jwb
Footballguy
Yea, way up there for me too. But that's okMy #6.
Ouch.
Love the highlighting of the drums in her writeup.
Yea, way up there for me too. But that's okMy #6.
Ouch.
I had two of these in my top 25 - but looking at that list it probably should have been more (although I can't imagine what songs I would then kick out).Help!
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
I Need You
You're Going To Lose That Girl
Ticket To Ride
I've Just Seen A Face
Yesterday
I wasn't aware of the claim by Berry and the settlement - but find it odd as it's an obvious homage to that song and not "stolen" - it doesn't add anything to the song after all, it's just one line (I think) "Here comes 'ol flat top, he comes groovin' up slowly".98. Come Together (Abbey Road, 1969)
Plus, some of the lyrics were stolen from Chuck Berry, which led to an out-of-court settlement by which John agreed to record three songs for Berry's publisher. I also am not a fan of John's vocal on this.
There are Beatle fans that insist that the four verses are about each Beatle. I think it is hogwash but here it is:Musically, I like this one much better than many of John's during this period of the Beatles. I can handle nonsense lyrics to a degree, but they get really tiresome to me after awhile, especially from John.
Yeah I wonder what those 97 songs are, it's a real mystery.Come Together is just a great classic rock song. Hard to believe there are 97 Beatles songs that are better. But let’s see what you got.
There is no ouch. There is only an incredible amount of songs that we all love and some more moving to us than others.My #6.
Ouch.
I've got three of 'em in mineI had two of these in my top 25 - but looking at that list it probably should have been more (although I can't imagine what songs I would then kick out).
Stairway to Heaven has to be one of them.Yeah I wonder what those 97 songs are, it's a real mystery.
Oh yes, I remember when John was in his "Robert Plant" phase.Stairway to Heaven has to be one of them.
Or being able to add 1 and 1 and 1.I wouldn't be bragging about having "toejam football"
it's in my 2nd Ten, a great rock song, a ##### to sing.
Thinking the same thing but there are a lot of incredible Beatles songs left. And, Come Together does start to bore me about 3/4 of the way through. Maybe it's just worn out from hearing the cover so much by that other little band.Come Together is just a great classic rock song. Hard to believe there are 97 Beatles songs that are better. But let’s see what you got.
That's always the issue. I had the same thing when at my top half, or top 100.I had two of these in my top 25 - but looking at that list it probably should have been more (although I can't imagine what songs I would then kick out).
Thinking the same thing but there are a lot of incredible Beatles songs left. And, Come Together does start to bore me about 3/4 of the way through. Maybe it's just worn out from hearing the cover so much by that other little band.
Think what these two said are part of the reason it's not higher for me. I'm not excited about it the way I used to be. Then again, I've heard some songs in my top 10 just as much and yet there they are. So really I have no idea what I'm talking about.A lot of these songs can suffer from overexposure and CT could be an example of that.
Exactly!Yeah I wonder what those 97 songs are, it's a real mystery.Come Together is just a great classic rock song. Hard to believe there are 97 Beatles songs that are better. But let’s see what you got.
time is a flat circle.That's always the issue. I had the same thing when at my top half, or top 100.
Think what these two said are part of the reason it's not higher for me. I'm not excited about it the way I used to be. Then again, I've heard some songs in my top 10 just as much and yet there they are. So really I have no idea what I'm talking about.
I plan on thoroughly enjoying the ups and downs all along the way - there will be plenty of screams of joy and pain.Exactly!
Also, for the eleventy billionth time, this thread isn't about what is "best."
Maybe finally to get through to tim, I could describe it this way: there are still three cover songs to come. If I were doing a thread about what's best, the covers would all be near the bottom, since I don't think a cover could be a "best" Beatles song given the inherent limitations on what they can contribute to it. But in a thread about what I like the most, some covers rank right up there.
Wow, that got through to me!Exactly!
Also, for the eleventy billionth time, this thread isn't about what is "best."
Maybe finally to get through to tim, I could describe it this way: there are still three cover songs to come. If I were doing a thread about what's best, the covers would all be near the bottom, since I don't think a cover could be a "best" Beatles song given the inherent limitations on what they can contribute to it. But in a thread about what I like the most, some covers rank right up there.
Shall I post another video of Yoko screaming?- there will be plenty of screams of joy and pain.
