Please see my introduction and explanation about this project here.
Having spent a lot of creativity with the Hard Day’s Night album the band rushed to complete enough tracks for the next release to hit in time for Christmas sales and the result is Beatles For Sale. Solid enough in the songwriting department the endless touring saw the band rely again on covers to pad out the album. Creatively though there were the beginnings, lyrically and with song structure, of the band breaking out of the traditional rock and roll song structure. There isn’t a bad song here, but this is the first uneven Beatles release.
Presented in order from least to most favorite, in a highly subjective (and subject to change) manner:
“Mr. Moonlight”
Never cared too much for the original either
“Honey Don’t”
Just a pretty standard cover
“Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby”
For a while in my youth I thought this was an original song by George
“I’ll Follow the Sun”
I want to like this one more, I really do
“Baby’s in Black”
Musically interesting
“Kansas City/Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey”
Fun little rocker mish-mash
“What You’re Doing”
A very interesting arrangement on this one
“I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party”
Upbeat and forelorn
“No Reply”
A very cool story here
“Every Little Thing”
A great different persepctive on the love song
“Rock and Roll Music”
A standard, done with great aplomb
“Eight Days a Week”
Simple a great song
“Words of Love”
A great song done very well, I would have liked to hear more Buddy Holly covers
“I’m a Loser”
One of my favorite Beatles tunes, and I’m not sure why