1962-1966 (Red Album) - Beatles (The) (Cassette 1993)

Whenever writing about a Beatles album, I usually think it would be sufficient just to list the tracks on the disc and let it go at that. After all, I'd wager that most folks out there have a passing familiarity with the Beatles, and are at least familiar with the songs on this particular compilation. This album is little more than a greatest hits album, and the songs here are as ingrained in popular American culture as the New York Yankees, Ford Motor Company and Budweiser.

One thing that's always been amazing about the Beatles is how well that band's music holds up as the years roll past. This is a band that called it quits 31 years ago, and it's almost as popular now as it was then. The majority of bands that made it big in the 1960s pumped out music that sounds just plain silly today. The Beatles, though, stand as a very notable exception to that rule, and this disc contains some of the best work from the band.

Covered here are singles and album tracks in the period between Please, Please Me and Revolver. So, we're talking about early tracks from John, Paul, George and Ringo as well as some tracks from when the band became more "experimental" and gained a healthy reputation outside of screaming and fainting teens. To get an idea of what tracks are on this two-disc set, here's a list of them:

Disc 1

1. Love Me Do
2. Please Please Me
3. From Me To You
4. She Loves You
5. I Want To Hold Your Hand
6. All My Loving
7. Can't Buy Me Love
8. Hard Day's Night, A
9. And I Love Her
10. Eight Days A Week
11. I Feel Fine
12. Ticket To Ride
13. Yesterday


Disc 2

1. Help!
2. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
3. We Can Work It Out
4. Day Tripper
5. Drive My Car
6. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
7. Nowhere Man
8. Michelle
9. In My Life
10. Girl
11. Paperback Writer
12. Eleanor Rigby
13. Yellow Submarine

Sound familiar? As I said, these tracks are all well known. In that regard, this is an excellent thing to get for someone who doesn't quite understand what the "deal" with the Beatles was. I particularly appreciate the inclusion of two singles here that didn't show up on full-length albums from the band -- "We Can Work it Out" and "Paperback Writer." Those were fantastic songs, but only appeared on 45's during the band's tenure. Those are both fairly experimental tracks which used a lot of studio tricks and special effects that couldn't be replicated well in concert.

As for the rest of the album, we've got a lot of good-time, snazzy music that's based on American rock n' roll from the 1950s, yet given a particularly unique spin due to wonderful harmonies, Ringo's "slap happy" drumming and enough energy and enthusiasm to choke a horse. The band's sense of what's pleasing to the ear is incredible, particularly when one considers this stuff still sounds great today.

The only complaint I have about this disc is that Revolver is barely represented here. That album had some wonderful, experimental stuff, and the only tracks from it hear are "Eleanor Rigby" (which I think is just a bunch of false sentiment) and "Yellow Submarine" (which is a good song, but it's kind of a tune for kids). Some of the heavier tracks off of Revolver should have been included here, I think. I would have loved it if "And Your Bird Can Sing" or "I'm Only Sleeping" would have been put on this collection, but that's just the way it goes.

So, if you want to grab a disc to get a good dose of the music that started "Bealtemania," it's hard to go wrong with this one.