The Beatles-Past Masters

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 2/18/10.

With new formats to present music coming in such new places and times, every artist often takes the advantage of the new technology.  When the CD emerged in the 1980s, it was something new though for artists that came out before the new format.  It gave them a chance to upgrade their old music for their fans along with new ones.  The Beatles however, came in quite late in the game as it was often due to legal issues with their label EMI as well as some publishing issues when the Lennon/McCartney songs along with pre-1968 material that George Harrison and Ringo Starr contributed was sold for $47 million to Michael Jackson after outbidding Paul McCartney in 1985.

So when the Beatles catalog finally was set to come out in the new CD format in 1987, fans were excited as the U.K. albums were finally release to the public.  Another package that came with the studio albums was a two-disc compilation that consisted of the band's non-LP singles, B-sides, the entire Long Tall Sally EP, and alternate versions of songs that were released as singles.  The collection filled with more than 95-minutes of music in a two-disc set entitled Past Masters.

Past Masters is a compilation that chronicles the Beatles' non-album recordings from 1962 to 1970 in an expansive, two-disc set.  With the first disc featuring material from 1962 to 1965 which includes singles, B-sides, a song from a U.S. album, two tracks recorded for a German single, and four tracks from the U.K. only Long Tall Sally EP.  The second disc features material from late 1965 to 1970 consisting of singles, B-sides, and an alternate version of Across The Universe that was recorded for a charity album.  All produced by George Martin with a majority of songs written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney plus two tracks by George Harrison including numerous covers.  It is truly one of the best compilation material that explores the Beatles evolution as a singles act.

Opening the compilation is an original single version of Love Me Do featuring Ringo Starr on drums instead of session drummer Andy White on drums that appears in the album Please Please Me.  While it's largely similar to the album except it doesn't feature a soft tambourine performance in the background, it is still a remarkable first single that features Starr playing a steady, mid-tempo drum fill to accompany John Lennon's soothing harmonica.  From Me To You, the band's first number one hit single in the U.K., is an upbeat track with wailing, melodic vocal harmonies from Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison as Lennon and McCartney sing poignant lyrics of love.  Featuring a bouncy, tapping drum fill from Starr with McCartney's bumping bass line and driving guitar riffs from Lennon and Harrison, the song includes a wailing harmonica solo from Lennon as it also includes some crisp production work by George Martin.

Thank You Girl, a B-side to From Me To You, is a driving, upbeat rocker with washy guitar riffs from Lennon and Harrison with Starr's bopping drum beats and McCartney's soft bass work.  With Lennon singing the song with McCartney joining on harmony vocals, the song's lyrics shows some gratitude from the Beatles to their early female fans as it includes some pummeling drum fills from Starr.  She Loves You is an upbeat, rousing song with a famous chorus of "she loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah" with driving guitars and a bouncy rhythm courtesy of Starr's pummeling drums as Lennon and McCartney sing poignant, innocent lyrics of teenage love.  With Harrison's ringing guitar washes, it is without a doubt, one of the band's most quintessential singles.  The B-side to that song, I'll Get You is a mid-tempo track led by Lennon's harmonica as he sings lead with McCartney on harmony vocals.  With a bouncy rhythm led by Starr's tapping hi-hat cymbal and drum fills that is followed by Harrison's driving guitar, the song has somber lyrics of naive love as it is one of the band's fantastic B-sides.

The band's U.S. breakthrough single in I Want To Hold Your Hand with its driving guitar riff with swanky, ringing notes by Harrison and a bouncy beat led by Starr's pummeling drum fills.  The song is sung by Lennon and McCartney in a simple plea of love as it features some superb, layered production by George Martin.  The U.K. B-side to that track in This Boy, a ballad led by washy, spurting guitar by Harrison with Lennon's soft acoustic performance as Lennon, Harrison, and McCartney sing melancholic lyrics with Starr's soft, shimmering hi-hat taps in the background.  Lennon sings a lead part with his anguished yet somber vocals as it is one of the band's best ballads.  The next two tracks are part of a German single release in tribute to the band's early years when they started out playing clubs in Hamburg.  The first is a German-sung version of I Want To Hold Your Hand entitled Komm Gib Mir Dien Hand as it a fantastic version with the band singing in German.  The second German version in the single is She Loves You entitled Sie Liebt Dich that is exactly like its rousing, English counterpart.

The next four tracks are from the band's June 1964 EP entitled Long Tall Sally that features three covers and an original song by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.  Opening that EP is the title track that is a famed Little Richard song.  With McCartney singing in a growling vocal style with bopping rhythms from his bumping bass and Starr's rumbling drum fills with rousing guitar riffs from the band including a rousing piano to give the track a raucous feel that is a noteworthy tribute to Little Richard.  I Call Your Name is a recreation of a song the Lennon and McCartney wrote for Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas.  With Harrison's ringing guitar and Starr's bouncy drum fill with a tapping cowbell performance, Lennon sings the song with his washy guitar and McCartney's bumping bass line.  The song is filled with melancholic lyrics as it includes a rousing, ringing guitar solo from George Harrison showcasing the band's ability to re-create one of their own songs.

Larry Williams' Slow Down is a rousing, upbeat track led by a flourishing, 12-bar blues piano performed by George Martin with Starr's rapid, pulsating drum fill as it features driving guitars and Lennon's growling vocals.  It is one of the band's remarkable covers as they pay tribute to one of their favorite songwriters.  The last track of the EP is a cover of Carl Perkins' Matchbox that is sung by Ringo Starr with his drawling vocals and a steady, bouncy drum track with growling guitars from Lennon and Harrison.  Featuring George Martin on a flourishing piano track and McCartney on a wobbly bass, the song includes Lennon playing a ringing solo with Harrison on a washy 12-string guitar.  The single I Feel Fine opens with a bit of feedback from McCartney's bass as it is then led by ringing, melodic guitar tracks as Lennon sings the song with Starr's bouncy, bass-pounding drum fills.  Featuring poignant lyrics about heartbreak, the song is one of the band's most inventive thanks to a famed, arpeggio-laden riff that is performed by Harrison as it also features tempo changes from Starr's drums.

The B-side to that track is She's A Woman that opens with swanky guitar riffs and Starr's bopping beat with jangly cymbal crashes as McCartney sings the song with growling vocals.  Featuring haunting lyrics about a woman, the song has McCartney playing a soft piano accompaniment as the song's tempo picks up a bit with Starr's tapping cymbals and McCartney's rousing bass line.  From the U.S. album Beatles VI is a cover of Larry Williams' Bad Boy is an upbeat, guitar-driven track with Lennon's growling vocals singing snarling lyrics as Harrison plays a ringing, double-tracked guitar solo with McCartney's driving bass line and Starr's pummeling, bopping drum fill.

Next is a B-side track from the Ticket To Ride single in the love ballad Yes It Is.  With a swooning, ringing guitar track from Harrison with double-tracked vocal harmonies from Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison with somber lyrics of heartbreak.  The song also includes a slow yet steady drum fill from Starr maintaining the song's melancholic tone as it features a solo singing section from Lennon singing with anguished vocals as it's another of the band's fantastic B-sides.  The closing track of the first half of the Past Masters is another B-side in the song I'm Down from the single for Help!  A rocking track led by McCartney's growling vocals and wobbly bass line with driving guitars from Lennon and Harrison.  Along with Starr's bopping drum track with pummeling bass fills, the song features rousing lyrics that includes a ringing guitar solo from Harrison and wailing organ tracks by Lennon as it is a fantastic, raucous rocker.

Opening the second half of the collection is Day Tripper, an upbeat track that opens with a snarling guitar riff by John Lennon that is supported by Ringo Starr's pummeling yet steady drum fill.  Lennon and Paul McCartney sing the song with playful lyrics as Harrison fills in with a driving guitar riff with McCartney's bouncy bass line.  The other A-side track from that same single is the mid-tempo We Can Work It Out as it is a song with a fast-driving guitar track with Starr's bopping rhythms.  McCartney sings the track filled with optimistic lyrics with concern about the state of the world while Lennon sings a verse with a more cynical view about life as he accompanies the track with a swooning harmonium.  The single Paperback Writer is a bouncy rocker with Harrison's drone-heavy guitar riff and McCartney's loopy bass line as Starr plays a steady yet hard-hitting drum fill.  Featuring some great backing vocals from Lennon and Harrison, McCartney sings the song filled with a narrative-driven lyrics that shows the band progressing into their lyric themes.

The B-side to that song is the experimental Rain that is led by Starr's bouncy but pummeling drum fill and Harrison's swirling guitar riff with McCartney's bumping bass line.  Lennon sings in a snarling vocal filled with mesmerizing lyrics as McCartney and Harrison sing backing vocals.  Filled with reverb echoes and backward guitar loops, it is one of the band's most spectacular tracks that pushes the boundaries of pop music.  Lady Madonna is an upbeat, piano-driven track led by McCartney's growling, bluesy vocals about a fascinating woman.  Featuring Starr's bouncy drums and driving guitars from Lennon and Harrison, it's one of the band's playful singles as it includes a great tenor saxophone solo by Ronnie Scott.  The B-side to that single is The Inner Light by George Harrison.  A hypnotic, Indian-influenced track filled with vibrant percussions and flourishing sitar as Harrison sings spiritual-heavy lyrics with Lennon and McCartney providing backing vocals.

