Last night's episode was another example of a solid, if not remarkable, episode. The show continues to delve deeper into developing its characters (something Harmon is much better at than his substitutes from last season) and, while I appreciate character growth as much as the next guy, I just don't feel the show manages to be as funny as it used to be.
Is this just an adjustment to the loss of the comedic genius that was Donald Glover? Perhaps. The writers had made it common practice to end scenes by simply writing, "and then Donald does something funny." Which leads me to another problem that stems from Troy's absence: what do we do with Abed? It seems the answer is to try pairing him up with other cast mates to serve as his foil.
In this episode, it was Jonathan Bank's Professor Buzz Hickey. After Abed destroys some of his prized duck cartoons, Hickey chains him to a file cabinet so that he will miss a screen of the Kick-Puncher reboot. The scenario ultimately leads to us seeing a softer side of the grizzled Hickey and an unlikely bonding (predicted by Abed earlier in the episode) between the mismatched pair. Predictable? Maybe. But, then again, hasn't that always been at the heart of Community?
I have long questioned whether or not Community should be excused for its use of cliche since it is often the first to call itself out for its own use of cliches; the show has always been about deconstructing popular tropes and, since it is a sit-com, the tropes most commonly addressed are those associated with the sit-com.
The show has always toyed with the "will they/won't they" dynamic of the Jeff/Britta relationship and, while that has been on the sidelines for the last couple of seasons, this episode managed to both rekindle that relationship as well as begin to explore, for the first time really, the friendship between Jeff Winger and John Oliver's Professor Ian Duncan (a friendship that we have known about since the very first episode). Does this mean that Oliver will now become a more integral member of the cast? If so, I'm all for it.
How these latest developments will play out remains to be seen but, thus far, this season has failed to impress me. At the same time, it hasn't exactly been bad either; here's to hoping that, as usual, they're saving the best material for this season's home stretch.
Friday, February 28, 2014
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Mutantville discuss the prospects for Episode VII...
I have no bloggings but my friend Jamie "Streebo" McRoberts and his friends from Mutantville Productions had a great podcast about the possible future for Episode VII.
Sunday, February 9, 2014
10 Lesser Known Beatles Tunes That I Love
To most Beatles fans, these songs are hardly unknown, but to the general population or the casual Beatles fan, they are rarely the first to come to mind.
"Hey Bulldog" - Recorded during the same session as "Lady Madonna" just before the band embarked on its retreat to learn transcendental meditation with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, it's often cited as the last time the band was truly a cohesive unit in the studio; from here on out, they would, more or less, become studio musicians on each others recordings. It's a great straightforward rock number. I was a Beatles fan for years before finally hearing it; it is only available on the soundtrack to Yellow Submarine. From Yellow Submarine
"If I Needed Someone"
The first great George Harrison song. While George didn't manage an A-side to a single until "Something", this track proves he could have done it much sooner. From Rubber Soul
"I'm Happy Just To Dance With You" - Speaking of George songs, this Lennon/McCartney composition was his vocal contribution to A Had Day's Night. It's hardly unknown, but in the era of "She Loves You", "I Want to Hold Your Hand", "A Hard Day's Night", "Twist and Shout", "Should Have Known Better" and "Can't Buy Me Love" it often gets lost in the shuffle. It's a lovely little tune with a sweet melody and beautiful minor chord progressions. An absolute classic. From A Hard Day's Night
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (Acoustic Version) - While the electric version from The White Album featuring Eric Clapton on lead guitar is known by most, this simple acoustic version blows it away in its delicate beauty. It is available in two versions: the first is from Anthology 3 and features acoustic guitar and organ, the second is from Love, the soundtrack to the band's Cirque De Soleil Vegas show, and replaces the organ part with overdubbed strings. Either is lovely. From Anthology 3 or Love
"I'm Down"- The B-side to "Help!", "I'm Down" would become the band's closer for most of 1965; it was their answer to "Long Tall Sally" which, until that point, had been their encore to end all encores. The Shea Stadium performance is one of my favorite Rock and Roll moments. From Past Masters
"I've Just Seen a Face"- Originally available on Help! and, in the US, on Rubber Soul, "I've Just Seen a Face" was a brilliant acoustic romp that opens with a showcase of the bands 'guitar picking' abilities in a display that is both a little bit bluegrass and a little bit flamenco. The bouncy folk-country is a prime example of 'The Beatles Unplugged'; in fact, when Paul McCartney performed on Unplugged in the early 90's, it was a highlight of the show. From Help!
