In this thread I rank my favorite Beatles songs: 204-1. (2 Viewers)

krista4 said:

It's another one off the "guess my #1" list.

47.  With A Little Help From My Friends (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967)

Suggested cover:  Oh hell no I'm not posting that one.  I'd rather listen to John Belushi's parody. 

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timschochet said:

I don’t understand why so many people detest Joe Cocker’s version of “With a Little Help From My Friends”. I love it. It’s not my favorite Cocker song, not even my favorite Beatles cover by him (that would be “Something”)  but I still love everything about it. I think he’s great. 

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OrtonToOlsen said:

Figures

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timschochet said:

Some great selections today. 

“Here There and Everywhere” may be their best melody. I’m not in love with the orchestration- the guitar sounds a little off to me, otherwise perfect. 

As I wrote, “I’ve Got a Feeling” is my favorite Beatles song, but it’s not going to be everyone’s. I don’t mind the ranking; glad it made the top 50.

”Don’t Let Me Down” is another of their best melodies. 

I don’t understand why so many people detest Joe Cocker’s version of “With a Little Help From My Friends”. I love it. It’s not my favorite Cocker song, not even my favorite Beatles cover by him (that would be “Something”)  but I still love everything about it. I think he’s great. 

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krista4 said:

It's another one off the "guess my #1" list.

47.  With A Little Help From My Friends (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967)

Beatles version:  Spotify  YouTube

As much as I love Ringo, and I even like his singing, we can probably all agree that he doesn't have the greatest voice.  This song was written specifically for him and therefore is perfect for his limited range, with one exception:  that last note, far out of Ringo's range.  The vocal was recorded at the end of a long session, and after finishing the backing tracks, Ringo started up the stairs to leave.  Paul called out to him that they should do the vocals first, and unfortunately for Ringo, who said he was "knackered," the rest of the band agreed.  Knowing how nervous Ringo was about the vocal, the other three, In a sweet show of friendship, gathered round him just behind the microphone, (silently) cheering him on.  But that last note was a challenge, and the other Beatles encouraged him through several takes, with George gently telling him he could do it and John giving more blunt advice to "just throw your head back and let 'er rip!"  After a few tries, Ringo hit it, to much cheering and then a celebratory scotch-and-Coke toast.

Ringo sings this so sweetly, and the song gently glides along with great pleasantness.  I love the call-and-response and as-always beautiful harmonies - especially for some reason love the lines, "What do you see when you turn out the light; I can't tell you but I know it's mine."  I don't know what those lines mean, though I've read Paul say it might have been about self-love, but maybe that open interpretation is why I like the lines.   The most essential, superb part of the song for me, though, is Paul's bass line, which is as smoothly melodic and fluid as any he recorded with the Beatles.  This is a song with a simple structure but elevated to another level for me by its sweetness...and that bass line.

Badfinger alert!  The song was initially titled "Bad Finger Boogie," which is the source of the band's name after changing it from The Iveys.

Fun fact:  originally the second line was "would you stand up and throw tomatoes at me" instead of "walk out on me."  In a rare instance of assertiveness, Ringo put his foot down on this, worried that people would actually throw tomatoes on stage at that line, much as they had thrown jelly beans and other items in earlier shows.

Mr. krista:  "It is so much better than that…[five-minute discussion of how much we hate the Cocker version and how it’s about selfishness] I really like the song so much more than that.  He made a really great song suck."

Suggested cover:  Oh hell no I'm not posting that one.  I'd rather listen to John Belushi's parody. 

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krista4 said:

I think you're with the majority on Cocker's version.  I find it way too overwrought, taking a sweet song about friendship and making it more contrived and fussy.  I might enjoy it more as a stand-alone song, but not as a Beatles re-envisioning. 

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timschochet said:

I guess I don’t find it contrived or fussy. I think he reinvents the song, gives it a blues element. I don’t really even think of it as a cover because it’s such a different song. I love his backup singers too. 

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timschochet said:

I don’t understand why so many people detest Joe Cocker’s version of “With a Little Help From My Friends”. I love it. It’s not my favorite Cocker song, not even my favorite Beatles cover by him (that would be “Something”)  but I still love everything about it. I think he’s great. 

