2 songs from Revolver + 6 songs from Rubber Soul = why people think "Girl" shouldn't be there. It is a great song, but Revolver is arguably their best album, and should be represented by more than just Yellow Submarine and Eleanor Rigby.
Hello Goodbye was a #1 hit. Sorry, but with that song I disagree. And Flying and Your Mother Should Know included? No.
Problem with the Red Album is too many albums and singles in that time frame to be included. Drop Girl, make it 28 tracks like the Blue Album and it leaves only three tracks to include. Add Taxman, I Saw Her Standing There...now what is the third? And unlike the Blue Album, the Red Album has no U.K. b-sides. Just the U.K. double a sides. No Rain, This Boy, She’s A Woman, etc.
Beatles 1 excludes too many songs that everybody knows for it to be the only Beatles album one should own. The Red and Blue albums do a great job of filling in these missing songs (Here Comes the Sun, Revolution, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, In My Life, etc, etc), but even then, there are a lot of very well-known Beatles songs that don't appear on either (Blackbird, Twist and Shout, Got to Get You into My Life, to name a few). Past Masters should never be treated as a go-to greatest hits album for the Beatles. Too many essential singles that were culled from albums that are excluded (any of he singles from A Hard Day's Night, Help!, Revolver, Abbey Road), plus, it jumps from Rain to two years later with Lady Madonna, because EMI decided that the singles-only/EP hybrid Magical Mystery Tour was apparently now one of the Beatles' studio albums. Past Masters is a great way of assembling the missing pieces, but it certainly feels like a hodgepodge.
Got to Get You Into My Life would probably be the best choice of a 3rd song were to be included from Revolver. It was a Top 10 hit for the group when it was re-released as a single in the mid-70s, was a big hit for Earth, Wind & Fire, and probably the 3rd-most recognizable song from the album.
Well, it's certainly a testament to the fabs that ya can't fit a comprehensive greatest hits package onto 8 sides of vinyl.
Did this for fun a while back: Have Beatles 1 be the "red album" and call its compliment "2" with a blue cover the "blue album". To carry that theme, all tracks charted at #2 somewhere in the world or the #2 side of the singles appearing on Beatles 1 (and include US/UK b-sides) that charted below 100: P.S. I Love You Please Please Me I Saw Her Standing There Twist and Shout Do You Want to Know a Secret? Thank You Girl All My Loving This Boy Roll Over Beethoven You Can't Do That I Should Have Known Better She's a Woman I Don't Want to Spoil the Party Rock And Roll Music Yes It Is Act Naturally Nowhere Man Rain Got To Get You Into My Life Strawberry Fields Forever Baby You're a Rich Man I Am the Walrus The Inner Light Revolution Don't Let Me Down For You Blue Free As A Bird Yes it’s wide open but fills in the gaps!
These albums were my introduction to the Beatles in 1988, I was 14 years old. Still remember how amazed I was by the neverending stream of wonderful music. I was familiar with many songs but ie A Day In The Life, Get Back and Something were new to me. Haha! Great times. I also remember thinking Twist & Shout, I Saw Her Standing There and When I’m 64 were lacking...
I remember thinking that back in the day. You basically put out a 54 song best of package and you leave off a lot of worthy stuff. There are only a few bands that could have that problem.
The Red and Blue albums were my introduction to Beatlemania. And the Blue Album I got was even an abridged version (1 LP).^^ So yeah, I'm (still) totally fine with both compilations.
Like a lot of others these compilations were my introduction the beatles. I think the blue is a pretty good compilation, but I think the red definitely needs an overhaul . like others have said when we made the change to cd all the previous tracks can fit on one disk. So they really should have put in a whole other disc with great album tracks and covers they dismissed the first time.
I've always thought a three-album set would be a great idea! Red, Blue and Purple. There is certainly enough material in The Beatles catalog to fill six compilation album discs and still leave enough interesting stuff on the canon albums to entice people to buy those as well. I wonder if there would be any restrictions on using the sides from the Tony Sheridan single in the 1962-65 album, and they could also include the better-sounding ones from the BBC (i.e. Memphis Tennessee) that they never recorded in the studio for album release, and possibly even some live historically important tracks such as a song or two from The Ed Sullivan Show. I am still pretty happy with the Red and Blue as they are and have been but a three-double-album set could offer a huge chunk of music for casual listeners to get acquainted with The Beatles, and also something new for collectors to get...
