Okay, it's standard procedure to include this in the pantheon of Beatles records, but everyone knows it doesn't really count. After all, it only included three or four new compositions from the boys who were far too busy working on their self-titled release to be bothered. Half of the tracks on the first half are pulled from previous releases and the second half is George Martin's score for the animated film. Considering all this, it should come as no surprise that it's my least favorite of the Beatles' albums. I think I've listened to it all the way through once in my entire life and I have no strong desire to revisit it any time soon.
On which the Beatles finally proved they were just as fallible as anyone else. Let It Be has a few lasting classics, but for the most part the album functions mostly as a reflection of the troubled times that spawned it. The Beatles were completely exhausted and fed up with each other and you can almost feel the tension in the room when you listen to the album. Though it was officially released in 1970 as their 'final' album, it was recorded between The Beatles (White Album) and Abbey Road. Paul was the one who came up with the concept behind Let It Be: The Beatles were going to get back to their roots, forgoing all the studio experimentation that had made them studio innovators with more focus on performing together as a single unit again. The project, originally titled Get Back, would be recorded live as they performed the album from beginning to end. Simultaneously, a documentary film crew would capture their journey from conceptualization to implementation, climaxing with the planned triumph of their live show.
Sadly, the idea was doomed from the start due to the already high tensions between the four band members and it ended being the final straw that broke the camel's back. Instead of documenting the Beatles succeeding in every one of their creative endeavors, the film Let It Be and its album ended up showing the process of a band's break up. The recording atmosphere was extremely tense and uncomfortable for everyone involved, a miserable time for all. The band abandoned the project and it wouldn't see the light of day until it was released in 1970 after their triumphant finale Abbey Road.
Even in their darkest hour, though, the Beatles managed to craft some true gems such as 'Get Back,' 'The Long and Winding Road,' 'Across the Universe' and the title track. Unfortunately, Phil Spector's production on certain tracks is overwrought and obnoxious, ignoring the sparse arrangements McCartney had originally envisioned for the project. Spector fills the empty spaces on 'The Long and Winding Road,' 'Across the Universe' and 'Let It Be' with overtly sentimental orchestral arrangements that dilute the final products tremendously.
Years later, McCartney would oversee the production of 'Let It Be...Naked,' a vastly superior effort that forgoes the use of Spector's bombastic 'Wall of Sound' production for the sparser arrangements that the original recordings had been striving for. The sequencing of the tracks is a huge improvement as well and the inclusion of 'Don't Let Me Down,' one of the finest songs the Beatles ever made adds a missing piece that makes the overall picture all the more satisfying.
Both Beatles for Sale and Let It Be were recorded under similar circumstances: They both find the Beatles at a point of physical and emotional exhaustion. But while Let It Be was the result of a band who was fed up being together, Beatles for Sale finds the Fab Four exhausted by external forces and a grueling schedule comprised of non-stop touring, music recording, television appearances, screaming fans and, just to balance everything out, starring in a feature film. Needless to say, the Beatles were beginning to feel the strain of fame and after the huge creative output that resulted in one of their best records to this point in their career (A Hard Day's Night), it's no surprise that they stumbled a bit with this follow up.
Now, I don't mean to make it sound as if Beatles for Sale is a bad album; a 'bad' Beatles album is still better than the majority of the crap being released under the guise of music these days. It's just a bit disappointing compared to its predecessors. That being said, Beatles for Sale is fascinating simply because it shows a major shift in the songwriting stylings of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Instead of upbeat compositions such as 'Can't Buy Me Love' and 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand,' we've got songs like 'I'm a Loser' and 'Baby's in Black.' If you couldn't figure it out from the song titles, these tunes take on a more negative, pessimistic tone than anything the band had previously recorded. Just take a looksee at the lyrics of 'I'm a Loser':
Although I laugh and I act like a clown
Beneath this mask I am wearing a frown
My tears are falling like rain from the sky
Is it for her or myself that I cry?