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Ted Lange as your Bartender said:

I’m conflicted here because while I don’t love Cocker’s version of this I do love The Wonder Years

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krista4 said:

48.  Don't Let Me Down (single, 1970)

Beatles version:  Spotify  YouTube

Originally submitted during the Get Back sessions but omitted by Phil Spector from Let It Be, this instead became the b-Lside to "Get Back."  This is the last song I'll be ranking that was played at the London rooftop concert, and the penultimate song they ever played live as a band (the last was a final version of "Get Back").  To me the highlight is John's raw and desperate vocal, countered by Billy Preston's soulful electric piano.  His switches between the vulnerability of verses to the passionate intensity of the choruses is sublime.  John explained his screams:  "When you're drowning, you don't say, 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me.'  You just scream."   The rest of the band is exactly on point here, too, from Pauls's superb bass line to George's descending guitar lines during the verses that set up a compelling counter-melody.  Ringo is a standout in keeping up with the frequent tempo changes and odd meters, such as the addition of an extra beat during some measures of the solo parts (e.g., "nobody ever loved me like she does").  The only slight downside of this song is knowing his obsession was with icky Yoko.  Below, Mr. krista explains the interesting composition better than I do.

Mr. krista:  "I like this song.   That is a really strange Beatles tune.  It’s unlike almost everything.  It’s the Bach contrapuntal side.  There’s an ascending and a descending part on each of the lead guitar.  And Billy Preston plays it different on each verse. And in the last one it sounds like the bass is the lead instrument.  Man, they’re a really ####### good band.  It’s a counter-melody played in the same key but in different octaves so everything stands out.  It’s just really good.  It also sounds like John Lennon is giving a command but he’s really vulnerable, like please please really don’t let me down."

Suggested cover:  Ben E. King   It occurred to me the thread needs more mullets:  Hall & Oates

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krista4 said:

I do think he reinvents it, which is a point in its favor.  

My neck hurts so I'm not going to post any more songs tonight.  Busy tomorrow but will try to post a few in the morning.

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• most songs posted in a single day
  
• fewest songs posted in a single day
  
• most posts in between write ups
  
• et al
  

BobbyLayne said:

@Getzlaf15 can we get a run down on K4's productivity? Don't go all advanced Sabermetric on it, just standard stats:

• most songs posted in a single day
  
• fewest songs posted in a single day
  
• most posts in between write ups
  
• et al
  

TIA

back of the envelope

Thread was begun 1/11 but IIRC she only posted one song before Monday 1/14. So I think that's 158 songs over 32 days (though several days were travel/bereavement for Grandpa - I have watched him play "Amazing Grace" on the harmonica at age 97 at least 8 times in the last three-plus weeks.) 4.9375 per day, so with 46 to go we are about 9-10 days from this being over.

Any way we could stretch this out? Maybe do a bracket tournament of the top 16 seeds?

   

K4 is probably looking forward to finishing at some point, and I'm already (faintly) dreading it. But as much as I enjoy her writing, it's just as fun to read everyone else's take on a particular song. 

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krista4 said:

It's another one off the "guess my #1" list.

47.  With A Little Help From My Friends (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967)

Beatles version:  Spotify  YouTube

As much as I love Ringo, and I even like his singing, we can probably all agree that he doesn't have the greatest voice.  This song was written specifically for him and therefore is perfect for his limited range, with one exception:  that last note, far out of Ringo's range.  The vocal was recorded at the end of a long session, and after finishing the backing tracks, Ringo started up the stairs to leave.  Paul called out to him that they should do the vocals first, and unfortunately for Ringo, who said he was "knackered," the rest of the band agreed.  Knowing how nervous Ringo was about the vocal, the other three, In a sweet show of friendship, gathered round him just behind the microphone, (silently) cheering him on.  But that last note was a challenge, and the other Beatles encouraged him through several takes, with George gently telling him he could do it and John giving more blunt advice to "just throw your head back and let 'er rip!"  After a few tries, Ringo hit it, to much cheering and then a celebratory scotch-and-Coke toast.

