The Beatles - "Help" (1965)

By 1965, The Beatles ruled the world, and there was no real severe question of any artist/band competing with them on that precious level of fame and influence. Help, both the Richard Lester (he did Hard Day’s Night as well) film, and album were a massive presence on the radio and in movie theaters. Again, but not as intense as the screaming from young girls in the Fox movie theater audience in Westwood, but still a noisy reception for the Fab Four’s almost James Bond/Carry On take of a music-based adventure. At the time, I loved the film because I loved the brand of The Beatles. In truth, it wasn’t as good as their first film, which is a masterpiece on many levels. Still, it’s remarkable how well these four musicians adapted to the screen. All were equally good actors, or at the very least, they had an actual movie star presence on the net. And the music was superb, but this was the first Beatles album I passed up. I didn’t buy it, nor did my parents. I think we were overwhelmed with the previous Beatles’ releases, so we already had a full and satisfying plate in front of us. There was no reason to take on extras, and I had almost digestion with the Beatle material that came out the previous two years. I was exhausted. And I suspect that The Beatles themselves were getting tired as well. If you studied photos of that time of the Fab Four, there are signs of exhaustion on their youthful faces.

Decades later, even though I knew all the songs off the album and film, I bought the most current reissue, more to complete the collection than anything else. I could have bought the American version or found a used copy, but that is so inferior to the British edition, which is a beautiful album. Although I only heard this album maybe twice or three times, I can already read the songlist off this record, and the melodies of each song are stuck in my brain as if it was an active jukebox. All you need to do is put a quarter into my head, and out comes the song. So, there are such surprises here anymore; my memory is solidly strong and correct when I re-listen to these songs.

When I hear their older recordings, I do hear something new. Because I know the material very well, the time and changes that go with it made me listen to these albums with fresh ears. That is not the case with Help. This album has no bummers, but I have favorites like The Night Before, Help, and You’re Going To Lose That Girl. I have always liked the sad song aesthetic from the Fab Four more than their happy-go-lucky tunes. And as they go on, one can notice the mood gets darker. I believe it is only the aging process that the more you learn or know, the darker things can get. This sounds bleak, but in actuality, it’s an amazing discovery. And that is one of the positive things about listening to The Beatles in order of their album releases is that one can map out an emotional territory.

It’s a bittersweet feeling to realize that I once Loved The Beatles, but not anymore. I now like them a lot, and my respect for them and their work is pretty much on the grand level, but they are not essential. I have left home in a sense, and although I own the albums, they are now an active memory to me.