Help! (1965) is a gateway album, an attempt to duplicate the success of A Hard Day’s Night (1964) that becomes something more as the band brushes with Bob Dylan, new forms of instrumentation, and marijuana (Dylan supplied weed after mistakenly hearing the lyric “I get high” in “I Want to Hold Your Hand”). The Fab Four’s previous release, Beatles For Sale, had suggested the first crack in the Beatlemania veneer. The record, sleeved with the “for sale” Beatles dressed in black and looking weary, kicked off with John’s morose “No Reply” and maintained its mopiness through songs like “I’ll Follow the Sun” and “I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party”. For Sale also more blatantly departed for American western, while Help! more subtly integrates American folk (and the band’s gloominess) into British pop. Country angst like For Sale’s “Baby’s in Black” and “I’m a Loser” make way for radio-friendly pop pining in songs like “Help!” and “Ticket to Ride” as the band has one last go at covers and Beatlemania before fully entering their psychedelic middle period with Rubber Soul. Here’s the breakdown.
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“Help!” - John
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“The Night Before” - Paul
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“You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away” - John
- “I Need You” - George
- “Another Girl” - Paul
- “You’re Going to Lose That Girl” - John
- “Ticket To Ride” - John
- “Act Naturally” - Ringo (cover)
- “It’s Only Love” - John
- “You Like Me Too Much” - George
- “Tell Me What You See” - Paul
- “I’ve Just Seen a Face” - Paul
- “Yesterday” - Paul
- “Dizzy Miss Lizzie” - John (cover)
So who wins the album?
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“Help!” - John
So does anyone know what the last question was on the “Paul McCartney answers the internet’s most asked questions”?
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