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List Price: $18.98 | | Label: Capitol
Salesrank: 4644
Released: October 25, 1990 |
| Our Price: $8.15 |
| Used Price: $4.13 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Beatles for Sale (1990) Track Listing:
1. No Reply
2. I'm a Loser
3. Baby's in Black
4. Rock and Roll Music
5. I'll Follow the Sun
6. Mr. Moonlight
7. Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey! [Medley]
8. Eight Days a Week
9. Words of Love
10. Honey Don't
11. Every Little Thing
12. I Don't Want to Spoil the Party
13. What You're Doing
14. Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby
15. Beatles for Sale Mini-Documentary [Multimedia]
Editorial Review:
A testament to the abundance of perseverance and talent within the Beatles' ranks, their fourth album was recorded in and around a busy North American and British tour schedule. Beatles For Sale also marked their last full-length release loaded with cover songs, as the Fab Four moved towards writing more of their own material. Interspersed between Beatles classics such as "Eight Days a Week" and the Dylan-inspired "I'm a Loser" are faithful renditions of songs by Buddy Holly and Carl Perkins (featuring the only lead vocals by Ringo Starr and George Harrison on this album). The frenetic, inspired take on Chuck Berry's "Rock And Roll Music" is only superseded by a tremendous medley of "Kansas City" and "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey," that finds Paul McCartney's exuberant vocals comparing admirably to his hero Little Richard, providing a vibrant centerpiece on Beatles For Sale. EMI. 2005.
Description of Beatles for Sale (1990):
Banged out in a hurry for the 1964 Christmas market, Beatles for Sale sometimes sounds it, loaded with ill-conceived covers and some of John Lennon's most self-loathing lyrics. On the other hand, the people doing the banging-out were the Beatles, whose instincts for what worked musically were so strong that they could basically do no wrong--any record that has "Baby's in Black," "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" and the delectable "Eight Days a Week" on it is only "minor" in the most relative sense. And, though their voices had been frazzled a bit by constant touring, they revved them up for some joyous shouting, and indulged their fondness for American country in subtle, playful ways. --Douglas Wolk
Beatles for Sale (1990) Reviews:
Great but critically underappreciated album 
2009-12-14 - I didn't hear this album until I was in my 20's and started buying British Imports. As another reviewer wrote, the songs on this album were distributed in America on Beatles '65 and Beatles VI and the songlists on those albums made more musical sense than the 14 songs on this album. By the same token, I think the American Rubber Soul is a stronger album and works better than the British version. Anyway, I love the opening of "I'm A Loser" with the echo on the strummed 12-string guitar, Paul's "I'll Follow The Sun", the chorus to "Baby's In Black" with its soaring 2-part harmony, the two tributes to Carl Perkins with Ringo's "Honey Don't" and George's "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby". John's aching opening plea to "Mr. Moonlight". The American version, Beatles '65 also contained "I Feel Fine" and "She's A Woman", which I think were better choices than some of the other songs that made it onto Beatles For Sale. I wish Capitol would release the American albums in the remastered format as well.
Yes, the Beatles look tired on the cover of the album but it's still a classic photo by Robert Freeman. I don't think this is a weak album at all, even after following A Hard Day's Night. It's well-worth making it a part of your collection.
Beatles For Sale (Remastered)
Great Beatles album 
2009-11-24 - Reviewing a Beatles album is no easy task. I think only diehard fans or critics would even attempt it. Everyone else is just giving their opinion. Not quite right? I suppose those who listened to popular music in the sixties would attempt it as well. Again, everyone else is just giving their opinion or betraying their taste in music. For starters, the Beatles music changed from disc to disc. They played a variety of music and were not confined to rock 'n' roll. this disc falls into their mersey-beat era but it is transitional as well and points to the future. If you are someone who does not appreciate 50's rock, or who does not appreciate early-mid sixties British pop and rock, look elsewhere I say. To each his own. If you like trippy music, try their later stuff. This record is just really solid poprock, countryrock and plain old fashioned rock 'n' roll circa 1964. Everyone else doesn't have to like it. In 1964-65, this was really good stuff. I'm saying that and I'm not old enough to remember this disc being released. But I do like a lot of sixties music and can recognize talent and creativity when I hear it. This has always been one of my favorite Beatles albums because of the variety of music. And the thing that I see most reviewers complain about, the lack of originals, is, to me, a bonus! The Beatles were, first and foremost, a performing group. The did play their instruments, and most of their early recordings were practically cut live, just the four of them playing and singing together. Pretty amazing! So this disc is a chance to hear those great cover version they used to play in the clubs with a little added production. Pretty cool. So , no. I enjoy those covers as much as the originals. As another reviewer stated so wisely, this records "faults" are it's virtues. (I'm paraphrasing) For me (and this is my opinion), this record, along with a few others, represents the Beatles very well. And, by the way, all the years I have been listening to it, I never noticed that this album sound ragged and rushed. Isn't that how they sounded night after night playing all those club dates from way back when? And people still loved to hear them.
