The Beatles - Rubber Soul

[KevShmev]

I'll be a lot more active in this thread once we get to Help! and the material after that.

[Super Dude]

I really don't think side 2 of Please Please Me is actually that bad. A Taste of Honey is actually quite fun to sing to, I sing it in the car to my girlfriend all the time.

I would also like to take this time to complain about people who excuse themselves of not liking the Beatles because they've only heard the songs from the first half of their career, from around Please Please Me to Beatles for Sale, and write it off as boring and old-fashioned. That's well over half the music they're missing out on, and almost all of the most interesting stuff they dabbled in. At least don't knock it until you try the psychedelic stuff.

[Orbert]

I agree.  The Beatles changed a lot over their relatively short career, taking us from early rock into the beginnings of 70's classic rock and pretty much all of its offshoots.  Their catalogue has a huge variety to it.  Huge.

[Super Dude]

Which is why I think it's a crime that a lot of people write them off for supposedly only ever sounding like I Want to Hold Your Hand and All My Loving.

[Orbert]

Oh definitely.  I Want to Hold Your Hand is a far cry from Helter Skelter or Hey Jude or Come Together, but to many, it's all Beatles, too easy to just lump it all together.  In a way, it's a shame that The Beatles self-destructed right on the verge of the real 70's music.  Who knows what could've happened?  But in their own way, they led us there.

[Super Dude]

No, I think it needed to happen. They were all growing in different directions, and I think their career would have actually gone on a downward slope if it was forced to compete with Zeppelin or Floyd, or one of the others. Of course they've sold better than either of them, but imagine trying to write new material to compete with that.

[Orbert]

Yeah, that's true.  But while The Beatles had much more depth than nearly every contemporary of theirs, what they always did well was write solid pop music.  Sure, it evolved into rock, or proto-metal, or whatever we might call it now with the benefit of hindsight, but at the time it was just massively popular music that actually survived scrutiny.  When you bought a Beatles album, you found more than what you'd expected.  At the time, it was still far more common for bands to have one or two hits, and then fill out an album with crap, hence the term "filler".

I don't know if it "needed" to happen, but if you mean that it was pretty much inevitable, then yeah I agree.  But even if you knew what was going on behind the scenes on those last few albums, even if you knew the individual styles well enough to know when it's a "John song" or a "Paul song", what's amazing is how cohesive the finished product was.  Rock solid music, cover to cover.  I would've loved to hear what they could have done if they'd continued into the 70's.  They could've gotten their individual rocks off on solo albums, then every couple of years put their differences aside and come togther (!) and make a Beatles album that blew everyone's minds.  I just saying damn, I wish that could've happened.

[Super Dude]

What I meant by that was, yeah, it was inevitable. That said, if they'd continued into the '70s, I think they would've seen a steady decline in their popularity and their relevance. A lot of bands like Manfred Mann and The Moody Blues quickly outpaced them in that decade. By the time 1980 hit, I think they would've been viewed as too old-fashioned to keep up, and I think that would've diminished how we look at their legacy today, rather than how they went out with a bang.

[Pols Voice]

Which is why I think it's a crime that a lot of people write them off for supposedly only ever sounding like I Want to Hold Your Hand and All My Loving.

By the same token, I don't like it when people who like the later stuff quickly dismiss the early material. Music doesn't have to be edgy and LSD-fuelled to have merit. A simple, catchy 2:30 pop song can be really difficult to write.

[Super Dude]

Agreed, but my issue was more that there are a lot of people who won't even try them at all because of those earlier poppier tunes, like they think that's all the Beatles were about, was radio friendly pop.

[Orbert]

if they'd continued into the '70s, I think they would've seen a steady decline in their popularity and their relevance. A lot of bands like Manfred Mann and The Moody Blues quickly outpaced them in that decade. By the time 1980 hit, I think they would've been viewed as too old-fashioned to keep up

I don't see any of that as a given.  The Beatles were always ahead of the curve with everything they did, musically as well as technically, and I don't see why we should assume that they wouldn't continue to push themselves and each other.  All four of them had successful solo careers, at least for a while.  John and George continued to break new ground in their own ways, and Paul never lost the ability to write a great, memorable melody.  Like any great band, they were more than the sum of their parts.

