Help!

Track listing
1. Help
2. Night Before, The
3. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
4. I Need You
5. Another Girl
6. You're Going To Lose That Girl
7. Ticket To Ride
8. Act Naturally
9. It's Only Love
10. You Like Me Too Much
11. Tell Me What You See
12. I've Just Seen A Face
13. Yesterday
14. Dizzy Miss Lizzie


Details
Playing time: 34 min.
Contributing artists: George Martin
Producer: George Martin
Distributor: EMI Music Distribution
Recording type: Studio
Recording mode: Stereo
SPAR Code: ADD


Album notes
The Beatles: John Lennon (vocals, guitar, electric piano); Paul McCartney (vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass); George Harrison (vocals, guitar); Ringo Starr (vocals, drums).
Additional personnel: George Martin (piano).
HELP was the last Beatles album to feature a cover version (Larry Williams's "Dizzy Miss Lizzie"), and is considered a turning point in the quality of their songwriting. Like the previous album's "Im a Loser," "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" was Lennon's nod to the influence of Bob Dylan. McCartney's gift for melody was obvious in "I've Just Seen A Face." And Harrison's songwriting contributions grew to two tracks.
Instrumentally, "Ticket To Ride"'s off-beat rhythm was Ringo's masterpiece, while the string quartet in the huge hit "Yesterday" was unusual for a rock band at that time; it was the start of a stellar series of McCartney ballads with strings ("Eleanor Rigby," "She's Leaving Home").

An interesting Beatles album..........................

Things got a little more upbeat following the downbeat For Sale. Also, the Beatles songcrafting improved and would set the pace for things to come. The title track has the same frantic quick-paced sound that made the title track to their first movie a hit. The theme of age reducing the cocksure assertive of one's younger years and the need for that helping hand is universal. And who can forget these lyrics: "Help me if you can--I'm feeling down/cause I do appreciate you being around/Help me get my feet back on the ground/Won't you pleeeeaaaase please help me?" John gets good backing vocal help from Paul and George.

"The Night Before" has a faint Chuck Berry influence. Paul sings here and it's a song of puzzlement, concerning a girl's nice and sincere behaviour and why she has done an about-face in attitude. That's John on electric piano.

John sports a strained and sometimes roughened voice in the acoustic ballad "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away". There's a flute solo by session musician Johnnie Scott in two places.

The distorted pedal guitar is cool in George Harrison's "I Need You". A similar effect was used in the song "Yes It Is", which is on Past Masters Volume 1. The theme of mistreatment explored in "The Night Before" is revisited here as well. He also sings the engaging "You Like Me Too Much", the first time he sings two songs on one album. This was a nominee for the movie, and understandbly so. He gets piano help from Paul, John, and producer George Martin.

The engaging "Another Girl" has Paul on lead vocals and lead guitar and might be a response to either of the two mistreatment songs: "I have got another girl who will love me to the end, through thick and thin/She will always be my friend.

In the mid-paced "You're Going To Lose That Girl", John challenges another man that if he doesn't start treat her right, he himself will "make a point of taking her away from you. Watch what you do. The way you treat her, what else can I do?"

"Ticket To Ride" opens with a nice Rickenbacker guitar by Paul before John launches into another breakup song. "The girl's that'd driving me mad is going away. She's got a ticket to ride, and she don't care." The first single from Help! and my second favourite here.

"Tell Me What You See" has John and Paul on lead vocals, and when they sing, "open up your eyes now" Paul's lower register voice is clearly discernible. "I Have just Seen A Face" has a racing guitar and sounds like something Simon and Garfunkel might do later, particular "The Boxer".

The reflective "Yesterday" is one of my all-time Beatles song and why Paul is my favourite vocalist of the quartet. It is the classic Paul McCartney ballad. Paul's use of a string quartet instead of what he called that "Mahavishnu rubbish" was a good move. Unforgettable lyrics: "Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away, now it looks as if they're here to stay. Oh I believe in yesterday."

This the last album where they do cover tunes. Ringo does Buck Owen's "Act Naturally", a nice country-flavoured track. I often compare this to the similarly-sounding but production-laced "Don't Pass Me By" from the White album. John rips into the frantic Larry Williams number "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" in the same way he did "Twist and Shout". Nice mean guitar from George.

If the Beatles needed help on this album, I'd be hard-pressed to find it, because it's another bang-on job for them.................

WAY before their time....

The Beatles Music was written WAY before their time. I saw them perform in 1964 at The Hollywood Bowl. Most of what I heard came from girls screaming. In the sea of girls, they were dropping like flies in the aisles. Having seen all the greats, The Beatles Concert was the most profound experience I have ever had at a Concert. To this day, I have yet to hear any band as clever, witty, talented, whimsical, mind-blowing, and stellar as The Beatles. I really think G-d blessed us when those four men shared their gift of music with the world. I hope it happens again in my lifetime.

Included in Mojo's 100 Coolest Movie Soundtracks - ...*Pop music this good has rarely been written for the movies.
*Mojo (06/01/2002)

Help! By the Beatles

I love this CD because It has all the song From the Help ! Movie like Ticket to Ride, Hide your Love and away, I need you etc.. What I especially like this cd because it has 4 or 5 extra song like yesterday which was a bonus! This the British import version. I don't think that the American version has extra songs. Also because it's a cd won't get scratch like a record. Highly Recommend. Nothing to dislike about this cd.

Help! British CD

This is the british version of the album, excellent quality of sound!
More tracks available on this one compared to the US Movie version. No instrimentals, Just Great Beatles Singing Songs! A must to have in any Music Collection!