Digipack or Eco-Wallet?
2009-11-24 - These remasters sound much better than the previous editions.
But the discs come in Eco-wallet cases, not Digipacks.
This means that you don't keep the disc in a plastic tray,
instead, you slide it into the Eco-wallet sleeve.
The difference is that in Digipacks, the surface of the disc is NOT in contact with the plastic, preventing it from scratches, while in Eco-wallets the whole surface of the disc (both sides) comes into contact with the sleeves.
Has anyone seen signs of wear beacause of this on his discs?
Pure pop for now people
2009-11-23 - Of all the Beatles albums, this one may the most misunderstood. George's jangly Rickenbacker guitar and the moody quality of the Lennon-McCartney originals on this outing, coming at the end of their 1964 teen-pop explosion, not only looked forward to the elegant folk pop of the following year's more refined Rubber Soul, but seemed more than any other of the early recordings in the Beatles catalog to have launched the entire second wave of the British invasion and its American (and global) counterpart, from the Byrds to the Kinks to early Bee Gees and Cat Stevens. It's the most Crosby Stills and Nash of all the Beatles records, and I think I know which way the influence was flowing. To ears also attuned to the DIY ethos of punk and New Wave, to Nick Lowe and the Smiths and Galaxie 500, as well as the obscure twee and indie pop of the 1990s, the Beatles for Sale LP also slips on like a familiar sweatshirt. All in all, it's a hugely important record stylistically, easily the most enjoyable of the Fab Four's first four albums right down to the entertainingly quirky choice of cover versions, and "Eight Days a Week" is just one dandy pop song, one of the tastiest morsels in the entire Beatles candy box. Beatles for Sale is easily my favourite of the group's albums until they came to full rock-and-roll flower in 1967 and after, when finely-crafted studio albums from Sgt Pepper's to The White Album knock it out of the water. Still, if this sweetly moody little record were the only thing the Beatles had ever sold, I'd still buy it.
Weary Beatles lack consistency but not creativity
2009-11-08 - 'Beatles For Sale' is generally regarded as one of the weaker efforts from the Fab Four. Certainly, compared to the all-original 'A Hard Day's Night', an album containing only eight originals and six covers should be seen as a let-down. It's also common knowledge that the band sound very tired and world-weary on the album, as if fame and relentless touring and exhuasted and jaded them. All of this is true. However, despite all this, 'Beatles For Sale' is still a strong album. The resigned, weary feel of the album actually suits the more introspective, Dylan-influenced songs the band have written, and the best songs here showcase a maturing of The Beatles' sound that would become more evident over coming albums.
John Lennon, especially, is beginning to develop the biting, confessional style that would characterise his later work; `No Reply' (a girl who won't answer his calls), `I'm A Loser' (losing his girl affecting his self-worth), `Baby's In Black' (love for a girl who mourns another man), and `I Don't Want To Spoil The Party' (leaving alone rather than sour the mood) are all outstanding examples of this. All four songs showcase more complex and downbeat emotions, in contrast to the boy-like enthusiasm and optimism of their early albums. McCartney's songs aren't as explicitly confessional, but there's a similar sense of insecurity and doubt in `What You're Doing', while the wistful `I'll Follow The Sun' is one of his most under-rated, emotionally affecting ballads.
Among all this introspection, the bright melodies and chiming guitars of `Eight Days A Week' is actually a bit of a surprise. It's clearly the song that most harks back to their infectious early work, although there are still signs of development such as the fade-in and stop/start bridge.
The covers, however, are what let the album down. Sure, the band's first few albums had covers, but these were often inspired, unconventional choices; girl-group, doo-wop, show tunes, and obscure B-sides. In contrast, on 'Beatles For Sale' the band run through fairly standard rock and roll covers; Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Little Richard and Carl Perkins. They're not bad choices, just unimaginative ones. And the execution of these songs is a bit flawed; George Harrison's heavily processed, echoed voice on 'Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby' makes him sound like he's singing through a tin can. And Lennon himself acknowledged his cover of 'Mister Moonlight' was an embarrassment, so perhaps we can all be honest about that one.
The sheer number of covers and their workmanlike-but-not-great execution means the album is a bit too inconsistent to rank among their best work. However, the eight original songs alone are worth buying the album for. That's the deal with `Beatles For Sale'; not perfect, and certainly not their greatest, but its best songs showcase a rapid musical and lyrical development from the band, and cancel out the occasional mis-steps and awkward moments.
Four stars.
