Across the Universe

Today we travel "Across the Universe" for Halloween. John Lennon, after Cynthia Lennon's incessant talking, was first inspired by a line that came to him through his irritation: "words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup". Wikipedia gives us some background on a particular line in the song:

The flavour of the song was heavily influenced by Lennon's and the Beatles' interest in Transcendental Meditation in late 1967 – early 1968, when the song was composed. Based on this he added the mantra "Jai guru deva om" (Sanskrit: जय गुरुदेव ॐ) to the piece, which became the link to the chorus. The Sanskrit phrase is a sentence fragment whose words could have many meanings. Literally it approximates as "glory to the shining remover of darkness".

John was most proud of the lyrics in "Across the Universe", saying, "It's one of the best lyrics I've written. In fact, it could be the best. It's good poetry, or whatever you call it, without chewin' it. See, the ones I like are the ones that stand as words, without melody. They don't have to have any melody, like a poem, you can read them."

Interestingly, "Across the Universe" is the first song to be purposefully beamed into space.

I'm a fan of the song, though I like various covers more than the original. In particular, I find Rufus Wainwright's version to be rather fantastic. :)

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

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Heard It Tally: 48

Songs Completed: 191

Dig a Pony

"Dig a Pony" was written by John (who considered it a "piece of garbage") and was the penultimate song performed during the Beatles' rooftop concert. It consists of various randomly-chosen words and phrases, like the titular "dig a pony", and was originally called "All I Want Is You". Lennon reportedly wrote it about Yoko Ono, who at the time was soon to be his wife. 

The song "begins with a false start, with Ringo Starr yelling "Hold it!" to halt the other band members because he was holding a cigarette and had only one drum stick in his hand." (This factoid makes me laugh. :P ) My first reaction to "Dig a Pony" was neutral, bordering on negative. However, as the song progressed and I read the lyrics (to figure out what John was saying), I grew more fond of it. 

The lyrics are undoubtedly weird, which is what makes them interesting and entertaining, and the music combined with the way John sings the chorus reminds me of nothing more than Joe Cocker's version of "A Little Help from My Friends". Overall, not too bad of a song, despite Lennon's animosity for it (he was admittedly and openly less than fond of many of his works, though, so it should be taken with a grain of salt). 

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

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Heard It Tally: 47

Songs Completed: 190

Two of Us

Let It Be was The Beatles' ninth and final studio album, and yet most consider Abbey Road to be The Beatles' final album. Wikipedia explains the simple reason:

Most of Let It Be was recorded in January 1969, before the recording and release of the album Abbey Road. For this reason some critics and fans, such as Mark Lewisohn, argue that Abbey Road should be considered the group's final album and Let It Be the penultimate.

I happen to agree, so I've summarized Abbey Road in the mindset that it was the end for the guys as a band. Let It Be was originally supposed to be released in 1969 before Abbey Road, but it was put on hold since the guys weren't pleased with how it sounded. After Phil Spector was asked to come around and shape it up (an extremely controversial and not-at-all-unanimous decision by the Beatles), it was finally released in 1970, after The Beatles had already broken up. 

The album also served as the soundtrack for the 1970 film of the same name, a documentary about the Beatles recording and rehearsing in January 1969; it featured their unannounced rooftop concert that was their last "public" performance, which ended with a joke from John.

The rooftop performance closed with the song "Get Back", and afterwards Lennon said, "I'd like to say 'thank you' on behalf of the group and ourselves, and I hope we passed the audition."

However, due to the tensions within the group at the time, the documentary "has frequently been referred to as a documentary intended to show the making of an album but instead showing 'the break-up of a band'."

Let It Be starts with today's song, "Two of Us". Wikipedia states:

The song was originally titled "On Our Way Home". McCartney claimed it was dedicated to his wife-to-be Linda Eastman, though the lyrics (e.g.: "you and I have memories/longer than road that stretches out ahead" or "you and me chasing papers/getting nowhere") sounded to author Ian MacDonald like they were actually addressing Lennon.

So, I've got good news and bad news. The good news is, "Two of Us" sounds like it could've been included on the Juno soundtrack. The bad news is that personally, I'm surprised this song passed muster in the Abbey Road studio. It feels clunky and out-of-tune, and it goes on much too long--probably because I'd like it to be over sooner rather than later. The harmonizing might be the worst part--no doubt an effect of the acrimonious relationship between John and Paul at the time. 

Too bad to start the album this way, but hopefully tomorrow will be better! See you then. :)

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Heard It Tally: 47

Songs Completed: 189

Album Summary: Abbey Road

Abbey Road, with its many magnificent medleys, has been an interesting and bittersweet journey. It's technically the last album by The Beatles (as The Beatles, together) and its eclectic yet cohesive track listing lulls the audience into a false sense of security. 

