•
Rating:
THE REVIEW
Some have criticized and continue to criticize this album in the name of the freedom to even tear down sacred monsters. I, on the other hand, defend it. "Beatles For Sale" contains, in my opinion, the first seeds of the new method of composing songs in a subjective manner that would become typical of the Beatles starting with "Rubber Soul," after the marijuana-clouded interlude of "Help!".
This is an album mostly written by Lennon, during his period of leadership in the group, concurrent with his discovery of the Dylan-like way of understanding and conceiving music. This is reflected in the mood that could be defined as "wintery" of some of his compositions, such as the opening "No Reply," with a driving middle section and a bitter lyric, a characteristic shared by the beautiful and pessimistic "I'm A Loser" and "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party," which recounts a situation in which we've all found ourselves (feeling out of place at a party). Certainly worth mentioning are "Baby's in Black" and "What You're Doing," also snapshots of not exactly happy moments and characters, which are contrasted by the sunny and extremely catchy "Eight Days A Week" and the bucolic "I'll Follow The Sun," one of McCartney's very first compositions.
If the album had been composed only of these songs, we would be looking at a much better work than how it presents to our ears, diluted as it is by unnecessary filler covers, among which I only save "Rock'n'Roll Music," already electrifying in Chuck Berry's original version. If you want advice, listen to this album on rainy days, perhaps feeling a bit chilled like the four of Liverpool depicted on the famous cover.
Loading comments slowly
Summary by Bot
This review defends Beatles For Sale as a pivotal album marking Lennon's emerging subjective songwriting style. It highlights the album's wintery, melancholic mood, and contrasts emotional original tracks with weaker filler covers. Notable songs like 'No Reply' and 'Eight Days A Week' showcase the band's evolving sound. The reviewer suggests enjoying the album on a rainy day to match its atmosphere.Tracklist Lyrics Videos
The Beatles
The Beatles were a British band formed in Liverpool in 1960 by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and, from 1962, Ringo Starr. They revolutionized popular music through songwriting, studio innovation and cultural impact, releasing landmark albums from Rubber Soul and Revolver to Sgt. Pepper’s, the White Album and Abbey Road before disbanding in 1970.173 Reviews
Other reviews
By piergiorgio
"No Reply" ... thirty seconds of magic, one of the highest peaks of the Beatles' expressiveness.
Just like a mother loves and defends her weaker child more fiercely, so the fans are touched by it and listen to it with affection.
