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

[Binky The Doormat]

I had never put this together.   

same   

learning all kinds of stuff

 

[Guido Merkins]

Last October Paul took a little shot at the Stones, and Mick responded back. Here is a bit of it:

The surprising thing to me is that Paul would make any comments.  It was usually John and George who would say stuff like this.  Paul is usually too much of a diplomat.  

Paul's argument is basically true, although "blues cover band" is a little unfair.  The Beatles did cast a wider net and have more influences.  You can hear it in the music.  Doesn't mean the Stones weren't great at what they did, it just means that what they did was a bit more limited.  

As far as Mick's comment, he's been saying this for years....like the Beatles wouldn't have been able to play stadium tours if they had stayed together.  Total crap.  

 

[falguy]

Probably going to embarrass myself but I'm going to ask a question that I have been contemplating the entire time.  How did these get ranked 1-172? @Getzlaf15

For example
Early on, second song posted "Flying", on 1 list, gets 1 point, next song Money (That's What I Want) also on 1 list, gets 2 points.
Why? Is it because Money TWIW was ranked higher by the one person who voted for it than Flying was for it's voter?

or a more recent example where Any Time At All has 4 voters (9, 13, 14, 16) is behind I'll Follow The Sun which had 3 voters (2, 3, 20)
 What criteria was used to make Ill Follow The Sun higher ranked than Any Time At All?

I expect I'll be saying "doh!" when it's explained to me but going to ask anyway. 

I should have posted this before the laughing reaction was restored  

 

[fatguyinalittlecoat]

#1 ranked song gets 25 points, 25th gets one.

 

[Zegras11]

Probably going to embarrass myself but I'm going to ask a question that I have been contemplating the entire time.  How did these get ranked 1-172? @Getzlaf15

For example
Early on, second song posted "Flying", on 1 list, gets 1 point, next song Money (That's What I Want) also on 1 list, gets 2 points.
Why? Is it because Money TWIW was ranked higher by the one person who voted for it than Flying was for it's voter?

or a more recent example where Any Time At All has 4 voters (9, 13, 14, 16) is behind I'll Follow The Sun which had 3 voters (2, 3, 20)
 What criteria was used to make Ill Follow The Sun higher ranked than Any Time At All?

I expect I'll be saying "doh!" when it's explained to me but going to ask anyway. 

I should have posted this before the laughing reaction was restored  

Follow the Sun
2 = 24 pts
3 = 23 pts
20 = 6pts
total = 53 pts

ATAA
17 + 13+ 12+ 10 = 52 pts.

1 pt if someone listed it 25th
25 pts is someone listed it 1st.

 

[falguy]

Follow the Sun
2 = 24 pts
3 = 23 pts
20 = 6pts
total = 53 pts

ATAA
17 + 13+ 12+ 10 = 52 pts.

1 pt if someone listed it 25th
25 pts is someone listed it 1st.

Right. Simple.

 

 

[Zegras11]

Right. Simple.

 

spreadsheet formula to calculate points for each song...

=sum(G3*25)+(H3*24)+(I3*23)+(J3*22)+(K3*21)+(L3*20)+(M3*19)+(N3*18)+(O3*17)+(P3*16)+(Q3*15)+(R3*14)+(S3*13)+(T3*12)+(U3*11)+(V3*10)+(W3*9)+(X3*8)+(Y3*7)+(Z3*6)+(AA3*5)+(AB3*4)+(AC3*3)+(AD3*2)+(AE3*1)

 

[krista4]

On today's date in 1973, George's album The Concert for Bangladesh won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards.  Ringo accepted the award on behalf of the various people involved.  

In putting together my solo Beatles thread, I learned that the song Bangla Desh had been the first charity single in rock music.  More detail below.

Until I started this project, I had no idea that this was the first charity single in rock music history.  I had some vague notion that George had been key to this type of movement taking root, but didn’t realize he was literally the first. 

The project came about when Ravi Shankar asked George if he would help raise awareness of the plight of refugees fleeing violence in the country then known as East Pakistan.  I’ll let George’s own site give the history of this conflict rather than trying my own summary.    At the time of Shankar’s request, George had been the most successful ex-Beatle due to the release of All Things Must Pass, and he was in a unique position potentially to heighten public awareness of the situation; having been considered the “spiritual Beatle,” he had the credibility to bring people over to his charitable causes.

Shankar later described his request, and George’s response:  "I was in a very sad mood, having read all this news, and I said, 'George, this is the situation, I know it doesn't concern you, I know you can't possibly identify.' But while I talked to George he was very deeply moved ... and he said, 'Yes, I think I'll be able to do something.’ “  Instead of building on the success of All Things Must Pass for his own benefit, George instead determined to use his current prominence for something entirely selfless.  In fact, as he was someone who notoriously hated live performances and was said by Pattie Boyd to have been terrified about these shows, it’s even more impressive.  George is a bit of a cipher to me, even after reading so much about him, but any doubts as to his nature I ever have are then resolved by what he did here.  It’s his crowning achievement as a human.

George’s agreement to help led to a few weeks of feverish activity as he set about organizing the shows (meant only to be one concert, a second was added when tickets for the first sold out in minutes).  Big-name acts signed on immediately, including Ringo.  John initially agreed to perform, without Yoko as George had required, but when Yoko found out…well, John did not perform.  Paul declined the offer from the very beginning due to the ongoing legal conflicts among the Beatles, and in large part he didn’t want Allan Klein to take credit for a “Beatles reunion.”  

