Magical Mystery Tour

Today we start the next Beatles album, Magical Mystery Tour. Providing the soundtrack for the film of the same name, it performed much better than the movie actually did. The album was even nominated for a Grammy in 1968, while the film was panned by critics.

The album starts off much as Sgt. Pepper did, with a welcome song. "Magical Mystery Tour" is simple and repetitive lyrically, but with grandiose musical stylings--plenty of trumpets and percussion, like a parade. The song thereby gives the audience an invitation to keep listening, as we're about to embark on a magical and mysterious journey. As far as the song itself goes, I don't really have an opinion; it seems more like an introduction than an actual song. 

That's all for today... See you tomorrow!

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Heard It Tally: 27

Songs Completed: 128

Album Summary: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

This has been, hands down, my favorite Beatles album. Honestly, I can't imagine it getting any better than this (though I'm still looking forward to seeing what comes next) and plenty of people agree on that point. Sgt. Pepper has been voted The Beatles' greatest album, and the greatest album of all time, many times over. 

There's absolutely no way I can choose just a couple of songs that stood out to me this time, because they all did. If you forced me to pick just one song, I'd probably say "A Day in the Life" because I've been very fond of that one ever since I heard it however long ago. Still, so many of the others call out to me. 

What makes this album special, besides the copious amounts of drugs the guys were taking at the time (which totally had an effect, I don't care what Sir Paul says; it doesn't have to be positive or negative, simply a fact), is how inventive and bold they were, not only with their music and lyrics, but with putting their personalities into their music more than they'd ever done before. Every song feels like a love letter, like it was painstakingly and lovingly crafted just for me (or you). It's almost beyond description.

Overall, if I were giving grades, Sgt. Pepper would get an A+, with extra credit and bonus points. And probably several stickers of gold stars and "You did it!" as well. Just 'cause.

So, until tomorrow, that's all. :) See you then.

A Day in the Life

Today we hear the last song on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: "A Day in the Life". John and Paul co-wrote the lyrics, and you can see the differences between their styles. Wikipedia notes that "while Lennon’s lyrics were inspired by contemporary newspaper articles, McCartney’s were reminiscent of his youth." 

Interestingly, "the decisions to link sections of the song with orchestral crescendos and to end the song with a sustained piano chord were made only after the rest of the song had been recorded." I'm personally more of a lyrics person, so I already appreciate this song, but I'm very much drawn to the music side of it as well. Those orchestral crescendos are part of what makes "A Day in the Life" so unique and musically remarkable. I adore this song--it's one of my favorite Beatles songs of all time (so far). :)

There's tons of fascinating background info for this song, so I definitely recommend checking it all out online somewhere, such as Wikipedia or any other (more reputable) website. :P 

That's all for "A Day in the Life"... Stay tuned for the album summary!

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Heard It Tally: 27

Songs Completed: 127

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)

I'm counting the "Reprise" as a separate song on the album since it is its own track, even though it doesn't get its own page but rather a section on the "Sgt. Pepper's" page instead. I'll just cover a couple of differences between the "Reprise" and the other one. :)

The "Reprise" is a much shorter and heavier/faster version, and opens with the chicken squawking from the end of "Good Morning Good Morning". As "Sgt. Pepper's" provided a welcoming song for the album, the "Reprise" gives it a farewell. The drums were overdubbed, making them the prominent instrument on this track; for me, it certainly gave it a bit of a bang to end on. :P 

Despite being a good "goodbye" song, it's not the last one on the album, so I'll see you back here tomorrow for the actual goodbye to Sgt. Pepper.

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Heard It Tally: 26

Songs Completed: 126

Good Morning Good Morning

Today's song is "Good Morning Good Morning". Written by John Lennon, it seems to tell the story of someone wandering through his day somewhat aimlessly. It begins with what sounds like a man dying ("Nothing to do to save his life, call his wife in"), and continues from there as a relatively normal day-in-the-life. 

The animal sounds were arranged by engineer Geoff Emerick very specifically, at John's request; he wanted each animal to be something that could eat and/or frighten the animal that came before it. So, the cat comes after the bird, and the pack of dogs comes after the lion. (I believe the order goes bird, cat, dog, horse, lion, pack of dogs, and then some kind of bird, like a chicken or duck, squawking.)

