Post by The End on Oct 23, 2013 20:09:10 GMT
HELP!
Despite both LPs containing some significant high points, rightly or wrongly I have always considered Beatles For Sale and Help! as filler albums: The Beatles sort of treading water before returning to the real job of making truly ground-breaking music. Don’t get me wrong, I think Help! is a very good album – any album that contains “Help!”, “You’ve Got To hide Your Love Away”, “Ticket To Ride” and “Yesterday” could never be considered a bad album and any other artist would kill to have a stasis as good as this! However, there are really two things that make Help! a better LP than their previous offering, the first is that there are far fewer cover songs (just two on this album as opposed to six on Beatles For Sale) and the other is that half the songs on Help! came with an accompanying music video, courtesy of their new film, made in glorious colour ("green")! It’s almost impossible to think of “Ticket To Ride” without the snow or “Another Girl” without envisiging Paul on a Bahaman beach, strumming a bikini-clad girl like a guitar, with a cheeky smile on his face - the songs really do benefit from the visuals.
The sleeve itself is yet another much-imitated iconic image taken by Robert Freeman, based on the “Ticket To Ride” snow sequence in the film, it features the four Beatles seemingly spelling out the word “H-E-L-P” in semaphore – however, because it apparently looked better, what they’re actually spelling out is “N-U-J-V” (in the US it was spelt “N-V-U-J” as The Beatles’ positions were swapped around)! I wonder if they experimented with any other four letter words during that photo-session! The cover photo also features Ringo wearing the “sacrificial ring”, nicely referencing back to the film plot. Incidentally, this was the first Beatles album not to contain any sleeve notes - Derek Taylor had by that time left the Beatles’ employ and moved to the US.
So, getting to the music...
SIDE ONE
Help!
A return to the format of having an up-tempo song for the opening album track as John again gets the honour of composing their film theme song. Written during his so-called “fat Elvis” period, this is John Lennon’s real cry for help disguised as a joyous two minute pop song! The signposts were there from the very first album that lyrically they were capable of writing more than just “silly” love songs (“There’s A Place” is a prime example) but this was the biggest pointer of what was to come. What else can be said about this track, except that it’s just about perfect? From John’s pleading vocal, Paul and George’s backing vocals that pre-empt the verses, George’s lead guitar in particular the brilliant descending arpeggio figures that accompany the “...please, please help me...” sections and not forgetting Ringo’s break-neck-speed drumming: playing rim-shots as opposed to hitting the centre of the snare and making the triplets and fills sound easy... it just does not get any better than this – as I said, it’s a perfect song! On a side note, there are actually two different versions of “Help!” – the UK mono version contains a different vocal, which is evident on the phrasing during the “now I find I’ve changed my mind...” parts, it also has no tambourine and a shorter “oohmmm...” at the end. Just a quick note regarding Ringo’s drumming on the album as a whole, it’s very good, solid playing throughout but aside from a few tracks it’s pretty standard fare – it’s nothing challenging as, at this stage, the drums were pretty much just accompaniment - all that would change very soon!
The Night Before
This song absolutely rocks and is just one of a number of tracks on the album that’s keyboard rather than guitar driven – what’s also interesting is that it also marks a shift away from using George Martin as a session musician for the keyboard parts and it’s John more than ably rocking out on the electric piano here. This album also marks the point where Paul starts to catch up on his songwriting duties this being the first of 5 new McCartney compositions, matching John’s contribution. Paul’s brilliant vocal is double-tracked and accompanied by some great backing vocals from John and George – Paul steals the lead guitar for himself for a nicely-worked solo. The song then quietens down for the bridge before building up to a screaming reintroduction to the verse – just a shame it didn’t have that explosion over the top of the last chord as per the film!! I have always absolutely love this song and whilst cycling on my way to school one morning, I heard it song coming out of a passing car’s stereo so I peddled hard as I could to try and keep up with it! Then, when the driver suddenly stopped in a traffic jam on top of a railway bridge, I went straight into his rear bumper – he was not happy!
