The Beatles: Help!
1965
Parlophone Records
Format I Own it on: Compact Disc
Track Listing: 1. Help! 2. The Night Before 3. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away 4. I Need You 5. Another Girl 6. You're Going to Lose That Girl 7. Ticket to Ride 8. Act Naturally 9. It's Only Love 10. You Like Me Too Much 11. Tell Me What You See 12. I've Just Seen a Face 13. Yesterday 14. Dizzy Miss Lizzy
Let's start again today with Part 5 of an old tape I found that had an old episode of "The Beatle Years" radio show from 1998....
Okay, now let's move on to "Help!" This record is the soundtrack to their 1965 film. God, these guys are right there...Some of these songs can stand up easily to "Rubber Soul" (which I consider the first truly great Beatles album).
There's still vestiges of the early Beatles era, as evidenced by the covers and the straightforward presentation, but the whole thing feels more folksy...Lots of chiming guitar, rootsy strumming and warm harmonies...And the stoned drone of "Ticket To Ride" finally gives us a glimpse at their later psychedelic style. John Lennon later downplayed Paul's' writing role on the track, stating that his only contribution to the song was "the way Ringo played the drums" but holy sheeyyoot! It was probably meant as a slight, but really he's giving Paul credit for the most vital part of the whole song! Ringo's stuttering drumline makes "Ticket to Ride!"
There's still vestiges of the early Beatles era, as evidenced by the covers and the straightforward presentation, but the whole thing feels more folksy...Lots of chiming guitar, rootsy strumming and warm harmonies...And the stoned drone of "Ticket To Ride" finally gives us a glimpse at their later psychedelic style. John Lennon later downplayed Paul's' writing role on the track, stating that his only contribution to the song was "the way Ringo played the drums" but holy sheeyyoot! It was probably meant as a slight, but really he's giving Paul credit for the most vital part of the whole song! Ringo's stuttering drumline makes "Ticket to Ride!"
(Cover of the American Version, which I've never heard, but I'm sure it's safe to say it's probably inferior to the UK version...)
I actually kind of like "Dizzy Miss Lizzy," but their cover of the dopey country song "Act Naturally" is probably my least favorite Beatles tracks ever...I don't want to give the impression that I have anything against Ringo's vocal spotlights, I actually like his voice...He always sounds like he's having a good time, but man, they hand him some of the shoddiest song selections on these early albums...but this would change, too...
Toss in the propulsive and strummy "I've Just Seen a Face," the orchestral standard "Yesterday," and the lively, poppy title track and you've got a definite winner...Sure there's a few songs that don't do much for me, but I can't stress how much an improvement this is over the records they were putting out only a year or two earlier...
So let's toss your new vinyl copy of "Help! to the 60's hi-fi....
Hey! ... Check out your resplendent splay of magazines you have fanned across it...
Very happening! A swingin' 60's issue of "Esquire" featuring an ultra-suave Sean Connery shilling the latest 007 film "Thunderball." Hmmm...Maybe we'll go see that after we watch "Help!" at the movie theater...
Poor guy...Yearbook pictures are always bad...
Anyway...Let's sit back and listen to "Ticket to Ride" by the Beatles...
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