Beatles First Listen - "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Misery" by The Beatles (Album Reaction)

[@jonathantaylor8562]

Just realize that these two songs were early 1963, and A Day In The Life was only four years later. No other group or artist ever advanced so fast and so far in such a short period of time. That's the thing about The Beatles. Also realize that they never repeat themselves. Every track is different from every other track; every album is completely different from every other album. Unlike most pop artists, they don't find a successful formula and just stick with it. They are always moving on.

[@MaRoach7]

@Jonathon Taylor actually there's a band now(Falling In Reverse) that has progressed thru the years. A different sound every album. The lead singer Ronnie Radke is a genre all his own and the lyrics are deep. They just release singles now but their videos are quite the production. Mini movies actually

[@jbellinger99]

And they stopped touring live in 1966! They were purely a studio band, but the "Let it Be" rooftop sessions showed they could still perform live.

[@alansouthall8221]

That is an insane progression They also made tomorrow never knows before then too lol Acid house before xtc. Unreal

[@jonathantaylor8562]

@@MaRoach7 I will check out Falling In Reverse. Thanks.

[@thierrymoreau6751]

Entièrement d'accord mais il faut pouvoir se renouveler et créer toujours des succès, ce n'est pas donner à tout le monde et cela s'appelle le talent ou le génie au choix.

[@dangabbert3944]

It’s incredible to me, that this album is sixty years old. It seems like yesterday when I first heard this song. I was nine and my teenage brother was so excited about this new record he brought home, by some English band. I think it’s safe to say, my life was changed forever. The Beatles became the soundtrack of my youth. Thanks for the memories!

[@appledoreman]

Seems like yesterday to me, too. I was just 12 & remember clutching the album tightly as I walked home, worried the cover would get wet as it started to rain. Once the first few bars of 'I saw her standing there' kicked in, I knew the band was something special. This track, 'Move it' (Cliff Richard) & 'Shakin' all over' (Johnny Kydd & Pirates) are often cited as THE 3 UK rock & roll classics & I wouldn't argue with that.

[@stevewebster973]

Hamburg. Europe’s brothel capital ~ that’s where they became the Beatles. Impossible to describe how they sounded to us back then. The one track from that time that stood out for me was There’s a Place.

[@robabiera733]

It's so hard today to convey the impact that songs like "I Saw Her Standing There", "She Loves You" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand" had back when they first came out. You have to compare them with the environment they were coming into at the time in 1963. You were starting to see a new kind of energy in pop music and the Beatles were definitely at the forefront of that. Their ballads were a big step forward as well.

[@steveullrich7737]

Exactly, you have to understand their impact and their new sound only in context to the other pop songs and music pre-Beatles.

[@noother964]

I think that, even today, they carry an impactful intensity. The song's still rocking hard!

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Listening to early Beatles singles were the most fun you could have with your parents being home. I love the Beatlemania years.

[@steveullrich7737]

As long as you didn't play it too loud. 🙂

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

@@steveullrich7737 what’s all that screaming ?!?! Turn it down!! Now !!

[@steveullrich7737]

@@Hartlor_Tayley Exactly.

[@Bekka_Noyb]

♥ I Saw Her Standing There! An early gem

[@davidjones8647]

It’s interesting to hear you describe the landscape of how you’re judging the tracks. To get a better understanding of why they were revolutionary (even in their first album) you really have to immerse yourself in the music of the 50’s and early 60’s. Then you will get a glimpse of how this album was a complete game changer from everything that came before. It’s always interesting to hear these songs called simple too, because there’s actually a lot of complexity to the arrangements, song structure, harmonies, and in some cases the chord progressions of the early Beatles which makes modern music looks quite basic in comparison. Modern music is heavily produced, but the Beatles were a 4 piece band, who learned how to cover all the hits of their day with just their instruments and their harmonies - and make them as compelling and rich as the originals without a brass band or orchestra. This is why they were masters of arrangement.

[@alecspeer]

+1

[@keithbrown7685]

And let's face it, even in the early '60s, before anyone knew about the Beatles and what they were going to do to the rock scene, things were kindof drab. Not bad, just this side of wishy-washy, on the part of the acts of that time. There's not much that I would call horrific or major boring, but before the advent of the Beatles and the rest of the British Invasion, pop music was in a land of tapiocfied schmaltz. What was revolutionary in the '50s (I mean the whole rock 'n roll departure from the world of Bing Crosby, Perry Como, Aimes Brothers etc.) had settled into a formula, a few templates for making a song, let's say from 1959-1964. The Beatles were just as much hated as they were loved, because they were bulldozing everything over. And anyone who wouldn't liven up and change in some way, would whither and die as a pop act.

[@stevedahlberg8680]

💯

[@zonacrs]

@@keithbrown7685 Plus 1 for "tapiocafied schmaltz". Had to add the missing 'a'....

