Help! [LP]

When I was a fledgling Beatle fan in junior high school, someone loaned me the U.S. version of help. There were some good songs, but there were also muzak instrumental versions that were a major disappointment. Not so on the UK edition. Help! was the soundtrack for the Beatles' second film, shot in color with a goofy plot involving Ringo with a ring belonging to some kind of exotic cult religion. Ringo as Bilbo Baggins...that's another story. Back to the music. The disk opens with "Help!", John Lennon's plea for sanity amidst the growing pressure of fame. This is a huge leap in songwriting maturity. Great opening with the chorus. Cool guitar arpeggios and overall outstanding performance by George. The background vocal line and harmonies are very distinct. The only thing missing on this version is the James Bond-like intro featured on the US album and the original issues of the "Red" album collection. 5 stars. "The Night Before" is a Paul-sung tune with pleasant vocals and harmonies, but is a typical boy-girl love song. Catchy but I'll give it 3.5 stars. "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" is another leap in songwriting for John, a much more mature love song with more personal insights. I like the lyrics, the acoustic guitar parts, the descending lines and the woodwind(?) solo at the end. 5 stars. (Check out Eddie Vedder's solo version on the "I Am Sam" soundtrack.) "I Need You" is George's first song since "Don't Bother Me" and is mainly interesting for it's use of volume tricks on the guitar part. 3 stars. "Another Girl" is a Paul, again catchy but another girl song. Cool guitar part, though. 3 stars. "You're Going to Lose That Girl" features a nice performance by John on lead vocals and has a nice harmony by Paul, with a workman-like solo by George. 3.5 stars. "Ticket to Ride" has the great guitar intro, nice backbeat drums by Ringo, and a very memorable vocal and instrumental melody. "I think I'm gonna be sad..." A classic sing-along, with a middle-eight that really makes the song click, plus the up-tempo ending. 5 stars. "Act Naturally" a cover of a Morrison/Russell classic, sung by Ringo, could be one of Ringo's early signature songs. The lyrics nearly fit Ringo's career to a tee. Great country twang, rimshot drumming and knee slapping fun. 4 stars. "It's Only Love" brings back that mellotron for a sappy John Lennon ballad. His confident vocal performance saves the song. 3 stars. "You Like Me Too Much" is George Harrison's second credit on the disk. His vocal is still tentative, but the lyrics are more boy-girl angst. 2.5 stars. "Tell Me What You See" has a melody/harmony line that never quite clicks, but it's a nice experiment. What saves this song is the harmony chorus, with organ line and cool drum part. 2.5 stars. "I've Just Seen a Face" is McCartney's 2nd best contribution to this disk, a happy love ditty that shows up on the US version of "Rubber Soul." I like the acoustic guitar and shuffle rhythm. The next song, "Yesterday" is the first Beatle solo tune, with Paul on vocals and guitar, with string accompaniment. Simple lyrics, but delivered with unforced emotion. Most would rank this in the top 10 of all Beatle songs. The most covered tune of all time. A staple of Japanese karaoke to this day. 5 stars. "Dizzy Miss Lizzie" is the usual rousing cover tune, probably culled from the Beatles' old performance list. Nice ringing guitar line, raw vocals by John and rocking, danceable beat.

