” was a part of our marching band’s beatles medley so i liked it lmaooo. “if i fell” was good too!! not much to say other than i enjoyed this! 4/5.
Fint, lidt oldschool
A bunch of two minute bops that get less familiar the further you go. But it’s peek Beatles rock and the harmonies are so damned good.
Well, that’s the sound of the Beatles. Next!…..
This is the 4th Beatles album I've had on the list, and it comes very quickly after the third album which was 'With The Beatles'. This album was very similar to that album, which is maybe not surprising as it was also one of their earliest releases. It was ok, nothing special.
An album I’ve never listened to before. Hit after hit and it would have been interesting to hear them do more songs like this (as in easily reproduced) instead of becoming a studio band.
Includes lots of pop bangers this one. Normally I prefer the more obscure songs and especially like when they experiment with instruments. Less so on this but still enjoyed it. "I should have known better" I personally think this one is weak. Worst on the album "And I love her" - Best. I think Paul song and on this album prefer his contributions / style. Only just made 3 for me.
I hadn't heard of this band before today but I was pleasantly surprised. They seem quite ahead of their time and probably deserve to be more well known. Nice find.
Humble beginnings for one of the best bands of all time. First Beatles album on the list, about time. The Beatles philosophy was similar to some other artists of that time - they were recording and releasing albums at a crazy fast pace, especially for todays standards. The sheer amount of songs made and recorded meant that they had a lot of practical experience with creating music. This paid dividends on their later releases, where they achieved legendary status and made some of the best known songs ever. Back to this particular album, nothing is too special here. This is a good, classic Beatles sounding, album. The songs sound poppy and cheerful, the chord progressions are nice, clean and straightforward, the vocal harmonies are phenomenal, as always. Most of the lyrical themes are about love. They manage to sound emotional, exciting and memorable. Solid album, not their best by a long shot. I'm ready for more, giving this one a 3.
Maybe too many samey love songs (is there even an exception to that label?) to take in at once but it's still loaded with great songs. I'm Just Happy To Dance With You remains irresistably spirited. And holy shit I forgot what a BANGEEEER Any Time At All is.
Not the best Beatles is still more memorable than a lot of what’s out there.
I would say this is one of my favorite Beatles’ albums but all of The Beatles’ albums are my favorites.
it’s the beatles man! what’s there not to love?
Classic early Beatles
Not full of bangers but still class, some of the first songs i learnt on the guitar here. Low 5.
I tried to listen to this without any preconcieved positive biases based on the fact that it's the Beatles, but it really is very very good.
This is jaunty and fun. Better than the other Beatles album so far. Plus it gets a little gay.
I still prefer mid to late era Beatles, but this is still fun.
The Beatles. That's all.
I've heard most of these songs through osmosis and compilations but haven't listened to this as an album before. Thirteen songs in 30 minutes? Nice. And a few lesser-known ones I hadn't heard before. I know this is an important one since it is the beginning of everything changing in popular music but it's not a Beatles album that I'll return to for repeated listens.
Foundational rock and roll. I love the Beatles, but not this particular era.
I'm a simple man. I get a Beatles album, I give it 5 stars
Ugh. The Beatles simply aren’t good
A great album. They more than demonstrate their mastery at writing catchy sub three minute songs. Several timeless hits but they have so much more to come.
One of many albums in dad’s collection I grew up with, this one is pretty timeless. And while it would be easy to go 5-star on every Beatles album that makes this list, some albums can’t quite rise to the level of Rubber Soul and beyond. This is probably one of those. As the first full album of all originals, the songwriting for sure needs to be recognized, and there are some numbers that definitely show signs of the musical growth and creativity the band would soon be known for. A real enjoyable listen. 4.25/5.
Card carrying Beatlemaniac here, but none of the big songs here are among my fave. Obviously the Fab Four hadn’t 100% found their groove yet, but this is still a great album. Doesn’t quite reach 5 for me, and don’t even think I’m grading them on their own curve.
60s were a lil before my time but feels like this captured a moment while being timeless. Not quite 5 level for me but can’t argue with the song writing and musicianship. Also didn’t realize this is where Arnold got his terminator catch phrase.
This exercise was inevitably going to turn into a stack ranking of Beatles albums... putting the influence and cultural impact aside, this album doesn't hit as hard for me as the ones from Rubber Soul on. A couple huge hits but they don't take this to 5 land. Maybe it is just a little too sugary pop sounding for me. I dunno. A couple nuggets throughout hint at things to come (see: And I Love Her) make it an interesting listen. 3.75/5
Third album, so still early days. The Pop songs of yesteryear, all extremely short: I don’t think a single one of them even hits the 3-minute mark! Yet these are perfectly crafted gems. A terrific album.
Banger after banger. poppy. Fun.
The instruments played simply and really well. Appreciated the drummer thought I didn't care so much for the vocals.
First Beatles album and I really liked it.
Very 60’s Simple early Beatles tracks Fantastic ballads Love heavy themes Very different from later beatles
WORKING LIKE A DOGGG
good beatles album, repetitive at times not their best, i would put 3,5 if i could
Perfection
The best ‘boy band’ album of all time.
