Customer Reviews

1967-1970 (The Blue Album)

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The "Red" and "Blue" Beatles CDs are testament to the genius of the band's music and are an excellent overview and a great place to start for those uninitiated (if there are such people) with the greatest band in history.

1962-1966 ("Red") covers the Beatles' Merseybeat era, a time when the Beatles were considered a singles "teenybopper" band. Among the best cuts on the first CD are "Please Please Me", "She Loves You", "Eight Days a Week", and "Ticket to Ride".

Their progression from teenyboppers to "serious band" begins to show in the songs from 1965's Rubber Soul, including "Norwegian Wood", featuring George Harrison on the sitar, and John Lennon's introspective "In My Life", which hints at the band's glorious and more complex studio work that was to follow.

The Red CD collection ends with two songs from 1966's Revolver, a record that placed the band on even higher creative ground: Paul McCartney's masterpiece "Eleanor Rigby" is the first time a string quartet accompanied a rock and roll record, and "Yellow Submarine" was one in a line of catchy, childlike songs written for resident jester and drummer extrodinaire Ringo Starr.

The first disc of 1967-1970 ("Blue") has the far more unenviable task of selecting four representative tracks from 1967's Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, still considered to be the most ground-breaking and influential album in the history of rock. "A Day in the Life" is the standout -- Sgt. Pepper's closer and emotional peak.

The CD closes with the two songs that best demonstrate the eventual clash in Lennon and McCartney's songwriting styles: McCartney's "Hey Jude" and Lennon's "Revolution" were sides A and B respectively of the Beatles' greatest-selling (and perhaps just "greatest") single. Where Lennon's song is a snarling, self-righteous rocker, McCartney's is a sing-song orchestral ballad. The one you like best probably depends on whether you're a "John" or "Paul" person -- truth is they're both great.

The final CD spans from 1968's The Beatles ("The White Album") to the end of the band's career. McCartney's best moments "Let it Be", "Get Back", and "The Long and Winding Road" (Despite that over-the-top Phil Spector production) are here, as are Lennon's "Don't Let Me Down" and "Come Together". The closer is "Long and Winding Road", though it's perhaps a weaker conclusion than "Two of Us" might have been.

The Red and Blue collections are awesome reminders of the Beatles' past accomplishments and their continued vitality even today.

No matter how much music I've listened to over the years, I always come back to the "blue" album, in my opinion the best greatest hits package of all time. From Sgt. Pepper, to Magical Mystery Tour, to the White Album, Abbey Road and Let It Be, it captures the best of the Beatles' later more creative period. This was my introduction to A Day In the Life, I Am The Walrus, Don't Let Me Down, and other songs which I didn't know at the time. Many years later I have bought all the records, heard all the songs a million times, but there's something about playing this at the right time that makes this the one I would take to a desert island with me. (if I could choose only one)

Any collection which has Hey Jude, Let It Be, Get Back, Strawberry Fields Forever and While My Guitar Gently Weeps on the same album is pretty damn great no matter how you look at it, and there's much more of course. Over the years there have been other much hyped collections, but the red and blue albums are absolutely definitive.

Like many before me,this "blue" Beatles best-of served as my first,in-depth sampling of The Beatles' output from their post-'Revolver' era from early-1967 onward... You couldn't find a better 100+ minutes of music to listen to straight through than the superb 28 tracks that make up 'The Beatles 1967-1970'. I bought this initially back in the winter of 1988 (I was 18 at the time) on cassette,and it changed my life. True; the 2-cd version often retails at $34.00,which is a bit much,but the material contained is beyond priceless.. About the songs. The songs!! There's not a lame one among the batch of 28. What's even cooler is that -even as the songs unfurl chronologically- they pack a flow to rival any of anyone's favorite best-of albums... The flow of all 28 is remarkable... A fantastic mix of all their late '60's #1 hits as well as choice album cuts ("A Day In The Life","I Am The Walrus")... Seriously folks; anyone who is feeling the itch to discover The Beatles' later output should get this "blue" best-of first,then graduate onto the studio albums themselves.. That's what happened to me and I wound up (so far) buying all of the albums from 'Rubber Soul' (1965) onwards... This blue '1967-1970' never disappoints. Because the liner notes/inlay booklet doesn't tell you which album each track is culled from,I'll happily fill you in:

