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

OK so here is my bizarre and completely irrelevant yet true “Revolution” story. 

Years ago, when I was a freshman at UC Irvine, (mid 80s) my best friend from high school was a freshman at UC Berkeley. So I went and spent a weekend with him and he took me to Blondie’s Pizza on Durant St- still some of the best pizza I’ve ever had. Anyhow they had an old jukebox there with several Beatles songs, so I put a quarter in and decided to listen to “Revolution.” About 30 seconds into the song some old hippie that had been sitting by himself approached me and quietly asked me how much weed I wanted to buy. I said none, and he got pissed: “Why did you put on the ####### song, man?” And he stormed out of there. 

 
krista4 said:
179.  Savoy Truffle (White Album, 1968)

Beatles version:  Spotify  YouTube

I get that it's supposed to be humo(u)rous.  "Oh, Eric Clapton's teeth are all rotted out, but he loves chocolate soooooo much!"  I don't need to hear about all the chocolates Eric Clapton likes, and I cringe when I hear the beginning "creeeee-am tangerine."  What I do like is the jazziness of it all - especially the horns and the organ.  Apparently George later apologized to the brass players for making their sound "dirty" through the distortion, but, as he explained to them, it's the way he wanted it.  I'm with George on that decision.  This is also a song where I think Ringo's drumming stands out by virtue of his refusal to stand out.  I need to do a separate "Ringo" write-up in here soon, but what I love most about him, evidenced well on this song, is his commitment to the support of the song, the subtle ways in which he makes a song better without making it about him.  Listen closely to his work on this one, hitting the perfect groove at every moment.   :heart:  

Mr. krista gets the humo(u)r:  "I think it’s funny.  And I think it’s funny that these bad-assed, drug-addled rockers are chocoholics.  Everybody’s heroin-addled and Clapton just wants a Milky Way.  And it rocks.  It’s a pretty good rock song.  The drums are good, and horns are good."

Suggested cover:  @Eephus might disapprove of this countdown, but I'm stealing his suggestion for a cover of this one anyway.  Ella Fitzgerald
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Time for mean MoCS to step in! 😡

Seriously, this is the biggest difference in my rankings. I'm one who likes the lightness and humor. 

However, I really like your analysis and background. 

Finally this being our biggest gap, I think we shall remain friends. 😁

 
krista4 said:
32.  Taxman (Revolver, 1966)

Beatles version:  Spotify  YouTube

George's "Oh, so this is what happens to grown-ups" song where he, like the rest of us, first gets a paycheck and sees the government bite out of it.  Unlike my first job at an ice cream joint paying me $2/hour, George perhaps could have afforded to pay a little more, but I can't blame him for protesting what was in fact a 90-95% combined income tax rate in his bracket at the time. Then he learned that the taxes wouldn't even go away when you die due to the "death tax" ("Now my advice for those who die; declare the pennies on your eyes.").  George wasn't the only Beatle upset by this - they all expressed their disgust with this at one time or another.  In fact, since John helped George with the lyrics to this song - notably the lines about the current Prime Minister Mr. Wilson and the opposition party leader and future Prime Minister Mr. Heath - I wouldn't be surprised if some of that cynicism crept into the song from John himself.    

This song represented a first for George, as it was the first time he was given such a coveted spot on a Beatles record - opening track on side one.  This placement as well as the significant time the group put into the song's production indicate to me that this was considered to be one of the record strongest songs...on a record where pretty much every song was insanely good.  Until this thread, I had no idea this was a love/hate song; I assumed all reasonable people loved it. ;)    I assume that those who hate it are mostly turned off by the lyrics, which would be understandable.  Sometimes I find them terribly clever, especially the bridge; sometimes they strike me as irritating or worse as childish or self-serving.  It's my ambivalence over the lyrics that leads to this song missing the top 25.  

wikkid mentioned after I ranked "She's A Woman" that this was the same song.  I should let him point out what he sees as the similarities, but among other things I think the stabby guitars sound similar, and as with the other song, I love that part of this one.  I don't much like Paul's husky vocal on "She's A Woman," though, and prefer George's clear but sneering performance here.  I love the harmonies that come into the call-and-response-style bridge, building to a frenzy that is heightened by the searing guitar solo that follows.  I even love the slightly disturbed-sounding count-in that's not really a count-in, as you can here in the distance the real count-in, all of this harkening back to "I Saw Her Standing There" while simultaneously announcing that this is going to be different.  

