Please Please Me was the debut album from the Beatles. The title track was actually their second released single, but it was the single that made them successful overseas in America. It's a little cheesy to begin at the start, but it's not technically my start with the Beatles. I came to appreciate the early stuff much later. I heard it when I was young, but I really liked the stuff from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour.
Please Please Me was originally intended to be a slow, mopey kind of song. When John Lennon wrote it, he had Roy Orbison and Bing Crosby in mind. When they got into the studio, George Martin told them he'd cut it if they didn't speed it up and make it more lively- thank goodness he did! After speeding it up, George Martin remarked that he thought they had their first real big hit, and he was right.
This song contains many of the things that I love about the Beatles. The vocals in this are a perfect example of John and Paul's vocal ability. John carries the main part of the song, and Paul sings the high notes. In particular I love the back in forth during "come on, come on", and the back-up vocals in the bridge are so adorable and perfect it hurts. That's everything that's good about music in the 50's and 60's to me. The chord progressions are simple in the guitar, but it's the strumming that keeps it interesting (and this will be a challenge for me- strumming is not my strong suit). I'm also a sucker for the rising and falling chord progressions, it's just a nice sound to me. Though I don't know much about drumming, I really do love the little transition Ringo does into the bridge.
It's definitely placed in top songs of all time lists, Keith Richards notes it as his favourite Beatles tune and it was rumoured to be the first pop song to ever discuss oral sex, though that was never confirmed (think about it now, think about it...)
Please please (tell) me what you think of the song- I'd love to hear others' opinions. Also, correct me on any incorrect musical terminology- this is a learning experience and I want to know everything, so I've left my ego at the door. Thanks!
I learn a Beatles song every week and blog about it to become a better guitar player/appreciator of music. Nostalgia, hilarity and (hopefully) skill will ensue.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Sunday, October 2, 2011
What's all this about, then?
Anyone who knows me knows that I have a ridiculous love for The Beatles. I grew up listening to them, and through some really questionable phases in my musical tastes, The Beatles have always been a constant. The songs I appreciated evolved over time, but I've always been a huge fan.
When I did dabble in the guitar at first in high school, my dad taught me the opening riff to Day Tripper. Although I wouldn't seriously consider the guitar until later, that was my first taste. When I did get serious about playing guitar in University, I decided on an Epiphone Casino. Paul McCartney introduced the Casino into the group during the recording of Help, and it was a staple for George Harrison and John Lennon after that as well. You can see John's gorgeous stripped down Casino here for their final public performance on the rooftop of Apple headquarters.
I also named my Epiphone Casino "George", after my favourite Beatle.
So where is this all going? Since I bought George, I've been a little hit and miss with my practice. I've had no purpose, and life gets busy, and my skills are not where I want them to be. When I thought more about how I could become better, I turned to The Beatles. I know some of their songs on the guitar already, and bits and pieces of others, but what better way to become a better guitar player than to tackle a Beatles song every week, in entirety? In my opinion, I'd be learning from the best in song writing the world has to offer.
So here I go. A Beatles song a week, I'm holding myself accountable. I'll be picking a song, talking about its history, my personal associations with it, opinions of others, and different parts of the song that I enjoy. As I go along, I may be posting videos (and I apologize for this) to keep track of my progress. I should note here that in no way am I trying to infringe upon copyrights or make a profit from this blog, rather, it is a personal learning exercise that friends may comment on.
Happy reading/listening!
When I did dabble in the guitar at first in high school, my dad taught me the opening riff to Day Tripper. Although I wouldn't seriously consider the guitar until later, that was my first taste. When I did get serious about playing guitar in University, I decided on an Epiphone Casino. Paul McCartney introduced the Casino into the group during the recording of Help, and it was a staple for George Harrison and John Lennon after that as well. You can see John's gorgeous stripped down Casino here for their final public performance on the rooftop of Apple headquarters.
I also named my Epiphone Casino "George", after my favourite Beatle.
So where is this all going? Since I bought George, I've been a little hit and miss with my practice. I've had no purpose, and life gets busy, and my skills are not where I want them to be. When I thought more about how I could become better, I turned to The Beatles. I know some of their songs on the guitar already, and bits and pieces of others, but what better way to become a better guitar player than to tackle a Beatles song every week, in entirety? In my opinion, I'd be learning from the best in song writing the world has to offer.
So here I go. A Beatles song a week, I'm holding myself accountable. I'll be picking a song, talking about its history, my personal associations with it, opinions of others, and different parts of the song that I enjoy. As I go along, I may be posting videos (and I apologize for this) to keep track of my progress. I should note here that in no way am I trying to infringe upon copyrights or make a profit from this blog, rather, it is a personal learning exercise that friends may comment on.
Happy reading/listening!
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