Customer Reviews

The Beatles 1

5 star:		(571)
4 star:		(145)
3 star:		(86)
2 star:		(34)
1 star:		(54)

 

 

The Beatles latest released CD is really great. It's a compilation of their best songs over the years and a long compilation at that. each song is different from the next and usually way out there, on a topic that isn't popular. The songs will make you think about things from life in submarines to life on Penny Lane; Songs about love, to songs about hate. The things that I think I like the most about this CD is that I can listen to it when I'm mad or sad or angry or happy. There is a song on this CD for every mood and everytime because the songs are so outrageous and yet they are calm. Out of the countless songs that The Beatles wrote and sang, only around 30 of their greatest were put on this CD, which still left out many great songs. Anyone who likes The Beatles or oldies songs at all will fall in love with this CD.

Although cries of "Oh not another Beatles Cd !" have been heard, this compilation arguably fills a gap in that Beatles Cd market and is certainly a good value introduction to new, young fans sick of rifling through parents record collections. Apart from the 80's reissues of the original albums which did not include many of these tracks, (They were, in the main, singles only) , the black and white Past Masters compilations and the red and blue double Cds provide the only other place they can be found. The former are an odd assortment of B-sides as well as non album tracks and the latter are a bit of an investment time and moneywise. No doubt the Beatles are keen to stake their undoubted claim to greatness with a concise, millenial contemporary looking disc.Some other reviewers seem to have missed the point in their quibbles about these songs not being the bands best work as the criteria for inclusion was clearly "single" and "chart "status. Nevertheless the omission of Please Please Me and Strawberry Fields is odd given that the former was the group's first UK No1 and the latter enjoyed equal billing with Penny Lane as a double-A side. I suppose it came down to space and a compromise between UK and US markets. Finally I think the remastered sound is GREAT :Anyone who can't tell the difference between the sound on this reissue and that of previous versions well...Do an A -B test; I'll admit I did. There's no need to remix these classic tracks; the Beatles were one of the best recorded/produced bands of the 60's and the way these tracks come up proves it . To tamper too much would be like trimming Picasso or colourizing Citizen Kane: the mix, as originally realised by the artist, is an integral part of the whole sound statement. I only hope that all those classic albums get the 24-bit treatment soon and that we might even get the definitive , punchy, mono mixes of Pepper , Revolver etc.etc.

This is the best single CD Beatles collection available. It provides an excellent, high-level overview of their career and music. It contains 26 songs that hit number 1 either in the US or UK. The one exception being George Harrison's "Something", which peaked at number 3, though the liner notes give it credit for hitting number 1 because it was the B-side of a number 1 single ("Come Together"). But I can forgive that fudging, since I'm sure it was done to ensure that a Harrison song was included on the collection. All-in-all, a classic collection and a great introduction to the Beatles for new fans. I just wish they would release a Beatles 2 CD similar to the Elvis 2nd to None CD. They certainly have plenty of material to pick from!

Btw, an interesting bit of trivia: The British Beatles hold the record for the most number 1 singles in the US, followed by the American Elvis. While Elvis holds the record for most number 1 singles in Britian followed by the Beatles.

The Beatles attempted to top themselves once again, this time releasing another greatest hits compilation entitled The Beatles 1 that consists of all their chart toppping singles realeased in Britian and the US.

It contains classics such as "Penny Lane", "I want to hold your hand" and "Yesterday". But it is the songs that never made it to #1 that are more memorable in Beatles lore. From the tense and all too true "A Day in the life", to the dreamy and spacey "Strawberry Fields Forever" and the beautiful "Paris love" feel of "Michelle", these songs were classics that never made it to #1 but they were nonetheless just as groundbreaking. Not to mention "Twist and Shout" and "I saw her standing there" which also never made it to #1 on the Billboard charts because the top spot was already taken by another Beatles classic "Love Me do."

The thing you have to remember about singles is that they are picked out from the bunch because they are the catchiest song on the CD yet they usually don't display the breadth and diversity of the CD as a whole.

Consider the usual disappointment you experience when you excitingly buy a groups CD because you loved the single they released, only to find out that the whole album only contains 1 or 2 other good songs.

The Beatles 1 has the feel of their earlier and much more poppish albums, the teenage love and angst that made them famous. But it seems to entirely skip over their darker and much more complex music from their later albums that made them legends. The Beatles 1 contains no songs from Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club voted the #1 album of all time by Rolling Stone Magazine and it contains only two songs from Revolver, voted #3, and no songs from The White Album, the Fab Four's most heralded Beatles LP. The Beatles 1 also excludes all songs from Rubber Soul, my personal favorite Beatles album and probably their most career defining.

If you really want to buy a compilation album I'd recommend getting either the blue boxed doubled CD set which contains their hits from their later years entitled 1967-1970 along with the Red cased album that contains hits from their early years entitled 1962-1966, because these two CDs gives you a combination of both the heavier later Beatles sound as well as the light Beatles sound, as opposed to the primarily popish sound on The Beatles 1.