The highlights for me, though, are in the bass line/drums, as well as that crazy, brilliant guitar solo.  Credit for almost all of those items goes to Paul.  First, he and Ringo establish a wicked groove with the ever-changing, impossibly quick bass lines and percussion.  Love how these are punctuated after each line of the verse with those cymbal crashes followed by jabby, jarring crashes of simultaneous dueling minor and major chords on the guitars.  Am I the only one who sings "Taxman!!" to those chords even though no one else is singing?  Most importantly, despite this being a George song, Paul performs the guitar solo.  According to Geoff Emerick, "George had a great deal of trouble playing the solo – in fact, he couldn’t even do a proper job of it when we slowed the tape down to half speed.  After a couple of hours of watching him struggle, both Paul and George Martin started becoming quite frustrated.  So George Martin went into the studio and, as diplomatically as possible, announced that he wanted Paul to have a go at the solo instead."  ( @OrtonToOlsen alert.)  Paul told this story slightly differently, indicating that he went to George with an idea for the solo, bringing in an Indian element, and that George suggested he play it.  Despite Emerick's further claim that George was pissed that Paul stole the solo, George stated in an interview in the 1980s that he was pleased to have had Paul play and appreciated that he brought in the Indian feel that George was so intrigued by at the time.  However it came about, there's no doubt that the solo, which was done in one or two takes, was fiercely energetic and stunning, so much so that they decided to re-use it by dubbing it (along with its backing track) over George's vocal at the end of the song.  

Also there's cowbell.

Mr. krista:  "What planet does that guitar solo come from? The 1,2,3,4 is nowhere near the tempo. I’m not sure but I feel like the solos and leads were recorded one way and played backwards.  There’s a real Indian quality.  Ringo’s drums have never sounded like that before.  Just a killer way to open a record.  Doesn’t get any better.  It rocks so hard.  It’s like here, guys, it’s a different thing now.  Surpasses the juvenile lyrics.  Bass line is straight out Jamerson/Motown.  Using his fingers but really heavy, walking all over without stepping on anybody.  He and Ringo just right there – bam."

Suggested cover:  Junior Parker
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The write-ups have been stellar throughout (EVEN THOUGH NO ONE READS THEM!!!1!) but I feel like they're getting better and better.

Also, you're on a roll placement wise since the LIB/ER disasters.

 
I'm listening to a (mostly John) song rn which I ranked #52 - K4 has yet to rank - and realize I totally whiffed. The lyrics are amazing and there's a sped up solo that makes it sound exactly like a different instrument. Definitely should have had this in my top ten.

What a band!

 
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krista4 said:
166.  Flying (Magical Mystery Tour, 1967)

Beatles version:  Spotify  YouTube

Since this is my third attempt at a write-up, I'll keep it short.

I know a lot of people don't appreciate this one, but I find it soothing and could listen to it for hours.  So suck it.

Fun fact:  first song to be credited to all four of the lads.

Mr. krista:  "“[10 seconds in] I like this a million times better [than Fool on the Hill].  I like this one.  I like that song.  I wish it were 20 minutes long.  I like it’s all spacey and surfy in the beginning, like Shadowy Men, like a really extended theme song to a great comedy sketch show.  I like the lalalalalas.  It’s clear it’s transitional music to get from one part of the thing to the other part, but for what it is, it’s great.  It’s excellent sorbet after the ##### sandwich that is Fool on the Hill.”"

Suggested covers:  OMG here it is with Chet Baker on flugelhorn!  But I actually enjoy this one more, though it might be the cover pic of Mr. Rourke(?) and the "zee plane, zee plane" guy that gets me over the finish.
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I love this write-up, even as brief as it is. 

However, IT IS RANKED TOO LOW... 

... SO SUCK IT! 

😝

 
i didn't get mom to tell me a story today.  i'll ask her soon.

love the right ups.  i have to read this thread on my computer, so that i can play the song and read the write up simultaneously  

 
krista4 said:
146.  For You Blue (Let It Be, 1970)

Beatles version:  Spotify  YouTube

I LOVE THE LAP STEEL GUITAR ON THIS SONG.  I love the sound of that guitar and the slide; I've read variously that John used a lighter, a shotgun shell, and a lipstick tube as the slide.  George called this a "happy-go-lucky" song, and his vocal has a nice sweet quality to it.  Paul did some interesting work on the piano, putting paper between the strings to give it a fuzzy sound.  The problem I have with this song is George's silly talking during the middle.  Maybe that's just them having fun, but it detracts for me.  Though I enjoy George's vocal on this, I think I'd enjoy it more as just an instrumental.  Still a great groove, though.

