"The classic original Beatles studio albums have been re-mastered by a dedicated team of engineers at Abbey Road Studios in London over a four year period utilising state of the art recording technology alongside vintage studio equipment, carefully maintaining the authenticity and integrity of the original analogue recordings. The result of this painstaking process is the highest fidelity the Beatles catalogue has seen since its original release.

Within each CD's new packaging, booklets include detailed historical notes along with informative recording notes. For a limited period, each CD will also be embedded with a brief documentary film about the album. The newly produced mini-documentaries on the making of each album, directed by Bob Smeaton, are included as QuickTime files on each album. The documentaries contain archival footage, rare photographs and never-before-heard studio chat from The Beatles, offering a unique and very personal insight into the studio atmosphere."

Beatles Photos

The Beatles Merchandise

The Beatles Rock Band

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The Beatles Mono Box Set [LIMITED EDITION]

The Beatles Stereo Box Set

The Beatles [USB] [LIMITED EDITION]

BEATLES THE PLEASE PLEASE ME

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"Misery" has the rhythm guitar that became part of the Beatles' signature style. At least in the early days. I wonder if Helen Shapiro set fire to her coiffure after turning this great number down--it was originally offered to her.

"Anna (Go To Him)" is an archetypal 60's type ballad originally done by R&B singer Arthur Alexander. Beatles renditions of other Alexander songs appear on the Live At The BBC album.

Their rendition of the Cookies' "Chains" shows they do justice to the works one of America's best songwriters, Carole King and Louise Goffin.

"Boys" is classic rollicking rock and roll and sung by Ringo, and one of two Shirelles numbers done here--the other is the slow and languid "Baby It's You," the song beginning with "Sha la la la la la la."

The centerpiece of this album is the title track, which became the Beatles' first #1 hit on the British charts--it only reached #3 in the U.S. Anyone who wonders why the Beatles made it big need only hear this song. Love that harmonica inbetween the verses!

The "Love Me Do" version here is not the originally recorded single version which reached #17 on the British charts and #1 on the Billboard Singles Chart. Rather, this has Andy White on drums while Ringo is relegated to tapping a tambourine. For the version that hit the single charts, get Past Masters Volume I. I like both versions all the same.

"P.S. I Love You" is sung by Paul and is the first song on where he sings solo--he sings with John on the previous songs. The other song where he sings solo is on the ballad "A Taste Of Honey," singing of honey "tasting much sweeter than wine."

It's George's turn to sing lead on "Do You Want To Know A Secret." The backing vocals after the second verse provide a nice touch.

Two rollicking numbers signal the close of Please Please Me, both sung by John. They are "There's A Place" and the definitive rendition of the Isley Brothers' "Twist And Shout." I wonder how long it took John's vocals to recover after nearly singing himself to shreds.

Many artists would not have come to be without the Beatles, and we have this album to thank for.

44 of 48 found the following review helpful:

Where It All Began...Oct 27, 2002
By Steve Vrana
This was the album that thrust the Beatles into the spotlight in England. [It would be almost another year before America would embrace the lads from Liverpool.] After honing their skills in Hamburg and gigging around England, they shot to No. 1 in the U.K. with "Please Please Me" and followed up with this LP.

Eight of these songs are Lennon-McCartney originals, the rest were taken from their live show repertoire. Of the former, "I Saw Her Standing There" is a terrific Little Richard-inspired rocker and "Love Me Do" (their first U.K. single) features some wonderful harmonica by Lennon. Of the latter, Lennon turns in a fine performance on Arthur Alexander's "Anna" and the definitive version of "Twist and Shout"--two minutes and thirty-three seconds of primal rock 'n' roll. [And all done with two guitars, a bass and a drum kit! When was the last time you heard music like THAT on the radio?]

