Review Summary: The Beatles spring into cheerful pop songwriting on their enjoyable and inviting debut album.
The roots of rock and roll can be traced all the way back to bands like The Beatles. The Fab Four began their rise to international fame with Please Please Me, released in 1963. Please Please Me displays the band in their earliest stages of songwriting. Six of the album's fourteen songs are covers but there is still something lovable about the songs. Paul and John both get an opportunity to showcase their outstanding voices and even give George and Ringo the chance to sing in a couple of songs. While the band doesn't quite break through their shell as they would in the future, their potential is very apparent.
Please Please Me does a great job of capturing the music of the 1960s with upbeat song structures and an abundance of songs about love. The songs on Please Please Me are straightforward, but the band's passion and charisma make them memorable. Despite having some great poppy Beatles tunes, the album suffers from a lack of focus. The band sounds unsure and overly cautious at certain points and that prevents the tracks themselves from truly developing and reaching their peaks. Nevertheless, one must recognize that this album is simply meant to be a pop record, which doesn't attempt to carry any specific thematic elements other than love. As a result, Please Please Me is best viewed as a collection of standalone pop songs than an album that explores The Beatles' creative abilities like future work would. All of the tracks are under three minutes, so the album is not particularly dense.
"I Saw Her Standing There" is an iconic pop tune and one of the band's most dance-friendly songs of all time. Paul McCartney's energetic vocals take center stage as the band cranks out the album's fastest and most enjoyable track. It's hard not to love this song. "Misery" is a short but sweet song about the brokenhearted. The Beatles make good use of the piano to underscore the sadness and nostalgia professed during the song. As a whole, this brief track highlights the band's maturity, but also plays off of the vulnerability of John and Paul to create an emotionally moving tune.
The band does an excellent Arthur Alexander cover with "Anna (Go to Him)", a tender track with a stylish guitar riff. "Ask Me Why" utilizes great backing vocals to establish an endearing mood. Lennon's touching lyrics fill the song with affection and heartfelt desire. In another strong communal effort, "Please Please Me" brings an assortment of enjoyable instrumentation, including the splendid use of the harmonica. Ringo's drumming begins to sound a bit more adventurous during this track, in contrast to the rest of the LP. The melody is adorned with clean guitar that lifts the tune off the ground. "Love Me Do" is a great follow-up that combines harmonica with straightforward percussion. The song is fairly linear, and the vocals bask in the cheerful milieu of the song.
Additionally, "P.S. I Love You" is a simplistic but delightful tune that depicts the band at their most calm and content. Harrison takes the lead on "Do You Want to Know a Secret", which begins with a seductive strum before developing into pure and satisfying pop. This is the Beatles at their most alluring and provocative, with affectionate lyrics and lighthearted instrumentation.
Overall, Please Please Me is certainly not one of the band's stronger albums, yet it is still charming, appealing, and innocent. The album is loaded with plenty of hooks and classic Beatles tunes. Appreciating this LP is not difficult when you recognize its influence. This is the birth of a band that had only just begun to shake the world.
Favorite Tracks:
I Saw Her Standing There
Misery
Ask Me Why
Do You Want to Know a Secret
Please Please Me