Hey Jude is a somber, mid-tempo piano ballad as McCartney sings comforting lyrics to John Lennon's young son Julian following his parents divorce.  With McCartney's soothing vocals and melancholic piano, the track is later accompanied by Starr's slow but rumbling drum fill and washy guitar tracks from Lennon and Harrison as it builds up a bit through each section.  The song intensifies with people singing to a melody as they're later accompanied by brass and string orchestra in one of the band's greatest singles.  The B-side to that single is the chaotic Revolution led by a fast-wailing guitar riff by Lennon as he sings angry lyrics about the fallacies of revolutions.  With Starr's hard-hitting drums and drone-heavy guitar and bass from Harrison and McCartney, respectively.  The track also includes a wailing, melodic electric piano track by Nicky Hopkins.

Get Back is led by a bouncy yet riding rhythm by Starr's drum and McCartney's thumping bass line as he sings nonsensical but fun lyrics.  With Lennon's sliding guitar solo and Harrison's spurting rhythm guitar, the track includes a wonderful electric piano solo by Billy Preston that get things going.  Don't Let Me Down is a mid-tempo love song led by Lennon as he and McCartney sing anguished lyrics with Preston's flourishing keyboard track.  Starr's steady yet thumping drum track with McCartney's low bass line and Harrison's smooth guitar riff complement Preston's playing in one of the band's best tracks.  The Ballad Of John & Yoko is an upbeat, bouncy song led by McCartney's thumping bass and bouncy drum track that he plays with Lennon's sliding guitar track and flourishing piano.  The song has Lennon singing about he and Yoko's adventure of their marriage that is filled with playful humor.

The B-side of that single is Harrison's Old Brown Shoe which is a rousing, upbeat track filled with McCartney's bouncy piano and bass with Starr's bopping drums and Harrison's driving guitar.  Filled with bluesy lyrics and a sliding guitar by Harrison, it's one of his best cuts that exemplifies his love of back-to-basics rock music as he also plays organ in the track.  Next is an alternate version of Across The Universe from the 1969 charity album No One's Gonna Change Our World that opens with sounds of birds calling.  Filled with spiritual-laden lyrics and a washy acoustic track, Lennon sings the song as he is accompanied by Harrison's sitar and McCartney's soft piano.  Along with George Martin's soft organ, the track features falsetto backing vocals as it is one of the band's best songs.

The piano ballad Let It Be in its single version produced by George Martin & Chris Thomas is a simpler version than the additions Phil Spector made for the album of the same name.  With McCartney's piano driving the track filled with inspirational lyrics, the song includes Linda McCartney on backing vocals along with a different guitar solo from George Harrison that is more subtle in its performance.  The closing track of the collection is the B-side to that song in You Know My Name (Look Up The Number).  A music hall-inspired track with elements of comedy led by a piano track by McCartney as he sings the song with a bouncy drum track from Starr with Lennon and Harrison's driving guitar.  The track then goes into a wild, calypso-like rhythm as the whole band plays around with sound effects provided by Lennon, McCartney, and Mal Evans along with a blaring saxophone from Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones.

When it was released on March 7, 1988, the compilation album gave Beatles fans a chance to have something to complete their collection along with the studio albums that were reissued on CD.  The collection was widely received by critics for its collection of non-LP singles, B-sides, and rarities.

The 2009 remastered edition is released as part of the Beatles stereo box set and as an individual, 2-disc collection.  The remastering gives more punch to several tracks, notably for the latter-day stuff of the band as there's more to hear in the songs.  The album is also released in alternate version for the mono box set known as The Mono Masters that is a bit longer than the entire collection as it excludes The Ballad of John & Yoko, Old Brown Shoe, and Let It Be in favor of unreleased mono mixes of Across The Universe (Wildlife version) and the four songs that were from the unreleased Yellow Submarine EP as it's a collection that hardcore Beatles fan would have.

Past Masters is a must-have collection for fans of the Beatles as it features all of the non-LP singles, B-sides, and rarities that will be something not for completists but also for casual fans to hear the famed singles.  The collection is also a great overview of the band's evolution as a singles artists from their early Merseybeat days to the more experimental work they would do in the middle of their career.  In the end, Past Masters is an amazing collection of music from the Beatles.

The Beatles Reviews: Please Please Me - With the Beatles - A Hard Day's Night - Beatles for Sale - Help! - Rubber Soul - Revolver - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Magical Mystery Tour - The White Album - Yellow Submarine OST - Abbey Road - Let It Be - (1962-1966) - (1967-1970) - (Live at the BBC) - (Anthology 1) - (Anthology 2) - (Anthology 3) - (Let It Be... Naked) - (Love)

(C) thevoid99 2011

The Beatles-Let It Be

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/25/10.

From 1962-1967, the Beatles were indeed the most popular band in the world as they released countless albums all of which were hits critically and commercially. The release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967 was the Beatles hitting their peak as the band were having plans for much bigger things. Unfortunately, something happened with the death of their manager Brian Epstein in August of 1967 of an accidental drug overdose. Epstein's death would mark the beginning of the end as the band's plans to create their own business corporation known as Apple Corps would only create a lot of financial trouble for the band.

Without a manager to handle business things and several of the band's personnel being unaware of how to handle things. Trouble was brewing as the 1968 sessions for The White Album was fraught with tension as the Beatles were coming apart. With 1968 giving way to 1969, tension was at an all-time high as Paul McCartney had a plan to hopefully ease things while making something creative that would hopefully get the back to performing live. The project was entitled Get Back in which it would be a multi-media project with an album, a TV concert special, and a film. At the same time, the music would be a back-to-basics approach with no overdubs or multi-layered recordings as it would involve no studio trickery. All of which seemed like a good idea but once the band got started on the project. Everything however, went wrong.

Joining in the session to oversee things was the band's longtime producer George Martin along with another renowned producer in Glyn Johns. Yet, neither Martin nor Johns had any idea of what role they were playing as the tension between the whole band was becoming toxic. Even the presence of John Lennon's new companion in Yoko Ono only made things worse. Rehearsing at a sound stage in Twickenham Studios was an atmosphere that was unpleasant with the cold weather surrounding the band along with a film crew headed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg documenting all that is happening.

The personal tension within the band came ahead when George Harrison briefly quit following a spat with McCartney along with the feeling of being treated with disrespect by Lennon and McCartney. Following Harrison's brief departure, the band left Twickenham studios to go to the Apple studios due to Harrison's suggestion as he also brought in famed gospel musician Billy Preston for the sessions. Preston's presence eased things where the band played what would become their last live performance on January 30, 1969 on the rooftop of Apple studios with Preston as it would later spawn the single release of Get Back/Don't Let Me Down in April of that year.

Though the live performance was a hit with the band despite being stopped by the police over noise complaints. The sessions for Get Back however, was a miserable experience as the band shelved the project while handing the recordings to Glyn Johns to oversee things. Though it was planned for a July release, problems were continuing within the band over business issues that would later see the loss of the band's Northern Songs publishing though George Harrison and Ringo Starr both made their own publishing for songs they made from 1968 and so on that they've managed to keep. At the same time, the planned TV concert special was scrapped while the documentary was in delay. The album was pushed back from September and later to December as the band's last studio album Abbey Road was released in late September.

By late 1969/early 1970, John Lennon had already left the band though it wasn't revealed publicly while the rest tried to help Glyn Johns in another attempt to mix the Get Back album. McCartney and Starr were also helping Harrison finish recordings on a song as the results for the second version of the album was unsatisfactory. With Johns out of the project, a new producer was brought into the fold in renowned American producer Phil Spector. Spector, who had created numerous hit singles with his Wall of Sound production style in the early 1960s, had just worked with John Lennon on the single Instant Karma! as the band's manager Allen Klein asked Spector to go to England. Though Lennon and Harrison were enthused by the idea of Spector overseeing the material that had been largely recorded in January of 1969. Yet, the final results of the album would end up playing a large part into the band's break-up as it would be entitled Let It Be.

Let It Be is an album in which the Beatles attempt to go back to basics with just a guitar, bass, and drums along with some keyboards provided by Billy Preston. While a large part of the material features a simple rock n' roll sound which includes covers and fragmented material that was made during those sessions. The album is largely remixed by producer Phil Spector who would add overdubbed strings and choir arrangements. While the band's longtime producer George Martin along with Glyn Johns provide some production work on a few tracks. The result is a fascinating yet stellar release from the Beatles but not a worthy epitaph that lives up to the band's legendary stature.