Fair enough.Wow, that got through to me!
I already knew what you were doing. But I don’t care. I choose to treat your list as a “best of” list because then it’s more fun to criticize your choices.
You're wrong.I'm just going to reiterate that when I post my thread ranking the greatest FBG threads from 204-1, this thread is going to be in the top 1.
You're going to have lots of screams of pain today, George fan. :(I plan on thoroughly enjoying the ups and downs all along the way - there will be plenty of screams of joy and pain.
98. Come Together (Abbey Road, 1969)
Beatles version: Spotify YouTube
those drums. I heard an interview once with Stewart Copeland, about a tribute to Ringo put on at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at which Copeland participated. He said that they producers of the tribute asked the drummers participating which was their favorite song for Ringo's drumming, and that they all had the same answer: "Come Together." Copeland then waxed poetic for a while about how ground-breaking and amazing this piece was in that respect, and when I listen to it, I feel the same way. I basically hear nothing but the drumming on this song; I'm simply fascinated with it.
Heh. I love this song but it doesn't crack my top twenty-five, either.97. I'm Happy Just to Dance With You (A Hard Day's Night, 1964)
Beatles version: Spotify YouTube
John and Paul wrote this one specifically for George for the A Hard Day's Night movie and album; as Paul told it later, he and John weren't interested anymore in singing the simple ones that appealed to the teenagers but could still toss out a "formula song" quickly on a "slim little premise." This was the last song Paul and John wrote for George to sing, since after this George's songwriting was improving enough to feature his one compositions on the albums, albeit at the one-per-album pace until late in the band's existence. It's a sweet if slight song, with highlights for me being John's excellent guitar work and Paul's countermelody bass. I love the tom-toms or whatever Ringo is playing, but it's not his best performance as you can hear him miss some of the beats and be muddy at times. I'm also a fan of the fast-moving chord changes on this and the way the harmonies lead back into the verses with that "Ohhhhh!" (which also ends the song). If you're making your list of songs to vacuum to, this one is right up there - makes me want to do a little cha-cha while I'm sweeping.
Mr. krista: "Uh, it seems very mod. I imagine dudes on scooters. Velvet pants. Turtlenecks. It’s like some Brit’s version of something foreign and saucy. Do you like it? I don’t know. I don’t know if I like it or I like what it evokes in my imagination. The last record had some really ####ty songs I didn’t want to listen to, and I enjoy this."
Totally the Super Bowl post hoc.Things were a bit slow in here yesterday. I wasn't sure if that was hangovers or songs no one cared much about. Figured "Come Together" would inspire discussion.
Yeah tim, I mean seriously already. Let her do her thing here and enjoy the ride.Exactly!
Also, for the eleventy billionth time, this thread isn't about what is "best."
Maybe finally to get through to tim, I could describe it this way: there are still three cover songs to come. If I were doing a thread about what's best, the covers would all be near the bottom, since I don't think a cover could be a "best" Beatles song given the inherent limitations on what they can contribute to it. But in a thread about what I like the most, some covers rank right up there.
Solid tune.97. I'm Happy Just to Dance With You (A Hard Day's Night, 1964)
Beatles version: Spotify YouTube
John and Paul wrote this one specifically for George for the A Hard Day's Night movie and album; as Paul told it later, he and John weren't interested anymore in singing the simple ones that appealed to the teenagers but could still toss out a "formula song" quickly on a "slim little premise." This was the last song Paul and John wrote for George to sing, since after this George's songwriting was improving enough to feature his one compositions on the albums, albeit at the one-per-album pace until late in the band's existence. It's a sweet if slight song, with highlights for me being John's excellent guitar work and Paul's countermelody bass. I love the tom-toms or whatever Ringo is playing, but it's not his best performance as you can hear him miss some of the beats and be muddy at times. I'm also a fan of the fast-moving chord changes on this and the way the harmonies lead back into the verses with that "Ohhhhh!" (which also ends the song). If you're making your list of songs to vacuum to, this one is right up there - makes me want to do a little cha-cha while I'm sweeping.
Mr. krista: "Uh, it seems very mod. I imagine dudes on scooters. Velvet pants. Turtlenecks. It’s like some Brit’s version of something foreign and saucy. Do you like it? I don’t know. I don’t know if I like it or I like what it evokes in my imagination. The last record had some really ####ty songs I didn’t want to listen to, and I enjoy this."
