The Cavern
Rock & Words
PAST MASTERS VOL. I (The Beatles, 1988)
Artist: The Beatles (A)
Recording Dates: 1962-1970
Release Date: March 7th, 1988. UK
Record Label: Apple
Producer: George Martin
Rating: 8.5
Era: Rock & Roll II, Early Sixties (1960-1966)
Subgenre: British Invasion
Best Song: I'd say She Loves You, but any of the ones in red!
Tracklist: 1) Love Me Do; 2) From Me To You; 3) Thank You Girl; 4) She Loves You; 5) I'll Get You; 6) I Want To Hold Your Hand; 7) This Boy; 8) Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand; 9) Sie Liebt Dich; 10) Long Tall Sally; 11) I Call Your Name; 12) Slow Down; 13) Matchbox; 14) I Feel Fine; 15) She's A Woman; 16) Bad Boy; 17) Yes It Is; 18) I'm Down.
To talk about the Past Masters, I must go back to a person about whom little is known, but who was crucial to the history of the Fab Four. Generally, when we talk about the fifth Beatle, we refer to George Martin, or to a lesser extent, Brian Epstein; their respective contributions to the group are undeniable. However, the title of "sixth Beatle" undoubtedly belongs to Neil Aspinall. Who is this guy? Well, his work is generally undervalued and he was always in the shadows. Neil attended secondary school with Paul and George at the Liverpool Institute; he was a childhood friend of both. Without great musical talent (although he once filled in for George at a live performance when Harrison was ill, at the height of Beatlemania), Neil was the mastermind behind the quartet's tours, even before Brian Epstein appeared on the scene. By 1961, the Beatles, now without Stu, were playing the Liverpool nightlife circuit in two or three venues a night, and they needed someone to help with logistics and transportation. Basically, they needed someone with a van where they could quickly move all their instruments to get to their next gig, and it just so happened that young Neil had an old Commer. Neil would start by charging them 25 pence a night, but he would eventually become their de facto road manager. Later came Epstein, EMI, George Martin, and Beatlemania. Aspinall would continue to handle the increasingly complex travel logistics. While Brian was closing deals and planning the ever-expanding tours, he was also becoming the manager of more artists. He can't be faulted for neglecting the Beatles for a moment, but amidst all this activity, Neil Aspinall's responsibilities grew exponentially. He, Mal Evans, who would serve as the group's equipment manager, and Derek Taylor, their press officer, would be crucial within the band's inner circle. When Epstein died in 1967, a void was created in the leadership of the enormous behemoth that the mere name of the band had become. No longer touring, Neil unofficially took over the direction of the quartet, simply because there was no one else who could handle the job. Thus, Neil was asked to become president of Apple Corps when it was formed in April 1968. Aspinall, who didn't feel qualified for the position, accepted on an interim basis while they searched for someone better…
Neil Aspinall would be president of Apple Corps until 2007, turning The Beatles brand into one of the most recognizable and profitable on the planet, ensuring that the group remained at a constant pinnacle of fame and sales despite their dissolution in 1970, finding ways to launch products for fans, some with real musical value, some with simple commercial value.
Why all this fuss about a guy biographers barely mention? It's simple: if there's anyone we should thank for the Beatles' enduring legacy, it's this guy's brilliant strategy. And of all the Beatles products released after the band's breakup, the Past Masters albums are perhaps the most musically valuable and contribute the most to the group's reputation.
