Note: the CD I listened to was the 2009 remaster.
The music ain't much to get excited about, but the movie is kinda fun if you're in the right mood. As for this album, I'm in agreement with the anonymous CashBox reviewer who called the album "a must for Beatles collectors" and that's me for sure. Just check out the lovely LEGO submarine on my shelf over there:
But, yeah, this album - along with Love - is definitely in the running for "least-essential" Beatles album.
"Press of the time:
- CashBox: "a must for Beatles collectors"
- Billboard: "this LP boasts four new Beatles songs...along with an intoxicating score by George Martin"
- Record Mirror (★★★★★): "it's simple Beatles stuff (and that's good at the worst of times)"
Album chart peaks:
- US Billboard 200: #2
- Billboard CD: #8
- CashBox: #3
Tracks: They weren't hits, but I've always liked All Together Now and Hey Bulldog. I can't gather the same enthusiasm for Only A Northern Song and It's All Too Much (sorry, George). The seven tracks written and orchestrated by George Martin makes one realize what a talented all-around musician he was. Still, they're only good for a very occasional listen.
The 2009 remaster is an Enhanced CD that includes a very brief "mini-documentary."
Available online over at YouTube: https://youtu.be/VNcou01nOWU
Personal Memory Associated with this CD: Maybe I watched the movie when it aired on Sunday, October 29, 1972 on CBS? I seem to recall some sort of family conflict that kept me from watching (possibly my sister wanted to watch Wonderful World Of Disney or there was some sort of Halloween thing). I revisited the movie recently via the local library's 2012 Blu-Ray release. On their website, the library uses this somewhat accurate description of the movie:
Yellow Submarine is an animated meandering journey filled with puns and dry British humor, where psychedelic music videos take precedent over any linear story. What little there is of a plot, however, concerns a vibrantly colored place called Pepperland that resembles the album cover for Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band come to life. The swirling animation is a mixture of pop-culture images and modern artistic styles brought loosely together with a naïve antiwar message and some clever political commentary. The Blue Meanies take over Pepperland, draining it of all its color and music, firing anti-music missiles, bonking people with green apples, and turning the inhabitants to stone by way of the pointed finger of a giant white glove. As the only survivor, the Lord Admiral escapes in the yellow submarine and goes to London to enlist the help of the Beatles (voiced by actors). The charming and innocent boys travel through strange worlds and meet bizarre characters, including the tagalong Nowhere Man. Several blissed-filled musical sequences and drug references later, the Beatles drive out the Blue Meanies and restore Pepperland to tranquility armed with only music, love, and witty remarks.- Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi (now TiVo)
I also remember having a 45 single as a toddler that had Yellow Submarine on one side and All Together Now on the other and since I can't find any proof that such a 45 ever existed, I guess my capacity for exact recollection after more than half a century is somewhat diminished.
Finally, when I was taking French classes in high school, we would occasionally sing Yellow Submarine: ♫"On vit tous dans un sous-marin jaune..."♫
Previously revisited for the blog:
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