"Things We Said Today"- I've always loved this one. It always felt ahead of its time to me--- it felt just as fresh in the early 90's to me as anything else I was listening to at the time. From A Hard Day's Night
"One After 909"- Originally, this song didn't see release until the Let It Be album; however, I have always preferred the version released on Anthology 1 that was recorded during the band's early years. They were actually a much tighter unit at that point than they would be by 1969. From Anthology 1
"I've Got a Feeling"- One of the songs other than "Let it Be" that I really love from the Let It Be album, this probably the last true Lennon/McCartney collaboration in that they, ultimately, fused two of their songs together to make this one. Even then, it just seems likely that Lennon's "Everybody had a hard year" bit was tacked on to a mostly finished McCartney song. From Let It Be
"Some Other Guy" - Not an original tune but one that the band certainly made their own. Oddly enough, it didn't see any kind of official release until Live at the BBC in 1994. It was a key part of the band's early live act and a clip of the band performing the song circa 1962 was the first real video of the band. From Live at the BBC
"Hey Bulldog" - Recorded during the same session as "Lady Madonna" just before the band embarked on its retreat to learn transcendental meditation with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, it's often cited as the last time the band was truly a cohesive unit in the studio; from here on out, they would, more or less, become studio musicians on each others recordings. It's a great straightforward rock number. I was a Beatles fan for years before finally hearing it; it is only available on the soundtrack to Yellow Submarine. From Yellow Submarine
"If I Needed Someone"
The first great George Harrison song. While George didn't manage an A-side to a single until "Something", this track proves he could have done it much sooner. From Rubber Soul
"I'm Happy Just To Dance With You" - Speaking of George songs, this Lennon/McCartney composition was his vocal contribution to A Had Day's Night. It's hardly unknown, but in the era of "She Loves You", "I Want to Hold Your Hand", "A Hard Day's Night", "Twist and Shout", "Should Have Known Better" and "Can't Buy Me Love" it often gets lost in the shuffle. It's a lovely little tune with a sweet melody and beautiful minor chord progressions. An absolute classic. From A Hard Day's Night
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (Acoustic Version) - While the electric version from The White Album featuring Eric Clapton on lead guitar is known by most, this simple acoustic version blows it away in its delicate beauty. It is available in two versions: the first is from Anthology 3 and features acoustic guitar and organ, the second is from Love, the soundtrack to the band's Cirque De Soleil Vegas show, and replaces the organ part with overdubbed strings. Either is lovely. From Anthology 3 or Love
"I'm Down"- The B-side to "Help!", "I'm Down" would become the band's closer for most of 1965; it was their answer to "Long Tall Sally" which, until that point, had been their encore to end all encores. The Shea Stadium performance is one of my favorite Rock and Roll moments. From Past Masters
"I've Just Seen a Face"- Originally available on Help! and, in the US, on Rubber Soul, "I've Just Seen a Face" was a brilliant acoustic romp that opens with a showcase of the bands 'guitar picking' abilities in a display that is both a little bit bluegrass and a little bit flamenco. The bouncy folk-country is a prime example of 'The Beatles Unplugged'; in fact, when Paul McCartney performed on Unplugged in the early 90's, it was a highlight of the show. From Help!
