The "Beatles For Sale" album (1964). Unfairly ignored or underrated ?

The UK pressing had a gatefold sleeve??? First time I've ever seen that ...

 

Evil though it may be, I have always enjoyed listening to Beatles 65 and Beatles VI more than Beatles For Sale. The monos aren't horrible and the cover songs are more spread out.

There are lots of good arguments for Beatles For Sale being an important transitional LP, but the fact is I rarely play it.

 

Never heard about this, what differences are there?

 

Directly compared to other "Pop" albums of '64, it has a large profile & is well appreciated/respected.

 

You must be listening to the album!

 

I've heard of the inside construction changing around 1970-71 or so (when the 2-Box labels started being issued, changed from inner flipback to standard gatefold and you can find 2-box issues with both types) and I can tell the lamination is different, comparing my Abbey Road and UK Mono Help to my 2-Box BFS... I like the earlier better.

 

Beatles on auto pilot but still better than any other pop/rock record from 1964

 

Was listening this morning. Kind of seen as a throw away compared to other Beatles albums, but it seems to be one of my favorites for John/Paul harmonies. They really seemed to enjoy singing together during this period, and I love it.

 

Unfairly underrated. Love the covers. Love the original gems. Love that fair weather fans don't know the treasure that it is. It's like a deep album of deep tracks.

 

How I rank (and tier) the BFS tracks:

Eight Days A Week

I'm A Loser
No Reply

Every Little Thing
Words Of Love
Rock and Roll Music

What You're Doing
I'll Follow the Sun
Baby's In Black

I Don't Want to Spoil the Party
Kansas City/ Hey Hey Hey

Mr. Moonlight
Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby

Honey Don't

 

A definite 'meh' album. They're tired; it shows. Some of the tracks could be Freddie & The Dreamers.

 

"From A Window" was lyrically too similar to "No Reply" (although obviously very different musically). "It's For You" was Lennon & McCartney's first waltz. George Martin was impressed enough with it, that he suggested that they attempt to write a waltz for themselves. The first draft of "I'll Be Back" was a waltz (as evidenced on the Anthology CD), but when that didn't work out, they cooked up "Baby's In Black." After that, there were songs in ¾ time on every album except for "Revolver" and "Magical Mystery Tour" ("I Want You, She's So Heavy" goes in and out of ¾ time).

 

Here’s my take, lifted from another thread on a similar topic.

No Reply is introspective and pained. Lennon uses the love song genre as a means of articulating his disillusionment with being a Beatle and the hollowness of success.

I’m a Loser similarly plumbs the depths of identity within the conventional pop song, brilliantly exposing the struggle between success and self-respect. The album opens with two of the band’s most questioning numbers, really challenging material.

Baby’s in Black is bluesy and the dissonant guitar opening and solo are among Harrison’s best. More loss and disillusionment; a fine, biting song.

Lennon’s version of Rock and Roll Music is simply killer. Great vocal, much better performance than Twist and Shout. On the shortlist of best Beatle covers. Outstanding.

I’ll Follow the Sun gives us more melancholy. A bit callous lyrically, but musically beautiful. This album uses acoustic guitars as musical textures very effectively.

Mr Moonlight is saved by the outstanding Lennon vocal. Beatle sense of humour in evidence here.

McCartney’s love of Little Richard delivers another great cover with Kansas City.

Lennon later dissed Eight Days a Week, but what a fantastic song. It sounds like it belongs on the previous album, full of excitement and a dynamic performance.

Words of Love is competent enough. As Buddy Holly fans the Beatles deliver a nice enough homage without breaking stride.

Honey Don’t is just another Ringo number. Pretty ordinary.

What a gem is the next song, Every Little Thing. Purportedly written by McCartney but sung by Lennon it is a fine celebration of that first flush of love. If you don’t understand this one you are probably already dead.

I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party is sophisticated and intense. An adult pop song; Lennon looking forward to the more sophisticated lyrics to come.

What You’re Doing is a powerful number, focusing on McCartney’s problematic relationship with Jane Asher. Cool riff and a nice expose of vulnerability.

The album ends dismally with Harrison’s unconvincing cover of Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby.

The album cover is less a product of exhaustion than, to me, an attempt to match the brooding intensity of the Stones’ album covers. Complete success. Stunning.

In conclusion, Beatles For Sale is a very good album, let down by only a couple of tracks. IMHO, they did not better this effort until Revolver, a very different kettle of fish.

 

Nice review Douglas. But I'll have to disagree about the cover of Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby. I think its nifty, not unbelievable but nice. As good as any of the other 6 covers more or less imo.

The best one might be Leave My Kitten Alone.

 

Neither! Not by me, it's always in my car! With 6 others. Never tire of them after more than 50 years. Lol Ringo's the reason I played drums most of my life!

 

With..
Eight Days A Week/I'll Follow The Sun
on it ya can't go wrong.

 

Listening to Beatles for sale over and over lately. Some of their best vocally. John and Paul really working as a team.

 

Johns intro to Mr. Moonlight! Killer ! And I love the cheesey organ. Lol

 

I'm just fascinated by any song where John and Paul harmonize together and this album is full of them. And, I don't even mind Mr. Moonlight. Everybody's trying is the only one I tend to skip

 

To me Leave My Kitten All Alone was let down by the recording of it. Even for an album that had the drums buried as much as this album, Kitten had them almost gone.

 

Perhaps there was some disappointment about this album because after AHDN LP ( all songs Lennon/McCartney originals ) they returned back to the inclusion of 6 covers, the old formula from their first two LPs, and this was regarded as a step back creatively (and it was, in fact).

 

Hmmmm any song J&P harmonize in? You a Beatles fan what got it bad.... I should know. Hope there's no cure

 

Let's see...I completely agree that it is a good to very good album. And quite remarkable given the particuar circumstances.

That said, it is clearly not one of their best. The only other Beatles album which I consider weaker is the near-disaster Let it be.

This is a very difficult subject because the Beatles are so good and BY FAR the best group all-time. I bought this album when it came out in 1964 and it was a joy to listen since. So it is not as good...compared to what? Obviously compared with the most extraordinary body of work of any musicians ever.

And yes, lack of top-notch material triggered covers which by then was a step back. But they rebounded in no time!!!