Classic Record Review | Derek and the Dominos – ‘Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs’

Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs is the lone studio album by Derek and the Dominos, the Eric Clapton-led supergroup most famous for the rock classic “Layla”. However, outside of the title track, the album isn’t as well known. My name is Jack Kavanagh and I’m here to talk about a much-underrated classic album. With one of the best back stories in music history, it’s a tale of unrequited love, betrayal and the Beatles.

Derek and the Dominos came about following Eric Clapton’s frustration over the hype surrounding his previous groups Cream and Blind Faith. Derek and Dominos was organically formed in 1970 with Clapton joined by Bobby Whitlock (vocals, keyboards), Carl Radle (bass) and Jim Gordon (drums). Duane Allman of the Allman Brothers Band later added scintillating guitars to the album; despite not being a permanent member he contributed to 11 tracks, most importantly the iconic guitar riff on “Layla”.

Clapton was the nucleus; he was experiencing a period of personal crisis having fallen in love with Pattie Boyd, wife of his friend George Harrison. Boyd is one of the great muses of rock music, of the songs written about her, “Layla” is arguably on par with “Something”.

Clapton felt as though he had reached a crossroads:

“I was paralysed with fear about making a decision. It seemed there were all these choices, musically and emotionally. I was getting involved with this woman who was already married to my best friend, I had a new band and drugs were waiting in the wings. I was terrified by the decisions I was facing, and I guess the drugs helped to anaesthetise me”.

Boyd rejected Clapton’s advances, consequently he threw himself into Layla, he said of this time

“All we did was jam and jam and jam and night would become day and day would become night, and it just felt good to me to stay that way. I had never felt so musically free before.”

Therefore, Layla feels less like a cohesive album, but a collection of tracks united by the motif of Clapton’s unrequited love. Tom Dowd’s hands-off production style allowed the band to express themselves, his philosophy was to record what was occurring between these talented musicians.

The perfect example is the cover “Key to the Highway”, we join the track in progress as it was just a jam that happened to be recorded. Even the title smacks of this, plainly saying ‘Layla and some other stuff’, as such it was recorded in roughly a month of these sessions.

Initially Derek and Dominos thrived in the creative environment, Duane Allman’s recruitment gave the band a new edge. Eventually their hard living caught up with them, Clapton remarked that the early sessions were fuelled by drugs, “mostly cocaine and Mandrax”. But the spectacular collapse was inevitable as the effects of the heavy drug use manifested.

As well as Blues Rock Layla ventured into Progressive Rock. A standout track is “Little Wing”, intended as a living tribute to Jimi Hendrix, the song took on new meaning after the Hendrix’s death.

The two-and-a-half-minute original is stretched into a five-and-a-half minute opus; much like Isaac Hayes’ transformation of “Walk on By”. “Little Wing” is one of the albums most cutting moments, with the wailing guitars and Clapton’s depressed vocals. Clapton and Allman guitar deliver stunning technical wizardry which exceeds the original in my opinion.

Layla is full of mournful moments, inspired by the unattainable Pattie Boyd, she described her final rebuff of Clapton after tensions in Derek and Dominos had reached their climax:

‘Eric, are you mad?’ I asked. ‘I can’t possibly. I’m married to George.’

He said: ‘No, no, no. I love you. I have to have you in my life.’

‘No,’ I said.

He produced a small packet from his pocket and held it out towards me.

‘Well, if you’re not going to come away with me, I’m going to take this.’

‘What is it?’

‘Heroin.’

‘Don’t be so stupid.’ I tried to grab it from him but he clenched his fist and hid it in his pocket.

‘If you’re not going to come with me,’ he said, ‘that’s it. I’m off.’

And he went. I hardly saw him for three years.

Clapton became disillusioned after Layla’s poor sales as tensions in the band worsened, “the atmosphere was so bad you could cut it with a knife. My instinct in those scenes is just to get out. I went back home and stayed there and locked all the doors.”

Clapton became reclusive and fully threw himself into a debilitating heroin addiction. The band’s collective drug use had spiralled, exacerbating friction in the group and leading to an ugly breakup. Clapton was often too intoxicated to perform, placing enormous strain on his friendship with Bobby Whitlock.

Aside from his significant personal issues Clapton mostly escaped the tragedy which befell the other band members. Allman died in motorcycle accident in 1971 before sessions for a second album could begin. Radle’s addictions led to the kidney infection that killed him in 1980; while Gordon was sent to a psychiatric facility after murdering his mother with a hammer in 1983. Clapton would end up married to Boyd, but they divorced a few years later due to his numerous affairs.

