As a kid, I foolishly considered The Beatles rubbish and overrated, though I had no knowledge of their discography. I was just being a cynical little dick. Raised on Classic Rock Radio, I of course knew a number of Beatle songs, but didn't know they were Beatle songs. The first Beatles' song I remember liking was "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". I heard it over the speakers at a K-Mart while perusing the Country Albums (I was probably 13 or 14 at the time), and thought the song was fucking sweet. Shortly after learning that, "Come Together" changed my perception, maybe The Beatles didn't suck after all. Borrowing my mom's cop of 1, I soon became a fan and at college bought five Beatles albums; all from the later years (nothing before Rubber Soul).
So we arrive with the Fab Four's 1963 debut album Please Please Me. I was actually pretty surprised at how much I enjoyed this album. 14 well crafted pop songs (short; all under the 3 minute mark) showcasing strong arrangements, great vocal harmonies, and two stand out singers in Paul and John. The album standouts are obvious before you even begin, Beatles classics "I Saw Her Standing There", "Love Me Do", and the punching cover "Twist and Shout" are easily the best selections. Of the remaining tracks I thoroughly enjoyed the majority, with the exception of Harrison's boring Carole King cover "Chains", and the chopping Lennon-McCartney duet "There's A Place". For me the hidden gem on the album is defiantly "Boys", Ringo's lone vocal contribution to the album. It's a howling rock tune nearly approaching "Twist and Shout" on the Beatles' early rector scale. Other points I enjoyed: Ringo's drumming on "Love Me Do", Paul's vocals on "P.S. I Love You", the guitar work on "Ask me Why".
After tackling this album, I'm actually looking forward to see what the Liver Pool boys have in store next. Maybe their early albums actually were good.
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