"Things We Said Today"- I've always loved this one. It always felt ahead of its time to me--- it felt just as fresh in the early 90's to me as anything else I was listening to at the time. From A Hard Day's Night
"One After 909"- Originally, this song didn't see release until the Let It Be album; however, I have always preferred the version released on Anthology 1 that was recorded during the band's early years. They were actually a much tighter unit at that point than they would be by 1969. From Anthology 1
"I've Got a Feeling"- One of the songs other than "Let it Be" that I really love from the Let It Be album, this probably the last true Lennon/McCartney collaboration in that they, ultimately, fused two of their songs together to make this one. Even then, it just seems likely that Lennon's "Everybody had a hard year" bit was tacked on to a mostly finished McCartney song. From Let It Be
"Some Other Guy" - Not an original tune but one that the band certainly made their own. Oddly enough, it didn't see any kind of official release until Live at the BBC in 1994. It was a key part of the band's early live act and a clip of the band performing the song circa 1962 was the first real video of the band. From Live at the BBC
Saturday, February 8, 2014
Scott's Favorite Beatles Songs
I have a playlist on my iTunes entitled 'BeatlesBest' which currently contains 87 songs; so, it is safe to say, that the task of narrowing down my favorite Beatles tunes to any sort of top 10 is challenging to say the least. Ranking them, on the other hand, would be nearly impossible. So, in no particular order, here are my 10 favorite Beatles songs.
"She Loves You"- I go back and forth about whether I like this or "I Want to Hold Your Hand" more; I love the way it starts with a drum fill--- almost like joining the song en medias res.
"I Want to Hold Your Hand"- It might be the first great Beatles tune; in any case, it was the one that broke them in the states.
"Helter Skelter"- It was the progenitor of everything from heavy metal to punk rock to Nirvana (It was a wasted opportunity that Paul McCartney never played this tune with the surviving members of Nirvana in any of their live appearances together)
"We Can Work It Out" - I love this one because it is so clearly a Lennon/McCartney collaboration (Paul the Verse, John the Bridge), each one's contribution serving to counterbalances the other.
"Paperback Writer" - People think I like this one because I fancy myself a writer from time to time, but my reasons are completely musical; not only are the harmonies amazing, but this song ROCKS! The proto-metal guitars are coupled with one of McCartney's most mercurial bass lines to create what is probably their hardest rocking tune next to "Helter Skelter".
"A Hard Day's Night" - Another great John/Paul collaboration; John on the verses, Paul on the middle-eight. I love that great crashing chord at the beginning. It's just a quintessential early Beatles track.
"Back In the USSR" - I can't really intellectualize my love for this one; it's just a great rock song (remember, what I love most about the Beatles is that, at the end of the day, they were a ROCK band).
"Help!"- I've always loved the melody on this one. Then, how all the parts work together: the verse with the backing vocals and the use of the minor chords in the chorus... classic Lennon/McCartney.
"A Day In The Life" - This is really their masterpiece; the finale to Sgt. Pepper's, it is one of the final true Lennon/McCartney collaborations (by the mid-sixties, most songs were either written by one or the other with a sort of stamp of approval from the other). Lyrically, musically, it is probably their finest achievement as a unit.
"Tomorrow Never Knows"- Probably their most innovative and experimental song that is still palatable ("Revolution No. 9" is NOT palatable... unless you are a masochist of some sort). Love the drums on this song. Anyone who thinks Ringo has no value as a drummer should listen to this song. It's not that he does something that no one else can do, it's the character that he brings to what he does.
"She Loves You"- I go back and forth about whether I like this or "I Want to Hold Your Hand" more; I love the way it starts with a drum fill--- almost like joining the song en medias res.
"I Want to Hold Your Hand"- It might be the first great Beatles tune; in any case, it was the one that broke them in the states.
"Helter Skelter"- It was the progenitor of everything from heavy metal to punk rock to Nirvana (It was a wasted opportunity that Paul McCartney never played this tune with the surviving members of Nirvana in any of their live appearances together)
"We Can Work It Out" - I love this one because it is so clearly a Lennon/McCartney collaboration (Paul the Verse, John the Bridge), each one's contribution serving to counterbalances the other.