I needn’t talk much about the success of the two Concerts for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden, as I’m sure you are all aware of it.  Not only was it a financial success, but it brought significantly greater international awareness to the plight of the people of what became Bangladesh and helped to hasten its independence.  On the financial side, as I mentioned in my write-up for Living In The Material World, tax issues prevented relief from initially getting where it was intended, which led to George setting up his charitable foundation and assigning copyrights to it, to avoid this situation in the future.  Nevertheless, over $12 million did eventually make its way to the intended recipients as a result of this endeavor, and George personally covered over one million pounds of taxes in the UK.

George wrote this song “in ten minutes at the piano” a few days in advance of the benefit concerts, and recorded it with Ringo, Leon Russell, and others, and by “others” of course I mean Jim Keltner.  This was actually George’s first recording with Keltner, the beginning of a life-long collaboration and friendship.  One of the notable aspects of the song is how George personalized the crisis through his lyrics; rather a more John-esque rant about the political issues, George characterized this in the relatable way of a friend coming to ask for help.  The song reached #23 on the US charts, which seems incredible (in a good way) to me given the subject matter.

George performed this song as the encore at each of the MSG concerts, and Rolling Stone has called it "the concert's single greatest performance by all concerned."  If you’ve never had a chance to see this concert, I encourage you to seek it out.  The whole show is compelling, emotional, but also joyous.  I had the opportunity to see it at a local movie theater a few years ago and am so happy I did.  Or if you have $140 lying around, it looks like you can buy the DVD on Amazon.  Yowza.

In addition to George's win, two Beatles-adjacent artists also took home Grammys that night:  Harry Nilsson for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Without You," and Billy Preston for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for "Outa-Space."

 

[Tom Hagen]

Dig A Pony
2022 Ranking: 88
2022 Lists: 4
2022 Points: 54
Ranked Highest by: @Oliver Humanzee (8) Krista(TJ/Michael) (10) @Murph (12) @ProstheticRGK (20)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: NR

Getz comments:  37th of 39 songs to be NR in 2019. Song grew a lot on me watching Get Back twice. Do not miss all the write ups below. Excellent!

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  118

2019 write-up:

Dig a Pony (Let It Be, 1970)

Speaking of the rooftop concert (well, we were yesterday)...the take used on Let It Be was the live version from that concert.  The "false start" at the beginning was because Ringo wasn't ready - he had only one drumstick, with a cigarette in the other hand - but then the song kicks in ferociously with that fantastic hook.  It's another where my ranking is likely higher than where most people would put it, and that's A-OK since this is my damn list.  This song suffers from some non-sensical lyrics, but I've never understood why that's all right for "Come Together" or "I Am the Walrus" but criticized in this one.  Taking out the nonsense lyrics, I love pretty much everything else about this song, including George's guitar work, Ringo's fills, and especially Billy Preston on electric piano.  Any track with Billy Preston on it is automatically bumped up ten slots.  It's another terrific John vocal with a stunning amount of emotion, and the transitions are marvelous, reaching their peak IMO with the "beeeecause" near the end.

Mr. krista:  "I dig Dig a Pony.  I like the lyrics a lot.  That being nonsense that almost means something.  The music’s great.  I love how all of it sounds really good.  Like a plain Jane recording showing off what a great band they are.  Not a bunch of studio ####ery.  Just a great rock band."

Suggested cover:  St. Vincent. (Getz: I'd really like to hear Meg Myers sing this after hearing this)

2022 Supplement:  One of two songs I’ll identify as being those that would jump the most if I did a full re-ranking.  The other one is “All I’ve Got To Do,” which we might or might not have covered yet.  This one, though, was one I absolutely adored at the time, but was just embarrassed to admit it.  And now I’m embarrassed to admit that.  Truly, I just knew that this song was not well-regarded, and along with putting songs I didn’t like as much higher than I should have (*cough*Penny Lane*cough*), I demoted this one unfairly as a result.  THIS WAS #27 ON MY RE-RANKING THIS YEAR.

Now that we have that out of the way, I’m turning this supplement over to Mr. krista, who has always loved this one too and even put it in his #8 spot.

2022 Mr. krista Supplement:  Every time I listen to this, I think “why is that not my favorite Beatles song?”  I love the main riff… the main riff and the verses are in waltz time or 6/8, the riff is in waltz time but just fast.  There could be another eight-hour Get Back movie of just Ringo throwing in an extra beat to make it 4/4, and it’s one of the things that makes it so propulsive and engaging is that  beat, maybe like 6/8 in half time - it’s off time and moves like a really fast waltz.  In rock music, it swings.  Musically it’s really complicated.  The lyrics are those funny tonal nonsense that John loved at that time, substituting one word for another, the interior rhyme like “penetrate” “radiate” all the various “ates” in every verse.  It’s designed to twist people in knots trying to find “meaning” behind it, which is the Western and dumb way of explicating art, like what does xyz symbolize or what is this metaphor for, and that’s not how one gleans meaning from music, or any other kind of art.  What does Beethoven’s 9th mean?  It’s unique among the Beatles songs.  It sounds like it would be a really great 70s hard-rock tune.  Could have been a hit for a lot of different bands, maybe five years later.  Is that the one where Mal Evans had to sit there with the lyrics taped to his back because John couldn’t remember his own lyrics?

Guido Merkins

Some of my opinions on the songs that were on Let It Be might have changed upon viewing the Get Back documentary.  One of which is Dig A Pony, which I never liked all that much.  And, for sure, it’s not a great Lennon song.  Just a bunch of words strung together which don’t mean much of anything, which he had done more effectively earlier (I Am the Walrus, Happiness is a Warm Gun.)

But I like the song more after watching Get Back.  I didn’t realize that the main riff was played in unison by John and George, and I like that because it’s more powerful.  I also like the drumming as I think the song has a swing that I didn’t realize before. Also the guitar solo is very well-done. Parts of the song that I always liked were the harmonies and the shot at the Rolling Stones (I roll a stoney.  Well you can imitate everyone you know.)  Typical Lennon.  Mick must have said something about the Beatles that he didn’t like or it was totally unprovoked, with John you never know.