[@keithbrown7685]

@@zonacrs I had the spellchecker on, but it wouldn't have helped this time. Far as I know, "tapiocafied" isn't a word. Well ok, it is now. : )

[@helenespaulding7562]

Syed, I wouldn’t expect you to vibe to these early songs. As you said, they were for pop radio and I was 16 when I heard this music. NO one could have foreseen the direction that The Beatles would take music and change it….. not even they themselves. BUT, ABSOLUTELY they had an “IT” factor when they broke wide open in the US in 1963. Their sound was fresh, and even from the first year they were experimenting with dissonance and sounds that were new and challenging to their audience. (Needles and Pins for example) And they began the British Invasion. So yes, it was known pretty damn quick that they were something new and marvelous…..but no one could foresee the cultural impact they would have.

[@LeeKennison]

Great perspective Helene!

[@helenespaulding7562]

@@LeeKennison thanks, Lee! 😁👋

[@jbellinger99]

"Baby it's you" is a brilliant cover. One of Lennon's most impassioned vocal performances. THANK YOU!

[@lawrencesmith6536]

It is amazing to think how short a span of time passed between "I saw her Standing There", and "A Day In The Life"

[@vicprovost2561]

You bet Syed, they had the It Factor right from the start, I remember my older brother bringing home a single of theirs and being very excited, when they appeared on Ed Sullivan the following year, that was it for me and millions, world wide, they had a lifelong fan. No one at that time quite knew where they would go but damn, we were along for the ride. Enjoy! 🎵🎸🎤🎹🎶

[@johnbe8810]

Great, honest listen, as always. Having had the benefit of hearing these songs in the context of their time (for which I'll always be thankful), they arrived with an energy and vitality that absolutely leveled the status quo. Of no less significance was their attitude (confident and cheeky) and look (fresh, cool, and unique). Their affect on the huge demographic just younger than them was immediate and absolute. That would have been enough for a good, long career, but the fact that they evolved as artists and as people amplified their influence over time. And was unprecedented for popular artists. They invented a whole new wheel. But keep in mind that as of this first album, they ranged in age from 19 to 22. Their sheer youth was a big part of the message.

[@jskit92380]

I would just like to add that not only did the music reach the teenagers just younger than they were, it also reached kids like me that were seven years old and even younger. Elders, parents, politicians, etc. couldn't understand their massive appeal, but we loved it. ☮🖤🤘

[@jnagarya519]

Lennon said that Paul was an "inspired" bass player. That is absolutely true: throughout their career Paul consistently won JAZZ polls as #1 bass player in the world.

[@keithbrown7685]

Ringo said something similar. He said that Paul had a knack for writing a bass melody within a bass line. I wish I could quote him word for word, but it was high praise, coming from anyone, including Paul's band mates.

[@nonrepublicrat]

That's just silly! There are many bassists who were better than him.

[@jnagarya519]

@@nonrepublicrat During "The Beatles" career McCartney was consistently voted #1 bassist in the world in JAZZ polls. That 's the fact. Perhaps you want to insist that jazz is phony.

[@keithbrown7685]

@@nonrepublicrat Oh for godsakes. He never said that PM was better or worse than this person or that person. He was talking about the bass playing, in and of itself. PM led the way though. He encouraged other bass players to come out from the background and be a more fronting part of the song.

[@adriancozad8308]

From the 50's Big-bopper,64' Beatles to 2023'Marcelito pomoy. May I have this dance (Class of 71) Historically 🎉😊 a era.

[@jeanmyers1787]

Amazing to think Paul, at 82 is still singing this.

[@tomtompkins7546]

As a drummer who's played this song in many cover bands many many times, I'm always amazed when a bass player is able to play this song and sing it. I had a guy in one of my bands who could totally nail this song on bass and vocals. It was impressive.

[@frankhoebert3121]

A significant part of the Beatles impact was their energy and fun. This is often not captured in a simple listening of their albums .. their stage presence, live TV and radio appearances, their wit, all reached a saturation point. The Beatles were a vibe that travelled around the world like a mass hysteria. Having said that their early music was still pretty cool ... it really did stand out from everything else that was around at the time.

[@andythrush3341]

The opening to Saw Her always takes me back to being an 8 yr old hearing it for the first time. Then we immersed ourselves in every song we heard from them from then on. Thanks for the memories.

[@bobtedeman5975]

You may know this already, but they released two double compilaitons, 1962-66 & 1967-70, The red and the blue. That's pretty much how their music evolved ... two brief eras of greatness

[@Alewifes_Husband]

Saw Her Standing There is my favorite early Beatles song! I think of them in three periods of time: Early Beatles 1962-64 Growth Era Beatles 1965-67 Mature Beatles 1968-70

[@Hartlor_Tayley]

Every single was better than the previous one and this continued for years. Amazing.

[@ppaulisdeadd5879]

Looking forward to you go through their catalog, so exciting

[@James-lk2sg]

The GOATs fr. Good stuff mate.

