Beatles VI - The Beatles

Beatles VI
The Beatles
Capitol ST 2358
1965

My 300th post.  After more than three and a half years of blogging I expected to be farther along than this.  I have not made much of a dent in my collection.  I've probably bought close to 300 albums since I started this blog.  Even if I blog for another 40 years I'll probably never get around to all the albums I want to write about.  I am determined to get through all of my Beatles albums though. They've been my favorite band for most of my life and they were the reason I started collecting records in the first place.  I've done more than half of their albums already so I should be able to get to all of them in the next couple of years.  So for post number 300, I give you "Beatles VI."  It is another one of those phony albums that Capitol Records cobbled together with singles and tracks they left off of their versions of the Beatles' albums for Parlophone in England.  This one takes "Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!," "Eight Days a Week," "Words of Love," "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party," "What You're Doing," and "Every Little Thing" from "Beatles for Sale."  It lifts "You Like Me Too Much," "Dizzy Miss Lizzie" and "Tell Me What You See" off of "Help!" which hadn't even been released yet.  "Yes It Is" was the b-side of the "Ticket to Ride" single.  "Bad Boy" was an unreleased track that would not appear in England until it was stuck on the compilation album "A Collection of Beatles Oldies" in late 1966.  Despite the hodge podge construction of its tracks, it is a fairly cohesive and enjoyable record, mostly on the strength of the covers though.  The only first rate Lennon/McCartney composition on the record is "Eight Days a Week" which was a chart-topping single.  From the faded up jangly guitar intro to the hand claps to the way they string out the word "love" the song is full of those inspired touches that made the Beatles so special.  "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party" shows the influence of folk-rock on the Beatles which would be more pronounced on "Help!" and "Rubber Soul."  The lyrics are a bit whiny but I admire the personal quality of the songwriting.  "What You're Doing" is also a folk-rock song but the only distinctive thing about it is the guitar riff.  "Yes It Is" is an old fashioned romantic ballad mostly notable for Lennon's heartfelt vocal and the strong harmony vocals.  "Tell Me What You See" is among the least distinguished songs Lennon and McCartney ever wrote.  It sounds nice though, courtesy of McCartney's electric piano playing and some Latin-flavored percussion.  "Every Little Thing" is banal and I consider its celebration of female subservience to be distasteful, but the music is appealing, particularly the timpani in the chorus.  George Harrison's contribution to the record is "You Like Me Too Much" which is inane lyrically but I like the piano lines (courtesy of John, Paul and George Martin) and it has a catchy melody.  The Beatles' songs may be pedestrian (by Beatles standards) but the four cover songs are first rate.  Their version of Buddy Holly's "Words of Love" sticks very close to the original but the other three covers are fantastic.  "Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!," is sung by Paul McCartney in full rocker mode.  Lieber and Stoller's "Kansas City" was originally a hit for Wilbert Harrison and Little Richard recorded a version adding his song "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!" which was the model for the Beatles' cover (Capitol omitted Little Richard's song from the listing on the album sleeve and the inner label.)  McCartney trounces Harrison's version and I prefer his version to Little Richard's as well.  Lennon takes on Larry Williams with "Bad Boy" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzie" and absolutely shreds the originals.  I think both rank with "Twist and Shout," "Rock and Roll Music" and "You've Really Got a Hold On Me" as being among the best covers Lennon recorded with the Beatles.  "Bad Boy" in particular is outstanding, Lennon obviously connected with the song and sings it with great gusto and feeling.  In addition to being the greatest rock band in the history of the universe, the Beatles were also the best rock and rollers to come out of England, nobody else comes close including the Rolling Stones.  This record is relatively minor in the Beatles' catalogue, but even a minor Beatles record is essential.  I would say that this music ought to be heard on "Beatles for Sale" and "Help!" where it belongs, but this album is worth having for "Bad Boy" by itself.  Plus the cover picture is great.  Recommended to fans of "Beatles '65."