2022 FBG, 172 to 1 Beatles Countdown 1-25 lists... And 173 to 1 Countdown from 1-64 lists! (1 Viewer)

[Zegras11]

Chalk Rankings Top 10. #147 = 26 pts each. Sponsored by: 5 Point Cafe's Tuna Melt

(Top 3 each have had four songs listed)

1 --Krista (Mom)---83.5

2 --anarchy99---81

3 --Krista (Mom/Hub)---60.5

4 --Krista (TJ/Holly)---28

5 --murph---26

6 --Krista (Sharon)---24.5

7 --Dennis Castro---24.5

8 --Man Of Constant Sorrow---23

9 --John Maddens Lunchbox---23

10 --Encyclopedia Brown---20

 

[simey]

Old Brown Shoe

I agree with k4's observation on George's vocals sounding like he is in a bathtub. I do like Gary Brooker's live version. Brooker's fine voice is out front, and the horn section and the multiple guitars add life to the song, and I like everyone singing at the end.

 

[Guido Merkins]

Hey, I just want to say that I am getting so much enjoyment out of this thread.  I don't know a tenth as much as @krista4 or @Getzlaf15 about he Beatles, but what I do know is that these guys have had a HUGE impact on my life.

I'm interested to hear from people who were born around 1968.  What is the context of your experience with the Beatles?  Did you have older brothers or sisters?  When did you really start being impacted by the Beatles?

For me, I had older sisters who are about 10 years older than me.  So as a kid in the early 70's I idolized my older sisters.  I used tot sit in their room and listen to all their Beatles albums.  Over and over and over.  These ####### guys rally got into my head.  I was a lonely kid.  Always been lonely to be honest.  The Beatles seems to speak to me - directly.  Eleanor Rigby.  All the Lonely People.  The Fool on the Hill.  Even Yellow Submarine.  I remember so distinctly feeling like these guys were speaking to me directly.  Such vivid memories.

The Beatles have always been "in my life."  My mom was a huge fan in the 1960s and, though I wasn't born until 1970, she listened to it throughout my childhood, so it's always been around.  It wasn't until I was about 12 that I started forming my own musical identity and, for whatever reason, I didn't have this compulsion, as most youth do, to totally reject my parents music.  So my Mom had the Red greatest hits album.  I "borrowed" it and she never got it back.  I followed that up with the Blue greatest hits and I was off and running.

I have memories and certain songs that I always associate with my Mom and as you read my write ups you might notice some.  Off the top of my head, Nowhere Man and Here, There and Everywhere really made an impression on me in those early years.  What is really cool, however, is that as much as my Mom got me into the Beatles, I helped her too.  The last album she purchased was Revolver.  In her words, they got too "out there" for her at that point.  Slowly but surely, however, I introduced her to their post 1966 catalog.  The moment I can especially remember is the first time I had her listen to Golden Slumbers/Carry that Weight/The End.  It was like she was discovering them all over again.  Priceless moment that I wouldn't trade for anything.

Glad you are enjoying the thread!!!!

 

[Tom Hagen]

I had never heard of The Magic Christian so I checked out the IMDb page. I did not expect to see that cast. Ringo was acting with some serious names. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I'm interested to hear from people who were born around 1968.  What is the context of your experience with the Beatles?  Did you have older brothers or sisters?  When did you really start being impacted by the Beatles?

For me, I had older sisters who are about 10 years older than me.  So as a kid in the early 70's I idolized my older sisters.  I used tot sit in their room and listen to all their Beatles albums.  Over and over and over.  These ####### guys rally got into my head.  I was a lonely kid.  Always been lonely to be honest.  The Beatles seems to speak to me - directly.  Eleanor Rigby.  All the Lonely People.  The Fool on the Hill.  Even Yellow Submarine.  I remember so distinctly feeling like these guys were speaking to me directly.  Such vivid memories.

I am 3 years younger than you and Krista. My parents mostly listened to classical music, so I didn’t learn too much about the Beatles from them. My first strong memory of them is from the next-door neighbors. We spent a lot of time with them because their younger son was the same age as my sister. But their older son was a teenager in the late 70s and was obsessed with the Beatles. He was usually playing them when we were over, and he particularly loved the early stuff, so that’s where I remember hearing She Loves You, I Wanna Hold Your Hand, etc. for the first time. My sister and I were obsessed with Saturday Night Fever, so we would always tell him that The Bee Gees were better than the Beatles. 

I also remember hearing Wings a lot on the car radio around this time, especially Band on the Run, Jet, Listen to What the Man Said and Silly Love Songs. And I remember hearing Here Comes the Sun a lot but not a whole lot of the other middle and later stuff. Don’t remember why that one came into my orbit when it did.

When we got MTV in 1982, I started learning more about what was what in rock music, and became more familiar with the big songs from the middle and late periods. Around this time I also started reading the Rolling Stone books that Uruk mentioned.

I started listening to FM radio a year or two later, and that’s when I became familiar with all the radio songs I hadn’t been exposed to up to that point. And I took note that my mom (my parents had divorced by that point) had Sgt Pepper on vinyl, so I started listening to that.

Freshman year of high school I befriended a guy (the one who had no time to submit a list because he just opened a record store) who was obsessed with the Beatles. To the point where he owned Press to Play in three different formats and bought each Beatles CD on the morning of its release so he could have the first one out of the box. So they were often playing when I went to his house. 

And then in college I got their entire catalog on CD for my birthday. This is where I first heard some of the album tracks that were never played on the radio. I made a 90-minute tape of my non-chalk favorites to play when a CD player wasn’t available. Many of those songs are on the top 25 list I submitted for this countdown.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

This has nothing to do with the Beatles, but I have SXM's 60s channel on (they're doing a top 50 countdown of R&B artists from the 60s with guest host Gary US Bonds) and they just played Archie Bell & The Drells' "Tighten Up". Now, I've heard that song a million times and I have no idea how I missed this all of these years. During the spoken-word intro, when Archie says "Hi. We're Archie Bell and the Drells from Houston Texas", I always thought the second line went "And we dance just as good as we want". I just now realized, after 50+ years, that he was saying "walk" instead of "want". "Walk" makes more sense, but I still like "want" better.

 

[krista4]

This has nothing to do with the Beatles, but I have SXM's 60s channel on (they're doing a top 50 countdown of R&B artists from the 60s with guest host Gary US Bonds) and they just played Archie Bell & The Drells' "Tighten Up". Now, I've heard that song a million times and I have no idea how I missed this all of these years. During the spoken-word intro, when Archie says "Hi. We're Archie Bell and the Drells from Houston Texas", I always thought the second line went "And we dance just as good as we want". I just now realized, after 50+ years, that he was saying "walk" instead of "want". "Walk" makes more sense, but I still like "want" better.

  I like your interpretation.  One of my favorite songs.