Despite this tragic ending Derek and Dominos created one of the great Blue Rocks album. ‘Layla’ helped sew the seeds for what would evolve into Arena Rock. The searing guitars and larger than life vocals helped the song become a hit, two years after its release. It is often regarded as Clapton’s finest achievement.

‘Layla’ was inspired by a 12th-century Persian story, The Story of Layla and Majnun, Clapton described the plot as a man “being driven mad by falling in love with a beautiful, unavailable woman. I loved the name and I had the main body of a song that was obviously about Pattie. But I knew it needed something else”.

Allman was responsible for the searing opening riff and it was the only track Dowd go heavily involved in the production of, carefully crafting the sound and allowing each member to showcase their talent.

‘Layla’ makes more sense in the context of the album and serves as an excellent closer, with Clapton’s passionate pleas for Boyd to love him. When she first heard the song, the first thing she thought was “Oh God, everyone’s going to know this is about me”

Likewise, “Bell Bottom Blues” was also directly inspired by Clapton and Boyd’s relationship, after when he brought Boyd back a pair of the hideous 1970s trousers from an American trip. Clapton talks about the most pathetic feelings that love can inspire begging Boyd to love him and wishing he could die in her arms. The private joke becoming a fixation for Clapton’s blues and desire for Boyd.

Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, a rare album where the backstory enhances the project. The more I learn of Clapton’s feelings the more enthralled I am, in terms of emotional stakes it rivals Marvin Gaye’s Here My Dear.

Aside from ‘Layla’ it is rare to hear the album spoken of but the whole project is worth a visit, coming together and inspired by Clapton it has all the emotions of rejected love, pathetic, self-loathing and desperate we hear it all, feelings everyone has experienced after rejection. Derek and Dominos were a short-lived group but their influence can be felt in Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs one of the finest records of its time.

Words by  Jack Kavanagh

Jack Kavanagh also writes Culture Hash a blog with posts on popular culture and music

Classic Album Review: The Maccabees -‘Colour It In’

 

As The Macabees have just released their critically acclaimed fourth album ‘Marks to Prove it’, it would be interesting to take a step back and look at where they started by zoning in on their colourful debut album ‘ Colour It On’.

When the album came out the indie music scene was in a a relatively dire state, with only Arctic Monkeys only really flying the flag, do not even mention Razorlight. They had one song. So when The Maccabees graced us with this album it was like breath of fresh air after a year working in a dust ridden warehouse.

The album had a number of high points throughout, and never lets you down with any song. You can nit pick all you like but, you’ll struggle to find a fault.  As the album opener ‘Good old Bill’ settles you in , ‘X-Ray’ hits you and you weren’t ready for it. The frantic pace of the song is good enough, but combined with the aggressive riff the song completely blows it out the water.

‘All In Your Rows’ , ‘Latchmere’ and ‘About Your Dress’ provide you with with those moments of the crowd unifying and screaming the words straight back at the band. Not all songs have to be intricate and mind boggling and, these songs prove it as none of them are particularly doused with guitar trickery,but they have the vital component which is getting you hooked.

The highlight of the album could be several songs, but for in this particular instance it’s ‘First Love’ as it takes you from the depths of subtle guitar playing to a complete riot. The Maccabees have this particular skill in abundance, and the frightening fact is that they had it from the get go.

Each classic album has that slow song, which everyone attempts to learn on guitar and sing to themselves about a girl, ‘Toothpaste Kisses’ is that song. Its completely stripped back to an almost lo-if recording with the vocals and guitar sounding underproduced, giving it that honest feeling, which surround ps the album.

This sparked off something that has blossomed into one of the UK’s most underrated bands, but the people who appreciate and understand The Maccabees, will hold them dear forever.

Words by Alex Wise @al4563

 

 

Classic Album: The Cribs – The Cribs Review

 

For most people who see The Cribs as just another indie band will possibly think that this album is the worst that The Cribs have ever done because it is, under-produced, patchy and simply not as good as the four that proceeded them. Well this review provides an argument against all of that, and argues the case that it is the best record that The Cribs ever put out, and probably ever will put out.

The album was released back in 2004, so it got lumped with some very moderate and mediocre albums that were coming out at the time, however it was strongly linked to The Strokes first release ‘This is it’, which the guys never had a bad word to say about. Yet the album had something that set it away from most of the records that were coming out then, it was raw. Yes there were bands bring out debut albums that were also Raw, BUT! this was completely raw, fresh out the box with plastic wrapped round it, as it was The Cribs at their earliest, where they were at their lo-fi best.

