Brad

That's it - we put in up near Lambertville. That whole area of NJ is much more beautiful than what many people think of when they think NJ. Once you get somewhat west (as opposed to the eastern part, which is where the stereotypes come in), there are some very nice rural or semi rural parts.

I was wondering about that Box myself. There's a you tube video showing how it works.

Jim's point about length is one that struck me a few days ago. The songs had always seemed longer to me (as I remember them) and I was surprised at the length, which says to me that they were a perfect length. The goal of delivering a message in any medium should be just enough, no more, no less.

And there you have it. That's why everyone who can afford it has jumped all over the mono box. The first two albums are only of historical interest to me. HDN, BFS and H are hugely enjoyable but... It's Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt P (with reservations), the White Album and Abbey Road + the singles album that are the big atraction for me (I've not heard 'Let It Be' as an album ever!...should be remedied in the next couple of weeks). Mono, stereo, cylinder disc, download...doesn't enter into the equation for these ears. Ah! now here is where tastes differ! Please Please Me to my ears is one of the greatest power pop records of all time, I love it! I always return to PPM when I need a jolt of rock 'n roll. Listening to these box sets has caused me to "rediscover" early Beatles. Those first 5 albums are definitely loaded with charm and great R 'n R for me again. However, this rediscovery does not deter me from the opinion that their later albums are their best musically --- Rubber Soul on up is where it's at for me. I am still kind of befuddled as to why many Beatles fans find Revolver to be their best offering. Can this really be said about an album that has "Yellow Submarine" on it? "Revolver" IS their best album. Yes, it has "Yellow Submarine" (which I think is a perfectly charming track), but it also has "Taxman," "Love You To," "Tomorrow Never Knows," "She Said, She Said," "I'm Only Sleeping," "Doctor Robert," "Eleanor Rigby," etc., etc. "Taxman" has to be the best opening track since, well, "I Saw Her Standing There" on "Please Please Me"! (It still amazes me that only three years separate those two albums. And notice that both start with a count-in!) You say this as if it's a given!!! Mileage varies, as they say. I agree. Opinions presented as facts and all that jazz... Sounds like just an opinion but I do, imho, think the triumivirate of Rubber Soul, Revolver and Sgt. Peppers are the best. Of course, just my opinion

I have it on the way.

It's already on order All right, now don't all of you jump over me but I guess this classifies as a Beatles newbies question on these things but is the Beatles Anthologies you're all referring to the ones on Cd or DVD. Also, I've seen various references to Purple Chick but what is that?

Where is that available for listening?

Wait'll you hear the Decca audition. Not sure I follow.

Nah, your spouse leaves you for a carnival clown That was 15,000. But doesn't she return on the 20,000th?

I don't know about you John but I am going to be 59 in a few weeks so the heck with him. Okay, a question. What is Revolution 9 supposed to be about? I've read some explanations about Yoko and John fooling around and so forth and I suppose once I pick up the MacDonald book, I'll get a better answer. We were listening to the White Album today and my wife couldn't believe Good Night was a Beatles song. A site I recently discovered had this quote by Paul (circa 1994) about it: "I think John felt it might not be good for his image for him to sing it, but it was fabulous to hear him do it, he sang it great. We heard him sing it in order to teach it to Ringo and he sang it very tenderly. John rarely showed his tender side, but my key memories of John are when he was tender, that's what has remained with me-- those moments where he showed himself to be a very generous, loving person. I always cite that song as an example of the John beneath the surface that we only saw occasionally... I don't think John's version was ever recorded."

I'm with you....at least up until now The Beatles basically "began" for me with Rubber Soul. Well, I should admit that my listening experience with regard to the first five albums is limited to whats on the Anthology documentary and of course what has been played on the radio. Now, I did order the mono box set (won't arrive for a few weeks) but up until now I've never been inspired to purchase the earlier stuff. That said, I have an open mind and am quite looking forward to getting my hands on all of the early albums. In the back of my mind, I've often wondered what brought about the great transition which for me occurred in 1965. In the past, I've often thought of it as rather a sudden break / transformation but that begs the question of what propelled it. Not to glorify the influence of drugs, but it seems that Dylan getting them high in a New York hotel in August 1964 may have played some role. Anyway, I'm looking forward to digging further into some of the books /bios mentioned above to grapple with this. Then, on the other hand, maybe the transition was more gradual than I originally conceived -- maybe it can be seen in varying degrees on Beatles for Sale and Help!, as well. Speaking of the books, as I delve deeper into the Gould book, I heartily recommend it, as a lot of it is social history. It's making for fascinating reading, especially as the author delves into their musical inspirations: Elvis, Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly.

