While rock & roll acts like Elvis and the Everly Brothers and jazz artists like Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd were popular in the States, something very interesting was going on across the Atlantic. Four young men from Liverpool were making quite a splash in nightclubs in Hamburg. By the end of 1962, they had already released a hit album and 4 singles (one of which reached number one).With The Beatles, their 2nd LP to be released in the UK, was released on the day that JFK was assassinated. It features 8 original songs and 6 covers of R&B and Motown hits. Most of the songs from the album were released as Meet The Beatles! in the US in 1964 (their first in the States).
Another interesting note is that this album contained no singles, which was almost unheard of at the time. "All My Loving" was released as an Extended Play, but never as a single.
I thought that it was very coincidental that I happened to be reviewing my first Beatles album the day after their catalog was re-released on newly remastered CD's. It would have been even more coincidental if I had already gotten them (birthday hint #1). I'll have to settle for reviewing the CD versions from 1987.
The influence that Motown had on the band is easy to spot on this album. George Harrison and John Lennon share amazing harmonies on Smokey Robinson's "You Really Got a Hold on Me" and Lennon's version of "Money (That's What I Want)" is a fantastic way to end the record.
My favorite song on this album was a toss-up. "All My Loving" would turn out to be Paul McCartney's first classic and I couldn't stop myself from singing along in my car (much to JC's dismay). But John Lennon's heartfelt "All I've Got To Do" is one of the best moments on this album.
While this is not my favorite album by the group, it's a nice solid effort that built on the popularity of their first release and poised America for "Beatlemania."
Favorite Tracks: "All I've Got To Do," "All My Loving," "I Wanna Be Your Man" and "Money (That's What I Want)"
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