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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 29, 2021 6:19:49 GMT
A Hard Day's Night is a great album and one of my personal favorites, not just by The Beatles, but by any artist. I think it is The Beatles' best album of their "early period", 1962-1965. There's one great Lennon/McCartney song after another, and very surprisingly, no covers after featuring covers prominently on their first two albums. Was this intentional, or did they just end of with so much outstanding new material that they didn't find it/them necessary?
Beatlemania was peaking at this point. To say that The Beatles touched a chord with their audience (the youth!) would be an understatement. The girls wanted them and the guys wanted to be like them. I wonder how many young bands were formed as a result of The Beatles in 1964. And, while The Beatles recorded important music as early as their debut album, a number of standards were featured on A Hard Day's Night - the title track, "I Should've Known Better", "If I Fell", "And I Love Her", and "Can't Buy Me Love". And how could you not mention "Tell Me Why", "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You", "Things We Said Today", and "I'll Be Back". There's not a weak one in the bunch!
Now for the understatement of the century - John and Paul were great, great singers. I think that sometimes gets lost in all of the hype and Beatlemania. Yes, they were handsome, charismatic, and wrote tremendous songs. But, those songs would not have reached their peaks without the vocal performances. John and Paul could rock with the best of them and then break your heart. Paul's vocal on "And I Love Her" and John's on "I'll Be Back" are examples of this.
If there was a 9.5 rating, that would be my choice. However, I'm going to round off to a 9 for nit-picking reasons. Please Please Me featured 14 songs at 32:16, and With The Beatles had 14 songs at 33:07. For some reason, and it is mystifying, A Hard Day's Night settled for only 13 songs at 30:10. Combine with that the fact that Ringo was NOT represented with a lead vocal on A Hard Day's Night. Why was that? Side 1 of A Hard Day's Night has 7 blockbuster songs, then Side 2 dips to 6 songs, and I don't think they are as strong as Side 1 (a matter of opinion). Why not go to 7 songs on Side 2 and give Ringo a lead vocal? If they were short one new song, why not dig out a cover? You know there had to be one they were kicking around.
If A Hard Day's Night isn't my favorite Beatles' album, it's a close second behind Abbey Road, but that can change day-to-day. A Hard Day's Night might be The Beatles' most consistent album. It goes from one great song to the next with barely a dip in quality. Maybe another ballad would've been welcomed but that's more nit-picking. Oh, and the album cover is a winner, too.
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Post by B.E. on Jan 30, 2021 3:38:02 GMT
Now for the understatement of the century - John and Paul were great, great singers. I think that sometimes gets lost in all of the hype and Beatlemania. Yes, they were handsome, charismatic, and wrote tremendous songs. But, those songs would not have reached their peaks without the vocal performances. John and Paul could rock with the best of them and then break your heart. Paul's vocal on "And I Love Her" and John's on "I'll Be Back" are examples of this. I couldn't agree more! If there was a 9.5 rating, that would be my choice. However, I'm going to round off to a 9 for nit-picking reasons. Please Please Me featured 14 songs at 32:16, and With The Beatles had 14 songs at 33:07. For some reason, and it is mystifying, A Hard Day's Night settled for only 13 songs at 30:10. Combine with that the fact that Ringo was NOT represented with a lead vocal on A Hard Day's Night. Why was that? Side 1 of A Hard Day's Night has 7 blockbuster songs, then Side 2 dips to 6 songs, and I don't think they are as strong as Side 1 (a matter of opinion). Why not go to 7 songs on Side 2 and give Ringo a lead vocal? If they were short one new song, why not dig out a cover? You know there had to be one they were kicking around. Why not dig out a cover? Well, to answer your earlier question - I think they intentionally released an album of original material-only. Interestingly, they didn't just do that, but released an album of Lennon/McCartney songs-only. I'm not so sure this was intentional. I'd bet that George and/or the group just weren't sold on any new George song at the time (if there was one). By the way, this is as good a time as any to mention that my daily commute is consistently 32-35 minutes, which is only reinforcing my belief that that is the perfect run time of an album! I've been listening to these early Beatles albums every morning. The final song is always winding down as I'm parking my car. Perfect! Anyway, I also agree with you about Ringo. It is a slight disappointment, and surprise, that he didn't get a lead vocal. Oh, and speaking of George, I'm going to admit to a recent development....I've been tempted to skip a few of his earlier tunes lately as I've been listening to these albums repeatedly. I've mentioned previously that I wish John and Paul would have sung more background vocals on his songs. Sometimes they did, but I also think that they purposely had George (and Ringo on "Honey Don't") sing entirely solo as a "showcase". I imagine that went back to their performing days. Case in point - "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You". John and Paul's backing vocals elevate the song! Where's that on "Roll Over Beethoven", for instance? (It also might be worth noting that these albums are supremely joyous. And, comforting. I've been pretty anxious lately, so listening to these albums help.)
