Search - :: beatles bop-hamburg days

Detailed look at some formative work

kennedy19 | wakefield, ma USA | 01/11/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Beatles Bop" is a lavish box set reissue of a fairly small number of recordings that have been released before, namely the 1961-62 recordings of the Beatles (with Pete Best, not yet Ringo) in recording studios in Germany as a backup band for Liverpool singer Tony Sheridan. The Beatles themselves had nothing to do with this reissue, but Beatlemaniacs will be impressed with the thoroughness with which this collection was made. Its expensive price tag is due to its inclusion of a lavish, color, hardcover book detailing all that is known about each recording. The recordings themselves are contained on 2 CDs, and it should be noted that there are really only about 10 songs here, but that this set excels in tracking down every available mix of each one that was ever released (the original tapes no longer exist), both in mono and stereo. Beatles fans may be disappointed that Sheridan (impersonating Elvis pretty well) sang most of the lead vocals on these recordings, although John Lennon does get to sing a version of "Ain't She Sweet," and the Beatles did get to record their own catchy instrumental composition, "Cry for a Shadow." Other songs include "When the Saints Go Marching In" and the famous "My Bonnie" which brought the band to Brian Epstein's attention. It is interesting to hear the Beatles playing their recogniseable sound here, with the energy and versatility that would amaze the world in a few short years. This is also a rare chance to assess the drumming of Pete Best. Casual fans will think this box set, with its multiple versions of the same songs, and its painstaking documentation of each one, to be too much ado about too little. But scholars and rabid fans interested in the early years of the group will definitely want to add this to their collection. And yes, the sound quality is very good."

Excellent set

T. Brice | Lafayette, Georgia USA | 03/03/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a must-have for any true Beatles fan. The tracks were recorded just outside Hamburg in 1961 & 1962 with Pete Best on drums. The sound quality is excellent, couldn't be better and the booklet is top-notch. The Bear family is known for producing only the best music sets and this one is an example of that. I only wish that when The Beatles' entire catalog is remastered/remixed, the task would be handed to Bear."

An excellent box set!!!

T. Brice | 11/16/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a fantastic compilation that for the first time brings together every variation of the Beatles early Hamburg recordings with singer Tony Sheridan. The sound quality is the best ever and the book that is included with the package is absolutely stunning.(Apple records take note. This is how all future Beatles compilations should look!)"