The Rutles – The Rutles

I agree with the review. I had bad luck with my copy. So thats two. It's either that or someone got lucky with a good one. The EP is noisy even after 2 vacuum cleans. I think this reissue is another GZ special. Also of note, after looking at waveforms and repeated listens, The bonus tracks on the EP are digital sourced while the standard LP is analog. Dynamics are more squished, with less air on the songs not on the original.

I loved this record when I bought it in 1978, but forgot about it until rediscovering it on YouTube in 2024. I still love it! Very clever, very amusing, but never over-the-top parody of some of The Beatles' sonic idiosyncrasies. Neil Innes' grasp of Beatles melody, harmony and instrumentation is masterful. He even does a smile-inducing reproduction of Lennon's nasal vocal characteristics.

The greatest album of all time by the Prefab Four, Dirk, Stig, Nasty and Barry. It was copied by The Beatles, who are the more successful Rutles parody.

First heard this in the late 80's, when I was a teenager getting into the Beatles. Loved it then and love it now, it's still the best Beatles homage I've ever heard. The ALL YOU NEED IS CASH mockumentary is also a classic. This is a 1978 UK pressing, very quiet, could maybe use a bit more oomph to the low end but otherwise sounds quite good, with clear vocals and instrumentation and a...well..a Beatlesque soundstage. My copy plays nice and clean, with no noticeable surface noise.

Along with the EP with the six missing tracks which comes with the album reissue, this is recommended listening to anyone who likes The Beatles. Neil Innes was a maestro genius, and the only songwriter who has been able to successfully recreate the sound of The Beatles with original songs, although some of them are clearly clever spoofs of Beatles classics.

For those of you who have the Beatles' riffs and melodies seared into your brain, this is a wonderful "parody" record that is easily listenable. Without being an over-the-top lyrical parody, the satire lies in the instrumentation and production. The deliberate basic drumming, the hesitant guitar licks, it is such a funny/sweet lovenote to Beatles fans. These guys are huge fans too, and Neil Innes is a genius.

I have Jacksonville Pressing. My copy contains 16 page booklet, not 14.

Better than the Beatles because Ollie Halsall is the superior guitar player and Neil Innes the superior songwriter!

A hilarious album with some amazing music to boot. Not a song on this album is bad which is a awesome surprise. When I first listened to this i had no idea what to expect. I only bought it because I'm a giant fan of the Beatles and I saw the similarities between the two. I was pleasantly surprised listening to this album because I wasn't expecting much from it. Let's Be Natural is unironically one of the most beautiful songs I've ever listened to. I haven't seen the movie yet but after listening to the soundtrack I definitely plan to! If you like the Beatles then you'll definitely enjoy this album.

The new version of the original LP has a great sounding remaster based on my Ortofon 2M Blue. The 7” E.P., which includes the bonus tracks from the CD release, is, however, a disaster, as the disc runs at 33 RPM and suffers from poor fidelity with the tracks running out so close to the label. All print material (Cover, sleeve, booklet) reproduced from the original LP suffers from soft focus, and is slightly off color.