With the Beatles
A Hard Day's Night
Beatles For Sale
Help!
Rubber Soul
Revolver
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Magical Mystery Tour
White Album
Yellow Submarine
Let it Be
Let it Be...Naked
Abbey Road
Past Masters Volume 1
Past Masters Volume 2
Anthology 1
Anthology 2
Anthology 3
1963
And so the road begins for Los Beatles. It’s well known that most of Please Please Me was recorded in one long day, but I’m mentioning it anyway! Because it’s still impressive today! At this point, the four lads were concentrating on laying down songs that they had covered at Hamburg for several years, and a few pop singles as well. I’m sure if I were giving points on historical significance, this would get a much higher grade. But hey, we gotta be objective sometimes, eh?
Unsurprisingly, the covers are hit and miss on Please Please Me. But when one of those covers happen to be the unquestioned best Beatles cover ever, that’s not so bad eh? I speak of “Twist and Shout,” where the Beatles take a pale Isley Brothers song (which was really an attempt to capture some of the glory from previous hit “Shout”) and turn it upside-down. John’s screaming vocal was a one-take performance, because his voice could not handle any subsequent takes. You think such raunch was common in 1963? I don’t tink so. It changed the world.
Too bad the covers are downhill from there. John turns in a pretty good tortured lead vocal on ballad “Anna,” but that’s it. The showtune “A Taste of Honey” just sounds awkward, as Paul tries too hard and the rest don’t try at all. Let me just say this right now: the British Invasion acts should have never tackled girl-group songs. They just don’t sound right. The Beatles had three of these here, and the most tolerable is the Harrison-sung “Chains,” which is boppy enough. But their cut of the Shirelles’ “Baby It’s You” just sounds, er, effeminate. And another Shirelles tune “Boys,” with the genders left unreversed, just seems like a joke played on lead singer Ringo. What if that came out today? We’d hear tons of lame 'Is Ringo gay?' threads.
How ‘bout original material? Well, over half of it has been on the radio since the dawn of history. That includes the wonderfully urgent title track and the teenage sockhop anthem “I Saw Her Standing There.” “Love Me Do” was their first single, and is a bit tame in comparison, but there’s the Beatles magic. And cool harmonica. The flipside “P.S. I Love You” was more for their teenybopper girls, so whatever. I believe they play “Do You Want to Know a Secret” on the radio too, and it took me a while to learn it was George, not John, who sung on the twee ballad.
Rounding things out, you got the embarrassing misfire “Ask Me Why,” the hilarious parody “Misery,” and the really cool hit-that-never-was “There’s a Place.” Please Please Me is a really good debut for the boys, but not an ideal starting place for you, if you want to start with the best of the Beatles right away. But you should still get it eventually. Heck, some people claim it as their favorite Beatles album!
a)The high originality of the melodies
b) the haunting lyrical themes, like 'There's a place'
c) The ghostly production
d) Last but not least the raw energey and passion
nuff said
PS 10/10 from Brendan.
1963
The exact same album as Please Please Me. Both have an 8 originals/6 covers song layout. Both came out the same year. So, With the Beatles = Please Please Me. Well...not quite. Although it came out the same year, you can track some growth in their originals, and that black-and-white cover? It means something. Maybe not, but either way the tone is ever so darker than on Please. Not a whole lot, just a little.
For example, John has a few unhappy songs on here. All is right in the opener “It Won’t Be Long” with exciting call-and-response ‘yeah’s. But “All I’ve Got to Do” shows him singing promising lyrics (‘when III/I wanna kiss you yeah/all I’ve to go to doooo/is whisper in your ear’) but sounding scared to death. “Not a Second Time” is more about scorn, but it’s got to be the least catchy Beatles song ever! That melody is pretty complex for the early days, ain’t it? The other downer is George’s songwriting debut “Don’t Bother Me,” a sour tune about wanting to be left alone (duh). But it’s upbeat and catchy enough to make you forget!
Meanwhile, Paul’s still optimistic. His “All My Loving” has the same lyrical theme as “P.S. I Love You,” but it’s done in a much more tasteful manner. And some really good picking guitar work from the boys! But Paul’s also responsible for the sloppy “Hold me Tight,” which I don’t disdain as much as others, but I don’t see it as a highlight. The other originals ain’t no Sunday picnic either: “Little Child” ranges from generic to pathetic (that ‘I’m so sad and lonnnely’ part in particular) and “I Wanna Be Your Man” is just a mess. Then again, they only wrote it for the Rolling Stones. Why should they work real hard on it? The Stones did it better anyhooze.
The covers...the Beats are still doing girl-group songs at this point. “Devil in Her Heart” is the “Chains” of With the Beatles, with little naive Georgie taking the lead vocals. But “Please Mr. Postman” was just a mistake; like “Boys,” it does not work from a male perspective. But the acoustic showtune “Till There Was You” is much more refined than “Taste of Honey,” as Paul sounds more adult in his vocals. “Roll Over Beethoven” is another George highlight, both in vocals and his Chuck Berry guitar stylings. I still prefer the original, personally. Plus, John shows his soulful side in the dark Miracles cover “You’ve Really Got a Hold On Me” and his sarcastic side in his interpretation of “Money,” an album closer almost as jarring as “Twist and Shout.”
While I’ve done this whole review constantly pointing back to Please Please Me, With the Beatles is a better album. If nothing else, their cover selection and interpretation was a little bit better. And the members (bar Ringo of course) show growth in songwriting, except possibly Paul. But not to worry, Paul’s time will come soon!
1964
More growth! This of course was the soundtrack to their highly successful film A Hard Day's Night, which depicts a ‘ordinary’ day in the craziness that was the Beatles life. But back to the soundtrack, the first seven songs appeared in the movie, and the other six were made after film completion. The boys really push themselves here, as evidenced by the sudden disappearance of covers (they would come back on the next album, though). The tone of Hard Day's Night brightens considerably after the dark edges throughout With the Beatles, but more importantly their pop sensibility keeps on keepin’ on.
How about that jing guitar strum that opens up the title track? Pretty cool, huh? And the song itself? ‘It’s been a hard day’s night/cuz we been running from our fans’ Whoops, got confused with the movie. What a good song. Same with the McCartney pop classic “Can’t Buy Me Love,” which accompanies the boys famous field follies in the film. John’s plaintive ballad “If I Fell” might be my dad’s favorite Beatles song of all time, and it does have great harmony from John’n’Paul. The other ballad from the film “And I Love Her” is highly acclaimed; although I’m not gaga over Paul's song, it is a nice continuation of the acoustic-romantic themes of “Till There Was You.”