I just saying we don't know, because it never happened.  They never regrouped.  To assume that they would've stagnated and become less and less relevant is no more or less valid than presuming that they would continue to push each other and continue to change the face of rock.  If they'd stayed together, or gotten together every so often, I wouldn't have been surprised if they kept pushing things.  I wouldn't have been surprised if it played out as you've described either, I suppose.  We'll never know.

[sirbradford117]

A HARD DAY’S NIGHT (1964)
Toward the end of 1963 and the beginning of 1964, the Beatles were more popular than ever.  Having several number one singles under their belt and having played in Scandinavia and France, the Fabs finally made it big in the United States (watch The First U.S. Visit for delightful footage of a memorable trip).  Upon return to the UK, they were set to star in their first feature film; and to top it all off, a large-scale world tour was looming for the summer months.

Amidst even wider popularity and a bigger schedule, now the band had to submit songs for a film soundtrack, the screenplay not even written yet!  If With the Beatles had to be written and recorded quickly and under pressure, A Hard Day’s Night had to have been even more so.  However, the comparisons end there.  A Hard Day’s Night consists of 13 original Lennon/McCartney songs, all of them stellar.  No longer were covers needed to pad out the album (at least for now…)!!

“A Hard Day’s Night” begins the album with a bang…. literally.  The sound of Harrison’s recently-acquired 12-string Rickenbacker begins to dominate the sound of the band.  “I Should Have Known Better” adds the familiar harmonica back into the mix, and “If I Fell” is a surprisingly tender ballad by Lennon.  “I’m Happy Just to Dance With You” gives George a lead vocal, but these first four tracks all penned by Lennon easily represent his finest songwriting to date.

McCartney adds his classic ballad “And I Love Her,” an all-acoustic performance except for the bass.  “Tell Me Why” shows off some fine 3-part harmonies (odd that I think this, since a number of the harmony parts on their early records are quite a bit out of tune!).  Side A closes with the classic “Can’t Buy Me Love,” featured several times in the film.

Side B (songs NOT included in the soundtrack for the movie) consists of lesser-known tracks, but all are every bit as strong as side A.  “Any Time At All” features some complimentary piano played by George Martin, and “I’ll Cry Instead” is a frenzied rockabilly acoustic number originally intended for the film but dropped last-minute.  McCartney contributes his final track to the album with “Things We Said Today” (performed to great effect on their 1965 American tour).  Lennon closes the album with 3 more songs: the frenzied rocker “When I Get Home,” the rootsy-but-all-Fab “You Can’t Do That”, and the harmonically strong “I’ll Be Back.”

It is often remarked here how manic Beatles fans are quick to praise EVERYTHING the band ever did simply by virtue of it being the Beatles.  As a long-time fan and amateur scholar, I can attest that this album is the first Beatles album to rank anywhere near 5/5 stars in my opinion.  The debut is a solid 3, and WTB 2 or 2.5.  But this one is a real winner… I believe it is a landmark of 60’s rock music and a yardstick to compare other artists to.  Again, the fact that these are all original songs lend the record TONS of credibility.  John Lennon, the primary author of 10 out of 13 songs, truly shines.

(Several singles were issued from this album in different parts of the world… “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Things We Said Today,” “I Should have Known Better,” “I’ll Cry Instead,” “I’m Happy Just to Dance…” “And I Love Her,” “If I Fell” were A- or B- sides.  That’s over half the album!)

[Orbert]

I agree, this is where The Beatles really began to hit their stride.  Their songwriting had already matured noticeably, and their sound was really starting to gel.  This is the first Beatles album that I can listen to cover-to-cover and really not feel the impulse to reach for the Skip button.  Every song is at least good, and most are great.

[KevShmev]

And I Love Her is simply a gorgeous song; that has long been one of my favorites by the band.

Other favorites are I Should Have Known Better, When I Get Home and I'll Be Back.

[masterthes]

Great album, this is where things start to get done

[ReaperKK]

I know very little of the beatles but I think I'm going to follow along with this thread and listen to the albums, get my history lesson in.

[Lolzeez]

And I Love Her is a classic.

