Hello! My name is Lisa, I'm 15 and I live in New York City. Welcome to
my website about THE BEATLES - the best group in the Whole Wide World!
The main part of this site is my BEATLES LOG. I call it my B-LOG - or
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My review of the The Beatles Please Please Me album
 The Beatles have an album out in England. It came out sometime after February, 1963. It was put out by a company called Parlophone Co., Ltd. In England, albums are called a “Long Play 33 1/3 R.P.M.”
The record was made in Great Britain in Hayes Middlesex England. The album is called Please Please Me, which is the name of one of the songs on the record. The cover has a neat picture of the group leaning over the rail in a stairwell. Angus McBean took the photo.
The record opens with one of the Beatles shouting “One, two, three, four!” It then goes into a great rocking song called I Saw Her Standing There, which was written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon. It is sung by John and Paul. George Harrison is the lead guitarist and he plays a great solo in the middle of the song. The drummer Ringo Starr keeps a great beat.
The next song, Misery, was also written by McCartney and Lennon. John and Paul’s voices match so well on the song that it sounds as if it is a self-duet created by the multi-recording of a single voice. But the notes to the album say it’s John and Paul singing together. Although the song is called Misery, it has an upbeat tempo.
The next three songs were originally done by American artists. Their titles seem to form the message “Anna chains boys.” The first of these is Anna (Go To Him), which was previously recorded by Arthur Alexander. It is sung by John, who gives a very passionate performance. The next song is Chains, which was a hit by the Cookies, a group of Negro girls from New York. It is sung by John, Paul and George. That is followed by Boys, which was recorded by the Shirelles, a group of Negro teenage girls from Passaic, New Jersey, who have had a bunch of their records played on WINS by Murray the K. Ringo provides a great beat and sings lead on the song. The Beatles are so talented that even their drummer can sing!
The last two songs on the first side were written by McCartney and Lennon. John sings lead on Ask Me Why, which is a sweet sounding love song. Please Please Me, which was a Number One hit in England, opens with a neat harmonica part. It has a great beat and is sung by John, Paul and George.
The second side opens with two more McCartney-Lennon songs. Love Me Dowas the group’s first record. It was a top 20 hit in England. It also has a catchy harmonica riff and vocals by John, Paul and George. Ringo provides his usual steady beat and someone shakes a tambourine. P.S. I Love Youis a clever love song with a Latin beat.
The next song is another Shirelles song, Baby It’s You. Once again, John gives a passionate vocal performance. George and Paul supply a backing harmony vocal.
George gets to sing lead on Do You Want To Know A Secret, which was written by McCartney and Lennon. It’s lyrics are really sharp.
A Taste Of Honeyis a ballad featuring a dual-voiced Paul. The song was the title song from a Broadway play.
The next song, There’s A Place, is yet another McCartney-Lennon original. It is sung by John and Paul.
The album closes with a great rocker, Twist And Shout. The Isley Brothers had a hit with the song, but the Beatles do it much better. John’s lead vocal is devastating. It sounds like he’s shredding his vocal chords. Paul and George sing effective backup vocals. Ringo provides a trusting steady beat. It’s a great way to close an album!
The really neat thing about this record is that every song is worth listening to. That’s rare for an album, which often has a few good songs mixed with a bunch of mediocre ones. In addition, 8 of the 14 songs on the album were written by two members of the group, Paul McCartney and John Lennon. And each Beatles sings lead on at least one song. Unfortunately the album is not available in America. If you know someone going to England, ask them to buy the record for you. I promise you will love it!
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