"With the Beatles" is the second studio album by the English rock band the Beatles, released on November 22, 1963, on Parlophone. Just eight months after their debut album Please Please Me, it showcased the band's rapid evolution in sound, with a mix of eight original compositions and six covers, heavily influenced by rock and roll and Motown R&B.
Unlike the rushed sessions for their debut, With the Beatles was recorded over several months, spanning seven sessions between July and October 1963. The band worked on various covers like Smokey Robinson's "You Really Got a Hold on Me", Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven", and Barrett Strong's "Money (That's What I Want)". Among the original tracks, standout songs included Lennon and McCartney’s "All My Loving" and "It Won't Be Long", as well as George Harrison's first solo composition "Don't Bother Me", marking a significant moment in the band's early history.
The recording sessions were intense, with the Beatles balancing both their burgeoning fame and the demands of consistent music production. George Martin, the band's producer, played a crucial role, overseeing the sessions at EMI's Abbey Road Studios, while their manager Brian Epstein pushed for regular releases. At the time, the Beatles were expected to release two albums and four singles annually, a grueling schedule they navigated with remarkable productivity.
The album’s iconic black-and-white cover photograph was taken by Robert Freeman, who had previously worked with the band. Inspired by their Hamburg days, the cover portrayed the band in moody half-shadow, creating a striking, more serious image than their debut album’s cover. The photograph was taken in a corridor of the Palace Court Hotel in Bournemouth and was a key moment in the Beatles' increasing involvement in their image and artwork. Despite initial resistance from EMI, who requested a more traditional approach, the band's persistence led to the approval of the now-legendary design.
The album features a diverse mix of styles, primarily rock and roll and rhythm and blues, but it also reflects the influence of Motown, Chuck Berry, and 1950s rock music. The Beatles’ performances were increasingly sophisticated, with tight harmonies and energetic instrumentation that would later come to define their sound. The original compositions leaned into themes of love and longing, but with "Don't Bother Me", Harrison introduced a darker, more introspective tone, hinting at his evolving songwriting style. Tracks like "All My Loving" and "It Won't Be Long" showed McCartney’s blossoming talent for complex melody and arrangement, while Lennon’s lyrics continued to reflect his wit and emotional depth. The album marked a key moment in their creative growth as they began to step away from purely cover-based material and embrace their own identity as songwriters.
Upon its release, With the Beatles was met with commercial success, topping the UK albums chart for 21 weeks. It became the first album to sell a million copies in Britain. The album also spent 51 consecutive weeks in the UK charts, a feat that remains unmatched in the UK. With the Beatles was critically acclaimed for its stronger originals compared to Please Please Me and for the band's increasing maturity in both their songwriting and performances.
Despite its success, the album’s release in the United States was somewhat fractured. The tracks from With the Beatles were split between Meet the Beatles! and The Beatles' Second Album, both released by Capitol Records. This resulted in a somewhat fragmented listening experience for American audiences, but the album still contributed to the Beatles' rising fame across the Atlantic.
In the decades following its release, With the Beatles was included in numerous "best albums" lists, including Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (#420) and 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. The album was also one of the first to showcase the Beatles’ potential as both musicians and cultural icons, paving the way for their more experimental work in the years to come.
Notable tracks include "All My Loving", a highlight of McCartney’s songwriting, known for its upbeat tempo and intricate guitar work, "It Won't Be Long", a fast-paced track showcasing Lennon’s energetic vocal style and the band’s growing sophistication, "Don't Bother Me", Harrison's first self-penned track, marking a pivotal moment in his development as a songwriter, and "Money (That's What I Want)", a powerful R&B cover that showed the Beatles’ roots in American rock and roll.
Upon its release, With the Beatles was praised for its growth as a band, blending original tracks with classic rock covers. Peter Jones of Record Mirror hailed it as an improvement over Please Please Me, while John Harris of The Guardian noted the album’s artwork and sound as a reflection of the Beatles’ increasing maturity.
The album was reissued in 1987 on CD and again in 2009 in both stereo and mono formats as part of the Beatles' remastered catalog.
With the Beatles was a pivotal moment in the band’s career, establishing them not only as pop stars but as serious artists who would soon begin experimenting with new forms and sounds, ultimately transforming popular music in the process. It is a key album in their catalog and a significant marker of their rapid development during their early years.
