Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
Interesting because I'm always anticipating the "Elmore James got nothing on this baby!" when I hear the song.
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In this thread I rank my favorite Beatles songs: 204-1. (3 Viewers)
- Thread starter krista4
- Start date
timschochet
Footballguy
This thread is missing Nipsey karaoke covers.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
krista4
Footballguy
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
krista4
Footballguy
145. Till There Was You (With the Beatles, 1963)
Beatles version: Spotify YouTube
A ballad is generally not my cup of tea, but this one ranks higher than some of the other covers because I think the Beatles significantly outperformed the original from the musical The Music Man. I think this is a fabulous early Paul vocal, so tender and pure, and George's classical guitar work really shines with that gentle Latin groove and a solo that glides perfectly back into the vocal. Ringo on bongos completed the flamenco feel.
It's strange to imagine this being part of the band's Hamburg days, but Paul gave a nifty explanation: "I could never see the difference between a beautiful melody and a cool rock 'n' roll song. I learnt to love all the ballady stuff through my dad and relatives – 'Till There Was You,' 'My Funny Valentine' – I thought these were good tunes. The fact that we weren't ashamed of those leanings meant that the band could be a bit more varied. And there was a need for that, because we played cabaret a lot. Songs like 'Till There Was You' and 'Ain't She Sweet' would be the late-night cabaret material. They showed that we weren't just another rock 'n' roll group." I've also read that they kept this song in their repertoire as a tribute to the older crowd, to let them know that hey, it wasn't so bad for them to let their kids listen to the Beatles.
I'm going to make the bold prediction that this is a @timschochet favorite.
Mr. krista: "The vocals are really nice, and the guitar playing is kind of jazzy and jangly; the leads are really good. The pitter-patter bongos sort of bum me out. Something I might enjoy more in the context of The Music Man. Weakest track on this record so far."
Beatles version: Spotify YouTube
A ballad is generally not my cup of tea, but this one ranks higher than some of the other covers because I think the Beatles significantly outperformed the original from the musical The Music Man. I think this is a fabulous early Paul vocal, so tender and pure, and George's classical guitar work really shines with that gentle Latin groove and a solo that glides perfectly back into the vocal. Ringo on bongos completed the flamenco feel.
It's strange to imagine this being part of the band's Hamburg days, but Paul gave a nifty explanation: "I could never see the difference between a beautiful melody and a cool rock 'n' roll song. I learnt to love all the ballady stuff through my dad and relatives – 'Till There Was You,' 'My Funny Valentine' – I thought these were good tunes. The fact that we weren't ashamed of those leanings meant that the band could be a bit more varied. And there was a need for that, because we played cabaret a lot. Songs like 'Till There Was You' and 'Ain't She Sweet' would be the late-night cabaret material. They showed that we weren't just another rock 'n' roll group." I've also read that they kept this song in their repertoire as a tribute to the older crowd, to let them know that hey, it wasn't so bad for them to let their kids listen to the Beatles.
I'm going to make the bold prediction that this is a @timschochet favorite.
Mr. krista: "The vocals are really nice, and the guitar playing is kind of jazzy and jangly; the leads are really good. The pitter-patter bongos sort of bum me out. Something I might enjoy more in the context of The Music Man. Weakest track on this record so far."
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timschochet
Footballguy
timschochet
Footballguy
Actually I’m very resentful of The Music Man. Did you know that The Music Man came out the same year as West Side Story, and that they competed for all the Tony Awards? The Music Man won them all, even though West Side Story is a far better musical and has survived the test of time.
West Side Story is about immigrants. The Music Man is about Donald Trump.
West Side Story is about immigrants. The Music Man is about Donald Trump.
Gr00vus
Footballguy
Please, please don't do this to this thread. These are the threads I come to to get away from that stuff. Don't ruin them for me.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
We have a pool and a pond...
timschochet
Footballguy
Relax.Please, please don't do this to this thread. These are the threads I come to to get away from that stuff. Don't ruin them for me.
DocHolliday
Footballguy
timschochet
Footballguy
You guys are like hypochondriacs. JFC. I was simply explaining why I don’t like Music Man. Chill the #### out.