[masterthes]

The title song is probably my favorite song of theirs pre-Rubber Soul, or their "pop" era, as I like to refer to it

[Orbert]

I love the two-part harmony on "If I Fell".  Great challenge there to pick out both parts.

[Mladen]

Wow, I honestly forgot how incredible this album actually is. A Hard day's night features some of the catchiest tunes I've heard in my entire life, hands down. Some of my favorites include I'll be back, I should have known better, If I fell, I'm happy just to dance with you, Any time at all, I'll cry instead, And I love her, You can't do that, title track... Wait a minute, did I just pretty much list all of the songs? It's a huge improvement over their first two albums and probably my favorite record from their early days, although I'm yet to re-listen to Help. I love that one too, but this one is probably better...

[DebraKadabra]

The album is quite stellar, and the movie is VERY hilarious.  I also agree that this is where they really started to hit their stride.

[Pols Voice]

One of my favorite Beatles albums. Classic stuff. Predictably, the title track is my favorite song on it. Also, the movie is really funny.

[sirbradford117]

It's great to hear a near-consensus about this album.  I'd like to hear from those who are just spinning this album for the first time (or those who have put aside the early Beatles in favor of the later era).  What are your thoughts?

[ReaperKK]

I'll tell you when I get there, I just finished Please Please me and I enjoyed it, not something that I would go out of my way to listen to but not something I shut off. A lot of songs I've heard on the radio before so very little was new. I don't know any beatles stuff really so I'll compare it as I listen to other albums.

[Super Dude]

I watched the movie for my second date with my current girlfriend. She had her first kiss while we were watching.

As for remarks about the album itself, I think it's my favorite of the pop era, as has been said (I don't consider Beatles for Sale or Help! as part of that era). I think it's the tightest of that era in terms of writing. I still often find myself humming Things We Said Today or singing I'll Cry Instead without really being aware of it.

There was something else I wanted to say about it, but I forgot. Dammit.

[Zydar]

I agree with you all - A Hard Day's Night is where they took a big step up in quality from their earlier stuff. Great songs all around, and my favourites include the title track, Things We Said Today, And I Love Her, and Can't Buy Me Love. The movie is great as well, probably the first "rock music-movie" ever (and a precursor to the music video format), but I think "Help!" is the better movie.

[sirbradford117]

“Long Tall Sally” EP (UK only, 1964)

I include this EP (and ignore many other ones) since it features music that was previously unavailable in the UK upon its release (some of the tracks were issued on The Beatles’ Second Album in the US).  It is also significant since I consider it to the end of an era, of sorts.  This is the last music that contains the “mop-top” energy of their early recordings.  One (underrated!) original is included in “I Call Your Name,” and the rest of the tunes are high-energy covers: “Long Tall Sally” (a one-take wonder!), “Slow Down” and “Matchbox.”  Never again would their music sound quite so youthful and energetic.  They were obviously still riding the wave of recently-found fame – quickly they would become irreversibly tired of the constant touring.  I don’t LOVE any of these songs, but they are important to be considered here before we go on…

Beatles for Sale (1964)

Enter a brand-new phase.  By the end of 1964, the band had literally been around the world and back again… weariness was setting in.  On tours, rarely could audiences hear any of the music due to the constant screaming of teenage fans.  Live musicianship would start to deteriorate… listen to most live bootlegs or watch concert footage for evidence of that. 

The new music would begin to take on a different direction… quite a bit more subdued and mellow in many cases.  Weariness is one factor, in addition to their introduction to Bob Dylan’s music and marijuana.  Listen for a significant folk influence in many of the original songs on this album.  After the all-original brilliance of the last album, the band again needed to turn to cover versions (many of them half-hearted at best) to fill out the album at 14 tracks.  Another factor resulting in so many covers was EMI’s desire to issue the new album for the Christmas market… the prolific Lennon/McCartney couldn’t keep up.

Side A begins strong enough with some originals: the subdued “No Reply,” Dylan-esque “I’m a Loser,” and 3/4 time “Baby’s in Black.”  The more relaxed, laid-back feel is immediately apparent to new listeners.  A GREAT cover of Chuck Berry’s “Rock and Roll Music” follows, and McCartney’s “I’ll Follow the Sun” is then resurrected from the ashes of VERY early Beatles demos (circa 1960!). 