Volume I features incredibly well-crafted singles that, to a greater or lesser extent, fueled Beatlemania, and which never appeared on any album. This is commendable, as the Beatles were among the bands that least relied on hit singles to boost LP sales—a somewhat underhanded tactic employed by most bands of the era. Thus, we have "From Me To You," "She Loves You," and "I Want To Hold Your Hand," cornerstones of their discography that any self-respecting fan should know by heart. Well, we probably wouldn't without the Past Masters. And here we have the added bonus of German versions of "She Loves You" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand," which show us that they didn't just go to Hamburg to catch syphilis. Obviously, these versions were only released in the German market at the time, except for editions in the USA and Australia, which didn't sell very well. They're certainly curiosities, and in a way, filler, but they sound quite cute singing "Sie Liebt Dich" and "Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand." We have the EP "Long Tall Sally," released in 1964, which, in addition to the title track, includes "Slow Down," "Matchbox" (sung by Ringo), and "I Call Your Name," the EP's only original track. And we have B-sides like "Thank You Girl," "I'll Get You," and "Yes It Is," which are melodically good, but they were B-sides for a reason, and they fall far short of the quality of "She Loves You." Volume I loses quite a bit of its strength with these songs, preventing it from achieving a perfect score, but in its defense, if they hadn't been included here, the collection wouldn't be complete. Although they're weaker tracks, they can hardly be considered filler, even though "Yes It Is" is well below the Beatles' standard.
Another thing about Volume I is that it mainly features rock and roll. There are some more pop-oriented tracks, but overall, the 18 songs are very upbeat, making the album very dynamic and giving a general idea of how they sounded live (so to speak, since we know they didn't even listen to themselves) during their early period, with a smaller percentage of the pop songs that dominated their LPs. The album leaves us with "Yes It Is" and "I'm Down," B-sides to "Ticket To Ride" and "Help!", from mid-1965, just before their leap into psychedelia and the end of touring.
Volume I opens with "Love Me Do", the genesis of the Beatles, the first song recorded in the studio by the quartet, and probably the first composition by the Lennon/McCartney duo. It's a very simple, almost childlike song, with basically two chords forming the structure and another pair in the bridge. John starts with a catchy descending harmonica that is the song's signature, and he and Paul harmonize during the verses. McCartney wrote it at 16; the composition is mostly his, but John contributed the bridge, making it the first song they both wrote. "Love Me Do" would be recorded and released on three different occasions. The first recording was from the unsuccessful Decca audition on June 6, 1962, still with Pete Best on drums; this version can be heard on Anthology I. The second recording is this one, the group's first "formal" recording with EMI and George Martin, on September 4, 1962, with Ringo Starr on drums. This would become the band's first ever single, appearing on Past Masters. The third recording was a week later, on September 11, with Andy White on drums and Ringo on tambourines, playing the same amount of time as White on the snare drum. This is the easiest way to distinguish them, as the drums are simple and practically identical, and both versions last 2:20. This version is the best known, having been released on the Please Please Me LP. In any case, the song is so simple and innocent that it's charming, and it's an emblematic track from the group's early days. As a side note, Epstein himself bought a large number of copies to resell in his record store, which helped the single reach number 17 on the charts. Without this shrewd move, we might not know anything about the Beatles today, and music history would have been very different.
Next up was “From Me To You”, another pivotal song and their first single to reach number one in the UK. It's mostly John's, and interestingly, it would be the last song credited to “McCartney/Lennon” before the order of their surnames was switched. It's believed that it was initially much more bluesy, and they hadn't even considered recording it. However, George Martin worked his magic, softening it with a harmonica and suggesting the opening “da-ra-ra-da ... A lively, light, innocent theme, but one that also reflects how astute they were at composing, and the symbiosis they would achieve with Martin.
Next up is “Thank You Girl”, the B-side to the previous track. It begins with John’s “awww, awww,” starting off solo before Paul joins in with backing vocals. It’s a simpler song, perhaps lacking in hooks, but with a catchy melody and John singing passionately, even shouting a bit at times. The lyrics are quite cheesy, it’s true. They were aimed at their fans, who by then were far more female than male. Initially, they intended it as a single, but although the result was good for such a “silly” song, as John and Paul would later describe it, it ended up as a B-side.