Anyway, like I said, it’s not brilliant, but it’s a decent album song and they play it really well live on the roof.

It's one that I don't seek out and wouldn't really say is a favorite but every time I hear it I'm like "what a catchy song" 

 

[Zegras11]

I’ll Be Back
2022 Ranking: 87
2022 Lists: 4
2022 Points: 55
Ranked Highest by: @Shaft41 (5) OTB_Lifer (11) @Guido Merkins (13) @jwb (20)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 123T/1/8

Getz:  Big jump from 2019, with 47 more points. Great song!
JWB : I love their harmony on this song. 

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  140

2019 write-up:

I'll Be Back (A Hard Day's Night, 1964)

Damn beautiful.  Those three-part harmonies...swoon.  I love this structure that has no chorus but two different bridges, and a constant change between major and minor.  Are the major/minor changes meant to represent the waffling feel of the lyrics, such as:

You know, if you break my heart I'll go

But I'll be back again

'Cause I told you once before goodbye

But I came back again

The song is weird and complex and mesmerizing to me.  I'd say 99+% of people who say "I like the Beatles" don't know this song...that just tells you how great they were, for this to be such a forgotten song for them.

Mr. krista:  "That’s a weird song to end that album on.  Songs like that are probably the reason the Beatles are the most popular band of all time.  Those harmonies are so tight.  They have to harmonize and end on all those long vowel sounds.  Maybe it’s just not in my rock wheelhouse.  Oh, you have to harmonize, not just shout and spit."

Suggested cover:  This entire endeavor has been worth it to find this cover, which I hadn't previously heard:  Elliott Smith  Also if you like lady singers, Shawn Colvin

2022 Supplement:  A lovely and little-known song outside of Beatles fanatics, so I’m glad we’re writing it up.  I probably gave it short shrift in 2019 and would rank it much more highly today.  From that descending guitar riff to open, through the chilling harmonies, this is a spooky and compelling piece throughout.  John is in particularly great voice on this song, which is evidenced to me even more on these earlier takes that were released as part of the Anthology series:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FVcbxsTsuQ   And an attempt in 6/8 time:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ep4ML9meUM  Those trills he does on “so” and “go” are so beautiful, even as he complains that the vocal is too difficult!

Guido Merkins

I sometimes find it difficult to rank this song because I love it so much, but I’m not sure it deserves the amount of love I have for it.  My first cut at the rankings, I had it in the top 5, but then I thought, “no, that’s too high”, so I moved it into the 20s, but then thought “that’s too low”, so I ended up putting it in the middle.  I struggled with this one more than any other song.

So why do I love it so much.  First, I love the little 4 note riff that George play throughout the song and ESPECIALLY, the way the riff fades out at the end.  Second, speaking of the ending, I love how the 1st two Beatles album go out with a roar with Twist and Shout and Money, but A Hard Day’s Night goes out with that beautiful riff on a very melancholy song.  It’s almost like they are previewing Rubber Soul a year early.  Third, the song has no chorus, but 2 bridges, but not just any two bridges, two slightly different bridges.  Just insanely quirky and could only come from John Lennon.  Fourth, is the song in A or A minor.  It starts in A major, but quickly goes to A minor on the first chord.  I guess it’s in both.  

Interestingly, on Anthology 1, they have a version of the song in 6/8 time with John exclaiming, it’s too hard to sing.  So they settled on 4/4 time….mostly.  John has a 2/4 measure in there too.  

 

[Leroy Hoard]

I just wish this made the Terminator soundtrack.

 

[Binky The Doormat]

I’ll Be Back
2022 Ranking: 87

glad to see this song get a bit more love ...I just forgot about it ...dammit   

 

[Zegras11]

Well, 86 songs have been listed and we're 50% done.  

Still have two songs that didn't get a vote in 2019.

We have one song that received three votes left. All the rest have five or more.

63 songs received 10 or more votes. Only 32 songs had 10+ in 2019. 

 

[Zegras11]

Half Way Mark....

 

Chalk Rankings Top 10. #87 = 86 pts. each Sponsored by: Arnold Schwarzenegger

1 --anarchy99---602

2 --OTB_Lifer---584

3 --Krista (Sharon)---505.5

4 --Shaft41---389

5 --murph---387

6 --Krista (TJ/Michael)---377.5

7 --ManOfSteelhead---369.5

8 --Wrighteous Ray---351.5

9 --Encyclopedia Brown---349.5

10 --DaVinci---296

 

[simey]

I’ll Be Back

Great song. It is tied as my third favorite on A Hard Day's Night.

 

[ekbeats]

I’ll Follow The Sun
2022 Ranking: 89
2022 Lists: 3
2022 Points: 53
Ranked Highest by: @ManOfSteelhead (2) @ekbeats (3) @Gr00vus (20)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 64/5/46

God I love this one.  Reminds me of my Mom (who passed away in 1993) and the grace with which she handled it.  Paul's voice couldn't be any better, and as others have said the harmonies with John are just about perfect.  Their voices complement each other so well.  Only the Beatles could turn a simple song into something so brilliant.

