Favorite Beatles' Albums to Listen to on Vinyl

My friend and mentor Rob Quicke recently contacted me to see if I could write an article about my favorite Beatles' albums to listen to on vinyl. I of course said yes, and began the rather difficult task of compiling my list together. I didn't want to be cliche and just write about the White Album or Abbey Road, so I took a different approach. I focused on my feelings I have when I listen to these particular albums.

Overall, I really like how the article came out. I think it has some solid writing in it. Although, looking back, I could of done a better job in taking the photos. Well, I still have time to fix that. Anyways, I hope you enjoy it.


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One Fan’s Recommended Vinyl Listening Experience for The Beatles

Question. How do you write an article about the best Beatles’ albums to listen to on vinyl? It’s a pretty daunting task. After all, The Beatles are arguably the greatest band of all time. The shear number of articles and books that have been written about them seems to be near infinite at this point.  What could I say that hasn’t already been said? Then it dawned on me. Feelings. How did I feel when I listened to each particular album on this list? Is there a sentimental meaning for me towards a particular album? That would be unique. And that’s what I did.

So for my list of favorite Beatles’ albums to listen to on vinyl, I based my decisions off of feelings I have towards a particular record. And just to make the list a little more diverse, I tried to focus on “lesser known” albums. Which is particularly difficult to do, again greatest band of all time. Finally, I included solo albums on this list because why not?

Ringo Starr: Beaucoups of Blues

When I first heard that Ringo Starr had recorded a country and western album in 1970, to say I was surprised would be an understatement. In fact, I remember thinking, “Who would want to listen to that? That sounds terrible!” Well eventually I did, and boy was I surprised. I was surprised by how great it was. I was surprised by how well Ringo’s vocal style fits into the country and western genre. I was surprised by how much I liked it. I was surprised! It’s a great feeling to be caught off guard, and I was caught off guard with this album. It made me realize how greatly underappreciated Ringo’s solo catalog is. How you could still find a hidden gem from a member of The Beatles, and this is truly hidden gem. Search for it, and give it a shot.

Paul McCartney and Wings: Wings Over America

If you have never seen Paul McCartney live, you are truly missing out. I am blessed to be able to say I’ve seen him five times over the course of the last ten years, but being born in the 1980s, I will never be able to see Paul perform as a young man. But in a way, that’s okay, because I have Wings Over America. A triple LP of Wings’ 1976 World Tour, this album transplants me to the mid 70s. Whenever I listen to it, I imagine myself in a beanbag chair, dropping the needle on the turntable, putting on my 1970s oversized head phones, and being transplanted to one of the single greatest live concert experiences of all time. For me, the benchmark of great music is whether or not it can take me away from my worries. This album does just that.

John Lennon: Mind Games

Story time. I became a fan of the Beatles when I watched the movie “Help!” with my older sister. Watching that movie with her gave me an appreciate of the Beatles that I carry to this very day. And it was that movie where John Lennon stood out from everyone else, and became my favorite Beatle. But for the longest time, I would never listen to his solo work. His music with the Beatles was just so perfect, why would I listen to anything else? Well that all change when I walked into an independent bookstore in Chicago, and came across Mind Games. Obviously I had heard of Lennon’s album Imagine, but Mind Games was something completely new to me. Something I had never heard of. (This was before the time of Google and Wikipedia.) And so for the small price of $2 I took a chance, and purchased the album. Till this day, one of the single best decision I have ever made. This is the album that made me realize that Lennon’s solo work was just as great as his work in The Beatles. This is the album that cemented Lennon as my favorite Beatle of all time. So every time I listen to it, I am reminded of this, and it makes me smile.

George Harrison: All Things Must Pass

Much like John Lennon’s album Mind Games, All Things Must Pass is the album that made me a fan of George Harrison’s solo work.  It is without a doubt, the best solo Beatles’ album ever released. It’s a masterpiece, and every autumn, when we get our first chill in the air, I’ll spend a weekend and listen to it in its entirety. It’s a tradition I plan to do for as long as possible. For it was in the fall of 2000 that I first heard this album on vinyl and was engulfed by the “Wall of Sound”. I think the fact that I still remember how I first heard it, is a testament to its greatness.

The Beatles: Rubber Soul

Rubber Soul is my all time favorite Beatles album. I see it as this perfect bridge between the pop/rock of A Hard Day’s Night and Eight Days a Week to the experiment music of A Day in the Life, and The Abbey Road melodies. It’s pure magic listening to this album on vinyl. I feel like Rubber Soul caught the vibe of 1965, and holds that vibe forever in each and every groove of the record. But the true greatness for me is, whenever I am feeling low or depressed, I put Rubber Soul on my turntable, and within the first few notes of Drive My Car, I’m already beginning feeling better. I mean, how could I not? I’m listening to the Beatles and I’m listening to Rubber Soul, how can life not get better?