At this point in time, the Beatles were putting on a show for the world, meanwhile knowing it was virtually over for them. There was the odd hope here or there that the group could be salvaged--and their business dealings reflected that delusion, scheduling them for more releases and recording sessions. However, deep down everyone in the know knew that it was over. 

Abbey Road was born in that uncertain atmosphere, starting with the biographical unity of "Come Together" and charming the listener with some of the best Harrison works of his career ("Something" and "Here Comes the Sun") and drawing the audience deeply into the music with an entrancing 8-song medley. This album also contains what may be my personal favorite: "Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight", which I can listen to over and over without tiring of the lyrics or the tune.

In short, Abbey Road was a fitting send-off for the greatest band of the age. (This may be confusing, since we're about to start the next (and final) Beatles album, Let It Be, but we're about to clear that up. :) )

Her Majesty

Sorry for the skipped song... very busy and exhausting day yesterday. Here it is!

"Her Majesty" is a quick little song that was added onto the end of Abbey Road due to Paul's fondness for it. Since it wasn't included in the original track listing, it's considered one of the first examples of a hidden track in rock music--a trick that everyone does nowadays. 

As we know already, it was supposed to be placed between "Mean Mr. Mustard" and "Polythene Pam", which is why the notes at the beginning and end correspond with the end and beginning notes of those two songs (respectively). "Her Majesty" is the shortest Beatles song at 23 seconds, and it's one of the three Beatles songs that reference, but not name, Queen Elizabeth II (the other two are "Penny Lane" and "Mean Mr. Mustard").

I think this song is pretty cute; I think it's probably required for any British artist to mention the queen at least once, and this might be the best one of them all. :P

That's it for "Her Majesty", now for the album summary!

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Heard It Tally: 47

Songs Completed: 188

Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / The End

Today we've reached the titular song of this blog, and even better--it's a triple song day! "Golden Slumbers", "Carry That Weight", and "The End" technically count as three songs (they're listed separately on the album), but the first two were recorded as a single song and, much like Chris Farley and David Spade, are better together. Also, "Carry That Weight" segues so effortlessly into "The End", a couplet, that it would be a shame to leave it out.

Although Lennon was absent during the first recording session due to his car accident, he was present for subsequent sessions. This medley features all four Beatles' voices on the tracks--a true rarity at this point and achieved through overdubbing--as well as individual solos for each person and their instrument/voice. "Carry That Weight" reprises the riff from "You Never Give Me Your Money", but instead of talking about money, it talks about pillows and invitations. 

The lyrics of "Carry That Weight" clearly refer to the Beatles themselves; Wikipedia gives us some slightly differing angles:

Music critic Ian MacDonald interpreted the lyric as an acknowledgment by the group that nothing they would do as individual artists would equal what they had achieved together, and they would always carry the weight of their Beatle past. McCartney said the song was about the Beatles' business difficulties and the atmosphere at Apple at the time. In the film Imagine: John Lennon, Lennon says that McCartney was "singing about all of us."

Personally, this might be my favorite Beatles song. The lyrics are astounding and Paul's voice is incredible, particularly in the beginning when he belts out "Golden slumbers fill your eyes / smiles awake you when you rise" (I still can't decide if it's "awake" or "await"). There's really nothing about this medley that I don't love--from the amazing crescendos that blow my mind every time, to the killer guitar solo near the end that precedes that thought-provoking couplet written by McCartney.

Although this medley was intended to close Abbey Road, "Her Majesty was tacked onto the end; McCartney enjoyed it there, so there it remained. We'll listen to that one tomorrow, and that'll be curtains for the album. See you then.

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Heard It Tally: 45 - 46 - 47

Songs Completed: 185 -186 - 187

She Came in Through the Bathroom Window

"She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" was written by Paul McCartney. He was inspired by the Apple Scruffs, a term coined by George Harrison for the "dedicated fans who hung around outside the Abbey Road studio and the homes of the Beatles". 

One of these fans, generally girls, was Jessica Samuels, who gave her account of the time she and a few others broke into McCartney's home at St John's Wood. McCartney wasn't home at the time, so they propped a ladder up to the bathroom window and Samuels climbed in and let the others in by the front door. They ended up stealing several photographs, but other than that, the break-in seems to have been mostly good-natured. 

