I don’t think it gets much sweeter than this. What we have here is a breakdown of every Beatles song recorded and released in chronological order. It shows the authorship of the song but also the degree of which it was collaborated on.

This is legitimately fascinating.

Thanks to JT for sending this to our attention.

I know what you’re thinking. (1) Enough with the Beatles already and (2) How can a band that famous and whose had their entire musical output dissected with a fine tooth comb by millions have an underrated album? Well my friends TCM will prove you wrong, because that album is called Beatles For Sale.

I’d wager most casual fans have never even heard of it, as it’s not nearly as famous as other later albums or even albums from that era. Released in 1964, it was the Beatles 4th album, sandwiched between the two twin peaks of Beatles films (and soundtracks) A Hard Day’s Night and HELP! Recorded a mere 5 months after A Hard Day’s Night and the subsequent world tour as superstars. One of the it’s biggest criticisms is that after their first album of all original material, Beatles For Sale went back to the formula of the first 2 albums – 8 original tunes and 6 covers. But Beatles For Sale is anything but formulaic.

This is an album brimming with a sense of weariness and anger. Even on the front cover they look they’ve had enough and just might want to kill you. You can begin to hear it at the tail end of A Hard Day’s Night on tracks like, “When I Get Home”, “You Can’t Do That” and “I’ll Be Back”. Beatles For Sale takes it to a new level with the first 3 songs, “No Reply”, “I’m A Loser” and “Baby’s In Black” all penned by John Lennon. As if the titles didn’t say enough, I think it’s safe to say a Beatle was bummed. Lennon would turn this frustration into a sadness/wistfulness on their next album, HELP!

The songs to me on this album are so strange. They are in that period in their career where they are starting to break away from the pop mold and stretch it out a bit. They began using the studio more as their definitive instrument to assist in shaping their sound. ”No Reply” sounds unlike any pop song I have ever heard and when McCartney’s harmonies come in, it sends shivers down my spine.

Even the covers have an anger that pushes itself to the forefront. Lennon’s take on Chuck Berry’s “Rock And Roll Music” is raw, rugged and magnetic. McCartney’s version of “Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey” stands a shade away from “Long Tall Sally”. They morph Buddy Holly’s “Words Of Love” into a gentle lilt with a haunting/floating vocal line that conveys a sense of longing that’s missing from the original. Than of course there’s the oft-detested cover of the rock and roll obscurity, “Mr. Moonlight”. I’ll admit when I first heard this when I was a teenager I didn’t like it, but in recent years it’s grown on me a great deal. A nice little do-whop song with some extraordinary forceful John Lennon vocals.

Beatles For Sale is their most overt country sounding album. Noted for their interest in folk music and Bob Dylan at the time (not to mention their roots in rockabilly) it’s easy to see them connecting dots into this genre. Ringo being the biggest country music disciple amongst them, gets his turn to belt out the Carl Perkins tune, “Honey Don’t”. Originals like, “I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party” and especially ”Baby’s In Black” with it’s off center clang were as close as the Beatles got to the genre.

Oh and if your looking for blockbuster hits, the album also contains the dynamic pop song (and U.S. single) “Eight Days A Week”. So if it’s been awhile since you’ve listened or have never heard the album, give it a spin. Every Beatles album is full of gems, some well known and others waiting to be dug up. Do yourself a favor and let Beatles For Sale be your Autumn soundtrack.