But don’t you forget those other three songs on side 1! I’m not sure if “I Should Have Known Better” was a single, but I do hear it on the radio every so often. Nowadays it’s somewhat overlooked. Not fair. It’s a great tune with an effortless melody (as usual) and more harmonica prowess from Lennon. “I’m Happy Just to Dance With You” was dashed off by Lennon for George to sing, and it may be a little tame, but it’s still got its charm. “Tell Me Why” might have the most fun call-and-response parts of any Beatles song, plus it’s got a great beat.
On to side two, eh? That lively opener “Anytime at All” may well be a rewrite of “It Won’t Be Long,” but you won’t hear me complaining. John’s misogyny comes to the forefront on “You Can’t Do That,” a cool blues-based rock tune that gives “Money” a run for the money. Ha ha ha, see? You can bet on that! I better stop before I spend too much time on these jokes!! HAHAHAHA!!! OK, Prindle moment is over. “When I Get Home” is by far the weak link on the entire record, with an uninspired melody and my vote on the worst Beatlelyric ever: ‘gonna love her ‘til the cows come home.’ That does not sound right coming from the Beetles, doncha think?
Elsewhere you can see some definite harbingers of Beatles For Sale, the next album. You got the country-styled “I’ll Cry Instead,” which hints at the country leanings on Sale. Paul’s “Things We Said Today” has great contrasts between the minor-key introspective verses and the major-key optimistic bridge. And the finale “I’ll Be Back”? It almost doesn’t fit on here, as the minor key-major key battle and resigned lyrics/vocals definitely point ahead. But I bet its inclusion on the American bastard release Beatles ‘65 along with key Sale tracks threw me off. Still, Hard Day’s Night is a great movie and a wonderful album, their best up to this point. Too bad they took a few steps back during the next year, but...read on.
1964
Ahhh darn, the dudes take a step back here. But oh well, it was beyond their control. Look at those sad faces on the cover! They were exhausted, and indeed for sale. They felt not like people, but like products, slapped with a price with no other purpose than to entertain everyone. Isn’t life like that sometimes? Wait wait wait wait, don’t close the web page! I’ll review this album! Due to exhaustion and time constraints, Beatles For Sale unhappily reintroduces covers, and they’re worse than ever. Good thing their songwriting craft is still growing, even if the songs are much less happy than before.
By now the Beatles met Dylan and gotten a taste of mary jane, and John of course was the most inspired. His most Dylan-influenced tune “I’m a Loser” isn’t my favorite like everyone else’s, but it does cross the Beatles pop with Dylan folk successfully. My favorite would be the uneasy opener “No Reply,” about an unfaithful lover. It’s got the coolest bridge too. “I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party” is a more fleshed-out “I’ll Cry Instead,” and even more countryish too. I’ve always been partial to the brief “Every Little Thing,” maybe it’s those timpani parts in the middle of each chorus. John only strikes out with the failed waltz parody “Baby’s in Black,” but the rest is goodie.
Meanwhile, even Paul is a little jilted. He had written the mellow “I’ll Follow the Sun” years before recording this album, and it doesn’t seem very naive as one would think, but it’s still a bit lightweight. I much prefer his surprisingly forward “What You’re Doing,” with its distinctive drum intro and the electric piano parts showing more experimentation in the studio. Not sure who’s responsible for “Eight Days a Week”; it’s an allright pop song, but it has a forced ‘we gotta record a hit single sometime‘ whiff about it.
Short on material for Sale, the Beatles dashed off 6 more covers, and only one of them stands the test of time in my eyes. That would be their tasteful Buddy Holly tribute “Words of Love,” with a solemn duet that almost predates Simon and Garfunkel. Otherwise...try as I might, I’m still not all that enamored with Lennon’s cover of Chuck Berry’s “Rock’n’Roll Music” or McCartney’s take on the Little Richard medley. They give faithful vocals, but I’m just not excited. And the Carl Perkins’ “Honey Don’t” and “Everybody’s Trying to be my Baby” are just boring, despite Ringo’s best effort in the former and because of George’s shyness in the latter. The bottom falls out with the doo-wop travesty “Mr. Moonlight,” a universally panned number with good reason.
No album better shows the Beatles in a tired, rushed state of mind than Beatles For Sale. Despite that, it’s still the Beatles, so you count on some yummy tasty squishy melodies. Too bad the covers drag down the album one point, so I’ll have to give it a 7. But hey, if most companies gave a 7 out of 10 effort nowadays, this world would be a better place! (that was a Calvin and Hobbes bit, I don’t remember the exact quote.)
1965
The treadmill riding continues for the Liverpool Lads. This time they’ve another film to promote, a year after Hard Day’s Night. Help! may have not stood the test of time as well as Hard Day’s, but I still holds a soft spot in my heart for it. When I was getting into the Beatles for the first time, I watched this one 7,000 times and Hard Day’s Night only 2, or somepin like that. Fact was, Help! was a bit more commercial and ‘American,’ so it might have been more readily accepted by the masses. I dunno. As for the album Help!, a few more originals miss the mark, and the second half might be the worst half of Beatles music in their catalogue.
But let’s us start with the first half, the songs in the film. The title track is another case of the Beatles speeding up a Lennon ballad for commercial’s sake, but it has a nice, sad (and real) underbelly to its bounciness. I think I still lean towards Lennon’s other radio single “Ticket to Ride.” That song just sounds like a total bringdown, as the beat is sort of sluggish and Lennon’s lazy vocals suggest pot, pot, pot. Not to mention his very Dylanish moans towards the final choruses. Or is it chori? Not very commercial for a #1 single, but that makes it all the cooler
Lennon’s other songs are good too: the harmony showcase “You’re Going to Lose That Girl” and the depressing “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away.” Meanwhile, Paul’s still on the pop treadmill. “Another Girl” isn’t that good, distinguished only by the drunk guitar stylings that sounded good at the end of “Ticket” but not within an entire song. But “The Night Before” is really smooth and cool, despite not being innovative at all. George finally writes again, with a typically dour (yet underdeveloped) offering in “I Need You.”
From here on out, uh oh. Each Beatle successively embarrasses himself in the first four songs of the second half. Ringo’s spotlight Buck Owens cover “Act Naturally” is far too countrified to be any good. John’s “It’s Only Love” is shockingly awkward, and John hated it much more than any of his fans ever could. It’s hard to picture “You Like Me Too Much” as being a George product, as its way too dippy-happy for him. Last but certainly least, Paul’s childish “Tell Me What You See” is awful; if “Ticket to Ride” made pot seem cool, this shows the drawbacks, as both John and Paul are consistently offbeat and sound frustrated at parts.