 

[Zegras11]

The Word
2022 Ranking: 145T
2022 Lists: 1
2022 Points: 13
Ranked Highest by: Krista (Craig) (13)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: NR

Getz: First of four straight songs NR in 2019.

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  136

2019 write-up:

The Word (Rubber Soul, 1965)

Jesus, we're getting into such great stuff now.  This description by John of his inspiration for this song makes it even better:  "It sort of dawned on me that love was the answer, when I was younger, on the Rubber Soul album. My first expression of it was a song called The Word. The word is 'love', in the good and the bad books that I have read, whatever, wherever, the word is 'love'. It seems like the underlying theme to the universe.  Everything that was worthwhile got dow to this love, love, love thing.  And it is the struggle to love, be loved, and express that (just something about love) that's fantastic."  Whether or not you agree with that sentiment, or possibly even find it simplistic, it seems like a turning point in some of their songwriting and very much of its time.  Led by Paul's bass, this song grooves the hell out, feeling almost Stax-like to me.  You could even argue it has an evangelical preacher sound to it, or maybe I'm imbuing it with too much Memphis sound.  In any case, straight-up FUNK.  Ima gonna go dance now.

Fun fact:  the lyric sheets for this song were covered with psychadelic, colorful drawings, and later Yoko Ono gave this to John Cage for his birthday.  The manuscript was reproduced in Cage's collection called Notations and later donated to Northwestern University along with several other Beatles lyric sheets. 

Mr. krista:  [Shaking his head no.]  "Drums, bass, and guitar are really good, but the lyrics are so ####### dumb."

Suggested cover:  Bettye LaVette.  I happen to like the Shins so am posting this one, but I don't know what Beat Bugs means and just the name irritates me.

2022 Supplement:  Well, 2022, unlike the 2019 version, does know what “Beat Bugs” means, thanks to the efforts of people in the prior thread.  So there’s that.  On the down side, I’d probably change the ranking on this one for the worse, as the lyrics have really grown to irritate me more the last few years.  Kids, don’t toke and songwrite.  I have another odd association with this one in that I remember APK hating the lyrics as well, though as always I could be mixing him up with someone else.

I called out Paul’s bass in my 2019 post, but I’d also like to note John’s fantastic vocal here.  He seems like he really meant it on this one, as silly as the sentiment might seem to some of us now.  Ringo is, as usual, excellent on his fills, too.  Between the lyrics and the funky sound, this does have the feel of a down-home evangelical romp, which I’m partial to.  Maybe I like this song again after all.

Guido Merkins

It’s the word, love!!!!  John claimed this song was kind of precursor of All You Need is Love.  It’s very 60’s, flower power.  Lines like “it’s so fine, it’s sunshine, it’s the word, love” gives a very clear picture of the 60s and the emerging peace and love movement.  This song is almost religious in it’s furvor about the power of love, which was a first for John.  Other lines like “I’m here to show everybody the light” might be Lennon’s first attempt to use his star power to convince people that he was right, something he would do a lot of later.

The recording was pretty simple, with the standard Beatles lineup and George Martin on harmonium.  Paul’s bass is really jumping on this track.  Rubber Soul was the first album where you could, very clearly, hear the bass and it would get even more prominent on Revolver and Sgt Pepper, but for now, you can clearly hear that Paul is a great bass player.  I also love the harmonium part at the end and the piano throughout.  

Great song on a really great album.

 

[Zegras11]

Chalk Rankings Top 10. #145T = 27.5 pts. Sponsored by: Penisheadspaceman Inc Cuisinart TOA60 Air-frying Toaster Oven

1 --Krista (Mom)---83.5

2 --anarchy99---81

3 --Krista (Mom/Hub)---60.5

4 --Krista (TJ/Holly)---28

5 --Krista (Craig)---27.5

6 --murph---26

7 --Krista (Sharon)---24.5

8 --Dennis Castro---24.5

9 --Man Of Constant Sorrow---23

10 --John Maddens Lunchbox---23

 

[Alex P Keaton]

Old Brown Shoe
2022 Ranking: 147
2022 Lists: 3
2022 Points: 12
Ranked Highest by: Krista (Mom) (21) @Murph (22) @Anarchy99 (23)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 135T/1/2

Getz comments:  K - Mom and Ararchy99 each with their fourth song and the battle for most (now), least (in the end) chalk rages on.

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  131

2019 write-up:  

Old Brown Shoe (single, 1969)

The b-side to "The Ballad of John and Yoko."  I quite like the song, but it sounds like it was recorded in George's bathtub.  I think I like the George vocal here, if I could hear it.  Somebody pull George out from the men's room!

Mr. krista:  "There’s something evocative about the image of a glass onion, or red wheelbarrow, but old brown shoe?  I don’t care anymore about old brown shoe.  I’m bored just saying the words 'old brown shoe.'  It was like a really fast polka."

Suggested cover:  Gary Brooker - good cover but really missing that "I'm recording while simultaneously scuba diving" vibe.

2022 Supplement:  Still love the song; still wish it didn’t sound underwater.  Here’s an early version where George is teaching the lyrics to the others, and it doesn’t have that horrible sound quality:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nKi8iBg8KI

I dismissed this song without giving much information in my 2019 post.  One thing interesting about this one is who’s playing what:  Paul took over the drums (no, Ringo hadn’t quit the band again but instead was off filming a movie), while George played organ in addition to lead guitar, and John took his turn at the piano.  George claimed that he also played the bass part, but it’s unclear if that was truly the case.

Guido Merkins

Near the end of the Beatles, George Harrison was coming into his own.   One of my favorite scenes in the recent Get Back film was George coming into the studio with this new song that he had worked out on piano, which George seemed to write a lot of songs on piano around this time, even though he’s not really a piano player.  This song was Old Brown Shoe

Old Brown Shoe kind of reminds me of a better version of Hello Goodbye lyrics wise (I want a love that’s right, right is only half of what’s wrong.)  This was the old duality thing (right wrong, left right, etc.)  Old Brown Shoe features Paul on drums, George on organ and lead guitar and John on piano.  Ringo was filming The Magic Christian, so he was unavailable.

I love the line “when I grow up I’ll be a singer, wear rings on every finger”, which is obviously a reference to Ringo.  Also him talking about “escping from this zoo”, which is an obvious reference to life in the Beatles.  I also love the feel of the track, which feels slightly like ska to me.  And that guitar solo by George, which is one of his best.  And the main riff, which to hints at the use of a slide, but I don’t think he was actually using a slide for the recording.  George also claimed that he played bass on the recording.  Not sure how true that is, but George claimed it.    

Old Brown Shoe was the B side of the single The Ballad of John and Yoko, which was George’s 2nd B side after The Inner Light

I’m unapologetic about loving this song.  Barely missed my top-25.   Imagine you are in a band and your 3rd best singer/songwriter is George Harrison?  It would be like having Kyrie Irving as your 3rd best basketball player…..

And he just shows up with this song out of nowhere.   I like George songs where his lyrics are experiential, but it’s like we’re just barely being let in on some inside scoop, not enough to get the full story though.  