Listens: 2 Stand Out tracks: And I love Her, Can't Buy Me Love Possibly controversial, but early Beatles just aren't as good as their genre shift to psychedelic rock in the latter half of the decade. Some of the tracks are timeless, but most of if not all of the tracks seem to be dealing with some love affair/interest or affection towards a woman or women and the dynamics of relationships with those women. There's virtually no controversial opinions or political views expressed. The lyrics are simple and often repetitive.
Not a fan. I understand the importance but feels twee
I'm not a fan of the Beatles. This album is to me, one of the lower ones. I can dig their later work, this is a dud for me.
I don't really feel like I missed out never hearing this album in its entirety. The hits are the hits. I'm glad I got to know the songs "if I fell" and "I should have known better" better. The rest just feels like an unsubstantial Beatles version of The general sound of music in that genre. Wasn't terrible, but didn't move me in any substantial way.
I thought it was great, although I was surprised because I didn’t realize how good it would be.
The Beatles are the single most overrated band. Listening to this full album was torture.
The Beatles' first album of original material, and a turning point of their songwriting in a more mature and experimental way. The strike of that iconic chord is testament to the shift of Lennon and McCartney's musicianship that would become much more obvious later on. Harrison, although mostly absent on lead vocals, adds enough vibrancy with his jangly guitarwork. While this album has some significant highs in the Beatles' timeline, it's by no means my favourite, and not very consistent. Best Tracks: - A Hard Day's Night - If I Fell - And I Love Her Worst Tracks: - Things We Said Today Rating: 7.5/10
Slow, cumbersome start. It's all very washy and dull but surprisingly dark by the end. Never seen the movie so unsure if a visual element is needed to fully appreciate. Can't be denied that a couple of songs are Beatles essential listens.
Ah finally a Beatles album. Their first one with all original tunes. A sign of greater things to come.
If one wanted to write a pop song, just listen to this album on repeat about 100 times. Traditional and clever structures, progressions and melodies all that serve the song perfectly.
It's time for me, again, to assess another album from the most overrated musical artist of all time-except this time, it actually hurts me a little. While the over-glorified boy-band/1960s One Direction is overrated, I tend to say their music is at least mediocre. However, this album reminded me more of an NSynch album than a typical Beatles album. It's just boy-band pop love songs throughout the album. Favorite Track: "A Hard Day's Night".
Listened to the UK version of the album, features some recognizable songs in the title track and Can't Buy Me Love. It doubled as a movie soundtrack. It's an album by The Beatles, the first with tracks only composed by the group, a lovely album, but not peak Beatles for me
definitely a weaker beatles album but if you listen right after new boots and panties it's fucking gold
It's beatles but not the best one it's okay. It has sounds.
Watch the film of the same title, it's genuinely incredible
7/10 I am a Beatles appreciator, I will not slander them for being a little bit horny and sad https://youtu.be/YfBVNpiTKJ8?si=992jlN84VNHr6a98
A classic album, lots of greats in this one.
An incredible pop album, but pop as true art was still some time away. I just can't listent to the title track anymore (but that's not it's fault). Highlight: Any Time At All. Lowlight: None.
Pretty great album
Probably the first great Beatles album; the first two are fine, but just collections of pop songs. This one is too, but these songs were written in a compressed time period and they sound like they belong together. It's also nice that this and Beatles for Sale both have tolerable stero mixes. I'm not going to write a review here- if someone likes the early Beatles, which I do, then there's not a bum track on this record- it's 30 minutes of sonic joy. I'm only withholding a fifth star b/c there are better Beatles albums to come....
This is a very good album. I'm a casual Beatles fan, meaning I won't seek them out, but I'm not likely to turn them off. I cannot take too much, like the satellite radio Beatles station. But this album contains enough diversity of songs to hold my interest. Unlike the Beatles hits album (One?) that I can't get through comfortably.
An early Beatles album.
Tre- 4 H- 4 Blake- 5 average- 4.333
Fun & Fresh sound of the 60’s
Beatles Beatles Beatles
C'est peut-être l'album le plus faible des Beatles, si c'est quelque chose qui existe. I'm happy just to dance with you. Tell me Why. C'est vraiment juste ça qui cloche. C'est une pas pire moyenne au baton. Mais tsé. Bravo.
Quelle énergie juvénile! Hit après hit après hit.
Le summum du early Beatles. La voix de Lennon domine cet album, probablement plus que sur tous les autres. Y'a plus de hits sur cet album que sur les Greatest Hits de 9 bands sur 10.
The album that showed the Beatles are here to stay, thanks to excellent song-writing (no covers) and peak energy out of the Fab Four.
John is on form here that’s about as good as it gets
Even though I know it to be true, it always strikes me how much their music changes in such a short period of time. How is this only 3 years before Sgt Peppers? The classics are great but the rest feel like failed attempts to make hit singles. Reminds me of a Michael Jackson album. Waffling between a 3 and a 4 but I don’t think I can rate an album with can’t buy me love and hard days night a 3
4.0 Simple themes, and great melodies.
A phenomenal album the Beatles were one of the biggest bands in history for a reason.
