With the Beatles [CD], The Beatles, CD

This is the one that turned the world upside-down. Released as its creators evolved from pop group to phenomenon, WITH THE BEATLES both affirmed promise and proclaimed genius. A slew of memorable Lennon/McCartney compositions embraced pop at its most multi-faceted, robust, melancholic, excited, and wistful. Their grasp of melody and harmony startled, yet for every unusual chord sequence employed, the Beatles' vigor and sense of purpose remained true. Influences and mentors were acknowledged by a handful of cover versions, but the strength of the album lies in the group's own creations. WITH THE BEATLES freed artists to record their own material, and the course of pop was irrevocably changed.