CHORUS:
I'm a loser
And I lost someone who's near to me
I'm a loser
And I'm not what I appear to be
Not exactly 'She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah!' is it? Lennon cites Bob Dylan as a major influence on this period in his songwriting and you can definitely pick up on that. The first three songs on the album: 'No Reply,' 'I'm a Loser' and 'Baby's in Black' take on a folky, morose tone the likes of which the Beatles hadn't really exhibited before. Following this Self-Pity Trilogy is their cover of Chuck Berry's 'Rock and Roll Music,' which gives the impression that they were still a bit uncomfortable with the more introspective songwriting that would shape their later works and felt the need to retreat back to their more upbeat repertoire.
The rest of the album, most of which consists of rockin' covers, takes on this more upbeat vibe. 'Kansas City (Hey Hey Hey)' is definitely the highlight here, as is Lennon's composition 'Eight Days a Week.' Lennon was never a big fan of the song and sure its lyrics are nothing to write home about, but it's catchy and irresistible. Strangely enough, Lennon is a bigger fan of his cover of 'Mr. Moonlight,' which many Beatles fans find to be one of the worst songs the Beatles ever recorded. (It's really not that bad. At all) The remaining songs on the album aren't particularly spectacular, but solid overall, making Beatles for Sale one of the more uneven efforts in the Beatles' catalogue.
Very little can top the Beatles' debut album Please Please me as far as pure energy goes, but the boys decided to give it their best show anyway with their follow-up record With the Beatles. (Released only eight months after their debut) Its opening track 'It Won't Be Long' kicks things off in grand fashion. The songwriting of Lennon and McCartney was coming along nicely at this point as proven by the likes of 'All I've Got to Do,' 'All My Loving,' 'Hold Me Tight' and 'I Wanna Be Your Man.' Even Harrison got a chance to show off his blossoming skills with his first songwriting effort to be featured on a Beatles album 'Don't Bother Me.' Their covers are top-notch as well, with the standout being McCartney's take on Meredith Wilson's 'Till There Was You.' Other covers such as 'Roll Over Beethoven' and 'You Really Got a Hold on Me' are pretty good too, but don't quite match up with the original compositions of Lennon/McCartney on display.
When you put it up against its predecessor Please Please Me, With the Beatles doesn't quite match up song for song; the energy levels just aren't as consistent. But it's a more than worthy follow up and a strong indication that John, Paul, George and Ringo had a very promising career ahead of them.
'One, two, three, FAH!!!' So begins one of the best opening tracks of what could arguably the best debut album of all time. And just try to NOT tap your feet as you listen to 'I Saw Her Standing There,' I dare you! Okay, if you really tried, you could do it, but you'd have to put forth a whole lot of effort.
Recorded in a single 12-hour session, Please Please Me is non-stop fun from this total blast of an opening to its spectacular, rip-roaring closer 'Twist & Shout.' Sandwiched between these two tracks are some of the most energetic and carefree tunes the Beatles ever recorded. What's really impressive is that even at this early stage in their careers, Lennon and McCartney were already churning out original songs left and right. Songs like 'Ask Me Why,' 'Please Please Me' and 'Love Me Do' are not only supremely catch, they showcase the advent of the duo's abilities to craft impeccable pop songs. This was a time when not many bands were writing their own material, so the fact that the Beatles were writing songs that could hold their own with the most popular tunes of the day and age is pretty impressive. Their covers of songs like 'Misery,' 'Anna (Go to Him),' 'Chains' and 'Boys' are also excellent and give a great indication of just how tight the boys were as a band. Very few albums are this consistently enjoyable.
A Hard Day's Night was the second Beatles album I listened to after being totally blown away by Rubber Soul and it cemented my obsession with the band once and for all. It was the first album the Beatles released that featured all original songs coined by Lennon/McCartney and they're all fantastic, showcasing the blossoming talents of the songwriting duo. This album and the classic film that accompanied it have come to represent the epitome of Beatlemania and both flawlessly encompass all the things that made the Beatles so amazing at this early stage in their careers: Great haircuts, great style, great humor and, above all, great songs. In fact, the music here bests everything they'd done on their first two albums Please Please Me and With the Beatles.