At the core of the album, it is just another pop record with most of the songs having catchy chorus’ and tasteful one liners with ‘You were always the one’ and ‘The Lights Went Out’ demonstrating this element. However with a lick of Wakefield accents growing all over it and earthy sound, the album sounded real and made it increasingly down to earth and human, making anyone believe they could pick up a guitar and write a song.

So you had your bouncy pop songs around the album, but you also had the songs that set Hardcore Cribs fans against normal Cribs fans, with songs like ‘The Watch Trick’, ‘Direction’ and ‘Third Outing’. These were the songs that set them apart from any ‘indie’ band that were coming out at the time, because no one  was trying that, because they were too busy trying to be the new Oasis or Blur, which is not a bad thing, but it got boring.

You also had that song that would never be forgotten even if you were flashed by one of those sticks from Men in Black, just because it’s too catchy. ‘Another Number’ takes a simple riff that you wouldn’t even think of using for a song, and turns it into an anthem that will be shouted wherever the guys go. Memorable albums always have a song like this, a song that most people will know, and if you don’t, you will end up enjoying it.

It may not be the most glamorous album The Cribs have ever made, but it is definitely the best one, as it is no other band could really pull it of, and The Cribs managed to do it and put themselves in peoples hearts for a long time.

Classic Albums: The Cribs – ‘The New Fellas’

For anybody who doesn’t know, I’m a huge Cribs fan. I was a late bloomer, as I joined the party just before they released “In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull”, however this does not change the way I felt about this album the first time it graced my ears.

“The New Fellas” is arguably the Wakefield trios best record to date, due to the rawness the band had at the time but this maturity of how to write a catchy pop song. A common feature in most great albums is the passion they have for what they sing about, and The Cribs choose topics that everyone could relate to and felt strongly about.  The brothers wrote songs about the scene that they had fallen into, the people that surrounded the scene and how they felt they were changing as people, as well as a band. For example “Hey Scenesters” confronted people that felt the need to jump into new scenes to feel relevant, and while the topic of the song was so ballsy, the simple thrashy riff gave the fans something to throw themselves around to.

Now to move onto the music side of the album, this has never really been challenged by any band in this field, because no one can do it like The Cribs. Overtime they’ve developed their very own sound and still continue to run with it. With Ryan’s notable guitar riffs, which could be spotted from a mile away, and their rural vocals the tracks automatically have their own identity and this record confirmed it. Tracks like “We Can No Longer You” and “Hello?Oh…” are completely stripped back and have the bare minimum holding them together, but because of the pure catchiness, they’re so difficult not to be admired.

It would be rude not to speak about “Mirror Kissers” a song that is still regarded as one of the best indie track to date. Once again they pick a topic that can be related to by everyone, hipsters who love themselves, and hipsters are still alive and kicking today. The repatative nature of the song should smell doom, but the attitude brought by the vocals along with its raucous overtones is too much not to admire.

One song that is of an acquired taste,  and is only love by true Cribs fans is “It Was Only Love”, in which you hear Ryan completely let himself go vocally and complete a duet with an accordion, a song which you can sing when you have no wits about you.

Overall the album is ranked as one of my favourites by any band, let alone just The Cribs. After over a thousand plays it still hasn’t lost its shine purely because of the depth to each track, you simply cannot listen once have the song sussed out. Their debut album “The Cribs” put the band out there and will always be highly regarded by die-hard fans, however this album really set themselves apart from any band and proved that they weren’t just your average “indie” band that was going to lose its lust after one album.

Words By Alex Wise @al4563

 

 

Neil Young – ‘After The Gold Rush’ Review

 

In 1970 the World was graced with one of the best albums to date, and it was all down to the genius of Neil Young.  The album packed with Country Folk music that the most detached person from music could enjoy and appreciate, and this was because of the story telling lyrics, unique vocals and sheer brilliance of the songs.

The album is one that has no real weak spots because everything was carefully calculated and delivered with excellence, which the first song sets a prime example of. ‘Tell Me Why’ lets you know exactly why type of songs you’re in for throughout the album as it has a story, memorable vocals and a communal chorus. However the best is still yet to come.