Disc One:

1.)Strawberry Fields Forever(John in vocals)
2.)Penny Lane(Paul on vocals)
(Both originally released as a stand-alone single in early 1967 and both served as the first tracks recorded for what would be 1967's "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". However,the two songs weren't released on any Beatles' album until late-1967's 'Sgt. Pepper' follow-up 'Magical Mystery Tour'.)

3.)Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band(Paul on vocals)
4.)With A Little Help From My Friends (Ringo on vocals)
5.)Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds(John on vocals)
6.)A Day In The Life(John and Paul on vocals)

3-6 from the legendary 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'; 1967.

7.)All You Need Is Love (John on vocals)
8.)I Am The Walrus(John on vocals)
9.)Hello,Goodbye(Paul on vocals)
10.)The Fool On The Hill (Paul on vocals)
11.)Magical Mystery Tour(John on vocals)

7-11 from 'Magical Mystery Tour'; 1967

12.)Lady Madonna(Paul on vocals)
13.)Hey Jude(Paul on vocals)
14.)Revolution(John on vocals)

12-14 all stand-alone singles released in 1968. All were/are
huge hits. Sweet!

Disc Two:

1.)Back In The U.S.S.R.(Paul on vocals)
2.)While My Guitar Gently Weeps(George on vocals)
3.)Ob-La-Di,Ob-La-Da(Paul on vocals)

1-3 taken from 1968's double-album 'The Beatles' (aka "The White Album").

4.)Get Back(Paul on vocals) (Originally recorded 1969 as a single and not released on album until 1970's 'Let It Be'. Twistedly,'Let It Be' was recorded prior to 1969's final Beatles' studio album 'Abbey Road',but not released until later...)

5.)Don't Let Me Down(non-album b-side to the "Get Back" single; John on vocals)
6.)The Ballad Of John And Yoko (non-LP stand-alone single; John on vocals. One of the very few Beatles tracks recorded with only John and Paul playing all the instruments..)
7.)Old Brown Shoe(b-side to "The Ballad Of John And Yoko"; George on vocals)

All of the hits plus some choice b-sides as well.. Yeah!!

8.)Here Comes The Sun(George on vocals)
9.)Come Together(John on vocals)
10.)Something(George on vocals)
11.)Octopus's Garden (Ringo on vocals)

(All culled from 1969's *true* final Beatle masterpiece,'Abbey Road')

12.)Let It Be (Paul on vocals)
13.)Across The Universe(John on vocals)
14.)The Long And Winding Road (Paul on vocals)

12-14 from 1970's (actually recorded early 1969) 'Let It Be'.


So there you go... 28 of THE very best music ever to grace the world... (Seriously.) Please do yourself a favor and check out *any* Beatles' music. But a choice place to start certainly is here. Have Fun/Enjoy/Peace!

Thanks for your time.

Tim Goyer
Albany,NY
USA
6/28/06

A more thorough overview of their significant hits from the respective period than the companion Red album, all twenty-eight of the songs included on "1967-1970" (The Blue Album) are rock classics.

We're treated to a generous seven of the eleven tracks from "Magical Mystery Tour," and "Sgt. Pepper's" is accurately represented as well. Another bonus is the faster, more popular version of "Revolution," different than what was included on "The White Album."

From trippy pop ("Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" and "I Am the Walrus") to classic rock ("Get Back," "Come Together,") to their all-time epic masterpiece ("A Day in the Life"), this compilation of the Beatles is virtually without error. For baby boomers, a trip down memory lane. For musicians, a textbook on composition and production. For lovers of pop and rock music, an unbeatable treasure.