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Post by B.E. on Jan 30, 2021 3:39:30 GMT
This is a great album. Two phenomenal singles (the title track and "Can't Buy Me Love"), but really an album full of really, really good songs. "I Should Have Known Better" and "You Can't Do That" were B-sides, while "Tell Me Why" and one of the most underrated, hardest-rocking Beatles songs ever, "Any Time At All," were album cuts!?
Based on commerciality, I'd rank 'em like this: 1. I Should Have Known Better 2. Tell Me Why 3. Any Time At All 4. You Can't Do That
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 30, 2021 14:39:32 GMT
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Post by B.E. on Jan 31, 2021 1:48:06 GMT
One songwriting technique that I really enjoy is when a chord is unexpectedly substituted at the end of a song before repeating with the "proper" chord. The first example that always comes to mind is "I Want To Hold Your Hand". So, instead of...
I want to hold your ha--nd, I want to hold your hand IV V I vi IV V I
like we've heard throughout the song, it's...
I want to hold your ha--nd, I want to hold your hand, I want to hold your ha------nd IV V I vi IV V III IV V IV I
Now, the first bolded chord is what I'm referring to, but the second one is what really makes this ending so dramatic, iconic, perfect, you name it! It's funny, the verses end singing "I want to hold your hand" over that same III chord but it sounds like it's from another planet when your ears are expecting the tonic at the end. (At least to my largely untrained ears!)
Why am I bringing this up now? Well, "When I Get Home" uses the same technique at the end. Not unlike Kapitan's observations regarding "Things We Said Today", "When I Get Home" also plays around with A major and A minor. The "whoa-I" part lands on an A major but otherwise they always land on A minor when singing the title phrase. That is, until the outro. At which point they switch to A major and John sustains the note when singing "home". THEN, not unlike "I Want To Hold Your Hand", they follow that up with another surprise when repeating the line. In this case, they end the song on the IV chord (C) instead of I (A).
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Post by B.E. on Jan 31, 2021 1:48:58 GMT
Feel free to point out other Beatle examples while on this journey. I might like to make a list!
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Post by Kapitan on Jan 31, 2021 13:22:10 GMT
I want to hold your ha--nd, I want to hold your hand, I want to hold your ha------ndIV V I vi IV V III IV V IV I Interesting, indeed.
The latter one is easier to explain: it's basically a plagal cadence, a way to end the song on IV-I (think A-men in church). It has the effect of a suspend-and-release on the tonic. (C major, our I, is C-E-G; F, our IV, is F-A-C; C with sus4 and sus6 is C-F-A, which is an F in second inversion.) While not quite as powerful as a V-I resolution, it is a very familiar resolution and is used great here.
The former is a little weirder. Usually you see III being used as the V chord of the diatonic vi. (So the E would go to Am.) But here it isn't serving that function. Definitely ear catching!
