Me again.
Revolver
“Taxman” Great start to this album. Seriously kickass guitar work, with some impressive lead vocals by George Harrison. Also loved the sardonic lyrics.
“Eleanor Rigby” The string octet, and especially the violin throughout, was haunting, strident and heartbreaking. The lyrics were amazingly solemn, and the vocals were perfection. Had to listen to it a few times because I was so blown away.
“Love You To” I loved that the personality of the band shone through despite using very different instruments than what they were used to. Vocals were great, and instrumentation was excellent. I love how it kind of picks up speed towards the end, then fades on out.
“Here, There and Everywhere” The lyrics were very sweet, and I liked the guitar; the vocals were honestly a little bit weak, I thought. Just a little too soft and cloying for my taste.
“Yellow Submarine” Liked this one; the simple sound was an interesting contrast from the rest of the album. The acoustic guitar was especially nice.
“She Said She Said” This was evocative of some of their earlier songs, with Lennon on lead vocals. The guitar and drum work was really great.
“Good Day Sunshine” I liked the piano, but this one really wasn’t anything special.
“For No One” Loved the sound of this one, especially the piano and the French horn. The lyrics were poignant and fresh; McCartney is a damn great songwriter.
“I Want To Tell You” Eh. The piano was a little bit ponderous, and the vocals weren’t really anything special.
“Got to Get You into My Life” Again, nothing special, but I liked the horns.
“Tomorrow Never Knows” This was so different than anything I’ve heard before. The effect of the tape loops and the somewhat distorted vocals was interesting, and I even liked the drum work.
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” Love the opening guitar and the horn quartet. The overall sound of the song was so rocking.
“With a Little Help from My Friends” Didn’t care for the lead vocals on this one, but the backing vocals were pretty good. The last note was great, as was the piano.
“"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” The lyrics were wonderfully bizarre, and I loved the vocals. Also loved the arrangement; the best part is directly after “look for the girl with the sun in her eyes and she’s gone…” when there are three drumbeats, and then they just start belting it out. That short little segment just gives me chills.
“Getting Better” I liked the vocals, but didn’t care for the guitar. It was just a little too shrill for me.
“Fixing a Hole” Great vocal work, especially the “ooh” backing. Nice guitar work as well.
“She’s Leaving Home” I liked the dreamy vocals, and the lyrics were just heartrending. Very different from most pop songs I’ve heard.
“Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite!” Vocals were great, but the arrangement, especially at the end, was a little bit needlessly complicated.
“Within You, Without You” These guys have come a long way from “Please, Please Me”, haven’t they? I don’t even know what to say about this song, except that the arrangement was fresh and exciting; it’s easy to see that George Harrison put his whole heart into this. Oh, and the lyrics were magnificent.
“When I’m 64” This one was annoying and cheesy as hell. The clarinets gave the song an overly simplistic sound that I really didn’t care for.
“Lovely Rita” The piano was very fun on this one, and the whole arrangement had a great sound.
“Good Morning Good Morning” Liked the drums on this one, but everything else was a little too harsh and shrill for me to enjoy.
“Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" Loved the guitar and the faster vocals.
“A Day in the Life” I like this song even better now that I’m more familiar with how the Beatles have progressed over time. Vocals were unbelievable, and the drums and piano were out of this world. Also loved the fact that it had both John and Paul singing separate parts.
Magical Mystery Tour
“Magical Mystery Tour” Good start to the album. Loved the trumpets and the somewhat shrill vocals.
“The Fool on the Hill” The lyrics were great on this one, as were the flutes and vocals.
“Flying” The first minute of this song was simply amazing; some of the best guitar work I’ve heard in a long time. Loved the fact that hardly any vocals were needed. The tape effects at the end were a little bit pointless, though.
“Blue Jay Way” This was an interesting song; I liked the fact that it wasn’t entirely coherent, but still worth listening to. It got a little bit annoying and repetitive at the end.
“Your Mother Should Know" Liked the piano and the very smooth vocals; it was much more reminiscent of their early work.
“I Am the Walrus" I’ve heard this one quite a few times before, and it remains one of my favorite songs. The lyrics and wordplay are so clever and fun, even though they don’t make any sense. The vocals had a certain quality to them that brought the whole complicated arrangement together. The whole song felt like getting lost in some unknown but beautiful wilderness; and yet there was that one familiar element that took away your uncertainty and let you enjoy the whole ride.
“Hello Goodbye" Really liked this one; the guitar and vocals were clear and just so beautiful. Very fun song.
“Strawberry Fields Forever” Actually didn’t care for this one. The drums and vocals had a distorted, slow, arduous sound that wasn’t all that great to listen to.
