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

krista4 said:
I started off strongly:  was sitting at the gate when my Hertz receipt came through, showing a $250 extra charge for not returning the key.  Looked in my purse and found that I had their key, but had left behind my Subaru key with them.  Had to go all the way back out to the rental car lot to execute the switch.  Luckily SDF is a small airport.  I need sleep.

:doh:  
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Yikes. That would have had me close to not being able to function. 

 
Bettye Lavette does some of the most interesting covers of rock music that I have ever heard. She’s not my favorite, but she rarely disappoints either. I love her Led Zeppelin stuff, especially “All My Love”. 

 
krista4 said:
@wikkidpissah, almost posted earlier to day to see if anyone had seen you around; you've been missed.   :)  
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:confused:  It's so nice to be missed when you've been here the whole time.....

krista4 said:
138.  Julia (White Album, 1968)

Beatles version:  Spotify  YouTube

I've tried over and over to love this as much as other people do, but it still comes back to being middle-of-the-Beatles-pack for me.  Maybe it comes down to what I said in the intro, which is that I'm not sentimental.  At all.  So while this is a lovely song, aspects of which I think are great, it doesn't "move" me that much.  I don't particularly like John's vocal, which sounds too tinny.  What I love the most are the lyrics.  Just looking at the first bits:

Half of what I say is meaningless
But I say it just to reach you, Julia

Julia, Julia, ocean child, calls me
So I sing a song of love, Julia
Julia, seashell eyes, windy smile, calls me
So I sing a song of love, Julia

Her hair of floating sky is shimmering, glimmering
In the sun

What's interesting to me in these lyrics is that he is speaking directly to his mom at the beginning.  He's not talking to us, describing his mother, but pleading directly to her in the opening lines (which were adapted from a Kahlil Gibran poem).  But in the midst of that, he sings "ocean child," which is the translation of...Yoko Ono.  He's interspersing Yoko in with his mother, and he also moves from talking directly to his mother to describing physical characteristics to us - presumably the beautiful poetry of "seashell eyes, windy smile" is meant to refer to Yoko, or is it mother, or is it both?  It all seems possibly Oedipal, or possibly a song of the sorrow of the childhood loss of his mother being overcome with the fullness of his current love for Yoko,  or possibly John telling his mother that he is ok now and can let go of the pain of her loss, or maybe none of this.  Whatever it is, it's clearly something therapeutic for him and lovely for us.

@Mister CIA, I know you're a fan of Lennon's solo work "Mother," so I'm wondering what you think of this?  I find them somewhat similar, though I prefer "Julia."

Mr. krista:  "His voice is sincere…it’s not good.  He’s singing a little out of his range.  It’s kind of a fantasy, I think.  They were poor people, and I don’t think that [beach scene] ever happened for him.  You can hear in his voice that he’s struggling to come to grips.  So with hindsight, and a couple of Beatles biographies, I like it a lot more.  It’s an earnest effort, and he committed to it, so…gahbless."

Suggested cover:  Sean Lennon, because.  
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I sing to a dead girl almost every day. It usually sounds like this, pathetic, helpless, sorry to not even feel the pain the way you once did. So I get that. The rest is ####ed up. Lennon's genius never rescued him from the ridiculous conflations of self-pity, the hysterical confabulations of meaning in trial, triumph & tribulation. Good for us that it didn't, even with the leaks.

I'm generally one who likes his artists to shape their expressions but, because Lennon did shape so much of his work so well, i am moved when he makes a conscious effort not to filter it. He hated women as much as he loved them, so much so that finding one who allowed him to feel powerful AND smothered precipitated the breakup of the greatest artistic collective of our time.