Of course, this could've been a made-up story; Mike Pinder, the former keyboard player of BirminghamR&B band The Moody Blues, claims the incident actually happened to him and that when he related the story to Paul McCartney, Paul proceeded to strum a tune on his guitar and sing, "She came in through the bathroom window". Wherever the inspiration for the song truly lies, chances are a groupie really did sneak into a musician's home through a bathroom window. :P

I really enjoy this song. The melody is catchy, and the lyrics are interesting and amusing, if somewhat nonsensical at times. Although this song wasn't featured in the film Across the Universe, it was referenced when the character Prudence introduces herself to the other characters by sneaking into their flat. When Sadie asks, "Where'd she come from?", Jude replies, "She came in through the bathroom window."

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

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Heard It Tally: 44

Songs Completed: 184

Polythene Pam

Today we meet "Polythene Pam", which continues the medley where "Mean Mr. Mustard" left off; both were written at the same time while Lennon and the others were in India. 

Wikipedia gives us a quote from John about the song as well as some interesting tidbits:

In 1980, John Lennon said about "Polythene Pam": "That was me, remembering a little event with a woman in Jersey, and a man who was England's answer to Allen Ginsberg...I met him when we were on tour and he took me back to his apartment and I had a girl and he had one he wanted me to meet. He said she dressed up in polythene, which she did. She didn't wear jack boots and kilts, I just sort of elaborated. Perverted sex in a polythene bag. Just looking for something to write about." The song is sung in a very strong Liverpudlian "Scouse" accent.

The lines "She's so good-looking but she looks like a man / Well you should see her in drag dressed in her polythene bag" really remind me of "Lola" by The Kinks. Overall a fun song. :)

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

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Heard It Tally: 43

Songs Completed: 183

Mean Mr. Mustard

The notorious "Mean Mr. Mustard" was created by John Lennon while he was in India,

...inspired by a newspaper story about a miser who concealed his cash wherever he could in order to prevent people from forcing him to spend it. On reflection, he did not think highly of the composition, describing it in Anthology as 'a bit of crap I wrote in India.'

Mr. Mustard's sister was originally named "Shirley", but she was renamed "Pam" so that the song could segue into tomorrow's song, "Polythene Pam". Also, "Mean Mr. Mustard" was supposed to precede "Her Majesty" before the latter was moved to the end of the album, which is why Mustard ends so abruptly and doesn't seem to flow very smoothly into "Polythene Pam". 

As a standalone song, there's not that much to talk about other than the lyrics; however, as part of the ongoing medley, it's a perfectly weird and suitable addition to the mix. :P

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

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Heard It Tally: 43

Songs Completed: 182

Sun King

Today we meet the "Sun King". It was originally called "Here Comes the Sun King" but was changed to avoid confusion with George Harrison's song "Here Comes the Sun". "Sun King" was written mostly by John Lennon and is the second part of the B-side medley that begins with "You Never Give Me Your Money". 

Starting with the swamp noises that end "You Never Give Me Your Money", the song features another three-part harmony from Lennon, McCartney and Harrison (similar to "Because") as well as some nonsense "Romance" language words in the last three lines. According to Wikipedia, Lennon talked about those lyrics:

We just started joking, you know, singing 'cuando para mucho.' So we just made up... Paul knew a few Spanish words from school, you know. So we just strung any Spanish words that sounded vaguely like something. And of course we got 'chicka ferdy' in. That's a Liverpool expression. Just like sort – it doesn't mean anything to me but (childish taunting) 'na-na, na-na-na!'

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

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Heard It Tally: 43

Songs Completed: 181

You Never Give Me Your Money

Paul McCartney's somewhat passive aggressive message to John Lennon is today's song. "You Never Give Me Your Money" was written during a turbulent time for the boys--their ongoing financial battles (which I'm currently reading about in You Never Give Me Your Money by Peter Doggett--fascinating read. I'd definitely recommend it) only added fuel to their arguments. 

There's no one whose opinion or esteem Paul valued more than John's, and John could be generous with his scorn when feeling petty, so the fights between them were often particularly vicious and downright mean-spirited. McCartney was mostly on his own side against the other three when it came to negotiating various contracts and, at one point, changed his phone number without telling any of the others. The song's opening verses can be interpreted quite literally in that respect.

The last part of the song seems to betray the emotion and relief that virtually everyone felt when it became apparent that "The Beatles" were no more. John was the first to declare his defection from the group (although George and Ringo had both left for short periods of time in the past), but it would ultimately be Paul's public abandonment that would spell the official end.

Work on Abbey Road overlapped the breakup; even after it became impossible to get all four Beatles in a room together, they were still creating songs and (trying to keep) working together--possibly mostly to fulfill the terms of their recording contracts. This song is a sad mile marker for The Beatles; the lyrics send a clear message in hindsight, yet it was one that no one--not audiences, critics, or even at times the Beatles themselves--would fully comprehend for a long time.