 

[Zegras11]

I’m unapologetic about loving this song.  Barely missed my top-25.   Imagine you are in a band and your 3rd best singer/songwriter is George Harrison?  It would be like having Kyrie Irving as your 3rd best basketball player…..

And he just shows up with this song out of nowhere.   I like George songs where his lyrics are experiential, but it’s like we’re just barely being let in on some inside scoop, not enough to get the full story though.  

It's this type of song I'm getting to know much better this time around.  Love the opening.

EJ has a song with a similar opening and I can't remember the name of it.  Help @Binky The Doormat

 

[Uruk-Hai]

The Word
2022 Ranking: 145T
2022 Lists: 1
2022 Points: 13
Ranked Highest by: Krista (Craig) (13)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: NR

Getz: First of four straight songs NR in 2019.

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  136

2019 write-up:

The Word (Rubber Soul, 1965)

Jesus, we're getting into such great stuff now.  This description by John of his inspiration for this song makes it even better:  "It sort of dawned on me that love was the answer, when I was younger, on the Rubber Soul album. My first expression of it was a song called The Word. The word is 'love', in the good and the bad books that I have read, whatever, wherever, the word is 'love'. It seems like the underlying theme to the universe.  Everything that was worthwhile got dow to this love, love, love thing.  And it is the struggle to love, be loved, and express that (just something about love) that's fantastic."  Whether or not you agree with that sentiment, or possibly even find it simplistic, it seems like a turning point in some of their songwriting and very much of its time.  Led by Paul's bass, this song grooves the hell out, feeling almost Stax-like to me.  You could even argue it has an evangelical preacher sound to it, or maybe I'm imbuing it with too much Memphis sound.  In any case, straight-up FUNK.  Ima gonna go dance now.

Fun fact:  the lyric sheets for this song were covered with psychadelic, colorful drawings, and later Yoko Ono gave this to John Cage for his birthday.  The manuscript was reproduced in Cage's collection called Notations and later donated to Northwestern University along with several other Beatles lyric sheets. 

Mr. krista:  [Shaking his head no.]  "Drums, bass, and guitar are really good, but the lyrics are so ####### dumb."

Suggested cover:  Bettye LaVette.  I happen to like the Shins so am posting this one, but I don't know what Beat Bugs means and just the name irritates me.

2022 Supplement:  Well, 2022, unlike the 2019 version, does know what “Beat Bugs” means, thanks to the efforts of people in the prior thread.  So there’s that.  On the down side, I’d probably change the ranking on this one for the worse, as the lyrics have really grown to irritate me more the last few years.  Kids, don’t toke and songwrite.  I have another odd association with this one in that I remember APK hating the lyrics as well, though as always I could be mixing him up with someone else.

I called out Paul’s bass in my 2019 post, but I’d also like to note John’s fantastic vocal here.  He seems like he really meant it on this one, as silly as the sentiment might seem to some of us now.  Ringo is, as usual, excellent on his fills, too.  Between the lyrics and the funky sound, this does have the feel of a down-home evangelical romp, which I’m partial to.  Maybe I like this song again after all.

Guido Merkins

It’s the word, love!!!!  John claimed this song was kind of precursor of All You Need is Love.  It’s very 60’s, flower power.  Lines like “it’s so fine, it’s sunshine, it’s the word, love” gives a very clear picture of the 60s and the emerging peace and love movement.  This song is almost religious in it’s furvor about the power of love, which was a first for John.  Other lines like “I’m here to show everybody the light” might be Lennon’s first attempt to use his star power to convince people that he was right, something he would do a lot of later.

The recording was pretty simple, with the standard Beatles lineup and George Martin on harmonium.  Paul’s bass is really jumping on this track.  Rubber Soul was the first album where you could, very clearly, hear the bass and it would get even more prominent on Revolver and Sgt Pepper, but for now, you can clearly hear that Paul is a great bass player.  I also love the harmonium part at the end and the piano throughout.  

Great song on a really great album.

Luckily I'm not a lyric guy, though sappy lyrics don't bug me much. Let's just say John hadn't quite figured out how to say what he wanted to say yet.

But, the music! As both Krista & Guido say, this one is churchy and funky. It's not quite as gut-bucket deep as some of the Memphis stuff out around this time, but I could see Junior Walker doing this song for Motown. Paul's bass is zooming.

Who the hell is playing the maracas? THEY are the record's secret weapon.

 

[krista4]

Luckily I'm not a lyric guy, though sappy lyrics don't bug me much. Let's just say John hadn't quite figured out how to say what he wanted to say yet.

But, the music! As both Krista & Guido say, this one is churchy and funky. It's not quite as gut-bucket deep as some of the Memphis stuff out around this time, but I could see Junior Walker doing this song for Motown. Paul's bass is zooming.

Who the hell is playing the maracas? THEY are the record's secret weapon.

Ringo, of course.  I guess we could call it...

A RINGO SHOWCASE!

 

[Binky The Doormat]

It's this type of song I'm getting to know much better this time around.  Love the opening.

EJ has a song with a similar opening and I can't remember the name of it.  Help @Binky The Doormat

man - it's likely something off of the Tumbleweed Connection album - definitely has that feel

can't place the song though - may have to go listen to that album

tough assignment 

 

[Murph]

I don't care if the lyrics are stupid, I could listen to that song all day.

 

[Zegras11]

man - it's likely something off of the Tumbleweed Connection album - definitely has that feel

can't place the song though - may have to go listen to that album

tough assignment 

Tough one.  I can hear the beginning.  Just can't place.   Could be TW.  I was also thinking Don't Shoot Me.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

This has nothing to do with the Beatles, but I have SXM's 60s channel on (they're doing a top 50 countdown of R&B artists from the 60s with guest host Gary US Bonds) and they just played Archie Bell & The Drells' "Tighten Up". Now, I've heard that song a million times and I have no idea how I missed this all of these years. During the spoken-word intro, when Archie says "Hi. We're Archie Bell and the Drells from Houston Texas", I always thought the second line went "And we dance just as good as we want". I just now realized, after 50+ years, that he was saying "walk" instead of "want". "Walk" makes more sense, but I still like "want" better.

Ok, so they just said this is listener-chosen. I guess that explains why James Brown is only #30?

One thing I have learned is that Gary US Bonds got drunk with every R&B act of the 1960s, or he lusted after them, or both.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Ringo, of course.  I guess we could call it...

A RINGO SHOWCASE!

How was my alley-oop pass?

 

[Uruk-Hai]

man - it's likely something off of the Tumbleweed Connection album - definitely has that feel

can't place the song though - may have to go listen to that album

tough assignment 

Praying for you, Binky

 

[Zegras11]

man - it's likely something off of the Tumbleweed Connection album - definitely has that feel

can't place the song though - may have to go listen to that album

tough assignment 

Found it

Not as close as I was thinking, but kinda similar.