Luckily Paul redeems himself with the country toe-tapper “I’ve Just Seen a Face” and his solo spotlight “Yesterday,” which every single human being on the planet has heard and maybe covered. Have nothing to say, except that minor seventh in the middle breaks my heart even after the 4,000th time I hear it. Too bad the strained “Dizzy Miss Lizzie” cover closes out Help!, as Lennon and the band do not rock out very well..
Well, if Beatles For Sale reeked of exhaustion, Help! has more of a failed-experiment feel. The soundtrack half is just fine for the most part, but the second half is definitely not up to par with the lofty standards the band had set for itself. Oh well, I give it a 7. And the next album’s excellence gives credence to the ‘can’t make an omelet without breaking an egg’ adage.
1965
Oooh wee, things really get cooking here. The Beatles do a little bit more influence-soaking here, as in more songs inspired by Dylan, the Byrds, even soul! Moreover, they start ditching the typical love-dove thematics that dogged down stuff like Help!, and get rid of all covers. From here on out, mostly, it’s all them. I guess you’d call Rubber Soul, their last early-period album, as they didn’t completely jump onto the psycho-psychedelic ship until the following year. I still consider this their third-best album, as its very pleasant (their most mellow album to date).
No surprise that most of the well-known songs belong to John, who was ahead of the others for a while. Of his seven tunes, only the “Won’t Be Long” rewrite “Wait” and the primitive rocker “Run For Your Life” aren’t likely to get much laud. They’re both really good, but not at John’s highest level. However, “The Word” mixes a soul groove with hippie overtones with great results ‘It’s the woooord love’ For late ‘65, that’s pretty foreshadowing, non??
Elsewhere, Johnny’s in his introspective period here. The story of “Norweigan Wood” remains a mystery, which makes it all the better. And hear that sitar? That’s George, who had just begun his Indian studies. “Girl” is a bit more normal ballad, with a few jabs at Catholicism inserted. “Nowhere Man” is his most Dylan-type tune yet, if only lyricwise. I mean, you ain’t gonna find no complex harmonies on Highway 61! And “In My Life” has the potential to get under anyone’s skin, with poignant lyrics about remembrances and looking ahead. If it doesn’t touch you, give it a while. It didn’t do so for me right away, but it sure does now.
Luckily, Paul’s songwriting is catching up with John on Rubber Soul. “I’m Looking Through You’ might be a follow-up to “What You’re Doing,” only even more confrontational. Even the guitar sounds angry, much less the electric! Paul also nicks from Stax/Volt and Motown on “Drive My Car” and “You Won’t See Me,” respectively. The former is really propulsive and double entendres abound! And the latter was one of my all-time favorite Beatlesongs when I was younger, and I still carry a soft-spot towards those call-and-response vocals from John and George. But I do agree the song gets really sluggish and overlong after a while. I never cared for “Michelle” that much; it tries too hard and McCartney’s French sounds too labored.
Finally, it seems even George turns in some winners, with the fuzzy (as guitar sound, not warm fuzzy) self-affirmation “Think For Yourself” and the pleasant “If I Needed Someone.” Everyone knows that “Someone” is Byrds-inspired, but it’s just as close to the Kinks early-Indian tune “See My Friend,” with the vocals stepping down a sixth (G) and the bass staying on A. That leaves Ringo’s country-vocal spotlight “What Goes On,” which is at least more clever than the country covers, because John or Paul wrote it. But despite some relative weaknesses, Rubber Soul is still a very solid album. And it only gets better. Gets better all the time. I have to admit - oh forget it.
1966
OK, OK, OK, let me go out on a limb here. Revolver may very well be not only the best Beatles album, but the best rock album of all time. At least as I am writing this, it’s my favorite Beatles album. It captures them at the height of their musical powers, after they’ve fully matured from love songs on Rubber Soul and before psychedelia fully took over on Sgt. Peppers. All of the songs have something going for them, and the range of emotions on this album is just astounding. Especially side 1!! “Taxman” makes your blood boil with anger, and then before you know it, “Eleanor Rigby” comes on and moves you to tears. “I’m Only Sleeping” = lazy, “Love You To” = enlightened, “Here, There, and Everywhere” = romantic, “Yellow Submarine” = goofy, “She Said She Said” = paranoid. Wow!!! I don’t usually get this excited about this subject, but it’s just effortless how its pulled off.
But let’s break things down. “Taxman” comes courtesy of George, who was pissed about their money affairs. It’s very sparse at first, with only that famous bassline and power chords. But the pseudo-Indian guitar solo (played by Paul!) hammers the anger home. Speaking of Paul, his “Eleanor Rigby” is just depressing, backed by refined orchestration. The themes of loneliness and religious emptiness were not commonplace in 1966, you see. John replies with the definitive “I’m Only Sleeping,” that everyone should relate to. Unless they never sleep.
George pops up again with “Love You To,” which could be seen as the dream world of “Only Sleeping.” “Love You To” is George’s first true excursion into Indian music, but it actually rocks, and George’s line about people ‘screwing you in the ground’ may be his most cynical yet. Paul responds with the purely romantic “Here, There, and Everywhere.” I do like the song, but my current disillusionment with love kind of ruins the picture for me. Paul also wrote Ringo’s vocal track “Yellow Submarine,” a song I used to actively hate. Probably because I got sick of the elementary bus version that consisted of the chorus ending with ‘til (insert name here) farted and we all turned GREEN!’ I swear, hearing it four times a day nearly killed the song for me. But the real song is loads of fun, and shows that Ringo truly is the most kid-friendly of the Beatles.
Most know about the acid trip that inspired John’s “She Said She Said,” so I need not go further on that. I must say the heavy mid-tempo rock sound and rhythm changes are frightening. The side two kick-off “Good Day Sunshine” is just so gol-durned joyous that you don’t need to be in no love to enjoy it, it’s just gotta be a nice spring day. Thank you, Sir Paul! A few songs later, his “For No One,” is like “Eleanor Rigby,” only more melancholic and personal. I might even prefer it to “Rigby” for those reasons alone. And the descending chords in the verse really get to me.
OK, I’ll go out of order here, as the remaining songs are mostly straight-up rock without an overriding emotion. John states his case with the tight pop-rocker “And Your Bird Can Sing,” with a riff you gotta love. Now I do defend another Johnsong “Doctor Robert” quite a bit, even if people dismiss it altogether. It’s more generic for sure, but it’s still fun, and I love the mock-serious ‘well well well’ middle. George’s inarticulate anthem “I Want to Tell You,” his most ‘normal’ rock song on Revolver. Even Paul rocks out with the horn-based “Got to Get You Into My Life,” which is most certainly about drugs and NOT love. Didja know this somehow cracked the Top 10 in ‘76? Hard to see it next to crap like “Afternoon Delight” and “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart,” ehh?
