The Beatles - Gouster (1975)

The Beatles' world tour had come to an end, and Future Legends had released to positive reviews. Yet, the band was not happy with their overall sound. They had done the same style for years, with their current phase starting somewhere in 1971. And, as always, they quickly got bored of doing the same stuff for too long. John Lennon and David Bowie had come to love funk and Philadelphia soul, no doubt due to their close affiliation with the United States. They both knew that this was the next evolution in their sound. And it wasn't a complete jump either, with "Goodnight Vienna" and "Rock 'n' Roll with Me" from Future Legends and "1984", a non-album single, inhibiting elements of the two genres. Work began on a new Beatles album that would bring a breath of fresh air for the band, with the tight sound of the tracks contrasting with the laid-back energy of the recordings and the sessions that birthed them.

It was also around this time that George Harrison was officially brought back into the band, after a disappointing start to his solo career. By now, Harrison and Bowie had made amends, and the overall mood in the studio was actually the best it had been in years. Luckily, Harrison was also interested in soul, coming up with a few compositions of his own. It all culminated into what would become a cohesive album, one that didn't take itself too seriously, at least not to the same amount that Future Legends did. The album, Gouster, released on May 16, 1975 to generally favorable reception. It came as a complete surprise to fans who expected the same style they had always done, with one critic calling it "the greatest left turn in Beatles history". The Beatles would soon announce another smaller tour that would start in August 1975, their first tour in almost 10 years with Harrison.

THE BEATLES - GOUSTER
Released: 16 May 1975
Genre: Pop rock, blue-eyed soul, funk rock, glam rock, blues rock
Producer: The Beatles, George Martin, Tony Visconti

Side A
A Dose of Rock 'n' Roll
Whatever Gets You Thru the Night
It Ain't Over
Magneto and Titanium Man
Woman, Don't You Cry for Me
Letting Go

Side B
Young Americans
Surprise, Surprise
Grey Cloudy Lies
Listen to What the Man Said
Fame

Track list sources:

Tracks are sourced from Ringo's Rotogravure, Walls and Bridges, Young Americans, Venus and Mars, Thirty Three & 1/3, and Extra Texture (Read All About It). "It Ain't Over" is "Win" from Young Americans.

Back cover

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