Opening the album is Two Of Us, a plaintive folk-style track with John Lennon and Paul McCartney singing together with acoustic guitars about the relationship of two people in a playful manner. With Ringo Starr's simple, thumping back beat and George Harrison's soothing bass line played on a guitar, it is a highlight of the album as it is a wonderful duet between Lennon and McCartney, the latter of which sings a solo section in the track. Dig A Pony is a mid-tempo rocker with driving guitar riffs from Lennon and Harrison along with Starr's rumbling, pulsating drum fill. Lennon sings the track with lyrics filled with his devotion to Yoko Ono as McCartney plays a smooth bass line that features Harrison's flourishing, bluesy guitar track and a wonderful drum fill from Starr.

The ballad Across The Universe, which is presented in a re-recorded fashion from its original 1968 recording that was released as part of a compilation in 1969, has Lennon singing imagery-laden lyrics with spiritual chants as he plays a washy acoustic guitar track. Featuring Harrison's flourishes of sitar and tambura with Starr's performance on the maracas, the track also includes lush arrangements of choir and strings by Phil Spector that adds an atmospheric texture to the track. Harrison's I Me Mine is led by McCartney's wailing organ and Harrison's bluesy guitar solo as it starts off as a swooning ballad that features Spector's overdubbed yet soothing string arrangements. Harrison sings the song filled with harrowing lyrics of neglect. The song's tempo picks up a bit for a raucous jam with Starr's pulsating drums and Harrison's swirling guitar as it returns to its soothing tempo as it one of Harrison's stellar songs. Dig It is a short, fifty-one second track written by the band which is an excerpt of a jam as it is written by the band. The track features Preston playing a wailing organ with Starr's thumping drum and Lennon singing nonsensical lyrics with McCartney on piano and Harrison on a driving guitar track.

The album's title track is a piano ballad that is presented in a very different version than its original 1970 single version that was produced by George Martin and Chris Thomas. Though the main, somber piano melody with McCartney's lyrics inspired by McCartney's late mother remain intact. The song features some overblown string and horn arrangements by Phil Spector that really loses the simplicity of the song while Harrison's guitar solo is more heroic with Starr's drums having a more delayed feel in its performance during Harrison's solo. Maggie Mae is a traditional folk song arranged by the band as they jam through the track with Lennon and McCartney on swift acoustic guitars as they sing the track filled with playful lyrics as Harrison plays a driving guitar with Starr's bouncy drums.

I've Got A Feeling is a bluesy rocker with swirling, arpeggio guitar riffs from Harrison that is accompanied by Preston's melodic organ track. McCartney sings the song with growling vocals as it intensifies in its performance with swanky guitars and Starr's thumping drum tracks. With McCartney singing soulful lyrics about love, Lennon would sing a part in the song filled with more cynical lyrics in a playful manner as the song is one of the band's standout cuts. One After 909 is an old song Lennon and McCartney wrote back in 1957 as it is led by a bouncy, melodic electric piano solo from Billy Preston with thumping beats from Starr. A song about a freight train, it is a playful number with Harrison's driving guitar as Lennon and McCartney sing the fun song with Lennon leading the way as it is one of the band's most fun tracks.

The band's final single in The Long & Winding Road is a piano ballad sung by McCartney as he plays it with a piano with somber lyrics. While it's a fantastic ballad, what keeps it from being great is Phil Spector's overblown string and horn arrangements along with choir arrangements that makes the song sound very sappy that forces Billy Preston's organ performance to be barely heard. While the song in its original recording by George Martin that appears in the Anthology and Let It Be... Naked versions are superior in what McCartney wanted, the final version by Spector is without a doubt one of the worst additions to any track.

Harrison's For You Blue is an upbeat blues song that has Harrison playing a washy acoustic track with Lennon on a soothing lap steel guitar. With Starr's bouncy drum and McCartney's flourishing piano, it's a song that works with Harrison's playful lyrics to a girl as it shows a great enthusiasm to the jam that is happening throughout. The album closer is a live performance of Get Back that is remixed by Phil Spector. With the band talking before the performance and Starr's rollicking drum fill with a back beat rhythm and Lennon's sliding guitar. It's a playful ditty that is a bit different from the famed single version as it still includes Preston's playful electric piano solo as it a fantastic song that closes with Lennon saying that he hopes the band had passed the audition.

When the album was completed in April of 1970, the result was mixed with Paul McCartney being very unhappy about what Phil Spector had done on several tracks, notably The Long & Winding Road. This would force McCartney to publicly announce that he's leaving the Beatles as the news of the break-up emerged where by the end of the year, McCartney was suing the band as a legal dissolution would go on for a few years. The album was released on May 8, 1970 to mixed reviews with critics divided over the album and its content. Many of the criticism was leveled at Phil Spector's production and remixing on several tracks. While the album would top the charts in the U.S. and U.K., the album also divided fans who were also critical of Spector's work as the album was re-released as Let It Be... Naked in 2003 with Glyn Johns' work of the album without Spector's work to mixed reviews.

The 2009 remastered version of the album that appears in the stereo box set and as an individual album does feature some of the best remastering that is available. The studio chatter is heard much better along with some of the instrumentation that isn't overshadowed by Spector's production. While the simple sounds of tracks are heard in a much clear form, the stuff with Spector's remixing and production does work as they're remembered but will probably still be hated by Beatles purists. Still, the remastering of the album is overall superb in what recreating what it sounded like back in 1970.

Let It Be is an excellent album from the Beatles but one that is quite flawed. Despite an amazing amount of material and songs that the band created along with studio chatter. It's a record that never felt complete. The one negative aspect that isn't new to anyone is the work of Phil Spector. While he is without a doubt an amazing producer, the work he does for this album for the most part isn't very good though his remix of Across The Universe is phenomenal. In the end despite some flaws, Let It Be is a fine album that is fun to listen to but hardly the great epitaph that lives up to the legend of the Beatles.

The Beatles Reviews: Please Please Me - With the Beatles - A Hard Day's Night - Beatles for Sale - Help! - Rubber Soul - Revolver - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Magical Mystery Tour - The White Album - Yellow Submarine OST - Abbey Road - (1962-1966) - (1967-1970) - Past Masters - (Live at the BBC) - (Anthology 1) - (Anthology 2) - (Anthology 3) - (Let It Be... Naked) - (Love)

(C) thevoid99 2011

The Beatles-Abbey Road

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/24/10.

Following the release of The White Album, things for the Beatles were not going well. Creative and personal tension were rising as it was clear that the band were heading into some very serious problems. Apple Corps, the company the band had hoped would become their sanctuary as a record label and other things was a financial disaster. A project headed by Paul McCartney to get the band to play music again was part of a huge project called Get Back. A project that would be an album, a concert special, and a film in hopes for the band to get back to their roots.

Unfortunately, it became a disaster with George Martin unsure about his role while the band brought in Glyn Johns to help oversee things as he had no idea what to do. The project eventually folded in late January in which the band played their last final performance. The band at this point were now more concerned with business issues as the band minus McCartney chose to get the Rolling Stones' manager Allen Klein to oversee things while McCartney chose his future father-in-law Lee Eastman to help oversee things. Ultimately, it would lead to the loss of the band's publishing rights known as Northern Songs though George Harrison and Ringo Starr had already created their own publishing for their own songs.

With Apple in turmoil due to Klein getting rid of some key personnel and other business issues becoming troubling along with the lackluster experience of the Get Back sessions. The band's producer George Martin and Paul McCartney decided to make one more album with Martin overseeing everything with engineer Geoff Emerick who also returned despite his vow to not work with the band following the making of The White Album. From the spring to summer of 1969, the Beatles would go back to Abbey Road studios to make what would ultimately be the band's final album simply titled Abbey Road.

Produced by George Martin with engineering work by Geoff Emerick, Abbey Road is an album that has the Beatles going all out. With many of the songs written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney plus two by George Harrison and one by Ringo Starr under his real name Richard Starkey. The album consists of two different halves. One filled with traditional songs that feature a variety of musical styles, themes, and dabbles of experimentation. The second half featuring fragmented material that serves as a medley of songs going into various lyrical themes while Billy Preston contributes Hammond organ to a couple of tracks. The result is a fitting farewell from one of the world's greatest bands as they go out with a bang.

Opening the album is Come Together, a throbbing, mid-tempo track with Ringo Starr's' smooth, pulsating drum fill that turns into a foot-stomping kind of rhythm with Paul McCartney's rumbling bass line. With John Lennon singing the song filled with nonsensical lyrics that is only clear with its chorus that includes a driving guitar track from Lennon. The song also includes McCartney playing an electric piano track that is given a solo along with George Harrison's wailing guitar track in what is an amazing opener. The love ballad Something by George Harrison is led by Harrison's swooning guitar slide and Starr's rumbling drum fills as Harrison sings poignant lyrics about the beauty of his then-wife Pattie Boyd. Featuring Billy Preston's soft, wailing organ accompaniment, McCartney's soothing bass, and Lennon's washy guitar with a soft piano accompaniment. The song also includes a lush string arrangement by George Martin in what is undoubtably, one of the greatest love songs ever made as it features some of Harrison's best work as a vocalist and as a songwriter.