 
Mrs. Rannous said:
I'm not sure Mr K is correct about the beach, though.  Liverpool is on the coast.  Post-war, beach holidays (incliding day outings) were the thing to do.  Even the poor got their pasty white English selves to the beach, where they turned into bright red lobster people.  Blackpool, in particular, wasn't all that distant.  It has the famous light display, a major arcade, and all the usual tourist things.  Just look at those not-rich people enjoying themselves.
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This. Blackpool is a huuuuge part of Liverpudlian life - you can catch a bus to it from every square in town. Hell, i got sent to me Ma's hometown near Dublin for two weeks every summer of my teen years (a trust from a relative) and i never didnt take the ferry across the Irish Sea to enjoy the penny arcades (British pences were as big & heavy as silver dollars) and raree shows of Blackpool. 

 
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wikkidpissah said:
:confused:  It's so nice to be missed when you've been here the whole time.....

I sing to a dead girl almost every day. It usually sounds like this, pathetic, helpless, sorry to not even feel the pain the way you once did. So I get that. The rest is ####ed up. Lennon's genius never rescued him from the ridiculous conflations of self-pity, the hysterical confabulations of meaning in trial, triumph & tribulation. Good for us that it didn't, even with the leaks.

I'm generally one who likes his artists to shape their expressions but, because Lennon did shape so much of his work so well, i am moved when he makes a conscious effort not to filter it. He hated women as much as he loved them, so much so that finding one who allowed him to feel powerful AND smothered precipitated the breakup of the greatest artistic collective of our time.
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Beautifully put as always, especially the last sentence.

How can I miss you if you won’t go away?  I guess I thought you hadn’t posted for a few days, but then again I hadn’t been posting many selections.

Decided finally to start the Geoff Emerick book on my flights today.  Great read so far.

 
krista4 said:
Agreed - it's odd the juxtapositions I've ended up with, such as these two together.  If you take a snapshot of any, say, five songs in my rankings, you'll find such varied music.  Look at this one, for instance:

143.  Boys

144.  The Inner Light

145.  Birthday

146.  Till There Was You

147.  For You Blue

You'd find almost nothing in common among them, but I enjoy them all similarly.  The vastness of their musical catalogue is what makes this exercise so difficult.  If I were an "early Beatles" lover or a "psychadelic Beatles" lover, a "George lover" or a "Paul lover," e.g., it would be more clear.  For better or worse, I'm an "all Beatles" lover.

As the rest of my list indicates, I generally rate the "dance hall" stuff from Paul lower, but Martha My Dear is an exception.  It's more complex and intriguing.  And have I mentioned it's about his sheepdog?
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A thought just now - we should pitch The Beatles to Ken Burns. He used baseball & jazz to tell America's story in the first half of the 20th C, but the 2nd half got short shrift. What better than these War Babies who were so similar and different who came together to capture something so new & telling, then diffused into their individual vanities. Story of the Boomer Gen, eh?

ETA: He lives like 20 mins from here. I'm sure his people have never seen anything like an ol' Yeti like me walk up their drive waving a proposal.....

 
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wikkidpissah said:
A thought just now - we should pitch The Beatles to Ken Burns. He used baseball & jazz to tell America's story in the first half of the 20th C, but the 2nd half got short shrift. What better than these War Babies who were so similar and different who came together to capture something so new & telling, then diffused into their individual vanities. Story of the Boomer Gen, eh?
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If only we knew someone who had industry connections and a special way with words...hmmm...

 
krista4 said:
No more countdown tonight.  Tomorrow I spend most of the day getting back from Louisville to Seattle.  When I next post, though, we will have...

🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁

my first (or last) selection from Revolver.
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sidenote here - do you sometimes wonder what goes through the minds of the developers of this chatboard software when they have the emojis so tiny they are mostly illegible unless you bother to zoom in?  

 
wikkidpissah said:
be interesting to know what they think of it....
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The kids really liked the Fab Four. I enjoyed it but my memories of Beatlemania were better. I don't know if Beatlemania was really better or I think it was better because I was a young lad when I saw them so many years ago. They did three costume changes and each Beatle except Ringo got to do a little solo thing. The guy playing Paul did yesterday acoustically with the video of Paul McCartney doing it behind him. It was pretty cool as the guy was mirroring every move Paul made in the video. There was no lip syncing or tapes playing so it was just the movements he was mirroring. The guy playing John did a love and peace speech and was a buzzkill talking about the night Lennon was killed. He then sang Imagine. The guy playing George did an acoustic version of While my Guitar Gently Weeps. I sort of felt like doing it acoustically was questionable and wondered if the real deal was to hard for them to play. If your a Beatles fan there are probably worse shows you could see, I would recommend it.

