BEATLES FOR SALE

'Beatles for sale' is meant to be the worst Beatles album. I can understand, I mean some of the songs feel tired and the like. But it is no worse than 'With the Beatles' and rates well alongside 'A Hard days night'; not quite as good. Anyway it is a decent album, not bad, three stars, actually.

This album is more folky and rockabilly than the prior material, and there isn't any Motown / Brill building feeling in the music. The sound is more rock 'n' roll, rockabilly, folk. The much malignhed 'Mr.Moonlight' is actually one of my favourite songs here, as is Ringo putting a tonne of enthusiasm into 'Honey Don't', one of two Carl Perkins' songs here. George Harrison doesn't fare as well singing 'Everybody's trying to be my baby'. The energy of 'Every little thing' makes it an excellent, catchy track, and the melodious 'I don't want to spoil the party' has brilliant vocal harmonies.

Sometimes the Beatles wear their influences well, with 'Baby's in black' seeming like it is meant to be a dark Everly Brothers song, while 'I'm a loser' has a feeling of Dylan.

But no matter which track is your favourite or least favourite, it is undeniable that there are problems with the album, with quality fluctuating from track to track. Some of the songs are performed poorly, such as 'Words of Love', where the vocals are awkward and dragging in the lower register, or the sloppy 'What you're doing', or the forced 'Kansas City / Hey Hey Hey'. But there is enough good music to warrant three stars.