Suggested cover: Most of the covers I listened to turned this into a ballad, which does show the beauty of this melody. This has too much 80s(?) cheesiness for me to like it, but it's interesting to hear just that melody: Anne Murray
I think you recovered here nicely.Yeah tim, I mean seriously already. Let her do her thing here and enjoy the ride.
Wait.
Yeah, I'm gonna have to apologize for that. The comments I made in my youth are not expressive of the person I have become over these years. I value the opinions and rights of women the world over and would never subject them to anything like this statement might entail.
Unless they like it.
Dangnabit.
The comments I made recently are not expressive of the person I have become over these past few minutes. I value the opinions and rights of women the world over and would never subject them to anything like this statement might entail.
I think the best thing to do is ignore the lyrics and treat the vocal melody as another instrument of the record's groove. I do this with a ton of Elton John songs where the lyric is literal gibberish (like, not even real words). As a groove record, "Come Together" is fine. Not in my top 25, either.98. Come Together (Abbey Road, 1969)
Beatles version: Spotify YouTube
I might manage to piss off everyone in one feel swoop with this one! I know many people would have it very high, top 10 even, and then the likes of @Mister CIA, @shuke, @Dinsy Ejotuz, and @Shaft41 might have it much lower.
It's middle-ish to me because there are some aspects of it that are outstanding, but overall I find my mind wandering a little by the end. On the negative side, the lyrics...I"m OK with non-sensical lyrics as evidenced by some future rankings, but if I'm going to be listening to gibberish I'd rather be sitting on a cornflake. Plus, some of the lyrics were stolen from Chuck Berry, which led to an out-of-court settlement by which John agreed to record three songs for Berry's publisher. I also am not a fan of John's vocal on this. Like, at all. And I think if you're going to make this song, go all-in and make it more menacing than it sounds. The song makes me a little sad for showing some of the splits in the group, too - Paul has expressed how much he would have loved to sing harmonies on it, but he was too embarrassed and maybe a bit angry to ask. Likewise, John shut Paul out of the piano part, which Paul actually composed and would have done masterfully (not that there was anything wrong with John's version).
On the plus side, and this is why it gets to be so high, it's a great funky rock song with George's stunning guitar work, Paul's fantastic bass riff and, far more important than anything else in the song, those drums. I heard an interview once with Stewart Copeland, about a tribute to Ringo put on at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at which Copeland participated. He said that they producers of the tribute asked the drummers participating which was their favorite song for Ringo's drumming, and that they all had the same answer: "Come Together." Copeland then waxed poetic for a while about how ground-breaking and amazing this piece was in that respect, and when I listen to it, I feel the same way. I basically hear nothing but the drumming on this song; I'm simply fascinated with it.
The song was originally composed at the request of Timothy Leary, who had attended John and Yoko's second "bed-in" (even joining in on the singing of "Give Peace a Chance") and asked John if he could help with a campaign song for Leary's candidacy against incumbent Ronald Reagan for governor of California, a campaign the slogan of which was "Come together, join the party." Leary used an early rough demo of the song in alternative radio campaign ads for a short time - a demo that bears no resemblance to the finished product - before his arrest for marijuana possession derailed his candidacy (isn't that quaint?), since he was kept in jail until the election was over. The final version also doesn't bear so much resemblance to the version John brought into the studio for the band, as, among other things, it was later slowed down considerably to make it "swampy," at the suggestion of Paul.
Mr. krista: "The organ is awesome, and of course it takes a genius like Ringo Starr to write that drum fill. It’s so inventive. Only someone who’s forced to play and therefore think backwards could come up with that. A right-handed drummer just doesn’t play like that. It’s not supposed to be music. Ringo taking everybody to drum school. If you don't like Ringo, why don't you just throw yourself in a volcano. Or shoot yourself directly into the center of the Earth."
Suggested covers: I'm not posting "that one cover" despite its being a favorite of @timschochet and probably others. I like a cover either to take the best parts of a song (in this case the rhythm section) and expand around them, or do more of a reimagining of it. That cover does neither. Here are several I'd suggest instead: Cassandra Wilson The Meters The Brothers Johnson Arctic Monkeys Ike & Tina Michael Jackson Nevermind, I could go on...
