The Cavern
Rock & Words
A HARD DAY’S NIGHT (The Beatles, 1964)
Artist: The Beatles (A)
Recording Dates: Ene-Feb 1964
Release Date: July 10, 1964. UK
Record Label: EMI, Parlophone
Producer George Martin
Rating: 9
Era: Rock & Roll II, Early Sixties (1960-1966)
Subgenre: British Invasion
Best Song: A Hard Day’s Night o I Should Have Known Better
Tracklist: 1) A Hard Day's Night; 2) I Should Have Known Better; 3) If I Fell; 4) I'm Happy Just To Dance With You; 5) And I Love Her; 6) Tell Me Why; 7) Can't Buy Me Love; 8) Anytime At All; 9) I'll Cry Instead; 10) Things We Said Today; 11) When I Get Home; 12) You Can't Do That; 13) I'll Be Back.
A Hard Day's Night is undoubtedly the crowning achievement of the Beatles' early period. It's a lighthearted album, the most pop-oriented in the entire Liverpool band's catalog, but within that lightness they achieve truly magnificent things and demonstrate here that to make music where form predominates over substance, one must also be intelligent, and that pop music isn't just about making music with the cash register in mind.
The album is generally considered the soundtrack to the first Beatles film. In a way, it is (the British edition), but the B-side has virtually nothing to do with the movie and contains some good songs that were perhaps originally intended as singles and ended up being added to the album. The American version, quite difficult to find these days, is the true soundtrack, as the B-side contains many of the instrumental tracks that appear in the film.
We'll focus on the British LP. This album is a delight. It's one of the greatest simplistic pop albums of the '60s, and perhaps of all time, with more mature rock and roll than most bands of the era and gorgeous ballads that have become classics for the group. Many people think that because these are early albums, they should be rated low compared to the experimental, serious, and so on works of later years. It's true that we can't compare it to Abbey Road, for example, but we must accept that the Beatles were a great pop band, and this is pop at its finest. Therefore, there's no reason to give a 6 to what is possibly the best album of '64, the one that definitively opened the doors for groups like the Rolling Stones and the Kinks as the spearhead of the "British Invasion" to the rest of the world. For this reason, the album deserves at least an exceptionally strong 9.
This is the Beatles' first LP featuring only original material, and also the only one in their entire catalog where the tracks are credited to Lennon/McCartney. All their other albums include covers, songs by Harrison, or even Ringo. They may not have been the first to record an album of entirely original material, but they were certainly the first to create such a high-quality original album, demonstrating that these were truly their own compositions and not recycled copies of Rhythm & Blues with altered lyrics, a common practice at the time. It's also the album where Lennon's influence is most pronounced, as he wrote ten of the thirteen tracks, while only Paul wrote three. Compared to "With the Beatles," this album is much less somber. On the contrary, it's filled with a positive and bright aura, sentimental at times, but overall a delightful album that's unlikely to ever become tiresome.
All the darkness and misery of the previous album is gone. The Beatles are coming to terms with their enormous fame, to the point of parodying themselves in the film, and this soundtrack is lighthearted, cheerful, without delving too deeply into feelings or profound themes, just as they lived at that time, before the weight of Beatlemania crushed them. It's a very well-crafted work, more evolved than the previous two, and whose sole commitment is to the music, the melodies, and the tremendous vocal hooks, so any pretension would have ruined such perfect simplicity. It sounds acoustic, although not all the songs were performed with a Spanish guitar. Rather, it gives that impression due to the harmonic predominance of the guitar, those delightful strums that permeate the entire album and make it musically more accessible. In fact, many of the songs don't have musical bridges or solos, and when they do, George prefers to create minimalist and simple arrangements with his 12-string Rickenbacker, but they fit the songs perfectly. And despite the acoustic spirit, the folk and Dylan influence that will be felt on Help! is still absent.