[@bernardsalvatore1929]

SYED, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I AM A SUBSCRIBER OF YOURS IS BECAUSE I FELT FROM THE VERY FIRST TIME I WATCHED ONE OF YOUR REACTIONS THAT YOU'RE AN HONEST AND GENUINE AND SINCERE REACTOR!! AND IN THIS CASE I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE YOUR HONESTY AND UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU ARE COMING FROM!! IT'S CERTAINLY UNDERSTANDABLE THAT SOMEONE OF YOUR AGE WOULD NOT FALL HEAD-OVER-HEELS FOR THIS KIND OF MUSIC!! EVERYTHING YOU DESCRIBED ABOUT THE MUSIC IS PRETTY MUCH A 100%! IT'S SIMPLE, IT'S POP-ESQUE, IT WAS MADE FOR THE TEENAGERS OF THAT GENERATION, EARLY 60S!! WHEN THIS ALBUM WAS RELEASED I WAS SIX YEARS OLD!! I CAN STILL REMEMBER MY OLDER FEMALE COUSIN AND SISTER, WHO WERE HUGE BEATLES FANS, GETTING ALL GIDDY AND EXCITED WHEN BEATLES SONGS WOULD COME ON THE RADIO!!! WHEN I LISTEN TO THESE OLD BEATLES TUNES IT JUST GIVES ME A FEELING OF NOSTALGIA!! A FEELING OF A SIMPLER TIME!!! I WOULDN'T SIT HERE AND LISTEN TO THESE OLD BEATLES TUNES OVER AND OVER BUT WHEN I HEAR THEM I SING ALONG AND JUST FEEL GOOD!! THANKS FOR BEING OPEN AND HONEST WITH YOUR FEELINGS AND REACTION IS VERY INSIGHTFUL!!!

[@johnniekight1879]

John & Paul wrote this in 1958. There's a version by the Quarrymen which was their original name.

[@BigToeify]

OH YES! Can’t wait for this journey! This is going to be epic!

[@tomroome4118]

Syed, you can not see the importance of these first songs, compared to their later stuff, but if you were alive then and listening to the current state of popular music you would realize these guys were something new, different and exciting.

[@barrycowan3540]

In the summer of 1963, my parents had a friend of theirs from England stay with us for a bit in California. When this lady - we called her our aunt - returned to England she sent this record called With the Beatles to me and my sister. We had never heard of them, but we took the record across the street to our friend's house to play it, as we didn't have a record player. My 13 year old self was knocked out! This album was so much better than just about anything else that was being played on the radio at that time. Two months later the world changed, and America went nuts over the Beatles, but I got that head start and I'm a lifelong fan.

[@brumleytwitch6265]

The thing that stands out as being special about even the early material, is their way with a melody, which never left them.

[@MaRoach7]

Awwww my first favorite band. I got my first Beatles album when I was 3...Meet The Beatles. My mom said when they were on The Ed Sullivan Show and they were on there that I stood in front of the TV hypnotized(I was a year old)

[@wreckoner2650]

Been watching your channel since the beginning. Stellar work. The Beatles are my favorite artists, but I'm not super into the first few albums. Still, I'll be here for every video, and am interested in seeing if what the Beatles mean starts to resonate a bit more over the course of this deep dive. You seem to get Bob Dylan intrinsically. The Beatles aren't Dylan or Pink Floyd when it comes to lyrics. But once their juggernaut started chugging, they made a string of masterpieces where nearly every song was different and unique, arguably spawning multiple new subgenres per album. Melody, harmony, and feel. Comedy, beauty, and empathy. Experimentation, innovation, and knocking open doors to new worlds. But those are all just words; will the songs and musical styles make a believer out of Syed? Only time will tell.

[@ittamandarano8262]

their voices togeether is something special...one goes down while the other one goes up

[@lathedauphinot6820]

The Beatles met Dylan in 1964 when they were staying in the same hotel. On “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” they sing “I Can’t Hide”, but Dylan thought they were singing “I Get High”, so he invited them to his room, stuffed towels under the door, and lit a joint. So they were introduced to that supposedly by Dylan, who also told Lennon he was wasting half of his power by not concentrating on his lyrics. So Dylan also got The Beatles to take their songwriting more seriously. The bass line on “I Saw Her Standing There” came from Chuck Berry’s “I’m Talking ‘Bout You”. McCartney during Silver Beatles days had sometimes gone by the stage name Paul Ramón, which is where The Ramones got their name, and this song is why they introduced a lot of their songs with the “1,2,3,4!” count-in. In the early days when The Beatles and The Stones did a lot of covers, The Stones generally had better covers. “Misery” has never done much for me. I’ve always loved “I Saw Her Standing There”. It was unique, original, creative, and a rocker. Nothing else sounded like it.

[@MarloMaravillas]

The Beatles, since day 1, were always ahead of their time.

[@alecspeer]

I never tire of listening to this musical parfait, perfect in every way, with each Beatle just killing their part, fortified by countless performances in Hamburg, Germany. How the universe ever came up with the improbable nexus of these four incredibly talented lads is one for the cosmologists. I'm just thankful I was there when it happened,

[@alpetrocelli4465]

I was 9 when this came out, and 17 was an older woman then. In America, we were still getting over the Kennedy Assassination in Nov. ‘63 when they appeared on Ed Sullivan in February ‘74, and over 70 million of us watched these 4 lads turn the world upside down. I still get that charge when I see the old films of their early performances. They changed music in so many ways, especially in the recording aspect. I owe so much to them for turning me on to music.✌️❤️🎶

[@lolasuder8724]

70 million.

