The Beatles Re-Mastered - The Complete Collection

Reviewed By Ambrose Mogg -The Original MerseyCat 

Please Please me

After the turgid years from 59-62 of Pretty Boy/Girl promoter controlled pop garbage, out of the mist they came to rescue us. It was rough, raw, loud and once again…..Rock ‘N’ Roll. Cliff Richard said the guitars were out of tune, and maybe they were a little….because they hit them SO HARD.

Recorded in record time the album was an amazing feat for a band that had never been near a recording studio before. Not a Fender Stratocaster in sight, George's distorted Gretsch, John’s thundering Rickenbacker, the loudest bass guitarist in the word, cemented together with Ringo’s all action Hi Hat symbol and Bass drum backbeat. What a band.

Things would never be the same again, as The Beatles sucked in American music styles and spat them out in a style that would captivate the world. The Twist was long gone but it didn’t matter. Lennon’s raw take on "Twist And Shout" brought it back from the dead, McCartney put the words in every boys mouth with the new Saturday night dance anthem "I Saw Her Standing There", George’s rough but effective guitar riffs showed the word you didn’t have to be American to play Rock’n’Roll and even the drummer got into the act with Ringo’s classic version of the Shirelles hits "Boys".

With The Beatles

I first heard this album at a party in Southport near Liverpool and it was the only album played all night. The style of Beatles had already spread from just a few “Beatniks at the Cavern to the rest of Liverpool and shortly the world would embrace the style.  Long Hair, Short Skirts, Big Hair… a great time to be young. We had all heard the boys playing and evolving at The Cavern, The Casbah and The Litherland Town Hall, but hang on, this stuff was a gigantic leap forward. The new compositions from John and Paul just stunned everyone. Their grasp of melody and harmony was now world class, with unusual chord sequences and poetic lyrics…the world of popular music would never be the same. Was it some gift from the God? Was it something in the water? Was just simply the right time?…perhaps a little of each. It was all their own work, and with no constraints from short sighted records producers and A&R people they simply flew to the stars and beyond.

As John said, “You should have been there”. I was lucky, I was…and boy do I miss it.

Rubber Soul

To many Rubber Soul offers the most complete range of rock music sounds ever compiled on one album. Moving away from their Star Club and Cavern origins the album features varied rhythms not previously found on a popular album. Every track was something to look forward to, telling stories that capture the youths of the era’s imagination with some simple but life remembering lines. "Michelle My Belle", "Sitting in his nowhere land"," there are places I remember", and if you wanted to say it like you felt when she left you "I’d rather see you dead little Girl"; all phrases that told the story of the trials and tribulations of the young and restless, not only of the 60s generation but right through the years. RUBBER SOUL is unquestionably the answer to the cynics who thought they were just another pop act and starting people believing that they really were listening the world’s greatest Rock Band. Their new versatility shines through evidenced by the dark, Dylan influenced irony-filled ("Norwegian Wood," "Nowhere Man"), a future anthem ("In My Life"), unique love songs ("Girl," "Michelle"), and a smattering of rock & roll music ("Drive My Car"). Using fuzz bass, lilting sitar, movie theatre piano and harpsichord, and some Country, Motown, and Classical Music thrown in for good luck. The album explodes with creative scope and experimentation. It was the sort of album you just had to play over and over again and hey... 40 odd years on... here we go again.

 Beatles For Sale

The fourth album was recorded in between hectic tours in the UK and the USA. The album brought more of the Cavern days to vinyl with elements of their pre-fame stage act. Featuring songs by Buddy Holly “Words Of Love” (Buddy’s band The Crickets were the idea behind the name Beatles), Carl Perkins’ “Honey Don’t” and Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby”, Chuck Berry’s’ “Rock and Roll Music” and Little Richard’s Kansas City/Hey,Hey,Hey”. Probably not confident enough to produce a complete album of original songs, new compositions like “Eight Days A Week”, “No Reply” and “I’m A Loser” gave us a glimpse of what was to come.

Hard Days Night

The first Beatles album of all-original material, introducing the world to the jangle of the then brand new 12 string Rickenbacker. The opening chord used by George on the track has been the subject of debate for the past forty five years, with no one being able to exactly replicate George’s sound; that was until earlier this year, when scientists discovered the missing ingredient. Turns out there wasn’t just guitars in the studio, but a piano as well — as determined by mathematical analysis of the recording.

The distinctive Rickenbacker 12-string sound was immediately copied by countless guitarists including Roger McGuinn and David Crosby of the Byrds. The film from which these songs hail remains a classic, showing the world for the first time, the Beatles Liverpool “Scouse” humour. 

The songs on the album were all penned by the boys and represent the most sing-along-able set ever recorded. If you want to be happy, then this is the album for you.

