I will say it right now. Yellow Submarine is my least favorite Beatles song (barring Wild Honey Pie). For whatever reason, it’s the first song a large section of the population think of when they think of the Beatles. I have never understood it, since THE WHOLE OF THEIR EXTENSIVE CATALOGUE showcases a better band than that one track. But, it makes for a good premise for an animated film, and being that the Beatles made money, a soundtrack for that film had to be released.

Fortunately, this soundtrack’s A side became the dumping ground for some Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour holdovers (especially from George), which outnumber the soundtrack songs 3 to 2 (plus the obligatory inclusion of All You Need Is Love). These leftovers, George’s scathing Only A Northern Song, the piano led Hey Bulldog, and George’s psych-out It’s All Too Much, are all excellent additions to the Beatles canon. All Together Now, like Yellow Submarine, is exceedingly childish and does better on the film than on record.

The second half contains the orchestral score for the movie, which is entirely Beatle-free. And while it is a pleasant listen, due to producer George Martin’s excellent skills as a composer and arranger, it’s the last thing that comes to mind when I want to listen to the Beatles. But, they had to fill up that second side somehow, huh? Gotta get paid.

EDIT: I feel I was too dismissive, having submitted this post still during the first track of side two. And while that first track is little more than fanfare announcing, “hey! The Beatles are in a cartoon! This is going to be great!” the rest of the tracks benefit from George Martin’s mastery of mood and composition (see also: A Day In The Life, Eleanor Rigby). And here, alone with his orchestra, free of the pop structures he was inserting himself into, he creates welcoming soundscapes (the sitar drone of Sea of Time) as well as harrowing climactic pieces (March of the Meanies). His take on Yellow Submarine is both huge and playful, adjusting rhythms and melodies to turn a nursery rhyme pop song into a triumphant film finisher. And while I might not put this B-side on when I want to hear the Beatles, it’s possible I might want to hear some George Martin sometime.