1964 music
A Hard Day's Night (1964) - The Beatles [Amazon.com] [FR] [DE] [UK]
Music
- Cantaloupe Island - Herbie Hancock (covered by US3)
A Hard Day's Night (1964) - The Beatles
A Hard Day's Night was The Beatles' third album, released in 1964 as the soundtrack to their first film of the same name.
The album, whilst showcasing the development of the band's songwriting talents, sticks to the basic rock and roll instrumentation and song format. Some of the more notable songs on the album include the title track (with its distinct, instantly recognizable opening chord), and the catchy "Can't Buy Me Love". It also features "And I Love Her", the first of what would become many popular McCartney ballads.
The title of the album (and film) was alleged to have been the accidental creation of drummer Ringo Starr. Though the phrase is used in Lennon's, at that time, recent book "In His Own Write" and was reputedly used at least once by him during the Hamburg era.
Side one of the LP contains the songs from the movie soundtrack. Side two contains songs recorded for the movie, but not included in the movie, although a 1980s rerelease of the movie includes a prologue before the opening credits with "I'll Cry Instead" on the soundtrack. This was the first Beatles album to consist entirely of all original compositions, which would not return until the release of Rubber Soul in 1965. This is also the only original Beatles album consisting entirely of Lennon-McCartney compositions and the first Beatles album to be recorded on four-track tape allowing for good stereo mixes. Despite this, the CD of this album is currently available only in mono
In 2003, the album was ranked number 388 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Amazon review:
Strummmmm! That dramatic guitar chord that kicks of A Hard Day's Night (album, song, movie) still jumps right out at you, slaps you in the face, and jump-starts your heart. And you know what? Both the music and the film are still as crisp and lively as they were in 1964. Of course, only the first seven songs are actually in the movie (and they are the strongest of the bunch, from the rousing rock & roll of the title track and the hit single "Can't Buy Me Love," to the beautiful ballads "If I Fell" and "And I Love Her"). But nobody's going to complain about having songs like "I'll Cry Instead" and "Things We Said Today" in the second half of the record; they sure don't feel like leftovers. Yet another high-point for John, Paul, George, and Ringo--four fab fellows who hit the highest heights imaginable. --Jim Emerson for amazon.com
CDs
- A Hard Day's Night (1964) - The Beatles [Amazon US] [Amazon US]
I have never actively liked The Beatles and I do not own [June, 2003] a single Beatles recording (not even on a compilation). The closest I get to the Beatles is the Yoko Ono link, who did some interesting early eighties work on Island, I believe. I have always been more of a Rolling Stones fan. Together with the Beatles they were one of the first cult of personality bands with international appeal. [...] - Serge Gainsbourg - Percussions [Amazon FR] [Amazon US]
1. Joanna 2. La-Bas C'Est Naturel 3. Pauvre Lola 4. Quand Mon 6,35 Me Fait les Yeux Doux 5. Machins Choses 6. Sambassadeurs 7. New York -- U.S.A. 8. Couleur Café 9. Marabout 10. Ces Petits Riens 11. Tatoue Jeremie 12. Coco and Co.
The first concept album of 1964. Serge here finds himself adapting his songs to Africa percussions 20 years before anyone else. Includes 'Pauvre Lola', 'New York-U.S.A.', 'Couleur Cafe' & more. Includes original artwork and extensive liner notes. 24 bit remastered. 2001 release. Standard jewel case. My favourite Serge Gainsbourg CD [...] - Empyrean Isles (1964) Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, Freddie Hubbard [Amazon US] [Amazon US]
Pianist and composer Herbie Hancock has had a long and varied career, during which he's enjoyed both creative and commercial success, though seldom at the same time. For many listeners, his creative peak came early, on two stunning Blue Note recordings, Maiden Voyage and the less celebrated Empyrean Isles. Recorded in 1964, Empyrean Isles is the earlier of the two and also the most radical. Hancock's quartet features Freddie Hubbard substituting a cornet for his usual trumpet, and getting a more burnished, slightly warmer sound. Without the jazz-typical saxophone present, Hancock's is almost a naked band, and the single horn blurs the lines between the pianist's mood-rich compositions and improvisation. The group uses the increased sense of space for intense collective creation, with Hancock and drummer Tony Williams pressing far beyond their instruments' usual roles and engaging Hubbard in edgy, complex dialogue, while bassist Ron Carter anchors the performances. Hubbard rises to the occasion with brilliance, responding to the stimulus with a fluency of thought and execution--a daring that built on his avant-garde experience with musicians like John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, and Eric Dolphy. From the breezy "Oliloqui Valley" to the funky "Cantaloupe Island" and on to the dissonance of the extended "Egg," this is one of the most significant documents of the Blue Note style that emerged in the mid-'60s. It's music that tests the balance of control and risk, and Hubbard's is also one of the great performances by a trumpeter in modern jazz. --Stuart Broomer, Amazon.com