Hi Jim. Sorry you haven't received a reply yet. I'm not exactly a fanatic, but I'll try to help out. I was seven years old when I saw The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, and grew up with their music all around me.

If you really have no idea where to start, that is, if you don't know if you'd prefer their early or later efforts, I'd recommend "Past Masters." It's a two disc set of singles that were not released on the albums, and spans most if not all of their time together. It's a good sampler or introduction to the band.

Personally, I prefer the later years. "Abbey Road" is a must-have, in my opinion. "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver" are also excellent. If I haven't exceeded your starting budget yet, I'd also recommend "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and "Magical Mystery Tour." I also love "The Beatles," also known as "The White Album," but it seems to get mixed reviews, so maybe that's better left for after you're hooked. :-)

Good luck, happy shopping, and be sure to let me know what you think.

Bert

Hi Jim,

That is a tough question and bertdw has given as good an answer as I can think. It is easy to dismiss the pre-Rubber Soul albums as artistically less monumental than their followers- but there are little gems on all of them that rekindle the fresh spirit and impact the Beatles had on that ancient era.

I was 10-11 years old when they hit (my cool older sister was 13). There was a huge controversy in our family, our Catholic community, our society and our entire country whether or not we should succumb to the popular mania that surrounded their debut.

We were skeptical, cautious and raised in a family that taught us to think critically and resist mainstream trends. Then I Want To Hold Your Hand, Love Me Do, and I Saw Her Standing There hit the airwaves (radio was a hugely influential medium then). Could this much talent be a bad thing? We all tuned in to The Ed Sullivan Show and my sister and I (and our classmates) were blown away. My parents resisted until Till There Was You was released- then it was 10 exciting years of a musical, social and cultural phenomenon that left an indelible mark on our world.

For those reasons and memories I couldn't choose which albums to omit (except Yellow Submarine) , so I opted for the mono box and purchased Abbey Road and Let It Be separately.

This is just how I see it and it's far from a definitive answer.

"Abbey Road" and "Sgt. Pepper's. . ." would almost be a dead tie for me both have great songs and impeccable production for their time period. I'd give a slight nod to "Sgt. Pepper's. . ." today. Tomorrow I might feel differently.

"Magical Mystery Tour" good songs and Avant-garde production would be tied with "Revolver" which has better songs, but not as cutting edge production.

"Let It Be" has some great songs but also some of the sloppiest production.

"Help!" and "Rubber Soul" are enjoyable too, but in the end aren't they all? There really isn't a disposable one in the bunch. Myself, I prefer the middle and late stuff to their earlier work.

Jim,

Thus far these guys have given you an excellent list. My favorite, though, is "Beatles for Sale". One of there earlier releases with a mix of Lennon/McCartney tunes and songs by Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, Buddy Holly, Little Richard and others. I haven't seen the list of Remasters so I don't know if this release is included but even if it isn't I'd still pick up a copy.

Fran