Mr. krista:  "Seems fun.  Well, compared to The Long and Winding Road, surgery seems fun.  I like the self-deprecating bits of dialogue. I like the DoBro steel guitar. It was like a really concise Allman Brothers song."

Suggested cover:  Well, I can't resist this:  Dhani Harrison
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Here's another that fell in my top 25. I always sorta classified it similar to Savoy Truffle, so I understand where and why we differ.

I viewed George's talking as a fun and informal take... which are some of my favorites. 

Love the information on John's slides and the  piano. 👍

So, I'm up to 146 and have had very little personal differences so far. The future looks bright. Great work! 

 
timschochet said:
OK so here is my bizarre and completely irrelevant yet true “Revolution” story. 

Years ago, when I was a freshman at UC Irvine, (mid 80s) my best friend from high school was a freshman at UC Berkeley. So I went and spent a weekend with him and he took me to Blondie’s Pizza on Durant St- still some of the best pizza I’ve ever had. Anyhow they had an old jukebox there with several Beatles songs, so I put a quarter in and decided to listen to “Revolution.” About 30 seconds into the song some old hippie that had been sitting by himself approached me and quietly asked me how much weed I wanted to buy. I said none, and he got pissed: “Why did you put on the ####### song, man?” And he stormed out of there. 
Click to expand...
Blondie's is on telegraph.   pizza is meh.   not sure about the weed.

 
timschochet said:
OK so here is my bizarre and completely irrelevant yet true “Revolution” story. 

Years ago, when I was a freshman at UC Irvine, (mid 80s) my best friend from high school was a freshman at UC Berkeley. So I went and spent a weekend with him and he took me to Blondie’s Pizza on Durant St- still some of the best pizza I’ve ever had. Anyhow they had an old jukebox there with several Beatles songs, so I put a quarter in and decided to listen to “Revolution.” About 30 seconds into the song some old hippie that had been sitting by himself approached me and quietly asked me how much weed I wanted to buy. I said none, and he got pissed: “Why did you put on the ####### song, man?” And he stormed out of there. 
Click to expand...
:lmao:   :lmao:   :lmao:  

Dinsy Ejotuz said:
Dave Grohl might be the only celebrity that makes me jealous.  That guy is just so ####### cool and still gets it despite almost 30 years of fame.
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OMG, you're here.  I was afraid I'd lost you, but figured the whole day of killing John and rock-n-roll might lure you back in. ;)  

BobbyLayne said:
I'm listening to a (mostly John) song rn which I ranked #52 - K4 has yet to rank - and realize I totally whiffed. The lyrics are amazing and there's a sped up solo that makes it sound exactly like a different instrument. Definitely should have had this in my top ten.

What a band!
Click to expand...
Welcome to my world! ;)  

 
ANNOUNCE:

I have definitively selected* my top 25.  I also learned that Mr. krista has tomorrow off.  Because I'd like to get #26-30 posted by tomorrow, but I don't have the day off, Mr. krista has agreed to provide guest write-ups in my stead for two of the songs.  I've provided him a list of four to choose from; the other is a song I love much more than he does so I'm reserving that one for myself.

*Until tomorrow or possibly later tonight.

 
krista4 said:
ANNOUNCE:

I have definitively selected* my top 25.  I also learned that Mr. krista has tomorrow off.  Because I'd like to get #26-30 posted by tomorrow, but I don't have the day off, Mr. krista has agreed to provide guest write-ups in my stead for two of the songs.  I've provided him a list of four to choose from; the other is a song I love much more than he does so I'm reserving that one for myself.

*Until tomorrow or possibly later tonight.
Click to expand...
Real progress here.  I had told Mr. krista at dinner which five songs he could choose from.  Then we got home:

Me:  Which ones do you want to do?

Him:  Ummmm...what were the songs again?  One was "Tell Me What You See"...

Me.  No, that was like #52.

Him:  "Dave's Got a Kitten"?

Me:  There's no Beatles song called "Dave's Got a Kitten."'

Him:  There should be.

[time passes, and I hear him playing songs on his phone.]

Me.  That's a Billy Bragg song.  That has nothing to do with this.

Him:  Yeah, but this is a kick-### song.