But personally I would skip the compilations altogether and go straight to career albums because they recorded so many and each one had a uniquely different feel. This saves you the money of buying a greatest hits album.

Start right where they did with their first album Please Please Me and then go on from there.

You see The Beatles weren't just one band; they were like twelve. They went through so many different stages in there famed musical career that it is impossible to mold their career onto one CD. And trust me once you buy one you'll be hooked and want to get them all.

I bought the cd for my dads birthday and now I realize why so many grownups love The Beatles! Although I don't know how the original versions of the songs were, I still think this cd is good.These are songs like no other- there is no group that sounds like The Beatles or will ever compare.When you listen to the songs, they take you back to the 60s and 70s, and the whole peace vibe kicks in.I'm 18 now and 16 when I bought it,so for all of you teens, please give it a try, its worth it!

While, it's the most complete collection of The Beatles' biggest hits to date, "1" still leaves us a huge feeling of incompleteness. By limiting it to just numer one hits, many of their biggest hits - "Do You Want To Know A Secret", "She's A Woman", "Tiwst And Shout" and most glaringly "Strawberry Fields Forever" - are not here.

Don't get me wrong. I absolutely love the songs here. You can't argue the timelessnss of numbers like "I Wanna Hold Your Hand", "Lady Madonna", "Come Together", "Something", "Love Me Do" and the many others.

But still leaves a hairraising question: why couldn't this have been a boxd set of all their singles? A Boxed set would have pleased both casual fans and ones who have listened to them for years. The Beatles scored 70 chart entries between 1964 and 1996, and 32 of them made the top 10. With only 27 here, it leaves oom for more. I know it's going to take up space and proably won't get me any helpful vots, but here's a list of all the missing songs.

"Please Please Me" (number 3)
"I Saw Her Standing There" (number 14)
"My Bonnie" (number 26)
"From Me To You" (number 41)
"Twist And Shout" (number 2)
"Roll Over Beethoven" (number 68)
"All My Loving" (number 45)
"Do You Want To Know A Secrer" (number 2)
"You Can't Do That" (number 48)
"Thank You Girl" (number 35)
"There's A Place" (number 74)
"Why" (number 88)
"P.S. I Love You (number 10)
"Sie Liebt Dich" (number 97)
"Ain't She Sweet" (number 19)
"I Should Have Known Better" (number 53)
"And I Love Her" (number 12)
"I'll Cry Instead" (number 25)
"If I Fell" (number 53)
"Matchbox" (number 17)
"I'm Happy Just To Dance With Her" (number 95)
"Slow Down" (number 25)
"She's A Woman" (number 4)
"I Don't Want To Spoil The Party" (number 39)
"Yes It Is" (number 46)
"Act Naturally" (number 47)
"Nowhere Man' (number 3)
"What Goes On" (number 81)"Rain" (number 23)
"Strawberry Fields Forever" (number 8)
"Baby You're A Rich Man" (number 34)
"I Am The Walrus" (number 56)
"The Inner Light" (number 96)
"Revolution" (number 12)
"Don't Let Me Down" (number 35)
"Got To Get You Into My Life" (number 7)
"Ob - La - Di, Ob - La - Da" (number 49)
"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - With A Little Help From My Friends" (number 71)
"The Beatles Medley" (number 12)
"Baby It's You" (number 67)
"Free As A Bird" (number 6)
"Real Love" (number 11)

See what I mean? All these great hits are missing. Just hope that a boxed set will be released in the future.

I am looking to purchase this CD of Beatles songs as most of the reviews are very good. I see that there is a newer version available and am wondering what the difference is between the original version that I can purchase used for 5.99 and this newer version for 16.99. Is the sound quality improved or are there bonus songs or something else to make it worth the cost difference?

Those who truly love the music of the Beatles are unlikely to purchase this superfluous collection of alleged number one hits, but those wanting an introduction to the Beatles, should proceed with caution to the cash register. This album is not quite what it purports to be - all the Beatles number one hits. In what market, for example, did Love Me Do, the Beatles first single, skyrocket to the top? Why is Please Please Me, the song producer George Martin told the lads would be their first number one hit, not included? Why is Eight Days a Week, an album track in the U.K., a number one? And why are some very successful double-sided singles included, but not others. If we get both Day Tripper and We Can Work It Out, Eleanor Rigby and Yellow Submarine, Come Together and Something, why do we only get Penny Lane but not Strawberry Fields Forever. Hello Goodbye but not I Am the Walrus, and most of all Hey Jude but not Revolution? The Beatles have such an extensive collection of wonderful music that buying just 27 songs will not suffice. Too many wonderful songs are not on this album. It would be better, if you must go the greatest hits route, to crack open your wallet and at least purchase the red and blue collections (four discs instead of one). It's well worth the extra expense.

Ok this misses out some of the good No2's and lower Poisitioned songs, Sgt Pepper, Lucy in the sky with diamonds and I'am the Walrus for example. But you can't complain because all these songs are brilliant and thats all I need to say because I leave this album, to go by the bands reputation.

Got this for my 9 year old nephew who really likes it! So nice to see the new generations still enjoy music from decades ago!