That's all for today. See you tomorrow. 

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Heard It Tally: 43

Songs Completed: 180

Because

Today's excellent example of Beatles harmonizing, "Because", was written by Lennon. John, Paul and George harmonized and then their voices were triple-tracked, creating nine voices total. The song features an electric harpsichord played by George Martin, and a Moog synthesizer--The Beatles were one of the first groups (along with The Rolling Stones and The Doors, among others) to experiment with one. 

John addressed the song's similarity to a certain classical masterpiece:

According to Lennon, the song's close musical resemblance to Ludwig van Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" was no coincidence: "Yoko was playing Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata' on the piano ... I said, 'Can you play those chords backwards?', and wrote 'Because' around them. The lyrics speak for themselves ... No imagery, no obscure references."

As Lennon says, the lyrics are simple and straightforward. It sends a basic message--that love is everything. As controversial, argumentative, and downright belligerent as the Beatles were getting at this time, this song is a mark of their united creative genius. Obviously, Ringo is missing--but since "Because" lacks a beat of any kind, it's less surprising. If he'd contributed to the song it might have overloaded it with awesome, so it's probably better he didn't. ;)

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

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Heard It Tally: 43

Songs Completed: 179

Here Comes the Sun

One of the most popular Beatles songs and a Harrison creation, "Here Comes the Sun" was written during a difficult year for George. In 1969, "he was arrested for marijuana possession, he had his tonsils removed, and he had quit the band temporarily." So, he took a little vacation to Eric Clapton's house. Spring had finally arrived after a long winter, and George walked around the garden with one of Clapton's acoustic guitars and composed this song. 

John was the only Beatle who didn't work on this track; he was recovering from a car crash (1 July 1969). Also, during this time John would often absent himself whenever George was working on a song--one of the many impending signs of doom for the group. Paul and Ringo each contributed, however; McCartney and Starr both sang backup vocals and provided handclaps, while Paul also played bass. 

Wikipedia tells us an interesting fact about "Here Comes the Sun":

Astronomer and science popularizer Carl Sagan had wanted the song to be included on the Voyager Golden Record, copies of which were attached to both spacecraft of the Voyager program to provide any entity that recovered them a representative sample of human civilization. Although The Beatles favoured the idea, EMI refused to release the rights and when the probes were launched in 1977 the song was not included.

Too bad the aliens won't get to enjoy a Beatles song--although, according to this chart, if there's any intelligent life near Beta Aquilae or Capella, they've been enjoying The Beatles ever since their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. 

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

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Heard It Tally: 42

Songs Completed: 178

I Want You (She's So Heavy)

"Today's song is "I Want You (She's So Heavy)". It was written by John and credited to Lennon/McCartney. Wikipedia sums it up best:

This song is an unusual Beatles' composition for a variety of reasons, namely its length (nearly eight minutes), few lyrics (basically the title is the lyric, aside from two more phrases; only 14 different words are sung), three-minute descent through repeated guitarchords (a similar arpeggiated figure appears in another Lennon contribution to the album, "Because"), and abrupt ending. It is one of the last songs that the Beatles mixed as a group, on 20 August 1969.

This is one of those songs in which it feels like there are chapters, or movements, or something similar. In the first part, Paul's bass really kills it; during the middle, Ringo's drums and congas stand out. Throughout the song, John's vocals and his and George's guitars weave in and out, threading the whole thing together. The ending is unique; somewhat similar to "A Day in the Life", the song ends with a blast of sound--the main melody and riff repeating, along with white noise. However, Lennon insisted on having the song abruptly cut off at the 7:44 mark, bringing both the song and the A-side of the album to a close. 

This is the first time I've heard the original; I'm more familiar with the Across the Universe version by Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, and T.V. Carpio. Hearing the "real" version was incredibly interesting; it's a very independent song, and even though there aren't many lyrics, I'm definitely a fan. 

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

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Heard It Tally: 41

Songs Completed: 177

Octopus's Garden

"Octopus's Garden" is another Ringo song that sounds like a great tune for kids, along with "Yellow Submarine". Although all of the Beatles contributed to the track, it was George who was the most supportive, having felt the sting of Lennon's and McCartney's criticism many times in the past:

"Octopus's Garden" is Ringo's song. It's only the second song Ringo has ever written, mind you, and it's lovely." He added that the song gets very deep into your consciousness "...because it's so peaceful. I suppose Ringo is writing cosmic songs these days without even realising it."