[@musicaficionado2974]

You are doing the early stuff. You are my hero! Thanks and God Bless!

[@joannparker1977]

Fabulous video! Thank you for playing it for us!!

[@johnturner170]

Love that you're making your way through their albums. Each one is different and they get better as they go on. Once you hit 1965 and their second album of that year, Rubber Soul, things really start to take off. By then they know their way around the studio and are starting to have more time to write and record. You'll have a blast!

[@reggy_h]

I was thirteen when this album was released everybody knew that there was something different, something special about the Beatles. I saved up and bought "With the Beatles" , one of the first albums that I bought. I'm not sure how much if any of the tracks on that particular album can be attributed to Lennon and McCartney but I loved it just the same. Their expertise at playing their instruments improved immeasurably in a very short time. You can see that from the George Harrison riff which was ok but not wonderful. He became an excellent player. I had "A Day in the Life" stuck in my head all day a couple of days ago and it wouldn't go away. If you haven't seen the film "Yesterday", I can really recommend it. I've seen it a dozen times at least and it makes my eyes leak every time. 😁I love your reaction videos. Please keep them going.👍

[@SK-lk3iu]

I have been a Beatlemaniac since they were first heard in America. That said, Misery is one of their very few songs I would not listen to twice. It was pretty typical of the type of tunes that were around in the very early 60's. Then again, if "I Saw Her Standing There" doesn't impress you with it's joyful energy and impact, then you will clearly not be a fan of early Beatles. This song and others like it at the time caused a huge sensation. I myself prefer early Beatles songs (& there are soooo many in that category) to some of their later work (tho I like it all) simply for their purity of melody, harmony and the fact that yes, you can sing along with them!

[@antonballard2212]

I just love this song!! Thank you for your reaction sir!! Your amazing!!

[@alphajava761]

The Help album is where The Beatles created their fingerprint: Ticket To Ride, Yesterday, You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, Help. Then there's the Folk song I've Just Seen A Face, and Country song Act Naturally. I've Just Seen A Face (Simon & Garfunkel sounds like this), Tell Me What You See (The Grateful Dead sounds like this). I would disagree that Rubber Soul was their first breakthrough album of new sound because of the Help album. The rest of the songs on Help sound like their previous albums but Help is a big breakthrough. Ticket To Ride was a monster hit and game changer as well as Yesterday.

[@ziggymarlowe5654]

To paraphrase another of your great commenters, @Lee Kennison, this album is when the second call in US history went out "The British are coming, the British are coming". And it was so exciting! To get the full experience though, Syed, you need a bunch of 13 year old girls behind you screaming and fainting. The Beatles contribution to the change of the music soundscape of the time was evident immediately. The early Beatles do sound dated now, but I still think they are important. So happy to see you found the work around, this will be so much fun.

[@LeeKennison]

The Beatles started an avalanche of incredible music coming out of the UK that dominated and influenced rock for the next decade and beyond. Fortunately most of the other great UK bands don't block like the Beatles do. One of my older sisters was one of those screaming 13 year old teenage girls when this came out, my other sister would have been 14. My own memory of their enthusiasm is probably from 65 when I would have been 5, since my own memories in general barely go back before that. Thanks for the reference. 😄

[@ziggymarlowe5654]

@@LeeKennison It really is hard. for someone not old enough in the early 60s to understand the seismic shift that occurred when the Beatles hit the music scene. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" does sound dated and simplistic, but just think of how many musical careers were over almost overnight! I was very young, but at an age to grow with the Beatles. By the time "Revolver" was released, I think it was clear to everyone knew there was something revolutionary about their music. They were experimenting with sound and oh so innovative.

[@LeeKennison]

@@ziggymarlowe5654 I am sure the sound of their songs from the "Meet the Beatles" and "Introducing the Beatles" got buried in my subconscious before they got into conscious memories, since my sisters would have been playing them all the time. I think that by the time "Help" came out I was probably really starting to notice them as something important. I have probably mentioned before I still have these 3 albums as hand-me-downs. I was into the Beatles from that point on. The funny thing is that the sister I was very close with (my babysitter, lol) soured on the Beatles when they became more innovative and progressive. Fortunately, her boyfriend and future ex-husband was really into this era of the Beatles, along with all the other great rock/folk of the late 60s (Dylan, Doors, CSN, Neil Young, etc.) He loved to share his music with me which was cool since I was just a kid, so I have him more to thank than my sisters at this stage. My sisters were more into Motown and pop type music, which I also really like from this era. So I got both influences.