Ringo sings this so sweetly, and the song gently glides along with great pleasantness.  I love the call-and-response and as-always beautiful harmonies - especially for some reason love the lines, "What do you see when you turn out the light; I can't tell you but I know it's mine."  I don't know what those lines mean, though I've read Paul say it might have been about self-love, but maybe that open interpretation is why I like the lines.   The most essential, superb part of the song for me, though, is Paul's bass line, which is as smoothly melodic and fluid as any he recorded with the Beatles.  This is a song with a simple structure but elevated to another level for me by its sweetness...and that bass line.

Badfinger alert!  The song was initially titled "Bad Finger Boogie," which is the source of the band's name after changing it from The Iveys.

Fun fact:  originally the second line was "would you stand up and throw tomatoes at me" instead of "walk out on me."  In a rare instance of assertiveness, Ringo put his foot down on this, worried that people would actually throw tomatoes on stage at that line, much as they had thrown jelly beans and other items in earlier shows.

Mr. krista:  "It is so much better than that…[five-minute discussion of how much we hate the Cocker version and how it’s about selfishness] I really like the song so much more than that.  He made a really great song suck."

Suggested cover:  Oh hell no I'm not posting that one.  I'd rather listen to John Belushi's parody. 

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DA RAIDERS said:

Little high, imho.

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Dr. Octopus said:

With a little help from his friends.

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pecorino said:

Falls into the all-too-familiar category of a very good song that has been so overplayed that I do not like to listen to it anymore. Much of the Beatles catalog is in that category. Out of my love for the band and its music, I usually turn off the radio when I hear a Beatles tune come on. Twisted, I know, but I’m trying to keep it as fresh as I can.

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pecorino said:

Out of my love for the band and its music, I usually turn off the radio when I hear a Beatles tune come on. 

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Ted Lange as your Bartender said:

I’m conflicted here because while I don’t love Cocker’s version of this I do love The Wonder Years

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BobbyLayne said:

@Getzlaf15 can we get a run down on K4's productivity? Don't go all advanced Sabermetric on it, just standard stats:

• most songs posted in a single day
  
• fewest songs posted in a single day
  
• most posts in between write ups
  
• et al
  

TIA

back of the envelope

Thread was begun 1/11 but IIRC she only posted one song before Monday 1/14. So I think that's 158 songs over 32 days (though several days were travel/bereavement for Grandpa - I have watched him play "Amazing Grace" on the harmonica at age 97 at least 8 times in the last three-plus weeks.) 4.9375 per day, so with 46 to go we are about 9-10 days from this being over.

Any way we could stretch this out? Maybe do a bracket tournament of the top 16 seeds?

   

K4 is probably looking forward to finishing at some point, and I'm already (faintly) dreading it. But as much as I enjoy her writing, it's just as fun to read everyone else's take on a particular song. 

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krista4 said:

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.

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Mr. Mojo said:

This seems obscenely low to me, especially since it's my #1.

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Mr. Mojo said:

This seems obscenely low to me, especially since it's my #1.

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47.  With A Little Help From My Friends (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967)

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Leroy Hoard said:

Needless to say, many of you are wrong. It's needless to say because it's right there in the thread title.

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zamboni said:

Guessing you're not the target audience for this thread.

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pecorino said:

I don’t think that’s true. I know their catalog inside and out, own all their released music and I think they are the greatest rock band in history. My point is that I need to ration what I hear from them so as to not get saturated. Their music is ubiquitous and I can’t control when I hear it in the mall or in other places when I’m not in control of the music. So I turn them off in the car. Is that so weird?

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pecorino said:

I don’t think that’s true. I know their catalog inside and out, own all their released music and I think they are the greatest rock band in history. My point is that I need to ration what I hear from them so as to not get saturated. Their music is ubiquitous and I can’t control when I hear it in the mall or in other places when I’m not in control of the music. So I turn them off in the car. Is that so weird?

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BobbyLayne said:

If it makes you feel better I had Penny Lame at #3 and DON'T LET ME DOWN at #5. 

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Tom Hagen said:

Any song that makes me think of Winnie Cooper is OK. 

