Help!

Welcome back to Robert’s Got Mono! This week, I will be reviewing the mono reissue of The Beatles’ 1965 album “Help!”  Much like “A Hard Day’s Night”, “Help!” served a dual purpose as both a Beatles’ studio album, and as a soundtrack to the film of the same name. This time around, The Beatles’ big-screen hi-jinks are presented in color, and the album is pretty colorful as well!

Before reviewing the record, I decided to once again watch the accompanying film to help me (no pun intended) get a better feel for the album. “Help!” was once again directed by Richard Lester, but it’s a very different film than its predecessor. The band’s signature charm and humor is still present, but the day in the life motif, featured in their first film, has been replaced by a much wackier plot. Ringo has been given a sacrificial ring that belongs to an eastern cult. The cult needs to retrieve the ring in order to sacrifice their next victim, but Ringo can’t get it off of his finger. He soon learns that he himself will become the next sacrifice if he is not able to get the ring off! Hilarity ensues, and the band find themselves in a variety of crazy situations across many locations, such as the Bahamas and the Austrian Alps. The film is likable enough, but a bit strange. The focus is less on the Beatles themselves this time, and more on the nonsense that surrounds them. The film is more visually appealing, and features some great musical sequences, but overall I found it to be somewhat of a letdown compared to “A Hard Day’s Night”.

Before I get into the album, which in my opinion, is much better than the movie, let’s take a look at the cover art and the reissue’s packaging.

The album is back to the standard LP packaging that Parlaphone used for the band prior to “Beatles For Sale”. There is a band photo and album title on the glossy front cover, and black and white photos and liner notes on the matte finished back cover. There is no gate-fold to be found this time, and there wouldn't be again for several more albums. This album is yet another example of the British cover differing from its American counterpart, and would be one of the last times this would happen in the Beatles’ catalog. Not only did the American release feature a different cover with larger title graphics, it also had gate-fold packaging and more color photos, as shown in the photo below.

The differences between the British and American release are not just limited to the cover. The American album, released on Capital Records, once again contained a mix of Beatle songs featured in the film, along with excerpts from the orchestral score. The British release consists exclusively of Beatles tracks, with songs from the film on side one, and additional Beatle tunes on side two. Not only are these two records constructed differently, they also sound very different. Since the purpose of this blog is to discuss The Beatles in Mono reissues, it is always nice to have an avenue to compare these songs to stereo. I was able to accomplish this with my 1971 stereo reissue. (Capital packaging with Apple labels for you vinyl nerds) The songs sound very different indeed, as you will note in the song recaps below.

The album starts off with the famous title track, “Help!” This is one of my favorite Beatle songs, so I was excited to hear the song in mono. The mono version features a different lead vocal take from its stereo counterpart, and lacks the tambourine found in the stereo chorus. The stereo version also features the “James Bond” intro, a musical interlude with a spy flick feel that proceeds the beginning of the track. After comparing the two versions, I actually favor the stereo mix. The mono feels muddier to me, with too much emphasis on bass. The drums feel buried in mono as well. Overall, in my opinion, the song feels more alive to me in stereo, like it’s bursting out of the gate.

The second song on the album is “The Night Before”. A fun, upbeat track, which features Paul McCartney on vocals. Again the stereo / mono differences are noticeable. The vocals sound cleaner in mono, and there are maracas present that I couldn't make out on the stereo version. Overall however, my ear once again preferred the Stereo mix, mainly because it sounds livelier. This is especially true in regards to the percussion which has no pop whatsoever in mono. I am starting to notice a trend here.

Track three is “You've Got to Hide Your Love Away”, a great Beatle ballad preformed in the film. The track is extremely bass heavy in mono, to the point that it actually created a buzz in my speakers, and vibrated items on shelves in my listening area! The Beatles’ folk influences appear to be on display here once again. If I were keeping score, I’d once again have to give another point to the stereo mix. The tambourine sounds much better in stereo, and the acoustic guitars sound much cleaner, probably due to the aforementioned onslaught of bass. Regardless of the pressing, this is a truly great song.

Up next is “I Need You”. Which is the first track on the album I actually preferred in mono. The guitar chords sound really bright, the percussion sounds better, (more cowbell?) and the background vocals are brought forth more in the mix. Score one for mono! One thing that was really grating about the stereo version is the lead vocal. It’s extremely loud and grainy in the stereo mix, to the point that I had to turn the volume down compared to when I spun the mono disc.

