“They’ve got something! From Liverpool, I hear, of all places.”
They were lads from England - four mop tops who twisted, shattered and changed musical dialog forever. How can we ever forget them? We can't - and this essential collection assures people across the world that there was a time in the 1960s when music was bigger than Jesus.
Built from the ground up on songs that the Beatles created high, smashed, interpretive and
Indian - George Harrison, the Blue Box is a collection of Beatle hits from 1967 to 1970. These years are considered to be the most important musical years in history - the tunes making a "Great American Songbook"-esqe catalog.
Included in the repertoire are classic tunes such as "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Penny Lane", "Day in the Life", "I Am The Walrus" and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", but what makes the two disk album so special are the songs that really bring home the Beatles - the greatest rock and roll band to ever play. These tunes include "Lady Madonna", "Hello Goodbye", "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "All You Need Is Love".
It's always hard to do a Beatle album without committing some sort of musical crime. ("You didn't include Day in the Life? You're fired ...") A plus for this collection is that John, Paul, Ringo and George sat down and picked the songs themselves. The Beatles were a group like no other - each member brought their own skills to the table. John went political, George classical, Ringo, well, he was Ringo ("You know me - I'm the one that never talks") and Paul went back to his "cup of tea" English roots. So that's why, it's only natural that they come together - pardon the pun - for a collection this definitive.
The issue with the Red Box (1962 - 1966) was sound quality. Although each song was digitally mastered, you couldn't help feel that it could have been done better. Well, the sound quality, although still an issue, isn't the problem anymore. Each song sounds as fresh and lively as if you're hearing it on some Back to the Future radio in 1967.
You'll have to look past the price tag though - it's 52 dollars up here in Canada. To me, I think that's a bit over the top, especially because that's the same price of the Beach Boys' Platinum Collection, which has three disks, holding sixty songs.
Most collections only have hits. The Blue Box has all the good stuff, and also some unique choices. It's these choices that I want people to listen to - they might not have been hits, but gosh did they spell out B-E-A-T-L-E. So I say, go ahead, by the two disk album. When you pick it up, look for these tracks; they're most than just essential Beatle tracks, they're essential rock and roll tunes:
"Lady Madonna"; a tune by Paul that's so infectious, you can't help but sing along. Catchy as the pop they made back in the early sixties, it's the best of both worlds. Experimentation includes a bouncy piano sample, which I believe was played by Paul McCartney, and different instrumental enquires, such as horns and whistles.
"Hey Jude"; a seven minute something masterpiece. They played this in a room full of hippies, and honestly, every single person was singing along. The feeling this song brings - especially the minute, with Paul screaming his lungs out - is so true to a Beatle classic. Brilliant.
"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"; here's the thing. You either hate this song, or you love this song. They're no "in between". My friends think it's the worst Beatle song ever, and it was even voted that by some magazine poll. I think it shows their creativity. The story goes that the melody in the song - which was originally supposed to be slow - annoyed John so much, that he marched to the piano and, in an effort to piss off Paul, played it incredibly fast. Paul liked it so much, he stuck with it.
"Octopus's Garden"; Alright, Ringo, you got one! Some say this song is too childish, I think it plays with the Beatle's philosophy of "thinking different". Catchy and really loveable, you'll be singing along.
"All You Need is Love"; If "Pepper" was an anthem for the hippie generation, than this song was the salute back. A layed back tune with a melody so mellow it's sure to infect anyone, it's John doing what he does best. Good on him.
There are so many more tunes I want to describe here, that I feel like I'm committing some sort of rock crime by not mentioning them. But it's good, actually, because you'll discover them on your own. And honestly, what better way to dive into the Beatles.
Recommended Listening (added to above tunes):
Day in the Life
I Am the Walrus
Hello Goodbye
Magical Mystery Tour
Back in the U.S.S.R.
Don't Let Me Down
Let It Be
