| 1.
Back In The U.S.S.R. |
SOUND
B+ |
MELODY
B |
RHYTHM
A- |
ARRANGE
B+ |
|
IMPRESSION
B+ |
PROFUNDITY
B |
ORIGINALITY
B+ |
PLAYABILITY
A++ |
This is a Rock 'n' Roll number with fast tempo and vocal is
in full swing. It makes the best use of the guitar arrangement
skillfully. First of all, in the back of "I'm Backin the
U.S.S.R..." at the end of the verse, the guitar rif that
goes down repeats three times. And at the last verse, the sound
with strumming high tone of guitar is used. These arrangements
fit with this fast tempo song. Also the key is A major, this
song is very suitable for band performance. However, U.S.S.R.
is an old word now.
|
| 2. Dear
Prudence |
SOUND
A- |
MELODY
A |
RHYTHM
A- |
ARRANGE
A |
|
IMPRESSION
B |
PROFUNDITY
A- |
ORIGINALITY
A- |
PLAYABILITY
A |
My favorite song. Melody, arrangement, and rhythm, all of
them are almost perfect. In the verse, the cliche line D->C->B->Bb
with D open-tuning is cool. The bass line is also cool. At the
beginning of vocal in the verse, long tones by bass are used
between vocal passages, but at the second time in the verse,
eighth notes that go down with cliche line are used and are in
harmony with kick drum phrase. They say that Ringo does not play
the drums but Paul do. Paul's drum performance is very nice because
of many rhythmical fill-in drum phrases in the last chorus.
|
| 3. Glass
Onion |
SOUND
B |
MELODY
B+ |
RHYTHM
B+ |
ARRANGE
B+ |
|
IMPRESSION
B- |
PROFUNDITY
A |
ORIGINALITY
A |
PLAYABILITY
A |
The simplicity of two snare drum shot with flam in the introduction
is cool. The arrangement or the chord progression is not so complex,
so this song is tight and straight rock music. At the middle
of song, Am->F/A->Am6->Am7 is used, so the internal
voice that goes up by half tone livens up its atmosphere. The
lyric of this song is interesting. Because the other song's titles
such as Strawberry Fields, Walrus, and The Fool On The Hill are
used, so John's jokes can be shown in that lyrics. BTW, I wonder
why they had put the dull performance by strings at ending.
|
| 4.
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da |
SOUND
B |
MELODY
A+ |
RHYTHM
B |
ARRANGE
B+ |
|
IMPRESSION
A+ |
PROFUNDITY
B |
ORIGINALITY
A- |
PLAYABILITY
A++ |
This is very cheerful song in contrast with previous song.
The tight piano sound at the introduction makes us all happy.
And the rhythmical bass line and familiar vocal line start, then
I think you cannot help dancing. So this song has mysterious
power and is not complex music that features technical performance
but is simple music that has cool feelings. However, the melodious
obbligato with sax should be well-considered phrase, and works
hard in the background to push the vocal line. There are so many
percussion, voices, and sound effects, but it can be good because
of having some fun.
|
| 5.
Wild Honey Pie |
SOUND
A- |
MELODY
C+ |
RHYTHM
B- |
ARRANGE
C+ |
|
IMPRESSION
C |
PROFUNDITY
C+ |
ORIGINALITY
B- |
PLAYABILITY
A |
It is hard to write my comment for this song. They say that
this song was recorded by only Paul, and should be a joke song.
It looks like to be over-dubbed the acoustic guitar, so the vibrato
sound makes it strange. At the end of guitar chord progression
G7->F7->E7->Eb7->D7, the vocal line "Honey pie..."
is six-part harmonized chorus. They repeat this phrase three
times and then it ends, so this song is very short under a minute.
But I think Paul have composed this redoubling his efforts.
|
| 6.
The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill |
SOUND
B+ |
MELODY
B+ |
RHYTHM
B |
ARRANGE
A- |
|
IMPRESSION
B |
PROFUNDITY
B |
ORIGINALITY
B |
PLAYABILITY
A+ |
As soon as the flamenco guitar phrase ends, the vocal of this
song begins without introduction suddenly. It feels friendly
because of simple backing with the acoustic guitar and noisy
vocals by many people. At the verse, they sing same phrase changing
its key signature. At first, the chord progression is C->G7->C->Fm->C->Fm->G7,
but the chord progression of the next phrase is minor 3rd lower
than previous one, that is to say A->E7->A->Dm->A->Dm->E7.