This song is very interesting, partially due to the random animal noises and partially because I can't quite figure out who the narrator is supposed to be. Is he a doctor, whose day begins after a long night shift in the hospital, and who wanders through his subsequent day trying to forget the patient he lost? Or is the beginning unrelated, and does the song tell the story of a regular young man who wakes up feeling bummed (perhaps at the loss of a relative?) but is gradually cheered up enough to go see a show and hopefully flirt with some girls? I'm sure if I looked somewhere, I could find an "official" interpretation. Maybe I'll check that out at some point. For right now, I think I'll sit on the lyrics a bit longer and see if anything comes to me and says, "I'm the answer!" :)

That's all for today. See you tomorrow!

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Heard It Tally: 26

Songs Completed: 125

Lovely Rita

Today's song is the Beatles ode to the meter maid (or, parking attendant as we say these days), "Lovely Rita". It was written and sung by Paul, who was inspired to write it after receiving a ticket from a parking attendant outside of Abbey Road Studios. Interestingly, Wikipedia tells us that "Pink Floyd watched The Beatles recording 'Lovely Rita'. It is rumoured that "Lovely Rita" influenced the song 'Pow R. Toc H.' found on their first album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn."

This song's pretty good. I like the weird sounds (which the guys made by wrapping combs in toilet paper and blew through to mimic a kazoo), and the lyrics made me laugh. :) Overall not too bad!

That's all for today... see you tomorrow. :)

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Heard It Tally: 26

Songs Completed: 124

When I'm Sixty-Four

Today's song is the adorable and infinitely charming "When I'm Sixty-Four". Paul wrote it when he was sixteen, which is funny considering the song is about growing old. When the guys were recording Sgt. Pepper in December of 1966, Paul "may have thought of the song... because his father turned 64 earlier that year." 

The lyrics are from a young man to his lover, asking her if she'll grow old with him. They're by far the sweetest lyrics we've heard yet, in my opinion. I particularly enjoy the little jokes, such as in the lines: "I could be handy mending a fuse / When your lights have gone." :P I also really like the sound of the song itself; it has an older sound, as if we're listening to an old recording of a man playing piano for his wife in their living room. :)

That's all for today! See you tomorrow. :)

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Heard It Tally: 26

Songs Completed: 123

Within You Without You

Today's song is the George Harrison song, "Within You Without You". This is the second song by The Beatles in which only one Beatle actually sings and/or plays an instrument, and it's also the second to feature the strong Indian influence that George had embraced. The song was originally written to be 30 minutes long, but was shortened for the album. 

The lyrics talk about how "life flows on within you and without you", and overall they're on the serious side. It seems to be advising the listener to open the mind and love one's fellow humans. Also, Wikipedia mentions that "the laughter at the end was Harrison's idea, placed at the end of the song in order to lighten the mood and follow the theme of the album."

I like this one--just like "Love You To", it's actually really relaxing, but in a thoughtful and interesting way. I'm very fascinated by the opening lyrics in particular. They begin, "We were talking-about the space between us all / And the people who hide themselves behind a wall of illusion." It's as if "we", the singer and the listener, are continuing a conversation that's been going on for quite a while. It's just so unique and intimate. 

That's all for today... See you tomorrow. :)

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Heard It Tally: 25

Songs Completed: 122

Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!

Today's song is "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!", which was composed by Lennon and credited to him and McCartney. The song sounds like a carnival (John told George Martin "that he wanted 'to smell the sawdust on the floor.'"), and it's "one of the most musically complex songs on Sgt. Pepper". 

I really like this one. (I'm particularly fond of the Eddie Izzard version from Across the Universe, which is a spoken version but nonetheless fantastic. :P) The song, being based on an actual circus poster from the 1840s, really accomplishes John's goal of having it feel real, while at the same time completely embracing the psychedelic theme in the rest of Sgt. Pepper.

That's all for today. See you tomorrow. :)

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Heard It Tally: 25

Songs Completed: 121

She's Leaving Home

"She's Leaving Home" was written by Lennon/McCartney; Paul wrote and sang the verses, while John sang the chorus. As Wikipedia tells us, "This was one of a handful of songs of the Beatles in which the members did not play any instruments." 

The background of the lyrics for this one is fascinating, and I encourage you to go check out the full story. I'll shorten it here for the sake of brevity: Paul saw a story in the newspaper about a runaway, a 17-year-old girl named Melanie Coe, and he and John were inspired to write the lyrics.

Although George Martin did not arrange the score (the first time he hadn't done so), the guys found a suitable replacement in Mike Leander. "She's Leaving Home" also features Sheila Bromberg on harp, "the first female musician to appear on a Beatles' record."