Revolver

Complete with the amazing artwork of Klaus Voorrmann, the Beatles opened new avenues for the whole cultural scene. The beginning of psychedelic rock , REVOLVER broke into musical experimentation with the Indian sounds of "Love You To," to the better than Motown track "Got To Get You Into My Life," the backwards guitar in "I'm Only Sleeping." George moved the boys into political comment for the first time with “Taxman” (The then Prime Minister Harold Wilson had recently introduced a new 95% top rate of income tax which led to a mass exodus of the rich, famous and talented from the UK)"Tomorrow Never Knows" was the most radical departure from previous Beatles' recordings with its minimalist percussion and bass with added tape loops, more backwards guitar, and a haunting John Lennon vocal. Gone were the simple riffs of She Love’s You, now replaced with tunes imaging their advancing life experiences. "Tomorrow Never Knows" was inspired by the Tibetan Book of the Dead; McCartney’s "Eleanor Rigby" was a bleak portrait of loneliness. They still found time however to raise everyone’s spirits with lively songs like "Good Day Sunshine" and "Yellow Submarine," Perhaps REVOLVER was the Beatles’ coming of age, pushing the envelope of ingenuity to where no Rock Band had ever gone before.

Help!

HELP was the last Beatles album to feature non Beatles penned songs (Larry Williams's "Dizzy Miss Lizzie" and Buck Owens’s “Act Naturally”), and marks the transition from Saturday Dance songs to something more complex.

Hugely influenced by Dylan “You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" combines John’s amazing feel for rhythm (If you play guitar just try doing what John does on All My Lovin' or Yer Blues...properly)  with a strong salute to the master of folk music. Paul once again hogged the melody limelight with the simple but very catchy “I've Just Seen A Face." George started to get a look in with two songs with “I Need You” being probably his best effort to date. "Ticket To Ride’s” showed what a fine drummer Ringo really was. Not forgetting one of the greatest songs of all time “Scrambled Eggs” with the title later changed to "Yesterday". This was to be the first song in a series of McCartney string back epics whose style would produce” Eleanor Rigby," "She's Leaving Home".

Magical Mystery Tour

The first six songs on MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR were the soundtrack to the Beatles' TV movie of the same name. The film was a failure, but perhaps understandingly as it was the boy’s first major concept following Brian Epstein’s untimely death. The film was iffy, but some the songs were outstanding. The influence of their psychedelic lifestyle showed up on tracks like George Harrison's mystical "Blue Jay Way" (about his house in Hollywood) , John Lennon's "I Am The Walrus," with its mystifying lyric, strange drum beats, haunting strings and background voices and even extracts from Shakespeare's "King Lear and not forgetting "Strawberry Fields Forever," a cacophony of kaleidoscopic colours fancy orchestrations with brass, strings, and backward cymbals,…quite amazing. But amongst the psycho sounds were some of the classic McCartney pop songs, dominated by the piano ballad "Fool On The Hill" and "Your Mother Should Know," superb Vaudevillian pop, "Hello Goodbye," which some say was a song about the increasing riffs between the song writing duo.

SGT. Pepper

Probably the most famous album ever recorded. Enormously influential and possibly the beginning of the metal era, SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND had a huge impact on the music world, announcing the beginning of a new era of complex sophistication in rock. From the simple beginnings of Please Please Me, this album was a quantum leap in the use of the technology of the day. Experimenting with new sounds and effects it was truly was dynamic with several tracks stitched together to create seamless transitions. The visual design of the album changed the fashion scene forever leading to the Carnaby Street revolution that was to follow. Producer George Martin and The Beatles searched for new sounds and studio effects. They added crowd sounds and animal cries from sound-effects recordings, sped up Paul McCartney's vocals in "When I'm Sixty-Four" (to make him sound younger), and sustained a single piano chord for 40 seconds to end "A Day In The Life." The orchestrations, scored by George Martin, were hailed by critics as bridging the gap between pop and classical music, bringing in people of all ages into sphere of the Beatles.

White Album

THE BEATLES (known as "The White Album" because of its cover) was a wide spectrum of ideas spread over a two-record set, featuring each individual Beatle and their unique talents in the group as they matured as they moved further away from each other. With the split already taking place, many of the tracks were recorded by individuals with the others acting almost as session musicians adding colour and a few more layers.

The songs reflect the tensions of the moment with cynicism rising. “Glass Onion” was a satire in response to people reading too much stuff into Beatle songs. “Yer Blues” was Lennon’s successful attempt to write a classic Blues track and as many guitarists will tell you, it’s a lot more subtle than it at first sounds. , Attitudes of the moment show themselves in " "I'm So Tired", and the Onoesque "Revolution 9." George finally got some serious album time with his humorous track "Piggies" and the momentous "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," with Eric Clapton on lead guitar. Paul McCartney as ever provided the pop songs ("Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," "Honey Pie"), and a couple of rockers ("Back In The U.S.S.R.," and “Helter Skelter"). Ringo made his song writing debut with "Don't Pass Me By" and sang the album closer "Good Night."