[@ziggymarlowe5654]

@@LeeKennison I love all the groups you mentioned, plus Bob Seger, Eagles, CCR. And did have my decade of pretty much Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. But the Beatles were always special in my heart of hearts. I love the blues....I've recently started on a journey of rediscovery of John Mayall. Mercy, but that man can play the BLUES! If you like the blues and have 5 minutes to kill, look up John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers doing "Mists of Time", I'm mesmerized by this song right now. Sounds like we both got a good, diverse grounding in music. I heard everything in my home.

[@LeeKennison]

@@ziggymarlowe5654 Oh yeah, I could have gone on with the bands, but I would eventually reach the maximum comment size. 😉 As I think back, I don't think I got my Zeppelin love from my ex-brother-in-law, or maybe I am just forgetting. I don't think I seriously got into Zeppelin until my freshman high school years, and then I became a fanatic ever since. That is awesome you are checking out John Mayall, I really got into checking him out about 10 years ago, with all the big name musicians he provided great starting place for that eventually went to other bands. I was really into the hardcore British blues at that time (still love it). This is when I really got into all the recordings in the Peter Green era of Fleetwood Mac. Straight-up blues, but with a British take on it.

[@franchk8372]

It's so much fun watching them do "I Saw Her Standing There" live. 💙💙

[@DandyLion662a]

Nowadays it's probably difficult to appreciate how fresh and exciting this sounded at the time. For example, Billboard's top 10 for 1963 didn't feature any electric guitar.

[@johnrosemeyer]

We started hearing the Beatles on the radio in late 1963. They came onto the scene playing pop/love songs like everybody else. But the Beatles were so very much better. Their melodies, their harmonies and their use of chords were unparalleled. And their covers were often better than the originals. And then for several years they showered us with new, unique, ever-changing music.

[@RJ-oy7cq]

They were great from the start--simple isn't always worse...it had a great vitality and vocals, harmony.

[@Starriddin]

They were the first rock band to use a lot of minor and 7th chords with their harmonies. This produced a totally new sound. It helped that they had a great sense of humor and wit. They loved playing with the media of the time which was not normal in the few music interviews of the time, plus they had a semi-rebel look with the suits and long hair for the day.

[@michellezaleske-estrada40]

My uncle was a huge Beatles fan... Heard them allllllll my life. 58 years

[@olibertosoto5470]

In the attic of the first house we moved to in the U.S. I found three albums (the White Album, In A Gadda Da Vida and Led Zeppelin II) along with a stack of Playboy magazines. I spent a lot of time in the attic - got my taste for rock music there as well.

[@LeeKennison]

I am glad you found away to get passed the blocking, I wish you continued success with it. I wished those who do the blocking would realize how important reaction channels are to telling the story of the history of rock music. Leaving the Beatles out of this opportunity to tell the story of this music is absurd. They only winners here are the copyright lawyers.

[@alphajava761]

It seems interesting that copyright owners would pay lawyers so that artists songs aren't heard. Isn't the point that you want to reinforce the audience you have and gain a new audience that generate revenue instead blocking it at expense. People who haven't heard these songs for a while will now go and listen to them again generating views in YT and hits on Spotify, etc., and some may buy singles or the album downloaded. I don't get the financial logic. Guys like you and I have already bought our favorite albums 4 times (LP, 8 track, cassette, CD). And they want say we don't or haven't paid for it online. Plus we buy their concert tickets (which is the only way they make money by playing live), we buy their merchandise, we tell others who end up doing the same. Treating fans like freeloaders is far from reality.

[@LeeKennison]

@@alphajava761 A very logical view, your bringing up points which I have tried to make for quite awhile now. But like many other things in our crazy world, logical decisions aren't always what wins out. As you point out, it just seems to make clear logical sense from a business perspective. I suspect that if they just looked at the statistics of bands that don't block, and compare them to bands that do block, and then compare their listens on the various steaming platforms, they would find the ones that don't block have a revenue boost associated with the new exposure they get. People are not going to keep listening to the same reaction so they can hear the song again, they don't want all the interruptions. They are going to go to a steaming site where the copyright owner is going to get new revenue they wouldn't have had before. And they still get the monetization money from the reaction channel on top. Thankfully, most bands and copyright holders seem to get it. Just really stands out for the big ones like the Beatles, Hendrix and the Eagles. Although Syed has had success with the Eagles, but they often block (or at least used to).

[@bellesque861]

The early Beatles were playing what hadn't been heard before in North America. What came before was Elvis, and a lot of groups, but nothing like this sound. You are right, it is of an era and ties into the changes taking place among young people in the 1960s, particularly in Britain, which drifted around the world and captured a generation.

[@michaelt6218]

You just got a new subscriber -- and I predict you'll gain a LOT more as you explore the Beatles catalog.😁

[@jean-marcevans1439]

If you listen to what else was around at exactly the same time you can see how more there was to them than their contemporaries. Plus they’re writing their on songs, mostly at this time. Plus they we’re still very young. Best in mind they were still in their twenties when they spilt up.

