Product Description

HELP was the last Beatles album to feature a cover version (Larry Williams's "Dizzy Miss Lizzie"), and is considered a turning point in the quality of their songwriting. Like the previous album's "Im a Loser", "You've Got To Hide Your LoveAway" was Lennon's nod to the influence of Bob Dylan. McCartney's gift for melody was obvious in "I've Just Seen A Face". And Harrison's songwriting contributions grew to two tracks.
Instrumentally, "Ticket To Ride"'s off-beat rhythm was Ringo's masterpiece, while the string quartet in the huge hit "Yesterday" was unusual for a rock band at that time; itwas the start of a stellar series of McCartney ballads withstrings ("Eleanor Rigby", "She's Leaving Home").

Track Listing

1. Help
2. Night Before
3. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
4. I Need You
5. Another Girl
6. You're Going To Lose That Girl
7. Ticket To Ride
8. Act Naturally
9. It's Only Love
10. You Like Me Too Much
11. Tell Me What You See
12. I've Just Seen A Face
13. Yesterday
14. Dizzy Miss Lizzy

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #822 in Music
• Released on: 1988-11-01
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack

Amazon.co.uk Review
How John Lennon's confessional song became the title for a silly James Bond spoof is still inexplicable. The funny thing is, it works both ways--as a young man's personal statement about learning to open up to others, and as the frantic theme for an exotic espionage chase comedy starring those loveable mop-tops (this time in COLOUR). Like A Hard Day's Night, only the first "side" of this album actually contains songs from the movie--the biggest hits being the eponymous cry for assistance and "Ticket to Ride". But part two has a few nice tunes as well, like "It's Only Love", "I've Just Seen a Face" and a little ditty called "Yesterday". And it's always fun when they do an all-out screamer like "Dizzy Miss Lizzy", which sounds like John's raucous answer to Paul's "Kansas City / Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey" vocal on Beatles for Sale. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews

UN ALBUM DE TRANSICIÓN
Con este album, parte del sondtrack de la pelicula del mismo nombre, los 4 genios de Liverpool nos dan una ultima muestra de su talento como compositores de lindas pero simples melodias "pop"; luego vendria su tremenda evolucion y complicacion musical, a partir de RUBBER SOUL, su siguiente album; pero al analizar cada cancion, siempre se encuentran esos destellos de gran talento de los fab-four; desde el impresionante HELP!, las lindas baladas I NEED YOU (de George), YOU'RE GONNA LOSE THAT GIRL (buenas armonias),IT'S ONLY LOVE y la monumental YESTERDAY (que gran cancion); pasando por grandes rocks como TICKET TO RIDE y I'VE JUST SEEN A FACE, muy buenos covers como DIZZY MISS LIZZIE,y algo de country con ACT NATURALLY, este es un disco que cierra muy acertadamente la epoca "inocente" del mayor grupo de todos los tiempos... lo mejor vendria despues.

A Lovable, Often Neglected Gem
On Beatles For Sale, the band had made their first forays into a Dylanesque style of folk-tinged guitar pop. Songs such as I'm a Loser, I Don't Want to Spoil the Party and No Reply had hinted at an insecurity at the heart of Lennon, which was beginning to brim out more obviously than before.

However, that album was not totally in that mode. The big single Eight Days a Week was still guitar-pop, and others songs such as Rock and Roll music were as much part of the roots/rock and roll scene as before.

Help! continues this odd disparity, this strange mixture of styles. There are the straight-out guitar pop songs such as the title track, Night Before and Ticket to Ride and there are the dylanesque folkier numbers; You've Got to Hide Your Love Away, It's Only Love, I've Just Seen a Face and Yesterday. In between, there is the country Act Naturally and the country-esque Another Girl.

Overall, it is a massive leap in quality from the previous album - the singles ensure this. However, there is also something else going on with Help! that makes it such an intriguing album. It is the first of the band's middle period that takes in Rubber Soul and Revolver, a run of albums which are marked by an even quality lacking in the band's first efforts.

Indeed, there are only really a few weak tracks You Like Me Too Much, Dizzy Miss Lizzy, and possibly Act Naturally. Overall though, only Dylan could compete with such a strong selection over 14 songs.

Help! was, and is, a linchpin of the Beatles output. Some of the attention that should have been afforded it has often been deflected to the superb Rubber Soul. This is unfortunate as Rubber Soul would cast a shadow on any album with which it was compared against. Taken on its own merits, and if you look a little deeper, Help! is the first of The Beatles Folk/Rock albums (at least in part) and may be one of the band's most lovable records.

It is a shame that the cd is not available in a remastered format. As with the rest of the catalogue, this would help restore some of the warmth that can be heard on the original L.P. The mastering itself is very clear, but you may need to fiddle with your equalizer to try and give this version the depth of tone it should have.

Upbeat, foot-tapping musical genius
What an album! This is really the first album where every non-cover (only 2 thank goodness) is superb . The first word you hear, 'Help!' sets the tone: this cuts straight to the core and delivers instantly.

The first seven songs, starting with Help and ending with Ticket to Ride, are their best 'seven in a row' before 1965. Melodies and delivery that are just...awesome!!!!

Act Naturally is another sop to dear old Ringo, then five more songs which are all great, including the impossibly good 'Yesterday', and then finishing up with another cover, 'Dizzy Miss Lizzy' with John singing himself hoarse much as he did on 'Twist and Shout' two years before.