I can't listen to this album and not recall going to see the movie "back-in-the-day" at the Rte 59 Theatre in Nanuet, NY. I was 10 or 11, and my mother actually dropped me off in front with several hundred other amped-up kiddies. Beatlemania was in full swing, so the MO was for the girls to scream every time a song started. They would also rush the low-hanging screen and try to kiss the Fab Four as they were running through London, slipping around on those cool, hard-heeled boots. Crackerjack, Bonomos Turkish Taffy and Red Hot Dollars were flying around everywhere. Everyone caught their breath whenever they did one of those goofy scenes with Paul's Da.

I didn't get another rush like that until Robert Vaughn, aka Napoleon Solo of The Man From Uncle, made an appearance at the Grand Way down the street a year or so later. Boy, did we trash those toy aisles...

Their 3rd album in less than 18 months, and yet I can hear the growth and progression clearly. You wouldn't think they'd have had time for any of that shee. Even outside the aspect of commercial success, this album sounds like a band about to explode with ideas.

Hard Day's Night
This is just so much fun. That chord. That cowbell. Those vocals. The remastering brings it all out - I've never heard THAT much of the cowbell before. And another scream before a guitar break - I didn't realize the Beatles screamed so often. It's one of those tells: a band's not worth spit if they can't slip in a good enthusiastic whoop now and then.

I Should Have Known Better
Another killer. The way the melody dips at the end of the line "... you're gonna say you love me too", the way Lennon drags out the word "too"... that, my friends, is a HOOK.

If I Fell
Unlike the previous albums' "Taste of Honey" and "Til There Was You", this is a case of a ballad that isn't schlock. The students are becoming the teachers.

I'm Happy Just To Dance With You
This sounds like a leftover from earlier days (yeah, at their rate of speed that means about a month prior). Nice but slight. George's voice, again, is better than I remember.

And I Love Her
See: "If I Fell". And nice geetar work.

Tell Me Why
Awesome. Something is taking a quantum shift here. Verging on the Spectorian wall of sound. Some kind of nutty big ballroom backing track here. Fuggers found Glen Miller. Then buried him.

Can't Buy Me Love
More bedrock. Another scream before a guitar solo - and a sweeeeeet guitar solo at that.

Any Time At All
Another one I've never heard. Love that chorus - now I know where Rick Nielsen filched that refrain in "He's A Whore". This box is making me an even bigger Lennon fan.

I'll Cry Instead
Actually, I guess I don't know any of these last 6 tracks that didn't make it into the film. This one sounds like it could've been on the previous two albums, except that cute chirpiness has taken on a darker undercurrrent.

Things We Said Today
Jesus, they got the formula down, now they're pulling it and pushing it like it's putty.

When I Get Home
Holy fuck, how have I never heard this before? I am now officially gay for Lennon.

You Can't Do That
This isn't the revelation of the previous couple tracks, but it's pretty damn fine. Sounds like a step back towards formula and then, shit, the guitar break comes along and KILLS it. In the best way possible. The band was tight on those first two albums, but by this point they're a lean, mean, fighting machine.

I'll Be Back
Kind of a meh way to end. And I'm almost relieved by it. Shit was getting out of hand.

how telling is it that many of us feel like we're re-discovering these recordings after all these years, and they still sound fresh, if not better than we remembered.

genius.

I'm definitely no audiophile but these remasters are remarkable. I think that it's aiding in the (re)-appreciation.

Also, it's bizarre little sensory phenomenon how I previously didn't really notice the cowbell on 'Hard Day's Night' and now that it's mentioned, it's brought to the forefront but in a good way.

i had the older versions of abbey road and revolver but i was never really a huge beatles fan, but listening to these is making me one.

the cowbell on a hard day's night is making me lol.

and i can't usually tell who's singing unless i look at the liner notes. well, except for ringo.

this, along with (for me at least) the fact that i never really gave any pre-rubber soul albums a chance before this box set.

goddamnit, i feel like i'm gonna be making a trip to the record store again today.

shiv its fun living vicariously through you as its how i was when i first started going through the albums

i guess i'll have to wait until tomorrow to talk about one of my favorite songs.

i can usually tell

if it's pretty, its paul

if it's dirty, it's john

if it's scouse, it's ringo

if it's none of those, its george

This is something I think I've always intuitively felt but didn't really occur to me until you wrote it. It's really what makes the song, and has always been my favorite part and one of my favorite Paul vocals.

Any Time at All and Things We Said Today are my favorite two tracks on Hard's Day Night. I love the guitar work in it.

i couldn't help myself and bought rubber soul and sgt. pepper's. skipped over revolver for now.

MISTAKE Shiv. Get your ass back over there and buy Revolver dude! IMO, the BEST of the new remasters, as well as being the best album in their discog

i'll get it eventually (probably next week) but i have the old version so i want to get rid of that first.

I'll Follow the Sun is NOT cheery. It's pretty, but it's kind of dark.

The whole band is whipped by this point.

According to allmusic

3/22/63 Please Please Me
11/22/63 With The Beatles
7/19/64 A Hard Day's Night
12/4/64 Beatles For Sale (again, interesting cover art, and somewhat unexpected. Plus that negative title... Ballsy)
8/6/65 Help (Largest Gap between, sounds like they've recharged the battery a bit)
12/3/65 Rubber Soul (!!!! crazy short gap for that much growth)
8/5/66 Revolver (another long gap comparatively, but Rubber Soul and Revolver feel like companion pieces to me)

The stylistic growth, the use of the studio as an instrument, the ability to grow and not lose the audience, the work ethic and increasing quality of writing, borrowing from eastern music and marrying it to pop and rock, the use of tape loops and other musique concrete experiments....

I mean Jesus. How the hell did they get away with it?

Has anyone gotten away with as much, or been lionized and demonized as much as this band?

perhaps youve heard of a little record called american idiot

I'd look for the white retarded tiger, but i'm tired.

i'm glad i didn't take your advice earlier. really liking beatles for sale.

I'm glad you like it. I also like it, it was one of my the first cds i checked out of the library when i got my first cd player freshman year in high school.

I have no idea what the crowd here likes, and that's usually the most panned of the early albums. You really ought to get revolver though.

i will.

good. you need it.

and you deserve it.

Is it cheaper to buy the box or buy them piecemeal?

The voice of youth has spoken. I read this on You Tube comments the other day.

"I'm 13 and I love The Beatles. It's such a shame they are only known because of a computer game."

good lord