You like With The Beatles better than all other early Beatles albums? Even Beatles For Sale and Hard Days Night?

For Sale is a really low point. Hard's Day Night has an entire side of filler.

With the Beatles is where it's at - there's a lot of diversity there - early ska (All I've Got to Do), country (All My Loving), calypso (Don't Bother Me), schmaltz (Till There Was You)

so yeah!

For Sale a low point? I think it's great, so many gems.

only about three for me - No Reply, I'm a Loser and I'll Follow the Sun

terrible, terrible covers - Mr. Moonlight, Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey and Rock and Roll Music

Every Little Thing, Baby's in Black, Eight Day's a Week, Honey Don't, What You Doing, Everybody's Trying to be my Baby... I think it's really strong.

There's a duff track or two on most of their albums, but they're far-outweighed by the great content, For Sale is no different for me. It also marks quite an important progression for the band, lyrically and musically. It's more introspective than their previous albums, whilst the growing influence of folk is heard really for the first time, to me it lay's the foundations for albums such as Help! and Rubber Soul.

But hey, I'm not trying to convince you it's great. Different strokes for different folks.

But maybe you are just trying to make connections retrospectively there, The Beatles didn't really know what direction their music would go in next. They were moving away from covers and from early rock n'roll numbers but perhaps that reflected the change in the music around them as well. I actually remember quite liking both With The Beatles and Help, and perhaps they are the best of the early albums.

Well... no, I'm basing my judgement upon my own personal listening experience. I happen to think For Sale is great, and having any modicum of knowledge for the Beatles early work, it's quite clearly the album that represents a turning point between their previous Merseybeat style and mid-career folk-inflected material. Of course such a progression was influenced to a point by external factors... that kind of goes without saying.

Whatever historical significance it may or may not have had for them as far as the success of the actual music on the album most people seem to think it was inconsistent. Also, thankfully, with The Beatles it isn't rock critics who guide perception of their albums as millions of people have actually heard them. Of course you can like and listen to what you want and no doubt some out there will find it more to their liking.

Help! is my favorite Beatles album, great from start to finish. Help!, Ticket To Ride, You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, all great songs.

My dad's obsessed with The Beatles. He has a load of merchandise, posters, he even has all of their albums on Vinyl. He has "The White Album", "Rubber Soul", "Revolver", "Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club band", "Magical Mystery Tour", "Abbey Road" I think he needs Help!