Help!

HELP!!!! is the first album from the Beatles’ catalog to finally do something different with genres, as the album is filled with very fun, country-adjacent songs like I’ve Just Seen a Face and You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away (plus Act Naturally, but Ringo’s vocals kind of ruin it). These songs are beautiful and only add to the Lennon/McCartney song variety. The album starts with a bang, feeling more bold than their previous albums, with Help! being a poppy and fun opening song, but deep inside a very introspective song from Lennon. While songs like Ticket To Ride are very enjoyable and masterfully written pop songs.The only true issue I have is the Beatles for Sale vibe that is still in many of the songs, with that low-effort feeling carrying over a bit. While the middle does dip into generic ’60s music that is pretty forgettable, most of the album feels very fresh and new for them. Yesterday and Help! are truly the first great Beatles songs, and this is the first great Beatles album.

This Paul McCartney guy can write a ballad!