[More songs.]

Me.  Why are you listening to nothing but Woody Guthrie?

/scene

 
krista4 said:
Real progress here.  I had told Mr. krista at dinner which five songs he could choose from.  Then we got home:

Me:  Which ones do you want to do?

Him:  Ummmm...what were the songs again?  One was "Tell Me What You See"...

Me.  No, that was like #52.

Him:  "Dave's Got a Kitten"?

Me:  There's no Beatles song called "Dave's Got a Kitten."'

Him:  There should be.

[time passes, and I hear him playing songs on his phone.]

Me.  That's a Billy Bragg song.  That has nothing to do with this.

Him:  Yeah, but this is a kick-### song.

[More songs.]

Me.  Why are you listening to nothing but Woody Guthrie?

/scene
Click to expand...
Just another day in the life... 🙂

 
krista4 said:
Apologies to Shaft for not getting this quite high enough!

31.  Hey Bulldog (Yellow Submarine, 1969)

Beatles version:  Spotify  YouTube

BASS LINE!  That's what it's all about for me.  Mr. krista (bass player) describes it much better than I could, below.  

I've kept this one within shouting distance of "Taxman" through my many re-orderings of the rankings.  I see them similarly in that they rock your face off and have great bass lines, but some questionable lyric choices.  I detail below some of the lyrics I love, but just the overall "Hey Bulldog" part and the barking at the end turn me off a bit.  Obviously, not much, since this still lands in the upper echelon of my rankings.

Just before the group's trip to India, a film crew came to the studio to record a promotional video during which they were to act as if they were recording "Lady Madonna."  But John asserted that they should film the recording of his new song, "Hey Bullfrog," instead.  That's not a typo - the song was originally titled "Hey Bullfrog" until Paul's barking inspired the title change.  The video was then released with the overlay of "Lady Madonna" on sound while the footage is actually showing the recording of "Hey Bulldog," but the fans didn't seem to notice.  Years later, Neil Aspinall edited the video with "Hey Bulldog" being properly played instead; join the cheesy fun of his finished product. 

Geoff Emerick described the vibe in the studio for the recording of this song to be great, as "all four Beatles were in an exceptionally good mood."  The atmosphere was relaxed and fun-loving, which I think shows in the end result of the song itself, especially all the clowning around in the coda.  It's one of the last times that they all worked together seemingly joyously, and it was the last session at which neither Yoko nor Magic Alex attended, which undoubtedly contributed to the positive spirits.  

In addition to the bass, other highlights of this song for me are the screaming guitar solo and John's vocal, especially the escalating, gritty urgency of the "You can talk to me" repeat.   I also love some of the lyrics, and yes, I'm accusing the lyrics to a song called "Hey Bulldog" of being good.  Specifically, I love these lines in the verses:

(Verse one):  Some kind of happiness is
Measured out in miles

(Verse two):  Some kind of innocence is
Measured out in years

(Verse three):  Some kind of solitude is
Measured out in you

Each of those lines is terrific on its own, but combined with each other in a not-quite-repetitious pattern they're brilliant.

Mostly, I just love this song because it rocks in every way.  Every Beatle was at the top of his game for this one.

Mr. krista:  "####!  Listen to the bass line, though.  Paul McCartney’s a mother####er of a bass player, man.  During the verses, the bass line walks all over the place and sounds super busy, but he’s still right there building a pocket with Ringo.  But then during the chorus he hits that riff right on time with everybody else.  No longer playing that contrapuntal thing but just digs in, just a monster.  What a great rock song."

Suggested cover:  I post this more for the introduction to the playing of the song, rather than the cover itself.  It brought something wet I can't quite recognize to my eyes.  Dave Grohl and Jeff Lynne
Click to expand...
whilst I love the writeup, I've always thought that some kind of happiness should be measured out in years, and that's always bugged me.  "Solitude measured out in you" seems pretty brilliant btw.

 
krista4 said:
132.  Magical Mystery Tour (Magical Mystery Tour, 1967)

Beatles version:  Spotify  YouTube

More carnival music, but this one is particularly fun.  The tempo changes are a blast, and I love the bassline, the whooshing bus sounds, and more than anything else the piano coda that trails off into the ether.  I'm not surprised this was recorded a few days after Sgt. Pepper's; it still has the feel of a band pretending to be a different band.  I like to pretend that Paul never said the "dying to take you away" was in reference to the Tibetan Book of the Dead; I prefer to think of this as an amusing carnival barker song with some interesting effects.

