Please Please Me Studio Sessions (2011)
With The Beatles Studio Sessions (2011)
A Hard Day’s Night Studio Sessions, Vol. 1 (2011)
A Hard Day’s Night Studio Sessions, Vol. 2 (2011)
The Best… Just Doing What They Do.
The beauty of these original session tapes (available for many years in different incarnations, but meshed here with obscure mixes) is the opportunity to hear The Beatles playing live in the studio, unconsciously making up all new rules for the music industry, and all 
while the tapes were rolling. That they had such a fresh approach – both inventively and commercially – for virtually all their sessions is an accomplishment that still mystifies students of the arts to this day. This kinetic, spontaneous live sound is a joy, and it makes you wonder why you’d ever wanna listen to those official albums again (especially those old American LPs… some of which are included here to remind you). There are, of course, non-essential tracks that weigh down the flow – crappy monitor mixes are the worst offenders – but the live stuff is worth the fat. 
The old collector in me perversely appreciates the mixture of original studio tapes and eventually lost mixes (from LP sources like Reel Music all the way up to Rock Band). It’s a smart organizational trick, too, maintaining a consistent listening experience across decades of versions and releases. Historically speaking, these are the days, aren’t they? How great is it to be able to immediately access the nervousness in George Harrison’s voice as he records his first, solo composition (“Don’t Bother Me”)? Listen to the ease with which the band is able to count off, and nail, a middle eight whenever George Martin wants an edit piece. It just confirms that these guys were already club-worn pros when they walked through Abbey Road’s doors, and they sound it. Their adaptability is amazing. Listen for
the years of pent-up club versions in McCartney’s first vocal take of “I Saw Her Standing There,” one of the few in the series where Lennon gets his ‘when’s, ‘and’s & ‘since’s straight. In another session, Lennon laments that things aren’t written down, illustrating his ongoing lyrical issues – from the first sessions all the way to the rooftop concert where Yoko can be seen holding lyrics for him. There are four discs of A Hard Day’s Night variations, for you gotta-have-it-all types, while the multi-take evolution of McCartney’s powerhouse vocals for the title track’s bridge are worthy of University study. Hear first takes of “I Saw Her Standing There” & “A Hard Day’s Night,” below. My apologies to any blog pals that may have already posted this. My surfing time has been seriously lacking lately and I haven’t been out much.
28 Comments
Search HERE
Wow.
Just when I think I can’t possibly listen to The Beatles anymore, you post something like this which makes them fresh again. They really were the best. No one has come close.
I would rather they’d stayed together long enough to make some bad albums.
It is kinda irresistible, isn’t it?
How many of these cuts are on the Purple Chick boots?
Not much. The sources are detailed in the liner notes. I only noticed Purple Chick a few times.
Already have these, but I just had to comment anyway on how ridiculously great these sets are. And thanks for saying what I was thinking, i.e. most of the time I’d rather listen to these than the official studio albums. Like the phone company used to say, it’s the next best thing to being there.
Thanks for chiming in.
How come the outtakes keep getting better? Thanks!
Thanks for the endless stream of musical enlighenment…this stuff is great!
Thanks, W. Can’t wait!
Thanks much, Willard! I’m not sure if I have these — appreciate the post!
Every time I think I’m out, Willard pulls me back in!
Thanks, W!
Yeah — wow. I can’t not have these; I’m still digesting the official mono box. Keep ‘em coming!
Another Festivus miracle!
This is Great Compilation taken from many,many different Boots of the past. The Beatles are the BEST EVER. Thanks for posting this.
Thanks for this. I must admit that when I listen to them I typically do not play anything earlier than Rubber Soul so I appreciate collections like this which encourage me to go outside of my usual.
Thanks for all you do.
I’m with you. I don’t listen to the old stuff much, except to hear something different. A Hard Day’s Night notwithstanding (there’s an argument for it being their best, here).
Great stuff! I already have all of this but what I like about these discs is that they have kept all the takes together.Older boots always kept to a strict chronological recording order.And I agree that the moniotor mixes are rarely welcome.Thanks for all the great music you make available.Not to mention your fantastic write-ups.You definitely have a way with words.
Thanks. Agreed. Organization rules. There’s a natural drawback to hearing back-to-back versions of the same song over and over. But, all this isn’t really designed to be listened to like a normal album. Though… students of the process aren’t necessarily “normal.” Somehow this works.
I would love to have this. Where are the download links? Someone please help
Comment #1
Stellar share my friend. Keep up the great work.
OK. Matt’s a Beatles guy. Check. Don’t forget the others in the series (in the archives). Thanks.
OK, I’m way late to this party, but thanks so much. It’s so nice having all this in one place, and the efforts you make to share are beyond call of duty. The great thing is that long after we’re gone, to paraphrase Zappa, people will be setting around marveling at how these guys came so far so fast with so much – if there;s anything left to sit on.
I’m marveling now. Thanks for chiming in.
Have had this for a lond time but great to hear on here while checking out more of your stuff!
thanks again
WoW!
Absolutely Brilliant stuff!
Thanks a lot!