Emily: I'm not going to get into the Beatles being one of the greatest bands of all time, because everyone's heard that before. What I love about the Beatles is how their sound evolved over only a few short years, starting from the basics and becoming increasingly more deep and complex. This album takes us back to the very beginning. Although With the Beatles is their second album, it was the first one to be released in the US. It exemplifies Lennon and McCartney's ability to craft perfect pop songs. The subject matter is always light fare about girls and love - exactly what teen girls want to hear, but never cliched. What makes early Beatles classic rather than throwaway pop, however, is the instrumentation. Over the course of this album the band creates a rock-meets-pop sound with widespread appeal. With a few carefully chosen early-'60s Motown covers, they hone the sound further with classic soul influences. Drawing on various popular genres, they create a completely unique sound that can only be done by the Beatles.
Favorite Tracks: I Wanna Be Your Man; All My Loving; It Won't Be Long
Zack: The Beatles are alright, I guess. Before I get any death threats, that was a joke. They’re pretty good. The Beatles existed on an entirely different plane than any of their contemporaries or anyone since. When John Lennon said they were bigger than Jesus, he was actually pretty spot on. I mean, when you think about it, people were really short back then so Jesus was probably only like 5’2” or something. Doesn’t take a giant to beat that. Musically, they are widely considered superb. To be honest, however, they’re not my favorite band out there. To me, their ballads all sound a little repetitive. When they switch to rock mode, I think they are fantastic, but that leaves half of their repertoire in the “meh” range. This album has several rock songs as well as several ballads, all tied together with a handful of covers that add the little bow on the present. Not the least of them is Chuck Berry’s Roll Over Beethoven. There, the Beatles were able to capture Berry’s sound but still alter it in a way that made it their own. The creativity that was employed throughout the creation of this album is rather exemplary, whether it was in composing new songs or re-working music of others. It’s a creativity that one comes to expect when listening to any Beatles album, and With the Beatles is surely no exception
Favorite tracks: Don’t Bother Me; Roll Over Beethoven; Money (That’s What I Want)
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