It's awesome and insane that these same four dudes made St. Peppers like three years later.
It was fine. More Beatles.
Is this the most lovey-dovey Beatles album? I still liked it, but of all I've heard so far, it's the only one I wouldn't listen to again.
i already know i love this one. Yeah, they're all solid on this album.
With the amount of Beatles worship I’ve had to listen to my entire life I expect every one of their albums on this list to blow my tits off. And yet…
Heel rauw voor de jaren 60, maar wel een aantal echt goede nummers
There are a lot of really good Beatles albums. This isn't one of them. A couple good songs, but otherwise, just mediocre love songs. Usually, their music will save a song even when the lyrics are middling. Sadly, that isn't the case for most of these tracks. Give me Rubber Soul or Revolver!
Never anything wrong with a Beatles album
Decent album but nothing special when compared to the rest of the Beatles discography
I've never listened to this over-60-year-old album and yet of 13 tracks, only 4 had I never heard before. That shows the legacy of the Beatles (maybe overated?) and this isn't even one of their most 'popular' albums. I'm trying not to fawn all over this just because it's them, but of the tracks I didn't know, Any Time At All is a 5, I'll Cry Instead is very 'Beatles' and only When I Get Home and Tell Me Why fail to hit the mark with me. The rest of the tracks I knew before are all bangers however many time I have heard them throughout my life. Considering this is such an early album (3rd?) that's quite good going.
A very good album in my opinion! Probably their best work before Rubber Soul. I really enjoyed the A-side more than the B-side, but overall a good album. :) Of course, I have heard this one before but it was a nice to listen to it again after three months.
I can just never get into the Beatles
Great album.
Competent.
8/10. The Beatles were a great band! :)
Pretty good, classic Beatles sound, I liked most of them. If I Fell, And I Love Her, Any Time At All
Rating: 6/10 Don't care for it much besides A Hard Day's Night and Can't Buy Me Love.
Sounds like the Beatles
I'm a bit torn on this album. It's certainly iconic--the first Beatles album that is all original and the first where we start getting a sense of Lennon and McCartney as songwriters individually. The classics are great and some of the other songs swing, but this is clearly before they have supreme confidence. I think I would go 3.5, but bumping for relevance.
I've never seen the movie, so maybe I'm missing something, but this was a hard one to get through. Of course there are the mega hits, "A Hard Day's Night" and "Can't Buy Me Love," and I know several other songs from "Across the Universe" (the movie) — and I'll be honest, I like the soundtrack versions better. This album just sounds kind of rough. Their voices/harmonies aren't as tight as they should be, a lot of the songs are the sappy, generic love songs they were known for in the early days, and a lot of the music sounds similar to the point that the songs become almost interchangeable. Not a fan. 2/5
High energy, good guide, easy listening
It's the Beatles, what else is there to say?
In the eye of the hurricane, to be the epitome of the storm. In a span of five months, Beatlemania went from a British phenomenon to a worldwide juggernaut. That breakneck (if one can call it that) turnaround required a movie, which needed a soundtrack, of sorts. A Hard Day's Night is safely considered the first truly great Beatles album, perhaps the best from the early portion of their career when they were not just figuring things out but honing their craft and continuing to up the ante in terms of musicianship and songwriting. Without a doubt the most explosive, oft-times thoughtful, innovative and effective half-hour of 1964, A Hard Day's Night is Beatlemania at its absolute purest.
Love is in the air Sappy love songs in your ear Simple and catchy
These lads have potential.
Just when you think you have an original thought, the top review proves you very wrong. Didn't think I could be surprised by Beatles of all bands, but "Any Time At All" was a snap-keep for me. It's not Good Beatles, but it's maybe the best Shitty Beatles album, thanks to those lush harmonies. Top of the Slops.
How many bands out there could write a song like If I Fell and it not even be in the top 50 songs of their discography. Easily their best album pre-Help, and contains some real gems. That being said, there’s some really forgettable tracks on here, as there is on every Beatles album before they stopped touring.
6.5/10
i don't think i have to explain it's the beatles guys come on
Timeless. Little repetitive, but short and sweet and timeless.
Це неймовірний відчуття, коли мені подобається те що колись слухав мій батько, ця музика не підвласна поколінням - вона актуальна завжди.
Absolute classic. Bumped up to a 4 on subsequent relistens.
Not near as bad as I thought. I actually enjoyed a song or two, but I still don't understand the hype. Very overrated band
This was my first Beatles album I've listened to back to back and I'm quiet impressed. I found myself humming or singing along to quite a few tracks. What a great experience.
Im really more of a fan of the post Rubber Soul Beatles. That being said I am still a huge fan, and I can really appreciate this one as well.