Now that I am off my phone and on a proper computer, I can finally give a more nuanced explanation of the Phish / Beatles connection. Let's start with the band names. The Beatles deliberate misspelling is far cleverer than Phish's. Nonetheless, Phish is named after the drummer in the band, Jon Fishman, but in a nod to the Fab Four, they went with a misspelling, too. Other fundamental similarities are that each band has four members, the drummer is an occasional writer and singer but usually on "throwaway" songs, at least in comparison to the real meat of their catalog. Oh, and they invariably take a bow at the end of each set, just as the Beatles typically did.
Beyond that, Phish embraces the same cheeky attitude that the Beatles had in spades although it is rarely in their interaction with the press, as the press doesn't really cover them. But instead, Phish is as playful and irreverent with their fan base as the Beatles were with press coverage. For instance, they played a 17-night residency at Madison Square Garden in the summer of 2017, playing concerts on 13 nights. They dubbed thee event "The Baker's Dozen," naming a theme for each evening (like Boston Creme), and giving away actual donuts to the first 1000 fans. Or witness their interactive chess game with fans throughout some of the mid-90s where the band and the fans would alternate moves over the course of a tour.
As has already been noted, Phish performed the entire White Album as the second set of 10/31/94, their first "musical costume" in a series of about ten significant Halloween performances. This came out of another interactive play between fans and band as they asked the fans to vote on the album they'd perform. The performance, by the way, is almost uniformly praised as an all-time great show, not the least of which is due to the inspiration which infected the other two sets that they played that night (yes, it was about a six hour show).
Of course, lots of rock bands list the Beatles near the top of their main influences, but Phish embodies their playful spirit more than most. The homages continue as the band regularly covers A Day in the Life and occasionally offers While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Dear Prudence, and others. And of course, there are significant differences, too, as the Beatles are predominately known for their singles and LPs, and stopped touring around the midpoint of their careers. Meanwhile, Phish is known as a live band whose recorded material takes a back seat to the concert experience. But for me, it comes back to the geniuses at the heart of the two bands (John and Paul with a dash of George, and for Phish it is Trey Anastasio), their incredible musicality, and the dedication to their craft while also maintaining that playfulness. Now back to our regularly scheduled program.
Link to a 1996 version of A Day in the Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1004YbRANTM
Beyond that, Phish embraces the same cheeky attitude that the Beatles had in spades although it is rarely in their interaction with the press, as the press doesn't really cover them. But instead, Phish is as playful and irreverent with their fan base as the Beatles were with press coverage. For instance, they played a 17-night residency at Madison Square Garden in the summer of 2017, playing concerts on 13 nights. They dubbed thee event "The Baker's Dozen," naming a theme for each evening (like Boston Creme), and giving away actual donuts to the first 1000 fans. Or witness their interactive chess game with fans throughout some of the mid-90s where the band and the fans would alternate moves over the course of a tour.
As has already been noted, Phish performed the entire White Album as the second set of 10/31/94, their first "musical costume" in a series of about ten significant Halloween performances. This came out of another interactive play between fans and band as they asked the fans to vote on the album they'd perform. The performance, by the way, is almost uniformly praised as an all-time great show, not the least of which is due to the inspiration which infected the other two sets that they played that night (yes, it was about a six hour show).
Of course, lots of rock bands list the Beatles near the top of their main influences, but Phish embodies their playful spirit more than most. The homages continue as the band regularly covers A Day in the Life and occasionally offers While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Dear Prudence, and others. And of course, there are significant differences, too, as the Beatles are predominately known for their singles and LPs, and stopped touring around the midpoint of their careers. Meanwhile, Phish is known as a live band whose recorded material takes a back seat to the concert experience. But for me, it comes back to the geniuses at the heart of the two bands (John and Paul with a dash of George, and for Phish it is Trey Anastasio), their incredible musicality, and the dedication to their craft while also maintaining that playfulness. Now back to our regularly scheduled program.