I find this song particularly beautiful and poignant. The sustained notes add such amazing depth to the song, despite using so few chords (mostly C), that I don't think it's surprising at all that "composer Ned Rorem described 'She's Leaving Home' as 'equal to any song that Schubert ever wrote.'" Probably a pretty outrageous claim for some people, but this song is pretty good. :P

That's all for now... See you tomorrow!

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Heard It Tally: 24

Songs Completed: 120

Fixing a Hole

Today's song is "Fixing a Hole", which was written and sung by Paul, with John and George on backing vocals. It's a pretty straightforward song, with a couple little allusions. For example, in 1967 McCartney stated that the lines, "See the people standing there / who disagree, and never win / And wonder why they don't get in my door" were about fans who were constantly lurking around his house, and "whose actions he found off-putting".

I find this song rather relaxing, in a way. The lyrics seem to talk about escaping the crazy and finding a peaceful place to chill out for a while: "I'm painting the room in a colourful way / And when my mind is wandering / There I will go." I also love the rhyming scheme in this section: "And it really doesn't matter if / I'm wrong I'm right / Where I belong I'm right / Where I belong." :) Overall, this is a fantastic song, and it kind of gives you a break from the more intense and psychedelic tunes that we've heard up to this point on Sgt. Pepper. 

See you tomorrow!

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Heard It Tally: 24

Songs Completed: 119

Getting Better

"Getting Better" is today's song, and was written by both Lennon and McCartney. Their different personalities come through in the lyrics, as Wikipedia notes:

The song's title and music suggest optimism, but some of the song's lyrics have a more negative tone. In this sense, it reflects the contrasting personas of the two songwriters. In response to McCartney's line, "It's getting better all the time", Lennon replies, "It can't get no worse!" Referring to the lyric "I used to be cruel to my woman/I beat her and kept her apart from the things that she loved/Man I was mean but I'm changing my scene/And I'm doing the best that I can", Lennon admitted that he had done things in relationships in the past that he was not happy about.

We can see from the lyrics that they're at least partially autobiographical; John was always in crisis, and The Beatles' increasing drug use probably didn't help. In fact, there is an incident associated with this song, which is pasted below from Wikipedia.

One of the recording sessions for "Getting Better" is famous for an incident involving Lennon. During the 21 March 1967 session in which producer George Martin added a piano solo to Lovely Rita, Lennon complained that he did not feel well and could not focus. He had accidentally taken LSD when he meant to take an upper. Unaware of the mistake, Martin took him up to the roof of Abbey Road Studios for some fresh air, and returned to Studio Two where McCartney and Harrison were waiting. They knew why Lennon was not well, and upon hearing where Lennon was, rushed to the roof to retrieve him and prevent a possible accident.

One thing I've noticed is that Paul McCartney has always been adamant about minimizing the effects of the drugs on The Beatles' music. I can accept that it opened them up to inspiration and helped them create beautiful music. It's just interesting to me, the vastly different effects it had on the different Beatles.

"Getting Better" is okay, though it's not my favorite. Sort of a neutral reaction, I think. The pianet played by George Martin (he hit the keys with a mallet) provides a very solid backing, and the lyrics are interesting but not fascinating. Overall, not too bad. :)

That's it for now... See you tomorrow.

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Heard It Tally: 24

Songs Completed: 118

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Today's song is "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", one of The Beatles' most famous songs. The song was written by John and Paul, and was reportedly inspired by a drawing that Lennon's son Julian did of his classmate, Lucy (Lucy Vodden, née O'Donnell, who died of lupus in 2009). Although Lennon denied the reference to LSD, Paul later admitted, in a 2004 interview, "'Lucy in the Sky,' that's pretty obvious. There's others that make subtle hints about drugs, but, you know, it's easy to overestimate the influence of drugs on the Beatles' music."

The song is one of the best on the album, and is well-loved by music critics. It's also quite popular in general, having both the distinction of being referenced by The Beatles themselves in a future song ("I Am the Walrus") as well as having a star named after it, the White dwarf star BPM 37093. 

I personally love this song. Its nursery-rhyme sound and psychedelic lyrics lull me into a trance half the time, and the other half the time it makes me dance wildly around the room, swaying in slow motion and then bouncing around during the chorus. :P Overall a fantastic song, one that's extremely well-suited for Sgt. Pepper. 