The finale, of course, is the complete show-stopper “Tomorrow Never Knows.” John’s fascination with LSD reaches an all-time high here, as the melody barely has two notes, and all KINDS of tape loops jump out on you. You have high-pitched laughter (Paul sped up), splices of Mellotron, backward pieces of Paul’s “Taxman” solo, and (this is my fave) ragtime piano at the end!! Truly a mind-blowing experience.
Much like John McFerrin, I’ve gone on and on about Revolver far too much. But I cannot help it. As I said before, so many moods are captured within the album, much of them on Side 1 alone. So many firsts too: Paul’s first filler-free pop craftsmanship efforts, George’s first explicitly cynical/Indian tunes, and John’s first LSD explorations. Just an all-around special thing. You buy it today! If you already have it, buy another one!
1967
I...I...I CAN’T DO IT!!! I just can’t bring myself to give Sgt. Peppers a 10 outta 10! Look, I know everything. I know that this is the most important rock album of all time. I know that it was 1967 for so many people. I know that without this album rock criticism might not even exist. I know I know I know. But when all is said and done, it’s all about the music, not the hype. And the music doesn’t get to me as much as it did on Revolver. But it’s got a certain special vibe about it, for better or worse. And still, it’s the Beatles. End of story.
As we all know, Sgt. Peppers was basically the brainchild of Paulie. It all started when Paul misheard John muttering about how the Beatles were ‘such a very lowly, pond-scum band,’ and took the misheard name as a concept. Ha! Just joshin! The real story is well-known, and you can read all about it...elsewhere. I will say that the concept was the idea of Paul, who took over as unofficial band leader at this point. The opening title track and reprise are his, and both are really cool! Was so good that none other than Jimi Hendrix did a cover before the album was released! Besides these songs, Sgt. Peppers isn’t the concept album it’s made out to be.
In fact, a good five other songs on here were Paul’s! The clipped rocker “Getting Better” is nice and sunny, and “Fixing a Hole” unfortunately follows it. Not that it’s a bad song, it’s really moody and fairly underrated, but it feels like a slowed-down “Getting Better” in some regards. I also give props to the piano-thumping hoot’n’holler that is “Lovely Rita.” However, “When I’m Sixty-Four” is almost too quaint/cutesy for me, and “She’s Leaving Home” holds no candle to “Eleanor Rigby” or “For No One.” It’s more Hollywood-ish sappy than the previous, due in no small part to the unsubtle orchestration that George Martin had no part of. Maybe in his hands the song would have been better.
George and Ringo later admitted to feeling uninvolved in the Sgt. Peppers sessions, and we don’t hear much from them. George does contribute another Indian workout “Within You Without You,” which is more enlightened and gentle and less cynical than “Love You To.” Still don’t know which I prefer. Ringo does give his warmest vocals to date with JohnPaul’s amiable “With a Little Help From my Friends.” What makes the song for me is the line ‘what do you see when you turn off the light?/I can’t tell you, but I know it’s mine.’ So ambiguous! It’s great!
Sayyyy, what about John? Well at this point he was in an LSD haze and relinquished some control. But he still wrote good ‘uns! “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” is a nice little trick John played on us all. It weren’t drug-inspired, but instead a childlike story inspired by his son. I just Llove the critically-derided “Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite,” you can’t deny that demented-circus melody or Lennon’s sneering vocals! “Good Morning Good Morning” is an allright rocker about the mundaneness of life, but the horns sound abrasive and outta place, which detracts a bit.
Of course, that closing “A Day in the Life” was John’s most notorious tune on the album. What can be said about it, really? Let’s just say that it was one of those tracks that really got me into the Beatles in the summer of ‘96. It has that otherworldly, mysterious feel, and not one but two orchestral freak-outs! For the price of one! Don’t really wanna call it the best Beatles song ever. So ends a killer whale of an album. The Beetles were not at the absolute peak of their powers (ahem, Revolver), but their melodies haven’t tapered off. Though I still can’t give Sgt. Peppers a 10 cuz not all of it is top-notch, I have no qualms in handing it a shiny 9.
1967
So the Beatles went out and made another film? Nifty. Never seen the movie, so I can’t vouch for it being as self-indulgent and all drugged-out as they all say it is. Now how about that music? Tis good, and even more psychedelic than before. Half of Magical Mystery Tour is a soundtrack, and the other half consists of their legendary non-album singles throughout the year of 1967. A lack of cohesion, and a few missteps on both sides, detract un punto from the album. But I still likey.
First off, the soundtrack tunes. Once again, Paul’s in the driver’s seat with half of the material on this side. His title track does have a feel of a “Sgt. Pepper” ripoff, but it still rocks and is enthusiastic and all. Even better is the highly melodic major-minor key ballad “Fool on the Hill,” another summer-’96 big time favorite por moi. The music-hall-esque “Your Mother Should Know” doesn’t make me as uncomfortable as “Sixty-Four,” and disliking it would be truly bitter. I mean, I am plenty bitter. Just not so to dislike “Your Mother.” Or your mother.
The remaining soundtrackers are more trippy, some not for the better. “Flying” is a rare ballad to be met in the Beatles catalogue, but it never got under my skin. I’m sure other bands utilized that Mellotron better. And George’s “Blue Jay Way” is definitely not one of his more int’resting numbers, just a lethargic dirge. I don’t hate it, but still... Which leads us to John’s main (er, only) contribution to Magical Mystery Tour, and quite possibly one of my favorite songs done by anyone, “I Am the Walrus.” Random is the key word, as each lyric seems tossed off under Mr. LSD, the orchestration is bizarre, and those sound clips eventually overtake the track. Very unusual stuff, that makes life worth living. Goo goo g’joob.
So those singles must be pretty danged good, right? Ohhh, the early ‘67 release “Strawberry Fields Forever”/“Penny Lane” are said to be the greatest single ever, and I’d be hard-pressed to argue. The former is John’s psycho-analytical spotlight that starts off normal before veering into a frightening hodgepodge of instrumentation and such, which John had to slow down for a smooth transistion. Hence his abnormally low vocals. The latter would be Paul’s, an immaculate snatch of pop about childhood, and one tune that I can never grow tired of.
Later on that year they had the summer-of-1967 anthem “All You Need is Love.” I don’t consider it among their very very best, seeing as it’s a tad dated, but John’s idealstic lyrics and the effortless melody make it a winner. The flip-side “Baby You’re a Rich Man” is not as well known, but even more of a hippie tune, with nice handclaps. Finally, Paul’s “Hello Goodbye” is really catchy and all, but not since “Eight Days a Week” had any of their singles felt this forced, like ‘product’ that had to be in the market by Christmas. What if its flip-side “I Am the Walrus” was the A-side?? That would have been a hoot.
