Blog Your Site

The Beatles in Stereo Box Set

The Beatles second UK LP (With The Beatles) is not among my favorite Beatles albums, in actuality I think it’s probably their least great album. That’s not to imply I do not enjoy listening to this early classic in it’s 2009 remastered format nor is it to imply that With The Beatles doesn’t have any good songs on it because I do and it does.

I do think that when looking only at the 8 Beatles originals on the record, it’s probably the least inspiring collection of originals the band ever released on an album (the underrated Beatles For Sale (1964) has a far better collection of 8 original songs in my opinion) on the other hand, the six covers on this album are quite good (superior to the six covers on Beatles For Sale, which was their fourth album.)

My most favorite originals to listen to on the With The Beatles Remastered CDs (stereo and mono) are the first three songs: “It Won’t Be Long,” “All I’ve Got To Do,” and “All My Loving.” In particular I’ve been loving song number two, “All I’ve Got To Do” in the remastered mono. It sounds fantastic.

Another song that has really been growing on me a bit is song #9, “Hold Me Tight.” Paul McCartney wrote and sang lead on this one and he’s dismissed it as being an album filler. And while I’ll agree the song isn’t perfect, I think it is a good time.

“Till There Was You” is my favorite cover on the album. It is a very sickly sweet ballad but I think in some strange way it works because of that. The album closer, “Money” is an excellent way to end the album. When I listen close to the remastered mono version I actually hear the song as much more unhinged than I realized. It rocks pretty darn hard.

For most of the albums I do prefer the stereo versions when it comes 2009 Beatles box sets but I do think that this CD sounds better in mono.

But all things considered, The Beatles in Stereo Remastered Box Set is more bang for your buck. Get both box sets if you can, but I’d go for the stereo if it’s all you can afford.