YELLOW SUBMARINE

Released in January 1969 while White Album was still riding high in the charts, Yellow Submarine appears to be a case of getting out product. Brian Epstein sanctioned the film back in '67 and it was handled by a team of writers who were given an occasional guiding hand by John. It was a pleasant bit of psychedelia at the time and modestly entertaining fare. For viewing now it would be useful primarily for entertaining small children, or amusing big people with access to copious amounts of quality herb. The tracks on side one were recorded in 1967 and 1968 and are really only of average quality by Beatle standards. Side two consists of a re-recording of the orchestral film score by the wonderful George Martin.

Side one includes two previously released, smiling happy tracks in "Yellow Submarine" and "All You Need Is Love." The four "new" tracks consisted of the very weird "Only a Northern Song" which dates to the Pepper sessions. With lots of effects and a stoned-sounding Harrison vocal it's a decent track but nothing special. My favorite track here is probably the silly "All Together Now" which at the least has a catchy chorus. "Hey Bulldog" is a Lennon rocker with a nice groove but by John's own admission the track "means nothing." Martin's orchestral soundtrack takes up the whole of side 2 and is interesting for the occasional listen but unlikely to excite many rock fans. It certainly is not to the level of the superb Moodies work "Days of Future Passed" from the previous year but then it probably wasn't intended to be that conceptually compelling.

Yellow Submarine is not an album that needs a great deal of discussion or dissection. It's not awful but practically speaking it is the last album to check out in the entire catalog. It is the definition of "for fans only" and I really wouldn't bother unless you're buying the box set, in which case you'll get the remaster as part of the deal.

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