Maxwell's Silver Hammer is a vaudeville-style song with McCartney's playful piano as he sings about a medical student killing people with a silver hammer. With its upbeat tone, it's a darkly, humorous song from McCartney as it includes Beatles associate Mal Evans banging on an anvil with Starr's mid-tempo, pounding drum fill and Harrison's swirling guitar track. The song also includes a wailing, Moog synthesizer that is played through as George Martin plays a soft organ in the background as it is a wonderfully comic though dark song. Oh! Darling is a R&B-inspired love ballad with McCartney singing in a growling vocal style with desperate lyrics. Featuring Starr's steady drum track and swanky guitar tracks, Lennon plays a R&B style piano that features a rumbling drum fill by Starr as Harrison plays a soft synthesizer track in the background as it is one of the band's key cuts that has McCartney delving into a soulful vocal style.

Ringo Starr's Octopus's Garden is a playful, upbeat country-inspired song about an octopus's garden. With Harrison's swirling, country-inspired guitar licks and Lennon's flourishing guitar melodies, the song is driven by Starr's laid-back, drawling vocals as he's joined by McCartney's thumping bass and playful piano. It is without a doubt the best contribution Ringo Starr ever created for a song as it features great sound effects and a full-on, inspired performance from the band with Martin's whimsical production. I Want You (She's So Heavy) is led by droning guitar arpeggios from Lennon and Harrison that is supported by Starr's steady drum fill and McCartney's bass line as it slows down into a haunting, blues-inspired song. Featuring Billy Preston playing wailing organ tracks, the song is filled with lyrics of obsession and desperation as it features numerous tempo changes and unconventional structures. At seven-minutes and forty-four seconds, it is one of the band's most ambitious tracks as it is also one that is brilliant with elements of white noise in the background.

The plaintive Here Comes The Sun by George Harrison is led by Harrison's somber acoustic-guitar track with melodic arpeggios and a swooning Moog synthesizer background. Harrison's somber yet imaginative lyrics with his calm vocals that is spurred by Starr's steady drum fill and McCartney's soft, thumping bass line. Featuring a soft arrangement of strings and woodwinds, it is truly another of Harrison's crowning achievements which includes a pulsating drum fill by Starr and a swooning synthesizer solo in the track. Because is a chilling, vocal-driven track with George Martin's haunting, electric-harpsichord performance as is followed by Lennon's melodic guitar swirl. The track is sung by Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison with triple-tracked vocals with imagery-laden lyrics filled with elements of nature. The song also includes Harrison playing a Moog synthesizer solo with McCartney's soft bass line as it is one of the Beatles' intoxicating tracks.

The medley begins with You Never Give Me Your Money that has McCartney playing a somber piano melody with low bass lines and his calm vocals with troubling lyrics about being cheated in relation to the band's own business situation. With Lennon and Harrison joining McCartney on vocals, the song's tempo picks up a bit with Starr's rumbling drums as McCartney sings a bluesier vocal register as Harrison plays chime-laden guitar arpeggios that wail through with Lennon's fuzzy guitar track as it starts to segue into the next track. Sun King opens with somber, arpeggio-guitar flourishes and McCartney's swooning bass as Starr plays a soft, pounding drum track with Harrison's chime-laden guitar track. The song is then carried by George Martin's swooning organ as Lennon, with McCartney and Harrison, sing the song with its dreamy lyrics as the band sing through various romantic languages in English, Spanish, Italian, and Portugese.

Mean Mr. Mustard is an upbeat, mid-tempo track with Lennon singing about a mean old man as he plays a bouncy piano track with Starr's steady drum fill and McCartney's fuzzy bass line. With Harrison's driving guitar accompaniment, the song is a playful ditty as it would segue into the next track. Polythene Pam opens with Lennon's washy 12-string acoustic as it has a rumbling rhythm led by Starr's pulsating drums and Lennon's raspy vocals. With Harrison's blues-laden guitar growls as it sings about a bad woman who likes to wreak havoc as it features McCartney playing a lead guitar where everything moves to the next track. She Came In Through The Bathroom Window where McCartney sings the song with a slower but bouncy rhythm and Harrison's country-inspired guitar flourishes. With McCartney's thumping bass and lyrics about an adventurous woman as it is a song that features a nice groove and superb production from George Martin.

Golden Slumbers is a somber piano ballad sung by McCartney who sings melancholic lyrics with George Martin's lush yet broad string arrangements. The song's ballad tone intensify with Starr's pulsating drum fill and a driving guitar where it would segue to the next track. Carry That Weight is led by the entire band singing the song's chorus with its life-weighing lyrics as Starr plays a steady drum fill with melodic horn blares and Harrison's plaintive guitar solo as it revisits other tracks while it is driven entirely by the vocals of all four band members.

The End is a rocking jam with wailing guitar solos from all three band members and Starr's rumbling drum fill as McCartney sings with growling vocals. Then comes Starr playing an amazing drum solo with pounding bass and ferocious snare hits as Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison each play a guitar solo where they all wail through with McCartney also on bass. The song's lyrics is all about love as it closes a bit with McCartney playing a striking piano as the band sings "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make" with a swooning solo from Harrison closing everything. The secret closing track that is a short, acoustic little number called Her Majesty that has McCartney playing a flourishing acoustic track about a queen making it a fitting close to the album and band.

Released on September 26, 1969, more than a month after the Beatles were all together in the studio one last time. The album was a major hit while it received mixed reviews at the time though it was later considered to be one of their best as well as a fitting swan song. Six days before the album's release, John Lennon told the band he was leaving though they all chose not to announce things publicly until all legal matters were resolved. By that point, Lennon was playing with his new band the Plastic Ono Band with new wife Yoko Ono and various musicians while other members would take on other projects. Even as they would all go back to revisit the material they recorded during the Get Back sessions back in January 1969 where it would play a crucial part to the band's dissolution.

The 2009 remastered version which appears by itself and part of the Beatles stereo remaster box set does present the album in a grand presentation. Notably for all of the production work that George Martin has created including the layer of the instrumentation. The vocals, notably in Because, is more entrancing in its production as the album as a whole is amazing. It is without a doubt another of the best series of remasters ever assembled for the reissue.

Abbey Road is an exhilarating masterpiece from the Beatles that serves as a grand swan song for the band. With George Martin's superb production and notable contributions from Mal Evans and Billy Preston, it is an album that features high-quality songs and material that truly makes sure the band went out with a bang. Fans, of course, will no doubt rank this album very high while as a starting point, it's not a bad place to start at all. Even for the fact that it features two classics songs by George Harrison and another classic from Ringo Starr as they both show their talents as songwriters. In the end, for an album that goes all over the place and leaves the listening feeling good right to the end. Abbey Road is the right album to get.

The Beatles Reviews: Please Please Me - With the Beatles - A Hard Day's Night - Beatles for Sale - Help! - Rubber Soul - Revolver - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Magical Mystery Tour - The White Album - Yellow Submarine OST - Let It Be - (1962-1966) - (1967-1970) - Past Masters - (Live at the BBC) - (Anthology 1) - (Anthology 2) - (Anthology 3) - (Let It Be... Naked) - (Love)

(C) thevoid99 2011

The Beatles-Yellow Submarine OST

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/23/10.

Following the release of Magical Mystery Tour in its album and a disastrous TV special, the Beatles were about to enter a chaotic period in their career. The formation of Apple Corps. along with Apple Records where the band can handle their business along with other things. What was meant to feature the involvement of Brian Epstein, Epstein's death on late August of 1967 would trouble things as the band along with several of their key personnel would have no idea on how to run the business. While the band try to work things out for Apple along with a trip to India to meditate with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, an animated project that featured the Beatles was in the works. The band only did minimal participation as they filmed their cameo in February of 1968 following their return from India.

The film entitled Yellow Submarine named after the song from 1966's Revolver was released in June of 1968 to widespread acclaim and box office. The film featured four new songs from the band that weren't officially released until January of 1969. The release was part of a soundtrack that featured the title track and the song All You Need Is Love that was released in June of 1967. Yet, the soundtrack would generally regarded among the Beatles' studio recording catalog as their weakest release yet.

The Yellow Submarine soundtrack is an album that features four new songs from the band that were recorded during the sessions for Sgt. Pepper and sessions that would precede the recording of The White Album. With two new songs written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and two other new songs written by George Harrison. The rest of the album along with two previously-released tracks would feature score pieces written and conducted by the band's producer George Martin. Despite the new material that the Beatles would make, Yellow Submarine is a record that without a doubt the band's worst release in their career.