At the 2nd verse, the tempo get slow down, and the vocal changes
to John's solo. You can hear Yoko's vocal in this phrase "when
he looked so fierce..." at the 3rd chorus. At last, the
verse phrase is played again by oboe sound with some hands claps
back, it is a heartwarming atmosphere.
|
| 7.
While My Guitar Gently Weeps |
SOUND
A- |
MELODY
A- |
RHYTHM
A- |
ARRANGE
B+ |
|
IMPRESSION
A- |
PROFUNDITY
A- |
ORIGINALITY
A- |
PLAYABILITY
A+ |
Composed by George. This is the most famous song. The cliche
line in minor chord progression and solo melody by piano at the
introduction feel pathetic. This chord "Am->Am7->D7->F->Am..."
is also used in the verse, and is featured as main chord progression
of this song. On the other hand, the key changes to A major at
the chorus, the impression of phrase changes drastically. In
the chorus, the organ sound is used with effect. BTW, Eric Clapton
also plays the guitar in this song, so the guitars solo battle
with George should be fine passages.
|
| 8.
Happiness Is A Warm Gun |
SOUND
A |
MELODY
A- |
RHYTHM
A+ |
ARRANGE
A |
|
IMPRESSION
B |
PROFUNDITY
A- |
ORIGINALITY
A- |
PLAYABILITY
A- |
You can hear John's shout vocal after a long time. This is
a large scale of song. The stricture of this song is different
from other one, and has suite style made up of three parts. The
verse at the beginning of vocal is gentle phrase backing with
simple guitar arpeggio. After that, the snare drum fades in,
and the vocal tone changes to hard from "She's well acquainted
with...", but it is not so loud because the chards at that
phrase only repeat Dm6->Am. As soon as the verse ends, the
guitar rif with fuzz tone gets in. This guitar sound is indecent
but cool. After that, the time signature changes to 3/4, and
also the vocal phrase changes to lower tone. The tempo of song
gets faster from "Mother Superior jump the gun...",
it feels an irregular meter because its rhythm patterns do not
much go well with 3/4 time signature. At last, the theme part
gets from "Happiness is a warm...", and this song ends
with strong vocal as John gives vent to his pent-up frustration.
|
| 9.
Martha My Dear |
SOUND
B+ |
MELODY
B |
RHYTHM
B- |
ARRANGE
A- |
|
IMPRESSION
B |
PROFUNDITY
B |
ORIGINALITY
B+ |
PLAYABILITY
A- |
This is what is called not a band music, but a new style of
song that uses strings or brass, and arranged with jazz or classical
style. The chord progression is also extra-ordinary, and has
many non-diatonic chord. The basic harmony should be simple,
but it can be heard complex because the strings or brass phrase
adds a tension note. From the viewpoint of the rhythmical piano
phrase or feeling like Paul's solo song, this is the Beatles
song in a sense, but this also in not the Beatles song in another
meaning.
|
| 10.
I'm So Tired |
SOUND
B- |
MELODY
B |
RHYTHM
C |
ARRANGE
B+ |
|
IMPRESSION
B- |
PROFUNDITY
B- |
ORIGINALITY
B |
PLAYABILITY
A+ |
Just this song title says, a tired vocal is impressive. However,
the vocal tone changes to be shouted voice from the 2nd time
of "I wonder should...". Concerning backing performance,
the main backing phrase in the introduction is a simple single
tone phrase with guitar, but it is getting harder by adding chord
sound of guitar. As for chord sound, the organ phrase should
have cool arrangement because it is played as if filling up the
gap in the guitar phrase. The chord progression is ordinary but
there is a point of notice. The chord progression from "I
wonder should..." is "A->Eaug->F#m->Dm",
so the chord of Eaug sounds good in that progression. I think
that the Beatles sounds are made by such a little idea of arrangement.
|
| 11.
Blackbird |
SOUND
B |
MELODY
A- |
RHYTHM
B+ |
ARRANGE
A |
|
IMPRESSION
B+ |
PROFUNDITY
B+ |
ORIGINALITY
A- |
PLAYABILITY
A+ |
This is an acoustic guitar solo song by Paul. This song is
not so complex specially, but many well-known cliche lines are
used. The chord progression in the verse "Take these broken
wings..." is C->A7->D->B7->Em. So the inner
voices of these chords make a half tone up cliche line of C->C#->D->D#->E.
And just after that, the chord progression is Em->EmM7->D->A7->C->Cm->G->A7->C
at "..fly / All your life / You were only waiting ...".
So the inner voices in the first half of these chords make a
half tone down cliche line of E->Eb->D->Db->C, and
the inner voices in the latter half make another half tone down
cliche line of E->Eb->D->Db->C->B. The vocal line
is very cool, and the chord arrangement too.
|
| 12.
