Beatles For Sale review

Beatles For Sale is the 4th album by The Beatles. Normally this would be good news, but judging by the somewhat bland title, the weary expressions on the band's faces on the album cover and the number of covers in the album, it looks pretty clear that when they made this album The Beatles were just a bit sick of Beatlemania.

Tracks:

1. No Reply: 9/10 the album starts on a high with this highly energetic love song, which despite its similarity to other Beatles songs still manages to feel fresh and be hugely entertaining and compelling.

2. I'm a Loser: 7/10 this one feels too sorry for itself to truly satisfy, but at least boasts plenty of enthusiasm and a good chorus.  

3. Baby's in Black: 7/10 perfectly competent, but I detect The Beatles phoning it in which is something they never normally do.

4. Rock 'n' Roll Music: 8/10 it still feels a bit phoned-in, but this cover song is delightfully punchy and never lets up.

5. I'll Follow the Sun: 7/10 quite nice, although loads of simplistic weather metaphors aren't a good technique for covering a lack of depth.

6. Mr Moonlight: 7/10 perfectly pleasant and well sung but a bit dreary.     

7. Kansas City: 7/10 even if the lyrics are sub-par, The Beatles inject their usual catchiness into this cover song.

8. Eight Days a Week: 9/10 The Beatles are on top form here in easily the album's most popular track, and it's certainly deserving.

9. Words of Love: 8/10 boasting honesty and emotion, this cover is surprisingly successful.

10. Honey Don't: 4/10 the epitome of lame, disposable cover songs.

11. Every Little Thing: 5/10 it may be a Lennon/McCartney song this time but certainly not one of their best.

12. I Don't Want to Spoil the Party: 8/10 well-constructed, touching and mature, this thankfully shows a lot more energy than many songs on this album. 

13. What You're Doing: 7/10 a perfectly good relationship song with a nice side of cynicism.

14. Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby: 5/10 it sounds like The Beatles were half-asleep when they did this one. Still, they managed to produce a mildly catchy song.

Best song: Eight Days a Week
Worst song: Honey Don't

Summary: This is a competent and decent album, but I'd expect much better from The Beatles. This is the rare instance of them phoning it in, and throughout I can almost hear them saying "I can't be bothered." Despite often lacking the energy and intelligence of their other work, this still has plenty of good moments and showcases some of The Beatles' talent, so it'd be hard to justify calling it a bad album.



Final rating: 6/10