"Paperback Writer" - People think I like this one because I fancy myself a writer from time to time, but my reasons are completely musical; not only are the harmonies amazing, but this song ROCKS! The proto-metal guitars are coupled with one of McCartney's most mercurial bass lines to create what is probably their hardest rocking tune next to "Helter Skelter".
"A Hard Day's Night" - Another great John/Paul collaboration; John on the verses, Paul on the middle-eight. I love that great crashing chord at the beginning. It's just a quintessential early Beatles track.
"Back In the USSR" - I can't really intellectualize my love for this one; it's just a great rock song (remember, what I love most about the Beatles is that, at the end of the day, they were a ROCK band).
"Help!"- I've always loved the melody on this one. Then, how all the parts work together: the verse with the backing vocals and the use of the minor chords in the chorus... classic Lennon/McCartney.
"A Day In The Life" - This is really their masterpiece; the finale to Sgt. Pepper's, it is one of the final true Lennon/McCartney collaborations (by the mid-sixties, most songs were either written by one or the other with a sort of stamp of approval from the other). Lyrically, musically, it is probably their finest achievement as a unit.
"Tomorrow Never Knows"- Probably their most innovative and experimental song that is still palatable ("Revolution No. 9" is NOT palatable... unless you are a masochist of some sort). Love the drums on this song. Anyone who thinks Ringo has no value as a drummer should listen to this song. It's not that he does something that no one else can do, it's the character that he brings to what he does.
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Scott's Guide to Beatles Albums
This is, by no means, an objective list. These are simply the Beatles albums (using the UK releases as a standard) ranked from least to most favorite:
12. Magical Mystery Tour -While this list isn't objective, this is probably the one that most others would agree is their worst effort. It is, in fact, not even an album but a collection of singles and an EP from the failed Magical Mystery Tour TV movie. Strangely, the album does include two of their most important works: "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane", A and B side of the single that would ultimately lay the foundation for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. However, it also contains their worst single, "Hello, Goodbye"--- but that's backed with the brilliant "I am the Walrus"--- this collection is truly hit and miss.
11. Let It Be - While not terrible by any means, Let It Be was recorded when the band was falling apart and you can sense that on the album. The release of Let it Be...Naked a few years back was a little more coherent, but, still, doesn't quite come together... no pun intended. However, the album version of "Let it Be" > than single version.
10. Beatles For Sale- Again, this is by no means a terrible record. "No Reply" and "I'm a Loser" were both great leaps forward for the band, as was "Eight Days a Week". However, much of the album was a step back, not only to the "Rock and Roll" covers of their earlier albums (the preceding album, A Hard Day's Night had been composed of all Lennon-McCartney originals) but also original material that was more derivative of early rock. This trend was also present (although to much greater success) with the band's most recent single ("I Feel Fine"/"She's A Woman"). I suppose today this might be seen as a "return to their roots" sort of move.
9. Please Please Me- Their first album. I have to say I learned to appreciate this one a lot more after the 2009 remaster. This and With The Beatles probably benefit more than any of the other recordings from the update. It is quite a charming album, however, it doesn't quite have the energy there that would eventually make them great. However, "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Twist and Shout" are probably two of the greatest rock performances ever committed to record.
8.With the Beatles- Here, the band takes a step closer towards their signature sound (or at least the signature sound of the bands' early era). It packs a bit more of a punch than Please Please Me, the covers rock harder and the originals are more original. Altered slightly, this would, of course, become Meet the Beatles in the states (see this month's Album of the Month).
7. Help!- My favorite Beatles' era is their 'middle-period' and that period begins in earnest with this album. "Help!" is one of my favorite songs and "Ticket to Ride" was probably the most unique thing they had recorded at that point. Rubber Soul is my favorite Beatles' album and it actually starts on the second half of Help! In fact, "I've Just Seen a Face" was even used to open the original US version; in fact, tunes like "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" and "Yesterday" would make more sense on Rubber Soul than they do here.