Neil then brings us the first classic song on the album with ‘After the Gold Rush’, with his lyrics practically painting a picture in your mind while wrapping it with an endless ribbon of melody. As he continues to sing about lying in a burned out basement and a band playing in his head, you are completely lost in the world that he’s managed to create in this small amount of time.

He persistently does this throughout the album with songs ‘When you dance I can really Love’, ‘Southern Man’ and ‘Don’t let it Bring You Down’. Neil makes it feel like you don’t necessarily have to be a real Country folk music lover to enjoy his music as it just feels accessible to anybody who enjoys good music.

Of course there has to be a mention for ‘Only Love cane break your heart’ because it is one of the best, if not the best, heartbreak songs of all time. Neil’s voice does the song complete justice because he couldn’t have done it any better; it’s as almost if he’s playing the part of a broken hearted lover because you can hear the pain in the voice, which makes it increasingly genuine and real.

The album ends on a short number called ‘Cripple Creek Ferry’ which makes for a good ending because it leaves you with the words “Cripple Creek Ferry” rolling of the end of your tongue, which makes you want to continually sing it.

Personally this album is the best Neil Young ever recorded because of the many highlights it has throughout, and those highlights could never be created by anybody else. The record has went on to influence many musicians and there’s no doubt it will continue to do so as it one of those albums that will stand the test of time.

10/10

Words By Alex Wise @al4563

Classic Album: Television – Marquee Moon

 

Television are often a band that get overlooked and disregarded, which is unfortunate. Coming out in the 70’s they were part New York rock scene which included acts like Blondie, The Ramones and Talking Heads. This is what may have affected their recognition, as they were clumped along with these other acts. When you listen back to Television’s first album it’s hard to see how they could’ve been overlooked as ‘Marquee Moon’ was a post-punk work of art.

The album is packed back to front with hits, as it’s hard to find a weak spot within the record and even harder to pick a favourite. With songs like ‘See No Evil’, ‘Friction’ and ‘Prove it’ you can understand why the album is so highly regarded now.

The slick little riffs and excellent guitar work by Jimmy Rip play a huge part in the album as it complements Tom Verlaine’s vocals so well that they could be considered a punk version of Morrissey and Marr.

The record is ultimately very lo-fi as its under-produced and rough around every little edge, which is never a problem. If anything it makes the album feel increasingly real and honest. When you listen to the track ‘Marquee Moon ’it’s not dressed with unwanted sound effects, it is simple guitar with a straight beat and it works a charm.

Pop is at the core of the record, as they’re all very catchy and endearing, but it’s the way Television pack each one of them up as little tough nuggets of punk and deliver them to our ears.

Overall this record is what a post-punk record should sound like, under produced, honest and blessed with catchy riffs and choruses. If only more bands took note of what Television done in their three albums, maybe we would have more great punk records.

 

Classic Album: Fleetwood Mac – Rumours Review

 

What is there to say about ‘Rumours’ by Fleetwood Mac? Quite a lot, actually. The album, which was released in 1977, really has stood the test of time. It tracks the deterioration of the bands couples. Bassist John McVie and his wife Keyboardist/Vocalist Christine McVie ended their eight-year marriage; Guitarist Lindsey Buckingham and singer Stevie Nicks put an end to their on/off relationship and Drummer Mick Fleetwood discovered his wife Jenny, was having an extra-marital affair with his best friend.

The album is raw, and filled with emotion, and is also recorded completely live, so it is no wonder that ‘Rumours’ has been voted “Best Album Ever Made” so many times.

Opening track ‘Second Hand News’ is perfect. Even though it is an upbeat track that you cannot stop yourself from singing along to, it is quite obvious that the song is about being the last to find out your beloved is being unfaithful.

‘Dreams’, Stevie Nicks’ way of telling Buckingham that it’s over is hauntingly beautiful. The track is a nice way of saying “We’ve had fun. But now we are done”. It is such a good song that Irish crooners The Corrs even covered it!

While ‘Go Your Own Way’, is Buckingham’s more blunt way of telling Nicks they are finished.  When previously asked about this song, Stevie Nicks said that she was hurt by it, and knew it was a retort to her more mellow ‘Dreams’. It is true, they lyrics are harsh, but its arguably the best know Fleetwood tune.

‘Don’t Stop’ is another stand out track on the classic album. The actual tune of the song denotes happiness, and joy, but underneath its melancholic. While ‘You Make Loving’ Fun’ is Christine McVie serenading her lover.

Overall, there is not one bad track on this whole album, and even 37 years after its original release, Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Rumours’ is most definitely one of, if not the best, album ever recorded in the history of music.

