Help!
Folks, I've tried for months to write a decent, in-depth commentary on this album, but I just don't have it in me. So what I have instead is a shorter, more blunt review than what I've posted in this thread so far. Here goes.
Let me start with the positives: the title track is a great song, as is "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away", I'll give that to this album. They're examples of the kind of terrific pop songwriting that made these guys famous. But beyond that, this album is a study in mediocrity. "The Night Before" is okay, just okay, like a lot of this album. "I've Just Seen a Face" is one of their better stabs at country but hardly worth a mention, and similarly "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" is a pleasant attempt at a Chuck Berry-esque, high-energy track but ultimately forgettable. "Yesterday" and "She's Got a Ticket to Ride" are well-known tracks that are of frankly middling quality, as is the less well known "Tell Me What You See".
Now the negatives: aside from the songs I've already mentioned, the album is awful. The horribly awkward use of a volume pedal and weak songwriting on "I Need You" is a prime example of what's wrong with the half-assed filler that seems to make up the bulk of the album. There's little of the variety or musicianship of their later albums found here and this feels like it was rushed to meet a deadline.
Considering that the only truly good songs to be found here are well known singles, I can't particularly recommend
Help! If you like those songs just get one of their greatest hits albums. No need to waste your time here.
At any rate, thanks to Burning Down for sending this my way, I do appreciate it even if the album didn't wow me!
Up next:
Let It Be.