 
prosopis said:
The kids really liked the Fab Four. I enjoyed it but my memories of Beatlemania were better. I don't know if Beatlemania was really better or I think it was better because I was a young lad when I saw them so many years ago. They did three costume changes and each Beatle except Ringo got to do a little solo thing. The guy playing Paul did yesterday acoustically with the video of Paul McCartney doing it behind him. It was pretty cool as the guy was mirroring every move Paul made in the video. There was no lip syncing or tapes playing so it was just the movements he was mirroring. The guy playing John did a love and peace speech and was a buzzkill talking about the night Lennon was killed. He then sang Imagine. The guy playing George did an acoustic version of While my Guitar Gently Weeps. I sort of felt like doing it acoustically was questionable and wondered if the real deal was to hard for them to play. If your a Beatles fan there are probably worse shows you could see, I would recommend it.
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but did the kids "get" it? did they know the songs or was it mostly new to them?

 
wikkidpissah said:
but did the kids "get" it? did they know the songs or was it mostly new to them?
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Oh they got it. They are both big Beatles fans. Waiting in line for the rest room I had a guy ask my son if he was a Beatles fan. My son said yes I am. Guy started quizzing my kid in a friendly way. Kid had all the answers. Guy looks at me and gives me a high five and says good job. He invited me and the family to some bar where his friends do a Beatles show. I thanked him and pointed out the kids ages. He said dont worry about they will be fine. We didnt go, lol.

My kids know most of the Beatles songs. While they knew them anyway I would say that the Beatles guitar hero game really taught them the songs.

ETA to add kids ages 13 and 16

 
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prosopis said:
Oh they got it. They are both big Beatles fans. Waiting in line for the rest room I had a guy ask my son if he was a Beatles fan. My son said yes I am. Guy started quizzing my kid in a friendly way. Kid had all the answers. Guy looks at me and gives me a high five and says good job. He invited me and the family to some bar where his friends do a Beatles show. I thanked him and pointed out the kids ages. He said dont worry about they will be fine. We didnt go, lol.

My kids know most of the Beatles songs. While they knew them anyway I would say that the Beatles guitar hero game really taught them the songs.

ETA to add kids ages 13 and 16
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coo-ul

 
prosopis said:
Oh they got it. They are both big Beatles fans. Waiting in line for the rest room I had a guy ask my son if he was a Beatles fan. My son said yes I am. Guy started quizzing my kid in a friendly way. Kid had all the answers. Guy looks at me and gives me a high five and says good job. He invited me and the family to some bar where his friends do a Beatles show. I thanked him and pointed out the kids ages. He said dont worry about they will be fine. We didnt go, lol.

My kids know most of the Beatles songs. While they knew them anyway I would say that the Beatles guitar hero game really taught them the songs.

ETA to add kids ages 13 and 16
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way to avoid a killer.  

 
pecorino said:
Safe travels. If you are using the version of the album that contains Dr Robert, then I have a guess for that entry. That tune might replace Savoy Truffle For me,, down in the two hundreds.
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You are correct.  

136.  Doctor Robert (Revolver, 1966)

Beatles version:  Spotify  YouTube

Yeah, if I were reordering (yet again), this would be lower.  In fact in my "final" rankings just before starting the thread, it was significantly lower.  But since I"m constantly shifting stuff around, it got a bit lost in the shuffle until yesterday when I realized that, oh holy hell, I never posted it.  Oopsie.

Aw crap, when I look back at my initial tier rankings, I see this was in Tier 5 (lowest tier) for me!

Therefore, I am announcing my second official re-ranking after further review (should I promise yet again that this is the last time?).  

Doctor Robert is now re-ranked as #159.  All other rankings will be updated accordingly.

