Beatles Take a Turn with Help

So… Say you’ve been transported back to 1965 (which would be pretty awesome by the way). Anyhow, despite being so excited that you invented time travel what else would you be instantly thrilled about? The Beatles of course! They have finally come out of Jamaica for eight months and are releasing a new album called Help! People would be wondering What’s it going to sound like? Are their perfect harmonies going to stay? I hope they weren’t influenced too much by Bob Dylan because his music sounds like a crooning cat. Nobody knows what the Beatles will bring, in a time where the Who and the Stones are emerging competitors. Well, nobody but you because you would’ve read this blog before going back in time.

And then, boom. The people of the time are hit with a fresh new Beatles. It is mind-blowing how they are able to pull off such large changes in music. They totally revolutionized their style, melodies, and even genre of music yet still maintained a level of popularity unprecedented! I am quite stunned actually. This album as a whole I did NOT enjoy the first time I listened to it. I was so utterly shocked by the instant change, coming off of Beatles for Sale, that I didn’t know how to respond. All of a sudden, the Beatles shifted from pop-like love songs with a distinct harmony and rock rhythm to a strange mix of country jazz. As I listen to individual songs again, it starts to grow on me again, though. I can feel the energy being released from the Beatles as they hit their first note in Help! The thing to remember about comparing what I’ll refer to as “Old Beatles” and “New Beatles” is that it happened over a period of time where music was revolutionizing at an exponential rate. The times were rapidly changing, and the Beatles (masters of the art) were able to adapt to the changing environment.

Another reason that I think this album was so refreshing and still kept its fans from the “Old Beatles” age was that their basic harmonies and vocals were still all there. While some songs, such as “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” and “Act Naturally”, sound repulsive to me (more on that a little later), other songs incorporate the standard Beatles harmonies into other forms of music. This tested the capacity of each of their voices and challenged them to increase their horizons. Ultimately, I think that allowed them to have such a positive reaction. Additionally, they evolved slowly into a different type of band over time instead of other bands that childishly and indecisively skip around as they test the waters. The first two songs of this album were like a welcomed splash in the face with cold water. The Beatles basically screamed to the world “We’re back and you better get used to it!” Like I said earlier, I felt the vibrancy ooze out of “Help” and “The Night Before”. It showed what a good vacation could do that’s for sure! While a different beat and rhythm were thrown into the mix, these songs, to put it bluntly, rocked. Check them out. I think you’ll agree:

Oh, and another thing… The lyrics of the Beatles’ songs now seem more advanced and deep. If you listen closely to “Help” again you’ll see that it never once mentions the word love or girl. If you are an huge Beatles fan, you kind of just instantly infer they are talking about girls but not necessarily. This first song marks a change that is seen throughout other albums down the line as well, like Rubber Soul and Revolver.

Now to the bad side of the album. By now you must be wondering how I could have possibly called two of the BEATLES’ songs repulsive. I mean they are the Beatles right? They can do no wrong. You know what I have to say to that: False. Every musician has falters and this is the first time I have seen it noticeably in the Beatles’ music. I’m not talking about missing a note; a few songs just did not resonate with me. Before I address the repulsive songs, though, I would like to comment overall on the album. I’m not a huge fan of country or even some jazz. So when the Beatles shifted towards a more country-rock sort of style, I was saddened. I miss music from the “Old Beatles”. But, I can adjust to that. Something I cannot adjust to are bad songs.

Let’s start with the better of the two worst: “Act Naturally”. No matter how cool I think it is that the drummer of this band can sing, I can never connect with songs that Ringo sings. His voice is just so uncharacteristic of the Beatles as a whole and does not match the classic harmonies. He sounds more like Brad Paisley than a Beatles singer (maybe a bit exaggeration there). Thus I felt this song stuck out like a sore thumb. But this song was tolerable compared to “You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” by John Lennon. This song had Bob Dylan written all over it. The lyrics themselves sound typical of a Beatles song and would fit right in if it were a poetry book. But when you add Lennon’s gruff crooning voice it turns the song bad as a month-old apple. Who knows, maybe you like classic Bob Dylan and can’t stand the perfect harmonies of other Beatles songs? Judge for yourself:

While it may have had some downfalls, this album served its purpose; to get the Beatles back in the spotlight again.