This review applies to Sept 9, 2104 vinyl mono releases only. I've waited 35 years or more for new issues of pure analog Beatles on vinyl. No digital manipulation, or any manipulation, just music from original analog tapes to LP's. After years and years of disappointing digital releases and digitally modified vinyl, I thought this day would never come. I actually gave up buying music for a 20 year span. Based on listening to these new all analog mono LP's, I have found these Lp's have very little noise, if any, sound fantastic, and the pure analog sound is as good or better sounding than original Capital/EMI/Apple releases, in my opinion. No harsh compressed sound, no 2 dimensional sound, no digitally remastered sound transferred to vinyl, and no more dashed hopes in DVD Audio and SACD. These LP's sound fantastic. Like many Beatles fans, I grew up listening to them in the 60's. They made a violent and polarizing time in America more bearable. In the 60's, I bought and played their LP's until they were damaged beyond repair. I bought into digital music in the 80's only to find that it paled in comparison to pure analog. I should have bought more pure analog LP's while I had the chance, but, thought the medium was gone, whether I liked it or not. Finally I found vintage equipment (Sansui 6700 Receiver, Marantz Model 6300 Turntable, and JBL S312BE Speakers) and set out to spend mega money on EBAY for sealed analog LP's from the 60's and 70's. Unfortunately, many albums made in the 70's were made of cheap thin vinyl and were often warped or had defects/noise when new and right out of the package, but, I persevered and have a good collection of Beatles and other pure Analog LP's and some 45's. You don't have to spend Mega money, however, as these mono releases are superb in quality and sound. There is very little noise, often none between songs. The LP's are flat as they are 180 grams, and most importantly these LP's sound warm and beautiful. I just sat back, closed my eyes and let the music and harmonizing soothe my soul. I did not buy the box set for $375. I bought each individually. This along with a $40 reduction for applying for a credit card brought the total to about $250, and if you get a defective album, you can send it back instead of the whole box. Remember though, "Let it Be" and "Abbey Road" are not included in the box set as they were only made in stereo. Capital US releases like "The Beatles Again" and "Beatles 65" won't be there either, but, you will find those songs in these mono releases anyway. Thank you Apple/EMI/Optimal Media (Germany) for giving audiophiles what they've wanted for so many years. You did good.

If you want to hear the "Mop Tops" one last time, then listen to the first 7 songs from the "Help!" CD or in other words "Side one". Because then on "side 2" or the last 7 you have what is ahead of them, what I like to call the sweet side 1 and then "Side 2" the more intellectual side (except the covers), but even the sound track songs or not very simple, e.g. "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away". Btw, the first 7 were recorded between Feb,65 and April,65. The last 7 were recorded between May,65 and June,65. The song "Wait" was to be included on this "LP" but replaced with possibly one of the covers at the last minute, so it was held until "Rubber Soul". The titled song is Johns way of asking for assistance, John felt no one understood him and he felt insecure, The first time John would sing about this was in "I'm A Loser" future ones would be "Nowhere Man", you could probably even include "I'll Cry Instead" in the mix too, because its probably actually about him singing the "chip on his shoulder", John has said he mostly sang about himself, and he said Paul sang about others most of the time, (but not always). Pauls songs on the sound track are great, "The Night Before"(John on Electric Piano) and "Another Girl" (perhaps about Jane, was this Pauls Norwegian Wood? if it was its a little on the blunt side, or was it just filler)is some of Pauls excellent work from 65. Paul played lead guitar,plus Bass, (one of the two added later) on "Another girl", while John played acoustic and George played Rhythm guitar. "I've Just Seen A Face" Paul goes in his country mode, this style would not show up again until The "While Album" with "Rocky Raccoon" and much later on the solo LP "Ram" "Heart of the Country". And Paul does what is actually the first solo Beatle song, "Yesterday" what can be said about this classic that hasent already been said, even John was impressed. "You"re Going To Lose That Girl" is one of Lennons finest, Just as in "She Loves You" he is singing to the guy, when in fact he loves her also. Another great one on here is "Its Only Love"(perhaps one of the few songs about Cynthia) first generation and maybe even some 2nd generation fans may remember it on the U.S. Rubber Soul" it fit so nicely on there and seems out of place on this CD, but a great song, another song John did not like, he felt it was too sweet with very simple words, to the fans its mostly a favorite. You have the hits "Help!", "Ticket to Ride", and "Yesterday" on this CD, but actually any of these songs could have been a single. George still in the style of John and Paul mixed with his own "style", shows up 2 times on this CD, "You like Me Too Much" (using the word "Like" for a fresh change, instead of Love). "I Need You" (Great song) (about missing Patty his future wife at the time), is one of Georges best from 65, "Think For Yourself" coming in a close second. George did not find what would resemble "his Style" until "Rubber Soul", before that George kept them simple and sweet to please the Beatle sound. Though he would not completely step away from the Beatle sound until "Revlover" Ringo was going to sing "If You Got Troubles" (now on the Anthology 2) but they never could get it to their liking and tossed it for the cover "Act Naturally", Great Lead Guitar by George. They close it out in Mop Top style with the cover song "Dizzy Miss Lizzie", its even sung in Mop Top style with screams and all, the last cover for John with the Beatles for at least 4 years on the "Let It BE" movie cover songs. Either way its a win,win CD, you get the past, present and future in one. Its too good to not include in your Beatles library, buy and enjoy the Beatles last taste of Beatlemania on the "Help!" CD.

