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THE BEATLES - ONE'S - 1'S (IMPORT 2LP)

THE BEATLES/1'S (IMPORT 2LP)

Proving yet again their willingness to dice 'n' slice their burgeoning legacy into new--if not exactly fresh--product, the Fab Four Minus One have released this single-disc compendium of their No. 1 hits. Though obviously superfluous to the faithful (who may also find themselves quibbling over the precise definition of 'No. 1 hit' and the exclusion of seeming contenders like 'Please Please Me' and 'Strawberry Fields'), newly arrived visitors from the Pleiades star cluster and other neophytes will find it a concise and generous (nearly 80 minutes) single-disc introduction to the band's career-spanning, unparalleled dominance of pop music in the 1960s. But beyond being a mere trophy case of commercial success (and it won't be hard to find critics who'll argue that these singles aren't even the band's best work), it's also a Cliff's Notes take on a remarkable seven-year run of musical evolution, one that stretches from the neo-skiffle of 'Love Me Do' through a remarkable synthesis of R&B, rockabilly, Tin Pan Alley, gospel, country, and classical that still defies efforts to effectively deconstruct it. This is the pop monument equivalent of the '27 Yankees and '90s Bulls; it's every bit as obvious and dominating--and just as essential.

1. Love Me Do 
2. From Me to You 
3. She Loves You 
4. I Want to Hold Your Hand 
5. Can't Buy Me Love 
6. A Hard Day's Night 
7. I Feel Fine 
8. Eight Days a Week 
9. Ticket to Ride 
10. Help! 
11. Yesterday 
12. Day Tripper 
13. We Can Work It Out 
14. Paperback Writer 
15. Yellow Submarine 
16. Eleanor Rigby 
17. Penny Lane 
18. All You Need Is Love 
19. Hello Goodbye 
20. Lady Madonna 
21. Hey Jude 
22. Get Back 
23. The Ballad of John & Yoko 
24. Something 
25. Come Together 
26. Let It Be 
27. The Long and Winding Road