 

[krista4]

How was my alley-oop pass?

Almost went over my head, but I hauled it down at the last second.

 

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

I was told that bird was the word.

 

[Zegras11]

Another Girl
2022 Ranking: 145T
2022 Lists: 1
2022 Points: 13
Ranked Highest by: @Shaft41 (13)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: NR

Getz:  The first from four different lists from the @Shaft41 family. Another song that should have more votes.

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  128

2019 write-up:

Another Girl (Help!, 1965)

I'm grouping these two together [EDITOR’S NOTE:  In 2019 I paired this with “Tell Me Why”] because, after I saw they had ended up side-by-side in my rankings and checked my initial notes, I saw that I had written similar write-ups for both, making reference to their being enjoyable but kind of messy.  Also both were written in a hurry as "filler" for their records - "we needed a song and so I ripped this one off" in only the way that John or Paul could do.  Maybe someone loves one of these so much they'll make a case for one as being substantially better than the other.  

"Another Girl" is another standout "filler" song, with a fascinating structure and again with fabulous three-part harmonies, but this time with some biting, acerbic lyrics.  I had written in my initial notes:  "Kinda mean."  John's not the only one who could be a bit cruel, as this was thought to refer to Paul's relationship with Jane Asher: 

You're making me say that I've got nobody but you

But as from today well I've got somebody that's new

I ain't no fool and I don't take what I don't want

For I have got another girl, another girl

She's sweeter than all the girls and I've met quite a few...

Paul replaced George's lead guitar on this song because George was having trouble with the solo, though @Officer Pete Malloy (perm banned) will insist that is really George playing it.  Don't know what George's version sounded like, but I love Paul's wacko sound on this.

Mr krista:  [singing] "'I don't want to say that I've been, unhappy with you.' Guitar playing was awesome, great bluesy guitar.  If The Who played that at that time, it would be a rocker.  Sounds like a Who kind of song."

Suggested cover:  Since I can't find a proper cover, here's Paul McCartney doing it a few years ago.  Rock on, Sir Paul.

2022 Supplement:  I don’t have a good recollection (other than what I posted) of why I grouped this with “Tell Me Why,” but in 2022 I would consider the latter my strong favorite over this song.  I do love Paul’s guitar work on this as well as Ringo’s swinging beat.  The middle eight is my favorite segment of the song, with John doing excellent work on high harmonies.  Paul wrote this one while on vacation in Tunisia, at a secluded villa provided to him for the holiday by the British government.  He found that a bathroom in the villa had what he considered perfect acoustics for composing with his guitar.  What is it with Beatles and bathrooms?  John had Alan White record in the bathroom for “I Don’t Wanna Be a Soldier Mama,” and George stuck Klaus Voormann in a bathroom with his stand-up bass for “Be Here Now.”  And several other George songs – “Old Brown Shoe” and “Dark Horse” chief among them – sound like bathroom recordings.  I’m going to head to my loo and see if I can be creative!

OK, I’m back.  It didn’t work, but it did fascinate the cats.

This song has a cute video associated with it, from Help!:  https://vimeo.com/246273354?fbclid=IwAR37cxXPMDuqlEyZzsALpwdFRbuwyMd7HPq10Z5mXksBMVvRb_ncDIWXMGw  Hey @simey, check out the dad jeans!

Guido Merkins

The Beatles were unique in the 1960s in that they had 3 guitarists who, at different times, were featured on lead guitar.  John had played some lead on You Can’t Do That in 1964.  George, of course, played lead on most of the Beatles songs.  In 1965, Paul appeared on lead guitar for the first time on a Beatles record on Another Girl from the Help album.

The sequence in Help features the Beatles mock playing their instruments with bikini clad girls around.  The best part of the song, IMO, are Paul’s lead guitar flourishes, including the ending flourish.  The song’s lyrics probably, once again, refer to something with Jane Asher and Paul who had a stormy relationship (I don’t wanna say that I’ve been unhappy with you, but as of today I’ve seen somebody that’s new.)  Apparently this is one of the only instances of John singing the high harmony, also

Not a great track, but a solid album track and the video in the Help movie is one of the movie’s best with the quick cuts and the Beatles being silly on the beach with girls around.  These sequences in these movies basically created the Monkees entire career, not that there is anything wrong with the Monkees, but watch the video, then go watch one of the videos in the Monkees show and you’ll see what I mean.

 

[Zegras11]

Chalk Rankings Top 10. #145T = 27.5 pts. Sponsored by: Penisheadspaceman Inc Cuisinart TOA60 Air-frying Toaster Oven

1 --Krista (Mom)---83.5

2 --anarchy99---81

3 --Krista (Mom/Hub)---60.5

4 --Krista (TJ/Holly)---28

5 --Krista (Craig)---27.5

6 --Shaft41---27.5

7 --murph---26

8 --Krista (Sharon)---24.5

9 --Dennis Castro---24.5

10 --Man Of Constant Sorrow---23

11 --John Maddens Lunchbox---23

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Old Brown Shoe
2022 Ranking: 147
2022 Lists: 3
2022 Points: 12
Ranked Highest by: Krista (Mom) (21) @Murph (22) @Anarchy99 (23)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 135T/1/2

Getz comments:  K - Mom and Ararchy99 each with their fourth song and the battle for most (now), least (in the end) chalk rages on.

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  131

2019 write-up:  

Old Brown Shoe (single, 1969)

The b-side to "The Ballad of John and Yoko."  I quite like the song, but it sounds like it was recorded in George's bathtub.  I think I like the George vocal here, if I could hear it.  Somebody pull George out from the men's room!

Mr. krista:  "There’s something evocative about the image of a glass onion, or red wheelbarrow, but old brown shoe?  I don’t care anymore about old brown shoe.  I’m bored just saying the words 'old brown shoe.'  It was like a really fast polka."

Suggested cover:  Gary Brooker - good cover but really missing that "I'm recording while simultaneously scuba diving" vibe.

2022 Supplement:  Still love the song; still wish it didn’t sound underwater.  Here’s an early version where George is teaching the lyrics to the others, and it doesn’t have that horrible sound quality:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nKi8iBg8KI

I dismissed this song without giving much information in my 2019 post.  One thing interesting about this one is who’s playing what:  Paul took over the drums (no, Ringo hadn’t quit the band again but instead was off filming a movie), while George played organ in addition to lead guitar, and John took his turn at the piano.  George claimed that he also played the bass part, but it’s unclear if that was truly the case.

Guido Merkins

Near the end of the Beatles, George Harrison was coming into his own.   One of my favorite scenes in the recent Get Back film was George coming into the studio with this new song that he had worked out on piano, which George seemed to write a lot of songs on piano around this time, even though he’s not really a piano player.  This song was Old Brown Shoe

Old Brown Shoe kind of reminds me of a better version of Hello Goodbye lyrics wise (I want a love that’s right, right is only half of what’s wrong.)  This was the old duality thing (right wrong, left right, etc.)  Old Brown Shoe features Paul on drums, George on organ and lead guitar and John on piano.  Ringo was filming The Magic Christian, so he was unavailable.