You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away
This stripped-back acoustic arrangement - in the main just featuring John on guitar and lead vocal, Paul on bass and Ringo and George (I would presume) splitting the percussion duties with no backing vocals - is the first example of a session musician being hired to play a specific part (Andy white doesn’t count!) in a Beatles song – and that honour belongs to John Scott. On the surface it sounds like another story of lost love, but the lyric possibly has a far deeper meaning. Some suggest the lyric may have been alluding to Brian Epstein’s personal struggles as a homosexual in the 1960’s – it was still illegal in Britain back then of course. In my previous review, I said I couldn’t hear the Bob Dylan influences on “I’m A Loser” - no such doubts here! But although a strong folk influence is apparent, as with all of their influences, once absorbed, it was distilled and the result was pure Beatles. But if you were to replace the flute solo with a harmonica, the influence would have been even more striking and not just because it was the folkies’ instrument of choice - the way the solo is played and its placement at the end of the song is very similar to Dylan’s style at that time. But in the end, it’s another absolute classic Beatles track and another John Lennon waltz, no less – it seems he did love a waltz – a couple of others that immediately spring to mind, from the top of my head, aside from “Baby’s In Black”, are “Norwegian Wood” and “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” plus there are bits and pieces in a few other songs as well, such as “Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite” and “Happiness is a Warm Gun”. He also had a bit of a waltz with Yoko during George’s “I Me Mine” in Let It Be, of course!
I Need You
Only George Harrison’s second composition for a Beatles album, the first being “Don’t Bother Me” back in 1963. George’s guitar sounds brilliant here (was this his new blue Fender Strat?), featuring extensive use of his new toy: a volume pedal. This pedal was used a lot on both of their albums recorded during 1965 but I believe its first appearance was on their single “Ticket To Ride” (released four months earlier) and most notably its B-side “Yes It Is”, which, funnily enough, was recorded the same day as “I Need You”. Some very nice harmonies from John and Paul during the bridge and a nice reintroduction of the four-in-the-bar cowbell - I also like the way the song’s final chords don’t go quite where you expect them to. Although it’s a great addition to the album and sits nicely alongside the Lennon McCartney tracks, for me though, “I Need You” feels like the prototype of “If Needed Someone”, and not just because the titles are so similar. My only other minor criticism would be that the repeated verse is a little repetitive. On a side note, if you watch the closing credits of Help!, you can hear George repeatedly trying to plug this song!<br> <br><b>Another Girl</b><br>Sort of a forgotten Beatles’ album track by Paul, but very typical of their 1965 sound. The first of two songs in a row that start off with unaccompanied vocals and while John seemingly liked his waltzes, Paul seemed to like his shuffle/swing beats, as also heard on “Can’t But Me Love” - another similarity is that this song’s intro also starts with the chorus. What’s really effective here though are the three accentuated beats every other bar during the verses, it gives the song added bounce. Paul’s lead vocal is double-tracked, and in places sort of sounds like he’s singing it with a smile, he is joined by and John and George on the choruses who add some very nice harmonies. A bluesy guitar solo prevails throughout the song, played with a great deal of vibrato, probably by Paul (?), and this leads the song to a very innovative close. As previously mentioned, this was the scene in the film where Paul plays a bikini-clad girl like a bass guitar – see if you can catch the look on his face where he evidently clipped her boob with his strumming hand - hilarious!
You’re Going To Lose That Girl
Much like the preceding track, the intro starts on the mid-beat with an extract of the chorus, initially sung unaccompanied, this time by John, before the drums come in with the verse. The song features an effortlessly good lead vocal from John – I love the tone of his voice here – and some great response harmonies provided by Paul and George. Also, absolutely love that key change going from the chorus back to the verse and George’s understated guitar solo, which finishes with a nice slide back into the chorus. I hadn’t really paid much attention to the supposedly “pointless” bongos that permeate this track, till it was mentioned in a previous conversation elsewhere on the forum – but I’m not actually convinced they’re pointless – played at double-time they have a very complex structure and, in my opinion, are a great addition to the overall texture of the song. The accompanying scene in the film is essentially a pop promo, set in a fictional recording studio as the band record the song (before Ringo falls through a hole in the floor!) - although I expect the liberals that now run the world wish they could airbrush out the cigarette in Ringo’s mouth and the resulting Spielberg-esque atmospheric smoke that envelops the studio! Another classic Beatles track, this song was a key part of the Stars on 45 medley released back in the early Eighties, which reached number one in the singles chart (I think!) and kicked off a long-lasting trend for medleys.