That's all for today! See you tomorrow. :)

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Heard It Tally: 24

Songs Completed: 117

With a Little Help from My Friends

Today's song is "With a Little Help from My Friends". Sung by Ringo Starr as Billy Shears, this song is a well-known and often-covered Beatles classic. Aside from the original, the Joe Cocker version is probably the most popular and served as the title song for the TV series The Wonder Years. The song was also performed in Across the Universe, in a great scene about male bonding.

Despite my familiarity with Joe Cocker's version, I'm pretty sure I'd only heard the original maybe once, so it was nice to get a refresher. Ringo adds so much unique quirkiness that I automatically love this song. The lyrics are solid, and I love the call-and-response technique ("Would you believe in a love at first sight? / Yes, I'm certain that it happens all the time").

As an interesting fact, originally the first lines were a bit different:

Speaking in the Anthology, Starr insisted on changing the first line which originally was "What would you do if I sang out of tune? Would you stand up and throw tomatoes at me?" He changed the lyric so that fans would not throw tomatoes at him should he perform it live. (In the early days, after George Harrison made a passing comment that he liked jelly babies, the group was showered with them at all of their live performances.)

That's it for today. See you tomorrow!

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Heard It Tally: 23

Songs Completed: 116

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Today, we begin what is (in)arguably The Beatles' greatest album: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. It's been voted the number one album of all time on multiple occasions, including Rolling Stone Magazine's list that I've cited so often here. Critics and audiences alike adored it, and it was praised for its innovative and progressive style. 

Recording the album took around 129 days. Each band member took some individual time to relax and rest from the pressures and stress of near-constant touring: 

They took a two-month break, and individually got involved in their own interests. George Harrison travelled to India to continue developing his sitar playing at the invitation of Ravi Shankar, returning with enhanced Indian cultural and musical influences. McCartney, along with Martin, wrote the music for the film The Family Way, getting an Ivor Novello award the following year for best film song for the track "Love in the Open Air". John Lennon acted in How I Won the War, and attended art galleries, where he met his future wife Yoko Ono. Ringo Starr spent more time with his wife and children.

Finally, during a flight back from a vacation in Kenya with Jane Asher, Paul got the idea for a concept album. Although Sgt. Pepper isn't really a concept album, it was begun with that intent, and it's considered a pretty good early attempt by many music critics. 

So, today we start the album with the titular song, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". Here, we can see the beginnings of the concept; instead of The Beatles themselves touring, they wanted to create an album that could, in essence, tour for them. They thought up a fake band with fake names (Ringo was to be "Billy Shears"). "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" ends by introducing Billy Shears and then segues into "A Little Help from My Friends", which "Billy", i.e. Ringo, sings. "Sgt. Pepper" also pops up later in the album, as a "Reprise".

For me, "Sgt. Pepper" is a great introduction for the album. Just how great, I'll have to wait and see until the end of the album, when I can see the big picture. ;) As it stands, however, I'm very fond of the song itself and its purpose, which is to present the pretend band that "you've known for all these years". :)

That's all for today... Excited to continue the album tomorrow! See you then. :)

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Heard It Tally: 22

Songs Completed: 115

Album Summary: Revolver

Revolver has been an incredible album, full of new sounds and creative lyrics, and inventive musical stylings. The Beatles really outdid themselves on this one. 

Although we skipped a couple of songs ("And Your Bird Can Sing", "Doctor Robert", etc.), the album had tons of new and fascinating ones. It's very difficult to choose just one or two favorites; I loved "Eleanor Rigby", "Yellow Submarine", "She Said She Said", "Got to Get You into My Life", and most of the others. 

I think what I loved most about Revolver was how fresh it was, and how bold the guys were to take it in such a unique direction. From George's Indian influence and use of traditional North Indian instruments like the sitar, to John and Paul's ever-evolving lyrical partnership, to Ringo's reliable quirkiness, The Beatles shine in Revolver, both as a musical group and as individual artists. Overall, if I were to give this album a grade, it would get an A+. :)

Tomorrow never knows... except that we're ready for the next album. See you then!

Tomorrow Never Knows

"Tomorrow Never Knows" is the final song on Revolver, but was the first track to be recorded for the album. It features the Indian-infused style that Harrison was really getting into around this time, as well as some pretty crazy and funky sounds created by utilizing various methods (such as the flanger effect). From Wikipedia: 'Music critic Richie Unterberger of Allmusic said it was "the most experimental and psychedelic track on Revolver, in both its structure and production.'"

The lyrics were inspired by a book Lennon found in the Indica bookshop, called The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on the Tibetan Book of the Dead by Timothy Leary, Richard Alpert, and Ralph Metzner, which was adapted from the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Specifically, the line, "When in doubt, relax, turn off your mind, float downstream" was adapted for the song.

