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From: Nil <rednoise9@rednoise9.invalid>
Newsgroups: rec.music.beatles
Subject: Re: The "Hey Jude" album
Date: Mon, 09 Jun 2025 16:59:23 -0400
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On 09 Jun 2025, super70s <super70s@super70s.invalid> wrote in
rec.music.beatles: 

> I was just reading a Billboard article about the 50th anniversary
> of Elton John's 1975 "Captain Fantastic" album which has the
> distinction of being the first album to enter the Billboard Hot
> 200 album chart at No. 1. It noted prior to that the highest any
> album had entered the chart was a Van Cliburn classical LP at No.
> 2, and the highest any contemporary pop or rock album was the
> Beatles' 1970 "Hey Jude" album (aka "The Beatles Again") at No. 3,
> along with a couple of Led Zeppelin albums ("III" and "Physical
> Graffiti") also at No. 3. 
> 
> I remember buying the "Hey Jude" album when it came out but I
> wouldn't have guessed it was their highest debut on the chart up
> to that point, out of all the great albums they put out. The album
> wasn't released in the UK until 1979. I presume it's been released
> on CD (so Capitol can make a few more bucks) but other than
> sentimental value there's no real point in owning it on CD since
> all the songs (with the exception of the early "Hard Day's Night"
> tracks "Can't Buy Me Love" and "I Should Have Known Better") are
> included on Vol. 2 of the "Past Masters" discs. 

I'm pretty sure it's never been released on CD. Other compilations have 
made it functionally unnecessary, although I think some of the mixes 
are unique to that release, which might make it attractive to 
collectors.

I bought it when it first released, too. Its main value to me was so I 
had stereo versions of some songs that I only had on mono before that, 
but otherwise I never thought it made for a very satisfying listening 
experience. Even to my naive teenage ears it smelled like a contractual 
obligation, haphazard and not well-sequenced. Even the title, "Hey 
Jude" seemed thoughtless. "The Beatles Again" would have been better, 
though not very exciting.

I guess I understand that it was intended to bring together tracks that 
had never appeared on LP before (the Hard Day's Night tracks were the 
true stereo versions that were in fake stereo on the UA soundtrack 
album), but they even missed a few that might have improved it, like 
"I'm Down" and "The Inner Light". 

Also, I find the cover photo disturbing. They all look stoned and 
depressed, and like they'd rather be anywhere but there. There's no 
joy. And I believe it was their last group photo session, so I guess 
what I sensed may have been real.