I’ve slowed down my purchases of the Beatles reissues in recent weeks, not wanting to break the bank for (as my loved ones keep reminding me) music I already own. But when I have a little extra cash in my pocket and I happen to find myself at a Best Buy on my lunch break (how does that happen??), I’ll grab another one.
The latest was With The Beatles, the band’s second album. And once again it has been an eye- (and ear-) opening experience.
The stereo mix took a little getting used to… because these albums were originally mixed in mono, the stereo versions were an afterthought. George Martin and the boys just put the music on one side and the vocals on the other. So playing with the balance knob is an interesting experiment that allows you to appreciate each absent the other.
But once again, as with all these reissues, the boosted volume and added clarity makes listening to the album a whole new experience. And I’ve come to appreciate With The Beatles more than I ever had before. I’ve always lumped this album in with Please Please Me and Beatles For Sale as the albums that happened before The Beatles really became The Beatles, but that’s a silly thought (especially considering that A Hard Day’s Night was released right after this one and before Beatles For Sale).
John wrote today’s track, the lazily sexy ‘All I’ve Got to Do.’ He said it was a stab at a Smokey Robinson tune, and indeed the band covered Robinson’s ‘You Really Got a Hold On Me’ on With The Beatles as well, delivering their most famous cover apart from ‘Twist and Shout.’
All I gotta do,
Is call you on the phone,
And you’ll come running home,
Yeah, that’s all I gotta do.
And when I, I want to kiss you, yeah.
All I gotta do,
Is whisper in your ear
The words you long to hear,
And I’ll be kissin’ you.
And the same goes for me,
Whenever you want me at all.
I’ll be here, yes I will, whenever you call.
You just gotta call on me, yeah,
You just gotta call on me.
And when I, I want to kiss you, yeah.
All I gotta do,
Is call you on the phone,
And you’ll go come running home,
Yeah, that’s all I gotta do.
And the same goes for me,
Whenever you want me at all.
I’ll be here, yes I will, whenever you call.
You just gotta call on me, yeah,
You just gotta call on me.
Meet Me In Montauk 
I’m surprised you went for the stereo version. A Beatles “purist” would get the mono recording, as this is how it was produced by George Martin and intended to be heard. The stereo was an afterthought. It’s rather like buying a colorized version of Casablanca or Citizen’s Kane. Indeed, even if Orson Wells himself had slapped color onto Kane after its release, would you really want to own that version?
Anyway, I’ve always liked this song, but the album as a whole sits lower in my rankings because I’m just not that big a fan of the covers..
There’s no way to buy the mono version unless you shell out $250 for the whole limited edition box set. They didn’t make those individually available, the bastards!
Ah, so THAT’S why Ned called and asked that we join forces with one of us buying the mono set, and the other buying the stereo set! He didn’t want to shell out the whole $250 to get the mono versions.
Wow, I’d never thought about using the mono version to hear just the music or just the vocals. I’m trying to learn to play The Beatles on the guitar and this will be a helpful tip. Thanks!