Opening the album is the soundtrack's title track that originally appeared in Revolver. With Ringo Starr's drawling vocals and lyrics about a yellow submarine, the song is an inventive track that is filled with Mal Evans' pounding bass drum and loads of sound effects. The song's chorus features a group of friends singing along as it is a fun, playful song that children can enjoy. Only A Northern Song by George Harrison that was recorded during the Sgt. Pepper sessions is a hypnotic, psychedelic-inspired track. With lyrics featuring veiled jabs at the band's own Northern Songs publishing, Harrison is playing a wailing organ track with Starr's steady, pummeling drum fills as it features Paul McCartney playing a wailing organ with John Lennon on a tingling glockenspiel as it also features swirling tape effects by the band with waves of pianos and loopy bass lines.

All Together Now is a skiffle-inspired track with McCartney playing a washy acoustic track with playful, children-inspired lyrics that has a sing-a-long chorus. With Lennon on an acoustic guitar track and singing playful lyrics with a ukelele as also plays a harmonica. Starr accompanies the band with a pounding bass drum and tapping finger cymbals as the whole band sings the song's catchy chorus. Hey Bulldog is a rocking song with McCartney's melodic piano riff that is followed by Harrison's snarling guitar playing the same riff with Starr's rumbling drum fill. With Lennon singing the song with double-tracked vocals as he's joined by McCartney, the song is filled with quirky lyrics as it is a fun song with the band providing some amazing performances including Harrison's wailing guitar track along with howling dog voices with Starr talking in the song's coda.

Harrison's It's All Too Much is another psychedelic-inspired track with Harrison playing both guitar and a Hammond organ, the latter of which is the main musical accompaniment along with feedback-laden guitar drones that is also performed by Lennon. With Starr's pummeling drum fills, McCartney's thumping bass line and blazing horn arrangement that includes a sumptuous bass clarinet, the song is filled with haunting, imagery-laden lyrics by Harrison as he sings the song in a soothing vocal making it one of his finest tracks. The last song on the album is the anthemic All You Need Is Love with its simple message of love with an intro of the French national anthem as it was a song that was played during a climatic moment of the film.

The album's second half which is dominated by the symphonic score work of producer George Martin opens with Pepperland. A piece with serene string arrangements and soothing oboes to convey the beauty of Pepperland that includes an elegant harp flourish. Sea Of Time opens with a sitar drone and wavy string arrangements to convey an Indian-style tone for what started out as dark only to become this somber yet airy track of lush strings and flutes. Sea Of Holes is a dark yet mesmerizing score piece with ringing bells and oboes that play to the dark tone of the track.

Sea Of Monsters is a playful yet quirky track with twangy notes and sumptuous arrangements of strings and woodwinds carried by a driving cello and wailing flutes that is played calmly for the track's atmospheric tone. March Of The Meanies opens with a flourishing yet chilling vibraphone track with driving string arrangements playing in a suspenseful tone that works to convey the Meanies wreaking havoc on Pepperland. Pepperland Laid Waste is an eerie track filled with somber yet screeching strings and haunting oboe pieces with harp flourishes to convey the destruction that the Meanies have done. The album closer is Yellow Submarine In Pepperland is a score piece featuring the melody of Yellow Submarine played with tapping xylophones and bouncy string arrangements as it is a track that plays to the Beatles arrival as they emerge victorious in beating the Meanies.

Released on January 13, 1969, the album was widely considered to be the weakest release of the band's catalog. Particularly since the Beatles had little involvement to make it a proper album. Though it was successful in-conjunction with the film that was released seven months earlier in the U.K., many felt it was a throwaway release as the Beatles were about to embark on what would be a chaotic period that ultimately lead to their dissolution.

The 2009 remastered edition of the album that only appears in the stereo box set remastered series is wonderful for many of the remastering of the songs in the record. Yet, the only track that doesn't appear in stereo but appears in Mono Masters of the mono box set is Only A Northern Song. While the remastering work is superb, it's the weakest release of the catalog.

The Yellow Submarine soundtrack is without a doubt a hackneyed release from the Beatles. While the four new songs on the album are spectacular and George Martin's score pieces aren't bad. It's just that it's not a real proper album in comparison to many of the Beatles' other recordings. Though there's an improved version in the Yellow Submarine Songtrack album released in 1999 that features all the songs that was in the film. It's a record that is really only for hardcore Beatles fans and completists that they need to get as it's an okay record but not really an essential album from the Beatles.

The Beatles Reviews: Please Please Me - With the Beatles - A Hard Day's Night - Beatles for Sale - Help! - Rubber Soul - Revolver - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Magical Mystery Tour - The White Album - Abbey Road - Let It Be - (1962-1966) - (1967-1970) - Past Masters - (Live at the BBC) - (Anthology 1) - (Anthology 2) - (Anthology 3) - (Let It Be... Naked) - (Love)

(C) thevoid99 2011

The Beatles-The White Album

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 11/22/08 w/ Additional Content.

1968 was a year of unbridled chaos that changed the world. The year before was about peace and love at the time of the Vietnam War. That changed as the Vietnam War peaked in its ugliness and despair. Around the world, that chaos was going around through protests all over the world including Mexico and France. It was around that same time, the Russians invaded Czechoslovakia as Communism was spreading around. In the U.S., it was an election year as the optimism and hope that was spread earlier in the decade was crashed by cynicism following the assassinations of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. that April and Robert F. Kennedy two months later. Followed by riots all over the streets in major cities in the U.S., the look for the country looked bleak when Richard M. Nixon won the election though the year ended with a glimmer of hope by the Apollo 8 space flight to the moon.

Around that same time as the world was brewing into chaos, somewhere in Abbey Road studios, the Beatles were set to make a new album. A year after the release of their landmark album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and the death of their manager Brian Epstein. The Beatles seemed loss as they went into a spiritual retreat to India that left John Lennon extremely disillusioned as he became attracted to avant-garde artist Yoko Ono. Entering Abbey Road with longtime producer George Martin, the Beatles set out to create a record that veered away from the band's previous experimental and psychedelic recordings for something more basic and diverse in various genres. Yet, the making of the record proved to be as difficult as tension between the band was starting to rise.

During those sessions, the individual members would work separately with various engineers with a lot of discord and infighting prompting longtime engineer Geoff Emerick to stop working with the band once the record was complete. Things were getting worse as drummer Ringo Starr quit the band for two weeks following his frustration for his lack of input into the record. John Lennon and George Harrison would also have brief departures during the sessions with Paul McCartney becoming frustrated as well. Finally in October of that year, the band was finished recording as on November 22, 1968. The band released their self-titled album often referred to as The White Album.

Performed by the Beatles and produced by George Martin with many songs written by the duo of Lennon-McCartney with four tracks written by George Harrison and Ringo Starr writing his first solo composition for the band. The White Album is a double album that explores the chaos of 1968 as well as personal songs reflecting on loss, love, innocence, and anger. Featuring contributions by Eric Clapton, Jack Fallon, and the spouses of the Beatles in Yoko Ono, Pattie Boyd, and Maureen Starkey. The White Album is a brilliant yet chaotic masterpiece that would prove to be the beginning of the end for the Fab Four.

The album begins with Back In The U.S.S.R. with the sound of a flying airliner as it turns into this chugging, upbeat rocker with bass-thumping rhythms and warbling guitars as Paul McCartney sings dark, comical lyrics with a smooth, bluesy vocal style as he's accompanied by a piano, swift drums, and an old-school style of 50s rock with a George Harrison wailing solo. Dear Prudence opens an arpeggio guitar track by John Lennon as he sings in his cool, eerie vocals about a depressed woman in this smooth, mid-tempo song. With McCartney's thumping rhythm in drums and bass, Lennon sings lyrics filled with dark imagery with Harrison accompanying Lennon with a droning, ringing guitar riff as the tempo picks up a bit at the song's coda. Glass Onion is an upbeat, angry song with Lennon singing dark lyrics as if things aren't the way it seems with Ringo Starr's swift, crashing fills and McCartney's thumping bass line. With Harrison's striking guitar, the song revels in the songs that the band had done as they're stripped down to the core.

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da is an upbeat, reggae-inspired song of sorts with loopy bass line, striking piano, and McCartney singing whimsical, nonsensical lyrics filled with a memorable chorus as it brings a unique sense of humor. With its thumping rhythm, it's a strange but wonderful song that shows McCartney's weird sense of humor and upbeat personality. Wild Honey Pie is an upbeat, acoustic track with washy, boing-boing beats filled with detuned, scratchy acoustic guitar tracks filled with Lennon and McCartney's weird vocals. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill is a mid-tempo song featuring Yoko Ono, Patti Boyd, Maureen Starkey, and Beatles roadie Mal Evans singing the chorus about what Bungalow Bill killed as it goes into a slow, shimmering verse with Lennon's raspy vocals and lyrics about Bill's dark deeds. With shifting tempos, it's a standout cut that reveals Lennon's dark sense of humor and the tone of what was going on in that year.

