Apparently, the full 55 hours of footage that Peter Jackson got his grubby, restorative little hands on suggests the tension during Let It Be has been overblown. Or at least that it's only a part of the story.the song always makes me happy because, after so many years of tension, John and Paul sound like they're just enjoying recording together. It might be that rekindled enthusiasm that led to the Abbey Road sessions being so much more successful than the Let It Be ones.
I haven’t done a Krista list (who would? It’s crazy talk) but If I Fell and maybe She’s Leaving Home would be two dark horse candidates for top 25.Awesome song, yet another ace in John's early arsenal.
Might it be Ticket to Ride?I don't think I've mentioned that I also give bonus points for being a good driving song. There's one coming up in the top 25-ish that scores really high on that scale, but "The Ballad Of John And Yoko" also gets point for this.
The only contemporary personal anecdote i have involving the Beatles (other than drawing zits on my baby sis's Beatle posters).55. The Ballad of John and Yoko (single, 1969)
Beatles version: Spotify YouTube
Written by John on his honeymoon as a snapshot of his wedding to Yoko, this song features only Paul and John, handling all the vocals and instruments. I not only love the groove, but the song always makes me happy because, after so many years of tension, John and Paul sound like they're just enjoying recording together. It might be that rekindled enthusiasm that led to the Abbey Road sessions being so much more successful than the Let It Be ones.
I find the lyrics to this song to be, while self-absorbed, hilarious at times, such as the lines, "The newspapers said, she's gone to his head; they look just like two gurus in drag." John couldn't resist inserting some controversy into the lyrics, though, including the references to "Christ" and being crucified, harkening back to his "more popular than Jesus" comment and leading to this song being banned in some locales. He even managed to offend Spain as well, by saying the got "married in Gibraltar near Spain," when Spaniards considered Gibraltar part of their country.
This song might not have amazing technical merit compared to others, but it just makes me happy. I love the build of instruments, especially Paul suddenly coming in with maracas following that big pause after the bridge. Love John's guitar part that goes into a Spanish-sounding vibe at the end. Most of all, I adore Paul's jabby harmonies in the last verses. I love to think of the two of them turning out this song after the years of misery. Geoff Emerick described the session as being a magic time of "two old school chums...with the sheer joy of making music together," and that session convinced Emerick to return and engineer the Abbey Road reccord.
Mr. krista: "I think it’s a good song. I’ve always liked that song. Remember it was only a few years before that that they went to play Shea Stadium again and didn’t sell out after being 'more popular than Jesus. 'They’re going to crucify me' – hey things go to your head a little bit. It might be forgivable though when you’re like 20 and sell out Shea Stadium and everyone’s telling you you’re Jesus. I like the guitar, the kind of Spanish-y stuff."
Suggested covers: A little something for everyone, or for no one: Dave Edmunds Widespread Panic Teenage Fanclub
I love the guitar work in this one. My favorite Beatles tune.55. The Ballad of John and Yoko (single, 1969)
Beatles version: Spotify YouTube
Written by John on his honeymoon as a snapshot of his wedding to Yoko, this song features only Paul and John, handling all the vocals and instruments. I not only love the groove, but the song always makes me happy because, after so many years of tension, John and Paul sound like they're just enjoying recording together. It might be that rekindled enthusiasm that led to the Abbey Road sessions being so much more successful than the Let It Be ones.
I find the lyrics to this song to be, while self-absorbed, hilarious at times, such as the lines, "The newspapers said, she's gone to his head; they look just like two gurus in drag." John couldn't resist inserting some controversy into the lyrics, though, including the references to "Christ" and being crucified, harkening back to his "more popular than Jesus" comment and leading to this song being banned in some locales. He even managed to offend Spain as well, by saying the got "married in Gibraltar near Spain," when Spaniards considered Gibraltar part of their country.
This song might not have amazing technical merit compared to others, but it just makes me happy. I love the build of instruments, especially Paul suddenly coming in with maracas following that big pause after the bridge. Love John's guitar part that goes into a Spanish-sounding vibe at the end. Most of all, I adore Paul's jabby harmonies in the last verses. I love to think of the two of them turning out this song after the years of misery. Geoff Emerick described the session as being a magic time of "two old school chums...with the sheer joy of making music together," and that session convinced Emerick to return and engineer the Abbey Road reccord.
Mr. krista: "I think it’s a good song. I’ve always liked that song. Remember it was only a few years before that that they went to play Shea Stadium again and didn’t sell out after being 'more popular than Jesus. 'They’re going to crucify me' – hey things go to your head a little bit. It might be forgivable though when you’re like 20 and sell out Shea Stadium and everyone’s telling you you’re Jesus. I like the guitar, the kind of Spanish-y stuff."
