Beatles for Sale (1964)

This was The Beatles' fourth album in just 21 months.

On top of recording, the band had played concerts in UK, the US, Europe, Australia, as well as made a film, done promotion for that.

So, it isn't a surprise to find that the band were a little tired by the end of August 1964 when they entered the studio. They had also met Bob Dylan that summer whilst in the US, and it was a meeting of minds, which caused the direction of both acts to change.

Probably, being tired meant The Beatles were a little downbeat, which resulted in most tracks not being positive about love, if about love at all. Also, there were several cover versions, a change from A Hard Day's Night.

The cover was different too. In colour, but all four looking morose or pensive.

Through all this, it sold buckets at home.

Side 1:

1. "No Reply"
2. "I'm a Loser"
3. "Baby's in Black"
4. "Rock and Roll Music"
5. "I'll Follow the Sun"
6. "Mr. Moonlight"
7. "Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!"

Side 2:

1. "Eight Days a Week"
2. "Words of Love"
3. "Honey Don't"
4. "Every Little Thing"
5. "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party"
6. "What You're Doing"
7. "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby"

Side 1 kicks of continuing the stratospheric direct the second side of A Hard Day's Night ended, with a powerful, dare I say adult, "No Reply". A song of three tempos, building through the verse, then choris and a third part louder and faster still, before ending how it started. Glorious melodies and heartflet lyrics, with an edge of anger at being wronged.

"I'm a Loser" follows, and I mean this seriously, these two tracks and most of side 2 of the previous record could and should have been singles. And would have been hits. Harmonica heavy, but in a good way. A tale of yet more lost love. Glorious harmonies and guitar lead beat. Glorious once again.

And so it continues with "Baby's in Black". Wonderful Lennon and McCarney harmonies, Harrisons fabulous twangy guitar, foretelly Cosmic American Music perhaps, but glides along in waltz-time, rounding off a trio of originals, as good as anything they had done previously.

"Rock and Roll Music" is the Chuck Berry composed track, and the Beatles go for it 100%. A fuller sound than on the covers on the first two records, and Lennon's vocal almost coming apart in places. Its driven by a Little Richard style piono, banging away behind the beat. Just wonderful again.

Back with Lennon and McCartney on "I'll Follow the Sun", a mid-tempo song, simple with a haunting vocal from Paul. There is nothing not to like here, the outro features Harrions Gretch again, sparingly used. The sound of sitting on a sundrenched terrace on a hot evening in Southern Europe. Or something.

"Mr. Moonlight" is a cover of a Roy Lee Johnson song, and like "Rock and Roll Music", despite being a cover the band make it feel and sound like an original. There is organ in the background, and in the instrumental part, some new kind of percussion. A heady mix indeed, and also good.

Side one ends with the rocking "Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!" , and other cover. Paul sings, but towards the end, there's Lennon backing vocals on the "hey hey" parts, and it all rolls with quite the swagger. I was concerned when I saw all the covers listed, but these are majestic indeed.

"Eight Days a Week" is perhaps the best known song on the album, and I thought it would rest on this track. And yet, its not the best track on the record. And yet, as I wrote that last line, the track ended with guitar chors that sent shivers up and down my spine. A whole track should have been built around those chords, yet they were just used to close the song. Amazing.

The Beatles loved Buddy Holly. They chose their name in homage to his backing band, The Crickets. It might have been better to cover one of the more uptempo tracks of Holly's, but they chose this, with a Holly-esque twanging guitar back the harmonised vocals all the way through.

Ringo doesn't have a bad voice. On "Honey Don't" , a cover of a track by Carl Perkins, he certainly carries the tune well. But imagine being the 4th best singer in the band, even if that band was The Beatles? Hard.

"Every Little Thing" is another ennon and McCartney original. Even if I did want to add "is magic". I think what could be described as a typical Beatles tune from this period. Not bad, better than almost any group at the time could do, but not top drawer Beatle tuneage.

Maybe its because side 1 spoiled us, but "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" is a little bit Beatle average again. A Lennon McCartney original, with both on vocals, it rips aling, with a tawangy geetar helping, but its meerly OK, or good.

"What You're Doing" opens with a guitar sound that was to be echoed in "We Can Work it Out", it's the last original on the record, ad holds together better that the two that came before it on side 2. I mean, they're making this all seem to easy and effortless.

The album closes with another Carl Perkins number, "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby" , which again is fine. OK. If I'm honest, its now just the originals I want to hear, not the covers, as they're more interesting in seeing their devellopment. But as the band had been working so hard for two years, that they found time to write and record such an album between tours and other commitments, is remarkable.

I just want to get to "Help!" and "Revolver" now.