“She Loves You” has to be my favorite song from the Beatles' early period. A fresh and very dynamic little rock and roll tune. It's impossible to get that devilish chorus out of your head: “She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeaaaah!”, turning those “yeahs” into iconic rock refrains. Melodically, it's a gem, with John taking the lead while Paul and George create perfect harmonies. The verses are warm and sunny, and the bridges add a touch of tension: “She says she loves you, and you know that can't be bad…” with George playing a short descending scale and then those exquisite “wooooo's” that explode into a new chorus. Ringo is monumental. In a seemingly simple drum pattern, his touch is already evident from that recognizable intro, with the fills, the drum handling, and those rolls that relaunch the song. Lyrically, it's also intriguing. It follows the pronoun pattern in the title, and it is a love song, but it's one of the first to be sung in the third person, something unusual for the time. The song is a masterclass in hooks, melody, and harmony, and although it certainly sounds somewhat dated, it would have been revolutionary in its day. The single, released on August 23, 1963, would eventually become the Beatles' best-selling single in the UK, and would also be one of the five songs that topped the US charts simultaneously in early 1964.
Its B-side is “I'll Get You”, a rather simple pop tune. As they often did, John and Paul sing in harmony. However, there's no bridge like in most of their songs, George doesn't do anything particularly noteworthy, and musically, Paul leads with his bass. A harmonica accompanies in the background, and again they use "oh yeahs" as hooks. Soon, any other band that used them would be accused of trying to imitate the Beatles. Interestingly, the master tapes of the song were lost, as were those of “She Loves You,” “Love Me Do,” and “P.S. I Love You.”
Another of those songs that propelled the Beatles into the top 5 is “I Want To Hold Your Hand”, which can be summed up in one word: Beatlemania! With a powerful intro (C-C-D C-C-D), we kick off with another of those irresistible melodies and a string of hooks: “Oh yeah, I'll tell you something, I think you'll understand.” The guys had mastered the formula: “oh yeahs,” pronouns, two- and three-part harmonies, incredibly catchy bridges, George playing licks and transitions between keys (where other bands would play two notes, Harrison often throws in transitional scales of three or even five notes—have you noticed?), and a simply unpredictable drum sound that ultimately works perfectly, giving each song its own unique personality. Even though it might have seemed formulaic, the system worked for them without overwhelming us with songs that all sounded the same. The difference lay in the incredible melodies they managed to create. Here we also have the occasional clapping. That heavenly bridge, “And when I touch you I get happy… inside,” hangs suspended for a second. And Ringo’s drumming during the chorus is simply brilliant. John and Paul wrote it together at the home of Jane Asher, Paul’s girlfriend. They recorded it on October 17, 1963, in 17 takes, the first time they would use four tracks. The group had resisted starting a US tour until they had a number one hit, as there seemed to be resistance towards them. Shortly after, in the middle of their European tour and after a concert in Paris, Epstein would give them the news that they had finally achieved it. “I Want To Hold Your Hand” would unleash Beatlemania.
“This Boy” is perhaps more familiar to us than other singles, or at least to those of us who saw the film “A Hard Day’s Night”, as it's the scene that dominates the movie, showing Ringo walking along a riverbank, feeling alone and sad. As a side note, Ringo was suffering from a terrible hangover that day, so his discomfort was genuine. That scene would end up overshadowing the rest of the film, and as it unfolds, “This Boy,” also known as “Ringo’s Theme,” plays in the background, even though it's John who sings it. Lennon composed the song trying to imitate Smokey Robinson's style. With ballad-like, almost waltz-like verses, the bridges are electrifying, with John screaming in a heart-wrenching way, while Paul and George provide harmonies in the background. The lyrics are also pessimistic and introspective. Still far from “I’m a Loser” and “Help!”, but already hinting at that characteristic Lennonian melancholy.