Harrison's While My Guitar Gently Weeps opens with McCartney's somber yet eerie piano accompaniment, Starr's hi-hat cymbal taps, and Lennon's accompanying guitar as Harrison sings softly about the despair of the world as he's accompanied the wailing guitar solos of Eric Clapton. Harrison's vocals are the song's highlight along with Clapton's wailing blues-driven solos along with Starr's striking drum fills along with Lennon and McCartney's backing vocals in the chorus. The eerie ballad Happiness Is A Warm Gun opens with Lennon singing with his arpeggio-laden guitar with strange, eccentric lyrics as he's followed by Starr's smooth, thumping drums, Harrison's droning guitar, and McCartney's smooth, low bass. With Lennon getting into lyrics about addiction and then going into a dream-like tone, the song goes into a memorable chorus he sings lyrics filled with comfort but in a dark complexity. Martha My Dear is another ragtime-inspired track led by McCartney's melodic-laden piano as he sings lyrics about a naive woman leaving her old world as it turns into something more upbeat with its drums, horns, and guitars as McCartney continues to be whimsical.

I'm So Tired is a slow, haunting song with Lennon singing about weariness with his smooth, dark lyrics with slow, striking rhythms accompanying him along with Harrison's guitar. When the song goes into its rocking chorus, the tempo picks up a bit as he and the band just goes into a brief, angry mode as it returns to its somber, weary presentation. Blackbird is an acoustic ballad sung by McCartney reflecting on the dark times that is going on as it reflects on death and loss as McCartney sings in a calm vocal style with a foot-tap accompanying him and later, a bird chirping in the background. Harrison's Piggies is a whimsical, charming song led by a harpsichord being played by engineer Chris Thomas with sounds of grunting pigs in this baroque yet soothing song as Harrison creates a song that is innocent yet strange as he sings softly with distorted vocals that come in later on along with the band singing along as it gets darker. Rocky Raccoon is an acoustic ballad where McCartney sings in a country, bluesy drawl about a guy entering a world as he then sings a chorus where it's clear he's there to kill someone. With its soft, thumping rhythms, it's a song about a duel as it's in the style of Bob Dylan along with a flourishing, melodic piano by producer George Martin in the coda.

Ringo Starr's Don't Pass Me Buy is an upbeat, warbling, country-inspired song with Starr's array of percussive fills and country-style vocal drawl as he's accompanied by reverb keyboard sounds and thumping bass. Along with Jack Fallon's violin track, it's a truly brilliant country track as Ringo proves to be a talented songwriter who works in his own world. Why Don't We Do It On The Road? is a blues-inspired track that opens with Starr's rumbling bass drum fills as it becomes this thumping, upbeat blues track with McCartney's thumping pianos and growling vocals along with soft, ringing guitars from Lennon and Harrison. I Will is a McCartney love-ballad that is largely inspired by the Everly Brothers as he sings the song with his acoustic guitar along with a flourishing solo and warm lyrics that's directly to McCartney's then-girlfriend and love-of-his-life Linda Eastman. The ballad Julia is a haunting, somber ballad from John Lennon as he sings this haunting yet sad song about the mother he lost when he was only 17 with descriptive lyrics and eerie vocals.

The album's second half begins with the upbeat, rocking Birthday with Starr's rumbling, hard-hitting snares and Lennon's wailing guitar solo, Harrison's warbling bass lines, and McCartney's screeching vocals about a birthday. While the song seems something upbeat, it's really a dark, chaotic song with its warbling guitars, crashing rhythms, McCartney's striking pianos, and the backing vocals of Yoko Ono and Pattie Boyd as it plays in its rocking tone. Yer Blues is a slow but heavy blues-inspired song with Lennon singing in a growling vocal style as he delves into the blues with Starr's rumbling drums, thumping bass, and growling guitar riffs that follow Lennon. With a break that sounds like a wailing blues, it's Lennon at his angriest. Mother Nature's Son is a folk-inspired song about McCartney's experience in India as he brings a soft, horn playing along with a bass drum that he plays himself in this soothing, folk track. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey is a fast-charging rocker with Lennon singing in a growling vocal about his own private life and his refusal to be uncompromising. With Starr's rattling cymbals and hard-hitting snares, wailing guitars, rumbling bass, and Lennon's vocals, it's a true, uncompromising song from Lennon.

Sexy Sadie is another Lennon-sung song with him playing piano about a sexual being proving that it's not who it claims to be. With its slow, thumping rhythms and Harrison's distorted, warbling guitar, and Lennon's calm lyrics filled with lyrics about disillusionment and identity. The hard-rocking, loud, and abrasive Helter Skelter features a wailing guitar track from George Harrison as McCartney sings in a growling vocal about the chaos that surrounds the world. With Ringo Starr's crashing drums, Lennon's thumping bass and raging guitars, it's the Beatles at their most abrasive with McCartney playing a droning solo as if the world is going to hell. Long, Long, Long by Harrison is a love song in the style of Bob Dylan as Harrison sings in his soft, atmospheric vocal with Starr's bass-pounding rumble and McCartney's eerie organ track that is followed by McCartney playing a striking piano track. Revolution 1 is a slower, blues-inspired version of the single Revolution with a thumping rhythm and Lennon's wailing guitar. With lyrics about the world going into a revolution and its fallacies while Lennon says, "When you talk about destruction, don't you know that you can count me out, in". That line reference Lennon's sense of being unsure in the participation of violent revolutions.

Honey Pie is a music hall-inspired track with McCartney's piano leading the track about a famous woman yearning to return to England to her old lover. With its thumping rhythm and clarinet track by Harry Klein through George Martin's arrangement, it's a whimsical song from McCartney that relies on McCartney's love for old, music-hall style music. Harrison's Savoy Truffle is an upbeat rocker with McCartney's melodic organ track and Harrison's snarling vocals with striking guitars and Starr's thumping drum fills. With lyrics about sweets, it features wailing guitar spurts from Harrison as it proves Harrison's growing strength as a songwriter. Cry, Cry, Cry is a folk-driven song that has Lennon singing about an old fairy tale as he's accompanied by McCartney on piano, Harrison on sliding guitar, and Starr's rumbling fills. The last portion of the song has McCartney singing in a bluesy, thumping track with his acoustic guitar.

Revolution 9 is an eight-minute experimental song with the words "number 9" repeatedly with breaks of conversations and such going back to those words with tape scratches, distortions, and loops Lennon, Harrison, Starr, and Yoko Ono along with samples of their own songs from the record. While it's a controversial track filled with backward messages and such but it's also groundbreaking for its time that harkens back to the Beatles' experimental days. The album closer Good Night is a symphonic, sweeping track filled with George Martin's wondrous arrangements and a soothing string orchestra as Ringo Starr sings the song as a lullaby-style in his somber vocal that gives the album a fitting close.

Released on November 22, 1968, the album was hailed as a masterpiece while being another big seller. Yet, it proved to a critical point for the band as tension and discord were rising as in retrospect. Many felt that this was where the band was starting to get tired of each other as a series of events would lead to the band's break-up in early 1970. Yet, The White Album proved to be influential in pop music as it started the era of double-albums as the Beatles were once again, ahead of their times in terms of creating big, double-pop albums. 40 years since its release, the album proves to be seminal in popular music while considered to be one of the greatest recordings of all-time.

The 2009 Remastered Edition shows a remarkable upgrade of what the record sounds like in comparison to previous reissues. Released as part of a new series of remasters in its stereo version along with the stereo box set and some tracks on the mono box set. The reissue goes into more detail of the production work as every sound and note is heard much clearer including stuff in the background. Notably Ringo's scream at the end of Helter Skelter. The work in the remastered version is truly a must-have for fans as it adds more of an atmosphere and chaos that is captured in this amazing album.

The White Album is a brilliant yet chaotic, sprawling, ambitious, and adventurous masterpiece from the Beatles. Thanks in large parts to George Martin's production that varies from stripped-down to layered and atmospheric, The White Album is a record that truly revealed what the Beatles can do when things get tense and out of control as it's also their most uncompromising record to date. Newcomers wanting to know what the band could do in terms of versatility should get this record to see the types of musical styles they can concoct. With many great songs and a lot of adventurous to complement those classics, it's a testament to an art form known as the double album that is starting to wane in today's pop music world. In the end, for anyone that wants to get an idea of what chaos sounds like in a pop record that is very long and challenging. The Beatles' The White Album is the record to get.

The Beatles Reviews: Please Please Me - With the Beatles - A Hard Day's Night - Beatles for Sale - Help! - Rubber Soul - Revolver - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Magical Mystery Tour - Yellow Submarine OST - Abbey Road - Let It Be - (1962-1966) - (1967-1970) - Past Masters - (Live at the BBC) - (Anthology 1) - (Anthology 2) - (Anthology 3) - (Let It Be... Naked) - (Love)

(C) thevoid99 2011

The Beatles-Magical Mystery Tour

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/21/10.

