Bruce Spizer wrote the liner notes for the new vinyl box The Beatles U.S. 1964 Albums in Mono, and here he digs into the history of these reconfigured U.S. Capitol albums, from Meet the Beatles! through Beatles ’65 and The Early Beatles. Spizer is a New Orleans tax lawyer and CPA, and that expertise has helped him untangle the Beatles’ early dealings with labels such as Chicago’s Vee-Jay. Capitol executive Dave Dexter passed on the Beatles four times before being put in charge of their U.S. releases, and Spizer details how Dexter added singles and cut out other songs to create the albums that introduced millions of listeners to the Beatles. Then there’s the sound of this all-analog-from-the-original-masters collection, with Spizer discussing how the U.S. mixes were different and sometimes more exciting than their U.K. counterparts.

Whether you’re a lifelong Beatles devotee or just discovering the magic of their early U.S. releases, this Caropop episode is a must-listen.

Mark Caro, 12/26/2024

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