Piggies |
SOUND
B+ |
MELODY
B- |
RHYTHM
C+ |
ARRANGE
B |
|
IMPRESSION
C+ |
PROFUNDITY
B- |
ORIGINALITY
B |
PLAYABILITY
A |
This song is also what is called not a band music, but like
a baroque music style featured the harpsichord. Specially, the
solo part in the middle of song reminds listeners of the piano
solo in In My Life. Regarding vocal tone, George sings with sweet
voice that peculiar to him at first, and then with electronic
effected voice, at last with a great choir just like an opera.
BTW, the attack tone of Paul's bass sound is emphasized, so he
might play the bass guitar with slapping that pulls a string
then slap it against finger board. It sounds like a pig, so I
take my hat off to them for their doing that.
|
| 13.
Rocky Raccoon |
SOUND
B |
MELODY
B |
RHYTHM
C |
ARRANGE
C+ |
|
IMPRESSION
B |
PROFUNDITY
B |
ORIGINALITY
B |
PLAYABILITY
A+ |
This is like Paul to begin to sing like talking, and is an
out-and-out simple song. Regarding the structure, it only repeats
the chord progression Am7->Dsus4->D7->G7->C->C/B
of four measures so many times. All the verse, chorus, and solo
part are on this chord progression. However, this song does not
feel simple because it has various arrangements of the harmonica,
accordion, harmony, or drums. And the honky-tonk piano solo by
George Martin varies the arrangement within a limited chord progression.
|
| 14.
Don't Pass Me By |
SOUND
B- |
MELODY
C |
RHYTHM
C |
ARRANGE
C |
|
IMPRESSION
C |
PROFUNDITY
C |
ORIGINALITY
B- |
PLAYABILITY
A+ |
Composed by Ringo. This song feels like a country music that
he loves. It seems that the performance is not so complex. The
piano or guitar phrase that is over-dubbed is used as chord play
from beginning to end intently. Moreover, the chords are only
C, F, G7 (the three chords of C major). I think that the fine
passage of this song should be the country western violin phrase
performed constantly. It seems that the drum pattern is also
over-dubbed, but the drums is not featured well, even though
composed by Ringo.
|
| 15. Why
Don't We Do It In The Road? |
SOUND
C+ |
MELODY
C |
RHYTHM
B- |
ARRANGE
C |
|
IMPRESSION
C- |
PROFUNDITY
C |
ORIGINALITY
B- |
PLAYABILITY
A++ |
Just as Wild Honey Pie, this also composed by only Paul. But
Ringo seems to play drums. Anyway, this is a rough song that
he has composed just to kill time rather than serious one. The
lyric almost repeats the song title many times, also the chord
progression is well-known blues style. If I insist on saying,
the sound of count-in slapping with the guitar body and the rhythm
of the snare drum in the introduction are making a cool groove.
|
| 16. I Will |
SOUND
B+ |
MELODY
A |
RHYTHM
B- |
ARRANGE
B+ |
|
IMPRESSION
A- |
PROFUNDITY
B+ |
ORIGINALITY
A- |
PLAYABILITY
A+ |
This also a love song of Paul's speciality. The lyric is romantic,
and the melody line too. The chord progression is almost made
up of the F major diatonic chord, and is not so complex. The
obbligato rif with the acoustic guitar in the end of the verse
sounds like fresh. They say that the bass tone is Paul's voice.
I wonder why he sang the bass note, but I think that the sweet
bass sound by human voice should be going well with this song.
Regarding rhythm instruments, the light percussion such as a
kick drum, a side sticks on a snare drum, a wood blocks, and
a maracas support the arrangement.
|
| 17. Julia |
SOUND
B |
MELODY
B |
RHYTHM
C |
ARRANGE
B- |
|
IMPRESSION
B- |
PROFUNDITY
C+ |
ORIGINALITY
B- |
PLAYABILITY
A++ |
This is a solo song by John. The notes on the vocal line in
the verse are almost same. From the second verse "Julia,
Julia ocean child...", the vocal line moves up and down
slightly, but it moves still within about three tones interval.
And from the chorus "Her hair of floating...", the
vocal line gets to become a song. From these view points, this
song might be composed putting emphasis on a lyric. A name of
Julia is John's mother's one, so they say that John sing about
his mother in this song. However, I suppose that John might sing
about Yoko in this song. BTW, It might be coincidence that the
lyric of "ocean child" means Yoko in English.
|