The album opens with “A Hard Day's Night”. For the third consecutive album, the Beatles seize the listener's attention from the very first note. If on the first album they did it with “One-two three-FOUR!” and on the second with “It won't be long, YEAH! yeah! YEAH! yeah!” here they do it with the opening guitar riff on a diminished G chord, and anywhere in the world where it's heard, everyone knows that this great song is coming. These chords were originally used when songs were going to begin with vocal harmony before the rest of the instrumentation, and they served to give the vocalist their entrance. In this case, in addition to introducing John, George gave the song a unique identity, and this simple chord is now etched in the collective memory. John's vocal harmony is magnificent, catchy, and exhilarating, and it blends perfectly with those bridges sung by Paul and those where they sing in duet. At 1:20 comes Harrison's short but effective solo, and he again creates an immortal hook towards the end of the song with that arpeggio that fades the track out. It's incredible that in just two and a half minutes there are so many hooks and such simplicity combined so masterfully. By the way, the anecdote that the title is inspired by one of Ringo's quips—he used to say many things without thinking—is already well known, but it's said that John had been mulling over the phrase since his Hamburg days.
Next up is “I Should Have Known Better”, with the same formula and the same fantastic results. Here, in addition to the more rhythmic guitar work, John uses a very inventive harmonica that gives the song a festive feel. It’s impossible not to adore this mellow song with those vocal hooks: “Whowowaaaaaaaa I never realized…” and the “and I do, hey hey hey, and I DOOO.” There isn’t much more to say about the song since it’s so basic; and yet, there was a time when I was 12 years old when I played it over and over again on my old headphones, and it was one of the first songs I learned to play on guitar. Even now, it rivals the title track as my favorite song on this album.
Next comes “If I Fell”, one of the album's great ballads, once again lending an acoustic feel to the entire track. Interestingly, it's very difficult to discern the boundaries that differentiate the song's structure. From that sort of intro, which begins somber and gradually fills with light, the differences between the verses and choruses are barely noticeable. The vocal harmonies are again commendable, and another point is that there isn't a single bridge or guitar solo; the vocals run from beginning to end, making the song fly by and highlighting the sense of unity within the structure.
The fourth track is “I'm Happy Just to Dance With You”, another Lennon song, but this time sung by George. This little rock and roll number, with a faster tempo, is perhaps a bit weaker than average, and maybe that was the intention—to be mere filler—but it's still a fun song, where Harrison's voice sounds incredibly corny, lending credibility to the even cornier lyrics. Oh yeah, tutti tutti, I'm happy just to dance with you, tutti tutti! Nothing offensive, but even though the Beatles weren't yet writing masterful lyrics, this one sounds like something any average band of the time could have written. Once again, the excellent melody and superb Lennon/McCA backing vocals make the song worthwhile, and at times you can even enjoy its naiveté.
Then there's another of my all-time favorites, "And I Love Her", the first of Paul's three compositions. More than a beautiful ballad, it's a bolero, in the purest style of Latin American trios from the mid-20th century. George takes on the role of Güero Gil, playing that superb and elegant bass riff at the beginning of each verse and the sweet arpeggios in the middle of the song. Along with the simple guitar solo that serves as a key change, he manages to make this my favorite sweet song by Sir Paul, one that I've even serenaded more than once. Paul has little involvement on this album, but his contribution is more than outstanding.
Then there's "Tell Me Why", another danceable track. Check out Ringo's work on that fast drum beat. It's not one of the band's or the album's greatest songs, but it's not offensive either, and it has enough vocal hooks, a chorus that seems to stretch out considerably compared to the verses, and a very curious and unexpected falsetto at 1:30 that keeps the song from falling apart.
McCartney's second composition arrives: "Can't Buy Me Love", one of the band's best rock 'n' roll numbers, featuring a more elaborate solo (that dual-guitar effect alternating between the two speakers in the stereo version is spectacular) and perhaps the most "profound" lyrics on this album. The song is frenetic, and it was one of the first songs ever to have a promotional video with clips from the film—that black and white one where they're running and jumping around a baseball field like madmen. I actually think it was a promo for the film, but it's gone down in history as one of the precursors to MTV. Paul's songwriting is undeniable. Near the end, around the two-minute mark, Ringo switches to a drum solo, maintaining the same rhythm but shifting from offbeats to drums, resulting in a spectacular finale.
