You are all now totally convinced that I have completely lost the plot. A Beatles album in 1980? They had broken up ten years prior to this. I will be the first to admit that this "Rarities" album released in 1980 was yet another attempt to milk more money out of The Beatles name off the many fans who followed and still follow them now but that didn't stop me from buying this album. I admit, I have always been a big fan of The Beatles and while I question why some of the tracks on this album are considered rarities, there are others on it that made me decide that I had to buy it.
"Love Me Do," "Help" and "Penny Lane" are all well known Beatles classics to me and I do not consider them to be rare. They are all good songs nonetheless and only added to my desire for this album. The case is also true to one of my all time favourites "I Am The Walrus," a song that continues to amuse me some four decades later. "Sie Liebt Dich," which is the all time classic "She Loves You" sung in German is for me a definite rarity and also my first piece of evidence that music can be enjoyable in whatever language it is sung in. "Across the Universe" would have been another one where I debated it being called rare. However, the version on this album is different to the one I heard on The Blue Album. The song begins the sound effect of a flock of birds flying off and the chorus is accompanied by a children's choir and is very well done. I still get a kick out of the next to last track "You Know My Name Look Up the Number" where there is a vocal part by one of them using a woman's voice. It reminds me of Monty Python.
Out of all the tracks mentioned, there is one track that stands alone. "Helter Skelter" is the track that makes this album for me, even if the the version on this album omits that famous rant from Ringo, "I got blisters on my fingers!" As most people agree, The Beatles influenced many genres of rock music and the song "Helter Skelter" is my evidence that they even had an influence on heavy metal. Two metal bands I can think of off the top of my head, Motley Crue and Vow Wow, have recorded covers of this Beatles classic as well as Pat Benatar in her more hard rocking days. I probably would have bought this album for this song alone.
Track Listing:
1. Love Me Do
2. Misery
3. There's a Place
4. Sie Leibt Dich
5. And I Love Her
6. Help
7. I'm Only Sleeping
8. I Am the Walrus
9. Penny Lane
10. Helter Skelter
11. Don't Pass Me By
12. The Inner Light
13. Across the Universe
14. You Know My Name Look Up the Number
15. Sgt. Pepper's Inner Groove
- The Fab Four
John Lennon- guitar, vocals
Paul McCartney- bass, piano, vocals
George Harrison- guitar, vocals
Ringo Starr- drums, vocals
Back in the 90's, I was at a 60's theme party where the self appointed deejay was playing a bunch of one hit wonders who nobody remembered and as a result the dance floor was empty. I suggested putting this album on and once I did, the dance floor filled right up. This is proof that everybody knows The Beatles even if some of their songs are considered rarities. On a personal note, if I were producing this album, I would have included the songs "Octopus's Garden" and "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill" but that's just me. The Beatles influenced a lot of rock music, even heavy metal. So when you put on your next metal album, think of them.
Next post: Billy Joel- Glass Houses
To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html
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