I love the line “when I grow up I’ll be a singer, wear rings on every finger”, which is obviously a reference to Ringo.  Also him talking about “escping from this zoo”, which is an obvious reference to life in the Beatles.  I also love the feel of the track, which feels slightly like ska to me.  And that guitar solo by George, which is one of his best.  And the main riff, which to hints at the use of a slide, but I don’t think he was actually using a slide for the recording.  George also claimed that he played bass on the recording.  Not sure how true that is, but George claimed it.    

Old Brown Shoe was the B side of the single The Ballad of John and Yoko, which was George’s 2nd B side after The Inner Light

The propulsive piano and the guitar flourishes at the beginning and the middle sound like Dylan on Highway 61 Revisited or Blonde on Blonde -- it wouldn't surprise me at all that that was what George was going for. So does the organ-led breakdown at the end, for that matter. The bathroom-like vocals probably didn't come from that impulse. 

So yeah, this is George does Dylan, a direction we'd see again on some of the ATMP tracks. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

The Word
2022 Ranking: 145T
2022 Lists: 1
2022 Points: 13
Ranked Highest by: Krista (Craig) (13)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: NR

Getz: First of four straight songs NR in 2019.

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  136

2019 write-up:

The Word (Rubber Soul, 1965)

Jesus, we're getting into such great stuff now.  This description by John of his inspiration for this song makes it even better:  "It sort of dawned on me that love was the answer, when I was younger, on the Rubber Soul album. My first expression of it was a song called The Word. The word is 'love', in the good and the bad books that I have read, whatever, wherever, the word is 'love'. It seems like the underlying theme to the universe.  Everything that was worthwhile got dow to this love, love, love thing.  And it is the struggle to love, be loved, and express that (just something about love) that's fantastic."  Whether or not you agree with that sentiment, or possibly even find it simplistic, it seems like a turning point in some of their songwriting and very much of its time.  Led by Paul's bass, this song grooves the hell out, feeling almost Stax-like to me.  You could even argue it has an evangelical preacher sound to it, or maybe I'm imbuing it with too much Memphis sound.  In any case, straight-up FUNK.  Ima gonna go dance now.

Fun fact:  the lyric sheets for this song were covered with psychadelic, colorful drawings, and later Yoko Ono gave this to John Cage for his birthday.  The manuscript was reproduced in Cage's collection called Notations and later donated to Northwestern University along with several other Beatles lyric sheets. 

Mr. krista:  [Shaking his head no.]  "Drums, bass, and guitar are really good, but the lyrics are so ####### dumb."

Suggested cover:  Bettye LaVette.  I happen to like the Shins so am posting this one, but I don't know what Beat Bugs means and just the name irritates me.

2022 Supplement:  Well, 2022, unlike the 2019 version, does know what “Beat Bugs” means, thanks to the efforts of people in the prior thread.  So there’s that.  On the down side, I’d probably change the ranking on this one for the worse, as the lyrics have really grown to irritate me more the last few years.  Kids, don’t toke and songwrite.  I have another odd association with this one in that I remember APK hating the lyrics as well, though as always I could be mixing him up with someone else.

I called out Paul’s bass in my 2019 post, but I’d also like to note John’s fantastic vocal here.  He seems like he really meant it on this one, as silly as the sentiment might seem to some of us now.  Ringo is, as usual, excellent on his fills, too.  Between the lyrics and the funky sound, this does have the feel of a down-home evangelical romp, which I’m partial to.  Maybe I like this song again after all.

Guido Merkins

It’s the word, love!!!!  John claimed this song was kind of precursor of All You Need is Love.  It’s very 60’s, flower power.  Lines like “it’s so fine, it’s sunshine, it’s the word, love” gives a very clear picture of the 60s and the emerging peace and love movement.  This song is almost religious in it’s furvor about the power of love, which was a first for John.  Other lines like “I’m here to show everybody the light” might be Lennon’s first attempt to use his star power to convince people that he was right, something he would do a lot of later.

The recording was pretty simple, with the standard Beatles lineup and George Martin on harmonium.  Paul’s bass is really jumping on this track.  Rubber Soul was the first album where you could, very clearly, hear the bass and it would get even more prominent on Revolver and Sgt Pepper, but for now, you can clearly hear that Paul is a great bass player.  I also love the harmonium part at the end and the piano throughout.  

Great song on a really great album.

My rank: 31

No, I didn't rank everything. I went through my Hippling of krista's original thread and wrote down the songs that I gushed about there, then I added others that I remember being drawn to at various points in my life. That gave me 36 songs, which I then put in order, submitting the top 25. 

Yes, the lyrics are hippie-dippie, but part of what works for me is that the song is SO MUCH of its time -- it takes the stuff that the suits were putting out to get "the kids" to buy records and executes it a squillion times better. The harmonies are exquisite, the bass playing is indeed Stax-level, the harmonium is cool as #### and the whole vibe just makes you wanna dance and celebrate for no reason. Isn't that part of why we were drawn to this kind of music in the first place? 

This may be the first appearance of something I put on my 90-minute tape. I forget if I had Baby You're a Rich Man on there. 

The LaVette cover is fantastic -- it completely reimagines the song and follows through on its new paradigm perfectly. Those are the best kinds of covers for me. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Another Girl
2022 Ranking: 145T
2022 Lists: 1
2022 Points: 13
Ranked Highest by: @Shaft41 (13)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: NR

Getz:  The first from four different lists from the @Shaft41 family. Another song that should have more votes.

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  128

2019 write-up:

Another Girl (Help!, 1965)

I'm grouping these two together [EDITOR’S NOTE:  In 2019 I paired this with “Tell Me Why”] because, after I saw they had ended up side-by-side in my rankings and checked my initial notes, I saw that I had written similar write-ups for both, making reference to their being enjoyable but kind of messy.  Also both were written in a hurry as "filler" for their records - "we needed a song and so I ripped this one off" in only the way that John or Paul could do.  Maybe someone loves one of these so much they'll make a case for one as being substantially better than the other.  

"Another Girl" is another standout "filler" song, with a fascinating structure and again with fabulous three-part harmonies, but this time with some biting, acerbic lyrics.  I had written in my initial notes:  "Kinda mean."  John's not the only one who could be a bit cruel, as this was thought to refer to Paul's relationship with Jane Asher: 

You're making me say that I've got nobody but you

But as from today well I've got somebody that's new

I ain't no fool and I don't take what I don't want

For I have got another girl, another girl

She's sweeter than all the girls and I've met quite a few...

Paul replaced George's lead guitar on this song because George was having trouble with the solo, though @Officer Pete Malloy (perm banned) will insist that is really George playing it.  Don't know what George's version sounded like, but I love Paul's wacko sound on this.

