I'm from Cádiz (Spain), and I'm here to improve my english with your appreciated help, ciao!
I'm from Cádiz (Spain), and I'm here to improve my english with your appreciated help, ciao!
Member since:02.09.2003
Reviews:29
Members who trust:56
Hi there:
'Help' was the first album the Beatles released in 1965 (the second one would be "Rubber Soul"). The cover shows the four members of the band, Harrison, Lennon, McCartney and Starkey (or Starr), in this order, dressed up as snow skiers, a cover that got nothing to do with the album, but a lot with the movie from the same year and tittle, that would include the whole A side songs of the album. In this cover, there are the beatles with this blue raincoats, trying to spell the letters of the tittle (help) with their hands in a funny and weird way (Harrison is 'H', Lennon is 'E', and so on).
The album contains 14 songs, as usual, and there are two not writen by any beatle (this album would became the last one to include any song not writen by any of the members of the band). This is a slow album, mostly acoustic, but with a few fast rock songs. It contains one of the most covered songs, "Yesterday", composed by McCartney. The film would be their first colour movie, directed by Richard Lester (like "A hard day's night"). Anyway, these are the songs from the album, and my rate to each:
1. Help
Main Composer: Lennon, Singer: Lennon. This song was composed and sung by John Lennon. He was, indeed, asking for some help. The thing is that he was getting a bit too fat, and that's why he was asking for help ( he also wasn't happy at all being that famous). It's a fast song with good second voices played by McCartney and Harrison, and in the middle of the song there's a nice bit without drums, only Lennon and a guitar. This song became one of the main parts of their live performances.
Rate: 10/10
2. The Night Before
Main
composer: McCartney, Singer: McCartney. Very 'pop' song with very 'pop' second voices. Just McCartney's style, with a faster bridge. This song would also be included at the "Rock and Roll music" album.
Rate: 8/10
3. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away:
Main composer: Lennon, Singer: Lennon. Very acoustic and slow song. As Lennon said, he wrote this song in his Dylan days, and it's true that the song reminds Dylan's style. Lennon used to hide his emotions writting songs in his early days, and this is what he talks about, hiding emotions (like, as the tittle says, love). A nice one, with a nice acoustic guitar riff.
Rate: 8/10
4. I Need You
Main composer: Harrison, Singer: Harrison. One of the two George Harrison compositions featured on this album. I'd say this is one of the best songs from Harrison's early years. Very nice love song, in a pop way, but with a new 'toy' included in the recording session. For the first time, George introduced a wah-wah pedal. The number was also included in the ?love songs' album.
Rate: 9/10
5. Another Girl
Main composer: McCartney, Singer: McCartney. Half slow, half fast rock song penned and sung by McCartney. Lovely guitar lines played by Harrison, and a very nice bridge, followed by some of this lovely guitar lines. One of my favourites parts of the movie, is when the bealtes play this song in the middle of a nice and green country in a windy day.
Rate: 8/10
6. You're Going To Lose That Girl
Main Composer: Lennon, Singer: Lennon. This is my favourite song from the album. Lovely. The song reminds me some 50's style. In fact, Lennon wrote it trying to capture the spirit of the sound of one of his favourite girl groups, 'The Shirelles'. The song was included also in the ?love songs' album, in 1977, and it's usually wrongly called "You're gonna loose that girl", because that's the way he sings it. In the movie, the perform this song as if they were in one of the recording sessions, and there are some funny parts, with Paul playing piano.
Rate: 10/10
7. Ticket To Ride
Main Composer: Lennon, Singer: Lennon. This is one of Lennon's favourite songs. Paul played lead guitar, instead of George. This wasn't usual, but Paul also played lead guitar on another song from this album, another girl. This lead guitar is one of the famoust's from the beatles songs, a simple but nice riff. The song ends up with a funny and weird fade out, just listen to it.
Rate: 8/10
8. Act Naturally
Main composer: Morrison/Rusell, Singer: Ringo. Ringo Starr sung this song, the only one he would sing on this album (he usually sings one on every album, maybe even two). It's kind of country music, a style Ringo liked, and that's why he's the singer. Thou it's not the beatles style at all, is a good song, with very good second voices played by Lennon and specially McCartney.
Rate: 7/10
9. It's Only Love
Main Composer: Lennon, Singer: Lennon. Another of my favourite songs from the album, and, again, a slow and acoustic one, penned and sung by John Lennon. This song contains more than two guitars. Lennon played acoustic ones, and Harrison played electric with pedal. The song was covered by Brian Ferry years after. There's a diferent version (take two of the recording session) included on Anthology II album. One of my favourites, thou Lennon dislike it. He described it as 'lousy' and with 'abysmal lirics'. I don't mind, I like it.
Rate: 9/10
10. You Like Me Too Much
Main Composer: Harrison, Singer: Harrison. Second and last song penned by Harrison included in this album. Not from his bests songs at all, with the producer, George Martin, playing grand piano.
Rate: 7/10
11. Tell Me What You See
Main Composer: McCartney, Singer: McCartney. Penned by McCartney, although it is said that Lennon aided him on the lyrics. There's a weird instrument from south america they used on this song, called a guiro. A nice slow song.
Rate: 7/10
12. I've Just Seen A Face
Main Composer: McCartney, Singer: McCartney. Acoustic folk-rock song penned and sung by McCartney. There are a lot of acoustic guitars on this song, playing the same chords on differents tunes. This song became one of McCartney's auntie Gin's favourite, so the working title of it was 'Auntie Gin's Theme'. Again, this song is not into the clasical beatles style, but I still like it.
Rate: 8/10
13. Yesterday
Main Composer: McCartney, Singer: McCartney. Well, I think I don't need to say a word about this song. Is one of the most falous ever performed by the Bealtles, and also one of the most covered song in history of music. The song just needed two takes to get finally recorded. It was just McCartney playing acoustic guitar and singing it. One of the two takes is the oficial one, and the other take, the first take, is included on Anthology, with Paul explaining how to play the chords to Harrison. There was a joke every time McCartney played this songs in concert. Before he started pleying it, Harrison would introduce the song by saying 'A oportunity knocks...', and with Lennon giving him flowers after finishing singing it by his own on stage. McCartney dreamt this song, so he got up, and sat on his home piano trying to remember the tune of his dreams. To remember it, he title the song 'scramble eggs', but it would became, obviously, 'Yesterday'.
Rate: 10/10
14. Dizzy Miss Lizzie
Main Composer: Williams, Singer: Lennon. Just Lennon singin a classic rock and roll song to close this album, as they did with 'Twist and shout' on their first one, or 'money' on their second one. A fast electric guitar riff by Harrison, a clasic bass tune by McCartney, and Lennon's voice doing the rest to get a very good fast rock song.
Rate: 8/10
Well, nothing more to say. Another great album by the Beatles, and another you must, at least, listen to (or better, have). And now, as always, the musicians:
-John Lennon: Rhythm Guitar, lead vocals, vocals and harmonica. -Paul McCartney: Bass guitar, lead vocals and vocals. -George Harrison: Lead guitar, lead vocals and vocals -Ringo Starr: Drums and lead vocals. -George Martin: Fifth beatle, and producer....
Ciao!
BLUESY
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Advantages: Varied styles and some classic tracks Disadvantages: One or two songs not upto the standard of later albums, but it shows their progress well!
Advantages: Varied styles and some classic tracks Disadvantages: One or two songs not upto the standard of later albums, but it shows their progress well!
Oct 27th, 2003
(Jan 9th, 2004)
exceptional by (4%):
very helpful by (96%):
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