Next comes one of those curiosities found only on this album: “Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand”, the German version of “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” EMI was convinced that the only way to get a hit single in Germany was to sing it in German. The band resisted for a long time, but both Brian Epstein and George Martin began to push for it. After all, the guys were fluent in the language. Camillo Felgen was to translate the lyrics, and the guys finally gave in while finishing their French tour in January 1964 and packing their bags to cross the Atlantic for the first time. Therefore, it was the first track recorded outside of England, and indeed, outside of Abbey Road. The song was completed in 11 takes, using the original instruments and simply re-recording the vocals.
“Sie Liebt Dich” was recorded during those same sessions. The difference is that the master tape of “She Loves You” was one of those that had been destroyed, so they had to re-record all the instruments, as well as the vocals. EMI would take special care with the master tapes from this point on. They are practically identical musically, but the German version is two seconds longer, without feeling slower. They kept the “Yeah Yeah Yeah” instead of translating it to “Ja,” maintaining it as part of the band's identity. Both tracks were recorded on January 29, 1964, at EMI's Pathé Studios in Paris. The singles were a hit in Germany, predictably, but when released in the USA and Australia, they were practically ignored (also predictably). From then on, the band would categorically refuse to record in other languages, except for a few lines in the songs. As a curiosity, did you notice that in this first half, John sings lead vocals on all the songs?
Next up is “Long Tall Sally”, from the EP of the same name released on June 19, 1964. This is a rock and roll song that had been in their repertoire since their days as The Quarrymen in 1957. The original was made famous by Little Richard in 1956. Here, Paul takes the lead vocals with his signature screamed voice, without any harmonies from the other members. George Martin plays the piano in the background. Since they played it from memory and it would remain in their repertoire practically until their last concert (and Paul would still perform it as a solo artist to this day), they recorded it in a single take. It's interesting that it's a cover, but it goes hand in hand with For Sale, from around the same time, which is predominantly a collection of rock and roll covers they played in their early days as a band.
“I Call Your Name” is the only original track on this EP, a John Lennon song. Lennon had composed it back in his Quarrymen days. In 1963, he gave it to Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, but he didn't like their arrangement and decided to record it with the Beatles. Here we have George playing a 12-string Rickenbacker 360 for the first time, with that distinctive sound. Ringo plays a cowbell, we have a great solo from George, and another excellent bridge. Although it was planned to appear in the film A Hard Day's Night, director Richard Lester rejected it for being too similar to “You Can't Do That.” And although John wanted to release it as a single, it ended up appearing on the EP. The song sounds simple at first listen, but once you hear The Mammas & The Pappas' 1966 version, with its jazzier feel, John's great melody really shines through.
Then we have “Slow Down”, another rock and roll song, originally by Larry Williams. Lennon sings it, and he sounds completely devoid of emotion, as does the rest of the band. Even that scream before the solo sounds very forced. And George sounds like he's asleep. In other words, they all sound incredibly drained. Although John tries to sound loud and shouts at times, it's one of the worst covers they would ever do. My favorite part is that Brrrrrr at 1:33.
“Matchbox” completes the tracks on this EP. Here, Ringo takes the lead vocals on this Carl Perkins cover, and he does it well. Well, as well as he could at that time. At least he shows more passion, and it was possibly Lennon who played it, given its simpler structure. The Beatles had it in their repertoire since 1961, and Pete Best sang it. Martin plays the piano, as he does on the rest of the EP's tracks.
We continue with “I Feel Fine”, in which they recapture the high quality of their singles. Sung by John, the song begins with that iconic feedback. The Who and The Kinks had already used the effect live, but Lennon would acknowledge that this was perhaps the first time it was recorded on vinyl. Contrary to popular belief, it's John's guitar that's playing, not George's. The song emerged during the “Eight Days A Week” sessions, with John tinkering with the riff. He liked the sound and refined it with a key change, and from there, he built the entire song. The intricate riff is, therefore, the foundation of the song. It has very melodic verses that feel like a seesaw with that phrasing. The bridges are another Lennon marvel: “I'm so glaaaaad, that she's my little girl.” Again, we have three-part harmonies and backing vocals, a good solo, and Ringo's masterful timing, with false endings and plenty of hooks. Aren't those "She said so" moments adorable?