Mr krista:  [singing] "'I don't want to say that I've been, unhappy with you.' Guitar playing was awesome, great bluesy guitar.  If The Who played that at that time, it would be a rocker.  Sounds like a Who kind of song."

Suggested cover:  Since I can't find a proper cover, here's Paul McCartney doing it a few years ago.  Rock on, Sir Paul.

2022 Supplement:  I don’t have a good recollection (other than what I posted) of why I grouped this with “Tell Me Why,” but in 2022 I would consider the latter my strong favorite over this song.  I do love Paul’s guitar work on this as well as Ringo’s swinging beat.  The middle eight is my favorite segment of the song, with John doing excellent work on high harmonies.  Paul wrote this one while on vacation in Tunisia, at a secluded villa provided to him for the holiday by the British government.  He found that a bathroom in the villa had what he considered perfect acoustics for composing with his guitar.  What is it with Beatles and bathrooms?  John had Alan White record in the bathroom for “I Don’t Wanna Be a Soldier Mama,” and George stuck Klaus Voormann in a bathroom with his stand-up bass for “Be Here Now.”  And several other George songs – “Old Brown Shoe” and “Dark Horse” chief among them – sound like bathroom recordings.  I’m going to head to my loo and see if I can be creative!

OK, I’m back.  It didn’t work, but it did fascinate the cats.

This song has a cute video associated with it, from Help!:  https://vimeo.com/246273354?fbclid=IwAR37cxXPMDuqlEyZzsALpwdFRbuwyMd7HPq10Z5mXksBMVvRb_ncDIWXMGw  Hey @simey, check out the dad jeans!

Guido Merkins

The Beatles were unique in the 1960s in that they had 3 guitarists who, at different times, were featured on lead guitar.  John had played some lead on You Can’t Do That in 1964.  George, of course, played lead on most of the Beatles songs.  In 1965, Paul appeared on lead guitar for the first time on a Beatles record on Another Girl from the Help album.

The sequence in Help features the Beatles mock playing their instruments with bikini clad girls around.  The best part of the song, IMO, are Paul’s lead guitar flourishes, including the ending flourish.  The song’s lyrics probably, once again, refer to something with Jane Asher and Paul who had a stormy relationship (I don’t wanna say that I’ve been unhappy with you, but as of today I’ve seen somebody that’s new.)  Apparently this is one of the only instances of John singing the high harmony, also

Not a great track, but a solid album track and the video in the Help movie is one of the movie’s best with the quick cuts and the Beatles being silly on the beach with girls around.  These sequences in these movies basically created the Monkees entire career, not that there is anything wrong with the Monkees, but watch the video, then go watch one of the videos in the Monkees show and you’ll see what I mean.

Another effortlessly catchy song from their pre-Pepper years. I'd venture to say Paul shortly thereafter rewrote this as I'm Looking Through You and made it worse. I'll get to my feelings on that one when it appears. 

The lead guitar sound is totally neat and unusual for its time -- of course it was Paul, the musical genius who could play anything. 

 

[simey]

https://vimeo.com/246273354?fbclid=IwAR37cxXPMDuqlEyZzsALpwdFRbuwyMd7HPq10Z5mXksBMVvRb_ncDIWXMGw  Hey @simey, check out the dad jeans!

I'm focused in on how good John looks in that fisherman's cap.     Do you wear dad jeans? 

 

[simey]

The Word

This song is groovy.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

This song is groovy.

I dig it.

 

[Zegras11]

I'm focused in on how good John looks in that fisherman's cap.     Do you wear dad jeans? 

I wish and I did

 

[turnjose7]

Regarding "Old Brown Shoe" and the bathtub sound, it was intentionally done by George singing into the wall corner to get an "echo" effect. Not sure that is how I would describe the sound, though I do like it (but understand how some would not). 

I think this song gets shortchanged on both the 2019 and 2022 lists. I have it at 87 on my list and honestly think I should have ranked it higher. The chord structure so interesting. I love that stabbing dystonic rhythm on the "jangle box piano". While I don't like it quite as much as the piano part on "I Want to Tell You" (a song higher on my list), it captures my interest in the same way. 

I can't believe there isn't more discussion about the Paul vs. George on the bass debate. The bass part is killer on this song. 

 

[Murph]

Listening to Rubber Soul. The Word is great. I think I penalize it in my mind a bit because I know it leads into Michelle.

 

[Binky The Doormat]

I'm focused in on how good John looks in that fisherman's cap.     Do you wear dad jeans? 

 greek fisherman's cap - and they were HUGE because we saw John wearing it.

I had a maroon corduroy one ...and wore the hell out of it.

Ringo Cap!!!

 

[simey]

 greek fisherman's cap - and they were HUGE because we saw John wearing it.

I had a maroon corduroy one ...and wore the hell out of it.

Ringo Cap!!!

You need another one, Binky.

 

[simey]

Listening to Rubber Soul. The Word is great. I think I penalize it in my mind a bit because I know it leads into Michelle.

I wonder how many people have Michelle in their Top 25. Probably PIK.

 

[Zegras11]

I Don’t Want to Spoil The Party
2022 Ranking: 144
2022 Lists: 2
2022 Points: 13
Ranked Highest by: Krista (Worth) (15)  Krista (Mom) (24)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: NR

Getz comments:  Krista's Mom blazing through her list with her fifth song. .    We still have 45 voters without one song listed. I agree with @krista4 on the Rosanne Cash version.

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  123

2019 write-up:

I Don't Want to Spoil the Party (Beatles for Sale, 1964)

Another country-tinged song, and originally written for country-music-fan Ringo to sing lead.  It's unclear why/when it changed to John, but it was a good move instead to have John's double-tracked vocals on the verses with Paul's harmonies on the bridge.  I don't even understand how Ringo could have sung this one, but I'm glad he was there to keep it all tight on the drums.  I'm a fan of George's twangy, Chet-Atkins-style guitar work on this one, even though he's a bit messy with it.  I like to compare and contrast this with some of John's other, more aggressive "you're leaving me" songs (such as "Run for Your Life"), and in this case I appreciate the vulnerability without threats of violence.

Mr. krista:  "They were just trying to write a county song. We're back to really morose.  They can’t really write country, so it sounds like he’s hiding a real misery in this pastiche.  But I think dude was sad."

Suggested cover:  The only cover of a Beatles song to reach #1 on the country charts, Rosanne Cash (don't tell anyone, but I like this version better than the original)

2022 Supplement:  Not much more to say here.  I still think this is a lovely but sweetly sad song, sung beautifully in both in the melody and the harmonies.  The middle eight is killer, especially Paul’s high harmonies and Ringo’s drumming.  Sounds like a song they would have written for Ringo, which they did, but works better with John in the lead.  You can really hear the beginnings of John’s singer-songwriter, Dylan-esque phase here, which culminated of course in “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away.”

