Beatles Live at Hollywood Bowl essential?

That probably makes you a bit more than a "casual Beatles fan." I could be wrong, but the fact that you are asking this question means you are probably on your way to becoming one of us -- people who cannot satisfy their hunger for more Beatles product.

But in all honesty, I am a lifelong Beatles fan who saw their Sullivan show arrival in the US when it happened, and although I would love to have some really good recorded live performances to listen to, sadly, the original Hollywood Bowl release was interesting and fun to hear, but not the kind of thing I played more than a few times. I will buy this newly updated copy. But I will probably again only play it a few times.

 

Beatles Live at Hollywood Bowl essential?

Absolutely positively YES. I find the enthusiasm of the lads from Liverpool with their spectacular musicianship and buoyant style irresistible and refreshing. This band is one lean mean tight spontaneous rock & roll machine. How could anyone not enjoy this music?!

 

I'm going all Maccafan on this one. I've become very excited and energized by repeated, almost-hypnotic listening to the new release. I think you could actually make a pretty darn convincing argument, that Hollywood Bowl and Pepper are THE TWO "essential" Beatles albums, the ONLY two. Because as phenomenally great as the Beatles were, everything else they did is just sort of repeating elements of the same stuff that those two albums, already deliver perfectly. The Hollywood Bowl set list captures the essence of live Beatles at Shea or Star Club, Beatles in Indianapolis or Candlestick Park or Ed Sullivan Show or Beatles in ____ (insert your town here), without any visuals but with impeccable sound. Pepper presents an encapsulated aural tour of the studio Beatles, a vein that they mined all the way from '65 to the last note of the Abbey Road medley. If you boil it down to true "desert island disc" territory, it could easily be those two, Pepper and Hollywood Bowl.

 

Desert island disc hits the nail on the head. Because it sounds like it was recorded live on some nature reserve bird island, in front of thousands of angry seagulls.

 

Coniferouspine, Amen my brother!

I can't believe that anyone after listening to this absolutely blistering album, doesn't realize how important and essential this release is?!

L.P., that nature bird island and those thousands of angry seagulls, are absolutely thrilled, excited, and rockin!

 

Two observations: (1) If you want to hear what The Beatles actually sounded like outside of a controlled studio environment at the peak of Beatlemania, then this is essential; (2) If you want 'She Loves You' in genuine stereo, then this is essential.

In conclusion, I'd say it is indeed essential; it's not as if it's a compilation of material you already have, like Love Songs or, even worse, Reel Music.

 

I must say, a Beatlemania crowd of screaming fans sure makes a distinctive sound, unlike any other screaming audience. You hear one isolated second of that bunch and you know exactly who they are and what they're screaming about. The nearest to equal I ever heard was several years ago at the San Diego Comic-Con, the entire cast of the Twilight movie series arrived at a theater where their fans were lined up around the block and waiting. They let off a wail with a quality that sounded surprisingly familiar to these ears.

 

I am more interested in their music than the mania surrounding it. I'm generally less drawn towards their early stuff, but I could see how this release would appeal to fans who wanted to hear their younger, raw sound.

 

That's no excuse for screaming through a whole concert. I know, it's a symptom of acute Beatlemania, and maybe I shouldn't blame them, but imagine Nina Simone had such an audience. She would have said: shut up and sit down girls!

 

I enjoy the Hollywood Bowl release. It's a good snapshot of the early Beatles.Nice sound at a nice price.

 

I was expecting to sound better. It's been years since I listened to the 77 version of HB.
It doesn't sound much different than what I remember.

 

The band sounds great but the screaming is annoying as heck. Wish there were more quality live recordings of the Beatles. I think their early stuff actually sounds better live than in studio.

 

The screaming isn't annoying at all!

The toned down screaming just adds to the absolute exciting rockin atmosphere of this monstrous album!

The unmatched excitement of Beatlemania WOW!

 

I agree. Since the Beatles stuck close to the records, I would find it pointless to listen to live versions but the screaming and the bands energy are always infectious.

 

The Beatles may stick close to the records, but the BIG, HUGE, MAJOR DIFFERENCE is the way the Beatles absolutely attack these songs live!

This Hollywood Bowl release shows how the songs are transformed live, they just have a powerful hard rockin edge the records don't have!

 

Agreed. It shows that the Beatles were the heaviest and most rockin' band around at the time. Period.

 

houseofglass83, that's what Lennon said, when it came to straight rock, no one could touch the Beatles!

 

L.P. a hard rockin band is the absolute perfect excuse for screaming thru a whole concert, I've done it myself!

Nina Simone is the kind of artist and puts on the kind of show that you should sit down and listen, but the Beatles, a hard rockin band, that's asking a lot of totally excited, absolutely thrilled teenagers.

It's just totally unrealistic!

 

I know, I was not 100% serious about that remark.

I just think there are a lot of great live recordings where the audience noise adds to the excitement, but this is not one of them.

But the band is great, the screaming is a historical document of beatlemania, so I would say, an essential album for fans, semi-essential for casual listeners.

 

Wish they could try to do something with "Star Club in Hamburg 1962". I don't know if it is possible to make it sound better.

 

The original tapes I heard in 1973 sounded great, the 1977 album (and every later CD release) sound terrible. Don't know why they messed with it so much.

 

I'd love to have a best possible version of it. It's quite an interesting concert with rockers and standards. I played it quite a lot when I was a kid because I didn't expect anything and just enjoyed it for what it is. Why not get Giles Martin or Steve Hoffman or someone to work on it. It looks like a challenge to me at least. And it's a musical history document, The Beatles....

 

They can't really do anything with it, Apple went to court to stop it being re-released in the 1990s, George even swearing on oath at the High Court in London. If they went ahead and released it now, it would render the judgement in Apples favour null and void and they'd be liable to be fined and pay compensation. Not worth it. George clearly didn't like it and wanted it buried.

 

Ah, too bad. Especially with the possibilties now compared to when it came out in the 70s. Not that I would expect wonders but... well I'm not sure what to expect but I would love to hear it. It appeals to my imagination. It's the "Smile" of live albums.

 

Essential. I hate live albums without excitement and atmosphere, and the screaming here does it perfectly in a natural way. It's a compliment to the music imo.