Ticket To Ride
Already released as a single back in April 1965 - the US the label rather prematurely crediting the song as being from the forthcoming film “Eight Arms to Hold You” - this was The Beatles’ eighth consecutive UK number one (which of course includes the “Please Please Me” single – don’t get me started on that again!!). John takes the lead vocal with Paul providing some brilliant harmonies throughout on the second and third lines of each verse – Paul also doubles up John’s vocal on the choruses. In keeping with their continued pursuit of originality and innovation, this song displayed a marked a departure from their usual sound - although somewhat lost in the typical-for-the time bass-light mix, this is actually a far heavier arrangement than anything they’d recorded thus far. Following another killer intro, a legendary riff played on what sounds like George’s 12-string Rickenbacker, Ringo’s hypnotic drum pattern and perfectly executed triplets and rolls are accentuated by pounding guitars that emphasise the on-beat, driving through the verses to the one bar break in the choruses. Underneath it all is that riff – and here’s where I get a bit confused – it’s a well-known fact that Paul took the lead guitar duties for himself on this track but does that include the riff? To me, the guitar break that leads from the choruses back into the verses doesn’t sound like the 12 string Rickenbacker – so my reasoning is that George plays the main riff and Paul just plays the guitar parts that lead from the chorus back into the verse. What do you guys think? On a side note (you may have noticed I like side notes!), I’ve heard a lot of bands play this and not many pick up on the fact that Ringo’s drum pattern changes in the final verse. Not only that, but fairly recently I head another tribute band (who shall remain nameless) playing the riff wrong! Just a suggestion but if you’re going to cover a song, at least listen to the original first - they think they know it but they haven’t got a clue! Rant over!
SIDE TWO
Act Naturally
The first of only two cover versions on Help!, what I I’ve always found hard to believe is that allegedly, at this time, The Beatles, in short supply of new material, were seriously considering recording a song penned by their sound engineer, Norman Smith. Whether true or urban myth, the story goes that they only decided not to record Smith’s song because Ringo didn’t yet have a vocal slot on the album. Anyway, did I mention I don’t like country music? Because here, sticking out like something that really sticks out – a lot – is “Act Naturally”... arguably the Help! album’s “Mister Moonlight”! In my opinion, it does not fit on this album and I’d actually rather it wasn’t here at all. But trying to stay positive for a second... it is a very tight arrangement, despite the loosely held chord at the end that leads to some string buzz, played at a break-neck country tempo and I guess the main appeal for its inclusion was that it was a very topical song for Ringo to sing, which he does very, very well with some nice backing harmonies from Paul to boot. Not my cup of tea at all though (can you tell?) and I’d have much preferred a tidied up version of “If You’ve got Trouble”, which “rocked on” very nicely, despite its lack of a name check from Ringo during the guitar solo (“rock on anybody”)! Incidentally, the song was used during their 1965 tour but when the legendary Shea Stadium concert was shown on TV, it is not a live performance that you hear but the standard studio version with screams dubbed on top, and surprisingly not many people even noticed!
It’s Only Love
John Lennon always hated “It’s Only Love” - true the lyrics are maybe a little corny, even Lennon even half-laughs singing “very bright” but it’s a beautiful song with a great melody. John’s vocal is double tracked and backed by his own acoustic guitar also double tracked but with one played with a capo quite high up the neck (Simon will know exactly where!) making it almost sound like a mandolin. Again using an Arthur Alexander-influenced rhythm (compare this with “Anna” and “All I’ve Got To Do” and later “In My Life”), George Harrison’s gorgeous lead riff both opens and closes the track. Running at just under two minutes it’s over way too soon. On another side note, the double tracked vocal is not sung identically and consequently the timing isn’t synchronised in places – to remedy this, in the original 1965 stereo mix, one of the vocal tracks was simply muted in the places where the vocals were most mis-matched. But when, in 1986, George Martin came to remaster a version for CD release, it was mixed with the vocal tracks as they stood, i.e. with the mistimed vocal tracks.
You Like Me Too Much
No sooner had we George’s second Beatles composition, we then have his third offering, in what would now pretty much become a two song per album deal (give or take). From here on in, there would be no need for cover versions as George’s songwriting not only got better but more prolific. The track itself rather deceptively opens with a great rolling almost Fat’s Domino-like piano and pianette solo (apparently Paul and George Martin on piano and John on electric piano), which is actually no clue to the ensuing Harrisong – a brisk, poppy, upbeat number, typical of the Beatles sound circa ’65. Again, this song sits comfortably alongside those of his compatriots in both style and sound as, at this stage in George’s songwriting career, it’s pretty clear that his biggest influences were still Lennon McCartney – his own influence on the band would really begin to be felt from the next album onwards. Another good vocal from George but he’s not over-stretching himself here - harmonies again provided by John and Paul on the choruses and some very nice descending chord changes lead back into the verse. A brighter, more cheery number than his other contribution on side one, maybe this would have made for a better choice for inclusion in the film.
