Beatles Help Album

[b.dfzo]

Decided to listen to the album again in its entirety to make sure what I was saying was true...

...the album really builds up the power of "Yesterday"; after the preceding general upbeatness of the earlier tracks, it leaves you gape mouthed.  The emotional complexity is awe inspiring, in spite of the tune's oversaturation on radio, etc.

[wind chime]

Tell Me What You See is the most aweful cut on the LP but everything else is great pop music!!!! Even Act Naturally...

Sad to say there is more that I dont like on Rubber Soul

Run for Your Life
Wait
Drive My Car
You Wont See Me

that is why I am on a Help praise right now

I really like Help!

You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
The Night Before
You're Gonna Lose That Girl
It's Only Love
I've Just Seen A Face
Another Girl
I Need You

These are really great songs!
When I first heard the album in its entirety, what struck me the most was how introspective a lot of the songs are and it has a sort of folk sound. I think its a real step forward for the band. What bugs me about the album is how mushy and saccharine the bad songs are.

[Chris D.]

Seriously, what's so bad about "Tell Me What You See"?

[I. Spaceman]

I hate that electric piano sound, for one thing, on that, You Like Me Too Much and Night Before. I hate the lyrics and the melody. I like it more than Like Me Too Much though. That one makes me want to rip my ears off.

[cabinessence]

1. Help! 
2. The Night Before 
3. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away 
4. I Need You 
5. Another Girl 
6. You're Going To Lose That Girl 
7. Ticket To Ride 
8. Act Naturally 
9. It's Only Love 
10. You Like Me Too Much 
11. Tell Me What You See 
12. I've Just Seen A Face 
13. Yesterday 
14. Dizzy Miss Lizzie 

Another Girl: count me in as a subscriber. Let's see....that plus the singles and other undisccountable stuff = bare minimum, 1, 3, 5, 7, 12-14, seven great ones right there. 2, 4, 6, 9, 11 are either decent retread filler or not quite evolved future goodness (4 and 11, George and Paul in transit). 8 either sucks, or is funny and good... just like every other Ringo track that ever was. That leaves only 10 as a really duff cut in my opinion (though I Need You, I'll grant Ian, isn't much objectively, not without knowing Harrisongs to come.)

I will say it's the album that hangs together least well whatever version it's heard in. Hard Day's Night plays like a real record even if it's a soundtrack LP. This one seems randomly arranged  and thrown together by circumstance. Much slagged Beatles For Sale is remarkably on target consistently as a concept: an alternation of favorite oldies and totally modern sounds derived from the same eclectic, creative fan-aesthetic the covers express and their originals made possible, classic and newfangled contaminating each other throughout, and making for a consistency of feel I really, really like. On Help, many individual songs have reached a higher level still than the '65 model,  but the whole doesn't make for a meaningful or particularly fun listening experience for me.

[Jason Penick]

Damn I think some of you guys are off the mark... this is a great album.  I've loved it ever since I sequenced the original UK running order onto a Maxell cassette tape, way way back in the dark (pre-cd) days.  I think it's still one of the most listenable albums ever recorded: 

For starters, you've got more than a few undeniable stone cold classics (the uniformly brilliant title track, "Ticket to Ride", "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away", "Yesterday" and "I've Just Seen a Face").

Secondly, most everything else here is grade "A" pop/rock: "I Need You", "It's Only Love", "Tell Me What You See",  "You're Gonna Lose That Girl" and "The Night Before" are all pretty freaking incredible, IMO.  Not quite a-side material, but real strong album cuts.  I dig all these songs immensely.

Then a couple of not-quite-so-great-but-still-kinda-okay throwaways in "Another Girl" and "You Like Me Too Much".  Not up to par with their best stuff, but the former has kind of a neat groove and an assertive, almost Lennonesque lyric ("I ain't no fool and I don't take what I don't want!") while the Harrison tune gets over on the strength of the arrangement, the guitar solo and the stoned vocal delivery.

That leaves just two out of place cover songs that could have easily been replaced with originals-- Substitute the playful "If You've Got Troubles" and the brilliant UK wall of sound pastiche "That Means a Lot" in place of "Act Naturally" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy", and you've got an even better record consisting of all original material.  I'm feelin' it!

Seriously, I don't see what's not to like about Help!  Definately their most underrated LP by far.


By the way this is my first post to the new Smiley Smile board... for some reason it took me forever to figure out how to register here!

[Sir Rob]

I really love this album - one of my favourite Beatles albums.  The Night Before and Another Girl are two of my absolute favourites - just beautiful quintessential pop music.  Something very evocative of the mid 1960s about those two songs.  No, there's not one song I'd skip.

[I. Spaceman]

Well, most everyone still loves everything The Beatles ever did unreservedly. *sigh*

Thanks for an objective review, Cabin.

Welcome, Jason.

