Track Listing

1. Hard Day's Night, A
2. I Should Have Known Better
3. If I Fell
4. I'm Happy Just To Dance With You
5. And I Love Her
6. Tell Me Why
7. Can't Buy Me Love
8. Any Time At All
9. I'll Cry Instead
10. Things We Said Today
11. When I Get Home
12. You Can't Do That
13. I'll Be Back
14. Hard Day's Night Mini Documentary, A

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #304 in Music
• Released on: 2009-09-09
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .20 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Strummmmm! That dramatic guitar chord that kicks of A Hard Day's Night (album, song, movie) still jumps right out at you, slaps you in the face, and jump-starts your heart. And you know what? Both the music and the film are still as crisp and lively as they were in 1964. Of course, only the first seven songs are actually in the movie (and they are the strongest of the bunch, from the rousing rock & roll of title track and the hit single "Can't Buy Me Love", to the beautiful ballads "If I Fell" and "And I Love Her"). But nobody's going to complain about having songs like "I'll Cry Instead" and "Things We Said Today" in the second half of the record; they certainly don't feel like leftovers. Yet another high-point for John, Paul, George, and Ringo--four fab fellows who hit the highest heights imaginable. --Jim Emerson

CD Description
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT was the first Beatles album of all-original material, and the first to feature George Harrison playing his Rickenbacker electric 12-string guitar (on the opening chord of "A Hard Day's Night," for instance). The distinctive sound of the 12-string inspired countless guitarists including Roger McGuinn and David Crosby of the Byrds. The filmfrom which these songs hail remains a classic combination of happy 1960s naivete and nascent hipster wit. Many of the most important rock bands to emerge in the latter half of the'60s came into being because of A HARD DAY'S NIGHT's irresistible vibrancy. The tunes flow like the finest red wine, asthe title track leads to the glorious harmonica of "I Should Have Known Better" and the powerfully poignant "If I Fell."

Customer Reviews

The First �Real� Beatles Album
"A Hard Day's Night" not only was the de facto soundtrack for the Beatles movie, not only was it the first Beatles album to be nothing but originals (all penned by Lennon-McCartney), but it found the Beatles truly coming into their own as a band. All of the disparate influences on their first two albums had coalesced into a bright, joyous, original sound, filled with ringing guitars and irresistible melodies. "A Hard Day's Night" is where the Beatles became mythical, but this is the sound of Beatlemania in all of its giddy glory. Decades after its original release, its punchy blend of propulsive rhythms, jingly guitars, and infectious, sing along melodies is remarkably fresh.

There is something intrinsically exciting in the sound of the album itself, something to keep the record vital, years after its recording. Even more impressive are the songs themselves (obviously). Not only are the melodies forceful and memorable, but also Lennon and McCartney have found a number of variations to their basic Merseybeat style, from the brash "Can't Buy Me Love" and "Any Time At All" through the gentle "If I Fell" to the tough folk-rock of "I'll Cry Instead". It's possible to hear both songwriters develop their own distinctive voices on the album, but, overall, "A Hard Day's Night" stands as a testament to their collaborative powers- never again did they write together so well and so easily, choosing to pursue their own routes.

John Lennon and Paul McCartney must have known how strong the material was/is- they threw the pleasant trifle "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You" to George and didn't give anything to Ringo to sing. That may have been a little selfish, but it hardly hurts the album, since everything on the record is performed with genuine glee and excitement. It's the pinnacle of the Beatles early years.

This is a truly great album; it's one of my favourites. If you haven't got it-you're crazy!

A Hard Album To Put Down...
This is the Beatles' third album, and is the first one where every song has been written by the Beatles themselves. And what a good effort!

Not only does the album begin with probably one of the most famous Beatles songs ever, with that exact unidentifiable chord being struck to begin the highly-charged 'A Hard Day's Night', which came from a Ringo-ism, but this album also contains quite a huge number of songs that could quite easily have been singles and done very well in the charts - 'I Should Have Known Better', 'If I Fell', 'Things We Said Today' (which is one of my all-time favourite Beatles songs!) and 'I'll Be Back'. And of course the equally well-known 'Can't Buy Me Love' certainly does the album no harm.

There are quite a range of songs on this album - from the almost old-style rock 'n' roller 'I'm Happy Just To Dance With You', to the quite Bluesy 'I'll Cry Instead', to the love ballad of 'And I Love Her', and this album really does show the true potential of the Beatles as songwriters as every song has something to offer.

This album is worth getting for the high quality of all the songs alone, but I think it is the first album the Beatles did which has so many potential hits, something which they pride themselves on in future albums.

In my opinion:
Best Song = "Things We Said Today"
Weakest Song = "Any Time At All".

Should be on all classic album lists
This is the first Beatles album to consist wholly of self-penned material at a time when probably only Bob Dylan could boast the same. Moreover, it sounds almost like a greatest hits collection, such is the consistently high quality. You'll do well to find as formidable a set of songs as this by just about any other artist. As such, 'A Hard Day's Night' shouldn't be forgotten when thinking about all-time best albums. These are the sort of studio creations that made The Beatles the best in the first place.

The title track and 'Can't Buy Me Love' are the flagship tracks, but try finding anything less than stunning amongst the rest. 'When I Get Home' and perhaps 'I'm Happy Just To Dance With You' are the only instances I can find. The latin-flavoured 'And I Love Her' shows their mastery of the slow pop song as does 'If I Fell'. 'Things We Said Today' is bewitching and 'You Can't Do That' is a gutsy John Lennon song. 'Any Time At All' might be described as a production line Beatles song, but this is a production line that produces Rolls-Royces. An irresistibly enjoyable half-hour.