First released: 1963, November 22

Original Vinyl Recording Remastered (2012)

Sheet music, guitar tabs, song books at Sheetmusicplus.com

Brilliant album. Has some simply great songs that make the hairs stand on the back of my neck. I actually think this is a bit better than Please Please Me.

George Martin has claimed that he plays the Hammond organ on I Wanna Be Your Man - even though it is said to be John Lennon on the album cover. There was an incident in Sweden in 1989 when Staffan Olander, who's knowledge about the Beatles in 1973 had made him a champion, answered George Martin at a competition in Swedish television. The judge said he was wrong, but George Martin himself claimed that Staffan Olander was right.

The Beatles 2nd album and what an album, their confidence shows in the songs,this album transports you back to swinging sixties its foot tappin fab beatle music,even the covers sound beatle, and money is a repeat from the first album last track, lennon rockin his tonsils off.

This album has some VERY great Underrated rockers (one of which is 'Hold Me Tight'... great song!) But what makes it slow down are 2 copied songs, 'You Really Got A Hold On Me' and 'Til There Was You' If you've noticed, there is not 1 single on here! But it does have some very well known songs, like one of my personal favorites 'Money (That's What I Want)' Which closes this legendary album, but what opens it is a little simmilar, exept without the piano, its one of the most amazing songs you'll ever hear, 'It Won't Belong', kind of superior to 'She Loves You' (Those little yeahs that George takes credit for shouting in the background) Another great little piece of music is 'Please Mr Posteman'(love that wait a minute, wait a minute part, but the whole song is great) that would have been a great show number if they bothered to play it live. So, that basically sums it all up for you, great rockers, unlistenable ballads (exept for 'Not A Second Time', wonderful Song) So go out and buy the damn thing!

While not as advanced musically or lyrically as their later albums, With The Beatles is still great. The best songs on the album are without a doubt the original songs by the Beatles themselves; however, they turn in fairly good performances of others' hits, inclding Roll Over Beethoven, which is done excellently by George. However, Paul's rendition of the show tune Till There Was You, while well done, seems out of place with the other, more rocking numbers. Personal favorites are currently All My Loving and Please Mr. Postman. Even though they didn't write it, Money is just as good, if not better, than Twist and Shout, the "last-song-on-the-album, going-out-with-a-bang" song on Please Please Me. If you like the early Beatles, you probably owe it to yourself to buy this. If you consider this type of thing garbage, or prefer their later work, maybe you shouldn't get it.

With the Beatles is a sequel of the highest order — one that betters the original by developing its own tone and adding depth. While it may share several similarities with its predecessor — there is an equal ratio of covers-to-originals, a familiar blend of girl group, Motown, R&B, pop, and rock, and a show tune that interrupts the flow of the album — With the Beatles is a better record that not only rocks harder, it's considerably more sophisticated. They could deliver rock & roll straight ("I Wanna Be Your Man") or twist it around with a little Latin lilt ("Little Child," one of their most underrated early rockers); Lennon and McCartney wrote sweet ballads (the achingly gorgeous "All I've Got to Do") and sprightly pop/rockers ("All My Loving") with equal aplomb; and propulsive rockers ("It Won't Be Long") were as richly melodic as slower songs ("Not a Second Time"). Even George Harrison's first recorded song, "Don't Bother Me," is a standout, with its wonderfully foreboding minor-key melody. Since the Beatles covered so much ground with their originals, their covers pale slightly in comparison, particularly since they rely on familiar hits (only "Devil in Her Heart" qualifies as a forgotten gem). But for every "Roll Over Beethoven," a surprisingly stiff reading of the Chuck Berry standard, there is a sublime moment, such as Lennon's soaring interpretation of "You Really Got a Hold on Me," and the group always turns in thoroughly enjoyable performances. Still, the heart of With the Beatles lies not in the covers, but the originals, where it was clear that, even at this early stage, the Beatles were rapidly maturing and changing, turning into expert craftsmen and musical innovators. — Stephen Thomas Erlewine