The first half of the album, comprised of songs which actually appear in the film, is perfection. 'I Should've Known Better,' 'If I Fell in Love with You,' 'I'm Happy Just to Dance with You,' 'Can't Buy Me Love' - These are all instant classics. The second half is a bit slower paced and the songs aren't quite as memorable, but they're still fun. If you're looking for a good entry point to start exploring this amazing band, you'd be hard-pressed to do much better than this one.
A Hard Day's Night may be the better movie, but I'm of the opinion that the soundtrack for the Beatles' second movie Help! is slightly superior to its predecessor. The movie itself is a bit too madcap for my liking, which isn't much of a surprise considering the Beatles were stoned out of their minds for the majority of the film shoot. It makes for a rather incoherent viewing experience, but its soundtrack shows the band in fine musical form.
The title track is a superb piece of work and a genuine cry for help from Lennon disguised as another one of the band's upbeat pop tunes. Dylan's influence continues to show itself with outstanding tracks such as Lennon's 'You've Got to Hide Your Love Away.' 'I Need You' and 'Ticket to Ride' are also superb, but it's McCartney's work that may take the cake here, especially the back-to-back triumphs of 'I've Just Seen a Face' and 'Yesterday.' 'I've Just Seen a Face' perfectly captures the feeling of elation that comes with love at first sight; it's one of the most joyous love songs ever written. 'Yesterday,' on the other hand, focuses on the bitter end of a love and features Paul strumming away on an acoustic guitar, a major departure from the band's more rockin' stylings and a major indication of the new musical directions they were exploring.
Not every track on Help! is as successful as the ones listed above, though. The first few tracks on the second half of the album ('It's Only Love,' 'You Like Me Too Much' and 'Tell Me What You See') are a bit lazy both lyrically and musically. It's as if Paul and John were still biding their time before delving into the more serious songwriting that would show up on their next album Rubber Soul.
Despite these slight misfires, Help! is yet another excellent effort from the group and the bridge between their more innocent lovey-dovey tunes and the innovative masterpieces that would follow.
Like A Hard Day's Night, Help! and Yellow Submarine, Magical Mystery Tour is the soundtrack to a film of the same name. Unlike those films though, Magical Mystery Tour is much more experimental with occasionally fascinating, but mostly awful results. The soundtrack album however is yet another knockout effort from the band.
It's a bit more scattershot and less coherent than Sgt. Pepper's and a lot of this is due to the fact that most of the songs which make up the second half of the album were previously released as singles and not intended to be part of a 'larger picture.' Despite this, the songs are so amazing that they more than make up for the overall lack of cohesion. You've got underrated masterpieces like 'The Fool on the Hill' and 'Your Mother Should Know' paired up with undisputed masterworks such as 'I Am the Walrus,' 'Hello Goodbye,' 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'All You Need is Love.' (The last of which was recorded during a live broadcast in a single take. Pretty impressive, if I do say so myself) There are also a couple of really bizarre tunes like 'Flying' and 'Blue Jay Way,' which are quite unlike anything else the Beatles ever recorded. Harrison's 'Blue Jay Way' is particularly fascinating and quite possibly the creepiest song the Beatles ever made this side of 'Revolution 9.'
Lennon has cited Magical Mystery Tour as his personal favorite of the Beatles' discography for being so weird and to this day it continues to maintain its reputation as the Beatles' trippiest album.
Even though it was released prior to Let It Be, Abbey Road was actually the last time the Beatles ever recorded together as a band and it is everything that Let It Be isn't: Inspired, energetic and unbelievably brilliant from start to finish. The fact that the Beatles managed to record an album this amazing after recording its underwhelming predecessor is nothing short of a small miracle. That it includes some of the best songs the band ever recorded in their entire career is an even bigger one. From its opening track, the revolution-prompting 'Come Together' to Harrison's masterpieces 'Something' and 'Here Comes the Sun' all the way to the stunning medley that closes out the album and the entire Beatles legend, everything here is sheer perfection as only the Beatles could produce.