You cant talk about having a top 25 if you have not sent it to me. House rules.Heh. I love this song but it doesn't crack my top twenty-five, either.
I have a Top 26You cant talk about having a top 25 if you have not sent it to me. House rules.
Couldn’t agree more. It would be in my bottom quarter now. I don’t think it’s aged well and Aerosmith didn’t help.I agree that Come Together is massively overrated. Good song but it appealed a lot more to me when I was 16 than now.
That's an interesting idea, and I think I agree.I think the best thing to do is ignore the lyrics and treat the vocal melody as another instrument of the record's groove. I do this with a ton of Elton John songs where the lyric is literal gibberish (like, not even real words). As a groove record, "Come Together" is fine. Not in my top 25, either.
By the way, Paul would have been a much better choice to sing lead on this.
BOOM!You cant talk about having a top 25 if you have not sent it to me. House rules.
This is pretty interesting from someone that had a pretty unique top 25.Krista’s last two picks have already proved my assertion that there are not 97 Beatles songs better than “Come Together”.
Are there 95? I doubt that as well. We will find
Private message to everyone but tim:Krista’s last two picks have already proved my assertion that there are not 97 Beatles songs better than “Come Together”.
Are there 95? I doubt that as well. We will find out.
I love this quiet song.Let's just rip the bandaid off for @Binky The Doormat. :(
96. Long, Long, Long (White Album, 1968)
Beatles version: Spotify YouTube
Binky, it makes you feel better, this is my highest ranked of the three Beatles songs beginning with the word "long"! It took me a long time (no pun intended) to get into this song, but I've grown to love it. When in the right mood for it, there's probably nothing much better. Sounds like it could be a love song but was actually written by George about God (which I guess could be a love song, too). This is one of the times where I might find listening to a White Album song in isolation improves it; coming right after "Helter Skelter" on the album, this seems too jarring. As a stand-alone piece, the ethereal sound of George's delicate voice, punctuated by those crashing drums (often pausing one beat behind where i expect them), is stunningly beautiful. I find this one nearly impossible to rank. In the "is it a great song" rankings, it would be higher since I think that, for what it is, it's nearly perfect and it sounds like something that could still be put on an album today. In the "what do I want to listen to when I choose something on Spotify," this is where it goes.
Mr. krista: [After I mention that it seems modern enough to fit on an alternative record right now...] "A million times better. Have you heard…the Killers? I love that Ringo’s drums sound like they were recorded at the bottom of the stairwell. It’s like when the levee breaks. Sounds like Sad Eyed Lady, the Dylan song."*
*George has acknowledged this inspiration for the chord progressions.
Suggested cover: Low Elliott Smith (again)
come'onYou cant talk about having a top 25 if you have not sent it to me. House rules.Heh. I love this song but it doesn't crack my top twenty-five, either.
Great drum fills by Ringo here. Very underrated.Let's just rip the bandaid off for @Binky The Doormat. :(
96. Long, Long, Long (White Album, 1968)
Beatles version: Spotify YouTube
Binky, it makes you feel better, this is my highest ranked of the three Beatles songs beginning with the word "long"! It took me a long time (no pun intended) to get into this song, but I've grown to love it. When in the right mood for it, there's probably nothing much better. Sounds like it could be a love song but was actually written by George about God (which I guess could be a love song, too). This is one of the times where I might find listening to a White Album song in isolation improves it; coming right after "Helter Skelter" on the album, this seems too jarring. As a stand-alone piece, the ethereal sound of George's delicate voice, punctuated by those crashing drums (often pausing one beat behind where i expect them), is stunningly beautiful. I find this one nearly impossible to rank. In the "is it a great song" rankings, it would be higher since I think that, for what it is, it's nearly perfect and it sounds like something that could still be put on an album today. In the "what do I want to listen to when I choose something on Spotify," this is where it goes.
Mr. krista: [After I mention that it seems modern enough to fit on an alternative record right now...] "A million times better. Have you heard…the Killers? I love that Ringo’s drums sound like they were recorded at the bottom of the stairwell. It’s like when the levee breaks. Sounds like Sad Eyed Lady, the Dylan song."*
*George has acknowledged this inspiration for the chord progressions.
Suggested cover: Low Elliott Smith (again)