HELP!

The first time I remember actually seeing the Beatles as a band was when I watched a DVD of the film Help! which was the tie-in to this album. I was quite young, and I thought it was hilarious! The film is some sort of farce where Ringo is in possession of a sacrificial ring which he cannot take off, and the Beatles are chased around the world by the people that need it back. In fact it is a truly bizarre film where the Beatles were more often than not completely high on cannabis. The music, however, is awesome. Classic after classic was played in the film, and I decided I dearly wanted the album, so it was one of the first albums I ever owned. The songs briefly:

-Help!- Unforgettable, a true classic.

-The Night Before- When watching the film for the first time, I enjoyed this one the most.

-You've Got To Hide Your Love Away- A really sad track, apparently a ballad for Brian Epstein, the Beatles' manager who was a closet homosexual. The 'two foot small' line is a highlight.

-I Need You- Although this song is also a classic, I have no particular affection for it. At times in my life, however, the lyrics have meant a lot to me.

-Another Girl- I love the concept of this song. Basically a guy gets a new girlfriend and tells his old one to go away. Lines like 'I don't want to say that I've been unhappy with you.' give Paul lad points.

-You're Going To Lose That Girl- Again, the concept of this song is hilarious. A guy who wants to take another persons girlfriend away from him. Me and my friend spent a whole night laughing about the hilarious insertion of the word 'yeah' in the bridge.

-TICKET TO RIDE- At 3:10 this is amazingly the longest song on the album. Another real classic, I love everything about this song, Ringos drum rolls are particularly awesome. The melody is really good too, and this is probably my favourite song on the album.

-Act Naturally- Ringo's song. A simple country song, I was surprised to find that this song is actually a cover. Ringo doesn't do particularly well here, and this song goes in the 'Ringo's bad songs' bin.

-It's Only Love- A philosophical song, I really quite like this song. I particularly like John's singing of 'Loving you' right at the end.

-You Like Me Too Much- This song is a bit arrogant and quite creepy. It describes a guy saying to his girlfriend that even if she tries she'll never be able to leave him, because 'he wouldn't let her' and 'she likes him too much'. The Beatles sometimes had the wrong attitude to love (see Run For Your Life off Rubber Soul).

-Tell Me What You See- Ugh, this song is really unmemorable, and the lyrics are just dire. I don't like the percussive sounds either.

-I've Just Seen A Face- Maybe the most clever song on the album, the fast paced guitar and singing really contributes to this song. The lyrics are really moving too.

-Yesterday- If you don't know this song, then you should really get out of the hole you've been living in. This is one of the best known songs ever, and is in fact the most covered song by any artist. The lyrics actually came to Paul in a dream. Interestingly enough, in an interview with Ian McDonald (the flute and mellotron in the first line up of King Crimson) he felt that this very song was the beginning of progressive rock, due to interesting use of a string quartet in here. I don't really agree with this view, but I felt I should include it as this is after all a prog rock website.

-Dizzy Miss Lizzy- Another cover, this is a really dreadful track. The sound quality is quite trashy, and it sounds like the Beatles were trying to repeat the success of Twist and Shout. This song is just tiring to listen to.

It's hard to know how to rate this album on the website, but I think it's a really good album that anybody should listen to, but it has almost no music of any value to prog rock. Some of the Beatles' most classic songs are on here, and some of the other tracks are definitely worth hearing!

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