Link to a 1996 version of A Day in the Life: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1004YbRANTM
krista4
Footballguy
That’s not really fair - it’s not nonstop. Occasionally he takes a break to make demands of me in the thread, too.
krista4
Footballguy
144. Birthday (White Album, 1968)
Beatles version: Spotify YouTube
It's love it and hate it within the same song! What I love about this: it's a rave-up; the guitar riff; the drums; the music (but not the vocals) between 0:42-1:43; the "take a ch-ch-ch-chance" bit; the fact that it seems a rare bit of fun during their White Album sessions. What I hate about this: the lyrics oh god those ####### lyrics; Paul's cookie-monster vocal; the "biiiiirthday" backing vocals by Yoko Ono and Pattie Harrison; the fact that I can't hear it without thinking of that stupid Anthony Michael Hall character in that stupid Sixteen Candles movie. I could overlook everything else if it weren't for the lyrics. Paul claimed this was a collaboration with John; as was often the case, John claimed no part in it and called it "a piece of garbage."
Mr. krista: "Badass riff. Badass drumbeat. It sounds like a Little Richard song, too. It has that kind of effortlessness that comes from just being able to rock out a song. I like the reverse polka, pa-oom instead of oom-pa, from Ringo. Listen to this. [Plays me Little Richard's "The Girl Can’t Help it."] It’s the same song."
Suggested cover: Paul Weller. And in tribute to prior discussion in the thread: The Iveys
Beatles version: Spotify YouTube
It's love it and hate it within the same song! What I love about this: it's a rave-up; the guitar riff; the drums; the music (but not the vocals) between 0:42-1:43; the "take a ch-ch-ch-chance" bit; the fact that it seems a rare bit of fun during their White Album sessions. What I hate about this: the lyrics oh god those ####### lyrics; Paul's cookie-monster vocal; the "biiiiirthday" backing vocals by Yoko Ono and Pattie Harrison; the fact that I can't hear it without thinking of that stupid Anthony Michael Hall character in that stupid Sixteen Candles movie. I could overlook everything else if it weren't for the lyrics. Paul claimed this was a collaboration with John; as was often the case, John claimed no part in it and called it "a piece of garbage."
Mr. krista: "Badass riff. Badass drumbeat. It sounds like a Little Richard song, too. It has that kind of effortlessness that comes from just being able to rock out a song. I like the reverse polka, pa-oom instead of oom-pa, from Ringo. Listen to this. [Plays me Little Richard's "The Girl Can’t Help it."] It’s the same song."
Suggested cover: Paul Weller. And in tribute to prior discussion in the thread: The Iveys
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wikkidpissah
Footballguy
krista4
Footballguy
krista4
Footballguy
This is a beautifully put argument in favor of a band I'd previously dismissed (until earlier in this thread). I'm going to check them out a lot more extensively, though that will earn me the wrath of both @OrtonToOlsen and Mr. krista. And the bolded part is damn charming.
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
Cant imagine placing any rockin' out Beatle tune outside like fitty, cuz the melody making is just as strong in them as the ballads or anthems. But that's why i dont make lists. Shonuff love thinking about em when others do, though.
AAABatteries
Footballguy
Lol - I distracted myself with the Movie Endings thread. I promise I will post a top 20 or 25 at some point but don’t want to steal any of your thunder or spotlight
I will say I spent a lot of time listening to the Beatles XM station the last four days. We drove 20 hours to and from my daughters cheerleading competition in Indy. Was fantastic.
OrtonToOlsen
Footballguy
OrtonToOlsen
Footballguy
West Side Story glorifies gang violence. The music man encourages children to play music.timschochet said:
OrtonToOlsen
Footballguy
Yes you got lots and lots of trouble
Right here in the FFA
Trouble with a capital "T"
And that rhymes with "B” and that stands for Beatles
krista4
Footballguy
One more before I go out for the evening.
143. The Inner Light (single, 1968)
Beatles version: Spotify YouTube
Our first heavy sitar song! Fascinating to me that this, of all songs, was the first George composition to be released on a single, albeit the b-side (to Lady Madonna). It's a gorgeous song, and I could listen all day to those sitars, tablas, and various instruments I can't spell. To me, it's the best Indian musicality that George achieved on any of his songs, which might be because the instrumentation was recorded in Mumbai (or then, Bombay) with a bunch of local guys as the musicians.