Int nära på det mest intressanta Beatles har att bjuda på. Men trotts det är det här ett jätte bra album. Bandets talang syns redan. Perfekta pop låtar en efter en
3.75
Early Beatles work here again. It's 30 minutes of pure 60's pop music. There are some gems on this album, all written by John and Paul. No George Harrison tunes on this one. :-( Overall, it's a solid pop album for the 60's. There are Beatles classics here, and the movie with the same name was the same drivel you see from modern boy/girl bands. All light-hearted. The Beatles true genius would not be realized until Rubber Soul and onwards. 3/5
I liked the pop stuff more than the rock stuff
A nice introduction to the fab 4
Fürn Beatles Album eigentlich nicht so gut aber trotzdem noch echt toll
Go! Beatles!
love it!
track one: a hard day's night - noisy, interesting vocal harmonies. almost jazz like melody?? vocal stretches in the chorus. interesting twangy guitar solo, kind of like country. like the bridge. 3/5 track two: i should have known better - continuing with the countryish vibes. like the melody/vocal line. not so much a fan of the harmonica. but i like the notes/chords. fun song. instrumentation is nice too. track three: if i fell - interesting, more mellow. track four: im happy just to dance with you - what's happening with the drums? same guitar/background noise as the rest of the album. floats around through the chords. i like the vocal layering on the chorus. track four: and i love her - sounds minor but also something else - augmented? i know this song already too. i like the plucking of whatever that is - banjo?? who knows track five: tell me why - sounds far off or live? might just be quality. overall im liking the vocal harmonies on the whole album, this is an example. track six: can't buy me love - can't tell what's going on. this reminds me of elvis?? just the voices and specifcally the enunciation of the words. it's country like. i like the solo and the background noises. track seven: any time at all - i like the rhythym here. it's interesting and different. this sounds familiar. i really like how full it sounds, there's this great base line in the back and the switching of the singers fleshes out the song. track eight: ill cry instead - country ish AGAIN - maybe a sign of the timing of this album? its good though, i don't mind it. track nine: things we said today - beautiful quality of the voice. harmonies again are lovely. so is the guitar strumming that's almost used as percussion. track ten: when i get home - sounds ahead of it's time. i like the drums, creates a very nice effect. track eleven: you can't do that - percussion is interesting, is that a cowbell? vocals are consistently great. guitar melody is unusual, but it works. track twelve: ill be back - i like the guitar in this. melodies are strange. feels... wandering? coastal? i like this one. OVERALL REVIEW: great vocals, kind of noisy background, unusual percussion, you can tell it's an early album. love the harmonizing throughout the album.
Oh yeah baby now we're talkin
You know I like a lot of the weird shit, but they were also REALLY good at making straight forward bops before that.
Definitely not the best Beatles album, but still killer songs
i get why this is on here but like everyone else who has a less than 5 score for this says, not the beatles best. womp womp. if you’re in this not for music history but purely musical enjoyment (which is not to say music history adds to music enjoyment, duh) this album is juuuuuust fine. also why was Paul the cute Beatle its obviously George.
Listened to the full album but it’s just not my type of music
They dabble stylistically into everything from bossa nova, mersey beat, pop, and straight up rock and roll and it is glorious.
A classic of early Beatles. Yeah it’s not as amazing as their later stuff, but it’s nostalgic and fun
First full set of Lennon-McCartney originals. A mythic album.
84% Best: A Hard Day’s Night; And I Love Her; Can’t Buy Me Love; You Can’t Do That Must-Hear? Sure. Every album pre-A Hard Day’s Night, aside from the hit singles, feel lackluster. A Hard Day’s Night is the first solid Beatles album experience.
++: A Hard Day's Night, I'm Happy Just to Dance with You, And I Love Her, Tell Me Why, Can't Buy Me Love, Things We Said Today, When I Get Home, You Can't Do That, I'll Be Back +: I Should Have Known Better, Any Time at All, I'll Cry Instead +-: If I Fell 8,2/10
Need we say more.
01) A Hard Day's Night - 10,0 02) I Should Have Known Better - 10,0 03) If I Fell - 9,0 04) I'm Happy Just to Dance with You - 9,0 05) And I Love Her - 10,0 06) Tell Me Why - 9,0 07) Can't Buy Me Love - 10,0 08) Any Time at All - 9,0 09) I'll Cry Instead - 9,0 10) Things We Said Today - 9,0 11) When I Get Home - 8,5 12) You Can't Do That - 8,5 13) I'll Be Back - 9,0 TOTAL: 9,23 (92/100) Current ranking: 24/461
This is the first Beatles album I remember owning. In my opinion, this album/movie is first true "POP" album.
Early Beatles is always kinda punk to me, great album!