The release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was a huge moment in the world of pop culture and the history of the world. The Beatles suddenly peaked as far as creativity and in terms of commercial appeal was concerned as everything was going great. The band followed up the release of the album with a new song called All You Need Is Love for a broadcast of Our World as it was seen by 400 million people in 26 countries with the Beatles representing Britain. Following the release of the album and All You Need Is Love, the Beatles went on a spiritual retreat to Bangor to study meditation with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. During the retreat, the Beatles received devastating news that many said was the beginning of the end for the band.

The death of Brian Epstein on August 27, 1967 from an accidental drug overdose at age 32. Epstein's death would cause troubles for what the band would do with a lot of business issues including their publishing and plans to form their own company called Apple. The band took on a TV project that was loosely-plotted and be accompanied with a bunch of brand new material the band had been recording following the period of Sgt. Pepper along with their new film project. Originally released as a six-track double EP in the U.K., the band's U.S. label Capitol released the record with five more songs that were released as singles and a B-side that many said was the only U.S. album superior to the rest of the band's U.S. catalog. The film project and album would be known as Magical Mystery Tour.

Produced by George Martin, Magical Mystery Tour is an album that has the Beatles continuing their fascination with psychedelic music. Featuring more abstract yet pop-laden material, the album is a combination of six tracks the band recorded for the film project plus a new single and previous material that were released prior to the making of Magical Mystery Tour. With the majority of material written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney plus a song by George Harrison, the album also features a rare track written by the entire band as an instrumental piece. While it may not have rich sophistication of Sgt. Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour is still a brilliant follow-up that showed the Beatles evolving more and more into psychedelic pop.

The album opens with the upbeat title track filled with nonsensical lyrics and a blazing horn section of blaring trumpets. With Ringo Starr's bopping beats and harmony vocals from John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison singing the chorus with McCartney singing weird lyrics along with a melodic piano. Featuring some clanging percussions tracks with contributions from associates Mal Evans and Neil Aspinall, it's a brilliant track that works in its presentation and whimsy. The ballad Fool On The Hill is led by McCartney's somber piano with his calm vocals filled with melancholic lyrics. Featuring an arrangement of flutes playing in the background, it is one of the Beatles' best ballads as it features a soft, finger cymbal accompaniment from Starr as Harrison plays an acoustic guitar in the background with McCartney playing a solo from a recorder.

The instrumental track Flying is the only track written by the entire band as it features melodic guitar tracks from McCartney and Harrison plus Starr's bopping drums as it is led by Lennon's soothing mellotron performance. The track also features vocal-like wails from the band as it is driven by Lennon's mellotron playing eerie notes. Harrison's Blue Jay Way is a haunting track filled with imagery-laden lyrics inspired by Harrison's visit to Los Angeles in the Hollywood Hills. Featuring Harrison playing an atmospheric Hammond organ solo with Starr's pounding bass drum. The song is an eerie cut where the song's tempo picks up a bit with Starr's steady drum fill as Harrison's vocals are sung through a distorted mix as it includes a driving cello performance in the coda.

The upbeat Your Mother Should Know is led by McCartney's bouncy piano melody with soothing backing vocals from Lennon and Harrison as McCartney sings playful lyrics of nostalgia. With Starr's thumping drum fill, Lennon's wailing organ, and Harrison's washy guitar in the background, it is one of the band's catchiest songs as it is presented in one of the TV special's strangest sequences. I Am The Walrus opens with Lennon's melodic keyboard track from a mellotron with a wavy string arrangement. With Starr's steady, mid-tempo drum fill and McCartney's bouncy bass lines, Lennon sings lyrics filled with nonsensical meanings and ideas where the only thing makes sense is the chorus where Lennon says "I am the eggman, I am the eggman, I am the walrus, koo-koo-ka-choo". With Harrison's driving guitar track, it is one of the band's strangest but enjoyable songs that is not meant to make any sense.

The album's second half begins with the upbeat single Hello Goodbye which opens with McCartney's bouncy piano and playful vocals as he sings weird but peppy lyrics. Featuring Starr's bopping beat and wailing guitar notes from Lennon and Harrison, the song is a catchy yet bouncy pop song that features a wonderful drum fill from Starr along with brimming viola arrangements. The song also includes an amazing coda with bouncier rhythms and the band chanting in a Hawaiian-like style. Next is Strawberry Fields Forever, a song that originally came out as a double A-side single in February of 1967. Opening with McCartney's flute-like mellotron solo, the song has Lennon singing haunting lyrics filled with imagery and nostalgia as it features Harrison's melodic guitar and Starr's slow, steady drum fill. The song intensifies with Starr playing more, thunderous fills with Harrison playing a flourishing swarmandal with other instruments like Neil Aspinall's guiro, Mal Evans' tambourine, and George Martin's blazing arrangements of horns and cellos as it is definitely the band's most groundbreaking tracks.

Penny Lane, the other A-side single released with Strawberry Fields Forever in February of 1967, is a playful piano-style track that has McCartney singing about a street in Liverpool. Filled with an air of nostalgia, the song has Starr's bouncy drum fill with Lennon playing a bouncy piano track with Harrison's soft guitar as he and Lennon sing backing vocals. Yet, the song is dominated by an arrangement of flourishing flutes and horn solos orchestrated by George Martin that also features string tracks as it one of the band's richest cuts. Baby, You're A Rich Man, a B-side to the single All You Need Is Love, is a mid-tempo rocker with Starr's bopping drum fills and McCartney's bouncy piano that is carried by a swirling clavioline track by Lennon as he sings the song. The song's weird lyrics about gain and wealth is a strange cut as it features Harrison playing a soft guitar track in the background as he, Lennon, and McCartney sing the song's chorus.

The album closer is the single All You Need Is Love that opens with La Marseillaise French national anthem with a song that is simply about love. Wtih Starr's bouncy drum fill with Lennon's bopping harpsichord track, the song is an anthemic track devoted to love as it features a wonderful string arrangement from George Martin. With McCartney's soft, thumping bass line and a wailing solo from Harrison, the song's chorus is sung by all involved including some special guests like Mick Jagger, Marianne Faithfull, Keith Richards, Harrison's wife Pattie Boyd, Starr's wife Maureen Starkey, Graham Nash, Keith Moon, Eric Clapton, McCartney's then-girlfriend Jane Asher, and many others as it closes with McCartney singing bits of She Loves You in this amazing anthem.

The album was released in the U.S. on November 27, 1967 just nearly a month before the release of the Magical Mystery Tour TV project. The album was acclaimed and sold well but when the TV special aired in the U.K., the Beatles were hit with negative reviews from critics and audiences for the very first time. Though it was shown on black-and-white TV since color TV wasn't invented yet, it was the first time the Beatles got into some trouble. Though the TV special later proved to be popular with Beatles fans, it did mark the beginning of some troubles for the band.

The 2009 remastered edition of the album does provide some fantastic moments in the recording. Notably for the production of several tracks where the instrumentation is presented in a grand fashion. Even a song like Strawberry Fields Forever is presented in a broader presentation to give more idea of what was being played as the remastered version is one of the top albums in the remastered series.

While it may not have the overall consistency of Revolver or Sgt. Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour is still a fantastic album from the Beatles. The album in comparison to their other albums is one that is ranked very highly as it is the only U.S. studio release that lives up to the U.K. albums. With one half of the album that showed the band's progression of what they were doing for the TV special and another half filled with singles and B-sides. The album by itself is remarkable as Magical Mystery Tour is another winning achievement from the Beatles.

The Beatles Reviews: Please Please Me - With the Beatles - A Hard Day's Night - Beatles for Sale - Help! - Rubber Soul - Revolver - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - The White Album - Yellow Submarine OST - Abbey Road - Let It Be - (1962-1966) - (1967-1970) - Past Masters - (Live at the BBC) - (Anthology 1) - (Anthology 2) - (Anthology 3) - (Let It Be... Naked) - (Love)

(C) thevoid99 2011

The Beatles-Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 1/19/10.

When the Beatles announced they would no longer tour in late August, it was officially the end of Beatlemania. A turbulent period that saw the band touring non-stop to screaming fans, chaos at the Phillippines, and John Lennon's comments over the Beatles being more popular than Jesus. The band decided that they were officially done with touring as they found the studio to be an escape. After the decision to stop touring, the band went their separate ways to pursue individual projects. John Lennon took a role in Richard Lester's war comedy How I Won the War while Paul McCartney worked with the band's producer George Martin for a film score for the movie The Family Way. Ringo Starr took a low profile to be with family while George Harrison traveled to India with new wife Pattie Boyd where he took sitar lessons with Ravi Shankar.

In early November of 1966, the Beatles reunited to commence recording some new material. Realizing that they had unlimited time to work on their new album and unlimited resources to do anything. The band also felt challenged by the Beach Boys' 1966 album Pet Sounds along with the non-LP single Good Vibrations as that band's leader Brian Wilson would start work on the group's next album Smile. Realizing that Wilson had upped the ante of what was possible in pop music and in production, the band decided to step up their game as they decided to take on all different musical styles for their next album.