 

[Zegras11]

Glass Onion
2022 Ranking: 86
2022 Lists: 5
2022 Points: 56
Ranked Highest by: @jamny (8) @zamboni (10) @MAC_32 (12) @ManOfSteelhead (19) @Shaft41 (25)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 104/1/15

Getz: Shaft with his third song today.  Moving up the Chalk...
4 --Shaft41---476
5 --ManOfSteelhead---456.5

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  121

2019 write-up:

Glass Onion (White Album, 1968)

As we creep toward the top half, I'm highlighting some songs that, while I think they're great, have one glaring issue for me.  In "Sexy Sadie," the issue is that it's too acerbic even for me.  In this one, it is those godawful, inexcusable, makes-me-want-to-turn-the-song-off-except-it's-otherwise-so-good...call-backs to their own damn songs.  It's so lame I can't ####### stand it.  You're out of ideas and you've decided that abusing your audience with these condescending references is the way to go.  It feels like it's sung with disgust rather than being tongue-in-cheek.  Therefore, despite this being an otherwise great rock song with a fab bass line, wonderful cello arrangement, and clearly a FBG favorite, I just can't rank it higher, and in fact I have at times had it ranked much, much lower.  

On the other hand, here's an interesting bit from John about this song explaining one of those callbacks itself:  "That's me, just doing a throwaway song. I threw the line in 'the walrus was Paul' just to confuse everyone a bit more.  ... At that time I was still in my love could with Yoko.  I thought, 'Well, I'll just say something nice to Paul, that it's all right and you did a good job over these few years, holding us together.' ... The line was put in partly because I was feeling guilty because I was with Yoko and I was leaving Paul.  It's a very perverse way of saying to Paul, 'Here, have this crumb, this illusion, this stroke - because I'm leaving.'"

More Badfinger trivia:  "Glass Onion" was the name that John had intended to give to The Iveys, who became Badfinger instead.

Mr. krista:  "Bass playing sounds too boring.  Strings are the best part.  They had such a hard time just writing a song.  I think after Revolver, it seemed like each one had to be an event.  The stakes were so high.  That’s how you get #### like that.  It’s so pretentious."

Suggested cover, also kinda:  With sincere apologies to @zamboni, I dig the Danger Mouse "Encore" remake.

2022 Supplement:  Given the negative feedback I recalled for this “low” (hi Binks) ranking in 2019, I expected to find it had been much lower.  I look at it now and think it’s a little too high.  Having now listened to all 21 (21!) Ringo records for the solo project, I can confidently deem all those irritating call-backs downright Ringo-y, and not in a good “peace and love and I’m having fun” Ringo-y way.  I realize John might have meant it to be cheeky but still don’t enjoy it.  I actually like the Esher demo better here, with a much sweeter vocal where he sounds like he’s having fun instead of being aggressively nasty (though he obviously hadn’t worked out the lyrics much yet):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFqMjR0JWAI  Take 33, released in the Anthology series, is also interesting for its differing sound effects: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N21SbSUA5Q

Guido Merkins

If there is one thing that John Lennon hated it was people over interpreting his lyrics.  This led to I Am the Walrus and later, Glass Onion on the White Album.

Glass Onion refers to several Beatles songs, I Am the Walrus, Fixing A Hole, Lady Madonna, Strawberry Fields Forever, and The Fool on the Hill.  Other images like “dove tail joints” and “bent back tulips” and “cast iron shore” and a “clue for you all, the Walrus was Paul.”  And the title itself, Glass Onion.  All of these are meant to confuse and as John said “give those Beatles nuts something else to talk about.”  

Anthology 3 has an interesting version of the song, which is practically identical to the finished version, except with sound effects like a phone ringing and a soccer announcer saying “it’s a goal.”  For the finished recording, that was replaced by the strings at the end.

Personally, I love John when he lapses into Lewis Carroll territory with obscure images and such. In someone else’s hands it can feel like a throw away, but John does it well.

 

[Guido Merkins]

On today's date in 1973, George's album The Concert for Bangladesh won Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards.  Ringo accepted the award on behalf of the various people involved.  

In putting together my solo Beatles thread, I learned that the song Bangla Desh had been the first charity single in rock music.  More detail below.

In addition to George's win, two Beatles-adjacent artists also took home Grammys that night:  Harry Nilsson for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "Without You," and Billy Preston for Best Pop Instrumental Performance for "Outa-Space."

The stories on this one about Clapton being on heroin are fascinating.  

Also, Lennon accepting the invitation to join....until he realized that didn't include Yoko.....

 

[krista4]

God I love this one.  Reminds me of my Mom (who passed away in 1993) and the grace with which she handled it.  Paul's voice couldn't be any better, and as others have said the harmonies with John are just about perfect.  Their voices complement each other so well.  Only the Beatles could turn a simple song into something so brilliant.

I've never associated this song with my dad (who was a gospel and classical guy), but now that you mentioned your mom it makes me think of him.  He died in 1997 and handled it with the grace I think your mom might have.  That's a lovely thought.  Love this song so hard, too.  RIP ekbeats mom.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Any Time at All -- The double-tracking of John's vocal, the piano-guitar interlude and Ringo's drumming are the highlights of this one for me.

I'll Follow the Sun -- Paul wrote this at 16? HFS. It doesn't resemble teen idol dreck in the slightest, which is what most people who were teenagers in 1960 would have written. Here we anticipate the turn they would take with Rubber Soul. They were already starting to stretch the idea of what a rock and roll band could do. 

Dig a Pony -- Another one that went up in my rankings after I watched Get Back. John sounds like he's singing about everything when he's actually singing about nothing. That's unbelievably hard to do. I always have liked what they did with tempo/time signatures here, which was explained far better in the writeup than what I could ever do. I also like to work in the word "defenestrate" when I listen to these lyrics; it was a favorite word of one of my favorite teachers. 

You can defenestrate any book you throw
I told you so

I'll Be Back -- Incredible harmonies. Would sound incredibly twee in the hands of most acts of the day, but the Beatles bring real grit and pathos to it. 

Glass Onion -- I love the callbacks to the old songs. I always interpreted that as them having fun and taking the piss out of some of the crazy obsessives. I very much enjoy how the strings are employed here. If anything, the song's flaw is it's too short; it feels like they had more to say, even if what they actually said was nothing (there's that skill of John's again), before the fadeout at just after 2 minutes. 