I really like this one. It's certainly a psychedelic ride. The different sounds and melodies combining with John's peaceful-sounding vocals all lead the listener on some kind of weird yet enlightening musical voyage. :P

That's all for the song, but we have an album summary coming up! Stay tuned.

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Heard It Tally: 21

Songs Completed: 114

Got to Get You into My Life

Today's song is "Got to Get You into My Life", written by Paul McCartney. It features substantial brass instrumentation, including three trumpets and two tenor saxophones. According to Paul himself, he wrote the lyrics, not about a particular person, but about marijuana. :P

I really like this one. The horns add an insistent vibe to the lyrics (which I prefer to think are about a person rather than a plant, even a very special plant), and the lyrics themselves are interesting. My favorite part of the song is when Paul belts out, "Got to get you into my life", as well as the lines, "I was alone, I took a ride / I didn't know what I would find there / Another road where maybe I could see another kind of mind there". 

Well, that's all for today... see you tomorrow. :)

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Heard It Tally: 21

Songs Completed: 113

I Want to Tell You

"I Want to Tell You" is today's song. Written by George Harrison, who often had trouble figuring out titles for his songs, working titles for this one included "Laxton's Superb" (a kind of apple) and "I Don't Know".

This one is a little off-putting for me. What Wikipedia calls "a catchy, persistent piano discord", I actually find pretty distracting. Obviously those weird notes are a fundamental part of the song, but I just have a bit of trouble with them. Generally I'm very fond of George's songs, but this one might be my least favorite at the moment. Of course, I do like the lyrics (as usual!) and Paul's wavery, Indian-influenced "I've got time" at the end as the song fades is pretty neat. :)

That's it for today! See you tomorrow. 

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Heard It Tally: 21

Songs Completed: 112

For No One

Today's song is the forlorn "For No One". One of Paul's sadder love songs, it presents the anatomy of a disintegrating relationship. Paul and Ringo were the only Beatles on this track; Paul sings and plays the bass guitar, piano and clavichord, and Ringo plays the drums and tambourine. The song also features Alan Civil for the the French horn solo. 

The lyrics frame a situation that is quite gloomy; sung in the second person, the song speaks directly to the listener, "you", in a very personal and relatable way. My favorite lines from the song are the chorus (such as it is):

And in her eyes you see nothing
No sign of love behind her tears
Cried for no one
A love that should have lasted years

That's all for today... See you tomorrow.

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Heard It Tally: 21

Songs Completed: 111

Good Day Sunshine

"Good Day Sunshine" is the totally appropriate song for the day! :) It was written by Paul and credited to both him and John, and has an "old-timey vaudevillian feel" that McCartney attributed to inspiration from the group The Lovin' Spoonful.

With its sickeningly cheerful lyrics and 1920's saloon-style piano bit in the middle, "Good Day Sunshine" is just one of those tunes that makes you smile. It's so happy, in fact, that the song "has been played as the wake-up music on multiple Space Shuttle missions. McCartney played the song live to the crew of the International Space Station on 13 November 2005 in the first-ever concert link-up to the space station."

I think this one is a really cute song. It's even cuter if you think of "sunshine" as referring not only to the actual sun, but as a nickname for the girl that the singer is singing about. If I were an astronaut, I wouldn't mind waking up to it at least once or twice. :)

That's all for today! See you tomorrow.

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Heard It Tally: 21
Songs Completed: 110

She Said She Said

Today's song is "She Said She Said". Although it was mostly written by John, Paul assembled the song, although he didn't actually play on the track himself. Recording it took so long (a reported 9 hours) and was so exhausting that afterwards, George Martin told the guys, "All right, boys, I'm just going for a lie-down."

It was inspired by an acid-trip that the guys took with band The Byrds and actor Peter Fonda, who said to them, "I know what it's like to be dead" and showed them the scar from a self-inflicted gunshot wound he'd gotten as a boy. Lennon, disturbed by the story and most likely very high, snapped back at Fonda, "Listen mate, shut up about that stuff... You're making me feel like I've never been born." At some point in the day, Ringo was seen playing pool with the wrong end of the pool stick. He said, "Wrong end? So what [expletive] difference does it make?" For some reason that sounds just like Ringo. :P

For a song inspired by an acid trip, "She Said She Said" actually makes some sense. It seems to show how difficult communication can be in a relationship, and how quickly an attempt at a thoughtful comment can go awry if the other person misunderstands the intended message. At least, that's what I read into it; I'm sure there are plenty of other interpretations. I really like this one, anyway--it's got a great musical foundation, with the groovy-sounding guitar parts. :)

That's all for today... See you tomorrow. 