The eighth track is “Anytime At All”, a song that begins with a strong, catchy chorus and then transitions into slightly more mellow verses. The rhythm section maintains the same tempo, with the vocals marking the differences in the song's structure. It's another of Lennon's great upbeat songs, featuring a fantastic guitar solo by George, doubled by a background piano.
Next up is “I’ll Cry Instead”, which contrasts sharply with the previous track due to its typical Lennon-esque pessimism. This is one of two songs on the album where the lyrics (pessimistic this time) are diametrically opposed to the music, which here is festive and cheerful. The other track, where the opposite is true, is “Things We Said Today.” In short, it’s not one of the album’s greatest songs, but it’s not offensive and maintains the overall spirit of the album.
Next up is “Things We Said Today”, where Paul once again demonstrates his masterful songwriting, achieving the opposite effect of the previous track, but with far better results. It's fascinating how he seamlessly blends optimistic lyrics about love into such a melancholic and dark musical arrangement, based on minor keys. Again, it's a song without bridges, solos, or significant variations in its structure, the only clue being the contrasting major keys that begin the bridge. The guitar riffs that run throughout the song are also noteworthy and prevent it from becoming monotonous.
“When I Get Home” is the only track that falls short of the rest of the album. The “wohwohaaaa” moments are far too childish this time around and sound very forced in the song, which has a melody that is not only weak but pathetic, and lyrics that are even more saccharine than George's.
Fortunately, John redeems himself with the penultimate track, "You Can't Do That", a much more accomplished, almost funky song, where Ringo steals the show with that cowbell. Well, no; Lennon also deserves credit for that formula of great melodies and a jealous, possessive lyric that suits him much better than the idiocy of "I want to get home." The song has a killer rhythm not only because of the percussion, but also because of the driving guitar riffs, the great solo (this time done by John himself), and George's arrangements.
Finally, the album closes with “I'll Be Back”, which features a surprising shift from minor to major keys that works very well in the song. Great guitar work and the formula Lennon has consistently used as the album's most prolific songwriter make this a fitting finale.
In short, this album represents a step forward for the Lennon/McCartney partnership as songwriters and takes a slight turn in the style of their first two albums, showcasing a more melodic side of the group, a bit further removed from rock & roll and closer to the pop sound that would begin to influence bands like the Kinks and the Byrds. Hey! Did you notice that Ringo doesn't sing here? What happened to democracy? Well, in the end, that's also a point in the album's favor. Nothing to criticize; you can listen to it in one sitting without any problem, and it's 30 minutes of fun and great songs. For a 1964 release, it's an incredible album that falls short of a perfect score because of that little slip-up by Lennon, because of the masterpieces that would come later, and because it prioritizes style over substance, but even so, it's definitely a must-have that defined an era and the true album that made the Beatles universal. So, if you don't have it, what are you waiting for?
En fin, este disco muestra un paso adelante en la sociedad Lennon/McCartney como compositores y da un pequeño giro al estilo de los dos primeros álbumes, mostrando una cara más melódica del grupo, un poco más alejada del rock & roll y más cercana al pop que comenzaría a marcar tendencia en bandas como los Kinks y los Byrds. Hey! Notaron que aquí no canta Ringo? Que pasó con la democracia? Bueno, a fin de cuentas eso también es un punto a favor del disco. Nada que reprocharle, se puede escuchar de una sentada sin mayor problema y son 30 minutos de diversión y buenas rolas. Para ser de 1964 es un disco increíble que pierde la calificación perfecta por ese pecadillo de Lennon, por las obras maestras que vendrán después y porque se le da prioridad a la forma por sobre el fondo, pero aún así es definitivamente un Must Have que marcó época y el verdadero disco que hizo universales a los Beatles. Así que, si no lo tienes, que esperas?
By Corvan
Jun/2/2009
