13. With the Beatles (1963)
The second album, released just eight months after the debut, opens with the high energy of “It Won’t Be Long.” It also has quality originals like “All My Loving” and the great fun of Ringo’s vocal on “I Wanna Be Your Man.” But with the enormous pressure of cranking out new material as fast as possible, the lads also had to rely on plenty of covers.
Six of the 14 tracks are songs written by others. Some of those covers are excellent. It’s hard to go wrong doing Chuck Berry and Smokey Robinson. And the Janie Bradford/Berry Gordy “Money” that closes the album lets John run wild as a blues screamer. But not all the covers work as well.
And several of the originals are a far cry from their best. Paul’s “Not a Second Time” sounds like filler, as does the Lennon/McCartney collab “Little Child.” George’s “Don’t Bother Me,” on the other hand, is an early hint at how good a songwriter he would grow into.
Best Tracks: “It Won’t Be Long,” “All My Loving,” “Roll Over Beethoven” (Chuck Berry cover)
12. Please Please Me (1964)
As a cultural artifact, Please Please Me is a towering achievement. It began a revolution. The Beatles first album opened with the orgasmic tribute to infatuation “I Saw Her Standing There” and it closed with a rollicking cover of “Twist and Shout.” In between, it had a bunch of great originals. But it also had its share of mediocre originals, like “Misery” and “There’s a Place.”
These certainly aren’t bad songs. They’re just average. Any decent band could have done them. But the title track or “Love Me Do?” Those were pure Lennon & McCartney pop geniuses at work. Like With the Beatles, the debut also features a half dozen covers, and they are just as uneven. “Anna (Go With Him)” doesn’t work very well. “Baby It's You” is oddly lethargic, one of the rare times where the Beatles’ harmony actually drags the song down. On the other hand, Ringo gets to rock out on “Boys.” Some genuine high points, but overall still a bit uneven.
Best Tracks: “I Saw Her Standing There,” “Please Please Me,” “Twist and Shout”