Beatles fans...where to start?

[Nathans_Dad]

I'm starting to get interested in the Beatles. I was never really a big fan, although I had never really listened to their stuff before. I went to a concert of a great tribute band called 1964 about a month ago and enjoyed the hell out of the music. I'm also learning guitar and Beatles tunes keep popping up on my list of things to learn.

So, for a man with zero Beatles albums, where should I start? I was thinking of getting two compilations, one called the Red Album (1962-1966) and another called the Blue Album (1967-1970). I was gonna throw in the White album as well just because everyone talks about it so much.

Does this sound good or should I go for the individual records? If so, which ones?

[Mule]

Good plan. The individual albums early on were put together by the music companies & have little individual flavor & a fair amount of repetition. The later albums are not that way, but if you have the cuts, you can look at which songs were on which albums & get the same picture. Enjoy.

[scottmandue]

I'm not a big fan of compilation records (the red and blue album) back in the day albums were crafted with song that fit together and complimented each other. Plus you get to hear the other songs that you don't get to hear because some record company nitwit arbitrarily chose not to promote them.

The white album

Abby road

Rubber soul (highly underrated IMHO)

Yellow submarine

Sargent Peppers

[Moses]

The best way is to start from the beginning. Give yourself a week or two with "Meet the Beatles." Go down the list chronologically. Don't pick up a later album until you're really explored it's predecessors. The Beatles are a continual work in progress. Each recording is built on the previous ones. All of them are brilliant.

My 17 year old son listens to an incredible diversity of music; soul, blues, classic rock, metal, reggae and hip hop. He tells his friends that if they don't like the Beatles they just don't understand music.

[Mule]

I still remember riding home on my Sting Ray bicycle with my $4.95 copy of Meet the Beatles.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Mule

I still remember riding home on my Sting Ray bicycle with my $4.95 copy of Meet the Beatles.

Me too... that we bought at the supermarket... where that cute girl worked at the ice cream counter... that I was too shy to talk to.

[Les Paul]

Do start at the beginning. You'll be amazed at how they progressed in not only their songwriting skills but musical skills too. And then there is the production which just gets better and bettter. If I were you I would give each album a week or 2 to soak in. Then get the next one. If you really want to get into it later there are a few compilations of different years where they play different outakes. First draft, mid, final. There is a ton of Beatles stuff out there. I think between myself, my 26 year old daughter and 20 year old son we have it all. And many of the original albums I got as a kid. Still amazes me 40+ years later.

[scottmandue]

Seriously, my best friend was a huge Beatles fan and when each new album was released we would walk down to the supermarket buy it, take it back to his house and listen to the entire album several times.

And the girl at the ice cream counter's name was Jane.





We should warn you the very early albums were in mono and had songs like "Ain't she sweet"

The Beatles were pioneers in a lot of recording technology.

[Mule]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

Me too... that we bought at the supermarket... where that cute girl worked at the ice cream counter... that I was too shy to talk to.

At the supermarket!

[mattdavis11]

Start here with Dig a Pony!

[craigster59]

Revolver is another great album.

[Tobra]

Moses, yet again, is a font of wisdom

[Mule]

Originally Posted by mattdavis11

Start here with Dig a Pony!

The famous rooftop session!

[hardflex]

If you're studying them, take note of a couple of items that kept their music interesting despite the volume of their work.

1. They made Ringo play different drum backings and rythyms for each song.

2. The large number of instruments they brought into their music, all fitting seemlessly into their works.

From Rubber Soul on, in my opinion, is where they really hit their stride and the music blossomed.

I've seen a few Beatle's Tribute bands in my days. First one was "Beatlemania" at the Hollywood Bowl years ago. which was truly a Great Show. Last Month I saw the "Fab4" in Las Vegas and they blew me away! I never thought 4 guys could mimic 'A Day in the Life' so closely. I'd recommend the show to any Beatle Fan's out there.

[craigster59]

This is a great book to have if you want to learn Beatle songs.
http://www.amazon.com/Beatles-Complete-Scores/dp/0793518326/ref=pd_sim_b_2

[sammyg2]

I've always been a beatles fan, and still have at least a dozen LPs in the hall closet.
My favorite CD is the beatles 1.

It is a chronology of their growth and development from the early years all the way through to the end with plenty of Paul's stuff (the good stuff) like Yesterday, Hey Jude, Let it be, and The Long and winding road.

here's the song list: (I usually skip over #23 as a matter of habit)
1. Love Me Do
2. From Me to You
3. She Loves You
4. I Want to Hold Your Hand
5. Can't Buy Me Love - (live)
6. Hard Day's Night, A - (live)
7. I Feel Fine - (live)
8. Eight Days a Week - (live)
9. Ticket to Ride - (live)
10. Help! - (live)
11. Yesterday - (live)
12. Day Tripper
13. We Can Work It Out
14. Paperback Writer
15. Yellow Submarine - (live)
16. Eleanor Rigby
17. Penny Lane
18. All You Need Is Love
19. Hello, Goodbye
20. Lady Madonna
21. Hey Jude
22. Get Back
23. Ballad of John & Yoko, The
24. Something
25. Come Together
26. Let It Be
27. Long and Winding Road, The

[rouxroux]

Originally Posted by Mule

I still remember riding home on my Sting Ray bicycle with my $4.95 copy of Meet the Beatles.

I got a different album a few weeks earlier....It's "Introducing the Beatles" on VeeJay. the album I have is a mono version. I also had a few 45's before that that a B.O.A.C. pilot friend of my Father's brought to me (I was in kindergarten).

[sammyg2]

[Les Paul]

Some of their early stereo stuff is funny in how it was mixed. Lead guitar left channel rythm right possibly bass too drumms maybe right channel. Crude but man they got so much better with each album. Then they started panning stuff from side to side, and got into the standard drums bass center, vocals spread out etc. Amazing tech advances in a few short years.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by craigster59

Revolver is another great album.

And "Let it be"

Eleven albums... buy them... listen in chronological order... you will be amazed.

http://www.Beatles.com/core/music/