Rock N' Roll Music

UK Release: June 10, 1976

Parlophone Records PCSP 719 (Tracks NOT remixed)

US Release: June 11, 1976

Capitol Records SKBO 11537 (Tracks remixed by George Martin)

Produced by: George Martin & Phil Spector (on “Get Back”)

Side One

Twist and Shout
I Saw Her Standing There
You Can't Do That
I Wanna Be Your Man
I Call Your Name
Boys
Long Tall Sally

Side Two

Rock and Roll Music
Slow Down
Kansas City / Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey!
Money (That's What I Want)
Bad Boy
Matchbox
Roll Over Beethoven

Now, after the 1970 break-up of The Beatles, and their solo successes, the only natural thing to do was to keep The Beatles in the public conscious. And there were many ways it was done. Rock N' Roll Music was one of those many. And although it might have seemed redundant, some viewed this set as a perfect companion to the former compilations, The Beatles 1962-1966 (The Red Album) and The Beatles 1967-1970 (The Blue Album). Outside of the tracks, "Get Back", "Back In The U.S.S.R." and "Revolution", the song selection on Rock N' Roll Music did not duplicate much else from the Red and Blue albums. Since this 1976 set is an official Capitol Records release, it truly is the perfect companion to those former compilation - despite the horrible 'cartoon' cover.

Side Three

Dizzy, Miss Lizzy
Any Time at All
Drive My Car
Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby
The Night Before
I'm Down
Revolution

Side Four

Back in the U.S.S.R.
Helter Skelter
Taxman
Got to Get You into My Life
Hey Bulldog
Birthday
Get Back

CLICK COVER FOR EXPANDED VIEW. COURTESY OF 'THE BEATLES COLLECTION'

George Martin criticized the production while many criticized the cover. The cover made it look as if this was Time Life compilation for a 50's collection. I can understand the angle they were shooting for, since the album is called Rock N' Roll Music, derived from the Chuck Berry song of the same name, but since The Beatles are not from the 50's, the cover moved some to criticize the project. And then, if the public thought Rock N' Roll Music was redundant, then the next year Capitol and Parlophone Records would set the standard of redundancy with:

Love Songs

US Release: October 21, 1977

Capitol SKBL 11711

UK Release: November 19, 1977

Parlophone PCSP 721

Produced by: George Martin

Side 1

Yesterday
I'll Follow The Sun
I Need You
Girl
In My Life
Words Of Love
Here, There And Everywhere

Side 2

Something
And I Love Her
If I Fell
I'll Be Back
Tell Me What You See
Yes It Is

Side 3

Michelle

It's Only Love

You're Going To Lose That Girl

Every Little Thing

For No One

She's Leaving Home

Side 4

The Long And Winding Road

This Boy

Norwegian Wood

You've Got To Hide Your Love Away

I Will

P.S. I Love You

Between 1976's Rock N' Roll Music and this 1977 release, Capitol and Parlophone released the much anticipated The Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl. And truly, Love Songs appeared like a good idea on paper, but in the end, it was quite unnecessary - except for the ipossible concept of just keeping the public conscious in the idea that The Beatles existed. Some just complained that it was a money-making scheme. But then again, isn't it about making money, anyway? I mean, that's why its called the music 'Business'.

Love Songs followed the blueprint set by The Red and Blue albums, and Rock N' Roll Music, by releasing a 2-Record set with seven songs per side. But with Love Songs, Capitol and Parlophone were now just re-releasing the same songs - namely "Yesterday", "In My Life", "Girl", "The Long and Winding Road", "And I Love Her", "Something", "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" and "Norwegian Wood". So where Rock N' Roll Music only repeated three songs, Love Songs repeated eight songs.

CLICK FOR AN EXPANDED VIEW

But even still, the concept was ambitious, if only for the fact that The Beatles were a rock band capable of recording some of the most beautiful and inspiring love songs. But the repeating of tracks left much to be desired and a target for critics.

1977's Love Songs was promoted as the perfect gift for the one you love - despite the fact that it wasn't released anywhere close to Valentine's Day. But that simulated leather cover was nice! Some disagree but I liked it.

Beatles' Ballads

UK Release: October 13, 1980

Parlophone Records PCS 7214

Produced by: George Martin & Phil Spector (on “Let It Be”, “The Long And Winding Road” and “Across The Universe”)

Side One

Yesterday
Norwegian Wood
Do You Want To Know A Secret
For No One
Michelle
Nowhere Man
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
Across The Universe
All My Loving
Hey Jude

Side Two

Something
The Fool On The Hill
Till There Was You
The Long And Winding Road
Here Comes The Sun
Blackbird
And I Love Her
She's Leaving Home
Here, There And Everywhere
Let It Be

And where Love Songs recieved criticism, Beatles' Ballads was even more worthy of such. While being only a 20 song set, even more songs (14 of the 20) were duplicated from the Red & Blue albums. However, it had been seven years later when Beatles' Ballads was released. And it would be another seven years before the CD reissues would be available. Not to mention, Love Songs had already been released in the U.K. in 1977. The U.S. was spared the released of Beatles' Ballads.

Intresting note: The cover of Beatles' Ballads is an original concept for The Beatles White Album. Tentively titled, A Doll's House, it was rejected in lieu of just "The Beatles" and, of course, leaving the cover plain white. The cover artist was John Byrne (who went by the name, 'Patrick').

Love Songs was deleted by 2000 after selling over 3 million copies in the U.S. Meanwhile, Beatles' Ballads, not released in the U.S., only hit #1 in Australia, where it was the most successful.