The Beatles - Beatles '65

Despite its title, Beatles '65 landed in 1964, and it caught the band in a moodier, more reflective frame of mind than the screaming headlines suggested.

Capitol built it as the American counterpart to Beatles for Sale, recorded while the group was exhausted from touring and under pressure to deliver. That weariness found its way into the songs. John Lennon had been listening closely to Bob Dylan, and his writing turned inward, swapping romantic cheer for doubt and regret. American fans didn't mind one bit: the album leapt from number 98 to number one on the Billboard chart and stayed there for nine weeks.

"No Reply" opens with a tale of jealousy and rejection, and "I'm a Loser" is Lennon's most confessional song to that point, set to a folk-rock strum. The mood lifts on "Rock and Roll Music", a Chuck Berry cover delivered at full throttle, and on "I Feel Fine", which opens with a burst of guitar feedback that was startling for a pop single at the time.

Throughout, the harmonies are gorgeous and the playing crisp, with country and rockabilly touches showing their roots.

It is a fascinating snapshot of the band growing up fast, right in front of the world.