This is probably my second oldest LP, and also one of the rarer ones. It is an original from 1964. Their fourth album proves to be a turning point in their music, which was important to how they would sound in their later music. It still has that early 50's based rock n roll sound, but some bluesy sounding songs, such as my favourite off this album, Mr Moonlight, which is a cover of the Roy Lee Johnson song. It has Lennon singing with this scratchy, wailing sound, like wailing at the moon(light). I have used this song in my novel as the song playing when the narrator loses his mind, and subsequently argues in his head about the best Beatles albums.
This is one of the finer Beatles albums, which is usually overlooked for the 'greater' ones. I think it's the transition into a maturer sound that proves to be a quality to this album.
I'm a Loser is another fantastic song with blues-style lyrics, but with that quick-beat 50's style rock n roll. With both Paul and John on chorus "I'm a looooser," and then John singing the verses, he said it was him in his Dylan period, and I wish he'd kept it longer, I mean John Lennon calling himself a loser while blowing into a harmonica is just incredible. It was recorded the same day as Mr Moonlight.
The malpropism Eight Days A Week is the memorable melody, which I believe is used to signify this period The Beatles were in. The sound of strums on the guitar at the beginning and repeated at the end is the mature sound of four musicians who were, in their fourth album, becoming something new and big each time. Like The White Album, I don't play it that often, but when I do I just love the sound of them, this must be their best "early" album.
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