The Beatles in mono: This is how most listeners first heard the group in the 1960s, when mono was the predominant audio format. Up until 1968, each Beatles album was given a unique mono and stereo mix, but the group always regarded the mono as primary. On September 5, The Beatles’ nine U.K. albums, the American-compiled Magical Mystery Tour, and the Mono Masters collection of non-album tracks are released in mono on 180-gram vinyl LPs with faithfully replicated artwork. Newly mastered from the analogue master tapes, each album will be available individually.
Review:
Considering the quality of the original material on With the Beatles, it
shouldn't have been a surprise that Lennon & McCartney decided to devote
their third album to all-original material. Nevertheless, that decision still
impresses, not only because the album is so strong, but because it was written
and recorded at a time when the Beatles were constantly touring, giving regular
BBC concerts, appearing on television and releasing non-LP singles and EPs, as
well as filming their first motion picture. In that context, the achievement of
A Hard Day's Night is all the more astounding. Not only was the record the de
facto soundtrack for their movie, not only was it filled with nothing but
Lennon-McCartney originals, but it found the Beatles truly coming into their own
as a band by performing a uniformly excellent set of songs. All of the disparate
influences on their first two albums had coalesced into a bright, joyous,
original sound filled with ringing guitars and irresistible melodies. They had
certainly found their musical voice before, but A Hard Day's Night is where it
became mythical. In just a few years, they made more adventurous and
accomplished albums, but this is the sound of Beatlemania in all of its giddy
glory – for better and for worse, this is the definitive Beatles album, the
one every group throughout the ages has used as a blueprint. Listening to the
album, it's easy to see why. Decades after its original release, A Hard
Day's Night's punchy blend of propulsive rhythms, jangly guitars, and
infectious, singalong melodies is remarkably fresh. There's something
intrinsically exciting in the sound of the album itself, something to keep the
record vital years after it was recorded. Even more impressive are the songs
themselves. Not only are the melodies forceful and memorable, but Lennon and
McCartney have found a number of variations to their basic Merseybeat style,
from the brash “Can't Buy Me Love” and “Any Time at All,” through the
gentle “If I Fell,” to the tough folk-rock of “I'll Cry Instead.”
It's possible to hear both songwriters develop their own distinctive voices on
the album, but overall, A Hard Day's Night stands as a testament to their
collaborative powers – never again did they write together so well or so
easily, choosing to pursue their own routes. John and Paul must have known how
strong the material is – they threw the pleasant trifle “I'm Happy Just to
Dance with You” to George and didn't give anything to Ringo to sing. That may
have been a little selfish, but it hardly hurts the album, since everything on
the record is performed with genuine glee and excitement. It's the pinnacle of
their early years.
All Music Guide – Stephen Thomas Erlewine