Musicopia: Beatlemania, Part 2

At long last, I have finished Part 2 of Beatlemania. Hope you enjoy it!

1968’s The Beatles (aka The White Album) was the beginning of the end for The Beatles. Whether the appearance of she-devil Yoko Ono was wholly or partly responsible for the discord is open to debate, but my impression is that she was most certainly a monkey wrench in the gears of a previously well-oiled machine. Regardless of the cause of the contentiousness, the studio sessions for The White Album featured a wealth of disagreements, with John and Paul occasionally in different studios recording different songs. Ringo even quit the band for a short period of time before being convinced to come back. The divisiveness of The Beatles at this time is starkly apparent on the double album, which contains a bizarre (yet great) selection of songs.
It’s tough to pare this lot down, but I’ll do my best. I’ll start with George Harrison’s "Piggies", because, as I’ve already mentioned, I love the sound of the harpsichord, I dig the stringed instruments, and get a kick out of the pig sound effects (what can I say? I’m easily amused). "Sexy Sadie" is another great track I just love to sing along to (even those high notes that I can’t hit). Another fun sing-a-long track is "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"; a great song to wail in the shower, I’d say. And speaking of wailing, the simplistic yet highly amusing "Why Don’t We Do It In the Road?" features some excellent wailing by Paul. Love this song, and not just because it was inspired by two monkeys in India going at it (but it helps). "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" is supposedly Paul’s favorite song on The White Album, and it’s certainly in my top five. It’s structurally complex, lyrically interesting, and, in the end, just plain fun. "I’m So Tired" may just be my favorite song on the album. While the song isn’t about depression, it certainly strikes a chord in me. I can relate very much with the overriding sentiment of the song (“I’d give you everything I’ve got for a little peace of mind”), and I love the emotion John puts into his vocals (especially around :38-:45).
The White Album is truly great, and there is a wealth of excellent songs that I didn’t mention. If you’re not familiar with it, I highly suggest giving it a listen. And even if you do know it, I suggest revisiting it occasionally. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gone back to it and thought, “How did I miss this song?!”

Yellow Submarine, released in 1969, is an unusual album. Only half of the twelve songs on the album are performed by the Beatles, and of those six, two were previously released on other albums (“Yellow Submarine” on Revolver and “All You Need Is Love” on Magical Mystery Tour). The other six tracks are symphonic tracks from the film Yellow Submarine. I enjoy a good orchestral piece, but I’m not overly impressed by the offerings on this album, and of the four new tracks only "All Together Now" and "Hey Bulldog" (the best new song on the album, in my opinion) regularly make it onto my playlists. If the Beatles made a forgettable album, this one is it.

1969’s second release, Abbey Road, on the other hand, is chock full of goodness. Actually recorded after the majority of Let It Be (the last studio album released by the band), this album represents their final attempt to put their differences aside and “go out on a high note.” I don’t think it’s a coincidence that many of the songs on the album have a wistful feeling to them.
Nevertheless, the album starts off with a bang. The first song, "Come Together" is not only a classic, but also seems to act as encouragement for the band, as if they’re telling each other, “This is the last time, so let’s do this right.” The second track, "Something", is, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest love songs ever written. Too bad Yoko’s in the video. But on a happier note, "Octopus’s Garden", where my blog gets its name, is on the album. It’s a fun bit of nonsense, and probably my favorite Ringo track (not that there are a lot to choose from). And speaking of fun bits of nonsense, you can’t go wrong with the short tale of "Mean Mr. Mustard". An interesting bit of trivia regarding the song "Because": it features the chords of Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” played backwards. While it’s hard to pick a favorite off the album, "Oh! Darling" may just be it. I recall listening to it repeatedly when I first discovered it, and it doesn’t hurt that it has one of my favorite things in it: Paul screaming his head off. Just a great track.