Nicknamed the Blue Album, this continues where the 1962-66 Red Album leaves off. Compiling a proper overview of the later Beatles poses an even more exacting challenge than an overview of the early Beatles. The later Beatle albums were carefully sequenced and segued and need to be heard from start to finish; they are not easily cannibalized for greatest hits treatment. But in the end the Blue Album accomplishes its mission.

Disc 1 captures the Beatles at their creative peak. "Strawberry Fields Forever," "Penny Lane," "A Day in the Life," and "Hey Jude" are the crown jewels in the Beatle legacy. "Hello Goodbye," "I Am the Walrus," "Magical Mystery Tour," "Lady Madonna," "Revolution" and the rest are not exactly duds either. Hearing them is always like listening to them for the first time, which is the test of a great song.

Disc 2 has occasioned the most criticism -- some legitimate, some petty. Yes, it would have been nice to have had more than three WHITE ALBUM tracks ("Birthday" and "Julia" would have been logical additions when this was released on CD). Yes, we can debate if "Old Brown Shoe," a pretty obscure George Harrison B side, really belongs here. But come on: It's ridiculous to lambaste a CD that includes "Get Back," "Here Comes the Sun," "Come Together," "Something" (hailed by Frank Sinatra as the greatest love song that he ever heard) and "Let It Be."

The version of "Let It Be" included here is the single version that was produced by George Martin, not the album version that was smothered beneath Phil Spector's bombastic overdubs. In fairness to Spector, he did a decent job salvaging "Across the Universe." The violins and female choruses mesh well with the mood of John Lennon's lyrics, which are some of the best that he ever wrote. Paul McCartney publicly rebuked Spector's use of female choruses on "The Long and Winding Road" -- an ironic complaint coming from someone who would spend the next fifteen years inflicting his wife on our ears. (Sorry for the cheap shot; McCartney is correct to say that the ANTHOLOGY 3 version, lacking Spector's overdubs, is superior.)

The Blue Album, like its Red companion, has complete lyrics as well as rare photos not included in the 1973 vinyl release. The remastered sound is good, although "All You Need Is Love" still sounds rather thin. But in stark contrast to the Red Album, this has just enough music to justify packaging it as a two disc set.

SGT. PEPPER, THE WHITE ALBUM and ABBEY ROAD are essential listening and will become more so when they are finally remastered. The Blue Album cannot give you a full sense of them. What the Red and Blue albums do best is demonstrate why the popularity of the Beatles continues to flow so wide and deep. Extremely versatile and eclectic, it's amazing that the same band that made "I Want to Hold Your Hand" also made "Revolution," that the same band that made "Drive My Car" also made "The Long and Winding Road." Say what you will about the Beatles, but you could never accuse them of standing pat.

Unlike the more abbreviated "red" set (1962-1966), the blue set carries you through Sgt. Pepper's, Magical Mystery Tour, The White Album, Abbey Road and Let It Be, with their #1 hits filling out the rest.

At over fifty minutes for each CD, you are getting value for your money, even if the price is a bit daunting. Disc 1 can be considered a Greater Pepper, as it has the two original tracks from those sessions that were released early, Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields, arguably the best one two punch single the group released.

Following those gems are some highlights from Pepper, including Day In The Life, perhaps the grandest statement ever mastered to tape. As John Lennon put it, he wanted the end of the song to sound like the end of the world - it does.

What the blue set does that Beatles "1" does not is present a more balanced perspective of the group. Including tracks from Pepper and The Beatles (White Album), you sense that some of their best songs were not released as singles, but were integral parts of landmark albums. For this reason the compilation may ring a bit hollow. However, it does not detract from the first class assembly of vision and production inherent in each and every track.

For the more studious Beatlphile, this CD set may be too abbreviated. However, for the average fan, or just about anyone who wants to listen to over one hundred minutes of the best pop music ever recorded, this is a must buy.

