It's sad that I bought this piece of vinyl masterpiece for $2.99 at my local second-hand record shop here in Los Angeles. The feeling I get is exactly like when one finds a photo album in one's closet, and haven't seen it for years. The drum pattern that starts off the song is probably one of the most identifying physical marks of any introduction for a recording. The work is only 2:20 long, yet, it's after-effect lasts a lifetime.
The beauty of a Phil Spector recording is not its perfection, but the violence and tragedy behind such recordings. For those who try to place The Ronettes recordings as an oldie but goodie are missing the big landscape. Spector represents not the teenager, but the idealized idea of a teenager, and the emotional pains that life gives them. The truth is, even as an older fellow, Spector never really grew out of his childhood fears and passions. Everything he did in the recording studio left a physical tattoo on the musicians, the aural sound, and how the audience (the listeners) respond to his productions. "Be My Baby" is both a brilliant performance by Ronnie Spector, who captures that vulnerability in her vocals, but also brings up the drama between the instrumentation or arrangements (by Jack 'Specs' Nitzsche) and the strong presence of Phil Spector himself.
For whatever reason, "Be My Baby" is not a happy-go-lucky love song. It's almost a prayer during an emotional turmoil. The melody is haunting, and seductive at the same moment. Whenever I hear it as a soundtrack ("Mean Streets") or on a jukebox in some diner or bar, I immediately stop whatever I'm doing and I have to focus on the record. It's a brilliant piece of work. No doubt a masterpiece. Many fingers are in the Phil Spector world, and in a sense, his name is like a company or a label like Motown or Factory Records. He's not only a brand, but he's also a presence that is equally disturbing and profound.
