With The Beatles Remastered (Mono & Stereo)
The Beatles Stereo Box Set (Please Please Me + The White Album)
With The Beatles is definitely not my favorite Beatles album, in actuality it is likely their worst non Yellow Submarine album. But that’s not to imply I don’t enjoy listening to the album in it’s 2009 remastered format nor is it to imply that With The Beatles does not have any great tracks on it because that’s not the case.
But I do believe that when considering just the 8 original songs on the album, it is arguably the worst collection of original compositions the lads from liverpool ever put out on an LP (the very underrated Beatles For Sale has a much better selection of 8 originals) on the other hand, the six covers on this album are good (superior to the six covers on Beatles For Sale.)
My favorite original songs to listen to on the With The Beatles Remastered CDs are the first three songs. In particular I’ve been loving track number two, “All I’ve Got To Do” in mono. It sounds delicious.
Another original track that has really been making an impression on me is song #9, “Hold Me Tight.” Paul wrote and sang this one and he’s dismissed it as beign a “work song”. And while I’ll agree the song isn’t perfect, I do think it is a good time.
Among the cover songs I think “Till There Was You” is my favorite. It’s a very cheesy sickly sweet ballad but I think in some strange way it works because of that. The LP’s last song, “Money” is an excellent way to end the record. When I listen closely to the remastered mono version I actually hear the song as much more unhinged than I realized. It rocks pretty darn hard.
For most of the CDs I do prefer the stereo versions when it comes to the 2009 Beatles remasters but I do think that this album sounds a bit better in mono.