"1967-1970" (or the "Blue" album) compiles singles, Number One hits, and key album cuts from the "Sgt. Pepper," "The Beatles," "Abbey Road," and "Let it Be" albums. Unlike "1," which excludes important tracks that didn't top the chart, the Blue album is a more comprehensive survey of the group's later work. There's the deliciously trippy "Strawberry Fields Forever," the impossibly catchy "Revolution," George Harrison's masterpiece "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," and a personal favorite of mine, the bluesy b-side "Don't Let Me Down." Another gem is John Lennon's strikingly beautiful "Across the Universe" pulled from the "Let it Be" album. Haunting and surreal, it's a nice segueway into the closing track, the Number One hit "The Long and Winding Road." Arguably one of the most vital greatest hits albums on the market, "1967-1970" is required listening.

I've always been a fan to the later Beatles. The Beatles are a great band, but my favorite song of all their songs is Hey Jude.
It is a Beatles epic, and it is one of the best epic songs of all time. The NA-Na repeat makes the song really great with cool screams in it too. Also, I like the other songs like Back in the USSR, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Get Back, Ballad of John and Yoko, & Come Together. Let It Be isn't bad at all. But why didn't they include Birthday? It would have been complete if that song was included. Anyway great product.

I'd strongly suggest picking up all of their (major) albums instead, from "Rubber Soul" through "Let It Be". This is only a taste of what The Beatles have to offer, and it's impossible to cram it all onto a few measely compact discs. Every one of their albums is a greatest hits compilation onto itself. I also hate to see some of their songs ripped out of their context. If you remove any song from its context on an album from "Sgt. Pepper" on, you're committing a crime.

In any case, a perfect introduction for those new to the Fab Four (how many of you still exist?).

The Beatles' "Blue Album" celebrates their talent by boasting nothing but just some of their infamous hits from the years 1967-1970. These songs come from several of the greatest rock albums of all time including Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles ("The White Album"), Abbey Road and Let It Be. The Beatles' "Blue Album" both proves their genius and demonstrates their singular talent that no other band can replicate.

The two CD set allows us to realize that The Beatles wrote many different types of songs with different styles. This is also essential music that offers something for just about anyone who listens to the two CD set. The first CD starts off strong with the popular and psychedelic "Strawberry Fields Forever," other psychedelic and experimental songs include "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" and "I Am The Walrus." There are beautiful ballads celebrating love including "All You Need Is Love" and "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da." The Beatles also address the angst of a love that is no longer in the songs "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "The Long And Winding Road." Finally, the band sings songs that are just plain fun including "Octopus's Garden" and "Back In The U.S.S.R."

Another reviewer makes an excellent point: If you want to understand the sharp differences in style between John Lennon and Paul McCartney at this time in their careers there is no better comparison than between "Hey Jude," which is an classic ballad indeed, and "Revolution," which is rather conceited, smug and bitter all at once.

The Beatles' use of the unconscious when writing trippy songs like "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "A Day In The Life" enabled them to reach out to their fans and ultimately the world. The lyrics make sense even when they make no sense; this only adds to the beauty of the more psychedelic, trippy songs. Moreover, the songs on this two CD set work so well because they address universal themes of wanting to be loved, celebrating love and mourning a lost love.

The liner notes boast the lyrics to each song and great color photos of the band. The liner notes include the song credits, too.

Indeed, The Beatles were so prolific in their writing and performing that this two CD set barely skims the surface of what they truly accomplished between the years 1967 and 1970. If you like this CD set I highly recommend you buy individual Beatles' albums to discover more about the band's creativity and boldness.

Overall, this two CD set is more than just an introductory retrospective of The Beatles' music during the turbulent late 1960s. The "Blue Album" celebrates The Beatles' ability to communicate their political beliefs and amorous feelings for other people through their songs. These songs remind us to understand and appreciate the blessings of love, the evils of war and the importance of world peace--now.

I highly recommend this CD for Beatles fans, fans of great 1970s rock music and anyone who wants to experience how The Beatles taught us what was right through their music. This two CD set is a must have for any Beatles' collector as well as for anyone who wants to study the history of rock and roll.