The next track, “Another girl”, is one of my favorites on the record. It’s a tune that’s sure to make you bob your head, due in large part to the rhythm guitar mimicking the beat. Speaking of beats, the drum sounds continue to improve over the earlier tracks on the album, sounding crispier here. My only audio critique would be the vocals, which continue to sound a bit muffled.

Next up is “You’re Going to Lose That Girl”, another one of my favorite tracks on the album. There is some great vocal work on this track, with some nice interplay between background and lead. The entire track feels like an echo effect has been added, and I don’t mean in a good way. I don’t recall noticing it in past stereo listens. Interestingly, Lennon’s voice doesn't sound as clean or well produced as the background vocals do. The guitar solo however, sounds very clean. Allowing the individual notes to really shine. I am a huge fan of this song, I dare you to not sing along!

The last track on side one is the Beatle classic, “Ticket to Ride”. This track sounds phenomenal in mono! Upon hearing it, I had one of those moments, in which you hear a song you've listened to hundreds of times, yet experience it in a whole new way. The mono version of this song feels more rock oriented than pop, with more bite. Comparatively, the song is too vocal oriented and pitchy in stereo. The mono mix places more emphasis on the guitars. So far it’s the best sounding track on the album.

Side two begins with Ringo singing “Act Naturally”. Right off the bat, it sounds like I am listening to a different album than side one from a production standpoint. Everything is clean, with clear separation from all instruments. The music feels alive and full, with every drum beat and note discernable from one another. The bass sounds amazing, as does Ringo’s vocal. This track would not rank anywhere near the top of my favorite Beatle songs, but it very well may be one of the highlights of the entire mono box set from an audio standpoint… a complete homerun!

“It’s Only Love” has a tough act to follow as the next song. A great song to say the least, but it features nothing remarkable from an audio standpoint. Lennon’s vocal however, does have a unique buzzing sort of quality to it, which catches my attention upon further inspection.

Next up is “You Like Me Too Much” This song features some great work on the keys! After doing some research, I found out that the unique intro is comprised of both a traditional piano and an electric piano. The combination makes for a cool into. The electric piano played during the verse seems more noticeable to me in the mono presentation. There is some great interplay between the guitar and the piano during the guitar solo as well. George Harrison wrote the song, and provides the vocal. This is one of the better sounding tracks on the record.

The next song is “Tell Me What You See” There is some sort of sound effect or audio trick in the background of this track. I am not sure what it is, but it is very annoying… distracting even. The individual band members voices sound very layered on the vocal, it’s hard to believe this type of dimension can be achieved vocally in mono, but somehow they pulled it off. The track is clean, crisp, and upbeat, with very good sound overall. I still hate that noise in the background though!

Up next is “I’ve Just Seen a Face”, which features an awesome sounding intro. The song has a quick tempo, with the bass really driving verse portions of the track, a nice change of pace tune for the record.

The next track is not only one of the more famous Beatle songs, but arguably one of the most famous songs ever written. “Yesterday” is the most covered Beatles song in history. You’ve all heard it a million times, but as I listened to this version, on this reissued mono pressing, I felt like I was hearing it for the first time. The song sounds intimate and vibrant, like it has a new lease on life. The acoustic guitar feels incredibly smooth, allowing my ear to decipher every note. The orchestral accompaniment is not as in your face as it sounds on the songs stereo counterpart. I wish the song were longer, because it sounds too good to end. This is another “wow” moment for the Beatles in Mono.

The final song on the album is “Dizzy Miss Lizzy”, which is a huge change in direction from “Yesterday”. This track harkens back to the closing numbers on the Beatles first few albums, with Lennon belting out rock n roll. The repetitive lead guitar riff dominates the mix, it jumps out and grabs you for sure. McCartney is laying down a great bass groove to back that riff up as well. This is a nice way to close out the album, with my only criticism being the drums. They sound very buried and compressed. The mix could have really benefited from their clarity.

Final Thoughts:

This is the first Beatles’ album from this set to feature moments that I preferred in stereo. That being said, I felt like the sound of the record got better and better as it went on, eventually including some of the best “mono moments” the set has provided so far. Overall, I find “Help!” To be a great record, right up there with their best offerings in their career thus far. It is difficult to rank these early Beatle records, as they are all brilliant in their own respects. I do think I have a favorite so far, and this album is not it, but I’ll revisit that conversation down the road when I conclude this journey. Who knows? My rankings may have changed by then!

Join me next time as we enter the next phase of the Beatles career, with my mono review of one of favorite records, “Rubber Soul”