Next up is Paul's "She's a Woman", the B-side to "I Feel Fine." Paul's vocals are quite high, as he's singing in a very high register. The song itself shows influences from Little Richard and Carl Perkins; the bass is loud while the drums are barely audible, and both are in counterpoint. George delivers a brilliant, country-tinged guitar solo. It's mid-tempo and picks up a bit in the bridges, where Ringo comes in with the cymbals. It's not a masterpiece, but it's a worthy B-side.
“Bad Boy” is a Larry Williams rock and roll tune, sung by John, similar in mood to “Dizzy Miss Lizzy” (in fact, they were recorded on the same day). The most outstanding feature is the dialogue between John and George's guitar, which is punctuated by some great licks. Paul plays electric piano here, but it's barely audible. This song is quite unusual, as it wasn't released as a single, but rather appeared on one of those American bastard albums, called Beatles VI, which tended to create chaos regarding the official British discography. I don't know if it was originally planned for Help! and was discarded, or if it was intended as a B-side and they changed their minds, but the fact is that it's one of those tracks that, due to its release method, was practically unknown to the British public for over two decades.
“Yes It Is” strikes me as one of the most soporific tracks in the entire Beatles discography. It would be the B-side of the brilliant “Ticket to Ride.” Its value perhaps lies in the complex vocal harmony with dissonances, George already experimenting with the volume pedal to create those sleepy effects. John would later say it was a failed attempt to rewrite “This Boy.” The truth is, it’s a very weak song, with an unusually flimsy melody, no hooks, and completely forgettable. The worst track on this collection.
We close with “I’m Down”, which is the best of McCartney’s rock and roll numbers on the album. This would be the B-side of “Help!”. Unlike the R&R tracks on the EP, here they sound much more cohesive and self-assured. Paul goes completely wild at times, shouting and throwing a little party, especially in the coda. The song begins practically a cappella, with Ringo playing with the tumbling blocks to propel the song forward. John and George do a great vocal job in the background, presumably with overdubs, as there’s even a bass voice, in the style of the Beach Boys. Harrison delivers a good solo, and they play with the tempo, with pauses and bursts that give it great dynamics. The final section features an electric keyboard solo by John that adds even more punch. In the version they performed at Shea Stadium, John went a bit crazy while playing that section with his elbows. The song is powerful and showcases Paul's skill with rock and roll, bringing a good end to an album that was losing steam.
In short, the album isn't perfect, but it's very good and offers a pleasant journey through the quartet's early years. As I mentioned, it flows very smoothly, and although there are 18 tracks, most are around two minutes long, so it flies by and doesn't feel tedious. Here we have some of the cornerstones of their discography, especially those early singles that would lay the foundation for their success and the explosion of Beatlemania. Tracks like "She Loves You" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" show why they were light years ahead of most of the bands that were paved the way for the British Invasion. They are essential songs that, even today, every kindergartener should know. The thing is, there are other tracks that aren't as strong, B-sides that other bands would have loved to have as their biggest hits, but which, by Beatles standards, sound more average. This is where they belong. You'd think that being a Greatest Hits album, it should be flawless. The thing is… it isn't. It's not a Greatest Hits album, but rather a collection of tracks that can't be found anywhere else, and therefore they can't afford to be picky. For this reason, it has a format more similar to a studio album, and not all the tracks are necessarily top-notch. Even so, it's an essential album that takes us by the hand through the band's early years, their high points, their rockier tracks, some average ones, and the occasional misstep. That's perhaps Neil Aspinall's greatest achievement: he didn't aim to offer us a perfect commercial product, but instead took a risk with one of great musical value, showing the band as they truly were.
By Corvan
Dec/23/2016