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Heard It Tally: 21
Songs Completed: 109

Yellow Submarine

Today's song is one of The Beatles' most famous songs, "Yellow Submarine". While it was written by John and Paul, Ringo sang it, lending his distinctive voice to this unique song. The different sound effects were created through various means:

Lennon blew through a straw into a pan of water to create a bubbling effect, McCartney and Lennon talked through tin cans to create the sound of the captain's orders, at 1:38-40 in the song, Ringo stepped outside the doors of the recording room and yelled like a sailor acknowledging "Cut the cable! Drop the cable!", which was looped into the song afterwards, and Abbey Road employees John Skinner and Terry Condon twirled chains in a tin bath to create water sounds.

Paul McCartney remembers writing the lyrics:

I was thinking of it as a song for Ringo, which it eventually turned out to be, so I wrote it as not too rangey in the vocal, then started making a story, sort of an ancient mariner, telling the young kids where he'd lived. 

He also said, of the song's "land of submarines":

It's a happy place, that's all. You know, it was just... We were trying to write a children's song. That was the basic idea. And there's nothing more to be read into it than there is in the lyrics of any children's song.

"Yellow Submarine" is a definite classic; sometimes I'll find myself humming it or singing it to myself, quite randomly. I attribute this to the fact that as a young kid I watched Yellow Submarine in art class, and all I remember of the film is that animated sub. (That will change soon, once I watch the movie and review it for this blog.) The song has a way of getting into your psyche, for sure. :P

That's all for today! See you tomorrow.

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Heard It Tally: 21
Songs Completed: 108

Here, There and Everywhere

Today's song is "Here, There and Everywhere", a little love song written mostly by Paul. Paul, John, and George Martin all said at one point or another that it was one of their all-time favorite Beatles songs. 

With its bittersweet melody and Beach Boys-influenced vocals from McCartney, "Here, There and Everywhere" is also one of my favorites. Sometimes a slower and lighter love song doesn't pack the same punch as a rock and roll jam, or a more dramatic love ballad. However, this one won me over with its dainty and romantic vibe. I can imagine this song being the favorite of all the shy girls. :P

That's all for today! See you tomorrow.

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Heard It Tally: 20
Songs Completed: 107

Love You To

Today's song is George Harrison's "Love You To" and features the sitar-heavy North Indian sound that he was so influenced and interested by, helped along by tutoring from Ravi Shankar. The song features such North Indian classical instruments as the tabla, a pair of hand-drums, and a tambura, along with the sitar. The tambura, a long-necked plucked lute, provides the song with a drone, in which a note or chord is continuously sounded through a piece, either entirely or partly.

Listening to this song was like feasting with my ears. There were so many rich sounds, melodies interweaving with the drums to create a truly beautiful sound. It makes you want to get up and do a twisty dance. :P Comparatively speaking, the lyrics seem almost mundane--almost. With a closer listen they match the music much better. The singer basically says you have to live life while you can, because "A lifetime is so short / A new one can't be bought". Pretty deep.

Well, that's it... See you tomorrow. :)

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Heard It Tally: 20
Songs Completed: 106

Eleanor Rigby

"Eleanor Rigby" is one of the most famous and influential songs by The Beatles. It tells the story of two lonely people, Eleanor Rigby and Father MacKenzie, who come together too late. From Wikipedia: 

Though "Eleanor Rigby" was not the first pop song to deal with death and loneliness, according to Ian MacDonald it "came as quite a shock to pop listeners in 1966." It took a bleak message of depression and desolation, written by a famous pop band, with a sombre, almost funeral-like backing, to the number one spot of the pop charts. The bleak lyrics were not The Beatles' first deviation from love songs, but were some of the most explicit.

Paul, John, Ringo, and their friend Pete Shotton all contributed to the lyrics, and John, Paul, and George all sing vocals, but this song is one of the few in which none of the Beatles play instruments. Instead, George Martin arranged two string quartets with microphones very close to the instruments, giving the song a "raw" sound. From Wikipedia:

With a double string quartet arrangement by George Martin, and striking lyrics about loneliness, the song continued the transformation of the group from a mainly pop-oriented act to a more experimental studio-based band.

