THE BEATLES Beatles For Sale Vinyl Record LP Parlophone 1964 UK Mono 1st Pressing 3N/4N RLL/1 RLH

The Beatles - Beatles For Sale
(Original UK Mono 1st Pressing with Black/Yellow Parlophone Label with 'THE PARLOPHONE CO. LTD.', 'RECORDING FIRST PUBLISHED 1964' and 'SOLD IN U.K...' Label Text. Housed in Laminated Garrod & Lofthouse internal-loading Gatefold Sleeve with outline "mono" on front cover, complete with polylined 'Emitex' inner sleeve. KT Tax Code is embossed on side 2 label. 3N/4N Matrix)


Format: Vinyl Record - LP Album (33 rpm)
Country: UK
Year: 1964
Label: Parlophone
Catalogue No. PMC 1240

Matrix / Runout (Side A, runout, stamped): XEX 503 - 3N 25 RLL
Matrix / Runout (Side B, runout, stamped): XEX 504 - 4N 1 RLH

Condition: VG+/EX (Sleeve is in clean condition. It has small laminate creases and a small laminate bubble next to spine. The vinyl is in excellent clean condition with some light signs of play)


Track Listing:
1. No Reply
2. I'm A Loser
3. Baby's In Black
4. Rock And Roll Music
5. I'll Follow The Sun
6. Mr. Moonlight
7. Kansas City
8. Eight Days A Week
9. Words Of Love
10. Honey Don't
11. Every Little Thing
12. I Don't Want To Spoil The Party
13. What You're Doing
14. Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby

Beatles for Sale, The Beatles' fourth studio album released in late 1964, is a fascinating sonic snapshot of a band in transition, capturing the moment their ebullient early energy collided with the intense fatigue of global stardom. This album is a compelling departure from the simple, upbeat pop that defined their previous work, introducing darker, more introspective lyrics and a mood of weary reflection.
 

The album art, featuring the Fab Four in a subdued, shadowy pose, immediately signals a shift from the bright charm of A Hard Day's Night. This introspective atmosphere carries into the music, particularly John Lennon's autobiographical compositions like "I'm a Loser" and "No Reply," which reveal an artist beginning to look inward, influenced by the lyrical depth of Bob Dylan, whom the band had recently met.
 

Pressed for time due to a relentless touring schedule, the album seamlessly blends eight strong original compositions with six roaring covers of their rock and roll roots from artists like Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins. These covers, far from being filler, like Lennon's brilliant take on "Rock and Roll Music," crackle with the raw energy of their live shows and stand as testaments to their musical foundations.
 

Beatles for Sale is a complex, transitional work where the exhaustion is palpable but the innovation undeniable. It's an album where you hear the last echoes of Merseybeat pop meeting the first hints of the mature, experimental direction that would fully bloom in subsequent releases like Rubber Soul. It holds its own as a brilliant, if imperfect, testament to The Beatles' rapid creative evolution under immense pressure.