Tell Me What You See
A very good folk-flavoured song, predominantly written by Paul, with an intricate percussion arrangement, slightly reminiscent of that found in Ben E King’s “Stand By Me”. Again, some prominent bluesy electric piano throughout (a Hohner pianet?) this time played by Paul. A sort of call and response vocal arrangement with John and Paul harmonising on the first and third line of each verse before perfectly blending their vocals for the “look into these eyes now” parts, which just sounds incredible. I Really like the bass line too, although in parts it is quite similar to the one employed on “PS I Love You” and again the drums are so light you barely know they're there until the instrumental break . One of my favourite tracks on the album and a bit of an overlooked classic in my opinion – a definite contender for the “Deep Cuts” thread then!
I’ve Just Seen A Face
This has long been cited as a country-influenced song but to me it’s more like up-tempo folk. Two finger-picked acoustic guitars lead straight into the verse in what is another example of a deceptive intro, starting at a slower tempo than the main body of the song, again giving no clue as to what’s to follow. Ringo using brushes instead of sticks on this brisk arrangement as Paul sings solo on what is a very dry-sounding vocal track, harmonising with himself on the choruses in much the same way he did on “Act Naturally” – here is where I do detect a hint of country. The lyrical rhyming pattern employed in the verses is quite innovative here, in that each line flows directly into the next with the effect that the rhyme seems to fall mid-sentence. With the song dropped from the US version of Help!, it found its way onto the US Rubber Soul, where it was the album opener which created a far more folk-influenced album than its UK counterpart. A precursor to the sound of The Monkees some two years before the TV show materialised, Paul still plays this live today usually during the brief “un-plugged” segment of his shows.
Yesterday
Rather sacrilegiously, I’m actually not a big fan of “Yesterday”, although I do not in any way doubt the immense importance of the song. The story behind it is legendary and almost as well known as the song itself; with Paul dreaming the melody, reproducing it on piano and hawking the song around to everyone fearing he’d plagiarised it before adding the “scrambled eggs” lyric. Interestingly, the Anthology version reveals that it was Paul’s intention to have his band mates appear on the track, as he calls out the chords to whatever Beatle was apparently lurking in the control room. Despite what many books have said on the subject, I’m convinced that in places Paul’s vocal IS double-tracked and that it’s not purely headphone leakage into the vocal mic – I say this because during some sections – notably “how I long...” - the vocals don’t match up exactly and you wouldn’t get that from leakage. Later, the song was allegedly the source of a huge row between John and Paul when it was decided they would play it at Blackpool Night Out TV show which featured Paul solo on stage, with his acoustic guitar, backed by the house string section – then upon John’s return to the stage he is heard to say “thanks Ringo, that was lovely” – whether that was rehearsed or not I don’t know! However, Paul’s solo spot was soon dropped as the band eventually devised an arrangement that involved all four members. “Yesterday” was released as a single in the US where it reached number one, but it was vetoed as a single in the UK as it was deemed un-Beatley - when it was finally released in its own right in 1976 it reached the top ten. Despite not being a massive fan of “Yesterday”, it’s one of a very few Beatles songs that I taught myself to play - it really is a great to play on the piano, but I would struggle to explain exactly why that is!
Dizzy Miss Lizzy
Sadly always way down the list of favourite Beatles tracks, Help! closes with only the second cover song on the album - a Lennon rocker originally by Larry Williams and, discounting Bad Boy (released on the Collection of Oldies LP and also by Larry Williams) and Maggie Mae, this would be the final cover version to appear on a Beatles album . Although the double-tracked lead guitar lines are littered with mistakes and there’s another instance of a another disappearing keyboard part at 1:19 (à la “Rock and Roll Music”), the song absolutely rocks - especially so in the mono version - in what appears to be a two-fingered salute to the previous track. John is clearly enjoying himself here, putting in an absolutely blistering vocal performance in what was clearly a favourite song of his - he of course later went on to perform the track live with the Plastic Ono Band in 1969, during the Live Peace in Toronto festival. And Ringo is finally given a decent work out on the drums. Incidentally, there are actually several different mixes of this track, notable for the differing levels of echo delay added to John’s vocal – the new remasters seeming to have the most applied.
So then, a very good album with more than a few stand out tracks, with one in particular that would go on to become the most played song ever and, in little under 4 months, they would go on to record one of the greatest albums of all time! Given they also filled Shea Stadium this year, the first ever stadium concert, it wasn’t a bad start to the second half of the decade!