Discuss this song amongst yourselves.  I don't like it a ton.  Catchy but doesn't interest me much to hear about the Beatles's pill doctor.

Mr. krista could add more:  "I suppose I should stop saying 'I really like the drums,' but I still do.  It’s like lame blues interrupted by weird guitar solo and a harmonium or some other noise not usually associated with 12-bar blues.  You can’t do that four-on-the-floor stomp and have it matter – you’re still four British dudes – even if you’re singing about your feel-good drug dealer."

Suggested cover:  Nah.

 
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Dinsy Ejotuz said:
It's a children's cartoon -- where the bugs in the show resolve a situation using a good lesson for young kids that happens to dovetail with a Beatles' song.  So each episode ends with cover of the song.  It's the reason my 7-year old loves the real Beatles.
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Ok, now that is pretty great.  I'm sorry I initially hated it.   :)  

 
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I feel a great sense of relief having moved Doctor Robert to more like where I wanted it.  Now I can sleep soundly.

Back in Seattle and hope to be more consistent in my posts again.   :)  

 
krista4 said:
 It’s like lame blues interrupted by weird guitar solo and a harmonium or some other noise not usually associated with 12-bar blues.  You can’t do that four-on-the-floor stomp and have it matter – you’re still four British dudes – even if you’re singing about your feel-good drug dealer.
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I think Mr Krista and I would get along just fine.

 
prosopis said:
The kids really liked the Fab Four. I enjoyed it but my memories of Beatlemania were better. I don't know if Beatlemania was really better or I think it was better because I was a young lad when I saw them so many years ago. They did three costume changes and each Beatle except Ringo got to do a little solo thing. The guy playing Paul did yesterday acoustically with the video of Paul McCartney doing it behind him. It was pretty cool as the guy was mirroring every move Paul made in the video. There was no lip syncing or tapes playing so it was just the movements he was mirroring. The guy playing John did a love and peace speech and was a buzzkill talking about the night Lennon was killed. He then sang Imagine. The guy playing George did an acoustic version of While my Guitar Gently Weeps. I sort of felt like doing it acoustically was questionable and wondered if the real deal was to hard for them to play. If your a Beatles fan there are probably worse shows you could see, I would recommend it.
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They've been mentioned several times, probably even in this thread, but if you ever get a chance to see the Fab Faux (with Will Lee), I highly recommend it.

They nail the Beatles like no one else IMO. I often go back and listen to their incredible cover of side 2 of Abbey Road:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkxI0e0tOM0

 
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prosopis said:
The kids really liked the Fab Four. I enjoyed it but my memories of Beatlemania were better. I don't know if Beatlemania was really better or I think it was better because I was a young lad when I saw them so many years ago. They did three costume changes and each Beatle except Ringo got to do a little solo thing. The guy playing Paul did yesterday acoustically with the video of Paul McCartney doing it behind him. It was pretty cool as the guy was mirroring every move Paul made in the video. There was no lip syncing or tapes playing so it was just the movements he was mirroring. The guy playing John did a love and peace speech and was a buzzkill talking about the night Lennon was killed. He then sang Imagine. The guy playing George did an acoustic version of While my Guitar Gently Weeps. I sort of felt like doing it acoustically was questionable and wondered if the real deal was to hard for them to play. If your a Beatles fan there are probably worse shows you could see, I would recommend it.
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I have friends that go to these Beatles tribute bands all the time and wonder why I don't go.    I can appreciate a band that does covers well but I hate the idea of these guys putting on costumes, talking in fake Liverpudlian accents pretending to the Beatles.   I know it is all in fun but for me just perform the songs and forget the make believe

 
How good to catch up on this thread after not being on all weekend.  Glad you're safely back home, Krista.  

"Because" is definitely in my top 50.  As I've stated earlier, I'm such a sucker for those incredible three-part harmonies.  I think subconsciously, I appreciate it more because of when it happened on the Beatles timeline.  I just think of all the acrimony that seemed to run the Beatles recording sessions from the White Album onward, and I just love the thought of these three chaps singing this during the Abbey Road sessions.  Maybe they hated each other while doing it, but it makes me feel good to think of these three guys singing tight one last time.  

