This is a companion review to the Beatles’ Red Album. As stated in that review EMI / Apple released two excellent compilation albums The Red (1962-1966) and The Blue (1967-1970) which is this one. When released they were in vinyl format , and thanks to TallTone I know that the albums are ... Read review
continued; this two-disc look back only skims the surface of their later achievements. Excerpts fromSgt. Pepper,Magical Mystery Tour, the white album,Abbey Road, andLe...
rock music ever recorded and placed it on one irresistible collection.Released at a time when compilation albums were less common, the Blue Album set the standard; i...
continued; this two-disc look back only skims the surface of their later achievements. Excerpts from Sgt. Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour, the white album, Abbey Road, an...
continued; this two-disc look back only skims the surface of their later achievements. Excerpts fromSgt. Pepper,Magical Mystery Tour, the white album,Abbey Road, andLe...
Little Help From My Friends Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds Day In The Life All You Need Is Love I Am The Walrus Hello Goodbye The Fool On The Hill Mag...
A review by mikeydred on Beatles 1967-1970, The - Beatles (The) October 10th, 2001
Author's product rating:
Originality
Groundbreaking
Lyrics
Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks
A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Outstanding
Value for Money
Advantages:
Superb Groundbreaking Music, Including Some Non Album stuff
Disadvantages:
Octopus's Garden
Recommend to potential buyers:
no
Full review
This is a companion review to the Beatles’ Red Album. As stated in that review EMI / Apple released two excellent compilation albums The Red (1962-1966) and The Blue (1967-1970) which is this one. When released they were in vinyl format , and thanks to TallTone I know that the albums are contractually stipulated to be issued in this defined form.
One major problem with the Red Album is that it clocks in at around an hour for two CDs. The Blue is more reasonable at around ninety minutes, so you couldn’t make it a single CD without losing some tracks, although there is plenty in the Beatles canon that could have been used to enhance this compilation.
The gripe about cost , however, does hold with this album. You can easily pay between twenty and thirty GBP for this (It’s 23.99 GBP plus postage from Amazon), and this is for previously released material. However if people are willing to pay, the record companies and shops will continue to rip them off.
OK enough of the gripes. This compilation concentrates on the latter half of the Beatles’ career , presenting the listener with an excellent selection of singles and album tracks, which are more accomplished than the material on the Red album, although whether the music is better is very subjective. Everyone has their own preference and I do prefer this to the Red. It mixes album tracks with singles, and actually scores over the “1” compilation because it contains both “Penny Lane” and “Strawberry Fields”.
The full track listing is as follows:
Disc: 1 1. Strawberry Fields Forever 2. Penny Lane 3. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 4. With a Little Help from My Friends 5. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds 6. A Day in the Life 7. All You Need Is Love 8. I Am the Walrus 9. Hello, Goodbye 10. The Fool on the Hill 11. Magical Mystery Tour 12. Lady Madonna 13. Hey Jude 14. Revolution
Disc: 2 1. Back in the U.S.S.R. 2. While My Guitar Gently Weeps 3. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da 4. Get Back 5. Don't Let Me Down 6. The Ballad of John and Yoko 7. Old Brown Shoe 8. Here Comes the Sun 9. Come Together 10. Something 11. Octopus's Garden 12. Let It Be 13. Across the Universe 14. The Long and Winding Road
Although I like this album better than the Red it does have, in my opinion, one enormous clanger, the absolutely awful “Octopus’s Garden”, surely one of the worst songs ever recorded, beloved of family oriented Djs like Ed Stewart everywhere, but that’s what the CD skip facility is for.
The compilation includes some great “B” sides such as “Revolution” and album tracks such as “A Day In The Life”, probably the most important song the band ever recorded. It has the full length version of “Hey Jude” and the gorgeous “Let It Be”, the cod calypso reggae of “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”, and manages to include some excellent George Harrison compositions such as the stunning “Something” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”.