In short, it’s impossible to compare Magical Mystery Tour to Sgt. Peppers, as its not really an ‘album’ as such. Even if Magical Mystery Tour is just an EP with a few singles, most of those EP tracks and singles are excellent! Let’s just say both Sgt. Peppers and Magical Mystery Tour are great albums worthy of 9’s, and move on. Because I’m tired.
1968
I think I alluded to the following points on my Musical Background page, but here I go again anyway: this album changed my life back when I heard it in early 1996. It was the start of my Beatlemania phase, and more importantly, my rabid music interest. White Album is primarily why I loves diversity in albums nowadays. But let’s take it out of my context and into that of the Beatles themselves...
The boys spent the first part of 1968 in Rishikesh, to reenergize themselves and search for something more in life. After they came back, their individual interests were more clearly defined, and they spent a lot of time working on their own tracks alone. That’s not to say they hated each other, they just had overflowing creativity and weren’t willing to spend so much time perfecting the bass part or harmony vocal to someone else’s song. Psychedelia is mostly gone, as the Beatles go back to their roots. Now let’s talk about the songs. I had a cassette of this for years until recently, so I’m splitting this up into 4 sides:
Side 1: John’s the star on the first side. “Dear Prudence” is beyond beautiful with that fresh morning feel, and is not a direct ripoff of “Our Love Was” no matter what y’all say. Any comparisons are vague at best. The jarring “Glass Onion” is awash in bitterness and is the first sign of John’s disillusionment with the Beatles. The mini-epic “Happiness is a Warm Gun” goes out its way to raise eyebrows with taboos aplenty, and the sections flow into one another so well! Only the comic story “The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill” isn’t a classic, but I don’t hate it as much as others.
Paul contributes the album opener “Back in the U.S.S.R.,” a clever combination of Russian locales and Beach Boys-esque surf rock. A few Beach Boys pop up too! “Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da” pretty much points to his irksome solo material; the lyrics can be grating, but the melody can’t be beat. So it’s a love/hate thing for me. His short out-of-tune “Wild Honey Pie” is good for a laugh, but not much else. But ohhh I can’t forget George’s tune “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” which blew me the hell away during that fateful ’96 listen. I still consider it George’s best Beatlesong ever. The depressing minor-key atmosphere and the sudden major-key shift in the bridge, the wailing guitar (you can imagine how bummed I was to learn that was Eric Clapton and not Georgie on that guitar), I love love love it.
Side 2: The main man here is Paul, although he’s lightweight this time around. “Blackbird” is one of his best acoustic tunes, “I Will” pretty much defines quaint, the country parody “Rocky Raccoon” works better than “Bungalow,” and his dirty “Why Don’t We Do it in the Road” is another short but amusing snippet. His only non-acoustic tune “Martha My Dear” is chock full of great piano lines.
John only has two songs on Side 2: “I’m So Tired,” the bleary counterpoint to “I’m Only Sleeping,” and “Julia,” a love song to both his mother and Yoko. His guitar-picking and use of sevenths on the latter would later show up on Plastic Ono Band and Imagine. George’s “Piggies” sounds like awkward social commentary, kind of a letdown. Ringo rounds things out with his 1st song!!!! That would be the likable country “Don’t Pass Me By,” of course.
Side 3? The most ‘rock’ side of the four by far. Both John and Paul have two rockers apiece, one lightweight and the other more hardcore. Paul’s “Birthday” has been overplayed at sporting events during birthday wishes, but it’s still a fun little retro tune. John’s “Everybody’s Got Something to Hide...” is also fun, with Maharishi-inspired lyrics. Paul’s ‘hardcore’ rocker “Helter Skelter” is the band’s first attempt at ‘heavy’ rock a la Who. It’s pretty good, but to say that the Beatles beat Hendrix and the Who at their own game here would be a mistake. John’s “Yer Blues” is even better, a raw outburst of angst and whatnot. Oh yeah, it’s the blues style too.
Elsewhere on this side, Paul has another acoustic tune in “Mother Nature’s Son,” which is OK but too close to John Denver for comfort. John’s “Sexy Sadie” is even better than “Glass Onion” in the bitterness department; the target is the Maharishi. And George’s “Long Long Long”? Half of his solo career is in that mellow, sacred vein! It was always among my least favorite Beatle songs, but I can appreciate it now.
Side 4 is also John’s side. “Revolution #1” was how he wanted the single “Revolution” to sound from the beginning. “Revolution” rocked hard, this one is laid-back and more ambiguous than a call to action. I still like the single better. “Cry Baby Cry” has dark-nursery rhyme imagery, while “Revolution #9” gives the Yoko influence away. I won’t comment on it, since I’m uninformed on sound collages and I don’t want to look like an uneducated rube. Throw in Paul’s ‘20s groaner “Honey Pie,” George’s simple butt-rocker (which he only did on occasion after the Beatles) “Savoy Truffle,” and the Ringo-sung, John-penned closer “Goodnight,” and there’s your Whitey Album.
White Album was not revolutionary, but the diversity and blatant genre exercises were kind of new to rock. As was the double album format. I don’t think this was the first double album, but it certainly begat Exile on Main Street, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, London Calling, etc; all double albums, chock full of different styles. It’s still my #2 favorite Beatles album, and it was the beginning of the end of the Beatles, as they worked more as individuals than a team.
1969
Here’s the deal. A long time ago I got a tape of this soundtrack from the anmated Beatles movie Yellow Submarine (this was right before I switched to CDs for good). And a long time ago I salvaged four songs and said to hell with the rest. At this point I have no interest in getting my hands on this or the reissued soundtrack with all Beatle songs. So I can’t make any comments on George Martin’s score from the movie, and I’ve already stated my views on the title track and “All You Need is Love.” I’ll just go over the four tunes that are found only here, most being 1967 table scraps.
Unfortunately, only one true standout lies among them: in the smoking rocker “Hey Bulldog,” with a killer piano riff (a weakness of mine) and the last of John’s psychedelic lyrics. Elsewhere, George has two subpar tunes. No wait, I actually kind of like the dreary Pepper outtake “Only a Northern Song,” but the lazy tape loops foul things up. “It’s All Too Much” sucks though, as it’s a half-baked, self-indulgent tune that even has the gall to nick the Merseys’ “Sorrow.” Paul’s “All Together Now” is pretty childish, and might have been better if he gave it to Ringo to sing. And that’s all I have to say about that. Do what you will with Yellow Submarine (the soundtrack), but watch the movie. You shall like it.