 

[krista4]

Dig a Pony -- Another one that went up in my rankings after I watched Get Back. John sounds like he's singing about everything when he's actually singing about nothing. That's unbelievably hard to do.

  I love this thought and think it's spot on.

Speaking of "defenestrate" and teachers, oddly enough the first time I heard this word was from one of my high school teachers.  WAIT DID WE GO TO THE SAME HIGH SCHOOL?   

 

[MAC_32]

Glass Onion -- I love the callbacks to the old songs. I always interpreted that as them having fun and taking the piss out of some of the crazy obsessives. I very much enjoy how the strings are employed here. If anything, the song's flaw is it's too short; it feels like they had more to say, even if what they actually said was nothing (there's that skill of John's again), before the fadeout at just after 2 minutes. 

Agreed on song length - I want more Glass Onion, but maybe that's also why I think so highly of it.

 

[zamboni]

Glass Onion -- I love the callbacks to the old songs. I always interpreted that as them having fun and taking the piss out of some of the crazy obsessives. I very much enjoy how the strings are employed here. If anything, the song's flaw is it's too short; it feels like they had more to say, even if what they actually said was nothing (there's that skill of John's again), before the fadeout at just after 2 minutes. 

My sentiments exactly - the song is deservedly longer and only the Beatles have the right to shout out so much of their own material. Despite the length, it ranked very highly for me. Just fits in so well with that killer White Album side 1 montage.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

  I love this thought and think it's spot on.

Speaking of "defenestrate" and teachers, oddly enough the first time I heard this word was from one of my high school teachers.  WAIT DID WE GO TO THE SAME HIGH SCHOOL?   

We just had exquisite educations.

Aside from John, the short list of people who make me feel emotion even when they are singing about nothing includes Robert Plant, Kurt Cobain and Chris Cornell. Paul is not on this list — his voice works best for me when it is conveying a coherent emotion or story. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

My sentiments exactly - the song is deservedly longer and only the Beatles have the right to shout out so much of their own material. Despite the length, it ranked very highly for me. Just fits in so well with that killer White Album side 1 montage.

It was my last cut when I came up with a single-album version of the White Album earlier in this thread. Due to the strong competition and the sense that there was more to this track than what they gave us.

 

[simey]

Glass Onion -- I love the callbacks to the old songs. I always interpreted that as them having fun and taking the piss out of some of the crazy obsessives. I very much enjoy how the strings are employed here. If anything, the song's flaw is it's too short; it feels like they had more to say, even if what they actually said was nothing (there's that skill of John's again), before the fadeout at just after 2 minutes. 

The song is a perfect length for me. It's a quick blast of off the wall lyrics and song shoutouts that follows the mellow Dear Prudence. I love the drums, and the various instruments that appear in it. It is one of my favorite songs on the album.  Oh Yeah

 

[Shaft41]

I’ll Be Back
2022 Ranking: 87
2022 Lists: 4
2022 Points: 55
Ranked Highest by: @Shaft41 (5) OTB_Lifer (11) @Guido Merkins (13) @jwb (20)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 123T/1/8

Getz:  Big jump from 2019, with 47 more points. Great song!
JWB : I love their harmony on this song. 

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  140

2019 write-up:

I'll Be Back (A Hard Day's Night, 1964)

Damn beautiful.  Those three-part harmonies...swoon.  I love this structure that has no chorus but two different bridges, and a constant change between major and minor.  Are the major/minor changes meant to represent the waffling feel of the lyrics, such as:

You know, if you break my heart I'll go

But I'll be back again

'Cause I told you once before goodbye

But I came back again

The song is weird and complex and mesmerizing to me.  I'd say 99+% of people who say "I like the Beatles" don't know this song...that just tells you how great they were, for this to be such a forgotten song for them.

Mr. krista:  "That’s a weird song to end that album on.  Songs like that are probably the reason the Beatles are the most popular band of all time.  Those harmonies are so tight.  They have to harmonize and end on all those long vowel sounds.  Maybe it’s just not in my rock wheelhouse.  Oh, you have to harmonize, not just shout and spit."

Suggested cover:  This entire endeavor has been worth it to find this cover, which I hadn't previously heard:  Elliott Smith  Also if you like lady singers, Shawn Colvin

2022 Supplement:  A lovely and little-known song outside of Beatles fanatics, so I’m glad we’re writing it up.  I probably gave it short shrift in 2019 and would rank it much more highly today.  From that descending guitar riff to open, through the chilling harmonies, this is a spooky and compelling piece throughout.  John is in particularly great voice on this song, which is evidenced to me even more on these earlier takes that were released as part of the Anthology series:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FVcbxsTsuQ   And an attempt in 6/8 time:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ep4ML9meUM  Those trills he does on “so” and “go” are so beautiful, even as he complains that the vocal is too difficult!

Guido Merkins

I sometimes find it difficult to rank this song because I love it so much, but I’m not sure it deserves the amount of love I have for it.  My first cut at the rankings, I had it in the top 5, but then I thought, “no, that’s too high”, so I moved it into the 20s, but then thought “that’s too low”, so I ended up putting it in the middle.  I struggled with this one more than any other song.

So why do I love it so much.  First, I love the little 4 note riff that George play throughout the song and ESPECIALLY, the way the riff fades out at the end.  Second, speaking of the ending, I love how the 1st two Beatles album go out with a roar with Twist and Shout and Money, but A Hard Day’s Night goes out with that beautiful riff on a very melancholy song.  It’s almost like they are previewing Rubber Soul a year early.  Third, the song has no chorus, but 2 bridges, but not just any two bridges, two slightly different bridges.  Just insanely quirky and could only come from John Lennon.  Fourth, is the song in A or A minor.  It starts in A major, but quickly goes to A minor on the first chord.  I guess it’s in both.  

