Past Masters Volume Two - Beatles (The) (CD 1988)

Past Masters--Volume Two is the second part of the albums simultaneously released in 1988 which were designed to give the Beatles catalogue collector everything that the group ever recorded. I have already reviewed Past Masters--Volume One, and this review is about the second half of the presentation.

The tracks, and my impression of each, is as follows:

1. Day Tripper--This song provided the model for the rock formula of a repetitive guitar riff forming the basis of a song. The Beatles weren't the first to do it, but their popularity certainly encouraged acceptance of the idea. The tune itself is a raw, unpolished rocker featuring John and Paul on the vocals, and a cool guitar solo by George which is central to the rave-up in the middle. There is a delightful mistake on the recording; at the end, after the first refrain of "day tripper", John can be heard saying "yeah" at the wrong time. I think that they left these mistakes in their records (See Please Please Me and If I Fell) to preserve the authenticity of the art form)

2. We Can Work It Out--This is one that was truly co-written by John and Paul. It's a song about disagreement, and may provide a premonition of the problems that would later arise between these two. Paul sings the verses, and John sings the bridge, and the harmonium provides a nice touch. The harmonies in the bridge are beautiful.

3. Paperback Writer--This demonstrates Paul's specialty; telling a story in the context of a rock n' roll tune. The vocals presage the lush harmonies of later groups like Queen. This song, along with Rain, the next cut, allowed Paul McCartney to redefine the role of the bass guitar in rock n' roll music. John and George can be heard singing "Frere Jacques" in the last verse before the fade-out.

4. Rain--A rapping snare drum starts this one, which features an arpeggiated electric guitar which is reminiscent of the Byrds, whom the Beatles greatly admired. But the star of this song is Paul's bass guitar; it actually becomes the lead instrument, and his playing influenced countless bass players, to this day. John provides the lead vocals, and the harmonies are exquisite. This is the first Beatle song to feature a tape being played backwards; the story goes that John came home stoned and played the tape backwards, sort of like a mad disc jockey. He liked the effect, and George Martin made it happen in the studio.

5. Lady Madonna--I've always said that this is Paul doing his vocal imitation of Ringo. A driving piano starts this one, which is about a madonna who is probably a little bit randy (Lady Madonna, baby at your breast....."). The horns add to the almost obscene effect. There's some interesting lyrical imagery involving the days of the week, and a line that is Paul's, but sounds like John ("Thursday night your stockings needed mending, see how they run").

6. The Inner Light--This track was recorded with Indian musicians with the usual complement of Indian instruments. John once said that this was George's finest composition. The song explores mysticism and is an overt comment on George's spiritual beliefs at the time. This is George's first song to appear as a Beatles single.

7. Hey Jude--Written by Paul McCartney for John's son, Julian, who was having some emotional problems as a result of the marital problems his parents were having. Although both John and Paul were listed as writers, they often wrote along, but each song was previewed for the other to "touch up", if you will. When John heard this song, he pronounced it finished, and didn't suggest a single change. The piano is the basic instrument, and Paul's voice has never been more supple. John's low harmonies provide the perfect counterpoint, and the build up of the voices and orchestra, along with Paul's vocal gymnastics, are, to put it mildly, VAST! This is one of the classics.

8. Revolution--John uses the tried and true rock n' roll form to deliver a political message, although he was widely and wildly misunderstood at the time. Now the song seems pretty tame, as political commentaries go. A nod and a wink is thrown Chuck Berry's way with George's searing guitar intro. There's a version of this song, maybe on the White Album, I'm not sure, where John says "you can count me out", and then slyly intones "in". If anyone knows what I'm referring to, let me know, by your comments or by e-mail.

9. Get Back--This is one of my least favorite Beatles songs, although I can't really say why. It features famed sessions keyboard player Billy Preston, who contributed a lot in the Let It Be sessions. The song itself is sort of a rock n' roll shuffle, and features s nice guitar solo by John, and some fine piano licks by Preston.

10. Don't Let Me Down--John wears his heart on his sleeve--he professes his genuine love, but still can't escape the thought of being spurned, thus the title. He seems to want reassurance before committing, even though he is already emotionally hooked. His vocals are from the heart, and Paul's harmonies provide just the right soothing touch to counterbalance John's angst. The song has Oriental overtones, and the way the instruments play against the beat in the bridge is different. Billy Preston plays on this one, and really does some fine bluesy piano work.

11. The Ballad of John And Yoko--I've reviewed this as a single, but here's a brief note. Only John and Paul played on this song, which is the story of John and Yoko's marriage and ultimate "bed-in" peace protest. The line "they're gonna crucify me is a reference to John's infamous remark (and I'm paraphrasing) that "the Beatles were more popular than Christ". Of course, that remark was taken out of context, but it caused quite a furor at the time.

12. Old Brown Shoe--George wrote this song, and it was released as the B side to The Ballad of John And Yoko. An odd piano part kicks it off, and John is featured on the slide guitar. Not one of my favorite Beatle songs, but it does have a good uptempo beat, and a good lead guitar solo.

13. Across The Universe--This is one of John's most beautiful songs, and the lyrics are really stunning. His vocal delivery is almost childlike, as if he's awed by the wonders he's describing (See Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds). A nice acoustic guitar part starts the song, and the acoustic guitar dominates throughout. The chant in the refrain is relaxing, and when he sings "Nothing's gonna change my world", I get emotionally moved. According to the liner, this is the "wildlife" version", because of the wildlife sound effects, and not the exact version that appeared on Let It Be.

14. Let It Be--Can the Beatles do gospel? Yes, they can, and this song has all of the feel of a good southern gospel tune, complete with organ and piano. George's lead guitar solo adds a rock edge to the song. Paul's vocals are really pretty, and the lyrics have been the subject of debate for a long time. The choir-type background singers contribute to the grand effect of this one.

15. You Know My Name--This song borders on the burlesque and ridiculous, but what is important is the authenticity of the tune--"Good evening, and welcome to Slaggers!" Paul's smarmy repeat of "You know my name", along with the talking in the background, add to the improvisational feel of the song. This tune perfectly conceptualizes the Beatles' idea of what recording was all about, warts and all. Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones plays sax on the tune.