Then we have “Mr. Moonlight,” which is possibly my LEAST favorite Beatles track.  It’s a good enough song to cover, but the performance is just plodding.  And the organ solo… PLEASE!!!   /rant
The side concludes with another one-take wonder, “Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey.”  Overall, the album is not BAD so far, but nowhere near as cohesive as its predecessor.

Side B begins strong with the classic “Eight Days a Week,” but I find the rest of the album mediocre (aside from another great folky original, “I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party”).  “Words of Love” is a Buddy Holly cover, again not particularly energetic.  Ringo sings “Honey Don’t,” simply because he needed something to sing (Lennon sang this live early in the band’s career).  “Every Little Thing” is an OK original.  “What You’re Doing” is the same… kind of lousy considering the quality of original material on AHDN!!  Harrison finishes the album with a rockabilly cover of “Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby.”  Nothing much to say about it…

Overall, this record is probably my least favorite of the Beatles’ canon.  Looking at and typing the song titles, I’m surprised that I hold that opinion.  Individual songs aren’t bad at all.  But I think it’s the album as a whole that brings me down.  After the brilliant AHDN album, this one just sounds tired and sluggish.  Occasionally I’ll have a phase where I listen to Beatles for Sale and really enjoy it, but those time are few and far beween.

“I Feel Fine” b/w “She’s A Woman”

And finally, we top off 1964 with a classic single.  Here we can discuss one of the first intentional uses of feedback on a record!  I think someone lately tried telling me that it WASN’T, but I can’t recall…  And “She’s a Woman” includes one of the Beatles’ first blatant drug references, “turn me on when I get lonely.”  Compare this single with “I Want to Hold Your Hand” b/w “This Boy” from 12 months earlier… the difference is staggering.

[Pols Voice]

You might have to turn your Beatlemaniac title over to me, since I seem to like every album more than you do. (except Revolver I'm guessing, which I never understood the praise for)

I like Beatles for Sale a lot and find it pretty underrated. It has an interesting transitional feel. Not as many famous songs, but they're still mostly worthy. Eight Days a Week is one of their coolest tracks, and I freakin' love Honey Don't even though nobody else does. Mr. Moonlight sucks, though.

As for I Feel Fine, it's a classic. She's a Woman gets on my nerves.

[Super Dude]

Was I'll Get You covered? Because it might just have the most hilarious bridge of all time.

[sirbradford117]

Was I'll Get You covered? Because it might just have the most hilarious bridge of all time.

B-side to "She Loves You", on pg 1.

[Super Dude]

Duly noted.

Well, there's gonna be a time,
When I'm gonna change your mind.
So you might as well resign yourself to me, oh yeah.

[Mladen]

Oh yeah, that's one awesome verse. Used to sing it in a cover band I'm playing in, had to change the lyrics a little bit, except for that part of course. 

Anyway, I've known the songs from Long tall Sally from various compilations and I've always enjoyed I call your name, that's a fantastic song. As for the single, I feel fine is great, a gorgeous happy love tune. The album is highly enjoyable overall, although some covers can get boring. I absolutely adore Mr. Moonlight, probably because of that major chord that appears where you don't expect it. That's a usual thing, though, but The Beatles can pull it off and make it sound insanely catchy and warm. Other favorites include Eight days a week, I'm a loser, Baby's in black and I don't want to spoil the party.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Which is why I think it's a crime that a lot of people write them off for supposedly only ever sounding like I Want to Hold Your Hand and All My Loving.

Oh dear god I loathe that song like no one I know. Anyways, I'll be back when Revolver is up. The only one of their albums I think is more than just good.

[Super Dude]

Which is why I think it's a crime that a lot of people write them off for supposedly only ever sounding like I Want to Hold Your Hand and All My Loving.

Oh dear god I loathe that song like no one I know. Anyways, I'll be back when Revolver is up. The only one of their albums I think is more than just good.

That's fair. My remark was more in reference to people who've only heard the hits.

[masterthes]

Only songs I like from For Sale are No Reply, and Eight Days of course