Starr was inspired to write the song while on a friend's boat in Sardinia; he ordered fish and chips for lunch but instead got squid. Later, "the boat's captain told Ringo Starr about how octopuses travel along the sea bed picking up stones and shiny objects with which to build gardens." The song's lyrics are appropriately whimsical and Spongebob Squarepants-ish (or, rather that Spongebob Squarepants is Octopus's Garden-ish).

Like most other Ringo songs, I'm quite fond of this one. Like "Yellow Submarine", it's fun and takes you back to a more imaginative and innocent mindset--like a little vacation to the ocean. :)

That's all for today. See you tomorrow!

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Heard It Tally: 41

Songs Completed: 176

Oh! Darling

"Oh! Darling" is a McCartney composition that has quite an interesting recording history:

McCartney later said of recording the track, "When we were recording 'Oh! Darling' I came into the studios early every day for a week to sing it by myself because at first my voice was too clear. I wanted it to sound as though I'd been performing it on stage all week." He would only try the song once each day; if it was not right he would wait until the next day, in order to make sure he got every precious first take right. He once lamented that "five years ago I could have done this in one take".

I'd call that devotion. Knowing that fact makes me appreciate the Dana Fuchs and Martin Luthor McCoy version from Across the Universe even more, cause Fuchs' voice naturally has that gravelly, husky tone that Paul was attempting to produce. Continuing with the song's recording history:

After an early attempt at this song on 27 January 1969 during the Let It Be sessions, Lennon announced, "Just heard that Yoko's divorce has just gone through", after which he and the band burst into an improvised version of the song, substituting "I'm free at last" for a part of the lyric.

"Oh! Darling" was clearly inspired greatly by New Orleans rhythm and blues (originating with African-American artists like Fats Domino) and Louisiana "swamp pop". I feel the song is very reminiscent of The Beatles' early days of blues and rock and roll. It's good to see that they were continuing to be inspired by African-American artists, even after they'd taken very different paths in their career. 

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

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Heard It Tally: 41

Songs Completed: 175

Maxwell's Silver Hammer

Today's ode to a serial killer, "Maxwell's Silver Hammer", was written by Paul McCartney. 

Beatles guitarist George Harrison described the song in 1969 as "one of those instant whistle-along tunes which some people hate, and other people really like. It's a fun song, but it's kind of a drag because Maxwell keeps on destroying everyone like his girlfriend then the school teacher, and then, finally, the judge."

The clanging, clanking noise was actually an anvil, played by Ringo for the song. I really enjoy that mental image of Ringo banging cheerfully away on a great big anvil--in my imagination, Maxwell rather resembles Ringo, too (when he's not Joe Anderson from Across the Universe, whose character is of course named Max).

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

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Heard It Tally: 41

Songs Completed: 174

Something

Double post today, since crazy events yesterday prevented me from posting. 

Yesterday's song was "Something", by George Harrison. It's the second most covered Beatles song after "Yesterday". Not only was it the only Harrison composition to reach the top of the (American) charts while he was still with The Beatles, but "John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the band's principal songwriters, both praised 'Something' as among the best songs Harrison had written, or the group had to offer." 

George began working on the song during the White Album recording sessions. According to Wikipedia:

The song's first lyrics were adapted from the title of an unrelated song by fellow AppleJames Taylor called "Something in the Way She Moves" and used as filler while the melody was being developed. The song's second line, "Attracts me like no other lover," was the last to be written; during early recording sessions for "Something", Harrison alternated between two placeholder lyrics: "Attracts me like a cauliflower" and "Attracts me like a pomegranate." artist

Which I find hilarious. Also hilarious? The disputed inspiration for his song. 

Many believe that Harrison's inspiration for "Something" was his wife at the time, Pattie Boyd. Boyd also claimed that inspiration in her 2007 autobiography, Wonderful Tonight, where she wrote: "He told me, in a matter-of-fact way, that he had written it for me."

Meanwhile, George had insisted in 1996 that when he wrote the song, he'd been "thinking of Ray Charles". I tend to side with Georgie, especially since Pattie Boyd called her autobiography Wonderful Tonight (after the Eric Clapton song about her--Clapton, the guy who she cheated on Harrison with). Maybe that's just me being petty on George's behalf, but who knows? :P

Finally, there was a promotional video for the song. According to Wikipedia:

The promotional video for "Something" was shot shortly before the break-up of the band. By this time, the individual Beatles had drawn apart and so the film consisted of separate clips of each Beatle walking around his home, accompanied by his wife, edited together.

Kind of a sad fact, considering it's a love song. 

That's it for "Something". On to today's song!