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zamboni said:

I hear you. For me, it depends on the song. If it's one of the many overplayed tunes, it goes off/gets switched immediately, but if it's one I haven't heard for awhile or ranks among my upper tier, I'll hang up and listen.

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krista4 said:

46.  I Feel Fine (single, 1964)

Beatles version:  Spotify  YouTube

The feedback at the beginning is legendary (one of the first times on a record), but it came about by accident.  During the recording of "Eight Days A Week," John had set his semi-acoustic Gibson with a pick-up against the amp without turning the pick-up down.  When Paul played a bass note, this feedback sound came out, which they all loved and decided to use on this record.  John added it to the riff that he'd also come up with during the session, a riff that was inspired by Bobby Parker's "Watch Your Step," and the song was born.  Obviously the feedback and the guitar riffs are the highlights - my favorite part is the descending repeated riff in the instrumental section starting ~1:15.   But don't focus on the riffs at the expense of Ringo's masterful Latin-style drumming, including those doubles and triplets on the ride, and that fill that follows the guitar solo.  Paul called this their "What'd I Say" style of "Latin R&B" drumming, patterned after Milt Turner's work with Ray Charles.

Mr. krista:  "It’s one of the first great Beatles songs. That riff in the beginning. They’re really riff monsters.  You don’t really think of them that way – you think of them as jangly.  But…they could riff.  It’s pretty amazing.  It’s a jam for sure.  Fo sho jam. Pret-ty pret-ty mint."

Suggested cover:  New record for number of terrible covers I listened to, with an alarming number of them on ukulele.  There might be a good country song in there, but no one seems to have found it yet.

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pecorino said:

Exactly, and With a Little Help From My Friends is a prime example and why I thought to post this now.

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wikkidpissah said:

iz jus stoopit to have 45 songs better than this....

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krista4 said:

Whew!  Thank god I didn't do that!

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krista4 said:

46.  I Feel Fine (single, 1964)

Beatles version:  Spotify  YouTube

The feedback at the beginning is legendary (one of the first times on a record), but it came about by accident.  During the recording of "Eight Days A Week," John had set his semi-acoustic Gibson with a pick-up against the amp without turning the pick-up down.  When Paul played a bass note, this feedback sound came out, which they all loved and decided to use on this record.  John added it to the riff that he'd also come up with during the session, a riff that was inspired by Bobby Parker's "Watch Your Step," and the song was born.  Obviously the feedback and the guitar riffs are the highlights - my favorite part is the descending repeated riff in the instrumental section starting ~1:15.   But don't focus on the riffs at the expense of Ringo's masterful Latin-style drumming, including those doubles and triplets on the ride, and that fill that follows the guitar solo.  Paul called this their "What'd I Say" style of "Latin R&B" drumming, patterned after Milt Turner's work with Ray Charles.

Mr. krista:  "It’s one of the first great Beatles songs. That riff in the beginning. They’re really riff monsters.  You don’t really think of them that way – you think of them as jangly.  But…they could riff.  It’s pretty amazing.  It’s a jam for sure.  Fo sho jam. Pret-ty pret-ty mint."

Suggested cover:  New record for number of terrible covers I listened to, with an alarming number of them on ukulele.  There might be a good country song in there, but no one seems to have found it yet.

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Getzlaf15 said:

Missed it by thatttttttttttttttttttt much.       Almost our first composite/K-RankTM match.  

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Uruk-Hai said:

I probably messed that up with my ranking.

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wikkidpissah said:

No, they did. When wassisname wanted my 25 i spent less time on it than i do on anecdotes about Maria Muldaur's hilarious reaction to farts. If i spent ONE SECOND more, crevasses would have developed in my brain that my next 2 frillion thoughts would have fallen to their deaths from. Just dont know how this all is done.

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Shaft41 said:

I have been listening to the Beatles channel pretty much nonstop for the last month and a half anytime I'm driving.  While this is purely unscientific, it sure seems to me that they play "Rocky Raccoon" with more frequency than any other song.  

This does not make me particularly happy.  Regardless of whether it's McGill, Lil or Nancy.  

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