In February of 1967 at the demand of their manager Brian Epstein who wanted a new single, the Beatles released the double A-side single for Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane. Upon its release, the single along with the promotional video for the former baffled audiences by the band's new look as they were sporting mustaches and Lennon wearing glasses that he kept from the set of How I Won the War. Still, the double A-side single was a huge hit though it was the first single since Love Me Do to not reach the number one spot in the U.K. single charts due to the popularity of Engelbert Humperdinck's Release Me. The single's popularity would only provide problems for Brian Wilson's mental state as he would end up shelving Smile for nearly 30 years while the Beatles were hard at work on their new album that would be a cultural moment in the history of the world.

Produced by George Martin through recording sessions that spanned 129 days from December of 1966 through April of 1967. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is an album where the Beatles take pop music into a new stratosphere of sophistication. Spanning various genres from music hall, jazz, rock, classic, and Indian music. The album has the Beatles taking on themes of life along with the joys of childhood and other elements into a loose concept album where the band performs as a fictitious band known as the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. With twelve songs written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and one written by George Harrison. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is a mesmerizing and sprawling album that truly defines what pop music can do and be more than 40 years since its release.

The album opens with its title track, a bouncy, mid-tempo rocker with Ringo Starr's slow, pummeling drum fills and Paul McCartney's wailing guitar as he sings in a gruff vocal style as he introduces everyone as Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Featuring a blazing solo of French horns, the song is followed by McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison singing the song's chorus as McCartney then introduces a member of the band in Billy Shears for the next track. With A Little Help From My Friends which is an upbeat, mid-tempo track that has Ringo Starr singing the song with its bouncy rhythm spurred by Starr's drums and Harrison's slithery guitar. With McCartney on a playful piano melody and the rest of the band joining Starr on backing vocals, it's a powerful song with touching lyrics of friendship that includes George Martin playing a soft organ accompaniment in the background. The song is Starr's best vocal performance as he hits all the right notes for the song's optimistic tone.

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds opens with McCartney's haunting keyboard solo and thumping bass line as the instrumentation accompanies Lennon's high-pitch vocals with cosmic lyrics inspired by a drawing made by Lennon's son Julian. With a break that has McCartney's bass line intensifying with Starr's soft drums as Lennon's vocals are mixed on a higher pitch. The song then goes into a driving, bouncy rhythm for its chorus as it moves back forth in structure with dream-like lyrics as it features a crisp, atmospheric production from George Martin with ringing guitars from Lennon and Harrison. Getting Better opens with a swanky guitar riff with bopping drum fills as Lennon and Harrison sing harmony vocals following McCartney as he sings upbeat lyrics filled with optimism despite some dark elements. Featuring a soft, flourishing tambura drone by Harrison with Martin playing a bopping piano track in the background, it's a song that reflects on life's ups and getting back up from its downs.

Fixing A Hole opens with George Martin's ringing harpischord solo with McCartney's atmospheric, double-tracked vocals with Starr's steady, mid-tempo drums and lead guitar swirls from McCartney and Harrison. The song's whimsical lyrics filled with drug references about wandering is one of the richest cuts on the album as it supported by Martin's layered production. The ballad She's Leaving Home is led by an elegant, flourishing harp solo with lush orchestral arrangements created by Mike Leander and conducted by George Martin. Featuring somber yet melancholic lyrics by McCartney who sings the song, the track includes Lennon singing from the perspective of the girl's parents in what is probably the most emotionally devastating track the Beatles ever made as well as one of its sophisticated in terms of its mesh of classical music and pop.

Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite is a strange, circus-style song with flute-style keyboards and wailing organs by George Martin as Lennon sings whimsical, crazy lyrics about a strange circus as Starr plays a tapping, hi-hat cymbal track with pounding bass drum fills. Featuring warbling tape loops from McCartney and engineer Geoff Emerick, the song features twangy notes and rollicking pianos as it also features harmonicas from Lennon, Harrison, and two of the band's associates in Neil Aspinall and Mal Evans. George Harrison's Within You Without You is a hypnotic, Indian-style song with droning sitar flourishes with soft tambura twangs by Aspinall with vibrant, hollow percussions by various Indian session musicians. The song has Harrison singing softly with spiritual-laden lyrics as it is an exotic track filled with amazing string arrangements by George Martin who also gives the song a sprawling, atmospheric production that is truly remarkable.

The playful When I'm Sixty-Four is a music hall-inspired track led by bouncy clarinets from session musicians with McCartney's vocals mixed in a high pitch to sound younger. The song's lyrics has McCartney singing about becoming older and the future of being old with grandchildren named Vera, Chuck, and Dave. Featuring McCartney playing a thumping bass line with Starr's soft, sputtering drum fills as he also plays clanging tubular bells. It is certainly one of McCartney's humorous yet joyful songs that pays tribute to an old musical style. Lovely Rita opens with a washy acoustic guitar track from Lennon who sings opening wailing notes that is followed by Starr's pounding drum fills. With Lennon, Harrison, and McCartney singing the song's chorus, McCartney leads the way with the song's whimsical lyrics about a meter maid. With a playful piano track from McCartney and George Martin, the song features kazoo-like backgrounds performed by the whole band.

Good Morning Good Morning opens with a chicken clucking as it leads to a swirling sound of blazing horns playing around with Starr's sputtering drums as Lennon sings the song's lyrics about starting the day anew. With McCartney's thumping bass line, the song is led by its horn arrangements with animal sound effects provided by engineer Geoff Emerick. Even as it features a wailing guitar solo performed by McCartney and Harrison. The title's track reprise is a faster-paced rocker with a more intense drumming performance from Starr along with Harrison's wailing guitar solo as he, Lennon, and McCartney sing the song as the Sgt. Pepper band saying it's time to go.

The album's closer is A Day In The Life, a song that reflects on life's tragedies sung by Lennon with a washy acoustic guitar track and McCartney's somber piano. During a section in the song, Starr plays a haunting yet powerful drum fill with rumbling bass and snare hits with Harrison accompanying on a soft maracas. The song then goes into a section led by wailing instruments of strings and other orchestral pieces orchestrated by Lennon, McCartney, and George Martin as it goes into an upbeat, mid-tempo section sung by McCartney. In the section, McCartney sings about the day-to-day things that people do in life as it returns to its original section with Lennon singing about another tragic event as the song reaches a powerful coda with a crashing final chord performed by Lennon, McCartney, Starr, and Mal Evans on piano with George Martin on a harmonium as it closes the album with a bang.

Released on June 1, 1967, the album was a watershed moment in the history of the world. Reviews were enthusiastic as the album soared to the top of the charts proclaiming the period that was the Summer of Love. Days after its release, Jimi Hendrix did a cover of the song's title track that was seen by Paul McCartney and George Harrison as the album was becoming massively popular. The album would win several Grammy Awards including Album of the Year as the Beatles reached a creative peak. After that, the band would never hit that same peak of creativity or personal accomplishment ever again.

Since its release nearly 43 years, the album has often been placed in many lists as the best albums of all-time whether it would reach the top or nearby. The album is still considered by historians, music critics, and musicians as a hallmark in the history of pop music. The album for many would be the prototype of what it takes to create an album that changes the landscape of what is possible. Many claim if it wasn't for this album, there wouldn't be Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon or Radiohead's OK Computer of what is possible in pop and rock music. Yet unlike those albums, Sgt. Pepper remains an album that is still groundbreaking in how pop music can remain sophisticated with unconventional ideas since its release back in June of 1967.

The 2009 remastered edition does add more of a hypnotic yet enchanting element to the production work of George Martin. The sounds of the orchestral arrangements sound more elegant than ever along with a lot of other textures as it is truly a layered album. While it may not beat Revolver in terms of overall quality in the remastering series. It is the best produced record among the Beatles' catalogue as the remastering work is truly superb from start to finish.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is truly a masterpiece that is still an album that reaches a high standard of how great pop records should be. Fans of rock and pop music must have this album for its overall quality and versatility. Notably George Martin's production as it is definitely an album that still holds up as far as a band wanting to reinvent themselves. While it may not have the noisier sound of Revolver, Sgt. Pepper is an album of a different kind as well as something that revels in how a band can take something and turn into art. In the end, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is a true, first-class piece of brilliance from the Beatles.

The Beatles Reviews: Please Please Me - With the Beatles - A Hard Day's Night - Beatles for Sale - Help! - Rubber Soul - Revolver - Magical Mystery Tour - The White Album - Yellow Submarine OST - Abbey Road - Let It Be - (1962-1966) - (1967-1970) - Past Masters - (Live at the BBC) - (Anthology 1) - (Anthology 2) - (Anthology 3) - (Let It Be... Naked) - (Love)

(C) thevoid99 2011