No real quibbles with any of the other selections.  Agree on not liking John's voice on "Julia".  

 
wikkidpissah said:
The thing i like best about Mr. Krista is his taste in women....
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What do you know that I don't?   :oldunsure:  

Shaft41 said:
"Because" is definitely in my top 50.  As I've stated earlier, I'm such a sucker for those incredible three-part harmonies.  I think subconsciously, I appreciate it more because of when it happened on the Beatles timeline.  I just think of all the acrimony that seemed to run the Beatles recording sessions from the White Album onward, and I just love the thought of these three chaps singing this during the Abbey Road sessions.  Maybe they hated each other while doing it, but it makes me feel good to think of these three guys singing tight one last time.  
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That makes a lot of sense.

Godsbrother said:
I have friends that go to these Beatles tribute bands all the time and wonder why I don't go.    I can appreciate a band that does covers well but I hate the idea of these guys putting on costumes, talking in fake Liverpudlian accents pretending to the Beatles.   I know it is all in fun but for me just perform the songs and forget the make believe
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Yeah, I think I'd feel the same way.

Have any of you guys gone to see the Cirque du Soleil show, "Love"?

 
krista4 said:
Yeah, I think I'd feel the same way.

Have any of you guys gone to see the Cirque du Soleil show, "Love"?
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I saw Love and liked it quite a bit.  My favorite part was a part where they had a projection of silhouettes on a screen during which they played some studio chatter of the four Beatles.  It gave the illusion of them being in the production, kind of like the live action segment at the end of the Yellow Submarine movie.

 
135.  All I've Got To Do (With the Beatles, 1963)

Beatles version:  Spotify  YouTube

I suspect I have this higher than many would, but it's another song with a standout soulful vocal.  John once again was trying to mimic a Smokey Robinson song, and I think this one was more successful, especially the opening and the "mmm, mmm, mmm"s at the end.  

I read half the Geoff Emerick book on the way home yesterday, and he spoke a lot about how unconfident John often was with his vocal performances.  Personally I prefer his voice to Paul's, but John was an insecure dude in many ways, so I guess it's not surprising that he felt this way.  In any case, his vocal on this song seems to evoke his overall insecurity, which I think is intentional and incredible.  When he sings, for instance, the first verse:

Whenever I want you around yeah 
All I gotta do 
Is call you on the phone 
And you'll come running home 
Yeah that's all I gotta do

It sounds on the vocal more like a pleading than statements made in confidence.  The same goes for the second verse, where I don't believe him that he can kiss [you] by whispering the right words in [your] ear - again, it sounds tentative and soft, as if he's trying to convince himself, complete with the stuttering "I"s.  Contrast that with his vocal on the bridges, where he gains energy and confidence to make the firm statement "you just gotta call on me," joined by Paul in strong harmony in order to solidify the point.  The vocal is a jumble of emotions and once of John's best, in my opinion.

Ringo's offbeat drum patterns on this one are terrific as well at setting the mood of erratic emotions.

Guess I caught Mr. krista with this one while he was tired:  "Shows off John's vocals well."

Suggested cover:  To keep you guys interested, Susannah Hoffs (also she does a great job with it)

 
Godsbrother said:
I saw Love and liked it quite a bit.  My favorite part was a part where they had a projection of silhouettes on a screen during which they played some studio chatter of the four Beatles.  It gave the illusion of them being in the production, kind of like the live action segment at the end of the Yellow Submarine movie.
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I surprised my parents with 3rd row tickets to Love for their 30th anniversary a few years back.  Awesome show, but the big problem with that weekend was that three weeks before our trip to Vegas, my wife found out she was pregnant.  

