65: Here Comes The Sun
Album: Abbey Road
Writer: Harrison
Singer: Harrison
Verdict: A solid offering by George; he wrote it after escaping to Eric Clapton’s home to avoid dealing with the band. I enjoy the melody quite a bit and it’s a good spring song. The repetitiveness of the title gets to be a little much, though.
64: With A Little Help From My Friends
Album: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Writer: Lennon/McCartney
Singer: Starr
Verdict: The perfect song for Ringo’s limited vocal range. Unfortunately, it’s so laid back that it’s hard not to think of drug references while listening to it. Also, any shine for Ringo here is trumped by Joe Cocker’s immensely superior version. I had heard the latter first while growing up watching The Wonder Years. Hearing Ringo’s version was jarring, but it fits quite nicely on this album.
63: When I’m Sixty-Four
Album: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Writer: McCartney
Singer: McCartney
Verdict: Written by Paul when he was sixteen. A fairly empty song; it sounds like a rhyme written by a coy teenager. Yet, it’s so damn elegant and uplifting.
62: Within You, Without You
Album: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Writer: Harrison
Singer: Harrison
Verdict: Another Hindu-inspired song by George, heavily featuring the sitar. The lyrics have an introspection–an existentialt treatise–I find annoying. But the I really dig the music and whenever George drones the title.
61: No Reply
Album: Beatles for Sale
Writer: Lennon
Singer: Lennon
Verdict: Reminiscent of “Silhouettes”, and I enjoy this more depressing take on the theme. Paul harmonizes wonderfully here and hits those damn high notes again. “I nearly died!” I love singing along to this.
The first two songs here are pretty decent. “When I’m Sixty-Four” does seem a bit cloying; I’ve twice seen it used at weddings during a montage of photos of the couple. I guess it must be a thing, because the couples wouldn’t know each other.
I’ve decided to listen to a song I don’t recognize from each group of five, so let’s do “Within You, Without You.”
I always like the Indian influences as I listen to a lot of Indian music. This is a very sleepy song; not sure if it’s as druggy as “With a Little Help from my Friends” but I definitely feel like putting some strong stuff in the hookah.