The Beatles
With the Beatles
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AMG Review of With the Beatles
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
All Music GuideWith the Beatles is a sequel of the highest order -- one that betters the original by developing its own tone and adding depth. While it may share several similarities with its predecessor -- there is an equal ratio of covers-to-originals, a familiar blend of girl group, Motown, R&B, pop, and ock, and a show tune that interrupts the flow of the album -- With the Beatles is a better record that not only rocks harder, it's considerably more sophisticated. They could deliver ock & roll straight ("I Wanna Be Your Man") or twist it around with a little Latin lilt ("Little Child," one of their most underrated early rockers); Lennon and McCartney wrote sweet allads (the achingly gorgeous "All I've Got to Do") and sprightly pop/rockers ("All My Loving") with equal aplomb; and the propulsive rockers ("It Won't Be Long") were as richly melodic as slower songs ("Not a Second Time"). Even George Harrison's first recorded song, "Don't Bother Me," is a standout, with its wonderfully foreboding minor-key melody. Since the Beatles covered so much ground with their originals, their covers pale slightly in comparison, particularly since they rely on familiar hits (only "Devil in Her Heart" qualifies as a forgotten gem). But for every "Roll Over Beethoven," a surprisingly stiff reading of the Chuck Berry standard, there is a sublime moment, such as Lennon's soaring interpretation of "You Really Got a Hold on Me," and the group always turns in thoroughly enjoyable performances. Still, the heart of With the Beatles lies not in the covers, but the originals, where it was clear that, even at this early stage, the Beatles were rapidly maturing and changing, turning into expert craftsmen and musical innovators.
The Beatles, featuring Smokey Robinson
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Two weeks ago, I wrote about the Paul McCartney concert at Fenway Park. And all of those great tunes got me thinking about my first introduction to the Beatles. And then that ended up getting me thinking upon Smokey Robinson and his connection to the Beatles. But I’m getting ahead of myself.I don’t remember many moments from my first five years of life, but I do remember the first time I heard
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Macca Goes Postal
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No, Paul hasn't finally snapped and pumped Heather full of lead (he could probably afford to get someone else to do that for him), rather the title of this post refers to the lovely looking stamps that went on sale in the UK a couple of weeks ago.There's a series of six featuring classic album covers (With The Beatles, Help!, Revolver, Sgt Pepper, Abbey Road, Let It Be), but for my money the pi...
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Rock Shrine No. 30 – 57 Wimpole St. (The Beatles)
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From 1963 – 1965 Paul McCartney lived in rooms on the top floor of the family home of his girlfriend Jane Asher. (The second house from the corner.)Lennon and McCartney wrote “I Want To Hold Your Hand” in the basement, “one on one, eyeball to eyeball,” as Lennon put it. During the three years he lived here it’s fair to say many other famous songs were either conceived or worked on here
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Coverage Part One
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Believe it or not, The Beatles were once an up and coming band. And as was the case back in those days, it was customary to record covers by already established artists as well as a few originals. So on their second LP, _With The Beatles_, they laid down this Smokey Robinson track, already very popular in the states, _You Really Got A Hold On Me_, and it's one of their best. I love hearing t...
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Macca Goes Postal
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No, Paul hasn't finally snapped and pumped Heather full of lead (he could probably afford to get someone else to do that for him), rather the title of this post refers to the lovely looking stamps that went on sale in the UK a couple of weeks ago.There's a series of six featuring classic album covers (With The Beatles, Help!, Revolver, Sgt Pepper, Abbey Road, Let It Be), but for my money the pi...
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Devil In Her Heart
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I've been on a big early Beatles kick recently. I like to get out my vinyl copy of "With the Beatles," put on my go-go boots and do Hullabaloo dances in the middle of a square of shag carpet. The other day, this very thing was happening. The needle slid over to "Devil In Her Heart," and I got to thinking "Wow. This song is the cat's ass." But then I thought about it some more. Q: Where did I le...
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The Beatles, featuring Smokey Robinson
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Two weeks ago, I wrote about the Paul McCartney concert at Fenway Park. And all of those great tunes got me thinking about my first introduction to the Beatles. And then that ended up getting me thinking upon Smokey Robinson and his connection to the Beatles. But I’m getting ahead of myself.I don’t remember many moments from my first five years of life, but I do remember the first time I heard
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 "With the Beatles")
