"1, 2, 3, 4." They're the first words and the count off which started Beatlemania. As a child of the 80's, I like many before me know about the Beatles. I know their music, well, some of it anyway. However, what I don't have is that "wow" factor that those who were there to see it all unfold have. To me it's just music.
To truly appreciate the band, you need to first understand the times. Not only was their musical structure ahead of its time, in terms of sound and production, but they also brought with them a youth movement across the globe. Many cultural movements were purportedly inspired by The Beatles, and inspired many young artists to pursue a career in music.
Despite their very short career together as a band, just a mere seven years, they churned out a total of twenty number one hits. However, more so impressive than this achievement would be on April 4, 1964, when they held all five of the top five slots on Billboard with Can't Buy Me Love (1), Twist And Shout (2), She Loves You (3), I Want To Hold Your Hand (4) and Please Please Me (5). If that weren't impressive enough, they also held seven additional spots on the charts this day, for a total of twelve Billboard hits. Those additional songs, I Saw Her Standing There (31), From Me To You (41), Do You Want To Know A Secret (46), All My Loving (58), You Can't Do That (65), Roll Over Beethoven (68) and Thank You Girl (79).
I don't think even Michael Jackson had that kind of success with his album, Thriller. But, hopefully you get the point I'm trying to make. The band was big. As such, it was only appropriate that they would be selected to launch an all new series here at The Toy Box. Retro Spins: The Classic Years is starting with a listen to The Beatles debut album, Please Please Me.
Fourteen tracks encompass the first album, and yet, due to their short nature, the album only totals around thirty-three minutes. I recognized several of the tracks, but my surprise more so came from finding out that these classic hits, which I had heard from several other artists, were written by the Fab 4.
As I listened to the songs, I could tell exactly what people were saying with their style revolutionizing an era. While some tracks, such as P.S. I Love You, sound very bubblegum style, and in line with the sounds of the era, others sound very different. You could tell The Beatles were on the horizon of something, and while it isn't achieved fully on their debut album, you can see the groundwork it's being built on.
Overall, I liked what I heard, and I want to hear more. Good thing I already own their entire UK catalog. As I type this, I feel like it may also be time to track down the US released albums. I may just have to do that.
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