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Post by B.E. on Jan 31, 2021 16:17:44 GMT
If there was a 9.5 rating, that would be my choice. However, I'm going to round off to a 9 for nit-picking reasons. Please Please Me featured 14 songs at 32:16, and With The Beatles had 14 songs at 33:07. For some reason, and it is mystifying, A Hard Day's Night settled for only 13 songs at 30:10. Combine with that the fact that Ringo was NOT represented with a lead vocal on A Hard Day's Night. Why was that? Side 1 of A Hard Day's Night has 7 blockbuster songs, then Side 2 dips to 6 songs, and I don't think they are as strong as Side 1 (a matter of opinion). Why not go to 7 songs on Side 2 and give Ringo a lead vocal? If they were short one new song, why not dig out a cover? You know there had to be one they were kicking around. Why not dig out a cover? Well, to answer your earlier question - I think they intentionally released an album of original material-only. Interestingly, they didn't just do that, but released an album of Lennon/McCartney songs-only. I'm not so sure this was intentional. I'd bet that George and/or the group just weren't sold on any new George song at the time (if there was one). By the way, this is as good a time as any to mention that my daily commute is consistently 32-35 minutes, which is only reinforcing my belief that that is the perfect run time of an album! I've been listening to these early Beatles albums every morning. The final song is always winding down as I'm parking my car. Perfect! Anyway, I also agree with you about Ringo. It is a slight disappointment, and surprise, that he didn't get a lead vocal. Oh, and speaking of George, I'm going to admit to a recent development....I've been tempted to skip a few of his earlier tunes lately as I've been listening to these albums repeatedly. I've mentioned previously that I wish John and Paul would have sung more background vocals on his songs. Sometimes they did, but I also think that they purposely had George (and Ringo on "Honey Don't") sing entirely solo as a "showcase". I imagine that went back to their performing days. Case in point - "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You". John and Paul's backing vocals elevate the song! Where's that on "Roll Over Beethoven", for instance? (It also might be worth noting that these albums are supremely joyous. And, comforting. I've been pretty anxious lately, so listening to these albums help.) Not a groundbreaking observation, but I forgot to mention that AHDN only being 13 songs AND not ending with a rocker further has it standing out. Please Please Me - Twist and Shout (John) With The Beatles - Money (John) A Hard Day's Night - ? Beatles For Sale - Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby (George) Help - Dizzy Miss Lizzy (John) Rubber Soul - Run For Your Life (John) Revolver - Tomorrow Never Knows (John) I'd argue that they broke the pattern (or fucked with formula ) with Sgt Pepper. Only to return, appropriately, with Let It Be and "Get Back". Perhaps they didn't know where to go after "Twist and Shout" and "Money". I mean, that's a mighty high bar - two of the most exciting closers ever recorded (IMO). BUT, they recorded "Long Tall Sally" during the AHDN sessions! I'm not saying they should have included it, because I'm not sure it fits the mood, but I suspect if it had been that I'd have accepted it wholeheartedly. It also would have given Paul a rockin' closer. And that is interesting, isn't it? This is yet more evidence that John was the leader of the earlier-mid Beatles (not that that is being disputed by anyone). Additionally, they recorded a bunch of rockin' covers around that time and shortly thereafter with "Matchbox", "Slow Down", "Bad Boy", and "Leave My Kitten Alone", and originals with "I'm Down" and "She's A Woman". I really think they just didn't want to include a cover on AHDN. One last point -some might think that "Run For Your Life" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" might not belong in that list, but I think, while quite different than the "straight" rock 'n roll of the covers, they match the spirit of the other closers (i.e. John songs with intensity and edge) but just reflect their growth and the changing trends in music.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jan 31, 2021 18:52:22 GMT
Why not dig out a cover? Well, to answer your earlier question - I think they intentionally released an album of original material-only. Interestingly, they didn't just do that, but released an album of Lennon/McCartney songs-only. I'm not so sure this was intentional. I'd bet that George and/or the group just weren't sold on any new George song at the time (if there was one). By the way, this is as good a time as any to mention that my daily commute is consistently 32-35 minutes, which is only reinforcing my belief that that is the perfect run time of an album! I've been listening to these early Beatles albums every morning. The final song is always winding down as I'm parking my car. Perfect! Anyway, I also agree with you about Ringo. It is a slight disappointment, and surprise, that he didn't get a lead vocal. Oh, and speaking of George, I'm going to admit to a recent development....I've been tempted to skip a few of his earlier tunes lately as I've been listening to these albums repeatedly. I've mentioned previously that I wish John and Paul would have sung more background vocals on his songs. Sometimes they did, but I also think that they purposely had George (and Ringo on "Honey Don't") sing entirely solo as a "showcase". I imagine that went back to their performing days. Case in point - "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You". John and Paul's backing vocals elevate the song! Where's that on "Roll Over Beethoven", for instance? (It also might be worth noting that these albums are supremely joyous. And, comforting. I've been pretty anxious lately, so listening to these albums help.) Not a groundbreaking observation, but I forgot to mention that AHDN only being 13 songs AND not ending with a rocker further has it standing out. Please Please Me - Twist and Shout (John) With The Beatles - Money (John) A Hard Day's Night - ? Beatles For Sale - Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby (George) Help - Dizzy Miss Lizzy (John) Rubber Soul - Run For Your Life (John) Revolver - Tomorrow Never Knows (John) I'd argue that they broke the pattern (or fucked with formula ) with Sgt Pepper. Only to return, appropriately, with Let It Be and "Get Back". Perhaps they didn't know where to go after "Twist and Shout" and "Money". I mean, that's a mighty high bar - two of the most exciting closers ever recorded (IMO). BUT, they recorded "Long Tall Sally" during the AHDN sessions! I'm not saying they should have included it, because I'm not sure it fits the mood, but I suspect if it had been that I'd have accepted it wholeheartedly. It also would have given Paul a rockin' closer. And that is interesting, isn't it? This is yet more evidence that John was the leader of the earlier-mid Beatles (not that that is being disputed by anyone). Additionally, they recorded a bunch of rockin' covers around that time and shortly thereafter with "Matchbox", "Slow Down", "Bad Boy", and "Leave My Kitten Alone", and originals with "I'm Down" and "She's A Woman". I really think they just didn't want to include a cover on AHDN. One last point -some might think that "Run For Your Life" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" might not belong in that list, but I think, while quite different than the "straight" rock 'n roll of the covers, they match the spirit of the other closers (i.e. John songs with intensity and edge) but just reflect their growth and the changing trends in music. Good points, B.E. Do you know what would've been the perfect closer? The title track. With the line "It's been a Hard Day's Night" and that wonderful guitar fade? What did they use for the movie?
