So I was taking a break from studying my French final when I started this post. I worked on it for about an hour, a little longer than I had intended to, but I did get through 4 of the 7 remaining albums with what I thought were pretty good reviews. Then, feeling guilty about my lack of studying I exited Word to work on other things with the intention to come back and finish the final albums later tonight. Well apparently closing a word document proved far too advanced for the likes of my computer skills and I managed to delete all that work… GAH! So here we go again… well not you because you never got to read the first one… here I go again.
Album: Revolver (1966)
Songs you probably know: “Eleanor Rigby” and “Here, There, and Everywhere”
My favorite songs: “Taxman”, “Good Day Sunshine”, “For No One”
General: This album is where things start to get druggy. The boys have all been smoking pot for a while now but now they’re getting into some harder stuff. “She Said She Said” for example, was inspired by John’s second ever acid trip. By this time they have a good fan base, i.e. screaming hordes of girls and a bunch of relatively sane people that you never hear about. They don’t have to worry so much about getting people to like them so they start experimenting. The subjects and lyrics of these songs aren’t all as happy and predictable as before (though that type of song is far from gone). Plus, musically, there are some things on this album that you just did not hear in 60’s rock. What sounds like some kind of Indian music on “Tomorrow Never Knows” is actually just a regular tape loop played backwards. They were just beginning to experiment with using studio techniques to create new sounds. And, speaking of Indian music, this is the first time we really see its effect on The Beatles. George had been studying sitar with Ravi Shankaar the previous year and (though he is not the one playing the sitar) “Love To You” is the first really Indian sounding Beatles song. This album is like a precursor to the psychedelic 60’s still to come.
Album: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Songs you probably know: “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” and “With a Little Help from My Friends”
My favorite songs: “Within you and With Out You”, “Getting Better”, “A Day in the Life”
General: Before I tell you about this album let me just take a moment of silence in which to pay homage to its excellence… okay. This album has been hailed as the high point of The Beatle’s career and often of the history of rock and roll so far. There are books written about it by the same people who write about Beethoven and Brahms. The boys were fed up with how difficult touring had become and decided to stop; the idea was for this album to go on tour for them. As such, they spent and unprecedented amount of time and money recording it. It has become known as a concept album (even though it didn’t start that way) in which The Beatles take on the fake persona of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, an Edwardian era brass band, putting on a live show. This album was kind of Paul’s baby, they say he got the idea when he was traveling in Nairobi and had to wear a disguise to get around quietly. He thought it would be great if the whole band could have a disguise to escape the pressures of having to constantly churn out the same old songs, hit after hit. Perhaps this is why they all sported moustaches at the time? This album is just pure creative freedom. It is completely off the beaten path of 60’s rock. There are classical touches on psychedelic lyrics (thank you musicology class for that line), rock guitars and orchestras and Indian instruments, all ending in an “orchestral orgasm” that should “sound like the end of the world”. They experimented with rhythms, melodies, instruments, subjects, lyrics, all kinds of weirdness! And because they are creative geniuses, it worked. I mean it really worked. If you are only going to download one album, this is it.
Album: Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
Songs you probably know: “All You Need is Love”, “Hello, Goodbye” and “Penny Lane”
My favorite songs: “Strawberry Fields Forever”, “I am the Walrus”, and “All You Need is Love”
General: First of all I want to point out that this was released just a few short months after Sgt. Pepper, you’d think they would want to take a break after changing the history of rock and roll. This album has found its place firmly in the category of the psychedelic 60’s. The lyrics and music are pretty out there and occasionally event meant to confuse us. I guess they figured that all the weird stuff they did in Sgt. Pepper worked out really well so why not try weirder stuff? This album also had a movie that went with it but I’ve never seen it (please, control your cries of outrage) because it’s proving tricky to find. It is supposed to be just about the worst movie ever, a sort of mini documentary in which The Beatles and some friends all pile onto a groovy bus and drive around the country and… well, I don’t really know what they do. Let it be known however, that I liked The Who’s rock opera movie Tommy so when I finally get my hands on this I’m sure I’ll end up loving it. Anyways, this album sound like the sound track to a drug trip, and it probably was for a lot of people in its time. But don’t worry, even if you don’t drop acid or smoke weed you can still enjoy this album and all of the wild place it lets your mind wander to.
