20. Please Please Me - The Beatles.

 Here we are kids! The turning point. The first album released by the Beatles. The overall sound is like nothing else we have heard up to this point. Recently, I was chatting with my parents and threw this album on. They knew every song. Intrigued by this, I asked what made the Beatles so special. My stepmother came up with the upbeat tempo and harmonies. Dad weighed in that as much as Ringo was not taken as seriously as the rest of the group, he was a very good drummer. My mother recounted a story where she had attended a party at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario back in the early sixties, and someone had the first Beatles album, and they played both sides over and over again the entire night, to the delight of the dancing party-goers.

 There is no doubting the impact the Beatles had on the music that followed them. This album is said to be essentially a recreation of their live act at the time, from the Cavern Club in Liverpool. They wasted little time in getting the album recorded and released following the success of their singles. It starts with a count in and we are taken into "I Saw Her Standing There". This tune chugs along nicely, and the harmonies are evident, as is the steady uptempo beat of the drums. Maybe my folks were right about this. I am impressed with the guitar work. It is almost surfy. You can see why these guys are a hit. 

 The track "Misery" is rather ironic, since the title and lyrics suggest struggling with losing a lover, while the music is upbeat and catchy. The listener is tapping his toes along with this tune, while the narrative of the lyrics is some poor bastard at the edge of despair. This is interesting. Next up, they tell Anna to go off with another guy if she loves him more. Then the following song is about how his baby has him locked up in chains. The chains of love perhaps, but again the positive image is presented with its counterpart of being a prisoner. This album is possibly not as upbeat as it appears. Perhaps that is part of the mystique of the team of Lennon and McCartney. They aren't afraid to contrast the emotions they are trying to evoke, and the net result is songs that are more profound, and thus more interesting to the listener.

 "Boys" has a blues rock feel to it; the vocals are reminiscent of Roy Orbison; it reminded me of the Sun Records Collection; but with a British feel. We return to a state of misery in "Ask Me Why". If you listen carefully John's voice cracks in the middle of the song. Apparently he was sick when this was recorded, so it is quite amazing his vocals are as good as they are throughout the album. The next songs are bona fide hits. "Please Please Me" and "Love Me Do" are classic Beatles songs that most fans would know. "PS I Love You" doesn't quite hit the same level, but is a well known track that has some vocal riffing that reminds me of Burton Cummings' work at the end of the decade, and into the seventies. There is an excellent chance that Burton got to listen to this album and thought "That's the way to do it!" That is purely speculation on my part, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind. It is the Beatles after all.

 "Baby It's You" is a decent song with some nice background vocals, followed by "Do You Want To Know a Secret". This is a tune I thought I knew really well, but it manages to switch between three distinctly different parts in less than two minutes of length. This caught me off guard. But the biggest surprise came up next. I hadn't looked at the track listings, and suddenly I am listening to a song that sounds like the Herb Albert classic, "A Taste of Honey". Then I started to listen to the words and it was the same song. I had no idea that there was a version with lyrics, and it is a good listen. It is probably not the best song on the album, but it is my favourite track.

 The album wraps up with "There's a Place" and the classic "Twist and Shout". Poor John must have torn his throat apart getting those growly vocals, especially considering he had a cold at the time. But that is the price of superstardom. I'm certain that he got over it. The album clocks in at thirty three minutes and fourteen songs. A quick listen, but a good one. And, taking a page from Buddy Holly's book, the band members wrote most of the music and played their own instruments, which wasn't as prevalent in those days. The album can be summarized as a nice starting point for one of the greatest bands to date.

 Rolling Stone placed this one at number 39 on the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. I'm sure that we will hear more from this band. My folks said they were pretty good.

Buy it here.