Interestingly, on Anthology 1, they have a version of the song in 6/8 time with John exclaiming, it’s too hard to sing.  So they settled on 4/4 time….mostly.  John has a 2/4 measure in there too.  

This is the song that I felt the worst about omitting in 2019.  Like Krista said and I read, it's one of those songs that can just slip by you, even as a Beatles fan.  After the rankings 3 years ago, literally every time I would hear it, I would go "I can't believe I didn't rank this song.  It is so freaking good."  And then I would look around to make sure no one heard me talking to myself.  

Y'all hit it on the head:  in a band that had copious songs filled with tremendous harmonies, this is absolutely one of their best and that's why it stands out so much.  Plus, the movement from minor to major just butters my biscuits.  

 

[Shaft41]

Glass Onion
2022 Ranking: 86
2022 Lists: 5
2022 Points: 56
Ranked Highest by: @jamny (8) @zamboni (10) @MAC_32 (12) @ManOfSteelhead (19) @Shaft41 (25)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: 104/1/15

Getz: Shaft with his third song today.  Moving up the Chalk...
4 --Shaft41---476
5 --ManOfSteelhead---456.5

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  121

2019 write-up:

Glass Onion (White Album, 1968)

As we creep toward the top half, I'm highlighting some songs that, while I think they're great, have one glaring issue for me.  In "Sexy Sadie," the issue is that it's too acerbic even for me.  In this one, it is those godawful, inexcusable, makes-me-want-to-turn-the-song-off-except-it's-otherwise-so-good...call-backs to their own damn songs.  It's so lame I can't ####### stand it.  You're out of ideas and you've decided that abusing your audience with these condescending references is the way to go.  It feels like it's sung with disgust rather than being tongue-in-cheek.  Therefore, despite this being an otherwise great rock song with a fab bass line, wonderful cello arrangement, and clearly a FBG favorite, I just can't rank it higher, and in fact I have at times had it ranked much, much lower.  

On the other hand, here's an interesting bit from John about this song explaining one of those callbacks itself:  "That's me, just doing a throwaway song. I threw the line in 'the walrus was Paul' just to confuse everyone a bit more.  ... At that time I was still in my love could with Yoko.  I thought, 'Well, I'll just say something nice to Paul, that it's all right and you did a good job over these few years, holding us together.' ... The line was put in partly because I was feeling guilty because I was with Yoko and I was leaving Paul.  It's a very perverse way of saying to Paul, 'Here, have this crumb, this illusion, this stroke - because I'm leaving.'"

More Badfinger trivia:  "Glass Onion" was the name that John had intended to give to The Iveys, who became Badfinger instead.

Mr. krista:  "Bass playing sounds too boring.  Strings are the best part.  They had such a hard time just writing a song.  I think after Revolver, it seemed like each one had to be an event.  The stakes were so high.  That’s how you get #### like that.  It’s so pretentious."

Suggested cover, also kinda:  With sincere apologies to @zamboni, I dig the Danger Mouse "Encore" remake.

2022 Supplement:  Given the negative feedback I recalled for this “low” (hi Binks) ranking in 2019, I expected to find it had been much lower.  I look at it now and think it’s a little too high.  Having now listened to all 21 (21!) Ringo records for the solo project, I can confidently deem all those irritating call-backs downright Ringo-y, and not in a good “peace and love and I’m having fun” Ringo-y way.  I realize John might have meant it to be cheeky but still don’t enjoy it.  I actually like the Esher demo better here, with a much sweeter vocal where he sounds like he’s having fun instead of being aggressively nasty (though he obviously hadn’t worked out the lyrics much yet):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFqMjR0JWAI  Take 33, released in the Anthology series, is also interesting for its differing sound effects: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8N21SbSUA5Q

Guido Merkins

If there is one thing that John Lennon hated it was people over interpreting his lyrics.  This led to I Am the Walrus and later, Glass Onion on the White Album.

Glass Onion refers to several Beatles songs, I Am the Walrus, Fixing A Hole, Lady Madonna, Strawberry Fields Forever, and The Fool on the Hill.  Other images like “dove tail joints” and “bent back tulips” and “cast iron shore” and a “clue for you all, the Walrus was Paul.”  And the title itself, Glass Onion.  All of these are meant to confuse and as John said “give those Beatles nuts something else to talk about.”  

Anthology 3 has an interesting version of the song, which is practically identical to the finished version, except with sound effects like a phone ringing and a soccer announcer saying “it’s a goal.”  For the finished recording, that was replaced by the strings at the end.

Personally, I love John when he lapses into Lewis Carroll territory with obscure images and such. In someone else’s hands it can feel like a throw away, but John does it well.

Even I, the person who made the list of rankings, was surprised I ranked this one so high.  But I just love the groove, and count me in the camp of people who kind of like the callbacks to other Beatles songs.  I'm not generally a fan of John's nonsense lyrics, so if he's at least going to throw in some words that I recognize because they reference other songs, I can dig it.  

 

[falguy]

Even I, the person who made the list of rankings, was surprised I ranked this one so high.  But I just love the groove, and count me in the camp of people who kind of like the callbacks to other Beatles songs.  I'm not generally a fan of John's nonsense lyrics, so if he's at least going to throw in some words that I recognize because they reference other songs, I can dig it.  

:golfclap:

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Last October Paul took a little shot at the Stones, and Mick responded back. Here is a bit of it:

Paul's a senile old lady.

 

[zamboni]

Paul's a senile old lady.

