How to listen to The Beatles

Where to start? Well, chances are you've already started. It's pretty impossible to avoid hearing The Beatles if you live somewhere roughly in the vicinity of planet Earth. But as author Nick Hornby says in praise of 'Revolution In The Head' (a fantastic chronological walkthrough of every Beatles song), just because we hear the Beatles doesn't mean we are really listening.

A Hard Day's Night
[DVD]
[1964]
[Region 1]
[US Import]
[NTSC]

A Hard Day's Night was not the first Beatles album, in fact it was about the fifth (the order varies depending on US or UK chronologies) but to my mind it was the first that was completely free of filler and shows a band at the top of their game. It was the soundtrack to their debut movie of the same name, and for me the film is the best place to begin.

After A Hard Day's Night, where was there to go? Having perfected their take on commercial pop music, the Beatles began to experiment. By 1966's Revolver, which you should consider listening to next, they had retired from live performance and spend their time in the studio creating mould-breaking songs that stretched the limits of what pop could be. They continued in this vein on Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour, with both projects having a 'concept' feel to them which led critics to label the former as the greatest Beatles album. However, in my opinion it's a bit overrated, has a few weak songs, and there are half-a-dozen albums that you should hear first.

The third album I'd advise getting a copy of is 'The Beatles', and eponymous double-album better known as 'The White Album' thanks to its... economical artwork. For me this best encapsulates the late-phase Beatles - three songwriters who were increasingly comfortable expressing themselves.

Revolution in the Head:
The Beatles' Records and the Sixties

"Turn off your mind, relax, and float downstream." This Lennon lyric may offer a nice way out of everyday life, but I would suggest that when listening to The Beatles, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. Much like classical music. That's why I would highly recommend 'Revolution In The Head' by Ian Macdonald as the most essential Beatles purchase after the records themselves. It provides an incredible guide to every Beatles song put to tape, giving the social context of the time, the story of its recording, and gives a good idea of what was going on in the author's head at the time. Probably best to read it after listening to the songs themselves, because they are the most important thing, but I guarantee that as you read it you will want your Beatles catalogue by your side so you can listen to them again in a new light.

The Beatles are a band for all seasons and all occasions. Play 'She Loves You' in the living room, 'Because' in the bedroom, 'Revolution' in the car and 'Octopus' Garden' in the bath. Don't ask where the best place to play 'Revolution 9' is. Dance, sing, laugh or cry as appropriate.

The Beatles Rock Band
(Wii)

1) The Beatles were more than the sum of their parts.
2) Sgt. Peppers is not their masterpiece.
3) The 60s really were the golden age of pop.
4) The studio is an incredible instrument.
5) Beatles Rock Band is going to be amazing.