The Beatles’ catalog was first released on CD in 1987, when most folks were beginning to replace their record collections with the tiny silver discs. The sound was remarkable … for 1987. But 22 years of technological evolution made those albums sound, well, like they were released in 1987. Apple/EMI just remastered and reissued the Beatles’ 13 albums plus the Past Masters sets. Each includes new liner notes and mini-documentaries you can watch on your computer. And they sound great. But how great? Are they worth buying again? Read on.
Please Please Me
What Is It? The Beatles’ debut, loaded with covers from their
club days plus a few sterling originals (the title tune, “I Saw Her
Standing There”).
Worth Buying Again? Yes. This is the first time the album is
available in stereo (With the Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night and Beatles for Sale also make their stereo
debuts). The group’s youthful exuberance bounces from the speakers.
With the Beatles
What Is It? Beatlemania kicks in, and the band rides its
fabness with another mix of covers and originals.
Worth Buying Again? No. “All My Loving” jumps, but there are
too many meh moments to justify the upgrade.
A Hard Day’s Night
What Is It? The first Beatles album to include nothing but
Lennon-McCartney songs. It’s also the soundtrack to their first
movie.
Worth Buying Again? Yes. The acoustic brushes of “If I Fell”
nuzzle your ears.
Beatles for Sale
What Is It? Their fourth album in less than two years.
Beatlemania begins to take its toll, as the band falls back on some
blah covers.
Worth Buying Again? No. There’s some all-grown-up lyrics
here, but only “Eight Days a Week” truly pounces.
Help!
What Is It? Ostensibly the soundtrack to their second film
and their first creative leap forward.
Worth Buying Again? Yes. The Dylan-influenced “You’ve Got to
Hide Your Love Away” has never sounded more intimate.
Rubber Soul
What Is It? The Beatles’ first undisputed classic and the
first time they actually structure an album as an album, rather than a
collection of songs.
Worth Buying Again? Yes. From the opening “Drive My Car,” the
folk-soul blend rings throughout.
Revolver
What Is It? The Beatles’ first major freak-out and the first
time they actually used the studio as their playground.
Worth Buying Again? Yes. Both ballads (“Here, There and
Everywhere”) and jangly rockers (“And Your Bird Can Sing”) reveal new
depths.
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
What Is It? One of the greatest albums of all time, soaked
equally in ambition and pretension.
Worth Buying Again? Yes. The album’s kaleidoscopic production
(especially on “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!”) sounds
stunning.
Magical Mystery Tour
What Is It? The Beatles at their most self-indulgent, but in
a bad way. It’s a TV soundtrack that sounds mostly like Sgt.
Pepper leftovers.
Worth Buying Again? No. But all the noises tucked into “I Am
the Walrus”‘ nooks and crannies sure do pop.
The Beatles
What Is It? The Beatles at their most self-indulgent, but in
a good way. The White Album is the sound of the Fab Four breaking
apart.
Worth Buying Again? Yes. It’s their most personal set of
songs (“Mother Nature’s Son,” “Long, Long, Long”), which now sound even
more personal.
Yellow Submarine
What Is It? Another soundtrack, this time filled with awful
movie instrumentals by producer George Martin.
Worth Buying Again? No. Unless you really love “Hey Bulldog”
and “All Together Now,” there’s nothing here worth buying again.
Abbey Road
What Is It? The last album the Beatles recorded together,
highlighted by a side-long suite written primarily by Paul
McCartney.
Worth Buying Again? Yes. “Something” is one of George
Harrison’s best songs, and it sounds great here. So does John Lennon’s
“Come Together.”
Let It Be
What Is It? A failed attempt at resparking the band’s
collective live spirit. Hours of messy tapes were remixed by
goop-lovin’ producer Phil Spector.
Worth Buying Again? No. The punchier sound merely underlines
the schmaltz (but the raw “Two of Us” and “I’ve Got a Feeling” rock
harder).
Past Masters
What Is It? Previously two separate CDs of leftover singles
and stuff, now combined in a single two-disc package.
Worth Buying Again? Maybe. We can’t hear much difference, but
“Day Tripper” sounds zippier, and “Rain”‘s psych-out oozes newfound
warmth.
This article appears in Sep 9-15, 2009.
The Lennon-McCartney duo operated not only at the genius level, they operated at a spiritually motivated genius level. Get all Lennon-McCartney music that was released from Revolver onward to the end. This music is of great importance. Go to thegoodguise at wordpress.com for the entire story. The Beatles did come to change the world, and that change has only just begun.