Topic: Song Of The Week - What You're Doing (Read 21982 times)

tkitna · « **Reply #40 on:** May 26, 2015, 11:35:49 PM »

Quote from: stevie on May 26, 2015, 09:49:16 PM

You don't like No Reply, Todd? Easily the best song on the album for me.

'No Reply' isn't bad, but its never been a favorite of mine. It probably is a standout on that album, but its only an average tune in my Beatle world.

nimrod · « **Reply #41 on:** May 26, 2015, 11:47:44 PM »

Quote from: tkitna on May 26, 2015, 11:35:49 PM

'No Reply' isn't bad, but its never been a favorite of mine. It probably is a standout on that album, but its only an average tune in my Beatle world.

I love No Reply, for me it has the greatest ever bit of John & Paul singing together in the bridge;

'If I were you....Id realise that I.....Love you more....Than any other guy.....etc

makes the hairs on my neck stand up its so good.

What an opener.

Hello Goodbye · « **Reply #42 on:** May 27, 2015, 01:23:16 AM »

I saw the light...I saw the light

I nearly died...I nearly died

That song has the same effect on me, Kev. It was all vocals, that song. No lead guitar, just John and George playing rhythm with some harmony rhythm by George. And a simple bassline by Paul.

They never performed it on tour or even at the BBC. Too bad, really. I would have liked to see them do it. It might have gone something like this...

http://youtu.be/k_H8Bs6wszA

http://youtu.be/WBRsekZCqjs

Moogmodule · « **Reply #43 on:** May 27, 2015, 05:36:39 AM »

Love No Reply. I think it might have even made my shortlist for a Beatle top 10. It's one I remember from a very early age too. So perhaps the John Paul voice thing just imprinted on me from toddler stage.

nimrod · « **Reply #44 on:** May 27, 2015, 08:26:16 AM »

Quote from: Moogmodule on May 27, 2015, 05:36:39 AM

Love No Reply. I think it might have even made my shortlist for a Beatle top 10. It's one I remember from a very early age too. So perhaps the John Paul voice thing just imprinted on me from toddler stage.

I think 3 or my top 10 Beatle tracks are on BFS

Its a very special album for me as my parents bought it for me the christmas it came out, in a way it was my first ever LP

I loved it and still do, it always comes low down when Beatle albums are ranked by fans but its probably my favourite

stevie · « **Reply #45 on:** May 27, 2015, 09:24:19 AM »

Love singing along with NR up full bore especially the middle bit.

Beatles For Sale has always been considered the 'weakest' of their albums. But when you consider their schedule in 1964 it's no wonder they were a bit underdone when they recorded it.

Moogmodule · « **Reply #46 on:** May 27, 2015, 10:00:10 AM »

Quote from: stevie on May 27, 2015, 09:24:19 AM

Love singing along with NR up full bore especially the middle bit.

Beatles For Sale has always been considered the 'weakest' of their albums. But when you consider their schedule in 1964 it's no wonder they were a bit underdone when they recorded it.

I think it was mainly underdone because of the rush of covers they did to finish it. They recorded seven songs in a day. Five of which were covers. The earlier recorded originals were pretty strong I reckon.

Dcazz · « **Reply #47 on:** May 27, 2015, 12:25:43 PM »

Hello Goodbye · « **Reply #48 on:** May 27, 2015, 07:14:30 PM »

Quote from: nimrod on May 26, 2015, 11:47:44 PM

I love No Reply, for me it has the greatest ever bit of John & Paul singing together in the bridge

It's a bossa nova, don'tcha know.

Kevin · « **Reply #49 on:** May 27, 2015, 07:52:45 PM »

Quote from: Moogmodule on May 27, 2015, 10:00:10 AM

I think it was mainly underdone because of the rush of covers they did to finish it. They recorded seven songs in a day. Five of which were covers. The earlier recorded originals were pretty strong I reckon.

Like most people I really like the originals. The acoustic, introspective country feel is very pleasing after the high octane shrill of a Hard Days Night.
It could have been so good, but the album is ruined for me by the covers. I did some quick checking, and the average age of the covers on Please Please Me was one year, with nothing more than two years old. By With The Beatles that age had slipped to four years, but four of the six were still from the sixties.
But by Beatles For Sale the age had dropped to seven years, with only one song from the sixties. For whatever reason they had to include covers, I think that in what was a fast changing music scene these old chestnuts just didn't belong on a 1964 album by a hip and happening band. If they had to do covers then fine, but did they have nothing more contempory? A lazy option, even for a band hard pressed for time.

