Album: Please Please Me
Artist: The Beatles
Release Date: March 22, 1963
Genre: Rock and Roll/Pop
Length: 0:32:15
Label: EMI Parlophone Records
Producer: George Martin
Rolling Stone Top 500 (2012): #39
Rolling Stone Top 500 (2020): N/A
Four innocent boys from Liverpool, not knowing how much they would change the world...
The debut album from undeniably the biggest band in history, The Beatles recorded Please Please Me in less than thirteen total hours. The album shot up to #1 on the UK Albums charts and certified platinum in both the US and the UK.
"One, Two, Three, Four!" announced proudly by Paul McCartney on the first track "I Saw Her Standing There" opens up with the driving feel the early Beatles would be known for. The complex, melodic bass groove, the occasional cheerful guitar riffs, the simple reinforcement from Ringo Starr on the drums, with sublte hand claps in the background, paired with the harmonies behind McCartney's voice, all make the first track one of their most famous of all time. The guitar solo from George Harrison in the middle of the track may be simple but continues to carry the energy of the track throughout, all leading perfectly into the next verse. The simplistic complexity of this song carries on throughout the entire album and even into the early career of the group.
During the recording session, Lennon was suffering from a really bad cold. Since the album was recorded in mostly one session, you can hear Lennon's voice strain in parts. The first real instance of this is in the chorus of the third track, "Anna (Go To Him)". The emotive strain of his voice is attributed to his cold, but provides a sense of rawness and grittiness that was out of the ordinary when Please Please Me released.
One of the most interesting aspects of The Beatles is the use of all four members as singers. Most tracks feature harmonies from Harrison, Lennon or McCartney, and Starr is featured on one song heavily. Harrison gives his first true Beatles performance on "Chains". Written by the legendary Gerry Goffin/Carole King duo, "Chains" is one of the covers the Beatles put on the record, which they eventually evolved out of into solely original songs in the album Help!.
The only other Harrison lead song is "Do You Want To Know A Secret". The song starts off in a mysterious way, with Harrison singing and a slight guitar riff playing, all to lead into the song after a very distinct melody from Harrison on guitar. The song features the group at some at their musical best: McCartney provides a constantly moving bass part, Starr lays a beat that complements the phrasing of the song splendidly, and Lennon and McCartney support the song with various background harmonies.
The first Ringo Starr headed song, "Boys", performed first by the group the Shirelles, gives a look into the humorous, articulate voice of Starr. Recorded while simultaneously playing drums, "Boys" was a one take production, giving an insight into the talent of the group. A lot of the songs were recorded quickly as they only had one day to produce the entire album. An interesting fact about the Beatles is that each song was a one time go; even if it did take multiple takes to get the result they wanted, the songs were each a full performance. The technology at the time wasn't the best and it was difficult to combine different takes to get the master they wanted.
The album's title track "Please Please Me" was the first single released in the U.S. The song quickly rose the charts, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album features a harmonica part performed by Lennon, and more of the harmonies the Beatles carried through their entire career. If you listen closely, you can hear McCartney and Harrison in the background of Lennon's lead vocal part. The call and response during "Come on (Come on)" provides a buildup into the chorus and continues to showcase the unique talents of the group.
The hit single that spurred EMI to work with the Beatles is the eighth track "Love Me Do". Featuring Andy White on drums, George Martin thought White would have better luck with studio drumming than Starr, so you can hear Ringo playing tambourine in the background. Eventually, Starr was the main drummer (except in a few cases where McCartney played drums for a song). The song features another famous riff of the harmonica from Lennon. The song uses verses mainly sung by Lennon, but during the chorus, McCartney was the only singer so that Lennon had time to switch to harmonica. These constant switches in vocalist and parts are part of the reason the Beatles are regarded as one of the most fundamentally talented bands. The chemistry between each member is easily able to be heard throughout, not only this album, but their entire career, even during the years they were feuding.
The final track "Twist And Shout" had to be recorded last due to the Lennon's cold. Recorded in one take, "Twist And Shout" gives the listener one of the most emotive performances from Lennon in his entire musical career. The cold allowed Lennon to bring a sense of his voice that isn't normally prevalent in Beatles' songs. The constant call-and-response between Harrison and McCartney, the short instrument break in the middle leading into the buildup of vocals and instruments, give the listener a track that is the ideal ending to the debut album from one of the most famous groups in music history.
If you enjoy anything from the Beatles, I highly recommend this entire album. While it does show its date in some parts, such as some slight microphone strain, it's still a nearly flawless album. The chemistry the group has with each other exudes throughout and each song is slightly different from the last, even if they weren't in their experimental phase yet. If you're interested in giving the Beatles career a full listen, I will always recommend this album first as it's amazing to listen to the growth of the band throughout the very short career they had together...
Favorite Songs: "Twist And Shout", "I Saw Her Standing There", "Love Me Do", "Do You Want To Know A Secret"
Least Favorite Song: "A Taste Of Honey" (Not a bad song, just my least favorite out of the rest)
Production Quality:
Mix = 7.5/10 (Some dated bits, such as the peaking in the microphone but still amazing given those situations)
Innovation = 10/10 (Started the movement to change music forever and included things people never heard before at the time)
Songwriting Quality:
Arrangement = 9/10 (Fairly simple songs, kept short as to not bore the listener)
Lyricism = 7.5/10 (Few covers and songs discussing similar themes from the next)
Instrumentation Quality:
Vocal Timbre = 9.5/10 (Another issue with the microphones)
Instrumental Timbre = 10/10
Group Chemistry = 10/10
Overall Likability:
My Personal Rating = 9.5/10
Overall Rating: 9/10
Any confusion on how the rating is weighted/calculated, please look at my "About" page.
Remember this is all my opinion! Let me know if you agree, disagree or have any comments!