Guido Merkins

I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party fits the overall country and western vibe of Beatles For Sale quite well.  John claimed it was his song, a very personal song.  What exactly it is about, he never said, but I can only assume he showed up at a party and the girl he wanted to see didn’t show up.  Sort of a male It’s My Party, I guess.

Paul said he helped out a bit.  Mostly the lead is sung by John, with Paul coming in on the middle “though tonight she makes me sad…” and, as usual, lifts the whole thing.

The best part of the song are the harmonies and George’s country and western style guitar and Ringo, who was a huge country and western fan, with the drumming.

 

[Zegras11]

Chalk Rankings Top 10. #144 = 29 pts. Sponsored by: Simey Brand Dad Jeans

1 --Krista (Mom)---107.5

2 --anarchy99---81

3 --Krista (Mom/Hub)---60.5

4 --Krista (Worth)---33

5 --Krista (TJ/Holly)---28

6 --Krista (Craig)---27.5

7 --Shaft41---27.5

8 --murph---26

9 --Krista (Sharon)---24.5

10 --Dennis Castro---24.5

 

[Tom Hagen]

Listening to Rubber Soul. The Word is great. I think I penalize it in my mind a bit because I know it leads into Michelle.

I couldn’t figure out why I get a vague sense of dread when I hear this song but now I get it.
 

Catchy tune but the lyrics don’t connect with me. 

 

[Leroy Hoard]

I Don’t Want to Spoil The Party
2022 Ranking: 144
2022 Lists: 2
2022 Points: 13
Ranked Highest by: Krista (Worth) (15)  Krista (Mom) (24)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: NR

Getz comments:  Krista's Mom blazing through her list with her fifth song. .    We still have 45 voters without one song listed. I agree with @krista4 on the Rosanne Cash version.

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  123

2019 write-up:

I Don't Want to Spoil the Party (Beatles for Sale, 1964)

Another country-tinged song, and originally written for country-music-fan Ringo to sing lead.  It's unclear why/when it changed to John, but it was a good move instead to have John's double-tracked vocals on the verses with Paul's harmonies on the bridge.  I don't even understand how Ringo could have sung this one, but I'm glad he was there to keep it all tight on the drums.  I'm a fan of George's twangy, Chet-Atkins-style guitar work on this one, even though he's a bit messy with it.  I like to compare and contrast this with some of John's other, more aggressive "you're leaving me" songs (such as "Run for Your Life"), and in this case I appreciate the vulnerability without threats of violence.

Mr. krista:  "They were just trying to write a county song. We're back to really morose.  They can’t really write country, so it sounds like he’s hiding a real misery in this pastiche.  But I think dude was sad."

Suggested cover:  The only cover of a Beatles song to reach #1 on the country charts, Rosanne Cash (don't tell anyone, but I like this version better than the original)

2022 Supplement:  Not much more to say here.  I still think this is a lovely but sweetly sad song, sung beautifully in both in the melody and the harmonies.  The middle eight is killer, especially Paul’s high harmonies and Ringo’s drumming.  Sounds like a song they would have written for Ringo, which they did, but works better with John in the lead.  You can really hear the beginnings of John’s singer-songwriter, Dylan-esque phase here, which culminated of course in “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away.”

Guido Merkins

I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party fits the overall country and western vibe of Beatles For Sale quite well.  John claimed it was his song, a very personal song.  What exactly it is about, he never said, but I can only assume he showed up at a party and the girl he wanted to see didn’t show up.  Sort of a male It’s My Party, I guess.

Paul said he helped out a bit.  Mostly the lead is sung by John, with Paul coming in on the middle “though tonight she makes me sad…” and, as usual, lifts the whole thing.

The best part of the song are the harmonies and George’s country and western style guitar and Ringo, who was a huge country and western fan, with the drumming.

The best song #144 I've ever heard from an artist.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

It's this type of song I'm getting to know much better this time around.  Love the opening.

EJ has a song with a similar opening and I can't remember the name of it.  Help @Binky The Doormat

Honky Cat?

https://youtu.be/iPicSRPwogI

 

[Zegras11]

Honky Cat?

https://youtu.be/iPicSRPwogI

That wasn't the song, but it does kinda of fit.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Chalk Rankings Top 10. #144 = 29 pts. Sponsored by: Simey Brand Dad Jeans

1 --Krista (Mom)---107.5

2 --anarchy99---81

3 --Krista (Mom/Hub)---60.5

4 --Krista (Worth)---33

5 --Krista (TJ/Holly)---28

6 --Krista (Craig)---27.5

7 --Shaft41---27.5

8 --murph---26

9 --Krista (Sharon)---24.5

10 --Dennis Castro---24.5

Go krista’s mom. You’re killing it!!

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Maybe because I dated a Michelle in college but I’m not in the “hate” camp on that song. Now in The Beatles catalog, it’s ways down, but it’s still a Paul silly love song. What’s wrong with that?

 

[Pip's Invitation]

And I remember hearing Here Comes the Sun a lot but not a whole lot of the other middle and later stuff. Don’t remember why that one came into my orbit when it did.

I wonder if my mom had Adult Contemporary stations on in the car in addition to Top 40 stations. I could see HCTS being played by the AC stations, but probably not too many other Beatles songs. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Maybe because I dated a Michelle in college but I’m not in the “hate” camp on that song. Now in The Beatles catalog, it’s ways down, but it’s still a Paul silly love song. What’s wrong with that?

I'd like to know.

I don't love it, but I don't hate it. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I Don’t Want to Spoil The Party
2022 Ranking: 144
2022 Lists: 2
2022 Points: 13
Ranked Highest by: Krista (Worth) (15)  Krista (Mom) (24)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: NR

Getz comments:  Krista's Mom blazing through her list with her fifth song. .    We still have 45 voters without one song listed. I agree with @krista4 on the Rosanne Cash version.

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  123

2019 write-up:

I Don't Want to Spoil the Party (Beatles for Sale, 1964)

Another country-tinged song, and originally written for country-music-fan Ringo to sing lead.  It's unclear why/when it changed to John, but it was a good move instead to have John's double-tracked vocals on the verses with Paul's harmonies on the bridge.  I don't even understand how Ringo could have sung this one, but I'm glad he was there to keep it all tight on the drums.  I'm a fan of George's twangy, Chet-Atkins-style guitar work on this one, even though he's a bit messy with it.  I like to compare and contrast this with some of John's other, more aggressive "you're leaving me" songs (such as "Run for Your Life"), and in this case I appreciate the vulnerability without threats of violence.

Mr. krista:  "They were just trying to write a county song. We're back to really morose.  They can’t really write country, so it sounds like he’s hiding a real misery in this pastiche.  But I think dude was sad."

Suggested cover:  The only cover of a Beatles song to reach #1 on the country charts, Rosanne Cash (don't tell anyone, but I like this version better than the original)

2022 Supplement:  Not much more to say here.  I still think this is a lovely but sweetly sad song, sung beautifully in both in the melody and the harmonies.  The middle eight is killer, especially Paul’s high harmonies and Ringo’s drumming.  Sounds like a song they would have written for Ringo, which they did, but works better with John in the lead.  You can really hear the beginnings of John’s singer-songwriter, Dylan-esque phase here, which culminated of course in “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away.”