Words By Emma Lawrence – emmalawrencemedia@gmail.com

Radiohead – In Rainbows

The circumstances of an album release can often overshadow the album itself. Consider Beyonce’s surprise eponymous release back in December – which was discussed more, the music itself or the fact it was made available on iTunes with no prior warning? And then there was David Bowie’s return after a decade of silence; eclipsing the rather excellent album he made his return with.

Similarly, the focal point with In Rainbows was its then-revolutionary distribution system; fans could pay whatever they wanted for a download of the album – the physical release came weeks later. Regardless of what they thought about the model, listeners almost unanimously agreed that the idea was different; it certainly got people talking. So much so, however, that few actually focused on the songs that they were electing to pay (or not pay) for.

From the moment that skittering drum pattern opens 15 Step, jerking about like Thom Yorke during one of his infamous frenzied dance routines, the listener knows that this album has more to it than a fancy pay-what-you-want scheme. Next come Yorke’s flawless falsetto lines. The tone of the album is set quickly; his vocals are introspective in place of Hail To The Thief’s outwardly-directed political overtones – he is frustrated with being messed around by another in this opener, snarling “you reel me out then you cut the string”. This aggression carries into the following track, Bodysnatchers – though aside from these two tracks and perhaps the penultimate piece Jigsaw Falling Into Place, Yorke is more upset than angry on In Rainbows.

Love is a common theme on this record – with the blistering brace of two romantic numbers carrying the theme of longing in Weird Fishes / Arpeggi and All I Need. On the latter, the mesmorising imagery of Yorke claiming to be “an animal trapped in your hot car”, “a moth who just wants to share your light” backed with a seductively simple drum beat give a real sense of human desperation; one that everyone has felt at some point in time. These two tracks are the high point on an album that has very few shortcomings – there are enough peaks here to rival the Andes.

One criticism that can be made however, is of the band’s decision to strip down Videotape to just a piano and drum machine backing the vocals. The song feels a little sparse; a choice that was made, apparently, to improve the album’s overall cohesion. Anyone who has heard the initial live versions of the track will agree that sacrificing cohesion to allow for the full majesty of the closer would have been the better choice. That said, the minimalistic version is the perfect swan song for In Rainbows – petering out quietly, but certainly not on a whimper. Yorke recalls the best moments of his life before departing to “the pearly gates” of heaven. It’s unfortunate this album is best remembered for its distribution system – it’s a true modern classic by a band on the top of its game and should certainly make it onto the band’s Videotape of career high points.

Words By George Singleton

 

10/10

Pulp – His N’ Hers

Introduction

After the successful post about ‘Pulp – Different Class’, and it was a successful post, done it ages ago and it still gets looked at so I was doing something right, also because I think it is one of the best albums and I think it’s the one most quizzed about because I think a lot of people have listened too. Anyway, after that post I got a comment mentioning to me that I should listen to the ‘His n’ Hers’ album, obviously I listened to some of the songs already but I hadn’t listened to it in it’s entirety. Which I think the least it deserves after listening to it. I already listened to the songs ‘Lipgloss’, ‘Babies’, and ‘Do you remember the first time’, so I knew what I was going to get, I was going to get classic Pulp, classic Jarvis Cocker lyrics. ‘Lipgloss’ was the first single to come out of this album,

The album came out in 1994 just before the album that got them noticed ‘Different Class’ in 1995, and the album was produced by Ed Buller who also produced ‘Suede – coming up’ and one of my favorite bands ‘The  Courteeners’ on their second album ‘Falcon’. the album was released on the label ‘Polydor’.

Having already listened to ‘Different Class’, I felt like I might get an underdeveloped version of that, I can’t believe how stupid I was thinking that.

The Album

The album kicks off with a classic ‘Joyriders’, a very catchy song sprinkled with some classic Jarvis Cocker lines such as: –

“We can’t help it, we’re so thick we can’t think,
Can’t think of anything but shit, sleep and drink.
Oh, and we like women;
“Up the women” we say,
And if we get lucky,
We might even meet some one day.”

I think it’s a really good opening to the song because it’s not to heavy, bit like ‘Different Class’, starting with ‘Miss-hapes’, I’ve tried to learn this on guitar, it’s quite easy it’s just that I found it quite hard to sing with because you’ve got quite a lot of chord changes in there. I think the song is basically talking about chavs driving round looking for something to do. I think my favorite line in the whole song, possibly the whole album ‘Hey you, you in the jesus sandals!’. I don’t think anyone else could get away with that.

