The Red (1962-1966) and Blue (1967-1970) albums were compiled and released in the spring of 1973, a year when the legend of The Beatles was even bigger than it had been when the group was together. Less greatest-hits collections than surveys of The Beatles' high points, the two double albums became essential introductions for fans who came aboard after The Beatles broke up. For millions of music lovers born after the mid-50s, these have been and always will be where The Beatles experience begins. Finally, both are on audiophile-quality vinyl editions, mastered from the original analog U.K. master tapes by Sean Magee at Abbey Road! All of the "fake stereo" mixes are replaced with the original, true mono.
 
By 1973 it was becoming clear that the breakup of The Beatles was not going to be, as many had believed, a temporary thing. There was still widespread hope that they would reunite at some point, but their continued success as solo artists made it apparent that the four former Beatles were serious about going their separate ways. The Beatles had never had a career spanning Best-Of or Greatest Hits - in a very real senses all of their LPs were Greatest Hits albums. They had more hit singles that could fit on even a double album, and to complicate things, some of the group's most important songs - "A Day In The Life," "The Fool On The Hill" and in England even "Yesterday" - were not released as singles.
 
The Red and Blue albums had to tell The Beatles' story in limited time, necessarily leaving out many big songs while conveying a sense of the whole history of the group. The collections do a superb job of condensing a rich and complicated musical journey into four discs that move easily through a range of styles. The Red album gathers most of The Beatles early hits from the band's formative yet trailblazing years 1962-1966 and covers material off of the albums Please Please Me through to Revolver. 
 
The Beatles 1962-1966 (The Red Album) Track Listing:
 
LP1
1.  Love Me Do
2.  Please Please Me
3.  From Me To You
4.  She Loves You
5.  I Want To Hold Your Hand
6.  All My Loving
7.  Can't Buy Me Love
8.  A Hard Day's Night
9.  And I Love Her
10. Eight Days A Week
11. I Feel Fine
12. Ticket To Ride
13. Yesterday
 
LP2
1.  Help!
2.  You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
3.  We Can Work It Out
4.  Day Tripper
5.  Drive My Car
6.  Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
7.  Nowhere Man
8.  Michelle
9.  In My Life
10. Girl
11. Paperback Writer
12. Eleanor Rigby
13. Yellow Submarine