6. Abbey Road- This was the band's 'one more for the road' album--- after the disaster that was the sessions for Let It Be the band came together to make one last great album and, for the most part, I think they succeeded.
5. Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band- So much has been written about this album by much more knowledgeable and credible individuals than myself. I will just say that it is perfectly deserving of the title of 'Greatest Rock Album of All Time' (a title also bestowed on Revolver from time to time). I'll just say that it's not quite my favorite because my admiration for it as a technical achievement is slightly greater than my admiration for its songs.
4. A Hard Day's Night- I'm planning on doing a more in depth analysis of this later in the year so, for the time being, I'll just say that, for me, this was where the 'early Beatles' sound was most perfectly crystallized. This, coupled with the film of the same name, are a perfect time capsule of the era of 'Beatlemania'.
3. The White Album- Initially, this album received some of the most mixed reviews of the band's career. Admittedly, it can be a difficult album. It's a bit of a mess if not somewhat schizophrenic. But that's why I love it--- it was the Beatles doing everything that they had ever done all on one album. It was a band growing apart but not yet falling apart. There may be more diverse albums out there but none are as palatable as The Beatles (as it is properly titled).
2. Revolver- Narrowly edged out of the top spot by Rubber Soul, Revolver finds the band pushing boundaries in the studio while, at the same time, keeping their feet in a firm foundation of guitar, bass, and drums. Unlike much of Sgt. Pepper, many of the songs from this album could still, more or less, be performed live by the band as a four piece. So, while it raised the bar artistically, it still managed to rock pretty hard, too. Also, Paul's raga-style guitar leads are brain-melting!
1. Rubber Soul- Two factors contribute to this being my favorite album. First of all, even more than Revolver, Rubber Soul is a guitar rock album; every song on here could easily be performed live. Secondly, while I find I like Revolver, as a whole, a little better, it is definitely a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Individually, I like my favorite songs on Rubber Soul just a bit more than my favorite Revolver tunes. In any case, it's a tough call between these two.
Other Collections and Recordings:
Past Masters - Originally available as Vol. 1 (1962-1965) and Vol. 2 (1966-1970), today it is usually sold as a single collection. This collects all of the band's non-album singles and EP tracks. As a result, it serves as a sort of Greatest Hits collection. If I had to list my 10 favorite Beatles songs, half of them would probably come from this collection.
The Anthology 1, 2, and 3 - I'm not sure if this is appealing to those aren't complete Beatles fanatics, but it does collect some brilliant early live performances, out takes, and, in particular during the studio era, radically different versions of songs. I actually favor the acoustic version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" to the full band version with Eric Clapton. It is a fascinating look into the band's evolution.
Live at the BBC Vols. 1 & 2- I covered these in greater detail here but these serve as an excellent document to what the Beatles always were at the end of the day: a great little rock band.
12. Magical Mystery Tour -While this list isn't objective, this is probably the one that most others would agree is their worst effort. It is, in fact, not even an album but a collection of singles and an EP from the failed Magical Mystery Tour TV movie. Strangely, the album does include two of their most important works: "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane", A and B side of the single that would ultimately lay the foundation for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. However, it also contains their worst single, "Hello, Goodbye"--- but that's backed with the brilliant "I am the Walrus"--- this collection is truly hit and miss.
11. Let It Be - While not terrible by any means, Let It Be was recorded when the band was falling apart and you can sense that on the album. The release of Let it Be...Naked a few years back was a little more coherent, but, still, doesn't quite come together... no pun intended. However, the album version of "Let it Be" > than single version.
10. Beatles For Sale- Again, this is by no means a terrible record. "No Reply" and "I'm a Loser" were both great leaps forward for the band, as was "Eight Days a Week". However, much of the album was a step back, not only to the "Rock and Roll" covers of their earlier albums (the preceding album, A Hard Day's Night had been composed of all Lennon-McCartney originals) but also original material that was more derivative of early rock. This trend was also present (although to much greater success) with the band's most recent single ("I Feel Fine"/"She's A Woman"). I suppose today this might be seen as a "return to their roots" sort of move.