[@stuartdean1938]

The first thing you have to remember is that back in those days there was no Internet and no Music Television; to be heard, you had to write a song with a catchy melody and nice lyrics, and that song had to be somewhere in the 2:30 to 3-minute range. Anything longer than 3:30 minutes usually wouldn't be played by the AM radio disc jockeys (Had to get those commercials in to sell their products). Most bands were happy to have one song that was played a lot on the radio, and they hoped people would hear it and want to buy it. Individual songs were printed on vinyl records we called 45s (45 revolutions per minute on the turntable) and could be bought for about 1 pound British Sterling or 1 dollar American. For that price, you got two songs: The hit song on side A, and the 2nd best song on side B. Since the LP or Long-playing vinyl record held about 22 minutes of music on each side (it ran at a speed of 33 1/3 revolutions per minute), a band could write 14 three-minute-long songs (7 per side) on their album. Well, like I said, many groups were happy to write 1 or 2 hit songs per album, but the Beatles were a Pop Songwriting Machine. Both sides of their 45s were hits, and as many as 9 of the 14 songs on the album made it somewhere on the top 100 of the 1964 music charts. Oh, and these recordings were mono (stereo became more prominent later in the 60s), which means they usually used a 4-track recording system: one microphone on the drums, one on the guitars, and one on the vocals, mixed down onto the 4th track and printed onto the vinyl to be heard through just one speaker. There was no auto-tune, and no special effects. This was very primitive analog recording...no 32-track digital. Now, take all that into consideration and listen to it, again. Damn...they were really good.

[@johnvender]

For only from 1962 to 1969, just seven years, it's amazing how influential they were. Where would Oasis get ideas for songs if it wasn't for them ;)

[@pablolazaromartinez3541]

Hamburg, they played in Hamburg 😎👍🏽

[@umpdaddy1]

There 's a video on YT of a Top of Pops from the mid sixties. Many of the great British bands performed. The Stones, The Animals, Van Morrison, The Searchers and many more. When The Beatles took the stage it was like a light was turned on. Their stage presence was off the charts incandescent. I would say their genius was on display in spades. For an album to remain 30 weeks at the top is another indicator as pop music of any generation is filled with fleeting songs. After all, the music industry needs new songs coming out all of the time.

[@lourall5390]

Thank you for going to the beginning. So many reactors are starting The Beatles with Sgt Pepper or The White Album and think it is amazing, ignoring where the Boys came from.

[@WMalven]

It wasn't until the Rubber Soul album that their songwriting and song production took a very noticeable;e turn for the better. There are some very good early songs (pre-Rubber Soul), like "Things We Said Today," "Ticket To Ride," or "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," but it was that album which raised them above the average pop band

[@keithbrown7685]

I like the title track for Hard Day's Night, and I Feel Fine. I thought those ones were particularly inspired and resistant to wearing out one's ears.

[@fitless]

LOL. rubber soul has the most filler songs, it is a rather weak album.

[@WMalven]

@@fitless LOL!!! Whatever, clueless.

[@keithbrown7685]

@@fitless I agree. Ok, there was Drive My Car, Norwegian Wood, Nowhere Man, Michelle. Those were the highlights, imho. The rest, had they never been conceived or recorded, I could have survived without. : )

[@fitless]

@@keithbrown7685 totally agree with you. The songs you mentioned are great; it is the Beatles after all... but the rest is mostly forgettable.

[@ritchiec6317]

Hey bro you are so insightful. great job. Keep it up

[@sourisvoleur4854]

Something to look for as you go through their catalogue: songs that end with three of the same line. This starts it off for us!

[@TomGorham]

Their music was revolutionary from the beginning. I went to see them when this album was still new. It was pandemonium. They brought new life to the fading music of the 50s.

[@B.R.0101]

Listening them today, especially the earliest albums, makes us in the difficult position to value how pioneers they were at that times where nobody were so brave and able to write songs themselves to enter in the scenario of rock'n'roll and they already did it incredibly fine!! Plus they were at the beginning, writing 'simple' but yet catchy and original songs in a simple style, the same style they could hear at that times... The genius was the mix of many things! Energy, clever songs, the speed they had to write sings even out of their albums, but they gave them to other artists, so the amount of amazing music that they were creating just in the earliest times was indeed amazing!

[@claymmore]

The thing that stands out to me on these tracks is tension : on I Saw Her Standing There, the harmony between Lennon and McCartney is not a sweet harmony, there's something slightly atonal that gives it an edge, a wildness. On Misery, it's the minimalism on the piano. It doesn't play all the notes you expect it to, which creates a tension that otherwise wouldn't be there. Compare these songs to other pop songs of the time - Beach Boys, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Andy Williams, The Singing Nun,, etc. There is a rawness to the Beatles sound that is done entirely on purpose,

[@JackW467]

First time I've Ever heard ' Misery ' .. Thanks

[@debramulcahy9979]

This was the first record I purchased, I was 12. I’m 72 now. George was my favorite. They were unique at the time.

[@jnagarya519]

That their first LP was #1 nonstop for 30-something WEEKS already says they were ahead of the pack. That it was replaced at #1 by their second LP makes one sit up and take notice -- again. They were ahead of the pack from their first single. And when they hit the US they booked it -- and everyone else chased but never caught them. They consolidated at #1 worldwide by mid-1965. But they never peaked -- they continued to grow and evolve until they broke up. They were LARGE -- which is BIGGER than HUGE.