Yellow Submarine

A Ringo thing originating from the Revolver album "Yellow Submarine" evolved into the successful 1968 animated feature film. Once again hugely innovative for the time and probably the first time popular music and well known characters had been fused into a cartoon movie many miles away from Snow White. Today with movies like Toy Story and Shrek, it’s a normal part of the movie scene, but once again, it was if the Beatles had a crystal ball.  Again the real fifth Beatle George Martin brought his phenomenal arrangement skills into play, and the additional songs were not bad at all, the simple but haunting Peace anthem "All You Need Is Love" which had been beamed across the planet in the world’s first Global live TV production. George’s "Only A Northern Song" and "Its All Too Much" illustrate the psychedelic phase their music had reached.

Yellow Submarine Only A Northern Song All Together Now  Hey Bulldog It's All Too Much All You Need Is Love Pepperland Sea Of Time Sea Of Holes Sea Of Monsters Pepperland Laid Waste Yellow Submarine In Pepperland Yellow Submarine Documentary [enhanced video]

Abbey Road

After the laborious disorganisation and infighting that characterised early 1969's LET IT BE sessions (as famously captured on film), the fab but now fractious four were willing to let George Martin take the reins and to work with him as a cohesive unit for the much more succinct production of their (and the decade's) swan song, ABBEY ROAD. The superb performances make the album an artistic high point for all members of the group. Paul McCartney inspired the suite of songs that begins with "You Never Give Me Your Money." Often thought of as two long medleys, the songs that fill most of the second half of ABBEY ROAD segue seamlessly into one another, but are programmed as separate CD tracks. George Harrison had his first A-side on a Beatles' single ("Something"); John Lennon contributed a pair of heavy rockers ("Come Together" and "I Want You"); and Ringo Starr's "Octopus's Garden" was a favorite with children.

 Let It Be

The last album? The arguments still rage. It was recorded in 1969 and was finally released in 1970 to somewhat mixed reviews.. Many fans reject it, while others defend it fiercely. It was quite different from previous albums and perhaps reflected a certain nostalgia for the good old days with the 1959 penned track “The One After 909”. A swan song? Perhaps, but all good things must come to an end. Perhaps the title track says it all. An album with a rough-cut finish, which for some, provides more satisfaction than the sophisticated Martin productions. As for Phil Spector’s interferences on "The Long and Winding Road", "Across the Universe", and "I Me Mine", well, it’s a matter of personal choice. We know what Paul thinks with the recent re-release of the album without Spector’s bits.

Despite being some way from the Bands best album, it still contains two of the most popular tracks of all time “Let It Be” and “Get Back (With the late great Billy Preston on keyboard)”.

And in some ways “The One After 909” and the middle eight of “I Me Mine” get closer than any other tracks to those loud and exciting days at the Star and Cavern Clubs.

Beatles Past Masters

Packaged together on CD for the first time, 'Past Masters Vol.1 & 2' gathers singles, oddities and B-sides, saving the dedicated Beatlemaniac considerable time. VOLUME ONE covers the first half of the Beatles career from 1962 to 1965, while VOLUME TWO deals with 1965 to 1970.

Included on the album are the German versions  of  "She Loves You" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand"("Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand" and "Sie Liebt Dich" respectively), as an acknowledgement to their Hamburg Days . Full of their early influences, it includes some their great covers with Ringo Starr singing Carl Perkins' "Matchbox" and John Lennon blasting out Larry Williams' "Slow Down" and "Bad Boy," Paul McCartney doing his great take on Little Richard's on "Long Tall Sally" which was to later influence the style of "I'm Down."

VOLUME TWO, focuses on the post tour era. This was the time they used every trick in the book to produce many unusual effects including the first use of backwards tape ("Rain") and first ultra long single ("Hey Jude"). There are also alternate versions of well-known songs ("Get Back," "Across The Universe"), and songs influenced by Fats Domino ("Lady Madonna") and Indian culture ("The Inner Light"). The strangest song on this collection is "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)." Originally laid down in May 1967, the track was not considered good enough for release and was shelved, they returned to it in November 1969. The result was interesting to say the least; conceived by John Lennon, featuring mumbled vocals, our own MerseyCat and member of the Undertakers  Brian Jones' saxophone playing and sound effects replicating the inside of an after-hours club.

Ambrose Mogg is Dave Ferguson of MerseyCats, the Children's Rock’n’Roll Charity based in Liverpool with original members of bands from 60s still rockin' the house down. The Chairman of MerseyCats, Wally Shepard (Bassist with Earl Preston & the TTs), showed Paul McCartney how to play the riff from Chuck Berry's track "Talkin 'Bout You"  left handed, which he used as the basis of the bass riff for "I Saw Her Standing There". Betcha didn't know that one.