It's funny, I was talking to someone today who claimed that neither the Beatles nor Led Zeppelin had ANY influence over today's music. I, of course, told him that he was crazy. And he called me a "flower child" for even liking the Beatles As a child of the 60s, I would consider that a high compliment.

Amazing. What are the people who are supposed to be taking care thinking?

Thanks. My birthday is coming up so I guess I'll ask for this

Christ, I just found out that Paul played the solo on "Good Morning, Good Morning," which is one of the best Beatles solos for me, period. A fine, fine rock soloist. There were also those rumors that Clapton played some of the solos on the White Album (an old teacher of mine tried to convince me that he played the lead breakdown on "I Want You," but I don't buy it--the articulation is all wrong). The recording notes on the stereo version of the White Albums says that Harrison asked Clapton to play the solo "On While My Guitar Gentlyl Weeps."

Where did you read that Paul was playing that solo?

and this, one of the best they did in my view.

Great cuts Jim. I know that record company execs probably dictated the length of the songs, but in listening to some of these songs after all these years, in my mind I always thought they were longer than the 2:10 to 2:45 they were; shows that the Beatles got the message succinctly and skillfully.

Based on the photos, that's probably from the BBC disc, which I've got on order.

This needs to be asked? Plus, I can't believe five people out of the 13 who voted said no?

I loved them as a kid (before rock) and played the one album I had incessantly, especially "If I had a Hammer." Big part of my childhood. RIP Mary.

Ah, you remember the old moniker. Might be confusing for a lot of people. Re Ringo: I've always been a gut-feeling kind of guy and what has fascinated me about his playing is that you can actually hear that he was having fun. I have absolutely nothing theoretical or else to back that up with (although I often notice that loose and relaxed approach to what he was doing), but there are so many tunes that just ooze that "fun" vibe and that is something that - in my eyes (to my ears) - has become more and more rare. There are too many highly-skilled drummers out there today that have had excellent schooling from before they were able to walk and are today, often at a rather young age, able to play things that people a decade or two before them wouldn't have been able to wrap their brains around. And then they start playing ... and it bores me. To. Death. It all sounds so forced and so damn polished, every note placed meticulously and every other tune streamlined to death. Sometimes you can even predict this or that change just because their upbringing and teaching told them to shift the beat, to insert a radically different break or to entirely drop out of a song just to "surprise" the listener. It's like watching those formulaic slasher films in which you just know that someone had planned that one single scene nobody was supposed to expect. Nevertheless, if you have seen more than 5 or 10 of those films, you know that it's time for that "surprising/let's trick the audience" moment ... again. Predictable. Boring. Tiring. In short, I never get/got that feeling when I listen to Ringo play, and that makes him an excellent drummer in my book. Everyone else's mileage may vary considerably on this. You know, I've ranted and raved against Charlie Watts' style for ages, simply because I thought he played the same beat over, and, over and over again, but today, as I have grown older, I'm beginning to appreciate that approach a lot more as well. Yes, predictable like hell, but so much better than all that modern wanking too many players display who are, unfortunately, idolized by the next generation of drummers growing up. Note: Yes, there is a slew of excellent drummers today as well, I know, but ... I have the same feeling about a lot of instrumentalists these days, both classical and non-classical. Many of them are technically flawless and sometimes even brilliant, but the "feeling" (or whatever you want to call it) is lacking, at least to my ears; the music sounds emotionally detached and lifeless to me. Might have something to with that it's more of a profession today, more of a job and sometimes the love goes out of it. I know it's not the same thing but a baseball player once said "you have to be a man to play this game but you have to have a lot of little boy in you."

Sadly, it looks like they can. Tell me when Alfred has stopped spinning.

It really should all act the same way.

What we would have given to be there.