Could be, but he's adding some megabucks to his senile fortune with his 2022 Got Back tour. Not paying over $200+ bucks for this.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Paul's argument is basically true, although "blues cover band" is a little unfair.  The Beatles did cast a wider net and have more influences.  You can hear it in the music.  Doesn't mean the Stones weren't great at what they did, it just means that what they did was a bit more limited.  

This is just not true - the Stones blues influences were prevalent in their early work in the early to mid-60s, but much like the Beatles (who's early work was very much influenced by what was "popular" music at the time), they developed their own sound and had their hands in many different genres by the late 60s. Their "net" was every bit as wide. The Stones attempts at American Country music were far more authentic than when the Beatles attempted to do so.

 

[ProstheticRGK]

We just had exquisite educations.

Aside from John, the short list of people who make me feel emotion even when they are singing about nothing includes Robert Plant, Kurt Cobain and Chris Cornell. Paul is not on this list — his voice works best for me when it is conveying a coherent emotion or story. 

well said.

 

[Guido Merkins]

This is just not true - the Stones blues influences were prevalent in their early work in the early to mid-60s, but much like the Beatles (who's early work was very much influenced by what was "popular" music at the time), they developed their own sound and had their hands in many different genres by the late 60s. Their "net" was every bit as wide. The Stones attempts at American Country music were far more authentic than when the Beatles attempted to do so.

They had their hands in different genre's in the mid-late 60s, the problem is, they weren't very good at any of them, except blues based rock and country.  As far as them being more authentically country, I guess it depends on how you define what is country.  I find Harrison's country picking and Ringo's drumming far more convincing than either Keith or Charlie's attempts at the same, but maybe that's just me. or maybe it's more on the rock a billy side.  Once again, country music is a very generic term.  It covers a lot of stuff.

In any event, just my opinion....love the Stones too.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

They had their hands in different genre's in the mid-late 60s, the problem is, they weren't very good at any of them

Ok - we’re not going to have a very productive conversation here. 

 

[krista4]

@Getzlaf15, help us here with another (Beatles) song!

 

[Guido Merkins]

Ok - we’re not going to have a very productive conversation here. 

OK....I went for a little hyperbole there....sorry.  You're right, not productive.

But, for example, you think their psychedelic attempts were good?  I think they were a total joke.  The Beatles were always authentically themselves.  The Stones were just listening to what the Beatles were doing and trying to copy.  Flower power doesn't fit them.  They were totally faking it.

In 1968 with Beggar's Banquet, they decided who they were and they went with that, and it was spectacular.  But when I listen to that stuff, it's all very blues based to me.  Sorry.  I don't hear a lot of variety from Beggar's Banquet until the late 70s, when they did grab some of the stuff that was going on at the time, once again, not very convincingly, at least to me.  

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Sounds like everyone needs to fire up The Dirty Mac.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

OK....I went for a little hyperbole there....sorry.  You're right, not productive.

But, for example, you think their psychedelic attempts were good?  I think they were a total joke.  The Beatles were always authentically themselves.  The Stones were just listening to what the Beatles were doing and trying to copy.  Flower power doesn't fit them.  They were totally faking it.

In 1968 with Beggar's Banquet, they decided who they were and they went with that, and it was spectacular.  But when I listen to that stuff, it's all very blues based to me.  Sorry.  I don't hear a lot of variety from Beggar's Banquet until the late 70s, when they did grab some of the stuff that was going on at the time, once again, not very convincingly, at least to me.  

I like Santanic Magesties Request - but yes psychedelia was not their strong suit, however they did manage a few gems in the genre like “She’s a Rainbow”; “Ruby Tuesday”; “She Smiled Sweetly” and “We Love You”.

And they didn’t copy the Beatles, they planned the phases together as evidenced by the four Beatles appearing in the Flowers on “Satanic” and the message about the Stones on “Peppers”. Obviously the Beatles were better in that genre - there’s no denying that.

”Begger’s” has some blues based stuff, but it’s also heavily country influenced and it’s best known song is a samba.

I just think it’s overly simplified to say they’re “just a blues cover band” - that’s just lazy analysis - but yes that was how they got their start and the blues will always be in their DNA.

 

[falguy]

Time for some more nerdy stats to help tide us over

Overall song breakdown by album

2 Abbey Road
2 Yellow Submarine
3 Let It Be
3 Revolver
5 Help!
5 Magical Mystery Tour:
5 Rubber Soul
6 A Hard Day's Night
6 Please Please Me
7 Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
8 With The Beatles
9 Beatles for Sale
12 Singles
14 White Album




87 songs to date

I'll wait a bit before posting the breakdown for the top 100. Most are just 1 thus far, although we have had 3 of the last 8 from A Hard Days Night.

Only 5 songs from Beatles For Sale left that have no votes.  

It's also been about 40 songs since we had our last Revolver tune (I Want To Tell You at #128. 

 

[Zegras11]

Yellow Submarine
2022 Ranking: 85
2022 Lists: 6
2022 Points: 58
Ranked Highest by: @John Maddens Lunchbox (2) Krista(Sharon) (15) Shaft41(Son2) (16) @ekbeats (19) @Dennis Castro (23)
2019 Ranking/Lists/Pts: NR

Getz comments:  From zero votes to six.  How was this not voted for last time? Love this song.