Suggested covers: A little something for everyone, or for no one: Dave Edmunds Widespread Panic Teenage Fanclub
#1-12 are set in stone. Everything after that is...somewhat fluid.A shake-up at #1 ?!
Lobbyists unite!#1-12 are set in stone. Everything after that is...somewhat fluid.
That's a big part of this for me. There are plenty of songs that even non-avid fans know, but songs like "You Won't See Me" or "Things We Said Today" or a host of others have slipped through the cracks a bit and deserve to get love, too.I know I've heard all of these songs at one point or another, but one of the treats of this whole thing has been you posting something I'd completely forgotten -- like I've never heard it before. Not shockingly, love that one.
Revolution, the good one, would be outside my top 50/60.Okay fans, let's identify the most controversial ranking in advance.
All You Need is Love does not crack my top 45.
Equally good.Revolution, the good one, would be outside my top 50/60.Okay fans, let's identify the most controversial ranking in advance.
All You Need is Love does not crack my top 45.
I thought your most controversial was that you said Come Together wouldn't be in your top...was it 150? It was some high number.Okay fans, let's identify the most controversial ranking in advance.
All You Need is Love does not crack my top 45.
I'm just living in the now. Wait! We're past Come Together, right?I thought your most controversial was that you said Come Together would be in your top...was it 150? It was some high number.
On the "OMG too low" side, I have whatever I ranked Penny Lane at, and another one not yet named that'll probably be a consensus top 3-5 and won't make my top 25.
On the "OMG too high" side, certainly the monkey song and probably my #10 as well.
I'm just living in the now. Wait! We're past Come Together, right?
that's what she saidI used to dream about driving that lawnmower...screw Patrick Dempsey.
nfw.I had this one written up already; I'm not this fast with the write-ups!
54. If I Fell (A Hard Day's Night, 1964)
Beatles version: Spotify YouTube
Never let it be said that John couldn't or wouldn't write a helluva ballad. This really isn't my kind of song; it's not just that overall I prefer rockers to ballads, but this one sounds so old-fashioned. Despite the old-timey sound, though, the lyrics are a bit precarious for the time, as they seem to suggest that the author is planning to leave his wife for another woman. Not that John would ever do that, of course.
The sublime harmonies and unison singing sound to me as full and lush as on any Beatles song, despite being only two-part harmonies (in some cases double-tracked). Some of this sound might have come from the fact that John and Paul insisted on singing close in on the same microphone during the recording. The Beatles frequently performed this one in concert, which is a marvel to me given the fact they could barely hear themselves over the screams. One of the intriguing parts of this song is that it's difficult or impossible to identify what is the melody v. the harmony. While Paul stays on the higher "harmony," and John does begin the song on melody, the two voices rise and fall, winding over and crossing each other repeatedly, sometimes stopping to sing in unison, weaving in and out of upper and lower harmonies. When I try to sing along, I realize that I've jumped from the John part to the Paul part and vice versa, and I'm not sure if I'm ever actually following the melody or the harmony.
Another of the most fascinating aspects of this song that elevates it to such a high level for me is the structure. The song starts with a preamble that's not repeated again, in a minor key that then goes through a few key changes before getting to the song's primary key. The first verse then proceeds normally, but the second verse is suddenly truncated in the middle of a line to lead into a bridge. Within that bridge, the key again slips into a minor key on the words "and I." That pattern is then repeated for a truncated third verse/bridge, but then the fourth verse is a repeat of the third verse, but extended instead of truncated, leading to a conclusion with a new guitar fill. Notice one thing that's missing? No chorus!
One more little tidbit to notice is the lyric, “And I found that love was more than just holding hands." Is that John indicating he's grown from (or making fun of) their prior effort, "I Want To Hold Your Hand"?
This song shows up in a scene that might be my favorite in the whole movie, when the guys are setting up their equipment and John starts singing the song to Ringo. So cute! That probably elevates it another several spots for me.
Mr. krista: "It’s really interesting. I have nothing to say you haven’t. You schooled me pretty good on that song there. It’s dreamlike in that it doesn’t go anywhere but you feel like you’ve traveled somewhere, but it never repeats, and the beat stays the same."
Suggested cover: Sananda Maitreya (fka Terence Trent D'Arby) DAY-UM.
We're simpatico, bro.
When will you be coming out with your full list?The harmonies by Paul on "Ballad of John and Yoko" are easily in my top 14 Beatles harmony moments of their post-1968 period.
I keep moving things around.We're simpatico, bro.
When will you be coming out with your full list?
DING! DING! DING!52. Drive My Car (Rubber Soul, 1965)
Beatles version: Spotify YouTube
It's the beep beeps, y’all. It's just the damn beep beeps.