PSA:  When you're unable to drink or when your wife/SO is starting to suffer from morning sickness and has to go to bed every night at around 6:30, Vegas is probably not the place for you.

 
krista4 said:
135.  All I've Got To Do (With the Beatles, 1963)

I read half the Geoff Emerick book on the way home yesterday, and he spoke a lot about how unconfident John often was with his vocal performances.  Personally I prefer his voice to Paul's, but John was an insecure dude in many ways, so I guess it's not surprising that he felt this way.  In any case, his vocal on this song seems to evoke his overall insecurity, which I think is intentional and incredible.  When he sings, for instance, the first verse:
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John had an unmistakable and  incredible voice.  Paul's range was ridiculous though.  George wasn't a slouch either just not quite in the same league as John and Paul.  Both were remarkable singers and I can't think of any band that was so blessed.   

 
krista4 said:
135.  All I've Got To Do (With the Beatles, 1963)

Beatles version:  Spotify  YouTube

I suspect I have this higher than many would, but it's another song with a standout soulful vocal.  John once again was trying to mimic a Smokey Robinson song, and I think this one was more successful, especially the opening and the "mmm, mmm, mmm"s at the end.  

I read half the Geoff Emerick book on the way home yesterday, and he spoke a lot about how unconfident John often was with his vocal performances.  Personally I prefer his voice to Paul's, but John was an insecure dude in many ways, so I guess it's not surprising that he felt this way.  In any case, his vocal on this song seems to evoke his overall insecurity, which I think is intentional and incredible.  When he sings, for instance, the first verse:

Whenever I want you around yeah 
All I gotta do 
Is call you on the phone 
And you'll come running home 
Yeah that's all I gotta do

It sounds on the vocal more like a pleading than statements made in confidence.  The same goes for the second verse, where I don't believe him that he can kiss [you] by whispering the right words in [your] ear - again, it sounds tentative and soft, as if he's trying to convince himself, complete with the stuttering "I"s.  Contrast that with his vocal on the bridges, where he gains energy and confidence to make the firm statement "you just gotta call on me," joined by Paul in strong harmony in order to solidify the point.  The vocal is a jumble of emotions and once of John's best, in my opinion.

Ringo's offbeat drum patterns on this one are terrific as well at setting the mood of erratic emotions.

Guess I caught Mr. krista with this one while he was tired:  "Shows off John's vocals well."

Suggested cover:  To keep you guys interested, Susannah Hoffs (also she does a great job with it)
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I think this one's well-placed. I'd probably have it higher if I were as brave as you are and undertook a countdown like this. 

This is one of my favorite "early" John vocals but, while I love your interpretation of what he was feeling as he sang it, at least part of mine is a little more prosaic:

At this point, these guys had been drinking, chain smoking, screwing anything remotely attractive to them, eating speed like candy, sleeping about one hour a day, AND playing/singing in some rough places.......for two years. John's vocals always tended to be more delicate than Paul's (whose larynx must be made of steel).

I don't mean the above to dismiss what John may have meant when he sang this, but I'm saying that he probably knew how to use the damage to his advantage.

 
krista4 said:
I feel a great sense of relief having moved Doctor Robert to more like where I wanted it.  Now I can sleep soundly.

Back in Seattle and hope to be more consistent in my posts again.   :)  
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Welcome home.   Hope your trip was what you needed! (not necessarily what you wanted)

Glad to see Dr Robert get bumped down.   It could be bottom-20 from my perspective.   Mediocre song.

 
Uruk-Hai said:
I think this one's well-placed. I'd probably have it higher if I were as brave as you are and undertook a countdown like this. 

This is one of my favorite "early" John vocals but, while I love your interpretation of what he was feeling as he sang it, at least part of mine is a little more prosaic:

At this point, these guys had been drinking, chain smoking, screwing anything remotely attractive to them, eating speed like candy, sleeping about one hour a day, AND playing/singing in some rough places.......for two years. John's vocals always tended to be more delicate than Paul's (whose larynx must be made of steel).