Despite both LPs containing some significant high points, rightly or wrongly I have always considered Beatles For Sale and Help! as filler albums: The Beatles sort of treading water before returning to the real job of making truly ground-breaking music. Don’t get me wrong, I think Help! is a very good album – any album that contains “Help!”, “You’ve Got To hide Your Love Away”, “Ticket To Ride” and “Yesterday” could never be considered a bad album and any other artist would kill to have a stasis as good as this! However, there are really two things that make Help! a better LP than their previous offering, the first is that there are far fewer cover songs (just two on this album as opposed to six on Beatles For Sale) and the other is that half the songs on Help! came with an accompanying music video, courtesy of their new film, made in glorious colour ("green")! It’s almost impossible to think of “Ticket To Ride” without the snow or “Another Girl” without envisiging Paul on a Bahaman beach, strumming a bikini-clad girl like a guitar, with a cheeky smile on his face - the songs really do benefit from the visuals.
The sleeve itself is yet another much-imitated iconic image taken by Robert Freeman, based on the “Ticket To Ride” snow sequence in the film, it features the four Beatles seemingly spelling out the word “H-E-L-P” in semaphore – however, because it apparently looked better, what they’re actually spelling out is “N-U-J-V” (in the US it was spelt “N-V-U-J” as The Beatles’ positions were swapped around)! I wonder if they experimented with any other four letter words during that photo-session! The cover photo also features Ringo wearing the “sacrificial ring”, nicely referencing back to the film plot. Incidentally, this was the first Beatles album not to contain any sleeve notes - Derek Taylor had by that time left the Beatles’ employ and moved to the US.
So, getting to the music...
SIDE ONE
Help!
A return to the format of having an up-tempo song for the opening album track as John again gets the honour of composing their film theme song. Written during his so-called “fat Elvis” period, this is John Lennon’s real cry for help disguised as a joyous two minute pop song! The signposts were there from the very first album that lyrically they were capable of writing more than just “silly” love songs (“There’s A Place” is a prime example) but this was the biggest pointer of what was to come. What else can be said about this track, except that it’s just about perfect? From John’s pleading vocal, Paul and George’s backing vocals that pre-empt the verses, George’s lead guitar in particular the brilliant descending arpeggio figures that accompany the “...please, please help me...” sections and not forgetting Ringo’s break-neck-speed drumming: playing rim-shots as opposed to hitting the centre of the snare and making the triplets and fills sound easy... it just does not get any better than this – as I said, it’s a perfect song! On a side note, there are actually two different versions of “Help!” – the UK mono version contains a different vocal, which is evident on the phrasing during the “now I find I’ve changed my mind...” parts, it also has no tambourine and a shorter “oohmmm...” at the end. Just a quick note regarding Ringo’s drumming on the album as a whole, it’s very good, solid playing throughout but aside from a few tracks it’s pretty standard fare – it’s nothing challenging as, at this stage, the drums were pretty much just accompaniment - all that would change very soon!
The Night Before
This song absolutely rocks and is just one of a number of tracks on the album that’s keyboard rather than guitar driven – what’s also interesting is that it also marks a shift away from using George Martin as a session musician for the keyboard parts and it’s John more than ably rocking out on the electric piano here. This album also marks the point where Paul starts to catch up on his songwriting duties this being the first of 5 new McCartney compositions, matching John’s contribution. Paul’s brilliant vocal is double-tracked and accompanied by some great backing vocals from John and George – Paul steals the lead guitar for himself for a nicely-worked solo. The song then quietens down for the bridge before building up to a screaming reintroduction to the verse – just a shame it didn’t have that explosion over the top of the last chord as per the film!! I have always absolutely love this song and whilst cycling on my way to school one morning, I heard it song coming out of a passing car’s stereo so I peddled hard as I could to try and keep up with it! Then, when the driver suddenly stopped in a traffic jam on top of a railway bridge, I went straight into his rear bumper – he was not happy!
