40. HELP! - The Beatles.

 The Beatles. What a surprise! This record is a soundtrack of the movie with the same name. The songs stand up in their own right; there is no feeling of pasting together some tunes to accompany a flimsy plot line designed to milk the hard earned wages of adoring fans out of their pockets in exchange for an hour or two with the Beatles. Listening to this album, I get a feeling that the Beatles were settling nicely into their role as the premier band of all time at this point. The songs are diverse and well written, and it is obvious that they could do as they pleased in the studio, just so long as there was something the record companies could sell.

 The record company was not without influence however, apparently the title track was sped up and made into a pop song at the behest of the corporate overlords. When you listen to the lyrics you can imagine it as a slower dirge, an actual plea for succor, as opposed to a snappy pop song. That being said, it works as a pop vehicle as well.  The second track "The Night Before" is pure Beatles magic, showcasing the band's signature harmonies, a clever guitar solo, and a toe tapping beat. I like that song quite a bit. It leads into "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away", which makes me want to reach for my acoustic guitar and play along. I like the fact they have not edited out the speaking and counting in to the beginning of the song. It makes you feel like an insider, like you are in the booth while it is being recorded, part of the creation of a hugely popular tune.

 "Ticket To Ride" was suggestive of a man and woman living together out of wedlock. Scandalous! Times have changed somewhat since the mid-Sixties. This track rounds out the first side of the album. Side Two begins with a cover of a tune made popular by Buck Owens, "Act Naturally". I am certain that this song ( likely the Owens version) was used in a movie at some point, but for the life of me I cannot figure out which one. If anyone knows which movie, please leave a comment to ease my worried mind. Thank you in advance.

  After a few quick love songs we arrive at "I've Just Seen a Face". I knew this song, but I had absolutely no idea that it was the Beatles. I was literally gobsmacked when I saw that McCartney wrote it. It sounds like something straight out of Nashville. I guess that is why they are considered the best.

 The iconic "Yesterday" follows. This is a good song, and like many, I could sing every word without much difficulty. But to listen to the orchestral arrangement and Paul's delivery is a thing of beauty. This song is unsurprisingly the best on the album, to my ear anyway, it is way better than you remember it. Try it again!

 The last track "Dizzy Miss Lizzie" gets back to the straightforward Beatles sound and rocks along for just under three minutes. That's the end of it. The album is over, and we are left with a sense that there is more to come, that this band is just really finding out what they are capable of. Stay tuned!

 Rolling Stone placed this one at number 332 on their 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Which is odd, because on the revamped 2012 list, it was ranked at 331. I guess it gets better with age.


Buy it here.





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