THE BEATLES - “A Hard Day’s Night”
(25th July 1964)
The Beatles at a peak of high-energy Fabness, “A Hard Day’s Night” is crammed with hooks and ideas - they don’t all neccessarily fit, but the record’s so irrepressible it’s hard to care. The opening chord makes this feel like a challenge, a comeback, a statement - we’re the biggest band in the world, and we’re the best too, so clear out of the way. The final, sudden jangle into almost melancholy is harder to fathom - acknowledgement that they can’t keep this pace up forever? In its way it’s as striking as the first chord - so casually pretty, sounding like an afterthought but as lovely as most bands’ best work. In between it’s Ringo who thrills the most, pushing the pace of the song with furious bongo and (I think) cowbell work. Definitive pop. 8
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Joe Williams on August 31st, 2005
Just wanted to confirm that there is indeed a cowbell on this record. Never noticed before how much percussion there was on it, but now you mention it, there’s loads.