The Beatles - 1 (2000)

The Beatles - 1 (2000)

Proving yet again their willingness to dice 'n' slice their burgeoning legacy into new--if not exactly fresh--product, the Fab Four Minus One have released this single-disc compendium of their No. 1 hits. Though obviously superfluous to the faithful (who may also find themselves quibbling over the precise definition of "No. 1 hit" and the exclusion of seeming contenders like "Please Please Me" and "Strawberry Fields"), newly arrived visitors from the Pleiades star cluster and other neophytes will find it a concise and generous (nearly 80 minutes) single-disc introduction to the band's career-spanning, unparalleled dominance of pop music in the 1960s. But beyond being a mere trophy case of commercial success (and it won't be hard to find critics who'll argue that these singles aren't even the band's best work), it's also a Cliff's Notes take on a remarkable seven-year run of musical evolution, one that stretches from the neo-skiffle of "Love Me Do" through a remarkable synthesis of R&B, rockabilly, Tin Pan Alley, gospel, country, and classical that still defies efforts to effectively deconstruct it. This is the pop monument equivalent of the '27 Yankees and '90s Bulls; it's every bit as obvious and dominating--and just as essential. --Jerry McCulley

Tracklist:

1. Love Me Do 2:20
2. From Me to You 1:56
3. She Loves You 2:21
4. I Want to Hold Your Hand 2:25
5. Can't Buy Me Love 2:11
6. A Hard Day's Night 2:33
7. I Feel Fine 2:18
8. Eight Days a Week 2:44
9. Ticket to Ride 3:10
10. Help! 2:18
11. Yesterday 2:05
12. Day Tripper 2:48
13. We Can Work It Out 2:15
14. Paperback Writer 2:18
15. Yellow Submarine 2:38
16. Eleanor Rigby 2:07
17. Penny Lane 3:00
18. All You Need Is Love 3:47
19. Hello Goodbye 3:27
20. Lady Madonna 2:17
21. Hey Jude 7:04
22. Get Back 3:12
23. The Ballad of John & Yoko 2:59
24. Something 3:01
25. Come Together 4:18
26. Let It Be 3:51
27. The Long and Winding Road 3:39