I don’t know why I was surprised to see a pre-Rubber Soul album on this list. I think I was hoping for the big stuff, you know. Abbey Road, Sgt. Pepper or anything like that. Don’t get me wrong, pre-Rubber Soul Beatles is still great. I just like later Beatles better. Coldest take in the universe, I know. Anyway, I think it’s between this and Help! that I believe are the best albums from the Beatlemania era. There are the classics, like the title track, Can’t Buy Me Love, and And I Love Her. Then there are the lesser know songs, which are mostly pretty good. I mean, I didn’t really care for the country-ish I’ll Cry Instead and some of the songs structurally feel similar. But even in their early stages, the Beatles had an energy that made them stand out. With songs that fly under three minutes, it’s comes hit after hit. It helps that this is the first album with all original songs, which feels like a rarity for 60’s albums. At the very least, it’s a stepping stone that would eventually led to the legendary later efforts of the band. But as it is, it wouldn’t be fair to sleep on the earlier albums like this. Favorite track: A Hard Day’s Night Other hits: Can’t Buy Me Love, If I Fell, And I Love Her, I Should Have Known Better, I’ll Be Back, When I Get Home
Of the first three Beatles albums, this one is the strongest
I much prefer their later work , but they were really cooking with this one.
it's an early Beatles album and you know exactly what you're going to get and it should be rated so..... it's not that good, the later stuff IS better
Here we are again. Another Beatles album I know front to back, that I’ve heard a hundred times. Go back and look at my other Beatles review to see how I feel about them (top 5 favorite band; basic, I know). This was their first album of all original tracks and man does it shine. From kicking off hot with the title track, to bringing it down with tracks like “If I Fell” and “And I Love Her,” this album keeps the infectious energy of the Beatles while also showing a more mature, refined sound and attitude. They know what they’re doing, the recording quality is superb, and John and Paul are just absolutely kicking ass here. Yes, most of the songs are still about love in the most vague and naive way. But not all of them are. “And I Love Her” shows a more mature take on the subject, and “Things We Said Today” takes a darker, more negative look at it. Same with “You Can’t Do That.” Hence, the maturity I mentioned, as well as more complex songwriting and arrangements. There are lighter moments, too. The falsetto line in “Tell Me Why” sounds like something they had a ton of fun recording and comes out of left field. I always smile at that line. And “Can’t Buy Me Love” is just a fun, high energy romp. This isn’t the best Beatles album, but it’s definitely the best of the early period. It’s a trip to listen to through these albums in chronological order and see the evolution of them as songwriters and musicians in an insanely short period of time. I love this album. Five stars. Standout Tracks: A Hard Day’s Night, I Should Have Known Better, Tell Me Why, Can’t Buy Me Love, Things We Said, You Can’t Do That
This was the start of the transition from mop top to serious artist.
solid early beats 8/10
Pop Rock being very bubble gum-poppy. Good background music.
I only made it half in and it started to grate. Not saying it's bad, definitely a recognizable sound that has its style, but nothing I'd put on by choice.
Landfill Beatles
very wholesome. el boyband de mi abuela vibes
It’s the Beatles. Whatever.
Overall: 8/10 It took way too long to get to my first Beatles album. I don't care if it's cliché to say this but The Beatles are my favourite band of all time and this was their first really great album. It's not hard to imagine how they became the biggest band in history when listening to this, John and Paul are so charismatic and dominate (especially John). I'm probably gonna watch the movie tonight as well, I love the clean old man and the sad Ringo scenes so much. Fav Song: And I Love Her Least Fav Song: I'm Happy Just to Dance With You (Sorry, George)
One of the better Beatles albums this one, with the lads still in their moptop era. The title track makes for a cracking start, which then leads to a succession of balllads which are all highly listenable. Can't Buy Me Love gets back to the pop-rock side, before we get back to the ballads, Things We Said Today standing out there. Those loveable cheeky scallies are hitting their songwriting stride here and it can only presage good things... (massive foreshadowing; look to camera)
the og boy band "if i fell" would've got me in '64 even though it's low key male manipulator music
They really figured out who they were for this one. Perfectly perfect light pop. Maybe not one serious thought except how to make a seriously made showcase of what they could do. 5 because I'm hooked and know what's coming. I'll be back indeed.
Short, sweet, sappy and soppy! Now guess which one’s which.
Anything by the Beatles that I rate under a 5 is a case of their being graded on a curve. Even if you don't factor in the fact that they were working with 4-track recording capabilities for the majority of their records, the creativity these guys exhibited from a production/arrangement/recording angle is mind-boggling. Then there are the harmonies and chords. Everything they did was exceptional, and the more you dig the deeper the genius. BUT... it doesn't change the fact that these early songs just don't tickle my musical fancy the same way the latter half of their catalog does. As groundbreaking as this (and every) album is, they're singing about girls, and that's pretty much it. That's all fine for the times, I just want a little more grit.
I know this is often considered their first masterpiece, but it's my least favorite of their first four albums. There are certainly six or seven all-time classics on here. And man, the greats are ridiculously great: The chords on If I Fell; the three different bridges on You Can't Do That; the infectious joy of the title track; John rhythm guitar on I'm Happy Just to Dance with You; etc. etc. But side two has some filler. It feels weird giving any Beatles album less than a 5, but if I'm being honest with myself, I just don't love this one.