9. Please Please Me- Their first album. I have to say I learned to appreciate this one a lot more after the 2009 remaster. This and With The Beatles probably benefit more than any of the other recordings from the update. It is quite a charming album, however, it doesn't quite have the energy there that would eventually make them great. However, "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Twist and Shout" are probably two of the greatest rock performances ever committed to record.
8.With the Beatles- Here, the band takes a step closer towards their signature sound (or at least the signature sound of the bands' early era). It packs a bit more of a punch than Please Please Me, the covers rock harder and the originals are more original. Altered slightly, this would, of course, become Meet the Beatles in the states (see this month's Album of the Month).
7. Help!- My favorite Beatles' era is their 'middle-period' and that period begins in earnest with this album. "Help!" is one of my favorite songs and "Ticket to Ride" was probably the most unique thing they had recorded at that point. Rubber Soul is my favorite Beatles' album and it actually starts on the second half of Help! In fact, "I've Just Seen a Face" was even used to open the original US version; in fact, tunes like "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away" and "Yesterday" would make more sense on Rubber Soul than they do here.
6. Abbey Road- This was the band's 'one more for the road' album--- after the disaster that was the sessions for Let It Be the band came together to make one last great album and, for the most part, I think they succeeded.
5. Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band- So much has been written about this album by much more knowledgeable and credible individuals than myself. I will just say that it is perfectly deserving of the title of 'Greatest Rock Album of All Time' (a title also bestowed on Revolver from time to time). I'll just say that it's not quite my favorite because my admiration for it as a technical achievement is slightly greater than my admiration for its songs.
4. A Hard Day's Night- I'm planning on doing a more in depth analysis of this later in the year so, for the time being, I'll just say that, for me, this was where the 'early Beatles' sound was most perfectly crystallized. This, coupled with the film of the same name, are a perfect time capsule of the era of 'Beatlemania'.
3. The White Album- Initially, this album received some of the most mixed reviews of the band's career. Admittedly, it can be a difficult album. It's a bit of a mess if not somewhat schizophrenic. But that's why I love it--- it was the Beatles doing everything that they had ever done all on one album. It was a band growing apart but not yet falling apart. There may be more diverse albums out there but none are as palatable as The Beatles (as it is properly titled).
2. Revolver- Narrowly edged out of the top spot by Rubber Soul, Revolver finds the band pushing boundaries in the studio while, at the same time, keeping their feet in a firm foundation of guitar, bass, and drums. Unlike much of Sgt. Pepper, many of the songs from this album could still, more or less, be performed live by the band as a four piece. So, while it raised the bar artistically, it still managed to rock pretty hard, too. Also, Paul's raga-style guitar leads are brain-melting!
1. Rubber Soul- Two factors contribute to this being my favorite album. First of all, even more than Revolver, Rubber Soul is a guitar rock album; every song on here could easily be performed live. Secondly, while I find I like Revolver, as a whole, a little better, it is definitely a case of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Individually, I like my favorite songs on Rubber Soul just a bit more than my favorite Revolver tunes. In any case, it's a tough call between these two.Other Collections and Recordings:
Past Masters - Originally available as Vol. 1 (1962-1965) and Vol. 2 (1966-1970), today it is usually sold as a single collection. This collects all of the band's non-album singles and EP tracks. As a result, it serves as a sort of Greatest Hits collection. If I had to list my 10 favorite Beatles songs, half of them would probably come from this collection.
The Anthology 1, 2, and 3 - I'm not sure if this is appealing to those aren't complete Beatles fanatics, but it does collect some brilliant early live performances, out takes, and, in particular during the studio era, radically different versions of songs. I actually favor the acoustic version of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" to the full band version with Eric Clapton. It is a fascinating look into the band's evolution.
Live at the BBC Vols. 1 & 2- I covered these in greater detail here but these serve as an excellent document to what the Beatles always were at the end of the day: a great little rock band.