[@frankavellone1175]

The transition begins with the Rubber Soul album, continues thru Revolver, Sgt Peppers, Magical Mystery Tour.

[@alphajava761]

The transition begins with Help. Ticket To Ride, Yesterday, You've Got To Hide Your Love Away. These songs were game changers.

[@tonywtyt]

I don't think I've heard Misery before. I liked it a lot because the vocal harmonies stood out so much because they were up front, while the instruments were in the back, yet keeping the rhythm and the song going.

[@007Scubagolf]

I was in the 8th grade in the USA when the first US album was released. It was a cataclysmic change from what preceded the Beatles.

[@markcorcoran482]

Well first of all, l really enjoy your channel, and l’m a subscriber. So. It seems that you are listening to these tracks in stereo, when mono is the way to go. The power of the OOMPH of the whole shebang in both speakers is truly where it’s at for this era. It was the Beatles’ preferred approach, the mode of mixing they placed importance on, till Abbey Road. Do yourself a favor! Your quality makes me care.

[@maggieyanor5082]

I was at a church dance when "Roll Over Beethoven" was played. When we were dancing, I asked the people around, " What group is this?' Someone knew " The Beatles" and added they would play on the Ed Sullivan the following weekend. I wanted to see them and stayed home to watch them ion the Ed Sullivan show the next Sunday. I was so taken with their music and voices that I understood why all the girls in the audience were screaming and crying.

[@barryshepherd1533]

One thing to remember is that they mostly didn’t put their singles in the album. So many of their number one songs don’t appear on any album. It’s to to listen to the corresponding singles from the same times to understand the impact and growth. Those songs are on the two Beatles Past Masters albums

[@pathare3031]

I reme.ber .going to Cathy's house to listen when it first came out. I was 12 years old

[@pathare3031]

.wow my lack of Grammer really showing.

[@izzonj]

The harmonies, right! Something the Beatles did extremely well was to add idiosyncrasies that took mundane lyrics and made them more interesting. In the first song here, the "WOOOO!" thrown in is an example and would become a bit of an early trademark which was due to get the young ladies screaming. Another example is in "I feel fine". There is the lyric, "baby said she's fine. She tells me all the time. " not much. But they dress it up as "Baby said she's fine, you know, She tells me all the time, you know. She said so!" Unexpected, more interesting and definitely more rhythmic. That's the type of thing that I see genius in.

[@martinwragg8246]

I think if you saw a film like back beat which highlights their time in Hamburg and the excitement it generated at the time, you might begin to see the revolutionary impact they had even then.

[@DoohickeyDinkle]

I can tell you that as a young kid at the time, when I heard these early songs I thought "this is what music is supposed to sound like".

[@russallert]

Some of the tracks on Please Please Me are definitely of their time and don't necessarily age as well as other songs on the album. However, to get an idea of how fresh and new The Beatles sounded to the listeners of their time, check out some of the Top 40 hits of 1962-63, both in the US and the UK, and then come back to this album. They really were a whole new ball game. The "revolutionary" stuff didn't start right away, but even in 1963 they were new and different compared to everything else around them.

[@davidmarsden9800]

They were made on the Reeperbahn in Hamburg playing long hours every night in the Indra Club and the Star Club for a couple of years.

[@raycornford283]

I was 16 in 1963 and, as someone who experienced the impact of the Beatles firsthand, I can say in all seriousness that yes, it was clear from the very start that they were re-writing the rules. Hearing theses tracks now, they seem very naive and 'ordinary', but when heard in the context of the music of the late '50s and very early '60s, they were fresh and exciting.

[@CuriousGeorge1111]

Good observation on Lennon & McCartney's voices meshing so well. Paul said that they would sing face to face to synchronize.

[@pangeatruth7773]

Nothing had sounded this way before. They were really fresh at the time.

[@GreggOliverBass]

When this album was made, they were kids... they were in the music industry and couldn't believe they'd made a record (after being rejected by everyone). This was early on for Ringo, because he didn't go to Hamburg with them... they still had Pete Best on drums (i think they probably kept him because his mother owned The Cavern, which was their home base in Liverpool). They got their contract because they were good, but not too different... the record companies don't take risks like that. It's ALWAYS incredible when an artist that "sounds like no other" breaks through. Their 2nd album was all covers because the record company didn't have confidence in their originals AND they could do it right away (they'd been playing those covers in Hamburg and Liverpool as well, so they could record them quickly). They started innovating right after that and never stopped.