Apparently there are real-life parallels for the names Paul thought up for the characters. He originally named the priest "Father McCartney" but was persuaded to change it to avoid suggesting his own father. Also, in the cemetery where John and Paul first met, grave markers with the names Eleanor Rigby as well as a MacKenzie can be found; Paul acknowledged that these stones could have subconsciously influenced his choice of names.

This is definitely one I've heard before, and it's rather depressing, but beautiful. I think the opening, with the violins, violas, and cellos matching flawlessly with the guys' harmonies, is particularly striking. Overall, this haunting tune is one of the Beatles' best.

That's all for today... See you tomorrow.

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Heard It Tally: 20
Songs Completed: 105

Taxman

Today we start Revolver, one of The Beatles' best-reviewed and most famous albums. From the cover art to the great songs we're going to hear, Revolver is a classic. Wikipedia says of the album:

Placed at number 3 in the Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, the album is often regarded as one of the greatest achievements in music history and one of The Beatles' greatest studio achievements.

In addition, critic Ian MacDonald, in his book Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties, had nothing but praise for the album, saying, "The Beatles had initiated a second pop revolution – one which while galvanising their existing rivals and inspiring many new ones, left all of them far behind."

We begin today with "Taxman". Written mostly by George with a little help from John, it expresses Harrison's frustration with taxes and the government. At the time, The Beatles were in the very top of the tax bracket, so as much as 95% of their income went to taxes. 

I like this one; its edgy, sarcastic lyrics go well with the sharper guitar parts. (As we'll see, Revolver with its electric guitar has a different sound than the folk-rock Rubber Soul.) "Taxman" expresses a sentiment many people could relate to at the time (and even today)--frustration with their government. Harrison played this song in 1991 on his tour of Japan with Eric Clapton; during those shows he added extra lyrics, such as, "If you're overweight, I'll tax your fat." :P

That's it for today... See you tomorrow. :)

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Heard It Tally: 19
Songs Completed: 104

Day Tripper

Today's song is "Day Tripper". John wrote the melody and Paul helped with lyrics, and this particular song was meant to be amusing. From Wikipedia:

According to music critic Ian MacDonald, the song "starts as a twelve-bar blues in E, which makes a feint at turning into a twelve-bar in the relative minor (i.e. the chorus) before doubling back to the expected B—another joke from a group which had clearly decided that wit was to be their new gimmick." Indeed, in 1966 McCartney said in Melody MakerDrive My Car" (recorded three days prior) were "funny songs, songs with jokes in. that "Day Tripper" and "

There's also the matter of the lyrics; "day tripper" means a person who takes day trips (like mini holidays), but it also references drugs, and John said of the song, "...you're just a weekend hippie. Get it?" I love the guitar riff in "Day Tripper". It's good fun, and complements the quirky and suggestive lyrics quite well. :) 

That's it for today! See you tomorrow. :)

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Heard It Tally: 18
Songs Completed: 103

We Can Work It Out

Today's song is "We Can Work It Out". It represents a great collaboration between Paul's optimism ("We can work it out") and John's darker reminders of mortality ("Life is very short, and there's no time / For fussing and fighting, my friend"). This contrast within the same song can be seen in others as well. 

I like this one a lot. It's optimistic, yet cautious--the perfect combination of Paul and John with George and Ringo's energetic playing for support. The lyrics encourage working out your problems with someone rather than giving up, which is pretty good advice (even if the guys didn't follow it themselves all the time). :P

That's all for today! See you tomorrow. :)

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Heard It Tally: 18
Songs Completed: 102

And Your Bird Can Sing

"And Your Bird Can Sing" is "a hard-edged rocker... memorable for its extended dual-guitar melody, played by George Harrison and Paul McCartney." It's also rather cryptic--the lyrics talk about a bird, which is British slang for girl, but the singer appears to be speaking to a woman already, so it's uncertain. John wasn't overly fond of this one:

Lennon was later dismissive of the song, as he was of many of his compositions at the time, referring to it as "another of my throwaways...fancy paper around an empty box".

I really enjoyed the guitar work in this song. It definitely adds a sharper edge to the tune, and if the lyrics are a little strange, the guitar is still awesome, so who cares? :P 

That's it for now. See you tomorrow!

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Heard It Tally: 18
Songs Completed: 101

Doctor Robert

Today's song is "Doctor Robert", which was written by John and Paul. Of the song's titular character: "Lennon said that he was Doctor Robert: 'I was the one who carried all the pills on tour ... in the early days'." 

