The end of an era... the start of a new one.
This is the last album of what I consider the "early" Beatles; the band that was mainly concerned with love and its varied forms. The anguished "Help starts off the mix, and it's probably the closest tune to the transition that was made with RUBBER SOUL and REVOLVER. The rest of the album continues with the usual Beatles mix. It is wonderful collection of songs that deal with love; its joys and consequences. "You've got to Hide Your Love Away" is a truly beautiful tune with Lennon's pain clearly heard in his vocals. Harrison's "I Need You" follows right behind with its plaintive lyrics; HELP really is an emotional collection (By the time you get to "Yesterday" you realize "regret" is the theme to this recording. Excepting Ringo's performance on "Act Naturally" which seems to be out of place, (I love Ringo, but this one just doesn't fit.) and the unnecessary cover of "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" this one's nearly perfect.