The final studio album released by the Beatles was 1970’s Let It Be. A documentary of the same name was filmed during the album’s recording sessions. The film ends with the infamous impromptu rooftop concert held on top of Apple’s building (the record company, not the makers of iPods), which was eventually broken up by the police. Apparently London’s business district found the Beatle’s last live performance distracting.
In honor of their last live performance, I thought I’d share the songs they played on that rooftop in London (although the links I provide will be to the album versions). They started off with a couple goes at what was, at the time, meant to be the title track of the album, "Get Back", which was also the last song they played that day. In fact, John’s comment at the end of the recording, “I’d like to say ‘thank you’ on behalf of the group and ourselves and I hope we passed the audition,” was taken from the rooftop recordings and spliced onto the end of the album version. The next song, "Don’t Let Me Down", was recorded during the Get Back (Let It Be) sessions, but ended up being dropped from the album (it appears later on the Past Masters album). I can’t imagine why it wasn’t included, as the raw emotion in John’s vocals makes it one of my favorite Beatles songs. "I’ve Got a Feeling", an amalgam of two different songs (one by Paul, the other by John), was the next song played, and in this case the recording from the rooftop performance actually made it onto the album. On the heels of “I’ve Got a Feeling” came "One After 909", a song that wouldn’t sound out of place on an early Beatles album. This is another track taken straight from their rooftop performance (John’s “Danny Boy” ending being a goofy ad-lib). The last unique song played that day was another of my multitude of favorites, "Dig a Pony". Again, the album version and the rooftop version are one and the same. That “Hold it!” yelled at the beginning is Ringo asking everyone to wait, as he had a cigarette in hand at the time. I can’t say why, but the inclusion of that moment on the album just makes my day. After “Dig a Pony,” they played “I’ve Got a Feeling” again, followed by another performance of “Don’t Let Me Down.” As I said earlier, they finished with “Get Back,” and yes, John, I’m pretty sure you passed the audition.

1988 saw the release of the Past Masters album, 33 tracks on two CDs that included all the bits and bobs that hadn’t made it onto the previously listed albums. Perhaps “bits and bobs” is a deceptive choice of words, since the album contains such seminal Beatles songs as "From Me To You", "She Loves You", "I Want To Hold Your Hand", and "I Feel Fine". And that’s just Disc 1!
The second disc is full of Beatles classics as well. You can never go wrong with "Hey Jude", and if you can hear “na na na na-na na na” without singing along then you, my friend, have a soul as black as the night. The disc also contains 1965’s lighthearted "Day Tripper", a tongue-in-cheek ditty about half-assed hippies, and "We Can Work It Out", which was originally released on the same single. Another song close to my heart is "Paperback Writer", mostly because it’s a fun song, but also because I wouldn’t mind being a paperback writer myself. You're probably unfamiliar with the song unless you’re a big fan, but I’ve grown quite attached to Harrison’s "Old Brown Shoe". I just wish the audio was better; it definitely sounds like an old "Brown Shoe." Despite Satan’s minion, Yoko, being a prominent feature of the song, I can’t help but enjoy "The Ballad of John & Yoko". If only Mark David Chapman’s aim had been off.

The three Anthology albums were released in late 1995 and early 1996. Not for the casual fan, the albums contain a wealth of alternate versions, demos, live performances, and the like. For Beatlemaniacs, it’s a fascinating look at the creative process of the Beatles. There are recordings of rehearsals where it’s obvious that the lyrics were yet to be finalized (I just hate it when doctors smink of gin), takes featuring false starts, and even a take completely derailed by a giggle fit (I have a feeling all were not sober at the time). And remember “Old Brown Shoe” and it’s bad audio? Oddly, the demo sounds quite a bit better.

In 2006, Cirque du Soleil began their show Love, based upon the music of the Beatles. To the extreme pleasure of this Beatles fan, they tapped George Martin and his son Giles to remix a wonderful selection of the Beatles catalogue. The hard work of the Martins (and George’s intimate familiarity with the music) produced a work of sheer genius.
This album introduced me to a song I had previously overlooked: "Lady Madonna". I fell in love immediately, and, while biased by hearing this version first, I feel that it’s an improvement over the original. I wish I could present "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds" and "Octopus’s Garden" as a single piece, because the way they are tied together by the string portion of “Good Night” is absolutely beautiful. Instead, try queuing them both up and starting “Octopus’s Garden” as soon as “Lucy” is done; you’ll get the general idea. For those of you who think “Hey Jude” is too long (and I won’t blame you if you do), give this version a try. Not only is it significantly shorter, but it’s also got a sweet bass line added in for most of the last minute. The bass line actually appears ever so faintly in the last six seconds or so of the original, but bringing it to the fore makes for quite an improvement (as does dropping everything but the vocals and percussion prior to the bass line’s appearance). As mush as I love the revamped “Hey Jude,” I think the new "Strawberry Fields Forever" is the pinnacle of the album (Strawberry Peak?). The original is surely a classic, but I’m batshit crazy for the way the last two minutes or so of this song turned out, seamlessly integrating parts of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “In My Life,” “Penny Lane,” “Piggies” (did I mention that I love the harpsichord?), and, most notably, the “Hey-la” section of “Hello, Goodbye.” This, my friends, is a work of art.