The "Joie de Vivre" of Beatlemania reaches it's peak on this LP. Released in the beginning of 1965 along with the film of the same name, by the end of the year The Beatles would make a leap forward in sound and lyrics with Rubber Soul and change Pop Music forever.

The music on this Classic Rock CD represents the latter end of The Beatles' "early period" (of their three musical eras). It's one of the better albums they ever produced. This music is mostly of the happy sort, upbeat, and easy to listen to. But don't let that fool you into thinking that these compositions are not intricate and innovative as well. These songs broke a LOT of new ground when they hit AM radio at the time of their initial release. I acquired this album (33 1/3 LP) when it first emerged in the record stores and always maintained a copy in the latest technology available... LP, 8-track (yikes!), cassette, and now CD. It never seemed to loose appeal for me even as newer [in retrospect] Classic Rock tunes evolved throughout the '60s and into the early '70s. My favorite cuts are "Help!" and "The Night Before". Of course, "Yesterday" was probably the biggest hit of them all and I liked that one as well. "Act Naturally" is a tongue-in-cheek, comic relief rendering (sorry, Buck Owens!) by the always-loveable Ringo Starr. These songs are taken from The Beatles' film "Help!" which I never actually saw until years after hearing the film's soundtrack. It's sort of a funny, goofy flick that I enjoyed when I finally did get to view it but, commercially, I don't think it garnered much Kudos beyond the fans of The Beatles. If you're a Classic Rock enthusiast, (present at Woodstock or not!), you won't get hurt on this one -- the tunes are as superb today as they were in 1965.

Nearly 50 years ago, we were all young and waiting for the next Beatles record...But for some of us who were born in the 60's that came in during the wave....we were too young to go to the concerts....on into the 70's we collected what we could. Every new album was a delight, an experience that is forever captured in our memories...something was different. The music was new. Life was new...we had no responsibilities...our parents were nagged "buy this buy this!!" and the 4.99 vinyl was all mine....Now that was wonderful...now we relive those moments in digital clarity...no scratches...wonderful. This album will delight anyone who loves melodious real music with heart, determination, and creativity. What can be said about John Lennon's Help!...as he put it, it was biographic...he felt what he was writing or should I say righting ....He just needed the Truth-just give me some truth!!..(John 8:32)...such a bouncy bright tune about gloom...what a writer. EVERY SONG is great!...how many albums can you say that about today and now having the BRITISH catalog...the way they wanted us to hear them released...hearing YESTERDAY in its setting......EVERY SONG A CLASSIC....You will love every one of them....we played the vinyl till the needle wore out...what a time awaits those who will listen...a splendid time...refreshing. To never see the Beatles reunite was disappointing, but we can use our minds and "imagine"...There will never be another like them-NEVER. The remaster is wonderful. Musicians will love the sound of Paul's bass lines, Ringo's unique drumming and guitars of John and George in full clarity...LOVE IT!

Good quality.

Muy buenoMuy bueno