This clearly must be a Paul favorite since he still performs it all the time. Or maybe it's one that's easier for a 70something man to sing. In any case, it's a great rock song. Or is it a great pop song? Whatever, it's great. But those damn beep-beeps. Without beep-beeps, it would be top 30 at least. I despise those beep-beeps.
What I do love: every other damn thing. That freaking groove, led by that bass line. The guitar parts with all those bendy notes. The arrangement of having the bass and guitar playing similar lines, which was a George idea based on Otis Redding’s “Respect.” The super-clever non-beep-beep lyrics, including the double-entendres and sexual innuendos (including the title, which was a blues euphemism for sex). The lyrics weren't originally as clever, as Paul tells it: "The lyrics were disastrous and I knew it... The lyrics I brought in were something to do with golden rings, which is always fatal. 'Rings' is fatal anyway, 'rings' always rhymes with 'things' and I knew it was a bad idea. Well, we tried, and John couldn't think of anything…then we came back to it, and somehow it became 'drive my car' instead of 'gold-en rings', and then it was wonderful because this nice tongue-in-cheek idea came and suddenly there was a girl there, the heroine of the story, and the story developed and had a little sting, which was 'I actually haven't got a car, but when I get one you'll be a terrific chauffeur.”
Also there is cowbell.
Beep beep, beep beep, NO!!!!!
Mr. krista: "That's pretty good. The bass line is just murderous. I like how his bass playing sounds better on each record. I don’t if it’s better recording, or better budgets and more capable engineers, or better playing, but his bass is more and more integral in those rock songs. Ringo on tambourine, killer. The way that groove holds together is amazing. Deep feeling for groove, could work with Paul McCartney to make this heavy elasticity. Same with The Word. This is a ####### groove."
Suggested cover: The Donnas
Counter: meh ...good jam, seems right ...maybe already too highly ranked.I don't know...I'm listening to "Monkey" again. I might have to move it back up. ####### jam. Come at me, bros!
Beep Beep YEAH!52. Drive My Car (Rubber Soul, 1965)
Beatles version: Spotify YouTube
It's the beep beeps, y’all. It's just the damn beep beeps.
This clearly must be a Paul favorite since he still performs it all the time. Or maybe it's one that's easier for a 70something man to sing. In any case, it's a great rock song. Or is it a great pop song? Whatever, it's great. But those damn beep-beeps. Without beep-beeps, it would be top 30 at least. I despise those beep-beeps.
What I do love: every other damn thing. That freaking groove, led by that bass line. The guitar parts with all those bendy notes. The arrangement of having the bass and guitar playing similar lines, which was a George idea based on Otis Redding’s “Respect.” The super-clever non-beep-beep lyrics, including the double-entendres and sexual innuendos (including the title, which was a blues euphemism for sex). The lyrics weren't originally as clever, as Paul tells it: "The lyrics were disastrous and I knew it... The lyrics I brought in were something to do with golden rings, which is always fatal. 'Rings' is fatal anyway, 'rings' always rhymes with 'things' and I knew it was a bad idea. Well, we tried, and John couldn't think of anything…then we came back to it, and somehow it became 'drive my car' instead of 'gold-en rings', and then it was wonderful because this nice tongue-in-cheek idea came and suddenly there was a girl there, the heroine of the story, and the story developed and had a little sting, which was 'I actually haven't got a car, but when I get one you'll be a terrific chauffeur.”
Also there is cowbell.
Beep beep, beep beep, NO!!!!!
Mr. krista: "That's pretty good. The bass line is just murderous. I like how his bass playing sounds better on each record. I don’t if it’s better recording, or better budgets and more capable engineers, or better playing, but his bass is more and more integral in those rock songs. Ringo on tambourine, killer. The way that groove holds together is amazing. Deep feeling for groove, could work with Paul McCartney to make this heavy elasticity. Same with The Word. This is a ####### groove."
Suggested cover: The Donnas
Do I get to whine now that you have it too low?DING! DING! DING!
This is THE first song of my top 70 that krista has ranked higher than my list.
#67 on the Binky Beatles Hit List.
Still a great song, so catchy. Typical local channel mid-day movie cut-away song.
Those versions of her look like every girl that could be found in the "smoker's lounge" outside in high school.
Interesting. I like this idea for others to weigh in: what is the one (1) song that stands out to you as not belonging?In my opinion: of the 50 songs you have left, the only one that sticks out as ranked too high is “I’m Looking Through You.”
Its a fine pop song but you’ve already selected several tunes that are much better.
I'm so Tired.Interesting. I like this idea for others to weigh in: what is the one (1) song that stands out to you as not belonging?