And so we end Beatlemania on as high a note as I can think of. I hope I was able to shed some light on an unfamiliar song or two. I think the Beatles are the high water mark of music, a brilliant mixture of the profound and the profane, the ordinary and the sublime. And as I said before, I dare you to find another band who evolved so much in so little time, and who has inspired so many, both musicians and laymen alike.
Now will someone please perform the ritual that sends Yoko back to her place among the nine circles of Hell?

*I should note that I have once again leaned on Wiki for many of the facts used in Beatlemania. All opinions are my own.

Musicopia: Beatlemania, Part 1

By now you’ve surely noticed that I enjoy a wide variety of music. If I had to pick a favorite musical genre, it would probably be hip-hop, followed by good ol’ rock and roll. My favorite musical act, however, is without question The Beatles.
People often say that you’re a Beatles person or an Elvis person, or, perhaps, a Rolling Stones lover. With all due respect to Elvis and the Stones, there is absolutely no twentieth century musical group or individual more important or influential than The Beatles. Pick a music artist these days and I guarantee that one of their influences is The Beatles (and if they aren’t, then someone directly influenced by them is).
Whether you enjoy their music or not, there is no denying their influence on music in the Western world and beyond, and I dare you to find another group or artist who evolved as drastically as they did over their seven years of recording. They began as a pop-rock group who essentially conformed to the conventions of their predecessors, but before long they were blazing their own trail, experimenting with feedback, sound effects, and unconventional instruments such as the sitar. And, amazingly, their experimentation and growth did nothing to hinder their popularity. If anything, it enhanced it, setting them apart from the wealth of exceptional acts that surfaced in what I consider to be music’s Golden Age, the 60s.
This is why I can’t just stick The Beatles in with the rest of the B’s. My love of their music requires that I give them special attention, for they deserve to be elevated above all. And so I give you a Musicopia special edition: Beatlemania. In Beatlemania I will explore each of the albums within The Beatles canon, consisting of their twelve UK albums, the US version of Magical Mystery Tour, and the Past Masters albums, as well as a smattering of tracks from the Anthology series and the (relatively) newly released Love, which was created for the Cirque du Soleil show of the same name. If you’re a Beatles fan already, then you surely won’t mind being reminded of why you love them. If you’re unfamiliar with their work, then I urge you to take this opportunity to explore it. I doubt you’ll be disappointed.
P.S. Damn you, Yoko!!!!

The Beatles’ first major album was Please Please Me, released in 1963. I used to consider much of their early work to be inferior simply because it was (at the time) fairly standard rock, rather than the barrier dismantling work that they did in their later years. Thankfully I’ve seen the error of my ways, for their early work, while not unconventional, is nonetheless excellent rock and roll, and still has all the Beatles charm that one finds in their later work. The album’s first track, "I Saw Her Standing There", is classic Beatles—up-tempo, cheerful, and about the ladies. Other great tracks, like "Love Me Do" and the title track will surely ring bells with most people. But songs such as "Misery" and "Chains" may be new to the casual fan. And c’mon, without this album’s last track (among my all-time favorites) we wouldn’t have one of my favorite moments in movie history, the fabled Ferris Bueller parade scene.

1963 also saw the release of their second album, With The Beatles. I must admit that I find this to be a weaker album than their first. Of the original songs that they composed for the album, "All My Loving" is easily the best, followed by "Hold Me Tight" and "Don’t Bother Me". But other than “All My Loving” I think the strongest tracks on the album are the covers of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven" (which features some great guitar playing by George), and The Marvelette's "Please Mister Postman".

Two albums were released in 1964 as well. The first was A Hard Day’s Night, the soundtrack to their first movie, and the first Beatles album comprised entirely of original material. The album’s title track and "Can’t Buy Me Love" are among The Beatles’ best early work (“Can’t Buy Me Love” being one of my favorite Beatles songs). The rest of the album is solid as well. Even the songs that don’t regularly make it onto my playlists compel me to break into song when I listen to them (to the utter dismay of those around me). Among my favorite tracks on the album are "I Should Have Known Better", "Tell Me Why", and "Any Time At All". Great songs all.

The second album released in ’64 was Beatles For Sale, and (I’m sensing a pattern here) I feel it is weaker when compared to A Hard Day’s Night. But we’re talking about The Beatles here, so “weaker” is a relative term. The album contains another of my favorites, "Eight Days a Week" (I seem to have a lot of favorites, don’t I?). As with most of their early albums, there are a number of cover songs included, such as the Carl Perkins song "Honey Don’t", and another Chuck Berry cover, "Rock & Roll Music", featuring a great example of John’s vocal chops. Other than “Eight Days a Week,” my favorite original works on the album are "What You’re Doing" and "No Reply", which I’m especially fond of (especially the bit from about 1:03 to 1:32).