The album have many of these songs, catchy songs with funny lyrics which only Pulp could do so well, these songs being ‘Lipgloss’, ‘Babies’, ‘do you remember’. A song that really sticks out in my mind when I think of this album is ‘Have you seen her lately’, which has those funny lyrics but also maintains to be quite scary and horrifying, which you hear quite a lot of on the album ‘This is hardcore’. Cocker’s vocals on this song are really impressive, and to be honest it is throughout the whole album.

Another favorite on the album for me is ‘Happy Endings’, with Cocker shouting “And I know no-one can ever know which way to head
But don’t you remember that you once said that you liked happy endings? “, even though I think it was intended, but I think this song is quite deep.

Overall 9.0

I think this is a very fine piece of work by Pulp,and personally I think it’s better than ‘Different Class’, yes that album has the likes of ‘Common People’, ‘Disco 2000’ and ‘ Sorted for E’s and Wizz’ but I feel that a lot of the public like these songs, and that takes away from those songs slightly. Whereas ‘Happy Endings’ isn’t as publicly adored like those, which means more, feels more personal and special. I still have to review ‘This is Hardcore’, and it will be done in time. Just need more time. Let me know what you think.

The Beatles – Rubber Soul

The Beatles – Rubber Soul, Lego men, found it quite amusing.

Introduction

After such a good response from the revolver review, I thought why not look at another classic Beatles album. Although it doesn’t break the top 3 in my list, Revolver, Abbey Road and Sgt. Peppers taking those spots respectively, this alum would probably be fourth. Actually my top one would be ‘The best of The Beatles’ (Alan Partridge joke).Also I was listening to this album the other day in the car on the way to Weston-Super-Mare, and I forgot how much I adore this album.

This was the sixth album The Beatles completed and was released in the December of 1965, The Beatles had to record this album just over four weeks so it would make the Christmas market, normally this would affect a band because of the limited time, but these aren’t just any band.

The album was produced by none other than George Martin who famously produced all The Beatles albums alone, except for their final album(shouldn’t have been) where Phil Spector produced it with him and George Martin wasn’t credited for it. This album got a 42 week run in the charts, which isn’t bad really and it also took The Beatles previous album ‘Help’ off the top of the charts on Christmas day.

The Album

The album features songs like ‘Norwegian wood’, ‘Nowhere Man’, ‘Drive My Car’ and probably my favorite on the album ‘In my Life’. George’s own songs also featured on the album, proving once again that he wasn’t just a character to stand behind John and Paul, his songs were ‘Think for yourself’ and ‘If i needed someone’, which I’m quite fond of myself.

Before this The Beatles were known to sing love songs, and this album turned that around slightly with songs like ‘Girl’ which is about a girl that is particularly very nice…bitch,  ‘Norwegian Wood’ which is supposed to have been about John Lennon and the affairs he had while he was with Cynthia, sure I read that somewhere, and finally ‘Run for your life’  where he’s basically saying if I catch you with another man, you’re dead, I’m gonna get you so run off, quite a catchy tune.

This album was sort of a foot in the door to do something slightly different which they hadn’t done before, for instance George used a Sitar for one of the parts in Norwegian Wood, I’m sure I watched something where they said he wasn’t to good at playing at the time so he was just playing the basics. So it was a step in that direction, a set up for ‘Revolver’ if you’d imagine.

In My Life

I think this is one of my favorite Beatles songs of all time, along with ‘across the universe’, ‘a day in the life’ and ‘I’m only Sleeping’ (All Lennon Songs). Apparently it started out as a poem, and then he sort of turned into a song which you can kind of tell when you just look at the lyrics. It doesn’t really have a song structure (except for having a chorus) because none of it really rhymes  or looks like it could be sung together.

This is easily one of John’s best songs and vocal performances I believe, especially with that note at the end. The number of times I’ve attempted to sing that part and it hasn’t worked is countless. Lennon claimed this song as his own but Paul said it was an equal collaboration, but I’d like to think that it was personal John and it was his own work.

Overall 9.0

I can’t stress more that it’s a brilliant piece of work and easily one of the best Beatles albums and probably one of the best albums full stop full stop, because it’s still fresh, it’s still new, and it’s still relevant and I’m sure that this record is still influencing people now. So i’d like to say thank you to them for gifting this album to us :), comment and tell me what you think.