The lyrics were based on a passage in the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. If you are into this type of philosophy, the final lyrics seem particularly lovely:
The farther one travels
The less one knows
The less one really knows
Arrive without traveling
See all without looking
Do all without doing
George did a great job on a vocal that was out of his usual range, but the reason I rate this one lower than the other two heavily Indian-influenced tracks (Within You Without You, and Love Me To) is that is feel a bit too languid for my tastes. The sitar "response" to George's vocal "call" has nice energy, but the vocal sounds too draggy for my taste and drags the song along with it. The song doesn't seem as "grand," for lack of a better word, as "Within You," and the overall musical composition of "Love Me To." That said, I love this one. I know both @Godsbrother and @BroncoFreak_2K3 expressed a preference for this one over one or both of the others, and that's certainly not "wrong."
Mr. krista: "A lot of George's Indian music are starting to sound the same. I don’t know, I like the ones that are really absorbing and not so annoyingly jarring."
Suggested cover: Jeff Lynne & Anoushka Shankar This is really special; just about made me cry.
143. The Inner Light (single, 1968)
Beatles version: Spotify YouTube
Our first heavy sitar song! Fascinating to me that this, of all songs, was the first George composition to be released on a single, albeit the b-side (to Lady Madonna). It's a gorgeous song, and I could listen all day to those sitars, tablas, and various instruments I can't spell. To me, it's the best Indian musicality that George achieved on any of his songs, which might be because the instrumentation was recorded in Mumbai (or then, Bombay) with a bunch of local guys as the musicians.
The lyrics were based on a passage in the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu. If you are into this type of philosophy, the final lyrics seem particularly lovely:
The farther one travels
The less one knows
The less one really knows
Arrive without traveling
See all without looking
Do all without doing
George did a great job on a vocal that was out of his usual range, but the reason I rate this one lower than the other two heavily Indian-influenced tracks (Within You Without You, and Love Me To) is that is feel a bit too languid for my tastes. The sitar "response" to George's vocal "call" has nice energy, but the vocal sounds too draggy for my taste and drags the song along with it. The song doesn't seem as "grand," for lack of a better word, as "Within You," and the overall musical composition of "Love Me To." That said, I love this one. I know both @Godsbrother and @BroncoFreak_2K3 expressed a preference for this one over one or both of the others, and that's certainly not "wrong."
Mr. krista: "A lot of George's Indian music are starting to sound the same. I don’t know, I like the ones that are really absorbing and not so annoyingly jarring."
Suggested cover: Jeff Lynne & Anoushka Shankar This is really special; just about made me cry.
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shuke
Black Ice Skeptic
Dinsy Ejotuz
Footballguy
About a third of the way through the list and there are still only a handful of songs I really like a lot -- at least relative to the good Beatles' stuff.
Binky The Doormat
Footballguy
rockaction
Footballguy
Oh my word, I'm sorry k4. Condolences and not worried about you posting, but hoping you make it back safe and intact emotionally and physically.
Zegras11
Footballguy
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
timschochet
Footballguy
Best wishes to your family.
Godsbrother
Footballguy
Sorry to hear about your Grandpa. Living 99 he certainly got his money's worth!
Ted Lange as your Bartender
Footballguy
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
sorry for your loss - take care of your family business. We'll still be here when you "get back" (pun probably intentional).
zamboni
Footballguy
Ilov80s
Footballguy
Sorry to hear that- wonderful he got to live such a long life though. May we all be so blessed. While it is a sad occassion, I hope you have some quality time with your family.
Mister CIA
Footballguy
Sorry for your loss, Krista.
wikkidpissah
Footballguy
Condolences to you & family
Nigel Tufnel
Footballguy
I love the distorted riff starting around 0:57. The “yes we’re going to a party party” bit. Ahead of its time.
Nigel Tufnel
Footballguy
Sorry for your loss krista.
Gr00vus
Footballguy
I've always kind of liked that part of the song. Sort of an aural realization of the carefree childlike happiness you'd have about your birthday or going to a friend's birthday party.
