26. A Hard Day's Night - The Beatles.

 One more post about the Beatles, and I promise we will move on to something different for an album or two. When creating my listening list, I sorted the albums more or less chronologically, and they were originally sorted by ranking. Thus, when I check which album I am listening to next, I sometimes have back to back (to back, in this case) entries from the same artist. It is unfortunate to a degree; I have listened to these three albums one after the other; so the impact of this album may have bled together with the others.

 

 From the first chord this album stands out as more complex than the previous offerings from the Beatles. I heard this chord, and thought it sounded odd, and so I sought out it's identity via Google. There were several different answers given, often conflicting, and there are some thorough presentations as to how this sound is arrived at available online. I had no idea that this debate existed. It is fascinating that someone would go to the lengths of a computer analysis to identify the single chord that starts the song "A Hard Day's Night". Seriously, check it out, it is surreal to see the scrutiny and opinion attached to this single note. That in itself is a testament to the importance of this band.

 The album is short, it clocks in at thirty minutes and twelve seconds. Squeezed into that time frame are thirteen songs. Many of these appeared in the influential movie of the same name, so the album is referred to as a soundtrack, but there are also studio tracks included on the second side. The vocals really take a lead role on this one, the music seems to be there to provide the vehicle for the harmonies and different vocal parts. The songwriting continues to progress, as Lennon and McCartney possess the writing credits for the entire album. The music is more sophisticated as well, as evidenced by the opening chord sparking so much discussion and debate.

 There really isn't a song on this one that I dislike. "If I Fell" has really nice vocal work. "And I Love Her" is one of my favourite Beatles songs; the brooding mood set up by the Spanish sounding guitar gives it a different feel from the rest of the album. But the one that stands out the most to me, is the final track "I'll Be Back". I like the music, I like the words, it is just a good song. 

 I am rather over the Beatles for the moment, listening to these last three albums over and over again has sated my appetite. Also, the fact that I am already familiar with many of the songs takes a bit of the wonder out of putting on the album for a listen. In unrelated news, I listened to "In The Court of The Crimson King" by King Crimson on the weekend. It is amazing that only five years passed between this Beatles album and the intense prog rock that was being offered in late 1969. It goes to show that we have much to listen to, to bridge the gap between these albums. I cannot wait to sink my teeth into some of the stuff I haven't heard, and to listen with a more critical ear to the albums that I am already familiar with.

 Rolling Stone placed "It's A Hard Day's Night" at number 388 on the Greatest 500 Albums of All Time.

Buy it here.