Help!

Though I’ve never seen the movie, Help! is one of my favorite Beatles albums and marks the point where Lennon and McCartney begin moving away from the “I love you” “she loves me” songs and start really growing as songwriters. The music on Help! is a good blend of innocence and adventure and from the lyrics you can sense the band getting restless and ready for a change (I think Lennon said the song “Help” was a literal cry for help since he was having anxiety attacks as a result of Beatlemania).

A few winters ago, I was traveling by train through the Alps- in Germany and Austria- and Help! was my only traveling companion (on my iPod). The songs on the album matched my mood at the time as well as the dramatic surroundings (perhaps it was all the snow and the fact that the Beatles had filmed part of the movie Help! in the Austrian Alps. I must say the scenery there is absolutely breathtaking and good for the soul- especially in winter). While perhaps nothing special when compared with the rest of the Beatles canon, Help! is an enjoyable listen- especially for kids- and the album will always be special to me. And I simply never get tired of hearing “Ticket to Ride”.  Grade: A-

The Jean in the Austrian Alps, 2014

Listen to the album on Spotify...

Recommended Links:

Help! - Trailer