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22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Where you once belonged, 15 Dec 2001
How strange that no one's reviewed this yet! This is the Beatles as a pretty good pub band.
After the White Album in late 68, Paul McCartney had the idea of recording an album with no overdubbing, no fancy studio tricks, just the Beatles playing live - something old, something new etc. It didn't work in January 1969 when they tried it, but it did work throughout 1963 and 1964, when they recorded this whole pile of stuff for the BBC, dashing down to London in the van after doing a one night stand in Bolton or Ilfracombe or some such place, a couple of hours kip, then - er - what are we going to do for Saturday Club, lads? What about Nothing Shakin but the Leaves on the Trees? Okay, Paul, why don't you do Clarabella? Okay - here we go, one two three, wham bang - Thanks Brian, and thanks to all at number 44 Mount Street, Clacton for the kind birthday wishes, and the bag of jellybabies. Here Mr Matthew, have a jellybaby. Oops, look at the time - gotta dash, playing in Glasgow tonight!
In 1963 the Beatles were constantly racing around Britain, and in 1964 racing around the world. They made famous hit records. But when they recorded their many appearances on teenage radio shows they mostly played their favourite old country and rhythm & blues numbers, things which they'd done at the Star Club or the Cavern, very straighforward, no frills (no time for frills anyway!). It's delightful, but I must be honest. I could live without about half of this double-cd. The other half has wonderful obscurities like "A Shot of Rhythm and Blues", or "Soldier of Love", or Paul whispering "Clarabella" (another Little Richard impersonation) or Paul warbling "The Honeymoon Song" (which he later made Mary Hopkin sing). All their early influences are here displayed (the usual suspects, Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, Ray Charles), and after all, it is the Fabs. And if I was booking groups in 1963, I'd definately have had them back again. Very professional. very workmanlike. Hard to believe that psychedelia was just round the corner.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beatles BBC: "B - - - - y Brilliant Compilation", 1 Dec 2006
When this collection was released, prior to the Anthology series, it was the first `new' Beatles material released for many years.
Many of the songs have been previously bootlegged, but this collection has many unfamiliar tunes, including some Chuck Berry numbers and contemporary beat tunes like `Some Other Guy' and `Hippy Hippy Shake'.
The banter with BBC presenters is delightful, as is reading the fan mail and various comments and in-jokes.
The set is just short of a revelation. It's full of energy, toughness, fun and sparkle. There are some great covers, as well as slightly different versions of the usual Beatles hits. It's interesting that they seem to have put just as much thought into the covers as their own material: these songs were never 'filler', but songs The Beatles knew and loved.
The packaging and liner notes are marvellous and each disc has about 30 tracks, so the set is great value.
The only drawback of this terrific album is the sound: glorious mono, with varying degrees of low, medium and hi `fi' due to the age of the tapes and BBC recording techniques. It's not even at the standard of the official Beatles mono LPs, but it's always listenable and you soon forget about the sound, anyway.
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9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good, but not perfect collection, 25 Feb 2005
For years bootlegs (LPs back then, the "Live at the Beeb" series) of the BBC-radioshows were in high demand: they covered every show the Fab Four ever performed for the BBC. They would never fit on a 2CD-set. So yes, one will miss a song or two on this collection, but there are some real gems (I'll be on my way, Clarabella, Lucille - to name but three). I think they could have put on more covers that were not released on their official albums, as some performances are clearly inferior.
The BBC itself did not archive these recordings, as far as I know, though there may be acetates. Luckily most of it was recorded by fans and survived that way. Naturally the audio quality of these recordings is far from perfect (compared to their first album, which in itself was almost 'live in the studio'), but most are listenable enough. Some are really bad (Keep your hands off my baby, for one, and a couple of TV performances), but I guess these are included for their uniqueness. I could have done without the chats, especially when they are edited over the music and you can't skip the track.
All in all it's a great set that shows the Beatles'influences and for me, I think some of their covers are so much better than the originals!
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