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Heard It Tally: 41

Songs Completed: 173

Come Together

Today we begin listening to Abbey Road, considered by some to be The Beatles' best album, and definitely one of the most influential and highly-praised albums of all time. According to Wikipedia, "Abbey Road is widely regarded as one of The Beatles' most tightly constructed albums, although the band was barely operating as a functioning unit at the time." 

The tension between the guys during the recording of the White Album had only increased; however, they felt that, since this was likely to be their last album together, they might as well put aside their differences and join forces once more to create a career finale that would be worthwhile and meaningful. Most of the songs were recorded between July and August of 1969, which was after they recorded the songs from Let It Be, which was released after Abbey Road (though Abbey Road is considered their "final" album, while Let It Be is more of a tying-up-loose-ends album).

A final note about the album before we dive into the first song: The album cover is one of the most instantly recognizable images... ever. It features neither the name of the group nor the album title on the cover. 

The first song on Abbey Road is "Come Together". Probably one of the more lyrically cryptic songs in the Beatles repertoire, there are a couple of theories regarding the meaning. From Wikipedia:

It has been speculated that each verse refers cryptically to each of The Beatles (e.g. "he's one holy roller" allegedly refers to the spiritually inclined George Harrison; "he got monkey finger, he shoot Coca-Cola" to Ringo, the funny Beatle; "he got Ono sideboard, he one spinal cracker" to Lennon himself; and "got to be good-looking 'cause he's so hard to see" to Paul); however, it has also been suggested that the song has only a single "pariah-like protagonist" and Lennon was "painting another sardonic self-portrait".

I've heard this song many times, and when I read the first theory, a verse for each Beatle, it made perfect sense to me. I'm rather less fond of the second, that Lennon was writing of a single character (possibly himself), but before I started this post I did feel that the song was about an individual instead of several. Both theories are possible; I think it's up to the listener to decide which is more or less likely. (One thing I find somewhat eerie about this song is that John whispers "Shoot me" a few times throughout, which is almost unrecognizable due to Paul's distinctive bass riff and Ringo's drums.)

That's all for today! On to the next great song tomorrow. I do find it appropriate that the first song on the last Beatles album, when the guys had agreed to set aside their differences for one last hurrah, is called "Come Together."

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Heard It Tally: 40

Songs Completed: 172

It's All Too Much

Today's song is a Harrison creation. "It's All Too Much" starts with a spoken dedication "to your mother" (a la Mark Wahlberg) and continues on a journey complete with guitar, trumpet, organ, and even a cowbell. 

We can almost hear the Indian influence that George was so inspired by in previous songs. The multitude of instruments, some playing just out of sync with one another, and the repetitive chanting all feel reminiscent of some of his other songs, like "Within You Without You". "It's All Too Much" is still at least an ocean away from that exact sound (missing, as it is, the unmistakable sitar), but I can't help but feel that there is a connection, and that it was intentional.

There are actually at least two versions of this song; the version I heard first was six and a half minutes long, while the unreleased (but often bootlegged) version clocks in at a lengthy 8:10. The lyrics also remind me of Harrison's Indian influence; in particular, the lines "When I look into your eyes, your love is there for me / And the more I go inside, the more there is to see" somehow put me in mind of that sort of experimental and soul-searching exploration.

That's it for now. See you tomorrow--I'll be starting Abbey Road. :)

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Heard It Tally: 39

Songs Completed: 171

Hey Bulldog

According to music engineer Geoff Emerick, "Hey Bulldog" was the last song that the Beatles recorded as an enthusiastic and willing team. The title was inspired during the recording of the song, when McCartney started randomly barking. The next lines were then changed from "Hey, bullfrog" to "Hey, bulldog", and the title was born. Paul credits the song to John, adding that he helped a bit as well. He said, in 1994:

I remember (it) as being one of John's songs and I helped him finish it off in the studio, but it's mainly his vibe. There's a little rap at the end between John and I, we went into a crazy little thing at the end. We always tried to make every song different because we figured, 'Why write something like the last one? We've done that.' We were on a ladder so there was never any sense of stepping down a rung, or even staying on the same rung, it was better to move one rung ahead.

This song is pretty unique and interesting. I recognized the last two lines of the first verse ("Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles / What makes you think you're something special when you smile?"); I'd read them somewhere before and thought they were neat. When I looked them up to see where they came from, I found out about "Hey Bulldog" but I didn't listen to it. 