“Penny Lane" This was a nice, lighter song; the instrumentation and vocals were great.
“Baby You’re a Rich Man” The guitar and vocals were great on this one; it had a very unique sound.
“All You Need Is Love” This song made me cry. The lead vocals from John were so beautiful, and the message of the song came out so clearly. It wasn’t my favorite in terms of instrumentation, but it was still great.
The White Album
“Back in the U.S.S.R.” This one was pretty fun; very different from what they’ve been doing up until now. I realize it was kind of a tribute/parody of “Back in the USA” and “California Girls”.
“Dear Prudence” Really loved this one. The lyrics were very beautiful and meaningful. It’s interesting that the girl was named “Prudence”, in that it could be referring to the specific girl, or to anyone who is too prudent or cautious for their own good. The band seems to be advising both the girl herself and the world in general not to let fear or worry hold them back. And of course, the vocals and the arrangement (especially the way it speeds up towards the end) were amazing.
“Glass Onion” Another really great one. Vocals and guitar matched the heavy tone perfectly.
“Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” Very catchy and fun; loved the piano. Interesting to see the difference between this style of song and that of “Glass Onion”. It’s starting to show that John and Paul are interested in very different styles of music at this point.
“Wild Honey Pie” This was a weird song. Didn’t really care for the vocals or guitar.
“The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill” Liked the guitar and vocals, but it got a little repetitive towards the end.
“While My Guitar Gently Weeps” Completely amazing guitar work; vocals and lyrics were fantastic.
“Happiness Is a Warm Gun” Absolutely stunning song. The guitar solo is one of the best I’ve ever heard, and the whole song is just full of unbridled, rough passion.
“Martha My Dear” Eh, a little too cheesy for me, but I liked the trumpets.
“I’m So Tired” Really loved this one. The slow, sad, raw, yearning vocals were fantastic, as was the guitar.
“Blackbird” It’s hard to describe how beautiful this song was the first time I heard it. The lyrics were simply amazing and almost brought me to tears. The sweet, simple guitar was wonderful. Whole song just gave me chills.
“Piggies” Interesting song. Liked the grand sound of the harpsichord, and the lyrics made me laugh.
“Rocky Raccoon” Really liked the guitar and bass, and it was a fun song.
“Don’t Pass Me By” Liked the violin, but I really don’t care for Ringo’s vocals.
“Why Don’t We Do It in the Road?” The opening drum section was fantastic, and I loved Paul’s unbridled vocals. Very fun and cool song.
“I Will” Eh, vocals were sweet, but the instrumentation was a little bit uninspired.
“Julia” Very calm and transcendent song; vocals and guitar were great.
“Birthday” Liked the enthusiasm, but it got a little annoying after a bit.
“Yer Blues” The guitar and vocals were really great and raw on this one.
“Mother Nature’s Son” The vocals were beautiful, and I loved the guitar as well.
“Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey” Liked the vocals, but the whole arrangement was a little chaotic for me.
“Sexy Sadie” I liked the kind of low sound on this one. Piano and guitar were great.
“Helter Skelter” Wow, this was sung by Paul? Didn’t know he could blow out his voice like that. Guitar was amazing, and I loved the lead and background vocals.
“Long, Long, Long” I loved the soft quality of the vocals and guitar, and the organ music was a nice touch.
“Revolution 1” Loved the easy sound, vocals, and arrangement of this one.
“Honey Pie” Pretty good song. The music hall sound works much better than in “when I’m 64”; loved the clarinets and vocals.
“Savoy Truffle” Great song; guitar work was great, as were the vocals.
“Cry Baby Cry” Loved this one as well; piano and guitar blended together very nicely.
“Can You Take Me Back (Outtake)” This little number (which I wouldn’t have known about if Wikipedia hadn’t mentioned it) had a very strange, creepy, mesmerizing quality to it. Very good.
“Revolution 9” Erm…this was just a bunch of sounds, conversations, and tape effects thrown together. So…not really my favorite track.
“Good Night” Arrangement was so beautiful on this one, especially the violins.
Wow. I just finished The White Album last night, and I feel like I’m almost finished with an amazing journey. I’m so glad I kept up with this (even though it took way longer than I thought); as good as their early stuff is, the last five albums I’ve heard were, I think, better. The ingenuity and spirit of this music is really some of the best I’ve ever heard. Every new song is like a treasure, and I’m sad knowing that I’m almost through with this catalog. Not every song is an unadultered masterpiece coughRevolution9cough, but the band has really struck a chord (heh) with me. I’ll cherish the first time I heard “Blackbird” and “Happiness is a Warm Gun”, because I know I won’t experience anything like this again.
More to come.