All in all and excellent compilation apart from you know what, but again the punter is being ripped off if asked to pay above twenty notes for it. After this there were a few Beatles themed compilations released such as “Love Songs” and “Rock and Roll”. I’d love to see these on CD, but as single CDs PLEASE. No doubt they’ll make their way to the shops one Christmas.
So as with the Red album, I have to state that this is a superb compilation (with one duff track) , but vastly overpriced, so although I’ll give it an excellent rating I cannot recommend that you buy it. Go and get “1” instead.
Advantages: classic hits by one of the greatest bands of all time Disadvantages: none for me
...it justice. Nobody covering The Beatles could never match the original. -Summary-
When people think of The Beatles, they think Help! or Yellow Submarine. But, there is so much more to the four lads from Liverpool. This album proves it. Someone who is my age and hasn't really heard much of The Beatles, would only know a few of the tracks off the double album. I totally recommend it to anyone who think The Beatles were overrated. ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Amazing material Disadvantages: You're joking, yeah?
...of compilation albums by the Beatles over the years and their catalogue has been raided and repackaged time and time again and it's usually in the interests of the suits making money for nothing. In my honest opinion, all the various reissues are irrelevant - if you're not going to buy the albums the band issued while they were still around, then there's only two compilations that really make any sense. There's this one, 1967-70 (The Blue Album) ... ...pretty sparse packaging with an original shot of the band from the early 60's on the back and a late 60's reshoot on the front. These are reversed for the earlier compilation, i.e. you get the early shot on the cover. The record bag inside the sleeve on the LP includes lyrics for all the tracks. I guess with the CD version, you'd get them as a booklet, but I have to admit I've only ever seen the vinyl version.
With the lack of hype in the packaging ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Part 2 of the Best Band Ever's astonishing history Disadvantages: Other compilations are better
...acquired a place in the Beatles catalogue as for many years it was more or less the only way of acquiring the singles from 1967 to 1970 on one (double) album, in other words from the pivotal double A-side "Strawberry Fields Forever"/"Penny Lane" to "Let It Be", alongside a few choice cuts from "Sergeant Pepper", the white album, "Abbey Road" et al. The red album is undoubtedly poor value for money and this is rather better as its 28 tracks comprise ... ...its own. If you're a Beatles completist who must have everything, the case is hard to argue. But, as in the case of the red album, unless you want to restrict your Fab Four collection to the bare minimum, I'd recommend you purchase both "Past Masters" sets instead. ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency...
How does it compare to ...
Value for Money
helpful
29.07.2000
The Blue Album Review ofBeatles 1967-1970, The - Beatles (The)by
julian_hall
Advantages: ½ The greatest hits of "The greatest band ever" Disadvantages: erm...........no, cna't think of any, ooh yes, expensive
...Jude' (The song i was named after), 'Penny Lane' and the rest. There is no doubting that this is a compilation that only those with all the Beatles albums dare overlook. There is classic after classic, with all the songs sounding different, not 20-odd soundalikes.
A truly masterful album. ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency...
How does it compare to ...
Value for Money
helpful
04.12.2000
Is It Worth It? Review ofBeatles 1967-1970, The - Beatles (The)by
Mystar
Advantages: The best songs are on just 2 discs Disadvantages: The odd good song is missing
You might ask this if you're unsure about buying. But my answer is, yes it is well worth it. You get the bonus of all the best tracks from each album between 1967 and 1970 all on two discs. You may question buying this if you have already got all of the albums, but it is still well worth it because all your favourite tracks are on 2 CDs. The only slight weakness in this product is; A: the price and B: there are a couple of songs which aren't on the ...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Some fantastic songs that benefitted from a live atmosphere. Disadvantages: Some tracks didn't work vocally, a little Beatle bias.
...moment on the disk as it was sung with just Paul and the instrument, said to be one of George's favourites and a poignant moment within the context of the band as it was the first A Side single of one of Harrison's songs.
