Board 8 > The Beatles -- ranking songs and albums.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Making that Let It Be's cover would have make Please Please Me's cover better! It's alright though because Let It Be already has an excellent cover.
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HaRRicH posted...

Not a bad shot, just seems a little stretched or distorted each time I see it.

you did get that it's intentionally stretched because the album's called rubber soul, right? >_>
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I figured the stretch was intentional, but I didn't make the rubber-connection...nice. The soul-double entendre didn't evade me though for this soulful music!
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Gotta listen to these other two songs after Lennon died before I finish this with the songs-list...gotta rememebr first though.
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Post-Lennon

Sad to "imagine" what this moment in history was like to see him assassinated. I used to think this would be the saddest celebrity death in modern history, but my mom -- a big Lennon fan -- was quick to say it was Elvis instead. Still, she found it important to visit the Dakota while in NYC so it was an important time.

These two songs are fine. They sound more to me like Lennon's solo-work than Beatles-songs, and that's alright and expected -- it's just not the same. I really ought to listen to more of their solo stuff, especially Lennon's since he's my favorite I've heard as a solo artist...but that's not happening this topic (How Do You Sleep is fantastic though).

Anyway, last two new songs!


Post-Lennon
Free As A Bird
Real Love
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John Lennon's solo career is definitely an essential part of musical history as well. Plastic Ono Band and Imagine are all-time great albums. I never got into much of the other's post-Beatles output; McCartney and Harrison have some good material, but Lennon solo is fantastic.
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for lennon's post-beatles work, shoutout to sometime in new york city.

part of that live album is lennon performing together with frank zappa so OBVIOUSLY i have to mention it >_>
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I said I would rank their ten best songs, but screw it: let's do fifteen.



15) Helter Skelter (The White Album)

Where was the album built around this kind of sound? It's a unique tone from them!


14) Twist and Shout (Please Please Me)

Excellent feel-good song that anybody can get up to and dance with whatever twist-move they got.


13) All You Need Is Love (Magical Mystery Tour + Yellow Submarine)

A great reminder of a life-goal as well as a great reminder of what the Beatles were all about.


12) And Your Bird Can Sing (Revolver)
11) Good Day Sunshine (Revolver)

Two of the three best back-to-back-to-back songs in the entire Beatles catalogue.
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don't care for helter skelter. yeah, it's unique for being a song where the beatles do proto-metal/proto-punk but i don't like metal and punk so this doesn't do much for me. (i do appreciate how it adds to their diversity - i'm struggling to think of a major musical genre they didn't do at least once. prog rock, maybe?)

those other songs are good though. of course twist and shout isn't a beatles song but their version is good!
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10) With A Little Help From My Friends (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)

One of the friendliest songs around. I really appreciate the lyric "Do you believe in a love at first sight? Yes I'm certain that it happens all the time." Bonus points for inspiring the excellent Joe Cocker-cover too.


9) Getting Better (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)

A cheery song about improvement! It's still a little weird to hear them reference domestic abuse in a line of the song, but that doesn't deter it from being a classic.


8) You Won't See Me (Rubber Soul)

This has such a nice simple pace and tone to it. It's stuck with me ever since hearing Rubber Soul the first time.


7) Tell Me What You See (Help!)

The melody and music are on-point and I really enjoy those few notes after TEEEEELL MEEEEE WHAAAAAT YOOOOOUUUUU SEEEEEEEEEE each time. The song does sound like it's about to end a time or two before it actually does, but I'll get over it since they made a good song longer.


6) Let It Be (Let It Be + Past Masters, Volume Two)

Powerful hit here -- it's got more of a religious context than I connect to personally, but the weight of this song is felt all the same.
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5) Hello Goodbye (Magical Mystery Tour)

Optimism > negativity all over this song...just feels so good.


4) Hey Jude (Past Masters, Volume Two)

NAAAAA NAA NAA NANANAA NAAAAA NANANAA NAAAAA HEY JUDE. Also, the other lyrics feel like a reminder of humanity.


3) Here Comes The Sun (Abbey Road)

Upset -- sorry Mom! This song carries a lot of warmth and love for me. Such a good gentle tune.


2) I'm Looking Through You (Rubber Soul)

How do you not bust out into dancing Harlem Shake-style when the chorus comes? Seriously...I need to know. It's fun to daydream about sending this to an ex.


1) For No One (Revolver)

All sorts of sad and nostalgic feelings hit simultaneously here. It's got a fascinating way of celebrating the depression of love with a great unusual rhythm and a well-timed horn that adds its story just as well as their lyrics. Best Beatles-song ever.
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For No One is a great #1. Like you've seen it's not mine but it's up there.
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Excellent list IMO - what a great topic to read through!
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Thanks guys, appreciate ya'll following so much along the way. If there's any other need-to-know Beatles information for me or interesting categories from me, this is a good time to get it out!
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You seem to like the Paul songs more than the John songs for the most part.

But I agree, definitely an entertaining topic to read!
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trizob posted...

You seem to like the Paul songs more than the John songs for the most part.

I wondered how this ratio turned out! I wasn't always great at separating their voices apart, but I watched old clips of them in concert today and that might have been the first time I really attached faces to voices. Paul's facial expressions were great in some of his songs.

Paul may be responsible for more of my favorite Beatles-songs, which is weird since I think I like Lennon more...? But it's hard to justify that without going into their solo work (where I can only really think of Live And Let Die as a great Paul-song compared to several hits Lennon had). Also, Dr. Robotnik is the walrus to me now and the world will never be the same.
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The two voices that I used to get mixed up a lot when I was younger (and hell even occasionally now with a couple of the more obscure songs where I don't know which it was right off the top of my head) were John and George. Paul and Ringo have much more distinctive voices.

I think probably since they were both tenors, while Paul was, from what I can tell, actually a baritone who sang tenor, and Ringo was the one true baritone of the group.
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I've neglected to mention I have this book all about George Harrison! Had it ever since he died and have barely opened it...probably ought to get on that soon.

Also got the Rolling Stone issue about him at my parents' house somewhere.
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