Mr. krista:  "What I like best were the tempo changes. Otherwise it seemed like half a song. They knew they were breaking up."

Suggested cover:  Cheap Trick
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Top 25 for me, and you are exactly correct in your "carnival music" comment. 

In fact, that aspect is what made it click for me. Have you ever been to Rupp Arena in Lexington? 

During my brief enrollment in UK, the mall around the arena had a beautiful carousel. Well, one night we took Lucy's sky diamonds and visited the mall. 

Woohoo... it was a circus and this song played/was playing/was about to be played... 

... and it was beautiful! 😍

 
The Future Champs said:
I feel like there's a couple of lurkers who should be encouraged to participate.  If they really don't want to, so be it.
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There are, and there are also some folks who were more active earlier that I'd love to hear from again.

Since I haven't mentioned it in a while, I'm loving the comments from most everyone who participates here.  Lots of interesting analyses and cool personal stories.  Since people are way too kind in thanking me I should be more clear about thanking you guys as well.  The thread can get frustrating mostly because I hate "letting you down" with a low (Binky:  high) ranking for someone's favorite song, or the occasional dumb "drive by," but overall it's soooooo much fun.   :thanks:   

 
krista4 said:
There are, and there are also some folks who were more active earlier that I'd love to hear from again.

Since I haven't mentioned it in a while, I'm loving the comments from most everyone who participates here.  Lots of interesting analyses and cool personal stories.  Since people are way too kind in thanking me I should be more clear about thanking you guys as well.  The thread can get frustrating mostly because I hate "letting you down" with a low (Binky:  high) ranking for someone's favorite song, or the occasional dumb "drive by," but overall it's soooooo much fun.   :thanks:   
Click to expand...
Kvetching is part of life on the innerwebs.  A key part of the definition of "kvetch", that's often omitted, is that the complainant doesn't expect any change as result of the compliant.  Personally, overall, I'm fine with your rankings; but I'm going to kvetch nevertheless.

 
The Future Champs said:
Kvetching is part of life on the innerwebs.  A key part of the definition of "kvetch", that's often omitted, is that the complainant doesn't expect any change as result of the compliant.  Personally, overall, I'm fine with your rankings; but I'm going to kvetch nevertheless.
Click to expand...
I appreciate the mansplaining on kvetching from a guy who only yesterday learned to spell it.

 
krista4 said:
The Future Champs said:
Kvetching is part of life on the innerwebs.  A key part of the definition of "kvetch", that's often omitted, is that the complainant doesn't expect any change as result of the compliant.  Personally, overall, I'm fine with your rankings; but I'm going to kvetch nevertheless.
Click to expand...
I appreciate the mansplaining on kvetching from a guy who only yesterday learned to spell it.
Click to expand...
That was me!  Kvetching!

 
The Future Champs said:
I will say it's really hard to find underappreciated songs by the Beatles.  Their catalog is fairly small compared to many of the other great artists, and the quality throughout is so good that we've all listened to everything, repeatedly, already. 

Now a ranking of the Stones, Neil Young, or Bob Dylan would be an entirely different exercise, but I think I in all those cases we'd want to cap the # number of songs.   For example, here's something that would sneak into my top 50 Neil Young songs that I'll bet is relatively unknown:

Neil Young - Too Lonely

Just a rocker, but it signaled a return to form after about a decade in wilderness.
Click to expand...
Wrong thread 

 
krista4 said:
There are, and there are also some folks who were more active earlier that I'd love to hear from again.

Since I haven't mentioned it in a while, I'm loving the comments from most everyone who participates here.  Lots of interesting analyses and cool personal stories.  Since people are way too kind in thanking me I should be more clear about thanking you guys as well.  The thread can get frustrating mostly because I hate "letting you down" with a low (Binky:  high) ranking for someone's favorite song, or the occasional dumb "drive by," but overall it's soooooo much fun.   :thanks:   
Click to expand...
You’re welcome.

 
krista4 said:
Him:  "Dave's Got a Kitten"?

Me:  There's no Beatles song called "Dave's Got a Kitten."'

Him:  There should be.
Click to expand...
I just spent about 5 minutes trying to figure out what kind of Beatles song Dave's Got a Kitten would have been.  I can't decide between psychedelic fantasy or Dylanesque ballad. Either way I agree with Mr. K.

 
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