Mr Mustard · « **Reply #50 on:** May 27, 2015, 11:42:33 PM »

Quote from: Kevin on May 27, 2015, 07:52:45 PM

Like most people I really like the originals. The acoustic, introspective country feel is very pleasing after the high octane shrill of a Hard Days Night.
It could have been so good, but the album is ruined for me by the covers. I did some quick checking, and the average age of the covers on Please Please Me was one year, with nothing more than two years old. By With The Beatles that age had slipped to four years, but four of the six were still from the sixties.
But by Beatles For Sale the age had dropped to seven years, with only one song from the sixties. For whatever reason they had to include covers, I think that in what was a fast changing music scene these old chestnuts just didn't belong on a 1964 album by a hip and happening band. If they had to do covers then fine, but did they have nothing more contempory? A lazy option, even for a band hard pressed for time.

Super post Kevin, you've pretty much nailed it for me (one caveat: nothing "shrill" - which I take to be a pejorative description - about "A Hard Day's Night"...."joyous" would be a more apposite adjective methinks). Hasty cover version padding and deadline pressures notwithstanding it's the sheer plunge in energy which has given "Beatles For Sale" such a bad rap down the years I think.

I have always found it easy to slice "Beatles For Sale" in half between the very good, bordering on great, tracks and the frankly (by Beatle standards) disposable. Surprise surprise, the forgettable half comprises nearly all those painfully dated (a point you made well which is rarely mentioned) cover versions. The one exception for me is the gorgeous "Words Of Love", but then we all know Buddy was ahead of his time, and John and Paul in such close harmony rarely misses the mark anyway.

Replace side two of "Help!" with the best seven from "Beatles For Sale" and you would have the most consistently excellent album they never made.

stevie · « **Reply #51 on:** May 28, 2015, 03:32:22 AM »

I like your last point MM - most of side 2 of Help seems more 'outdated' than the covers on BFS.

I mean...Dizzy Miss Lizzy? You gotta be kidding me. Is the reason it's the final song is because they knew people would turn it off after Yesterday? Lol

Moogmodule · « **Reply #52 on:** May 28, 2015, 05:23:02 AM »

Words of Love is a nice cover. It could stay.

Bobber · « **Reply #53 on:** May 28, 2015, 08:47:10 AM »

They outgrew the covers. Their own compositions and covers are in balance on PPM and WTB. There weren't any covers on A Hard Days Night and I believe it should have stayed like that on the following albums. The quality of their own work improved where the covers just remained to be covers. Mr Moonlight (sorry Barry), Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby, Rock And Roll Music, Honey Don't..... They can all be missed on Beatles For Sale in my opinion. I love each and every own composition on the album.

Normandie · « **Reply #54 on:** May 28, 2015, 02:28:01 PM »

Quote from: stevie on May 28, 2015, 03:32:22 AM

I mean...Dizzy Miss Lizzy? You gotta be kidding me. Is the reason it's the final song is because they knew people would turn it off after Yesterday? Lol

oldbrownshoe · « **Reply #55 on:** May 28, 2015, 03:31:25 PM »

It's good to hear the generally positive attitude towards 'Beatles For Sale'.
In the UK the concurrent 45 was 'I Feel Fine' and 'She's A Woman' so, in theory, they could have put out a 10 track all-original LP, another two songs needed to bring it up to the usual 12 or so songs on a UK LP in the mid-60s.

Dcazz · « **Reply #56 on:** May 28, 2015, 04:43:41 PM »

Thinking about it, my guess is that they didn't have enough songs written after their 64 tours and with Christmas coming up they recorded a ton of their covers to fill the album out!

oldbrownshoe · « **Reply #57 on:** May 28, 2015, 05:36:44 PM »

And a Christmas 45 would probably have been top of the list.
In 1966, they tried to get 'Strawberry Fields Forever' out before the end of the year, and I've always thought the ending of it has a slightly Christmas feel.

Kevin · « **Reply #58 on:** May 28, 2015, 08:21:42 PM »

Quote from: Dcazz on May 28, 2015, 04:43:41 PM

Thinking about it, my guess is that they didn't have enough songs written after their 64 tours and with Christmas coming up they recorded a ton of their covers to fill the album out!

But if you take A Hard Days Night as an aberration - a special project brought about by the movie - then Beatles For Sale is in the same tried and true format of the previous albums. At the time of With The Beatles they had songs coming out of their ears - they were giving the things away - but still released an album half full of covers.
So it may well be that they were just returning to their normal format and were not driven by a lack of originals. It's just how they made "normal" Beatle albums in those days.

Moogmodule · « **Reply #59 on:** May 28, 2015, 09:07:44 PM »

Quote from: oldbrownshoe on May 28, 2015, 05:36:44 PM

And a Christmas 45 would probably have been top of the list.
In 1966, they tried to get 'Strawberry Fields Forever' out before the end of the year, and I've always thought the ending of it has a slightly Christmas feel.

You must have interesting Christmases OBS

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Author Topic: Song Of The Week - What You're Doing (Read 21982 times)

Bobber