1970
This came out after Abbey Road, but it was recorded before Abbey, so I put it in its proper place. Paul spearheaded the band into making a documentary of their recording sessions, so that everyone would see what went on behind the scenes. Well, that only fueled the dislike the band had for one another...they recorded the songs without George Martin, and left the songs in the can for an extended holiday. Unfortunately, Let it Be is their weakest effort since Help! Some of them were played at their famous rooftop gig, so they sound a bit underwhelming. Others are hampered by Phil Spector’s inappropriate production once he got his hands on the tracks in 1970. But it’s still the Beatles.
As far as tossoffs go, we have the public domain cover “Maggie Mae” and the jam snippet “Dig It.” I once had the extra-long version of the latter, and it’s as wholly free-form as you would expect. You also have sarcastic comments like ‘I dig a Pygmy, by Charles Autry on the deaf-aids’ and ‘now we’d like to “Hark the Angels Come”’ (before “Let it Be”). Makes for a weird atmosphere. As for the rooftop cuts, John’s slow “Dig a Pony” is more of his Dylan-inspired gibberish, but Paul’s “I’ve Got a Feeling” is even better, as it combines Paul’s main melody with John’s ‘everybody had a hard year’ countermelody. “One After 909” dates back to 1963, and the Beatles have fun running through that simple tune.
George’s contributions are weaker than on White Album, as the 12-bar blues “For You Blue” is a little too slight and the weepy “I Me Mine” is mediocre. The latter was so short that Spector finagled with it to make it longer. One of his better moves on the album. Elsewhere, John and Paul do a credible Everly Brothers impersonation on the rootsy “Two of Us.” The version of “Get Back” is covered with live overdubs, but apparently this version was not performed on the rooftop. It’s still weaker than the single version, but it does have John’s classic ‘I hope we passed the audition’ remark.
Now for the main points of controversy. Phil Spector’s presence was most felt on John’s “Across the Universe,” and Paul’s title track and “The Long and Winding Road.” All of them have extra choirs, orchestras, brass sections, etc. I’ll summarize by saying Phil tampered “Long” and massacred “Universe.” “Long” is a wonderful Paul ballad, but Phil’s embellishments make the song icky. Then again, without them, you’ll notice John’s sloppy bass playing. I like John’s hippie anthem “Across the Universe,” but on here it’s slowed down and the Disney choir does not fit in!!! It’s like overdubbing the Mormon Tabernacle Choir over a Grateful Dead track. Doesn’t work. The gospel title track comes out a winner, superior to the single version. It’s longer, and the guitar solo is infinitely better.
Overall, Let it Be is rather uneven and disjointed, and parts of it sound like senioritis. It’s like Boise State football team not playing their A-game against a vastly inferior opponent (I saw my share of those last season). It still has some winners, and the Beatles didn’t end their career here, as they cleaned up their act for Abbey Road. I will make some comments about Let it Be...Naked below, but it’s gonna be short.
2003
You know, this album shoulda come out a long time ago, say 1996 or 1997. Back then, I had much more energy to differentiate this album from the original Let it Be. As you’ll read below, I listened to Anthology 3 months before Let it Be, so I was used to the Let it Be alternates on Anthology 3. So I’m hearing the third, sometimes the fourth, version, of these songs on Let it Be...Naked.
I suppose Naked is closer to the spirit of Get Back, which was what Let it Be was tentatively titled during the recording sessions. No Phil Spector overdubs. No live cuts. No toss-offs a la Maggie Mae. No ‘I dig a pygmy’ cracks. And it sounds cleaner. Especially “I’ve Got a Feeling” and “Dig a Pony.” “Across the Universe” is as good as it’s ever sounded. “Long and Winding Road” loses the overdubs and you get to see how spare it actually is, for better or for worse. However, “For You Blue” isn’t improved. “Get Back” is still inferior to the single version. “One After 909” doesn’t sound as fun without the live element. “I Me Mine” is two short. The alternate of B-side “Don’t Let me Down” is weak weak weak. And I have no comment on the other two. I’m tired
1969
This album is probably criminally underrated by me. Back in the day, this was the Beatles album I listened to the least, along with Let it Be. I don’t know why, and I probably never will. Actually, a little context of the Beatle’s situation at the time: the Let it Be sessions were still in the can, and the Beatles didn’t want to go out on a sour note, even though tensions were only rising. So they brought back George Martin, sucked it up, and made the hell out of Abbey Road. They knew it would be their last, so that makes the songs all the more special. No slacking off, better production, and Abbey Road was the swansong to end all swansongs.
The first side was John’s idea: straight-up, no-bullshit, rock’n’roll’n’whatever else. It works amazingly as a collection of solo ideas. John’s “Come Together” is lyrically the peak of his Dylan-esque nonsense, and musically a great Chuck Berry blues variant. George’s “Something” needs no introduction, he never again wrote a secular love-song so immaculate...I sometimes wish there were more of these on All Things Must Pass, but hey, you can’t argue with that album.
Paul’s “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” invokes a rabid hatred in a lot of people, maybe they knew that song was the final nail in the Beatles’ relationships coffin. It’s black humor that I neither love nor hate. “Oh! Darling” shows Paul in a white-soul workout and works like a charm, and Ringo’s very own “Octopus’s Garden” superates “Yellow Submarine” in amiability. Side 1 ends with John’s “I Want You,” a revealing look into John’s sexual frustration with Yoko. That four-note riff goes on and on before abruptly stopping, which is the only way it could end, I guess.
Side 2 of Abbey Road was Paul’s brainchild: a mini-symphony. But not all of it was devoted to that idea: George’s “Here Comes the Sun” is an impossibly happy ode to spring with an incredible melody. John’s “Because” breaks my poor heart...those 3-part harmonies are tighter than tight, and they get me every single time. And Paul’s “Her Majesty” is an odd album closer, another one of his snippets. The rest...suites abound. “You Never Give Me Your Money” outlines their money problems, as in who should be in charge of their fiscal dealings and whatnot. That’s a suite in itself, as it goes from sad to joyous to sad to...whimsical? (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, all good children go to heaven). The four-song suite is more devoted to good ole rock, as it’s a collection of not-quite-finished songs. I don’t like “Sun King,” it’s a silly rehash of “Because,” but John’s other two songs are entertaining and Paul’s “Bathroom Window” could hold its own by itself.
The final suite is even more resonant, as it goes from Paul’s classical-influenced “Golden Slumbers” to “Carry That Weight.” I really can’t think of words to describe the latter, that chant has so many emotions attached to it. And when the “You Never Give Me Your Money” melody comes back in...oh my god...this is why I love music. This affirms my faith in music, which I need after hearing “Hollaback Girl” (I’ll save my worst-song-in-years rant for another time). After that we hear “The End,” where they pull out some more rock, with dualing guitars. And they end with their famous ‘and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make’ line. And that’s it.
