How to Appreciate The Beatles

No artist or group in the history of pop music has been more influential than The Beatles. Even today, their original albums outsell some contemporary artists, and when new compilations are released, they sell in the millions, almost 40 years after the group disbanded. But a large number of people only know the band from their big single hits. Experienced Beatles fans know that there is a huge cache of musical treasures available on Beatles albums apart from those singles. And whether you're a novice or a long time fan, here's how to better appreciate John, Paul, George and Ringo...The Beatles!

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Your own personal collection of Beatles albums/CD's or..
• Access to a collection of Beatles albums/CD's, in particular...
• With The Beatles
• Beatles For Sale
• Rubber Soul
• Revolver
• Abbey Road

1. "With The Beatles" is the first album most Beatles fans experience. The catchy "All My Lovin" is the best known of the songs on that CD. But to begin to better appreciate their "rock and roll roots" chops, check out "Roll Over Beethoven," the Chuck Berry classic...and their piano driven take of the Motown hit, "Money."
2. "Beatles For Sale" featured the number one hit "Eight Days A Week." But listen to both "No Reply" and "I'm A Loser" to discover how John and Paul were already moving past simple love song lyrics and beginning to paint audio pictures.
3. "Rubber Soul" boasted the big hit single "Nowhere Man." Take a little pop music history class, though, by hearing the first use of the Indian instrument called the sitar in "Norwegian Wood."
4. The conventional wisdom is that "Sgt. Pepper" was the group's crowning achievement. Purists, though, will tell you that "Revolver" was, in its own way, every bit the equal of Pepper. Paul performs the melancholy "For No One" and the melody and harmony of "And Your Bird Can Sing" are unlike anything that was being done in 1966.
5. "Abbey Road" gave us "Something" and "Here Comes The Sun." But to best appreciate how far the band had come musically in just 5 years, listen to the "end piece" that begins with "Golden Slumbers." It is a "mini opera" long before the idea of operatic type structure was considered in pop music.

Tips & Warnings

• Always try to listen to the original EMI label recordings and not any of the "re-compiled" albums that Capitol Records released in the sixties.
• Listen to each album as a complete work and marvel at how each song had its own unique style and presentation, yet contributes to the success of the album as a whole.