The singles collections aren't among the most played albums in my collection, but after listening to some of the more excruciatingly bland covers of the B-sides, I have to say the Beatles have gone up even further in my estimation. They really were geniuses to be able to perform the hell out of those songs and make something as trite as 'I'll Get You' into an exhilarating experience.
The Alternate Past Masters, Vol. I
The Alternate Past Masters, Vol. II
Volume II was always a much stronger contender, maturity replacing their fierce youthfulness with lyrical experimentation and a charming self-indulgence. (Speaking of a maturer Beatles, does anyone know who the artist of the drawing on the right is? I know Terry O'Neill took the photograph on the left.)*
My highlights are the unexpected arrivals, such as 'Bad Boy' by Rush, 'I Feel Fine' by Harvey Avenue, 'Paperback Writer' by Swan Arcade and Phoebe Snow's 'Don't Let Me Down'. I was going to impregnate that list with adjectives, but take my word for it, they're all great covers. And it's nice of Gerard St Paul to provide us with a really nutty ending.
Read The Alternate Past Masters, Vol. I Tracklist
Read The Alternate Past Masters, Vol. II Tracklist
And you can click on a picture to download any of the other Alternate Beatles albums:
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You might also be interested in these Eleanor Rigbys:
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* Thanks to a discussion at a Wordpress site, I have found out it is an illustration by Michael Leonard, and it was originally used on the Beatles Illustrated Lyrics.
3 comments:
I did a TinEye search for the "old Beatles" image and found it at the link below. Apparently it appeared in a periodical of some kind when they were at the height of their popularity, but the blog writer doesn't mention what periodical it was. Maybe try contacting him or her?
http://paulmccartney.wordpress.com/2007/06/03/old-beatles/
Good idea. Thanks for the tip-off!
I've attributed the image now. That feels good!
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