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Post by B.E. on Jan 31, 2021 23:37:11 GMT
Good points, B.E. Do you know what would've been the perfect closer? The title track. With the line "It's been a Hard Day's Night" and that wonderful guitar fade? What did they use for the movie? That could have worked, but it's also such a great opener! I totally agree about that fade, though. In fact, it's one of the main things that stood out to me while revisiting the album this week. It still sounds great today, but I can only imagine how fantastic that sound must have been to listeners in 1964.
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Post by B.E. on Feb 1, 2021 0:21:48 GMT
Feel free to point out other Beatle examples while on this journey. I might like to make a list! Don't mind if I do! Not a perfect example, but in "I Need You" the title phrase is always sung over the I chord (A) except at the end when the line is repeated twice (first over the vi chord, then the IV chord). Instrumentally, they then return to the I chord. Another example is "Yes It Is". At the end of each verse they sing the title phrase over the I chord (E) except at the end when they reharmonize it (and add an extra "it's true") like this: Yes it is, it's true, yes it is, it's true.I III IV I How about that, Kapitan ? It's the same move - a III chord substitution followed by the IV chord. Interestingly, and unlike "I Want To Hold Your Hand", this is the only instance of the III chord (G#) in the entire song. I think these, along with "When I Get Home", are the only examples through Revolver (including the singles). Off the top of my head, I recall that down the road "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" does something similar to facilitate the ending "and if you want some fun..." by substituting the vi chord for the I chord on the final "life goes on". The effect is almost dark, or ominous, compared to the rest of the song! To me, anyway. (By the way, I'm anxious to talk about "Bungalow Bill". I'm really digging it right now.)
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Post by Kapitan on Feb 1, 2021 16:46:47 GMT
I think these, along with "When I Get Home", are the only examples through Revolver (including the singles). Off the top of my head, I recall that down the road "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" does something similar to facilitate the ending "and if you want some fun..." by substituting the vi chord for the I chord on the final "life goes on". The effect is almost dark, or ominous, compared to the rest of the song! To me, anyway. That vi chord is an example of a deceptive cadence, intended to make you experience exactly what you experienced. (Well, I can't say they meant it to be OMINOUS. But certainly unexpected and slightly mysterious.) You hear the typical Bb-F7-Bb a few times and expect it again, but that time it goes Bb-F7-Gm7. Sneaky.
I think you can understand a LOT about (western tradition) music by just knowing a) it's more or less all based on establishing I, b) making a statement with that strongest motion of V-I, and c) various tricks and detours to delay and play with that moment.
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Post by Kapitan on Feb 2, 2021 13:23:58 GMT
Final day for the A Hard Day's Night poll. Please be sure to vote, if you're interested in this thread. Chime in with your thoughts, too!
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Post by Kapitan on Feb 3, 2021 12:52:29 GMT
Five voters rated A Hard Day's Night a 9.2. First post has been updated; a new album and poll will launch this morning.
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Post by Kapitan on Feb 3, 2021 13:07:08 GMT
Beatles For Sale (1964)
In early December 1964, the Beatles released Beatles For Sale, their proper follow-up to A Hard Day's Night (after the US release Something New, which mostly consisted of the music from the UK version of AHDN that didn't make the US version).
This 14-song album reintegrated covers among originals, with six covers and eight Lennon-McCartney originals. While neither George Harrison nor Ringo Starr contributed a writing credit, each sang one song (coincidentally each a Carl Perkins cover).
The album reached #1 in the UK, Australia, and Germany upon its release in 1964 and charted in numerous countries upon later rereleases in the '80s and '00s. It has gone platinum in the US and gold in numerous other countries.
Please rate and discuss the Beatles' Beatles For Sale.
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