As one of the few Beatles songs to center around a piano riff (the riff from this song is very similar, though in a different key, to the one from the single "Lady Madonna"), with strange lyrics and a wicked guitar accompanied by barking dogs (and a barking Paul), "Hey Bulldog" is definitely a song you need to listen to more than once to get the full effect--particularly of what Paul called the "rapping" near the end. :P

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

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Heard It Tally: 39

Songs Completed: 170

All Together Now

"All Together Now" was written by Paul, and, like "Yellow Submarine", has the feel of a children's song:

McCartney described the song as a children's sing-along with the title phrase inspired by the music hall tradition of asking the audience to join in. He also described a "subcurrent" in the song, a dual-meaning where "we are all together now.

The good news is that I recognized this song. The bad news is that I'd never known it was a Beatles song since I'd heard it first in a Sprint commercial. I'd always disliked the song in the commercial; however, now that I know it's a Beatles song and have heard the original, I find I prefer it over the cover. I dislike the commercial even more now. :P

The lyrics, disregarding the line about taking a friend to bed (which I find odd and out of place), provide a perfect sing-along style tune for kids to enjoy. So, of course, I enjoy it as well, since I'm still very much a kid. :)

That's all for today! See you tomorrow.

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Heard It Tally: 39

Songs Completed: 169

Only a Northern Song

Today we start listening to Yellow Submarine, which was released in January of 1969 and provided the soundtrack for the film of the same name. Interestingly, only the first side of the album features songs by the Beatles; the B-side was all original instrumental compositions by George Martin. Additionally, two of the six songs on the Beatles side had been previously released (including "Yellow Submarine" and "All You Need is Love", which we've already covered here). 

Really the best way to sum up Yellow Submarine as an album is to show you what Wikipedia says about its reception:

In contrast to how the film was received, Yellow Submarine is usually considered The Beatles' weakest release. It was one of the few Beatles releases not to top the charts on either side of the Atlantic. Its highest position was #2 in the US, kept from the top by their own The Beatles, which had been released two months before. The Beatles themselves did not consider it a proper studio album, since they had little involvement in the project, and the four previously unreleased tracks on it were taken hodge-podge fashion from various sessions in 1967 and early 1968.

So, skipping the first track ("Yellow Submarine"), we arrive at "Only a Northern Song", which was written by George Harrison and recorded in 1967, originally for the Sgt. Pepper album. It's described as being his criticism of the Beatles' music publishing business, Northern Songs Ltd. Since Lennon and McCartney each owned 15% of the company's public shares, and Harrison, being considered a songwriting "contractor", owned a mere 0.8%, Lennon and McCartney earned more from Harrison's songs than Harrison himself.

That of course explains the bitter-sounding lyrics, such as "It doesn't really matter what chords I play / What words I say or time of day it is / As it's only a Northern song." The distorted music (including a glockenspiel and a trumpet) adds to the tension and an almost subconscious sense of discomfort the song produces in the listener. The audience, if we know the history behind the lyrics, can definitely understand George's anger and resentment. Following from the tense tradition of the White Album"the song also suggests that, at this time, Harrison "had yet to recover his enthusiasm for being a Beatle", Harrison having threatened to leave the group six months earlier, following their final live concert at Candlestick Park." sessions,

That's all for today! See you tomorrow.

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Heard It Tally: 39

Songs Completed: 168

Album Summary: The Beatles

The Beatles, which I've (kind of) consistently referred to as the White Album, has been an incredibly interesting (and lengthy) journey. It contained several songs I'd heard previously, either on my own or in Across the Universe, and I really enjoyed hearing the originals, such as "Happiness is a Warm Gun", "Blackbird", and "Dear Prudence". I also heard many more songs I'd never known about but immediately loved, like "Glass Onion" with its self-references, and (re)discovered new favorites like "Rocky Raccoon" and "Helter Skelter".

Unlike some of their earlier albums (including my favorites, Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour), there didn't seem to be any kind of overarching theme, style, idea, plot, or vibe. It felt more like what it was: a collection of songs which had been created by some of the Beatles, one or two or three but rarely all four, at a time. All the same, it didn't feel disjointed to me. Rather, it felt like a branching-off, experimental, getting tired of things but going forth anyway, sort of voyage. The guys were getting sick of one another and so were going off and doing their own thing; they may or may not have realized that they were testing the waters for the future, seeing how far they could push or be pushed before the breaking point. Paul was simply the first to realize just where that point was for him.

It seems to me that the White Album really was a turning point for the Beatles. From what history I gleaned over the past two and a half weeks or so, the guys were no longer fighting the world and their own celebrity so much as fighting one another. Having been so well established as a cohesive unit over the past several years, it must have felt exhausting to them, trying to have their own individual voices heard over the others. It's not surprising to me that they all went on to solo careers, and it's not surprising that such a wildly prolific and celebrated group didn't last long--they were burning the candle at both ends, truly.