Album: The Beatles aka: The White Album, due to its plain white cover (1968)
Songs you probably know: “Blackbird” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”
My favorite songs: “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, “I Will”, “Revolution 1”
General: This is The Beatles first and only double album. Most people agree, including their producer, George Martin, that there are enough songs that nobody would miss had they been left out that it would have been fine as a regular sized album, but hey, it’s The Beatles, who’s gonna say no? By this time they were beginning to feel all of those concerts, travel, recording sessions, and press events together catch up with them. Yoko was hanging around more and everyone was annoyed with everyone else. To most Beatles fans this album marks the beginning of the end. But, despite its somber label it’s still got some really great songs to offer. Unfortunately some of a fan’s favorites tend to be smushed between inconsequential little tunes. Then there is “Revolution 9”, less of a song on more the sound track to a nightmare. We can all thank Mrs. Ono for helping out on that one. But, as if to redeem her, the amazing Eric Clapton also laid down an amazing, unaccredited, lead guitar part on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” for his buddy George.
Album: Yellow Submarine (1969)
Songs you probably know: “Yellow Submarine” and… well that might be the only one
My favorite songs: “All Together Now” and “Hey Bulldog”
General: This is by far the least Beatle-y Beatles album out there. As you know, this went with the movie Yellow Submarine a cartoon aimed at kids in which the Beatles didn’t even do their own voice acting. This album has a few rereleases and a very few new songs. The entire B side, which would just be the last 7 songs to you because you will be buying it on iTunes rather than vinyl, is made up of wordless orchestral pieces meant to go with the movie and arranged by George Martin. They’re good, fun instrumentals but not really The Beatles you’re probably looking to hear. It’s probably more of an album for the hardcore fans. But the few new songs on it are quite fun at you have luxury of just buying those rather than the whole album. Fancy!
Album: Abbey Road (1969)
Songs you probably know: I honestly hope you know most of them… you probably do. But still, “Come Together” and “Here Comes the Sun”
My favorite songs: “Something”, “Oh! Darling”, “The End” (that was really hard for me)
General: This is the last album the boys recorded and a damn good one at that. Obviously they had been through a lot together and I think on some level they knew the end had arrived. So they pulled themselves together and put together a bang with which to end. This one was recorded much more like a real band than the last few, a lot less over dubbing and separate recordings being pieces together. I think that’s probably why it has all the authenticity of one really amazing band but with all of the musical knowledge and mastery gained over 10 years (I’m counting before they started recording) of experimenting and working together. This is really one of the greats and if you don’t already have it now is the time!
Album: Let It Be (1970)
Songs you probably know: “Let it Be” and “Across the Universe”
My favorite songs: The above plus “I Me Mine” and “Two of Us”
General: There is always some confusion about this album. You say, “But you said Abbey Road was the last thing they recorded, why did this come out later? Hmmmm?” Settle down and keep your accusatory Hmmming to yourselves! All of these songs were part of what was going to be a movie, a real documentary type thing about the song process and all, but as far as I know it got scrapped. I think some version of it was eventually released but it’s just a lot of pretty random footage from around the studio. Being so close to the end it feels almost tense in a way. I’ve heard an early take of “Dig It” where they stop a little ways in and start snapping at each other… sad indeed. Musically though this has got some really lovely songs, most are very soulful and contemplative.
And that’s it….
Well a few more things.
1) iTunes also has the remastered box set available which is all of these albums plus things like booklets, a video of a concert, and a possibly a few other video clips and outtake type things that aren’t available elsewhere. I’d be interested to see these things but certainly can’t justify the $150 for music I already have.
2) The blue and red album thingies are just chronological compilation albums. Maybe a god choice if you just can’t decide.
3) These are all the stereo versions. Probably to accommodate all the fancy speakers we have these days. 95% of this music was written with mono in mind and whoever transferred them to stereo had to take some creative liberties. So in a way they are a bit less authentic but in some cases they do sound a little nicer
The end, I hope you can now go forth upon iTunes and make a Beatles purchase you will love!
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