Saturday, February 1, 2014
February's Album of the Month: Meet the Beatles
Well, here it is... the big bang! The very source from which all I love about music is drawn; ladies and gentlemen: The Beatles! This month will be the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' appearance on Ed Sullivan and what was, quite possibly, the most significant event in popular music in the second half of the Twentieth-Century... hell, I'll just say it, the most significant event in popular music in the entire Twentieth-Century. So, in honor of that, this month's album of the month will be the band's breakthrough album in the US, Meet the Beatles. Meet the Beatles is not my favorite Beatles album (that would be Rubber Soul); it's not even my favorite early Beatles album (that would be A Hard Day's Night) but, in terms of what it represents in terms of cultural impact, it is perhaps their most important album. Until very recently, I actually didn't own this album--- at least not in a hard copy form. My parents were not Beatlemaniacs, so I grew up with the Beatles on CD and the CD releases were the original UK versions of the albums and, in the UK, Meet the Beatles did not exists.... well, sort of.
Meet the Beatles is actually the American version of their second album, With the Beatles. However, there are a few significant changes that make the American version the more compelling musical artifact. First of all, the album was stripped of all of its early rock and Motown covers (Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven", "Please Mr. Postman", "Money (That's What I Want)", "Devil in her Heart"). This left Broadway ballad, "Til There Was You", as the only unoriginal work on the album. Then, the one-two punch of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "I Saw Her Standing There" were inserted as the album's opening assault (which were the A and B side respectively of the band's first big stateside hit).
The result was an album composed almost entirely of original numbers (and, in the case, of "Til There Was You" a very original arrangement) that was perfect for showcasing just how the band was already redefining popular music. All but one of these originals was, of course, the product of the Lennon/McCartney songwriting team that, over the next 6 years, would produce nearly 200 songs (the album also features George Harrison's first songwriting effort "Don't Bother Me"). The liner notes to the original album state, "It isn't rhythm and blues. It isn't exactly rock 'n' roll. It's their own special sound, or, as group leader Lennon puts it, 'Our music is just --- well, our music' ". And that, very succinctly, sums up the importance of what the Beatles were doing musically, even very early on; they took everything from the popular music of the previous decade, Rock 'N' Roll, Country and Western, Motown, Soul, Doo-Wop, Rhythm and Blues, traditional Pop and Jazz, and the fused it into their own unique sound. They had the guitars from rock and roll, the vocal harmonies of the Motown and soul groups, the rhythm of rhythm and blues, and the song writing chops of the great pop songsmiths. The result was they didn't quite sound like anything else that had come before. Sure, one track might evoke the Everly Brothers, another Little Richard or Buddy Holly, but rarely did anyone bring all of these styles together. It was a sound that would come to define what popular music would sound like over the next couple of decades.
Admittedly, they hadn't quite perfected their early sound yet (that would come a little later in the year on A Hard Day's Night) but the first hints are here. And there is no more obvious example of this than "I Want to Hold Your Hand", the band's first truly great record. It's opening guitar assault is pure rock, with a romantic pop middle eight and chorus that soars to the heavens. It might very well be the most important two and a half minutes in pop music history. And then, to follow that with "I Saw Her Standing There", a barn burner whose opening line is "She was just seventeen and you know what I mean"... Seriously? How did they get away with that in 1964?
This was, of course, just the opening salvo in what would become a full frontal assault of British rock bands over the next few years: The Kinks, The Who, The Stones. Then, there would be the counter assault: countless American garage bands, Dylan would go electric. Suddenly, it wasn't Rock 'N' Roll anymore it was just simply Rock, and it was upon that rock that I have built the foundations of my own musical preferences. And, in the end, it can all be traced back to this moment and this band--- at the end of the day, what is this album? It is a collection of catchy, electric guitar driven Pop and, more than anything else, that will always be the music that I love more than anything.
Key Tracks: ALL OF THEM! ... but especially "I Want to Hold Your Hand", "I Saw Her Standing There", "All My Loving" "It Won't Be Long", "All I've Got To Do", "This Boy"
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