With a rock-and-roll guitar and drums, and a tongue-in-cheek reference to a drug dealer in the lyrics, this song matches the old Beatles with the new in a pretty catchy way. Since I've seen Across the Universe so many times, I picture Bono in a cowboy hat singing "I Am the Walrus". :P Overall, this song is decent--not fabulous, but catchy in its own way and interesting enough to keep your attention throughout. :)

Sidenote: Today is song number 100! Happy birthday to me. :)

That's all for today! See you tomorrow for #101.

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Heard It Tally: 18
Songs Completed: 100

I'm Only Sleeping

Today we start a few songs from the next album, Yesterday and Today. Overall, this album wasn't a hit--it was the only Beatles album to actually lose money for Capitol Records, and its controversial cover featured the guys in white smocks posing with decapitated baby dolls and chunks of raw meat (appropriately dubbed the "butcher cover"). The album was also released only in the United States and Canada. Capitol threw the songs on the record together pretty randomly, which angered the Beatles themselves since they'd always carefully and thoughtfully arranged their songs before.

This album features several songs we've already covered, such as "Drive My Car", "Nowhere Man", "Yesterday", "If I Needed Someone", and "What Goes On". The first new song is "I'm Only Sleeping". The song has been covered several times, mostly famously by The Vines for the soundtrack to the 2001 film I Am Sam (which consisted entirely of covers of Beatles songs). That's actually the version I'm familiar with--before today I thought it was an original song by The Vines. I kind of prefer the Vines version as well; in the Beatles version, John's voice sounds so high and distorted that it's strange. 

There's an interesting section on Wikipedia regarding the interpretation of this song.

The first draft of Lennon's lyrics for "I'm Only Sleeping", written on the back of a letter from 1966, suggests that he was writing about the joys of staying in bed rather than any drug euphoria sometimes read into the lyrics. While not on tour, due to his lack of routine, Lennon would often spend his time sleeping, reading, writing or watching television, often under the influence of drugs, and would often have to be woken by McCartney for songwriting sessions. In a London Evening Standard article published on 4 March 1966, which contained quotes from an interview in which Lennon made his "more popular than Jesus" remark, Maureen Cleave, a friend of Lennon's, wrote, "He can sleep almost indefinitely, is probably the laziest person in England. 'Physically lazy,' he said. 'I don't mind writing or reading or watching or speaking, but sex is the only physical thing I can be bothered with any more.'"

That's all for today! See you tomorrow. 

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Heard It Tally: 18
Songs Completed: 99

Album Summary: Rubber Soul

Rubber Soul has been a fantastic album with only one or two minor hiccups. :P I enjoyed almost every song (minus today's "Run for Your Life"), and I especially loved "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)", "Nowhere Man", "Michelle", and "Girl". 

Wikipedia's page for the album has a great summary of the album's reception and what it meant for the guys as a group:

The album was a major artistic leap forward for the group, and is often cited by critics, as well as members of the band, as the point at which The Beatles' earlier Merseybeat sound began to evolve into the eclectic, sophisticated pop/rock of their later career. Lennon later said this was the first album on which The Beatles were in complete creative control during recording, with enough studio time to develop and refine new sound ideas.

You can definitely hear this, particularly with a song like "Norwegian Wood", which is so very different from anything they'd done beforehand.

Interesting tidbit! The title of the album was coined by Paul:

McCartney conceived the album's title after overhearing a musician's description of Mick Jagger's singing style as "plastic soul". Lennon confirmed this in a 1970 interview with Rolling Stone, stating, "That was Paul's title... meaning English soul. Just a pun."

(Whatever that means. :P )

See you tomorrow! :)

Run for Your Life

Today we finish Rubber Soul with the horrifying "Run for Your Life", in which the singer threatens his girlfriend's life, saying he'd "rather see you dead" than with another man. John himself said he regretted writing this song, although it was George's favorite at the time, and revisited the topic post-Beatles with a more "apologetic" approach ("Jealous Guy").

My opinion of the song can be summed up with that one word: horrifying. The image painted by the lyrics is just too appalling for me to even appreciate whatever musical talent is displayed--although, according to Wikipedia:

[Ian] MacDonald criticised the vocal performance and added these comments about the guitar: "The guitar-work, some of which is badly out of tune, is similarly rough, the piercingly simplistic blues solo suggesting that the player was not Harrison but Lennon himself."

Kind of a bummer endnote for an otherwise great album, but tomorrow is a new day, a new album, and a new song. :) Stay tuned for the album summary.

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Heard It Tally: 18
Songs Completed: 98