You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away
This stripped-back acoustic arrangement - in the main just featuring John on guitar and lead vocal, Paul on bass and Ringo and George (I would presume) splitting the percussion duties with no backing vocals - is the first example of a session musician being hired to play a specific part (Andy white doesn’t count!) in a Beatles song – and that honour belongs to John Scott. On the surface it sounds like another story of lost love, but the lyric possibly has a far deeper meaning. Some suggest the lyric may have been alluding to Brian Epstein’s personal struggles as a homosexual in the 1960’s – it was still illegal in Britain back then of course. In my previous review, I said I couldn’t hear the Bob Dylan influences on “I’m A Loser” - no such doubts here! But although a strong folk influence is apparent, as with all of their influences, once absorbed, it was distilled and the result was pure Beatles. But if you were to replace the flute solo with a harmonica, the influence would have been even more striking and not just because it was the folkies’ instrument of choice - the way the solo is played and its placement at the end of the song is very similar to Dylan’s style at that time. But in the end, it’s another absolute classic Beatles track and another John Lennon waltz, no less – it seems he did love a waltz – a couple of others that immediately spring to mind, from the top of my head, aside from “Baby’s In Black”, are “Norwegian Wood” and “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” plus there are bits and pieces in a few other songs as well, such as “Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite” and “Happiness is a Warm Gun”. He also had a bit of a waltz with Yoko during George’s “I Me Mine” in Let It Be, of course!
I Need You
Only George Harrison’s second composition for a Beatles album, the first being “Don’t Bother Me” back in 1963. George’s guitar sounds brilliant here (was this his new blue Fender Strat?), featuring extensive use of his new toy: a volume pedal. This pedal was used a lot on both of their albums recorded during 1965 but I believe its first appearance was on their single “Ticket To Ride” (released four months earlier) and most notably its B-side “Yes It Is”, which, funnily enough, was recorded the same day as “I Need You”. Some very nice harmonies from John and Paul during the bridge and a nice reintroduction of the four-in-the-bar cowbell - I also like the way the song’s final chords don’t go quite where you expect them to. Although it’s a great addition to the album and sits nicely alongside the Lennon McCartney tracks, for me though, “I Need You” feels like the prototype of “If Needed Someone”, and not just because the titles are so similar. My only other minor criticism would be that the repeated verse is a little repetitive. On a side note, if you watch the closing credits of Help!, you can hear George repeatedly trying to plug this song!<br> <br><b>Another Girl</b><br>Sort of a forgotten Beatles’ album track by Paul, but very typical of their 1965 sound. The first of two songs in a row that start off with unaccompanied vocals and while John seemingly liked his waltzes, Paul seemed to like his shuffle/swing beats, as also heard on “Can’t But Me Love” - another similarity is that this song’s intro also starts with the chorus. What’s really effective here though are the three accentuated beats every other bar during the verses, it gives the song added bounce. Paul’s lead vocal is double-tracked, and in places sort of sounds like he’s singing it with a smile, he is joined by and John and George on the choruses who add some very nice harmonies. A bluesy guitar solo prevails throughout the song, played with a great deal of vibrato, probably by Paul (?), and this leads the song to a very innovative close. As previously mentioned, this was the scene in the film where Paul plays a bikini-clad girl like a bass guitar – see if you can catch the look on his face where he evidently clipped her boob with his strumming hand - hilarious!
You’re Going To Lose That Girl
Much like the preceding track, the intro starts on the mid-beat with an extract of the chorus, initially sung unaccompanied, this time by John, before the drums come in with the verse. The song features an effortlessly good lead vocal from John – I love the tone of his voice here – and some great response harmonies provided by Paul and George. Also, absolutely love that key change going from the chorus back to the verse and George’s understated guitar solo, which finishes with a nice slide back into the chorus. I hadn’t really paid much attention to the supposedly “pointless” bongos that permeate this track, till it was mentioned in a previous conversation elsewhere on the forum – but I’m not actually convinced they’re pointless – played at double-time they have a very complex structure and, in my opinion, are a great addition to the overall texture of the song. The accompanying scene in the film is essentially a pop promo, set in a fictional recording studio as the band record the song (before Ringo falls through a hole in the floor!) - although I expect the liberals that now run the world wish they could airbrush out the cigarette in Ringo’s mouth and the resulting Spielberg-esque atmospheric smoke that envelops the studio! Another classic Beatles track, this song was a key part of the Stars on 45 medley released back in the early Eighties, which reached number one in the singles chart (I think!) and kicked off a long-lasting trend for medleys.