Frühlingsgefühlenachdemlangewinterzeit (literally--that feeling of spring after a long winter) I was trying to come up with a word for the coziness that this album brought to my life for 30 minutes. German is a beautiful language in that you can put words together so effortlessly to come up with something that smacks a feeling right in the face with precision. Those opening notes! Ahhh...I didn't realize how comforting and so familiar that opening chord is. Boom..I was taken right back to my pre-adolescent bedroom and my LP. Young girls didn't have Taylor Swift in the late 70s to put all those feelings to a beat...we had The Beatles. And a Hard Day's Night effortlessly captures yearning, love, youth in 30 tight minutes that stay with you a lifetime. And then they go and write another killer song that completely captures Frühlingsgefühlenachdemlangewinterzeit just 5 years after this! _________ I read something recently that if The Beatles coming to America in February 1964 were at the start of COVID, they would have released Abbey Road this year. That view of time and what The Beatles accomplished in their short time span just blows my mind.
Great album
overall pretty solid with some classics on there. I think some of the later albums are obviously way better.
Later Beatles better
Super pleasant. Honestly a little boring and sheltered compared to their later albums, but I think that makes me appreciate their later innovation that much more.
Great album.
This is a decent Beatles album
I believe it’s their first record …it’s pop 2 min songs never heard it straight thru
I mean it's early Beatles. Good pop with solid songwriting but nothing compared to what they would become in a few years. 7/10
Funny to think the Beatles essentially started as a boy band.
Great album, very fun
Lovely.
3.0 - Ok
This is my favourite early Beatles album (where Rubber Soul marks the beginning of their middle period.) So I think it's pretty good.
This is a good Beatles album
This is the first GREAT Beatles album in my opinion. Like the rest of the planet, I prefer the later Beatles albums more than the early albums but I still think there is a place for their more poppy music. Its more simple than the later stuff but I find it charming in a way similar to other music from the early 60s. This album is loaded with classic tunes and on top of that its nice and short. A real easy listen! Also the film that accompanies this album is really fun! Favorite track: And I Love Her
Compared to their later work, the songwriting here is quite basic, and unfortunately, there are no songs written by Harrison. However, the album features some memorable hits, including the title track and my personal favorite, Can’t Buy Me Love.
Never actually sat down and listened to this before. Started my Beatles journey from Rubber Soul onwards. Amazing of course. Straight pop songs to the head. Highlights include "A Hard Day's Night" "I Should Have Known Better" "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You" "Tell Me Why" "Can't Buy Me Love" "Any Time At All"
Quaint, quirky, quick. Quintessential.
A great one
5 stars because it is the Beatles (one of the greatest bands ever)!!
This is a solid Beatles album that shaped the sound. Many bands followed their style. Which is fine. Knowing what the Fab Four did later and what those other bands offer, "A Hard Day's Night" is simply not as interesting as other albums.
Not a big fan of the Beatles but a good album nonetheless, 6/10.
So simple and romantic in a pretty irresistible way. If The Beatles have no fans then I am dead (hold on I’m just now hearing that they have a lot of fans….)
Pleasant enough
First off rip nick who died today :( i’ll miss him a lot. Second off the music is fast and fun and thats just a winning combo for me. Songs about love are so comforting! And all these tracks are about love!
The Beatles, arguably at the peak of their early stage. At the time, I'm sure they sounded very fresh. There's certainly some tight songs on here, and it's clear Lennon and McCartney already had a strong knack for songwriting. But, for me, it's still just very simple, very teenage pop, nothing more. And there's nothing wrong with that. I'll listen, I'll tap my foot, I'll move on. Though, I must say, the lyrics are rather grating. Fav tracks: A Hard Day's Night, Can't Buy Me Love, Things We Said Today
Nice, I'd already listened to it before. Really enjoyed some songs.
I was 2 when this was released and my parents played it none stop for many years… it’s like a comfort blanket. 13 tracks in 30 min, you can’t ‘beat’ it!!
Geluisterd in de trein terug naar Nederland. Echt een banger en 1 van de eerste platen van de beatles waar echt geëxperimenteerd wordt
BEAAAAAAAATLES BABYYYYYY!! Iconisch met een reden. Dit is het album waar hun pop-sound echt begon te rijpen, en tevens hun eerste album met alleen maar eigen materiaal. Kinda biased maar easy 5/5.
not bad, bit generic
All I can think of is the word "uplifting". Also, cowbells!
A lot of great songs
Nice
immer noch unglaublich gut
Super interesting to list to this after Abbey Road and see the growth that happened. Bunch of these songs slap tho.
Unbelievable song craft and just such tight songs. I don't know that I had ever heard I'll Be Back before, but that song is excellent.
3.5
3 stars. Fine.
I’m honestly sort of unfamiliar with the Beatles’ early albums, at least as an album experience. I’d consider myself a Beatles fan, though I was always moreso infatuated with the “latter era experimental studio Beatles” than I was “fun boy band at the top of the world Beatles”. That said, this one’s pretty good! It’s got a great selection of tracks, pretty much every one excellent and fun, and even if I haven’t heard them for years and certainly not as much as the others, you bet your ass I was singing along. At 34 minutes, it’s a breezy album and the songs never overstay their welcome. I give it a 4, it’s just a very good listen.