Feeling that this would indeed be the last time they worked together as a group, John, Paul, George and Ringo left their egos at the door and did their utmost to ensure their final effort would be a winner. It emerges as one of their most spectacular efforts and it is arguably the best album they ever produced. No other band on this good, green earth can lay claim to such an outstanding swan song.
The Beatles (White Album) is a massive, sprawling epic, oft imitated but never matched. Compared to the clean, concise sequencing of its predecessors Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour, it's something of a garbled mess. It's a bit ironic considering both Sgt. Pepper's and Magical Mystery Tour's album covers are packed to the brim with color and creativity and this album's cover is totally blank because its contents may be even more sporadic and creative than those two albums combined.
At this point in the lifespan of the Beatles, the band members were each spiraling into their own artistic directions, directions which would frequently crash with one another's. Ringo got so fed up at one point, he quit the band for a short period of time. (Paul actually plays drums on 'Back in the USSR' and 'Dear Prudence,' two of the album's best tracks) Nearly every song on this double album was more of a solo effort than a collaborative one and it contributes to the overall lack of cohesion. But the messiness is part of what makes this album so bloody brilliant. It's expansive and raw, featuring multiple genres no matter how goofy they might be. Every single idea was thrown against the wall and even the ones that didn't stick were shoved onto the album anyway. Even the more baffling tracks like 'Glass Onion,' 'Wild Honey Pie,' 'Piggies,' 'Why Don't We Do It in the Road?' and the infamous 'Revolution 9' (Amongst others) are integral pieces of the puzzle.
Although there are a number of indisputable masterworks on the album, ('While My Guitar Gently Weeps,' 'Happiness is a Warm Gun,' 'Helter Skelter,' etc.) I find my favor leaning towards the lesser-known works such as 'Martha My Dear,' 'Rocky Raccoon,' 'I Will,' 'Julia,' 'Honey Pie,' 'Cry Baby Cry' and the album closer 'Good Night.' There's something really beautiful about the simplicity of these songs and their modest, charming natures.
To this day, The Beatles (White Album) has a tendency to split the band's fanbase down the middle, but there can be no question as to its status as yet another integral masterpiece in the band's discography.
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is, to put it in cinematic terms, the Citizen Kane of rock albums. It blew the doors wide open on what the limits and expectations of a popular album could be and completely changed the way music was made forever and ever, amen. Prior to its release, 'serious' music aficionados didn't pay the slightest bit of attention to rock music. Sgt. Pepper's singlehandedly proved the genre could be taken seriously as an artform. You'll find it near the top of every 'Greatest Albums of All Time' list and for good reason: From the album artwork to the sequencing of the songs, everything about it is revelatory.
Nothing can quite match up to the opening one-two punch of the opening tracks 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' and 'With a Little Help from My Friends.' 'Getting Better,' 'Fixing a Hole,' 'She's Leaving Home' and 'Lovely Rita' are other highlights. Then, to top everything off, the album closes with what is arguably the very best Beatles song: 'A Day in the Life.' If you haven't heard it, I strongly suggest you do so immediately; it represents the peak of the Beatles' creativity and contains some of the best writing John and Paul ever did together.
It's funny, though; despite its status as a bonafide masterpiece, John, George and Ringo weren't the biggest fans of the record. Harrison and Starr in particular felt a bit on the sidelines during its production due to the fact that it was more of a studio-focused effort as opposed to their 'live performance' works in the past. Starr was quoted as saying he had so much free time during its recording, he learned how to play chess.
