The Beatles: John Lennon, George Harrison (vocals, guitar); Paul McCartney (vocals, bass guitar); Ringo Starr (vocals, drums).

Recording information: 1963 - 1965.

The second volume of Capitol's box set reissues of the Beatles' American album releases is tailor-made for collectors. The Beatles albums currently available on CD are based on the original British issues, so THE CAPITOL ALBUMS marks the CD debut of THE EARLY BEATLES, BEATLES IV, HELP!, and RUBBER SOUL, all of which were released in the U.S. in 1964.

The songs appear in both their mono and stereo mixes (the latter is a particular enticement since the tracks from, say, BEATLES FOR SALE were previously available only in mono). The set also features the original stereo mixes of HELP! and RUBBER SOUL (which are different from the digital remixes that appear on the standard issue CDs of those albums). Naturally, the music is fantastic, and with the remarkable new sound, extensive notes, and a photo-packed booklet, this is a sure bet for Beatles fanatics. The set is available in both a long box and a standard CD-sized box.

Rolling Stone (p.67) - 5 stars out of 5 -- "BEATLES VI is effectively their salute to American rock & roll, and the reworked RUBBER SOUL became their response to America's new folk-rock movement."