Problems aside, "The Beatles" sold well, and was another hit for the band. The Beatles held a release party, and gave early copies of the album to people who attended. (Peter Shotton, an old friend of Lennon's who worked for Apple, was given the eighth copy pressed, as he remembered later in his memoir.) Older people liked McCartney's traditional-sounding songs. Younger listeners liked the rock and acoustic songs on the album. Many people noticed Harrison and Starr's growth as songwriters, and that Harrison's voice sounded freer, smoother, and more confident than on earlier records.