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Not essential, but it's nice to have
Pros
Great collection of Beatles tunes on one convenient CD
Cons
Most Beatles fans don't need this; some songs seem to be missing!
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
Might be missing a few songs, but it's a handy way to get a bunch of singles on one disc and a fine way to introduce someone to the Beatles.
In an attempt to further capitalize on the success of the Beatles, we have yet another compilation of material from the band. Most Beatles fans won't need this disc as it's likely they already have the songs on one collection or another. However, 2000's Beatles 1 is very convenient in that 27 of the band's hits are put on one disc. It's also a very convenient and inexpensive way for people curious about the Beatles to get a good sampling of songs from the band's entire career.
So, if you know of someone young enough to have not heard a lot of material from the Beatles, this collection would make a good disc. Indeed, the very fact that it was put together solely for the purpose of gaining new fans for the group makes the collection worthwhile, in my opinion.
Before I discuss this collection, there's one major problem with it. Naturally, people have and will continue to pick at the song selections here. Where, for example, is "Please, Please Me," which is one of the earliest hits from the band? Where are such classics as "Strawberry Fields Forever," "Revolution" (the "fast" one that everyone knows and not the slow, bluesy one on the White Album and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds?"
Sure, folks can always point to some songs that, arguably, should have been added to this collection. However, this thing is pretty darn solid as it is.
What's noteworthy is that, as I've said, you get singles from all phases of the band's career. That means you get the simpler songs from the early days of the band ("Love Me Do" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand," for example) all the way through the pretty, sophisticated tunes like "Something" and "Let it Be." Naturally, the experimental tunes such as "All You Need is Love" and blues-based rockers like "Come Together" are here, too.
Now, it's really not going to do any good to try to describe what the Beatles sounded like. If you haven't heard the band, you need to do so. Why? The band, truly, remains as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century. During the 1960s, few bands were as influential as the Beatles, which started out as a band addicted to 1950s rock n' roll and wound up twisting those influences into new and exciting shapes. Indeed, the Beatles were closely examined by virtually everyone while active, and is still one of the most popular bands on the planet. This disc, simply, explains why that is.
Enclosed with the disc is a nifty booklet, which contains illustrations that go along with the hits, some photos and recording information about the tracks. That booklet just increases the disc's value as a historical document that documents one of the most important (I'd say the most important) band in rock n' roll history.
So, even without a few "classic" tracks, this is a tidy little collection that serves as a good introduction to the band. Truthfully, if you want a more comprehensive collection, try the "red" and "blue," two-disc sets from the band (entitled 1962-1966 and 1967-1979, respectively) as those contain a more complete set of key songs. Also, Past Masters Vol. 1 and Past Masters Vol. 2 are more complete in that they contain the "A" and "B" sides of all the "45-rpm" singles from the band.
These days, Beatles 1 has become a bit more significant in that John Lennon is dead and George Harrison died yesterday. The songs on this disc, though, reveal the four members of the band when they were young, energetic and full of fresh ideas. Indeed, these tunes still sound magical here in 2001, and it's rare that songs that are over 30-years-old can capture the imagination like these do.
Oh, and the next time you hear someone refer to the Beatles as "the first boy band," give that person a good, sharp kick right in the shins for ol' HawgWyld.
Here's a track listing I copied from Epinions:
Love Me Do
From Me To You
She Loves You
I Want To Hold Your Hand
Can't Buy Me Love
Hard Day's Night, A
I Feel Fine
Eight Days A Week
Ticket To Ride
Help!
Yesterday
Day Tripper
We Can Work It Out
Paperback Writer
Yellow Submarine
Eleanor Rigby
Penny Lane
All You Need Is Love
Hello, Goodbye
Lady Madonna
Hey Jude
Get Back
Ballad Of John & Yoko, The
Something
Come Together
Let It Be
Long And Winding Road, The
So, if you know of someone young enough to have not heard a lot of material from the Beatles, this collection would make a good disc. Indeed, the very fact that it was put together solely for the purpose of gaining new fans for the group makes the collection worthwhile, in my opinion.
Before I discuss this collection, there's one major problem with it. Naturally, people have and will continue to pick at the song selections here. Where, for example, is "Please, Please Me," which is one of the earliest hits from the band? Where are such classics as "Strawberry Fields Forever," "Revolution" (the "fast" one that everyone knows and not the slow, bluesy one on the White Album and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds?"
Sure, folks can always point to some songs that, arguably, should have been added to this collection. However, this thing is pretty darn solid as it is.
What's noteworthy is that, as I've said, you get singles from all phases of the band's career. That means you get the simpler songs from the early days of the band ("Love Me Do" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand," for example) all the way through the pretty, sophisticated tunes like "Something" and "Let it Be." Naturally, the experimental tunes such as "All You Need is Love" and blues-based rockers like "Come Together" are here, too.
Now, it's really not going to do any good to try to describe what the Beatles sounded like. If you haven't heard the band, you need to do so. Why? The band, truly, remains as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century. During the 1960s, few bands were as influential as the Beatles, which started out as a band addicted to 1950s rock n' roll and wound up twisting those influences into new and exciting shapes. Indeed, the Beatles were closely examined by virtually everyone while active, and is still one of the most popular bands on the planet. This disc, simply, explains why that is.
Enclosed with the disc is a nifty booklet, which contains illustrations that go along with the hits, some photos and recording information about the tracks. That booklet just increases the disc's value as a historical document that documents one of the most important (I'd say the most important) band in rock n' roll history.
So, even without a few "classic" tracks, this is a tidy little collection that serves as a good introduction to the band. Truthfully, if you want a more comprehensive collection, try the "red" and "blue," two-disc sets from the band (entitled 1962-1966 and 1967-1979, respectively) as those contain a more complete set of key songs. Also, Past Masters Vol. 1 and Past Masters Vol. 2 are more complete in that they contain the "A" and "B" sides of all the "45-rpm" singles from the band.
These days, Beatles 1 has become a bit more significant in that John Lennon is dead and George Harrison died yesterday. The songs on this disc, though, reveal the four members of the band when they were young, energetic and full of fresh ideas. Indeed, these tunes still sound magical here in 2001, and it's rare that songs that are over 30-years-old can capture the imagination like these do.
Oh, and the next time you hear someone refer to the Beatles as "the first boy band," give that person a good, sharp kick right in the shins for ol' HawgWyld.
Here's a track listing I copied from Epinions:
Love Me Do
From Me To You
She Loves You
I Want To Hold Your Hand
Can't Buy Me Love
Hard Day's Night, A
I Feel Fine
Eight Days A Week
Ticket To Ride
Help!
Yesterday
Day Tripper
We Can Work It Out
Paperback Writer
Yellow Submarine
Eleanor Rigby
Penny Lane
All You Need Is Love
Hello, Goodbye
Lady Madonna
Hey Jude
Get Back
Ballad Of John & Yoko, The
Something
Come Together
Let It Be
Long And Winding Road, The