Krista4
My 2019 ranking:  116

2019 write-up:

Yellow Submarine (Revolver, 1966)

“Yellow Submarine" is just irresistible, with its whooshing of the waves, its cocktail party chatter, John blowing bubbles, Brian Jones clinking glasses, and of course that marching band bit. It was a perfect goofy song to give to always-affable Ringo, and the band seemed to have a great time with it when not under the watchful eyes of George Martin, who was at home sick the day the recording began.  On the second night of recording they were joined by Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Marianne Faithfull, Patti Harrison, and others, who proceeded to form what Emerick called a "whole marijuana-influenced scene...completely zany, straight out of a Marx Brothers movie."  The group played any instruments or other sound effects they could find, from bells to whistles to gongs to the aforementioned wine glasses, while John became obsessed with getting the sound of him actually singing underwater.  After singing while gurgling didn't work, he lobbied for a tank to be brought in into which he could be submerged.  Instead, Emerick convinced him to try singing through a mic that was submerged, and the team dispatched to find first a milk bottle that was filled with water, and then something the mic could be put into to protect during submersion.  The roadie Mal Evans eventually came up with it - a condom!  John was delighted and remarked that this was brilliant because they wouldn't want the mic to get "in a family way."  Unfortunately, the idea didn't work as the sound became too muffled and wasn't usable, but the anecdote shows how much fun this recording was.  Full steam ahead! 

Mr. krista:  "Did they have a budget to bring in a marching band? I love this part, too.  The bubbles, the guy’s voice, like a vaudevillian or carnival barker type thing.  Silly.  I ####### LOVE IT.  It’s obviously not the best Beatles song or the best song on the record, obviously. But its inclusion is great.  It’s a kids’ song.  The soundscapes, and what self-important mother####ers would call musique concrète that people use to evoke mood.  They get to experiment with all that, but with this unserious purpose that’s pure joy and fun.  They get to create this underwater world that’s sailing to the sun in a submarine or whatever.  In the late 90s, etc., all these bands came out with the kind of kitchen sink recordings, I’m thinking specifically of Neutral Milk Hotel, who were more like recording projects rather than bands.  Who made basically a bunch of Yellow Submarine songs that were pure nonsense and 1/10 of the fun.  They’re considered now like a classic album, but it’s Yellow Submarine, man.  It’s Ringo.  It’s self-important, joyless, Yellow Submarine.  But it’s not fun and you wouldn’t let your children listen to it."

Suggested cover:  Making an exception to my "no foreign-language versions" rule for Maurice Chevalier.  I don't know what They Might Be Giants are doing here, but I often don't, to my delight.

2022 Supplement:  If you don’t find this at least somewhat delightful, you have no soul.  In recent years, Paul has cited numerous influences for this song, including the seemingly omni-present Lewis Carroll, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, and TV programming such as “Flipper” and “Sea Hunt.”  He’s also indicated that there was a subtext to the idea of a submarine, in the sense that at that time the Beatles were living in their own capsule, own microclimate, own capsule.  Paul says that they found the underwater world “quite magical” and somewhat borne of their experiences as post-war kids thinking about a place where everything was possible, moving from bombs and rationing into a world more full of color.  He believes that the Beatles contributed to this (and how could anyone argue against that), taking an active role in helping people move from black-and-white into a vibrant world with “sky of blue and sea of green.” 

Guido Merkins

Yellow Submarine, in general has two schools of thought.  The first being, how can you ruin the greatest album of all time with this goofy crap.  The other being that it’s a very clever recording and the Beatles, along with everything else they are, can write a stone cold children’s classic. 

I am halfway between the two schools.  Personally, I would live for Yellow Submarine to have been the flip side of Paperback Writer and Rain to have been on Revolver.  Having said that, though, Yellow Submarine does expand the musical palette on Revolver and sits well next to some of the darker songs on the album.  It’s kind of an oasis.  It was mostly written by Paul, but John helped and Donovan even gave them the line “sky of blue and sea of green.”

In any event, whatever you think of the song, it IS an extremely clever recording, just as well done as anything else on Revolver. Originally there was a spoken intro, the “Land O Groats” intro as it’s become known, that had the sound effect of marching feet (coal shaken in a box like on Lennon’s Power to the People in 1971.)  The song itself if filled with different effects.  The sound of swishing water, which were chains in a tub of water.  There were also glasses chinking together, excited chattere, Pattie’s high pitches squeals, chains rattling, and a brass band section which was a section of tape from the EMI library.  John stood in the door of an echo chamber to deliver the “in the life of ease” and “everyone of us” repeating of Ringo’s lines.  Note, on the mono version, it starts with “in the life of ease”.  In stereo it begins with “everyone of us.”

The song was written to be children’s song, but the fadeout, IMO, has always sounded like a drunken sing a long, which isn’t far from the truth.  Apparently Mal Evans was leading a conga line around the studio playing a large bass drum while Paul, George, Ringo, Pattie, Brian Jones of the Stones and the other EMI staff followed him.

George Martin has experience recording Peter Seller and the Goons, which the Beatles were huge fans of.  Yellow Submarine was, in many ways, a Goons recording moreso than being a Beatles recording.  It’s supposed to be funny.  If people listened to it that way, maybe they would get it and like the song more.

 

[zamboni]

Sounds like everyone needs to fire up The Dirty Mac.

Except no-go on Yoko.

 

[simey]

The Beatles were always authentically themselves.  The Stones were just listening to what the Beatles were doing and trying to copy.  

I smell bs, and so does this goblin  with a big sniffer.

 

[simey]

Yellow Submarine

This song sounds like a fun kids song to me. 

 

[Zegras11]

This song sounds like a fun kids song to me. 

But we all live there.

 

[Zegras11]

I smell bs, and so does this goblin  with a big sniffer.

this guy too.    

Guido, this is just my stupid humor. LOL.  

 

[krista4]

Did a moderator really delete a post that simply said this?:

This place is such a joke sometimes.

I see the post up there.   

 

[Zegras11]

Did a moderator really delete a post that simply said this?:

This place is such a joke sometimes.

it's still there

Maybe lost in the sea of green

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Except no-go on Yoko.

That song jams despite her caterwauling.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

 

This Dr. guy is such a joke sometimes.