20 GREATEST HITS

If you are in the mood for some Beatles you might want to look elsewhere as there are better compilations available, but this is Ok for a slice of The Beatles greatness. The usual standards are found here such as Love Me Do, From Me To You, She Loves You and I Want To Hold Your Hand. For me I prefer the later tracks where The Beatles became more innovative but I can still listen without skipping to A Hard Day's Night, I Feel Fine and Ticket To Ride.

Side 2 is superior though with brilliant Beatles such as Paperback Writer, such a great track well sung by Paul, and an awesome guitar riff. I always love to hear Eleanor Rigby and All You Need Is Love, with their more complex structures and studio trickery. Get Back is another highlight and it ends with The Ballad Of John And Yoko.

Overall not too bad as a small detour from other bands you might be into, but The Beatles have so much more to offer and this is only the tip of the iceberg.

With the Beatles you always go on the safe side, but in this compilation (published 20 years after their first success) a lot of things does not work. First of all: why is not there any song by Sgt Pepper and Abbey Road? It seems incredible that they are missing both "With A Little Help From My Friends" and "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds"; and they are missing "Something" and "Come Together" (two sides A of the same single): in this way there is no songs of Harrison. Great mistake! But also "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever" (great masterpiece) are missing (they are also two sides A of the same single). And this is another crime.

Note that in the US edition of "20 Greatest Hites" there are "Penny Lane" and "Come Together". Still on the subject of singles: there are both "Yellow Submarine" and "Eleonor Rigby", two sides A of the same single. And the question comes spontaneously: "Yellow Submarine"???? Please, take it off and get one of the four songs mentioned above!

Another difference with the American edition (which, you will understand, is much better) is the absence of "Eight Days a Week" and "Yesterday", two songs released as singles in the United States, where they reached the first place. Then again, why shorten "Hey Hude"? Reasons for time, I guess, but ... what a bad thing to cut it!!! Another question: why the last song is "The Ballad of John and Yoko"? It is mediocre and unimportant! You could end up with "Let It Be" (present in the US version)!

Bad selection of songs. based on the most commercial singles. Vote 6,5. Rating: Two Stars.