Ticket To Ride
Already released as a single back in April 1965 - the US the label rather prematurely crediting the song as being from the forthcoming film “Eight Arms to Hold You” - this was The Beatles’ eighth consecutive UK number one (which of course includes the “Please Please Me” single – don’t get me started on that again!!). John takes the lead vocal with Paul providing some brilliant harmonies throughout on the second and third lines of each verse – Paul also doubles up John’s vocal on the choruses. In keeping with their continued pursuit of originality and innovation, this song displayed a marked a departure from their usual sound - although somewhat lost in the typical-for-the time bass-light mix, this is actually a far heavier arrangement than anything they’d recorded thus far. Following another killer intro, a legendary riff played on what sounds like George’s 12-string Rickenbacker, Ringo’s hypnotic drum pattern and perfectly executed triplets and rolls are accentuated by pounding guitars that emphasise the on-beat, driving through the verses to the one bar break in the choruses. Underneath it all is that riff – and here’s where I get a bit confused – it’s a well-known fact that Paul took the lead guitar duties for himself on this track but does that include the riff? To me, the guitar break that leads from the choruses back into the verses doesn’t sound like the 12 string Rickenbacker – so my reasoning is that George plays the main riff and Paul just plays the guitar parts that lead from the chorus back into the verse. What do you guys think? On a side note (you may have noticed I like side notes!), I’ve heard a lot of bands play this and not many pick up on the fact that Ringo’s drum pattern changes in the final verse. Not only that, but fairly recently I head another tribute band (who shall remain nameless) playing the riff wrong! Just a suggestion but if you’re going to cover a song, at least listen to the original first - they think they know it but they haven’t got a clue! Rant over!
SIDE TWO
Act Naturally
The first of only two cover versions on Help!, what I I’ve always found hard to believe is that allegedly, at this time, The Beatles, in short supply of new material, were seriously considering recording a song penned by their sound engineer, Norman Smith. Whether true or urban myth, the story goes that they only decided not to record Smith’s song because Ringo didn’t yet have a vocal slot on the album. Anyway, did I mention I don’t like country music? Because here, sticking out like something that really sticks out – a lot – is “Act Naturally”... arguably the Help! album’s “Mister Moonlight”! In my opinion, it does not fit on this album and I’d actually rather it wasn’t here at all. But trying to stay positive for a second... it is a very tight arrangement, despite the loosely held chord at the end that leads to some string buzz, played at a break-neck country tempo and I guess the main appeal for its inclusion was that it was a very topical song for Ringo to sing, which he does very, very well with some nice backing harmonies from Paul to boot. Not my cup of tea at all though (can you tell?) and I’d have much preferred a tidied up version of “If You’ve got Trouble”, which “rocked on” very nicely, despite its lack of a name check from Ringo during the guitar solo (“rock on anybody”)! Incidentally, the song was used during their 1965 tour but when the legendary Shea Stadium concert was shown on TV, it is not a live performance that you hear but the standard studio version with screams dubbed on top, and surprisingly not many people even noticed!
It’s Only Love
John Lennon always hated “It’s Only Love” - true the lyrics are maybe a little corny, even Lennon even half-laughs singing “very bright” but it’s a beautiful song with a great melody. John’s vocal is double tracked and backed by his own acoustic guitar also double tracked but with one played with a capo quite high up the neck (Simon will know exactly where!) making it almost sound like a mandolin. Again using an Arthur Alexander-influenced rhythm (compare this with “Anna” and “All I’ve Got To Do” and later “In My Life”), George Harrison’s gorgeous lead riff both opens and closes the track. Running at just under two minutes it’s over way too soon. On another side note, the double tracked vocal is not sung identically and consequently the timing isn’t synchronised in places – to remedy this, in the original 1965 stereo mix, one of the vocal tracks was simply muted in the places where the vocals were most mis-matched. But when, in 1986, George Martin came to remaster a version for CD release, it was mixed with the vocal tracks as they stood, i.e. with the mistimed vocal tracks.
You Like Me Too Much
No sooner had we George’s second Beatles composition, we then have his third offering, in what would now pretty much become a two song per album deal (give or take). From here on in, there would be no need for cover versions as George’s songwriting not only got better but more prolific. The track itself rather deceptively opens with a great rolling almost Fat’s Domino-like piano and pianette solo (apparently Paul and George Martin on piano and John on electric piano), which is actually no clue to the ensuing Harrisong – a brisk, poppy, upbeat number, typical of the Beatles sound circa ’65. Again, this song sits comfortably alongside those of his compatriots in both style and sound as, at this stage in George’s songwriting career, it’s pretty clear that his biggest influences were still Lennon McCartney – his own influence on the band would really begin to be felt from the next album onwards. Another good vocal from George but he’s not over-stretching himself here - harmonies again provided by John and Paul on the choruses and some very nice descending chord changes lead back into the verse. A brighter, more cheery number than his other contribution on side one, maybe this would have made for a better choice for inclusion in the film.
