Live at the BBC

Bruce Beatlefan (July 20, 2005)

Well over two hours of material...and you're sorry when "Love Me Do", the final track, fades out. This 2-CD set contains performances of most of their early familiar numbers (a rippin' version of the underrated "Thank You Girl"), a lot of entertaining camaraderie with the DeeJays...and the real treasure, which is a staggering collection of over thirty covers of early rock standards, long-forgotten classics, and some oddity songs all of which are given the unique Beatles treatment. They make an Ann-Margret song rock ("I Just Don't Understand"), they perform some very convincing Country and Western ("Sure to Fall", "I Forgot to Remember to Forget", others), there are some half-serious novelties ("Honeymoon Song", "Clarabella")...George gets a lot of room here that he didn't get in the early Beatles' albums, and anyone who thinks Ringo couldn't drum should give this a listen. Absolute best parts for me: aforementioned songs, "Some Other Guy", "Lonesome Tears in My Eyes", "Hard Days Night" fadeout, John singing "Honey Don't". As indispensible as Sgt. Pepper.