Guido Merkins

I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party fits the overall country and western vibe of Beatles For Sale quite well.  John claimed it was his song, a very personal song.  What exactly it is about, he never said, but I can only assume he showed up at a party and the girl he wanted to see didn’t show up.  Sort of a male It’s My Party, I guess.

Paul said he helped out a bit.  Mostly the lead is sung by John, with Paul coming in on the middle “though tonight she makes me sad…” and, as usual, lifts the whole thing.

The best part of the song are the harmonies and George’s country and western style guitar and Ringo, who was a huge country and western fan, with the drumming.

Twang, Beatles style, part 3. If you told me this was a cover of a Hank Williams song, I wouldn't think you were lying. George once again does the Carl Perkins thing. I suspect I would rank this higher now than I would have in college. 

 

[Guido Merkins]

Regarding "Old Brown Shoe" and the bathtub sound, it was intentionally done by George singing into the wall corner to get an "echo" effect. Not sure that is how I would describe the sound, though I do like it (but understand how some would not). 

I think this song gets shortchanged on both the 2019 and 2022 lists. I have it at 87 on my list and honestly think I should have ranked it higher. The chord structure so interesting. I love that stabbing dystonic rhythm on the "jangle box piano". While I don't like it quite as much as the piano part on "I Want to Tell You" (a song higher on my list), it captures my interest in the same way. 

I can't believe there isn't more discussion about the Paul vs. George on the bass debate. The bass part is killer on this song. 

George didn't play bass on that many tracks, but he was also really good at it.  You can imagine if he would have been a bass player he would have been really really good

 

[simey]

I'm interested to hear from people who were born around 1968.  What is the context of your experience with the Beatles?  Did you have older brothers or sisters?  When did you really start being impacted by the Beatles?

I was born in '66. I have an older sister who was born in '64, and a younger brother who was born in '68. My parents always played music in the house, and I heard the Beatles some, but that wasn't the main music they played. I heard the Beatles on the radio too, and I liked the music, but I didn't seek them out. I actually liked Wings a lot. They were played on the radio all the time in the 70s, and I had some 45s. I had a John Lennon and George Harrison 45 too.  What sparked my interest in The Beatles was in 1978 when me, my sister, and some of our friends all went to see Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band at the movie theater. I can't remember if my brother was there. Anyway, It starred the Bee Gees and Peter Frampton, and had other artists in it like Billy Preston, Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, and more. I thought the music was so good. My sister got the soundtrack album, and I wanted to hear the Beatles sing these songs. I asked my mom if she would get me the red and blue album and she did. I loved the music. My sister was always taking the red one into her room <_< , and so I listened to the blue one the most for a bit. I did eventually claim my red one back, and I listened to them equally. In high school I started seeking out their proper albums, which was even better than hearing the compilations, and the rest is history. I have gone through many phases and stages of which album I like best, and Rubber Soul has held that title for at least the last decade.

 

[Zegras11]

Why Don’t We Do It In The Road
2022 Ranking: 143
2022 Lists: 1
2022 Points: 14
Ranked Highest by: Krista (Rob) (12)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: NR

Getz:  Why Don't We Do Without This. 

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  192

2019 write-up:

Why Don't We Do It in the Road?  (White Album, 1968)

As I look back at it, I probably should have kept this in a lower position, since it's the only song left that kind of irritates me.  What's done is done!

Paul knocked this out without input from John or George, which apparently hurt John's feelings, though John later professed (perhaps sarcastically) to loving this song.  I appreciate Paul's description of the inspiration for the song, which was based on an experience in India:  "I was up on the flat roof meditating and I'd seen a troupe of monkeys walking along in the jungle and a male just hopped on to the back of this female and gave her one, as they say in the vernacular. Within two or three seconds he hopped off again, and looked around as if to say, 'It wasn't me,' and she looked around as if there had been some mild disturbance but thought, Huh, I must have imagined it, and she wandered off. And I thought, bloody hell, that puts it all into a cocked hat, that's how simple the act of procreation is, this bloody monkey just hopping on and hopping off. There is an urge, they do it, and it's done with. And it's that simple. We have horrendous problems with it, and yet animals don't. So that was basically it. Why Don't We Do It In The Road? could have applied to either ####### or ####ting, to put it roughly. Why don't we do either of them in the road? Well, the answer is we're civilised and we don't. But the song was just to pose that question. Why Don't We Do It In The Road? was a primitive statement to do with sex or to do with freedom really. I like it, it'd just so outrageous that I like it."

I appreciate the sentiment here (how you doin'?), but what makes the song irritating to me is Paul's vocal.  What is he trying to do?  This is one of those times when I feel like Paul's ability to perform in different genres almost slips into unintended parody, unlike John's "Yer Blues," which will be ranked much higher.  

But as to Paul's vocal, let's have Mr. krista take over:  "Such a throwaway track.  One good line, but the song doesn’t really go anywhere. Pretty half-assed.  Can you imagine if George had had something to do with it, like a killer guitar part?  George could have really helped that song.  So dumb, so half-assed.  Trying to sound like BB King.  Shut your British hole.  You're doing it in the bed, the curtains closed.  It's a well appointed room, or whatever the opposite of a road is.  [20-minute diatribe regarding English people trying to co-opt the blues, complete with comparison to if we tried to make a Native American song by doing the woo-woo-woo with our hands hitting our mouths and saying "how?".] 

Suggested cover:  Lowell Fulsom Holy hell, this is how blues should sound.  And listen to those angry guitars.  

2022 Supplement:  In a better world, this would be been #202 on my 2019 list, and would be #204 of 206 now.  Who voted for this?  Show yourselves!  I despise this song.  Next.

Guido Merkins

In Rishikesh Paul was sitting on top of a roof looking out and he just saw this male monkey jump on this female monkey in the middle of the road and…..did his thing.  Paul laughed and started writing a song called Why Don’t We Do It In the Road?  

This song was on the White Album and it features only Paul and Ringo.  John later claimed to be hurt when Paul would go off on his own and do something without involving them.  Paul countered that Julia and Revolution #9 didn’t involve him.  Remember this is the White Album and as George said “the rot had set in.”  John did like the song giving McCartney rare praise.

Anyway it’s a pretty simple recording featuring acoustic guitar, lead guitar, bass and vocal by Paul and drumming and hand clapping by Ringo.  To me the best part of the song is Paul’s voice.  He really cuts loose and especially on the falsetto part near the end,  On Anthology 3, there is a demo of the song with Paul alternating between a pleading quiet vocal and a more strident vocal showing his versatility. 

Once again, this is another one on the White Album that just fits the ethos of the album well.  Not sure it would have worked on the more polished Sgt Pepper or Abbey Road.