This was the Beatles at their most innocent and arguably their most enthusiastic. This album belongs in any serious music fan's collection. ESSENTIAL

19 of 20 found the following review helpful:

The Cavern Club on WaxFeb 12, 2000
By Dean Martin Dent
After two hit singles(Love Me Do & Please,Please Me which eventually became the albums title track) an album was inevitible.But since The Beatles didn't have the clout for even a budget sized production,this album was recorded in one day.In these days of artist spending millions,and taking years to complete an album,PPM is amazing in the fact that they practically banged this one out and 37 years later dispite many rough edges,it still sounds fresh.Another amazing facet was that 60% of the album was self composed,especially at a time when musical acts recorded other writers songs suggested by their producer.This was essentially their stage show in the studio,where they even topped it off with their no holds barred performance of Twist & Shout.The originals(especially I Saw Her Standing There,Ask Me Why,PS I Love You,& Do You Want To Know A Secret) follow up on the precedent that the two aforementioned lead singles had set.The cover songs aren't no slouches either(the sweet Anna,Boys,A Taste Of Honey and of course Twist & Shout).Some of todays mainstream music listeners may be put of by the rough edges,flubbed notes and shaky vocals,but its those flaws that give PPM its charm.

12 of 12 found the following review helpful:

What a bundle of joy!Mar 07, 2001
By Cristian Domarchi "Cristian"
Almost everytime that a band releases their first record, the enthusiasm and the excitement can be felt around it the first times you hear it. With "Please Please Me", though, that youthful spirit of non-expert, energetic and absolutely talented musicians has survived through the years, transforming the first album ever recorded by The Beatles (in 585 minutes) into a piece of joyful and cheering music that can be heard by any generation, extracting the same warmth and sense of quality that the people in the 60's saw in the talents of this band.

The power and the sparkling energy displayed through the songs of these innovative boys was quickly appreciated not only by the huge bunch of screaming fans, but also by the critics, who saw in themusic of The Beatles, beyond the social change that it could create, an important creative contribution, since they were transporting rock'n'roll, originally a part of the young culture, to the spirit of a whole country, and later, of the world.

The LP itself is quick and breath-taking since its starting, and can be easily enjoyed now by fans of any generation. Eight original McCartney/Lennon songs (the only CD which displays this credits and not the familiar "Lennon/McCartney" ones) form it, starting with "I Saw Her Standing There", one of Paul's most notable rock'n'roll pieces, with a stunning bass part, and energetic lyric and a fun, timeless recording. "Misery" shows the sentimental side of John Lennon, who's perceived as the most-talented lyricist in the group, writing a melancholic song supported by the invariable instrumental basis and George Martin's piano; and also shining on "There's A Place", maybe the first time he tried not to write a simple love song, but an introspective one, changing the traditional way of writing that rock'n'roll composers had at the time. It also contains the background of harmonies that would eventually become the trademark of the early Beatle recordings. "Do You Want To Know A Secret", beautifully sung by George Harrison, is another Lennon number, this time an innocent and sweet love ballad about a boy who falls in love with a girl. This is a particular favourite of mine, and I think the strength of thissong lies in the luminous melody and the geniously arranged background harmonies. The rest of the originals were already known by singles: the different version of "Love Me Do" and its B side "PS I Love You" (a McCartney number with great vocals); "Please Please Me" (the current hit with original and out-of-the-common lyrics) and its B side "Ask Me Why" (an unfairly forgotten Lennon/McCartney song). The covers are so well-chosen that you can't reject them. John's rendition of "Anna" is better than Arthur Alexander's, as you can feel by the first his painful throat shouting for a girl he loves. "Chains" is a three-part harmony number written by Carole King and husband, and directed by George Harrison, who sings the lead part (although he's not credited!). Another chance for John to show his harmonica-playing, and another great song. "Boys" is Ringo's turn to sing, a song that really fits into his personality, and that shows The Beatles really seemed to be enjoying what they recorded. "Baby It's You" is another love ballad driven by John's dramatic vocal. "A Taste Of Honey" seems to be the weak point in the album, although is a good way to appreciate Paul early as a standard pop ballads singer. "Twist And Shout" is known by all because of its simplicity and John's destructed but amazing lead vocal George and Paul's tired but luminous background harmonies that made The Beatles' version to this american original a stand-out and brilliant live number.

There were many eras in The Beatles' early years. This record recovers their first-time attempts, with the inexperiences and mistakes, but also with their indisputable talent. I'm 18, and I think this CD can go through all the ages, and make a good impression. That's why the music of The Beatles is so important. The recording of this album was, indeed, "a bundle of joy" for them. They really enjoyed it, it was their big change, and they made it with all their energy and sense of humor. Buy it, and it will surely represent "a bundle of joy" for you too.

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