The Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night, 1964

Label: Parlophone

Producer: George Martin

Released in the summer of 1964, The Beatles’ third long-player, A Hard Day’s Night proved to be another significant stepping stone in their discography for multiple reasons. For starters, it marked their first release since arriving State-side five months earlier. That epic moment found them officially ushering in both Beatlemania and the British Invasion, with an electrifying appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show that changed both American music and pop culture forever. Further evidencing the rise of their cultural profile, the first side of the album also represented the soundtrack to their first film of the same name, which successfully added big-screen success to their increasingly dominant chart presence on both sides of the Pond. Much like their first two outings, Day’s proudly boasts a slick, infectious blend of pop and rock & roll that perfectly mirrored the increasingly joyous but chaotic lifestyle that fame had brought the four band-mates. More artistically significant however, it also marks their first record to contain all original material from the collaborative pen of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. This officially drifted them away from the cover song line-up that made up a good half of their first two outings, and slowly but surely hinted at the thoughtful artistic renaissance they would usher in just a few years later.

Opening the set in rapturous and joyous fashion is the classic title track, complete with its now iconic ringing guitar intro/outro, coupled with a timely and irresistible capturing of their fast rising career and the wicked pace suddenly thrust upon them as a result of their massive success. It’s one of music’s great depictions of the rockstar lifestyle by echoing all the exhilarating, exhausting, and homesick elements that come with, all while wrapped up in the Fab Four’s tremendous harmonies and sweet pop hooks. Crisp and concise, the track also set the tone for the rest of the album, staying true to the successful templates of albums 1 and 2. Like the very best rock & roll and pop of the era, none of these songs overstay their welcome. What they do accomplish however is a continual expansion of those elements, through both the Beatles’ increasingly experimental arrangements (oh, those layered guitars!) and growing strengths as songwriters.

With “Can’t Buy Me Love”, the band delivered another iconic and timely hit given their rising fortunes, as it decries material treasures in favor of love. It also boasts one of McCartney’s liveliest vocals from their early period, pairing his relentless delivery with the kind of infectious melodies that still linger and excite no matter how many times one hears it. The same can be said for ditties like the George Harrison led “I’m Happy Just to Dance With You” and “I Should Have Known Better”, which offered the band’s earliest signs of folk-rock elements thanks to the persistent harmonica fills and Harrison’s crisp, cutting guitar solos. Meanwhile, the insatiable “Tell Me Why” finds the group carrying on the tradition of vibrant early rock & roll harmonies as it revisits influences like The Crickets and The Everly Brothers.

Of course, heartache makes expected appearances throughout the record and in doing so unveils some of Lennon/McCartney’s most captivating performances and compositions to date. “If I Fell” displayed the pair’s classic harmonies in all their glory on one of the many indelible melodies they forever etched in the minds of the listening public. The same can be said for “And I Love Her”, which offered McCartney’s richest and most mature vocal to date, suggesting what was to come on performances like “Yesterday”. Both tunes also found them maturing as composers, taking the idea of love and heartbreak beyond “holding hands” as suggested in the former. These heartthrobs were learning that love was messy and complicated, and the exploration of adult themes like jealousy and infidelity made for some very intriguing pop music.

It’s Lennon’s legendary brand of melancholy that particularly starts to breakthrough on this album. “I’ll Cry Instead” for instance is a compellingly subtle peek into the soulful elements of despair, loss, and bitterness starting to bubble inside him as his fame increased, all the while revealing the band’s often overlooked country & western leanings. To his credit, McCartney could also get dark and brooding with the best of them as shown on “Things We Said Today” where his harmonies with Harrison reach haunting but lovely new heights. And so it’s fitting that the project closes with “I’ll Be Back”, perhaps the most collaborative tune of the project in terms of including the entire group. The layered harmonies and unique instrumentation, including steady flamenco strumming, continues the evolution of their take on love from young and flirtatious bliss to complicated heartbreak, and even a grim warning of revenge. It ends the album on a harrowing but delicious note, suggesting that the Beatles were just beginning to uncover what was up their own sleeves in terms of creative inspiration.

Incredibly balanced and cohesive in every possible way, A Hard Day’s Night remains a sensational stop on the Beatles’ historic timeline. It documents the band in the immediate aftermath of their confirmation as both international superstars and pop culture game-changers, at a level that only Elvis had achieved prior. It’s a stirring example of why their formative “pop” years remain just as influential as their post-Revolver output. They’re still very much in Beatlemania mode here, not yet intersecting with the massive artistic evolution they would undergo in the latter half of the 60s. But listen between the lines and you’ll already see the pieces of their fully formed identity slowly starting to come together.

Track Listing:

1. “A Hard Day’s Night” (John Lennon and Paul McCartney) *Single Release 1964
2. “I Should Have Known Better” (Lennon and McCartney) *B-Side Release 1964
3. “If I Fell” (Lennon and McCartney)
4. “I’m Happy Just to Dance With You” (Lennon and McCartney)
5. “And I Love Her” (Lennon and McCartney)
6. “Tell Me Why” (Lennon and McCartney)
7. “Can’t Buy Me Love” (Lennon and McCartney) *Single Release 1964 
8. “Any Time At All” (Lennon and McCartney)
9. “I’ll Cry Instead” (Lennon and McCartney)
10. “Things We Said Today” (Lennon and McCartney) *B-Side Release 1964 
11. “When I Get Home” (Lennon and McCartney)
12. “You Can’t Do That” (Lennon and McCartney) *B-Side Release 1964
13. I”ll Be Back” (Lennon and McCartney)

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