Many folks these days seem to take great pleasure in labeling Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band as an overrated effort; anything that's labeled as 'the greatest' in any category opens itself up to undue criticism. But, at the end of the day, it's pretty much impossible to overstate its contribution to music. So many common practices in regards to making music these days were instigated by Sgt. Pepper's. And while I'd argue that the Beatles made better albums, almost nothing comes close to the level of pure, unhinged creativity that Sgt. Pepper's represents. Its status continues to stand undiminished and will do so for many, many years to come.
George Harrison stated once that the recordings for Rubber Soul and Revolver were so intermingled he felt that Revolver was just Volume 2 to Rubber Soul's Volume 1. Listening to Revolver, it's not terribly difficult to understand his outlook. Both albums represent huge creative strides for the Beatles, both lyrically and musically. As on its predecessor, Revolver sees the band taking big steps in terms of lyrical content, but there's also a stronger focus on musical innovation this time around.
That's not to say the songwriting take a backseat to the techniques though; there are some amazing songs here, from McCartney in particular. 'Eleanor Rigby,' 'Here, There and Everywhere' and 'For No One are easily some of the very best songs ever recorded and in them McCartney finally fulfills the promise he showed with his low-key masterpiece 'Yesterday.' Not all of his contributions are of the morose variety though. 'Good Day Sunshine' and 'Got To Get You Into My Life' are two of the most upbeat songs the Beatles ever recorded.
Lennon's efforts here are less memorable than McCartney's with the exception of 'I'm Only Sleeping' and Revolver's final revolutionary track 'Tomorrow Never Knows.' The latter song, at only 3 minutes long, contains more ideas and innovations than most full albums. It's even more stunning that something that groundbreaking was created in 1966 when the technology available in a recording studio was so primitive. Harrison also makes a big breakthrough in his songwriting with 'Taxman,' a song so great that even Lennon and McCartney agreed it should be the one to kick off the album. 'Love You To' is another fascinating work, which showcases Harrison's new found interest in Indian music and his expanding musical horizons.
The final result is yet another perfect album and in the running for the very best ever made - Further evidence that the Beatles' genius knew no bounds.
"We come to it at last. The great album of our time..."
This is it. This is the one that singlehandedly turned me into a massive Beatles fan and started me down the path of listening to music in a whole new way. At this point in the band's career, the Beatles had made a definitive switch from focusing on more simplistic songwriting and had begun delving into more complex material.
The Fab Four were heavily influenced by Bob Dylan and marijuana. As evidenced by the music on this album, this is clearly a winning combination. There's a lot more focus on acoustic-driven numbers and the jangling guitars that gave the Byrds their unique sound. (A sound which was evidently inspired by George Harrison's work on A Hard Day's Night) The biggest acoustic standout is 'Norwegian Wood,' which is my favorite Beatles song and one of Lennon's finest compositions. Lennon made some major strides with this record. His work on 'Nowhere Man' and 'In My Life' is truly extraordinary. 'In My Life' invokes the pain of growing older and saying farewell to friends/events of the past in splendid fashion. On the flipside of things, 'Nowhere Man' discovers the same character attempting to find himself in the wake of being a 'grown up' and not having much luck. Another Lennon masterpiece 'Girl' finds his love song writing abilities still intact but with a more mature, pessimistic outlook that would become a staple of his later efforts.
McCartney is still primarily focused on simpler love songs such as 'You Won't See Me,' 'Michelle' and my personal favorite 'I'm Looking Through You.' His contributions offer the perfect counter-balance to Lennon's more introspective work here, further emphasizing the duo's status as the perfect Yin/Yang of songwriting. Harrison throws a couple of good ones into the mix as well with 'Think for Yourself' and 'If I Needed Someone.' Of the two, the former comes the closest to the brilliance of the Lennon/McCartney tunes here.
Everything gels flawlessly to make Rubber Soul one of the single greatest albums of all time and arguably the best in the Beatles catalogue. Not a single song is out of place; it's literally perfect. And before you judge me for using two of the most hackneyed and abused words in the English language, just know that in this particular case, their uses are totally justified.
So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen!! I hope you enjoyed my ramblings. Have a wonderful day!!
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