It’s been said that Abbey Road is the most emotional Beatles album, and it very well can be, once you get the context down. This is the greatest band in the world, playing their hearts out, truly caring, knowing this was their last hurrah. And it’s true, I’ve teared up just writing this review. I still don’t consider this my favorite Beatles album...it’s still behind Revolver, White Album, and Rubber Soul. The first suite isn’t completely perfect, and I don’t fancy to “Maxwell’s.” But consider this 9 a high 9.
1988
The Beatles were a damned good singles band. And you get a few of their most famous singles of all time here on Past Masters Volume 1. Each of these songs didn’t show up on any albums, thus this compilation serves as a great place where you can get them all. So you don’t have to get 1 or the Red and Blue albums or any other of those superfluous Greatest Hits compilations.
The single version of “Love Me Do” is sort of timid, it was recorded before the version on Please Please Me, and sounds less assured. But “From Me to You” is very cute and likable, “She Loves You” introduced us to the ‘yeah yeah yeah’ and the ‘wooooo!’ that everyone mocked at the time. But beyond all the hype, that song wasn’t about the Beatles being in love, it’s about their friend being in love with a girl, and their advice to that friend. That’s deep! “I Want to Hold Your Hand” made them stars in the US, as you know. All pop classics that everyone knows.
Who knows the B-sides, though? Not a lot. “Thank You Girl” sounds like “From Me to You,” but I don’t complain. “I’ll Get You” is more subtle than “She Loves You,” and they throw in the untrivial word resign (‘you might as well resign yourself to me’). And “This Boy” has wonderful harmonies and unbridled hurt in John’s voice in that bridge. We also get to hear German versions of “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” recorded solely for the German market. Das ist gut und lustig.
Next up is their EP Long Tall Sally, including the faithful Little Richard title track (Paul could really do that Lil’ Richard!) and John’s slight downer “I Call Your Name,” which was probably far too depressing for A Hard Day’s Night. There’s also a forgettable Ringo-sung Carl Perkins cover “Matchbox” and a really kick-butt cover of “Slow Down,” highlighted by insistent piano and John’s double-tracking bloopers (when he sings ‘now you got a boyfriend down the street,’ you can hear ‘girlfriend’ on one of the vocal tracks!! Tee hee, tee hee).
John’s late 1964 single “I Feel Fine” is best known not for the standard lyrics, but for the influential riff and feedback blast. The flipside is Paul’s bluesy “She’s a Woman,” which is also cool and almost has a Tex-Mex whiff about it. The rocking cover “Bad Boy” was recorded during the Help! sessions but ended up only on the American bastard Beatles VI. Too bad, it’s so much more convincing than that snoozer “Dizzy Miss Lizzie.” “Yes It Is” sounds like a “This Boy” sequel, only darker and more metaphorical. And “I’m Down” is a very cool Little Richard soundalike with Paul going crazy. “Yes It Is” was the B-side to “Ticket to Ride,” and “I’m Down” was the B-side to “Help,” in case someone didn’t know. What are you waiting for? Get Past Masters Volume 1, it’s a pop paradise!
1988
I reiterate: the Beatles were a damned good singles band. Especially here on Past Masters Volume 2, at the height of their powers. Here are all seven of their non-album single releases from 1965 to 1970, and a bonus alternate. They’re all wonderful!!! And they’re all in one place!
From 1965, you have their perfect single “Day Tripper”/“We Can Work it Out.” “Day Tripper” is only their best riff-rocker ever, with thinly-veiled drug lyrics. “We Can Work It Out” is more on the pop side, and the melody is spot-on. The next year’s single was another riff-rocker “Paperback Writer,” that’s wonderfully effortless. The B-side “Rain” is even cooler, as it definitely feels druggy. Not to mention their lines about rain and shine being ‘just a state of mind.’
Early 1968 showed the Beatles coming back to earth after a psychedelic 1967. “Lady Madonna” marked this arrival, an awesome piano-rocker with Paul affecting his best Elvis voice. It was once my favoritest song ever, but not quite anymore. The B-side “The Inner Light” might be George’s best Indian tune; even though it’s a direct reading of the Dao De Jing, it’s very concise and to-the-point, as opposed to the endless nature of “Within You Without You.” Later on that year, the huge hit was Paul’s “Hey Jude,” which is still resonant despite Paul playing it at every opportunity nowadays. The melody in itself is awesome, and the ‘na na na’ coda is the most heartwarming thing ever. No wonder it was #1 for a long time in America, the country needed it in a tumultuous 1968. The B-side “Revolution” is also 1968, reflecting the youth uprising that year with a piercing guitar part and John’s defiantly anti-violence stance.
The next year’s single was Paul’s rollicking “Get Back,” with Paul sounding kind of like the guy from Canned Heat. This single version was always the best, better than the on Let it Be and the rooftop cuts. The solid B-side “Don’t Let Me Down” is another one of John’s devoted-to-Yoko songs, and less desperate than “I Want You.” They followed it up with “Ballad of John and Yoko,” a nifty rocker about John’n’Yoko’s honeymoon that’s still a cut below the other stuff on here. The B-side “Old Brown Shoe” belongs to George, and it’s a highly overlooked little rocker with some atypical clever wordplay from Harrison.
Oh, and here you’ll find my favorite version of “Across the Universe.” The track was slightly sped up, and embellished with wildlife effects and two outta-tune Apple Scruff girls on the chorus! Here the song reveals itself to be an absolute wonder, with John’s enlightened hippie lyrics and whatnot. The single version of “Let it Be” is not as heavenly as the album version for reasons I’ve already explained. The B-side “You Know My Name (Look up the Number)” is rather strange. The Beatles recite the 8-word title over a gospel backing, then a lounge backing, and then in a Python-esque manner. Crazy man crazy. Anyway, time to go. Buy this album. It won’t let you down.
1995
Another chapter to my Beatlemania phase: it coincided with the mid-‘90s Anthology hoo-hah, with the big TV special and the release of 3 albums worth of alternates and outtakes and what have you. It has been said that it was a ripoff to the casual fan; there were only maybe a handful of ‘new’ songs, by which I mean the two ‘comeback’ singles and unreleased outtakes. Yes, I would advise caution to any prospective buyers...it’s not really for listening purposes, it’s for us extreme nerds who love to analyze and see works-in-progress.
That’s not entirely why I have such a soft heart towards these Anthologies. See, back in the early days I was relying on my parent’s respectable but incomplete Beatles record collection. Many of these were the unfortunate American bastard releases, so I was thrown off, but that’s another story. Point is, they got the first two Anthologies, and I listened to them as music BEFORE I delved into some of their vinyl records. So really, I got used to some Beatle alternates before hearing the respective originals. Now you see why I’m kinder to the Anthologies than most.