[Old Rake]

I sure don't love everything the Beatles ever did, as you know. I think my review was pretty, er, "objective," in the sense that I'm at least considering both perspectives and I'm not a 100% apologist. Its not a *perfect* album but I'm pretty damn enthusiastic about it for some pretty right on reasons -- namely, and once again, I think its an absolute career high for Lennon, and that alone cannot be discounted. And I still think George acquits himself masterfully here. Oh, and "Act Naturally" rules. I agree that Ringo does a great job with this one and the band's cod-country is actually pretty cool.

[Evenreven]

Hey Ian, that's not fair! I didn't even go so far as to say it was a "good" album. I just like "Another Girl".

[b.dfzo]

Hey Ian, that's not fair! I didn't even go so far as to say it was a "good" album. I just like "Another Girl".

And what of "The Night Before"?

[Evenreven]

No no no, I like more than Another Girl, it's just that I only posted in this thread in the first place to defend that underrated gem.

[b.dfzo]

No no no, I like more than Another Girl, it's just that I only posted in this thread in the first place to defend that underrated gem.

That's very chivalrous of you, in a way - it was in need of your defense!  No one should doubt your courage!  Fill the tawny bowl!

[Jason Penick]

If any song needs defense it's "Tell Me What You See"... Why do so many people hate this gem?  Okay, lyrically it's weak, but so is "What You're Doing" and everyone seems to love that track.  Also, while it's certainly not the most innovative song structure they ever came up with, it's catchy and memorable, and isn't that what all writers should strive for?  It succeeds on its own terms is what I'm saying.

And I don't love everything they did unreservedly... ask me about "Honey Pie" or "Bungalow Bill" sometime! 

[Fantastico!]

Help to me is like the Beatles version of "Party"

Controversy on Help?  Here's mine--it is NOT as good as Beatles for Sale.  John was just as good on "For Sale"--Spoil the Party, Loser, Eight Days a Week, and No Reply--those are great songs.  Help and Ticket Ride are phenomenal recordings of great songs, and move out of the country vein into something a little more unique.  Ian, I am with you 100% on "You're Gonna Lose that Girl"--that's the "Any Time At All" or "Baby's In Black" of this album--a great example of Lennon's capability to write album tracks.

Help would have been a little better with "That Means Alot" but unquestionably superior with "Yes It Is"--which is quite possibly the greatest pure B-side that the Beatles ever released.  An unfathomable omission by today's standards.

I agree that "Another Girl" and "The Night Before" are redundant.  I would go with another girl because I like the 'country' Beatles and I love the lead guitar, especially at the end.  And it goes so nicely into the genre-defying into of "I've Just Seen A Face." (now, who wrote that intro!?)

"Yesterday" "Ticket To Ride" and "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away?" all very very great tunes.

"It's Only Love?" A peculiar but interesting short little number.  Extremely schmaltzy.  I have always liked the little Roy Orbison bit at the end.  Non-essential though.

"Tell Me What You See" I agree is really thin.  I have always liked it though because I have always been charmed by Paul's aw-shucks gentlemanly schtick. 

"I Need You" is worth it for the volume pedal swells and the harmonies.  It's no "IF I Needed Someone" but it's just charming.  "You Like Me Too Much" is fun--I've always enjoyed this one in a "Tell Me Why" kind of way--lots of novice jazz runs and turnarounds.

This leaves the covers of "Dizzy" and "Act Naturally."  To us, the difference of 63 and 65 Beatles is huge, but think about your own personal growth and development.  It's nothing really.  "Dizzy" is just an able throwback--a "Roll Over Beethoven" or a "Bad Boy"--with some nice Lennon screaming (I bet he was having fun) and "Act Naturally" was a perfect song for Ringo.  "They're gonna put me in the movies" is all about the 'role' he had to play in the Beatles.  "the biggest fool that ever hit the big time"---perfect.  Plus, the lead guitar coming out of the bridge ('cause I could play the part so well') is so dope!  Just like the guitar and bass breakdown on "I'll Cry Instead" ('and show you what you're lovin man can do')

An album that hit me deeply when i first got into it in '96

[I. Spaceman]

How come no one has mentioned that I'm Down would have made the album a thousand times better?

[Fantastico!]

How come no one has mentioned that I'm Down would have made the album a thousand times better?

Forgot about that one, YES!

"I'm Down" and "Yes It Is" replace "Tell Me What You See" and "You Like Me Too Much" and THOSE songs can live as B-sides, or Monkee songs.

[Fantastico!]

Ian, when I see your avatar out of the corner of my eye it looks like Fernando Valenzuela winding up for a fastball.

[I. Spaceman]

How come no one has mentioned that I'm Down would have made the album a thousand times better?

Forgot about that one, YES!

"I'm Down" and "Yes It Is" replace "Tell Me What You See" and "You Like Me Too Much" and THOSE songs can live as B-sides, or Monkee songs.

EXACTLY! And That Means A Lot replaces either Another Girl or Night Before in the film and album.

[Fantastico!]

why don't they seek our counsel on these things?!?!?!

[I. Spaceman]

Wait, let me put in the time crystals....

[b.dfzo]

Wait, let me put in the time crystals....

Grandma just called and said you're supposed to go home...



...she said she doesn't want you here when she gets back, because you've been ruining everybody's lives and eatin' all our steak!