Recorded - April 13, 1965
Released - July 19, 1965 (US), July 23, 1965 (UK)
#1 for weeks of September 4, 11, and 18, 1965.
Help!, the second motion picture staring The Beatles is usually regarded as inferior to its predecessor, A Hard Day's Night. For one, the latter was a much more serious and realistic film which portrayed the group as four hard working every-men. In the film Help!, there is a rather campy plot, and many attempts at comedy or suspense, which sometimes really don't work. In my opinion, it certainly hasn't aged as well as the first film. However, I've grown overtime to appreciate the second film's camp factor.
As for the soundtracks, it really is a matter of apples and oranges which one you like better. One thing can't be denied though and that is the songs on the Help soundtrack were much more more mature and developed than the Hard Days Night ones. By far the most revealing and mature of these new songs was the title track itself. Just like the previous film, the title track was only written and recorded midway through the filming of the movie. It is remarkable, given the circumstances, what a strong and personal song "Help!" ended up being.
John Lennon remains a celebrated songwriter primarily because he wrote from his own personal experience. By 1965, John was physically and mentally exhausted. From the non-stop touring, to putting out two albums per-year, it was becoming all too much. In "Help!" John laments the days when he used to be able to be happy and how nowadays he is incredibly insecure and feeling quite down. Not only are these lyrics incredibly personal, they are also quite relatable for anyone else who has felt down at some point in their lives.
The rest of The Beatles provide a solid instrumental track with George Harrison's lead guitar work being a fine example of subtle virtuosity. The backing vocal arrangement stands out as one of their best early efforts, especially in the verses. Overall, the frantic and tense music fits incredibly well with the equally tense lyrics.
While the film it is based on may not have aged as well, the "Help!" album remains a solid listen. With both the film, single, and album being a huge success in the summer of 1965, it was no surprise that this song became their ninth American #1. The Beatles would still produce quite a few more chart toppers, although nobody could have predicted the sound of their next #1. Find out more about that, in review #146...
Final Verdict - There have hardly been any pop songwriters as resonant as John Lennon, and this resonance is on full display in "Help!" I feel that the song remains a fantastic listen to this very day.
Coming Up Next - "Eve Of Destruction" by Barry McGuire.
Until Next Time - I'm Dr. Rock, and I do appreciate you coming round -
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