Anthology 1 is my least favorite by far, as there are too many live performances and random interview snippets. Also, I’m obviously biased towards later Beatles, where their alternates were at least a little different because they were spending more time in the studio. However, you do get a sense of progression, from their first time in a studio to their Tony Sheridan days to their Decca demos. Of those, I like the drunken mess “You’ll Be Mine” (‘national health eyeball!’), their Shadows pastiche “Cry For a Shadow,” and George’s vocals on two covers (“Three Cool Cats” and “Sheik of Araby”) for Decca.
Then it gets less interesting. I do like the “How do You Do It” story, the Beatles played this non-original twee Merseybeat number under protest and rebound by pounding out their own “Please Please Me.” “How Do You Do It” would later be a hit to the more tame Gerry and the Pacemakers. Uh....the “One After 909” rehearsals are fun, as they repeatedly screw the song up. And that’s all for CD 1.
The next CD is another patchy affair. We get to hear John’s legendary ‘rattle your jewelry’ line from the Royal Albert Hall gig before “Twist and Shout.” And their appearance on the Morecambe and Wise show is freaking hilarious, even though it’s funnier on the video. British humour is the best, isn’t it? Let’s see...a crashing runthrough of “And I Love Her,” a surprising cover of “Shout,” hilariously butchered early demos of “I’ll be Back” and “No Reply,” a mediocre Beatles For Sale-era Harrison tune “You Know What to Do,” they’re all interesting. Best of all is John’s ultra-convincing “Leave my Kitten Alone,” which should have been on Beatles For Sale, not “Mr. Moonfright.”
Finally, the new song “Free as a Bird” is rather underwhelming. I’m not a Lynne-hater by any means, but his booming-drums treatment sort of overwhelms John’s original demo. It would get better on the next Anthology, and the next one is of more interest to me anyway.
1996
Even better!!! Anthology 1 had very little impact in my early Beatlemania days, but dang this one did. Anthology 2 picks up a year after the first left off, in 1965, when the Beatles started to really catch fire in the studio. CD 1 covers Help! up to Revolver, with a few unnecessary live tracks to boot. I used to prefer “I’m Down” to the original, because I thought Paul’s breakdown was funnier here and obnoxious on the original. But this alternate is totally weak without the organ and backing vocals! The Ringo-sung outtake “If You Got Trouble” should have been on Help! instead of “Act Naturally,” even though the words are nonsense. “That Means a Lot” almost sounds Spector-ish, and would look better on Help! than the crappy “Tell Me What You See.”
Moving on to the Rubber Soul era, all they salvaged was an over-sitarized “Norwegian Wood,” “I’m Looking Through You” (it has a great groove, but it doesn’t fit the song), and an inessential 12-bar jam. From Revolver, I like the Byrd’s-inspired runthrough of “And Your Bird Can Sing” where they can’t stop laughing. I also kinda appreciate the spacey early cut of “Tomorrow Never Knows,” an instrumental “Eleanor Rigby,” and Pet Sounds-sounding instrumental “I’m Only Sleeping.” However, the organ-filled “Got to Get You Into My Life” is the worst Beatles outtake ever.
CD 2 dives head-on into Sgt. Pepper's. Let’s just say I hearing the progression of “Strawberry Fields Forever,” from a guitar demo to an early Hawaiian-sounding cut. The final version is actually the full version of what would later only survive as the first verse before the slowed-down psychedelic part took over in the original. If liking it makes me a geek, then geek away I will. I also kinda like “Only a Northern Song” because it doesn’t have the dumb tape loops and “Good Morning Good Morning” sans the cluttering saxes.
By the Magical Mystery Tour sessions, the well is running dry. It ends with a very good version of “Across the Universe,” but the only noteworthy cut in between is a longer version of “You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)” distinguished by a longer gospel section and - get this - a SKA section of the song! I heard this before the original and I was so bummed to find the ska section was not present. The rest are not worth mentioning. By the way, the new song “Real Love” is much better than “Free as a Bird.” It’s just more Beatlesque, not as bombastic, and you can actually hear John’s vocals. Good song. Good Anthology.
1996
Once more! The final Anthology focuses on their later stuff, with a whole lotta White Album rehearsals (all of CD 1 is devoted to this album!), and some outtakes from Abbey Road and Let it Be as well. As I have said before, I was very partial to the Let it Be outtakes here at the time, having not heard Let it Be yet. To this day, I still prefer some outtakes to their masters! Anthology 3 might be my favorite of the three, except they didn’t dig up any more John Lennon demos this time around. Drat!
CD 1 kicks off with several White Album demos, most of them belonging to John Lennon and featuring some amusing babbling (“Glass Onion,” “Polythene Pam”). We also hear Macca’s “Junk” for the first time! Elsewhere, there’s a dull “Helter Skelter” cut that apparently went on for ages. Lucky us that it got edited for here, and that it got revamped for the White Album. I also kind of like the ‘straight’ (as in not so goofy) “Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da” and George’s ‘unplugged’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” OK, throw in a totally flippant cut of “Hey Jude” and Paul’s ‘sminking’ mistake on “Rocky Raccoon” for a laugh. The other outtakes are not worth talking bout.
The new songs are few and far between, but they’re all great. Paul’s gentle “Step Inside Love” that segues into jam “Los Paranoias” maybe isn’t so great, actually. But George’s early rocking cut of “Not Guilty” is really cool, but was tossed aside until his 1979 album, where it had 10x less edge! John’s “What’s the New Mary Jane” is the best of them all, it starts with some simplistic melody and babbling, and then it dissolves into a sound collage at the end! Woulda loved to see this on White Album!!
CD 2 has the Let it Be stuff. “Two of Us,” “Dig a Pony,” and “I’ve Got a Feeling” are interesting outtakes that I still like, if not more than the originals anymore. However, “For You Blue” is much better here than on Let it Be...the sound is more fleshed out with the piano, and George’s vocal and John’s slide guitar sound so cool. Plus, you can see John making a mockery of Paul’s “Teddy Boy,” proof that “Bathroom Window” could hold its own by itself, and a really funny Aaron Neville-esque “Oh! Darling.” George’s three demos are all fine, and the rooftop cut of “Get Back” is said to be the final one before the cops put their foot down. Right?
The Abbey Road stuff is not nearly as interesting. The highlights are an a cappella cut of “Because” and Paul’s mouthed guitar solo on “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.” Also of note is Paul’s “Come and Get It” that Badfinger copied to a tee for their hit. That’s pretty much the end of the road. What a long, winding road too. Like I said, I really wouldn’t recommend the Anthologies unless you’re a music historian. Me, I’m kind of a music historian. I think. A music geek, at the least. Anyway, Anthology 3 is my fave of the three.