I don't mean the above to dismiss what John may have meant when he sang this, but I'm saying that he probably knew how to use the damage to his advantage.
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I think we're pretty much in agreeance on this.  Except, of course, your third paragraph - these are the "good boy" lovable moptops, remember? ;)  

 
134.  I Call Your Name (single, 1964)

Beatles version:  Spotify  YouTube

The primary appeals of this song to me are:  (1) the "ska" guitar solo, (2) the interplay of that sped-up, off-kilter guitar work with John's vocal in the middle eight, and (3) cowbell.  In fact, apparently it was that third item, the cowbell, that led to the song's being omitted from the A Hard Day's Night soundtrack, as they already had two heavy cowbell songs on there (no wonder I love that record).  After the song was passed on initially by the Beatles, they gave it to Billy J.  Kramer and the Dakotas, who recorded it in 1963 (fun fact:  for a time the Beatles tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to disguise their recording sessions by having themselves listed on the day's agenda as "The Dakotas," in case the information about who was recording leaked to fans).  

Mr. krista:  "That’s a good song.  'I never weep at night; I call your name.'  That’s great.  I haven’t heard that song much.  This is the first time I’ve listened to it.  But that’s a great ####### song.  Awesome."

Suggested cover:  The Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas version came out before the Beatles one, so I guess it's not actually a cover.  The Mamas & the Papas version is interesting mostly because you can hear someone whispering "John" at 1:27 and 1:32.

 
krista4 said:
135.  All I've Got To Do (With the Beatles, 1963)

Beatles version:  Spotify  YouTube

I suspect I have this higher than many would, but it's another song with a standout soulful vocal.  John once again was trying to mimic a Smokey Robinson song, and I think this one was more successful, especially the opening and the "mmm, mmm, mmm"s at the end.  

I read half the Geoff Emerick book on the way home yesterday, and he spoke a lot about how unconfident John often was with his vocal performances.  Personally I prefer his voice to Paul's, but John was an insecure dude in many ways, so I guess it's not surprising that he felt this way.  In any case, his vocal on this song seems to evoke his overall insecurity, which I think is intentional and incredible.  When he sings, for instance, the first verse:

Whenever I want you around yeah 
All I gotta do 
Is call you on the phone 
And you'll come running home 
Yeah that's all I gotta do

It sounds on the vocal more like a pleading than statements made in confidence.  The same goes for the second verse, where I don't believe him that he can kiss [you] by whispering the right words in [your] ear - again, it sounds tentative and soft, as if he's trying to convince himself, complete with the stuttering "I"s.  Contrast that with his vocal on the bridges, where he gains energy and confidence to make the firm statement "you just gotta call on me," joined by Paul in strong harmony in order to solidify the point.  The vocal is a jumble of emotions and once of John's best, in my opinion.

Ringo's offbeat drum patterns on this one are terrific as well at setting the mood of erratic emotions.

Guess I caught Mr. krista with this one while he was tired:  "Shows off John's vocals well."

Suggested cover:  To keep you guys interested, Susannah Hoffs (also she does a great job with it)
Click to expand...
I would like Susannah Hoffs to cover me.  

 
krista4 said:
134.  I Call Your Name (single, 1964)

Beatles version:  Spotify  YouTube

The primary appeals of this song to me are:  (1) the "ska" guitar solo, (2) the interplay of that sped-up, off-kilter guitar work with John's vocal in the middle eight, and (3) cowbell.  In fact, apparently it was that third item, the cowbell, that led to the song's being omitted from the A Hard Day's Night soundtrack, as they already had two heavy cowbell songs on there (no wonder I love that record).  After the song was passed on initially by the Beatles, they gave it to Billy J.  Kramer and the Dakotas, who recorded it in 1963 (fun fact:  for a time the Beatles tried, mostly unsuccessfully, to disguise their recording sessions by having themselves listed on the day's agenda as "The Dakotas," in case the information about who was recording leaked to fans). 
Click to expand...
I had no idea The Bruce Dickinson worked with the Beatles

 
I'm still kind of surprised that you're 70 songs into this (a third of the way done!) and the only three I feel strongly about are Mr. Kite, Rocky Raccoon, and Hello, Goodbye (the last is top 40/50 for me I think).

Thinking I may take a stab at my own top-10 just to see how many overlap with yours.

 
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