DISK TWO (lasts 68.41 minutes)
1. Eleanor Rigby (TheBeatles, 1966: 2.17 minutes)
2. Here, There and Everywhere (TheBeatles, 1966: 2.26 minutes)
3. Calico Skies (Paul, 1997: 2.38 minutes)
4. Michelle (TheBeatles, 1965: 3.16 minutes)
5. Band On The Run (Wings, 1974: 5.00 minutes)
6. Back In The USSR (TheBeatles, 1968: 2.56 minutes)
7. Maybe I'm Amazed (Paul, 1970: 4.49 minutes)
8. Let 'Em In (Wings, 1976: 5.23 minutes)
9. My Love (Wings, 1973: 4.03 minutes)
10. She's Leaving Home (TheBeatles, 1967: 3.53 minutes)
11. Can't Buy Me Love (TheBeatles, 1964: 2.09 minutes)
12. Live And Let Die (Wings, 1973: 3...
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Label / Distributor: Apple / EMI Operations/CEVA Logistics
Producer: George Martin; Phil Spector
Pieces in Set: 2
Studio / Live: Studio
Stereo: Stereo
Format: Performer
EAN: 77779703920
Catalogue Number: CDPCSP 718
Additional notes
Album Notes: The Beatles: John Lennon, George Harrison (vocals, guitar); Paul McCartney (vocals, piano, bass); Ringo Starr (vocals, drums). Digitally remastered by Mike Jarratt (1987-88, Abbey Road Studios, London, England). The 1967-1970 (BLUE ALBUM) includes a booklet with liner notes, lyrics and photographs. The Beatles' impact on popular music is inestimable. They changed the face of rock & roll, introducing new concepts and techniques again and again throughout their career, influencing both their contemporaries and the next several generations of rock & roll. In the early '60s, when the golden age of Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis had given way to prefabricated teen idols and bland, diluted versions of real rock & roll and R&B, the Beatles' brash, effervescent blend of '50s vintage sounds and bold, electric pop saved the world. Not content with reviving rock & roll almost single-handedly, the Beatles continued to innovate. Borrowing a bit from John Lennon's hero Bob Dylan, they pioneered the progression from generic love songs to more personalized, introspective subject matter. Let loose in the studio, they were among the first in the pop world to use backwards tapes, feedback and exotic instrumentation (George Harrison's well-documented love affair with Indian music inspired a thousand sitar-infested pop tunes). Lennon & McCartney (and occasionally Harrison) were phenomenally gifted tunesmiths who merged a pre-rock harmonic vocabulary with R&B influences and a visionary streak to create a timeless body of work.
Album Reviews: Q (10/00, p.154) - Included in Q's "Best Best Of... Albums Of All Time" Q (10/93, p.118) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...Musically, joy certainly is unconfined....[THE RED and BLUE ALBUMS] vividly trace the story of [the Beatles'] development..." NME (9/18/93, p.35) - (10) - Classic. Melody Maker (10/9/93, p.41) - "...[a] timeless wonder...."
Titles on disc 1
1.: Strawberry Fields Forever
2.: Penny Lane
3.: Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
4.: With A Little Help From My Friends
5.: Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
6.: Day In The Life
7.: All You Need Is Love
8.: I Am The Walrus
9.: Hello Goodbye
10.: Fool On The Hill
11.: Magical Mystery Tour
12.: Lady Madonna
13.: Hey Jude
14.: Revolution
Titles on disc 2
1.: Back In The USSR
2.: While My Guitar Gently Weeps
3.: Ob La Di Ob La Da
4.: Get Back
5.: Don't Let Me Down
6.: Ballad Of John And Yoko
7.: Old Brown Shoe
8.: Here Comes The Sun
9.: Come Together
10.: Something
11.: Octopus's Garden
12.: Let It Be
13.: Across The Universe
14.: Long And Winding Road
Ciao
Listed on Ciao since : 11/07/2000
Compare Beatles 1967-1970, The - Beatles (The) to other similar Rock & Pop
![1967-1970 [CASSETTE] - The Beatles](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/75063741.jpg)
![River Is Wide, The [Remastered] - Forum (The)](http://imagesb.ciao.com/iuk/images/products/small/251/River_Is_Wide_The_Remastered_Forum_The__6006251.jpg)
This product has not yet been reviewed. 
29.06.2008
