I’ve slowed down my purchases of the Beatles reissues in recent weeks, not wanting to break the bank for (as my loved ones keep reminding me) music I already own. But when I have a little extra cash in my pocket and I happen to find myself at a Best Buy on my lunch break (how does that happen??), I’ll grab another one.
The latest was With The Beatles, the band’s second album. And once again it has been an eye- (and ear-) opening experience.
One of my other favorite tracks on Sgt. Pepper is Paul’s charmingly kinky ‘Lovely Rita.’ The Beatles had a knack for populating their songs and albums with colorful characters like this. On Sgt. Pepper alone, they gave us Rita, Lucy, Mr. Kite and of course Ringo’s alter ego Billy Shears.
I’ve highlighted a “Paul album” and a “John album” so now it’s time to focus on one that’s a bit of both. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was a collaborative effort, with John and Paul sharing input on most of the album’s 13 tracks. The few exceptions mostly belong to McCartney (‘Fixing a Hole,’ ‘When I’m 64,’ ‘Lovely Rita’) although Lennon is credited with authorship of ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ and ‘Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite.’
The album’s best-loved track, ‘A Day in the Life,’ is split in two, with John contributing the dreamy verses and Paul the upbeat center portion (as well as the cacophonous crescendos in the middle and at the end. One of the reasons that song rises to the upper tier of my list of favorite Beatles songs is how beautifully it combines the personalities and talents of those two songwriters.
‘Ticket to Ride,’ another John Lennon triumph from the Help! album, is by all objective measures a wonderful song. But I’m still struck by the uncanny appeal it seems to have for children.
OK, I’m generalizing… my sample size is admittedly small — my own two children and my nephew. But of all the great Beatles songs, including such blatantly kid-friendly fare as ‘Yellow Submarine’ and ‘Octopus’s Garden,’ why would this tune strike such a nerve with my little ones?
Last week I suggested that Revolver is a “Paul album” ‐ that is, the balance of the great songs on it were written by Paul McCartney. This week it’s John Lennon’s turn, and the “John album” I’m highlighting is The Beatles’ fifth record, Help!.
Help! was the band’s second soundtrack album, following A Hard Day’s Night, and while it isn’t the equal of that classic it doesn’t fall too short. I consider it probably the most underrated album in The Beatles’ discography. Not that it’s bashed, really, but you just never hear it come up in discussions of the band’s best work… it’s lost in a sea of Rubber Soul, Revolver, Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road.
Meet Me In Montauk 