Although The Beatles is widely regarded as the beginning of the end for "The Beatles" as a group, it's certainly not the last album they created during their remaining time together. We'll start a few new songs from Yellow Submarine tomorrow. See you then. :)

Good Night

"Good Night", written by John for his son Julian and performed by Ringo (the only Beatle to perform on the track), provides the perfect send-off to the White Album. The lullaby features soaring music provided by an orchestra, purposefully "cheesy" at Lennon's request, to give it the feel of an "Old Hollywood" number; the piece was arranged and conducted by George Martin. The music is, according to Wikipedia, "excessively lush" and features twelve violins, three violas, three cellos, one harp, three flutes, one clarinet, one horn, one vibraphone, and one string bass. 

This felt like the perfect song to end the album. Not only was it Ringo's second of only two songs (astounding, considering The Beatles is a double album), but it was also so relaxing and soothing that I really feel more sleepy after having listened to it. The lyrics themselves remind me of such bedtime classics as "Goodnight Moon", among others. It's an ideal lullaby to send a child (or an adult) to sleep. :)

That's it for this song. Next up is the White Album summary. :)

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Heard It Tally: 39

Songs Completed: 167

Revolution 9

"Revolution 9", which as we know is another version (I would call it a spinoff) of "Revolution", was a "sound collage" by John Lennon. John and George were the only Beatles to work on the song; Paul was out of the country at the time. Yoko Ono contributed as well. According to Wikipedia:

Lennon said he was trying to paint a picture of a revolution using sound. The composition was influenced by the avant-garde style of Ono as well as the musique concrète works of composers such as Edgard Varese and Karlheinz Stockhausen.

The repeated phrase "number 9" (in a voice that sounds like Ringo's, but isn't) provided ammunition for fans of the "Paul is dead" conspiracy theory; when played backwards, parts of the song apparently say, "Turn me on, dead man".

As an art history major in college, I studied Yoko Ono and her work as part of a contemporary art course. If I had to choose songs other than her own to represent her work, "Revolution 9" would definitely make the list. Her avant-garde influence is quite clear. The song paints a vivid picture (a thousand pictures, really) in the listener's mind, reaching in with many tentacles to stimulate different parts of the ear, the brain, and, if one closes one's eyes and lets the imagination fully take over, the eyes. All told, the song used 45 sound sources, which included Beatles songs, recordings, and even Yoko Ono's voice (she says, "you become naked" towards the end).

Overall, I'm a fan. However, I'm also a fan of contemporary art (whether it's an audio work, performance piece, or whatever other medium contemporary artists may use), which doesn't always appeal to the general masses. I can understand very well why "Revolution 9" wasn't a hit with critics or fans, and why Paul argued against including the track on the White Album.

That's all for today. Only one song left on the White Album, and then I'll be doing the usual album summary (which may be longer than usual by necessity :P ). Then, it's off to the next exciting album! See you then. :)

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Heard It Tally: 39

Songs Completed: 166

Cry Baby Cry

"Cry Baby Cry" was written by John Lennon, who was inspired to write the original lyrics, "Cry baby cry / Make your mother buy", by an advertisement. According to Wikipedia, "Cry Baby Cry" was the last straw for someone who worked closely with the Beatles:

This was the song the Beatles were working on when engineer Geoff Emerick quit, though his departure was precipitated by Lennon and McCartney's obsessions over the recordings of "Revolution" and "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da", respectively, and the overall tensions of the White Album sessions. Emerick would not work with the Beatles again until the session for The Ballad of John and Yoko nine months later.

As a nerdy, geeky kind of person, my first thought when I started listening to this song was, of course, "Firefly". On that show, the "Cry Baby" was a device the good guys employed that would mislead anyone pursuing their spaceship. Two of the characters actually say the first lines of the song: "Cry baby cry." and "Make your mother sigh!" That's a huge part of the reason this song makes me happy. :P 

Other than that, the lyrics themselves remind me most of the nursery rhyme, "Sing a Song of Sixpence" because both songs talk about a king, a queen, and their various locations and activities. I'm sure it was done that way on purpose by Lennon, who, like many children (particularly in England), was no doubt familiar with the popular 18th-century tune. 

The lyrics of the Beatles song are much different, however, and at some points seem to suggest a rather dysfunctional family. In particular, the lines "the children of the king" combined with the chorus ("Cry baby cry / Make your mother sigh / She's old enough to know better / So cry baby cry...") were almost disturbing to me; the part about the Duke and Duchess was even worse. All together, the lyrics suggest that all is not quite well/normal in the kingdom of Marigold.

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

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Heard It Tally: 39

Songs Completed: 165