The crazy thing to remember about A HARD DAY'S NIGHT, both the album and film, is that it wasn't meant to be good — and certainly not some of the greatest work this band would do in either medium. 'Coz let's recognize, when United Artists got The Beatles under contract to do all this, all they were expecting was a quickie exploitation film; a cashgrab. At best, they probably figured, they'd get something like Elvis's movies: some cheap rush job with flimsy plot meant to do nothing more than to prop up the boys galavanting about and singing songs. They didn't care; the fans would come to see their boys on the big screen regardless of if it was good or not. Heck, they'd buy the **album** regardless it was good or not — which would promote the film, while the film promoted the album... It was a genius strategy. Or at least it was until the Colonel had it milked dry by the middle-end of the 60's. Seriously, you didn't wanna be Elvis in the middle-late 60's — but that's a story for another day... So imagine everyone's surprise, then, when The Beatles and director Richard Lester pulled up with a film that was actually really, **really** good. Instead of Elvis driving cars or doing the clam around Hawaii, they got a cinéma vértié-style look into 36 hours into the band's life at the time ("[A] train and a room, and a car and a room, and a room and a room"), which is kept from being depressing by the witty and clever dialogue dispensing Liverpudlian humor and some brilliant songs. Add in how charming The Beatles were on screen, plus some innovative camera work during the musical sequences, and you have a movie that'd wind up in the Criterion Collection for being a precursor to MTV and music videos. In short, besides YELLOW SUBMARINE (a personal favorite), it's the best film the band would ever be involved in. And about those songs (this **is** supposed to be an album review, after all)... Frankly, I consider this album a triumph; the peak and pinnacle of their first three albums — their "beat"/"boy band" phase, as I think of it. I mean, come on, it's the only album in their entire discography written solely by Lennon and McCartney: a whole 13 songs worth! Not even SGT. PEPPER'S can make that claim thanks to George's "Within You Without You" (which is a fantastic song, of course). And the fact that they all came out as strong as they did — goodness! The title track is among the best album openers this band has ever had. I mean, the iconic opening chord alone would be enough to cement that fact, but then you get into how frenetic the rest of the song is, from those bongos to the guitar/piano duet solo that had to be recorded at half speed for how fast it is. "I Should Have Known Better" is one of my favorite harmonica rollicks from the band, "If I Fell" and "And I Love Her" are both beautiful acoustic ballads... Goodness, that one high backing vocal on "Tell Me Why" ("If there's anything I can do-ooo-ooo") gets me every time, it's great. Honestly, among the first side, the weakest song here might be "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You", but I enjoy George enough as a singer that I can hardly mind it. Besides, when side A closes with another of the band's best-ever songs, "Can't Buy Me Love", I bet you're hardly thinking about the weak points. Which brings us to the second side of the record. In what was apparently tradition for British soundtracks at the time, it consists of a bunch of extra songs. Y'know, a just-under-equal smattering of bonus tunes to go along with the ones from the movie. And they're... I mean, I'm not gonna lie; they **are** a bit of a step down. In fact, if there's anywhere you might miss the covers the band included on their first two albums, it's here. But all the same, I think they're generally strong enough that my earlier remark about this being the pinnacle of their beat phase stands. I mean, heck, at one point "I'll Cry Instead" was considered good enough for the movie itself. It only didn't end up on side one because they figured "Can't Buy Me Love" was tonally a better fit for the scene it would've scored — and even then, it still wound up on the American version of the soundtrack, even if by accident. I do like "Any Time At All" as a side opener. Jus' the way it goes "THUMP!" and, well, we're off running. Plus, I've always had a soft spot for "You Can't Do That", in part because of its early inclusion on another American release, THE BEATLES' SECOND ALBUM. That's not on this list, unlike MEET THE BEATLES!, but I still wanna recommend it anyway for being a good encapsulation of the band's early rock n' roll songs. As for the other three, they're all pretty enjoyable. I like how "When I Get Home" walks, with its "WAOH-OH-IIIIII"s; "Things We Said Today" has a nice vocal from paul, and I enjoy that "hard strum" riff it has; and I think "I'll Be Back" plays as a nice album closer, what with the repeating riff it fades out on. Not to mention, as a meta-promise to the fans... Boy, would they ever be. At any rate, I kinda doubt anyone would find the songs on side B weak enough that they'd actively bring side A down. Side A is just such an incredible run of songs, making it easily the music from this phase I've returned to the most often. By itself it gives this whole album a 5. Like, sure, PLEASE PLEASE ME has originals like its title track, and WITH THE BEATLES has covers like "You've Really Got A Hold On Me", but put them in context of their entire record side and they can't quite compare. And for real, if you haven't seen the movie yet, what're you even waiting for? Go do yourself a favor and watch it. I know I'll be watching it, and singing along as loudly as I can. Goodness.
What is there to say that hasn't been said already, both in the terms of artist and album? Of course, with the Fab Four being early in their careers, it doesn't really have as much influence as Sgt. Pepper's and beyond in their catalogue, but it's still a hell of a track list, nonetheless. Solid 5 Stars.