I recently came across minty German copies of the Red and Blue; late 70's pressings. My Sweet Lord do they sound great! I never played my US copies, but these Germans are just bangers and they're great for first thing in the morning when the coffee and nicotine are still kicking in. They are a really fun listen.
It needs I Saw Her Standing There, No Reply and Rain at least. I've never understood why the Red album has no B-side tracks and the Blue does.
Here is the original track listing. Disc one, side one No. Title Length 1. "Love Me Do" (from Please Please Me, 1963) 2:22 2. "Please Please Me" (from Please Please Me, 1963) 2:01 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) 2:09 7. "Can't Buy Me Love" (from A Hard Day's Night, 1964) 2:13 Total length: 15:30 Disc one, side two No. Title Length 1. "A Hard Day's Night" (from A Hard Day's Night, 1964) 2:34 2. "And I Love Her" (from A Hard Day's Night, 1964) 2:31 3. "Eight Days a Week" (from Beatles for Sale, 1964) 2:44 4. "I Feel Fine" (non-album single, 1964) 2:20 5. "Ticket to Ride" (from Help!, 1965) 3:11 6. "Yesterday" (from Help!, 1965) 2:05 Total length: 15:25 Disc two, side one No. Title Length 1. "Help!" (from Help!, 1965) 2:20 2. "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" (from Help!, 1965) 2:11 3. "We Can Work It Out" (non-album single, 1965) 2:16 4. "Day Tripper" (non-album single, 1965) 2:49 5. "Drive My Car" (from Rubber Soul, 1965) 2:28 6. "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" (from Rubber Soul, 1965) 2:05 Total length: 14:09 Disc two, side two No. Title Length 1. "Nowhere Man" (from Rubber Soul, 1965) 2:44 2. "Michelle" (from Rubber Soul, 1965) 2:42 3. "In My Life" (from Rubber Soul, 1965) 2:27 4. "Girl" (from Rubber Soul, 1965) 2:31 5. "Paperback Writer" (non-album single, 1966) 2:19 6. "Eleanor Rigby" (from Revolver, 1966) 2:08 7. "Yellow Submarine" (from Revolver, 1966) 2:39 Total length: 17:30
Just like the US version of Revolver, the Red Album completely dismisses and undervalues John Lennon's excellent Revolver songs. It's bizarre. Tomorrow Never Knows belongs on the Red Album.
I would add Tax Man, Good Day Sunshine, Got To Get You Into My Life, and end the album with Tomorrow Never Knows.
I did that for fun. Went with expanding the lp sides to approximate the length of the Blue Album. 9 songs per side. With The Beatles and Beatles For Sale had one track each. Felt they needed more representation! Also Revolver. Added b-sides and one cover! Twist And Shout became a Beatles song! Hopefully this works! 1). Love Me Do 2). Please Please Me 3). Twist And Shout 4). I Saw Her Standing There 5). Do You Want To Know A Secret (George vocal) 6). From Me To You 7). She Loves You 8). All My Loving 9). It Won’t Be Long 1). I Want To Hold Your Hand 2). This Boy 3). Can’t Buy Me Love 4). A Hard Day’s Night 5). If I Fell 6). And I Love Her 7). I Feel Fine 8). She’s A Woman 9). No Reply 1). Eight Days A Week 2). Ticket To Ride 3). Help! 4). You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away 5). Yesterday 6). We Can Work It Out 7). Day Tripper 8). Drive My Car 9). Norwegian Wood 1). Nowhere Man 2). Michelle 3). In My Life 4). Paperback Writer 5). Rain 6). Taxman (George composition & vocal) 7). Eleanor Rigby 8). Yellow Submarine 9). Tomorrow Never Knows
Tomorrow Never Knows is too much of a deep cut to deserve a place. These are songs I truly think should be there.. I Saw Her Standing There Twist And Shout (Yeah I know, its a cover but they made this the definitive version) It Won't Be Long No Reply I Should Have Known Better If I Fell Taxman Got To Get You Into My Life For No One Blackbird Oh! Darling Here, There and Everywhere is personal favourite but I´m may be stretching it a bit there.
They were fine for the LP era, but there is no reason for their continued existence in the CD/digital era. There was certainly no excuse for issuing them on two CDs per set. I'll admit, I'm still very fond of the packaging and the photos, though.
