SE 3, EP 14: The Beatles - Help!

04/23/23 • 136 min

So this is it, we’ve hit 100 album reviews (or whatever it is we do on our little show). We decided that the only way properly celebrate was to talk about an album by the most influential rock band in rock and roll history - the Beatles - and their fifth studio album: 1965’s Help! .

Released at the height of Beatlemania, Help! is the last album of what is typically considered “Early period” Beatles. Tied to the movie of the same name, Help! is too often dismissed as just a soundtrack album and as a result, often gets overlooked. But it is worthy of further discussion. Help! is a transitional album that moves the band away from their 60s pop oriented tunes towards a more mature sound influenced by Bob Dylan and utilizing the studio in in a way not done previously by a rock band. And it contains “Yesterday,” a song that holds the world record for the number of covers recorded at 2200 and counting. Help! is a true underrated Beatles' gem worthy of additional attention and listens.

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SE 3, EP 13: Sigur Rós, Takk

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Here's a phrase you don't read very often: One of the biggest bands to ever come out of Iceland. Sigur Ros have gone through numerous personnel and style change since its formation in the 90s, but their music has always been unique. This album, their fourth, is difficult to categorize. It is atmospheric and ethereal, with guitars played with bows (instead of picks), drums that aren't designed to keep rhythm, lush orchestration, and an abundance of chiming sounds. The songs on this album have found their way onto soundtracks, sports television themes, and commercials more than they have the radio. But there are songs here, just maybe not in the conventional sense of the word.

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SE3, EP 15: Nick Drake - Pink Moon

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On this week’s episode its another "Listener Pick." We talk about the last album by Nick Drake, 1972’s Pink Moon. Upon its initial release, the album was a both a critical and commercial failure, but it has grow in stature and appreciation for both critics and fans in the decades since.

The album is quiet, mostly just Drake and his acoustic guitar, with lyrics steeped celestial imagery about loneliness and and heartbreak. Reclusive by nature, Drake did little to support the album by way of touring or interviews and passed away soon after its release. It took a Volkswagen commercial in 1999 featuring the album’s title track to revive his career and bring back to the attention of the music buying public. Since then, Pink Moon has found itself on several “greatest albums” lists. Pink Moon is a beautifully stark album of note, full of songs that are elegant and beautiful, and bleak and unsettling, often at the same time.

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