Tell Me What You See
A very good folk-flavoured song, predominantly written by Paul, with an intricate percussion arrangement, slightly reminiscent of that found in Ben E King’s “Stand By Me”. Again, some prominent bluesy electric piano throughout (a Hohner pianet?) this time played by Paul. A sort of call and response vocal arrangement with John and Paul harmonising on the first and third line of each verse before perfectly blending their vocals for the “look into these eyes now” parts, which just sounds incredible. I Really like the bass line too, although in parts it is quite similar to the one employed on “PS I Love You” and again the drums are so light you barely know they're there until the instrumental break . One of my favourite tracks on the album and a bit of an overlooked classic in my opinion – a definite contender for the “Deep Cuts” thread then!
I’ve Just Seen A Face
This has long been cited as a country-influenced song but to me it’s more like up-tempo folk. Two finger-picked acoustic guitars lead straight into the verse in what is another example of a deceptive intro, starting at a slower tempo than the main body of the song, again giving no clue as to what’s to follow. Ringo using brushes instead of sticks on this brisk arrangement as Paul sings solo on what is a very dry-sounding vocal track, harmonising with himself on the choruses in much the same way he did on “Act Naturally” – here is where I do detect a hint of country. The lyrical rhyming pattern employed in the verses is quite innovative here, in that each line flows directly into the next with the effect that the rhyme seems to fall mid-sentence. With the song dropped from the US version of Help!, it found its way onto the US Rubber Soul, where it was the album opener which created a far more folk-influenced album than its UK counterpart. A precursor to the sound of The Monkees some two years before the TV show materialised, Paul still plays this live today usually during the brief “un-plugged” segment of his shows.
Yesterday
Rather sacrilegiously, I’m actually not a big fan of “Yesterday”, although I do not in any way doubt the immense importance of the song. The story behind it is legendary and almost as well known as the song itself; with Paul dreaming the melody, reproducing it on piano and hawking the song around to everyone fearing he’d plagiarised it before adding the “scrambled eggs” lyric. Interestingly, the Anthology version reveals that it was Paul’s intention to have his band mates appear on the track, as he calls out the chords to whatever Beatle was apparently lurking in the control room. Despite what many books have said on the subject, I’m convinced that in places Paul’s vocal IS double-tracked and that it’s not purely headphone leakage into the vocal mic – I say this because during some sections – notably “how I long...” - the vocals don’t match up exactly and you wouldn’t get that from leakage. Later, the song was allegedly the source of a huge row between John and Paul when it was decided they would play it at Blackpool Night Out TV show which featured Paul solo on stage, with his acoustic guitar, backed by the house string section – then upon John’s return to the stage he is heard to say “thanks Ringo, that was lovely” – whether that was rehearsed or not I don’t know! However, Paul’s solo spot was soon dropped as the band eventually devised an arrangement that involved all four members. “Yesterday” was released as a single in the US where it reached number one, but it was vetoed as a single in the UK as it was deemed un-Beatley - when it was finally released in its own right in 1976 it reached the top ten. Despite not being a massive fan of “Yesterday”, it’s one of a very few Beatles songs that I taught myself to play - it really is a great to play on the piano, but I would struggle to explain exactly why that is!
Dizzy Miss Lizzy
Sadly always way down the list of favourite Beatles tracks, Help! closes with only the second cover song on the album - a Lennon rocker originally by Larry Williams and, discounting Bad Boy (released on the Collection of Oldies LP and also by Larry Williams) and Maggie Mae, this would be the final cover version to appear on a Beatles album . Although the double-tracked lead guitar lines are littered with mistakes and there’s another instance of a another disappearing keyboard part at 1:19 (à la “Rock and Roll Music”), the song absolutely rocks - especially so in the mono version - in what appears to be a two-fingered salute to the previous track. John is clearly enjoying himself here, putting in an absolutely blistering vocal performance in what was clearly a favourite song of his - he of course later went on to perform the track live with the Plastic Ono Band in 1969, during the Live Peace in Toronto festival. And Ringo is finally given a decent work out on the drums. Incidentally, there are actually several different mixes of this track, notable for the differing levels of echo delay added to John’s vocal – the new remasters seeming to have the most applied.
So then, a very good album with more than a few stand out tracks, with one in particular that would go on to become the most played song ever and, in little under 4 months, they would go on to record one of the greatest albums of all time! Given they also filled Shea Stadium this year, the first ever stadium concert, it wasn’t a bad start to the second half of the decade!