Favourite Beatles Song Megathread

[Devcatter 10]

 

My list, as follows (in no order):

 

1. Long, Long, Long

 

 

Shame on me for leaving that one out - and Old Brown Shoe.

 

If I may Get Back to Maccatunes - why did the Fabs never release Come and Get It ? Badfinger's version is fine but I would rather hear the tale of Apple's (temporary) demise from the horse's mouth.

[Lockjaw 11]

Ringo's best drumming performances with the Beatles:

 

1 Rain

2 I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry Over You

3 Something

4 Don't Let Me Down

5 Old Brown Shoe *

6 Please Please Me

7 Cry, Baby, Cry

8 I Want To Hold Your Hand

9 She Loves You

10 Yer Blues

 

* Somehow missed this out of my top 5 Harrisongs. Let it come crashing in at number 1. Shame on me....,

 

 

I'm happy to be outranked by your superior drumming guruship but, shouldn't Ticket to Ride be up there?

[Ousetunes 10]

I'm happy to be outranked by your superior drumming guruship but, shouldn't Ticket to Ride be up there?

 

It's worth a shout. BUT! Apparently the 'lop-sided' style of drumming was Paul's idea and I'm not sure if Ringo ever felt comfortable with it.

 

Half way through the song he either loses this pattern or alters it (and never reverts back to the initial idea). In concert he never replicated the actual pattern and even during the middle eight ("I don't know why she's riding so high") he usually continued with the 'lop-sided' pattern instead of going over to the hi-hats and four in the bar pattern (as he does on the recorded, studio version).

 

The fills are quite nice but I genuinely think there are better examples of Ringo being on the metal, so to speak, with his drumming. Listen to Something or Don't Let Me Down where he drums for the song - not his ego - and totally captures the essence of the feeling and emotion in the song.

Edited January 22, 2010 by Ousetunes

[Lockjaw 11]

I'm a late arrival to this but, for what it's worth:

 

John:

 

I'm Only Sleeping

I Feel Fine

Julia

And Your Bird Can Sing

Norwegian Wood or You've Got To Hide Your Love Away

 

 

Paul

 

I've Just Seen a Face

Getting Better

We Can Work It Out

Hey Jude

Helter Skelter

 

George:

 

Only a Northern Song

Taxman

Long Long Long

Within You Without You

If I needed Someone

 

Ringo:

 

See above

[JenC 10]

Paul

 

I've Just Seen a Face

 

Definitely one of the highlights of the Help! album for me.

[Lockjaw 11]

It's worth a shout. BUT! Apparently the 'lop-sided' style of drumming was Paul's idea and I'm not sure if Ringo ever felt comfortable with it.

 

Half way through the song he either loses this pattern or alters it (and never reverts back to the initial idea). In concert he never replicated the actual pattern and even during the middle eight ("I don't know why she's riding so high") he usually continued with the 'lop-sided' pattern instead of going over to the hi-hats and four in the bar pattern (as he does on the recorded, studio version).

 

The fills are quite nice but I genuinely think there are better examples of Ringo being on the metal, so to speak, with his drumming. Listen to Something or Don't Let Me Down where he drums for the song - not his ego - and totally captures the essence of the feeling and emotion in the song.

 

All points taken and thanks for making me listen to a couple of songs I rarely hear.

 

Regarding the altered pattern in TTR, I've always seen this as a positive progression in that (I find this quite hard to verbalise but I'll try) by being a more conventional pattern, it lends a sort of extra level of familiarity to the repetition of the opening lines ... as if, for instance, the first time round the storyteller's trying to grab your attention from across the road but, the second time, he's walking along in step with you and you're fully familiar with the tale.

 

Jeez ... Did I really just write that? Do you have the slightest clue what I'm trying to say? Is there a musical term for it? ... must ask the missus.

 

Now then, on a similar theme, and sorry if this has been done before, Five Great Beatle-Paul bass offerings:

 

1-Rain

2-The Word

3-Getting Better

4-I'm Only Sleeping

5-Baby, You're a Rich Man

[Devcatter 10]

Never really appreciated different drumming styles - another excuse to get my record collection out - I shall try to isolate the drums and pick up on these threads.

 

Lend me an ear,anyone?

[Lockjaw 11]

Never really appreciated different drumming styles - another excuse to get my record collection out - I shall try to isolate the drums and pick up on these threads.

 

Lend me an ear,anyone?

 

A good start would be "Rain". If this had been released a couple of decades later people could be forgiven for thinking he was trying to emulate [genuflects] Neil Peart.

[Ousetunes 10]

Now then, on a similar theme, and sorry if this has been done before, Five Great Beatle-Paul bass offerings:

 

1-Rain

2-The Word

3-Getting Better

4-I'm Only Sleeping

5-Baby, You're a Rich Man

 

1 - With A Little Help From My Friends

2 - Something

3 - Rain

4 - Old Brown Shoe

5 - The Word (thanks for this; it's gone pretty much unnoticed!)

6 - Taxman

7 - Penny Lane

8 - Don't Let Me Down

9 - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

10 - And Your Bird Can Sing

 

The newly remastered series really showcases McCartney's bass-lines, sounding richer and yet softer in the mix.

Edited January 23, 2010 by Ousetunes

[happyhippy 11]

Can we include the obscure stuff, Jen?

 

1 - The Inner Light

2 - Something

3 - Sheik Of Araby

4 - While My Guitar (Acoustic)

5 - Three Cool Cats

 

Bubbling under: Here Comes The Sun and If I Needed Someone.

 

"Three Cool Cats" is a great call from the Decca auditions. "Sheik Of Araby" predictably always reminded me of visiting the Carlton Anti-Social Club watching the 'entertainment' on offer.

 

Thankfully, I'd always had plenty of beer

 

I think both tracks are on one bootleg which I own called "The Silver Betles", and possibly on a couple of others, but we've just had a shift around, so quite a lot of my vinyl is hidden away ..... grrrrrr .....

[happyhippy 11]

Here Comes The Sun - I used to name that as one of my favourite Beatles songs, yet I wouldn't even call it one of my favourite George songs now. I still like it a lot, but there are others I find far superior now.

 

My list, as follows (in no order):

 

1. Long, Long, Long

2. Something

3. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (acoustic and album versions - I love them both).

4. Love You To

5. The Inner Light

 

Just missing the cut: If I Needed Someone (one of my favourite tracks from Rubber Soul) and Old Brown Shoe.

 

(NB. Ousetunes, I've been trying to write you an email about The Queen Is Dead for about an hour but I keep getting distracted so it'll have to wait until Monday now. )

 

Love all seven selections there Jen, "Long, Long, Long" in particular. So underrated.

[JenC 10]

I saw this on another forum and thought it was worth posting here: http://magazine.jamsbio.com/2009/01/05/playing-the-beatles-backwards-the-ultimate-countdown/20/

 

These are the Beatles songs from worst to best, according to someone. I Want You (She's So Heavy), Yer Blues, Long, Long, Long, Old Brown Shoe - all in the bottom 10?? How different our opinions are!

 

And All You Need Is Love certainly wouldn't be in my top 20.