Beatles Red vs Blue (poll)

Disc 1
Side 1
No. Title Length
1. "Strawberry Fields Forever" (+) 4:10
2. "Penny Lane" (+) 3:03
3. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967) 2:02
4. "With a Little Help from My Friends" (from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) 2:44
5. "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" (from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) 3:28
6. "A Day in the Life" (from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) 5:06
7. "All You Need Is Love" (+) 3:48
Side 2
No. Title Length
1. "I Am the Walrus" (from Magical Mystery Tour, 1967) 4:37
2. "Hello, Goodbye" (+) 3:31
3. "The Fool on the Hill" (from Magical Mystery Tour) 3:00
4. "Magical Mystery Tour" (from Magical Mystery Tour) 2:51
5. "Lady Madonna" (Non-album single, 1968) 2:17
6. "Hey Jude" (Non-album single, 1968) 7:08
7. "Revolution" (Non-album B-side, 1968) 3:21
Disc 2
Side 1
No. Title Length
1. "Back in the U.S.S.R." (from The Beatles, 1968) 2:45
2. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (George Harrison; from The Beatles) 4:45
3. "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" (from The Beatles) 3:05
4. "Get Back" (^) 3:14
5. "Don't Let Me Down" (Non-album B-side, 1969) 3:33
6. "The Ballad of John and Yoko" (Non-album single, 1969) 2:59
7. "Old Brown Shoe" (Harrison; Non-album B-side) 3:18
Side 2
No. Title Length
1. "Here Comes the Sun" (Harrison; from Abbey Road, 1969) 3:05
2. "Come Together" (from Abbey Road) 4:20
3. "Something" (Harrison; from Abbey Road) 3:03
4. "Octopus's Garden" (Richard Starkey; from Abbey Road) 2:51
5. "Let It Be" (from Let It Be, 1970) 3:52
6. "Across the Universe" (from Let It Be) 3:48
7. "The Long and Winding Road" (from Let It Be) 3:38

 

Red was the first new Beatles album I ever bought in a store. I have had it for 40 years.

 

OK. Changed my vote to Red.

As a compilation, the "Red Album" becomes a little monotonous, but I love the energy of the "Red" period records (62/66) and I think their best records (Rubber Soul and Revolver, possibly even "A Hard Day's Night) are of this era.

Obviously, the "Blue" period is full of great stuff too.

 

I prefer the blue period but I think Red is a much stronger compilation of songs. I like all the songs on Red whereas I reckon Blue has three massive duds in Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da, The Ballad Of John and Yoko and The Long And Winding Road.

 

The early stuff is wonderful, but I vote BLUE

 

My Mom likes their hair better on the Red album.

For me, I have the (unopened) mono box set and the stereo box set so I'm pretty well covered.

If you hold a "warm gun" to my head, then I will pick the Red album. There is so much infectious, upBeat(les) energy in many of their early hits. Such as:
2. "Please Please Me" (from Please Please Me, 1963) 2:03
3. "From Me to You" (Non-album single, 1963) 1:57
4. "She Loves You" (Non-album single, 1963) 2:22
5. "I Want to Hold Your Hand" (Non-album single, 1963) 2:26
6. "All My Loving" (from With the Beatles, 1963) 2:08
7. "Can't Buy Me Love" (from A Hard Day's Night, 1964) 2:13
Side 2
No.TitleLength
1. "A Hard Day's Night" (from A Hard Day's Night, 1964) 2:34
3. "Eight Days a Week" (from Beatles for Sale, 1964) 2:45
4. "I Feel Fine" (Non-album single, 1964) 2:19

 

From memory, Love Me Do was released as a single in 1962.

 

Yes, but the original Red album used the fake stereo version of "Love Me Do" with Andy White on drums, same as the 1963 stereo Please Please Me LP. Since the 1993 CD, this was replaced with the mono mix of the Andy White version, same as the 1963 mono PPM LP, and also used for the UK single, but not until about 1976, I believe.

The 1962 UK single version with Ringo on drums has never been on the Red album.

 

I just couldn’t pick.

I fell in love with the Beatles txs to the RED album, but 1967 is my favourite year for Beatles songs, and the 1968 white album is my Fav Fab LP!

 

I love both Red (King Crimson) and Blue (Joni Mitchell). Can't pick.

 

The Red Album was the first LP I ever owned, purchased for me by my mom upon its release in 1973. Over four decades later, the music The Beatles recorded in 1964 and 1965 is still my favorite music of all time. They can bury me with my copies of A Hard Days Night, Beatles For Sale, Help, Rubber Soul, A Collection of Oldies, and Rarities.

 

I rank them like this:

2nd half of Red
1st half of Blue
1st half of Red
2nd half of Blue

in that order.

I voted Red because it has Ticket To Ride, We Can Work It Out, I Feel Fine, Paperback Writer, Norwegian Wood. and Nowhere Man.

 

I love them both but Sgt Pepper, White Album, Abbey Road? I have to choose the later period.

 

I was going to say that the photo is of the 1990s blue vinyl release, you can tell because of the picture insert. If the B-side was shown, it would have that awful sliced image that appears on Disc 2 of the first CD release.

Anyway, I voted Red because that was the first Beatles album I ever bought when I was a kid.

 

Red by a mile!

 

In my little world, too much Rubber Soul is like saying "too much sunshine and blue skies."

 

I'll take Red. Although both are still grossly limited if you know anything about The Beatles. It pains me to think of the millions who have owned only these 2 sets and then felt complete.

 

I voted red, I prefer their earlier stuff. When the albums came out (1973?) I bought the red & blue together but on cassette, as I'd just got my first little cassette player.Still have them & they still play great today.

 

Me too. 1962-1970 all the way.

 

Blue... but they are both the most brilliant double album comps ever...

 

My introduction to the band was through these two sets in the early eighties, as my rural elementary school library in Washington State had both on colored vinyl with the Apple logos. I checked them out indefinitely, but I did return them before moving on to middle school.

Before I handed them back, I sincerely felt they were mine and not the school's anymore because I had developed such a deep connection with them.

Oh! And I voted Blue, but like others have stated, the periods are not so easily divided for me.

 

I'm not a first generation fan, as the Red and Blue albums were my first Beatles purchases in the mid 70s, and the gateway to the rest of the catalog. At some point, I do remember looking at the copyright dates on the sleeve and being surprised to see songs from 1962 and 1963, thinking they had started in 1964.

 

Not really. They were initially plentiful in the UK in 1978/79 when they were first issued on coloured vinyl on the classic Apple label, analogue mastering. What you see in the photo above are the 1993 UK digital remasters on red and blue vinyl, with a less than classic Apple label. The latter don't sound nearly as good. They were apparently a limited edition as per the blurb, but there was no shortage of them.

Then there was also the German DMM pressings in the mid-80s "Rot" and "Blau".

I have all three sets.

 

I wonder how history would have treated them if they'd called it a day after the 'red period?' It makes for a stellar career even without all that followed.

 

Let's not forget the small differences in the Red album between the UK vs US, such as different stereo mixes or mono, or the most important difference, that the UK version of Help! does not have that James Bond like intro. (I luv that intro.....)

I believe there were a few different mixes on the Blue album too, but don't quote....