I’m at a 5. The first time I ever heard the Beatles as a kid was from a little jukebox toy – you can look this up, just Google “Golden Oldies Jukebox Coin Bank” or something like that, it’ll pop up. One of the songs there was Can’t Buy Me Love – it only played the chorus, out of a really crappy speaker, and yet it was the song I always gravitated to. When it wasn’t that song, I’d just keep pushing the button until I heard Can’t Buy Me Love again. I suppose it’s only right that the song is on this album, then. I already had it in my big playlist, but I just wanted to tell that story. How about the rest of it then? Obviously, “A Hard Day’s Night” might start with the single most memorable guitar hit ever, but the rest of the tracks here are… pretty good, for the most part. This is obviously not the Beatles at their peak; this feels more like say, some of the solo albums Michael Jackson released before Off the Wall sent him into the stratosphere & Thriller sent him into another plane of existence. It’s a little more raw, a little less defined, and still within the growing pains of it all, throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks and what doesn’t. I do think the DNA of a lot of their future monstrous success is on this album, though, and it certainly helps that this was a gigantic hit in its own right. You don’t get the rest of Beatlemania without starting here, and you certainly don’t get it without the rest of the tracks living up to the weight of the two biggest ones on this album, and I really think they did, even if they’re not quite as good. “I Should Have Known Better” has some solid harmonization & lyrics, and the harmonica feels super rare for a Beatles track. “If I Fell” has a really cool Bossa Nova vibe, even if the vocals do drown it out just a bit. “I’m Happy Just To Dance With You” has a really nice percussive pattern that evokes The Beach Boys. “And I Love Her” is an absolute standout – the Spanish guitar adds so much. “Tell Me Why” is the most 50s sounding track on the album, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing; I really liked the big band / nightclub feel of it all. “Any Time At All” has a really nice grit to John’s voice that makes it stand out, even though it feels pretty instrumentally close to say, The Byrds or other contemporaries. “I’ll Cry Instead” has a lot of obvious influence from Bob Dylan, but it’s got a really nice melody and a good tone in the vocals. “Things We Said Today” has great lyricism, even if it’s slightly repetitive, and it’s just a super catchy track. “When I Get Home” has a lot of the DNA that would later be present on Paul’s solo stuff with Wings, even though John’s got lead vocals on it. “You Can’t Do That” is a really bouncy track with some great harmonization & backing vocals. “I’ll Be Back”’s acoustically driven soundscape, as well as their harmonizing vocals blend really, really well, and I think it’s a really nice closer. I’m not at a 10 like I was with Abbey Road & The White Album – it’s not as good as those albums, and I’m sure most people would agree with that. However, what’s here is still fun, and I can totally understand why The Beatles blew up before & especially so after this. It’s pretty damn good rock & roll, and it shifted the blueprint for everybody for the rest of the 60s. They became the bar for success, and they set the tone for what to strive for musically. I’m not saying everyone tried to be the Beatles, but everyone had to be a little more Beatle-y, across all genres. I’m just glad it’s a short one – I don’t know that I could handle another 90 minute masterclass from these guys, so I’ll take 30 minutes of “pretty damn good” as the alternative. It’s an easy 5 for me. Still several more to go from these guys.
Love it.
für mich sonen classic dass gwüssi lieder gfühlt mini erste erinnerige a musig sind :o cha mi teils ned ane ziit erinnere, woni 'hard days night' noni kennt ha. bi einige vo dene lieder hani au lustigi erinnerige, woni englisch glernt ha und checkt ha, wasi für strubi helvetisme zumene englische klangbild am zemegschustere gsi bi. und denn überraschts natürli au wie zb bi anytime at all im B-teil wos plötzli dissonant abegaht. ah und em paul mccartney sini stimm isch super ☝️🙂↕️
A slightly unremarkable Beatles album for me.
Surprised myself with just how much I liked this album. I'm no avid fan of the Beatles, but by giving their albums a fresh and attentive listen, I might just begin to like them. Short-sweet-catchy and wraps up in 30 minutes. What's not to like?
Booooring, listened to three songs and put on "Bottomless pit" by death grips, a much better album
I prefer the later stuff.
Possibly the best of the Beatles’ early work. Features all time great tracks like ‘Hard Days Night’ & ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ as well as some lesser known greats like ‘I Should Have Known Better’. 4.5⭐️ (because their later work is even better)
It's okay, but I think Beatles is just not my cup of tea.
Not the best beatle album but certainly a banger one
It's the beatles
En bättre Beatles-skiva ärnade två senaste. "Vanliga" låtar som är trallvänliga och intressanta. Det är nog inget jag kommer lyssna på igen, men tycker nog hantverket och musiken är på en hög nivå.
Varken hört eller ens hört talas om denna tidigare, vilket i och för sig kanske inte säger så mycket. Tycker att den var överraskande bra. Inte lika bra som Abbey Road, men jämnbra över hela linjen och utan tramslåtar. Svag fyra (efter endast en genomlyssning).