Another year, another movie. Their second movie, Help!, was released in 1965, and the soundtrack is once again solid as a rock. There are only two cover songs on this album, with the best easily being Ringo’s rendition of "Act Naturally". Love that song (and Ringo’s gotta get the spotlight every now and then!). But I’ve gotta tell ya, this album kicks some serious ass. The title track is one of their greatest songs, certainly among their early work. I can’t begin to describe the über-awesomeness of the song. But it doesn’t stop there! With tracks like "You’re Going to Lose That Girl", "Ticket To Ride" (with a wonderfully silly video; lo siento para los subtitulados en español), "It’s Only Love", and one of Paul’s most famous and beloved songs, "Yesterday", this is surely their best album thus far.

The Beatles’ sixth album, Rubber Soul, is where they started off into territory heretofore unknown to rock bands. Remember that roommate I had back in college (mentioned in the last installment of Musicopia)? Well, this is his favorite Beatles album (or it was back then), and understandably so. This album, also released in ‘65, represents a sea change in the work of The Beatles, both musically ("Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" features George’s first use of the sitar in a recording, and "In My Life" features a piano solo that sounds very much like a harpsichord) and lyrically (as John’s philosophical and self-deprecating lyrics in "Nowhere Man" demonstrate). This album is so good I want to post every song, but through a superhuman demonstration of willpower I’m going to mention only three more songs: "You Won’t See Me" (because I like Paul’s voice and the ooooo la-la-la’s), "Girl" (a favorite which I’m embarrassed to say had escaped my notice until I watched Across the Universe), and "I’m Looking Through You" (just because).

If Rubber Soul was the beginning of their trip into the wild musical unknown, then Revolver sees them setting up shop there with the intent of staying for the long haul. While consistently overplayed, "Yellow Submarine" is probably the most sonically complex Beatles song yet (with the possible exception of "Tomorrow Never Knows"), with a wealth of sound effects and vocal silliness that sets it apart from the rest of their work thus far. "Love You To" is classic George, prominently featuring the sitar and other Indian instruments. Their sound continues to fill out on this album (released in 1966), with brass instruments prominently featured on "Got To Get You Into My Life", and some great piano playing by George Martin (“the fifth Beatle”) on "Good Day Sunshine". The album also contains the most depressing song in the universe, "Eleanor Rigby", so there’s that. But seriously, this is probably in my top three favorite Beatles albums, and I left a bumload of good songs out, so go get it. Get it now!

The Beatles’ next album, 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, is where it all began for me. I was visiting my mom at work and one of her co-workers had the album on cassette. I can’t remember whether he was listening to it and I asked to borrow it, or if the guy just knew it would blow my mind and offered it to me, but blow my young teenage mind it did. I’d heard "Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds" before, of course, but the album in its entirety was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. I listened to it. Again. And again. And again. Thus began my Beatlemania.
Paring the album down to a handful of songs is like asking me to club a truckload of doe-eyed baby seals, but do it I must. The title track must get mention due to both its greatness and the way in which it sets the tone for the rest of the album. I must also mention "Fixing a Hole" because I overlooked its greatness for too long, and because I love the harpsichord. "Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" also deserves mention simply for its sheer zany awesomeness. In my book, any song mentioning a waltzing horse is a good one. "When I’m Sixty-Four" is one of my favorites on the album. It’s sweetly sentimental, and I love the clarinets. As odd as it may sound, "Lovely Rita" may be my favorite song on the album. This is Paul at his whimsical best. I love the fact that he asks Rita out, then lets her pay the tab for dinner. For some reason that just cracks me up.
As with Revolver, there are so many great songs on this album that I was unable to mention them all. I urge you to get the album. I don’t care what you do in order to procure a copy. Rape. Pillage. Plunder. Do whatever it takes (ok, maybe not rape); just get this album! If you don’t enjoy it, then I’m sorry, I’m going to find you and jam an ice pick in your ears. Not enough to kill you, mind you; just enough to irrevocably deafen you. If you don’t like the album then aural pleasure is obviously beyond you and your ears are wasted on you anyway.

That's all for now, cats and kittens. Part 2 will be out as soon as I manage to finish it, which might be as late as next week, since I tend to get distracted and listen to some of the songs multiple times, thus ensuring that this takes much longer than it needs to. But The Beatles are worth the wait.