[@stevedahlberg8680]

Just finished I Saw Her Standing There and yeah, I think this was so hot for the time. Those harmonies are fantastic and kind of a twist on stuff that we'd heard before, and then I absolutely love George's guitar work in this, and especially that solo;it's so sharp and percussive and syncopated but really sparse and tasty with a lot of restraint but it just sears. When I listen to this, I find it impossible not to move to it. It is so fun to dance to but either way it's impossible not to be moving to it somehow, it's just so kinetic, and there's a fair amount of complexity that creates the overall energy and motion. And to put that into context, this came out around the time I was born, so I obviously didn't hear it for years afterwards. It was in junior high and high school when I started working my way backwards through the Beatles catalog listening to this early stuff. By then I was listening to bands like Rush and Kansas and Boston and Foghat and Nazareth and Van Halen and Ted Nugent and Creedence Clearwater Revival and Jefferson Starship and Earth Wind and Fire and Stevie Wonder and ACDC and Bob Marley and April Wine and Badfinger and John Denver and Charlie Daniels Band and on and on, you get the idea. That was a far cry from that early 60s sound and yet I completely dug it for some reason. And I still do today. I don't know if it's the musician in me or my just sheer love of music or what, but then again I spent a lot of time listening to it simply because it was the Beatles, and then at first I thought it kind of sounded old but in short order I got completely hooked on it and I still love all the early stuff to this day. Right along with the later stuff of course.

[@southernwanderer7912]

"Misery" is one of my favorite Beatles songs.

[@inexplicablyleft2729]

Another thing to keep in mind is that this has an energy and edge that was not being offered anywhere else. Think "Smells Like Teen Spirit", but much more so. OTOH, it's only with Help!, Rubber Soul, and Revolver that the Beatles really start to show what they can do track after track.

[@cojaysea]

I still get a charge when I hear that song . Man what a wake up call that was .

[@jamespopeko9557]

A day in the life was made after 4 years of these two songs. Imagine that

[@dondevice8182]

In the Chuck Berry context, you have to think of it as coming out after “sweet little 16“ (also “You’re 16, you’re beautiful, and you’re mine”, which Ringo recorded many years later) - - but I think the McCartney interview reference you were quoting, is that when he said his original lyrics were : “she was just 17/never been a beauty queen…“, Whereas Lennon suggested the much better lyric (, although more doubtful from modern perspectives.) “ She was just 17/. You know what I mean…”

[@scottlbroco]

The Beatles literally started the biggest music revolution the world has ever seen. No musical act has ever been as huge. There's some great songs in the early Beatles music. However, in comparison to what would follow, the first several Beatles albums seem more ordinary now than they were when they were released. Their album, Rubber Soul was when their creative genius really began to flourish. Bob Dylan was a key influence on the Beatles in expanding their songs' subject matter, and their rivals, the Rolling Stones had plenty of anger in their songs as well. The Beatles were endlessly imaginative, and their growth as a studio band between 1963 and 1969 is astonishing. Sayed, Im afraid you're going to be a little bored at times with early Beatles albums. I think you'll find a lot to like once you listen to Rubber Soul and the following album, Revolver, which imo is their greatest album of all. It's a journey worth taking, but perhaps you'll enjoy it more if you instead focus on the best several songs from each of their earlier albums.

[@gpxo11]

This song was revolutionary in its day compared to the rest of what was on the radio and the charts at the time. The countoff at the beginning grabs your attention and the pronounced bassline propels the song into a danceable tempo. The only other song in 1964 other than Beatle music that grabbed my attention was Roy Orbisons Oh Pretty Woman with that noticable drumbeat opening the song and that legendary guitar riff and of course Roy's lecherous growell after the first verse. It's one of those deals when you had to be there listening to the radio and knowing in terms of music what's been done and heard before.

[@izzykhach]

Check out Ask Me Why from their first album. There's a lot going on there musically and you get a good sense of their early song writing chops on that one.

[@jamesdrynan]

To date, the Beatles have sold 1.6 BILLION singles in the US and world wide album sales of 650 million. And they are still selling, over fifty years after breaking up!

[@tomandrews2887]

There’s so much great Beatles stuff ahead of this. But I saw her standing there is the first one you hear. And from start to finish there’s only a few other songs as good as it.

[@chitownlee]

The first one that got me was Please Please Me.

[@reinacarbetta388]

That’s a strange take. It wasn’t just the pop music of that time. As my Dad says, “We had never heard anything like it. Not even close. It could have come from outer space it was that revolutionary.” Songs were short because radio stations limited songs to 2 minutes. And seemingly “simple” in terms of the amount of instruments they could record at that time. But still revolutionary! And I still play all their early stuff and I wasn’t alive for it either. I’ve asked you before but please make a video on why the heck you’re still a “Hip Hop” fan. I’m genuinely curious. I was a huge Hip Hop fan in the 90s but the genre no longer exists. It really is crap rap now (says the girl who has been in TV and entertainment biz her whole life.) It’s sad.

[@helenespaulding7562]

When The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, 73 million Americans tuned in. They estimate that that was 40% if all Americans at that time.

[@annbeguity5932]

Yup Paul has an amazing voice. But growing up on them is what taught me the importance (and difficulty-and uniqueness) of that *low* harmony part….of which Lennon was a master. Speaking from personal experience….YES, we could tell they were special! The sound… not just because of the “moptops”. Volumes have been written about their musical uniqueness back in the day, so I’ll leave it at that.