Best of the Beatles: Beatles for Sale

[JKellyMap]

Scabpicker, thanks for that!

And, TreacherousCretin, I despise you.

[JRDelirious]

@DChord568

It’s true that, taken as a whole, Beatles for Sale may be among their weakest albums overall. But I think much of this is down to the high percentage of covers. And their presence was a matter of practicality far more so than choice. The whirlwind that was The Beatles’ lives in 1964 left little time for composing an adequate number of new originals, so they fell back on their Hamburg repertoire to a great extent.

Combining the hellacious road tour schedule immediately past the release of A Hard Day’s Night with an interval of only 5 months between that album’s release and this one, as opposed to the 7 that had separated the previous ones (and the 8 that would pass before Help!), this result is no surprise at all.

I went with I’m a Loser for Lennon’s uptake of Dylan influences and movement in the direction of self-reflection, without losing their early rocking edge.

Many have also slagged “Rock and Roll Music,” but I feel about it the way I do about “Mr. Moonlight” — I would be happy to listen to John Lennon sing the phone book. For a song Lennon had sung hundreds and hundreds of times by the time they recorded it, he still invests it with energy and passion.

And Rock and Roll Music was on the stage set all the way at the final road concert at Candlestick Park in '66 (as was Paul’s version of Long Tall Sally).

[K364]

@DChord568

Although I love The Beatles (almost too tame a way to put it) and can talk about them endlessly, I haven’t participated in these threads because I disagree with the premise of them — it is impossible to pick one “best” song from their albums…and furthermore, it’s unnecessary. I don’t believe in “contests” in music (or any art form), and I see no point in pitting greatness against greatness in an effort to find some sort of winner.

Nevertheless, I had to peek into this thread because Beatles for Sale contains a Beatles song I dearly love that never seems to get much notice. And I’m chuffed to see that some posters have mentioned “Every Little Thing” favorably.

I’ve loved this song ever since the days of Beatles VI. There’s something about the overall sound of it (12-string, but a different sounding one than on any others Beatles track, leading some to conclude that it’s played by John rather than George) that just moves me.

“Every Little Thing” is most unusual in that, by all accounts, it’s primarily a Paul composition, but he and John sing the verses in unison, and John’s voice is much higher in the mix. Thus, there’s a sincerity to it that somehow goes beyond the typical boy-girl songs of the earlier Beatles era, and despite what we know, I still can’t help thinking of it as more of a John song.

Anyway, carry on! Thanks to those who’ve posted about it.

Well said DChord568