Favourite Beatles Song Megathread

[Cols 10]

Talking of McCartney - we went seeing him in Cardiff on Saturday. After watching him on TV at the IOW festival I was a bit worried that his voice was going as I thought he was struggling at times. However, I'm pleased to report he was on great form. Three hours of sheer pleasure and he sounded just fine.

 

Shock inclusion of the night was "Day Tripper". He's always kept away from Lennon Beatles songs so it great to hear this live. He does include "A Day in the Life/Give Peace a Chance in his tribute to John (as well as "Something" for George) but this is the first time I've heard of him covering one of John's in full, treating it as a normal song.

[JenC 10]

Watched the Lennon Naked programme on BBC4 over the weekend.

 

It only scratched the surface and I'm not sure whether I enjoyed it or not. We all know Lennon could be like barbed wire and extremely cynical, but it appeared in this film that he was a damaged soul who could not move on from the separation of his parents and his having to decide which one to go with.

 

The Arthur Janov section, regarding primal therapy was almost rushed and all we got to hear was a clipped version of Mother. Hardly Lennon going through the phases of addressing his insecurities....

 

On a positive note, the guy who played McCartney was quite convincing but the whole programme just did not offer enough. The subject matter - Lennon finding Yoko and exorcising his demons - is a cracking theme for a Beatles related film and I genuinely feel this could be done a lot, lot better.

 

I watched it too and felt very much the same, in that I don't know if I found it enjoyable.

 

I'm glad that it showed what a dislikable person Lennon could be. A monumentally successful band, involvement in the peace movement and a premature death (add to that the fact that it was murder) easily causes some people to idolise Lennon as some sort of deity. This programme quite rightly showed otherwise and confirmed my beliefs that Lennon wasn't someone I would have liked to have known.

 

That said, it did show his vunerable side (such as his emotional recollection of having to choose between his mother or father) but it was sad to see Lennon emulating history by abandoning Julian, in the same way he'd been left by his own father. Becoming a seemingly model father to Sean must have been a huge, and very painful, slap in the face for Julian.

 

Like you say, Ousetunes, it really only scratched the surface and much more could be addressed on the subject, but I was thankful for the honest portrayal of John.

[Ousetunes 10]

As much as I love Lennon, do we really need ANOTHER remastered series/boxed set?

 

Think I'll make do with my current CDs (some of which are remastered duplicates) and the impressive Lennon Anthology Boxed Set.

 

http://thebeatles.com/#/news/John_Lennon_Gimme_Some_Truth

[Ousetunes 10]

Lennon night on BBC4 (TV) tonight: Friday 9th July.

 

A documentary on the making of Lennon/Plastic Ono Band; the film Gimme Some Truth documenting the making of Imagine & repeats of Lennon Naked and a Lennon TOTP2 Special from ten years ago.

[JenC 10]

As much as I love Lennon, do we really need ANOTHER remastered series/boxed set?

 

Think I'll make do with my current CDs (some of which are remastered duplicates) and the impressive Lennon Anthology Boxed Set.

 

http://thebeatles.com/#/news/John_Lennon_Gimme_Some_Truth

 

As some of the comments on that page point out, The Beatles remasters were long overdue, but these aren't really. Like you, I'll just stick to the albums I already have.

 

Lennon night on BBC4 (TV) tonight: Friday 9th July.

 

A documentary on the making of Lennon/Plastic Ono Band; the film Gimme Some Truth documenting the making of Imagine & repeats of Lennon Naked and a Lennon TOTP2 Special from ten years ago.

 

Cool, didn't know about this. Thanks

 

On another note, a belated happy birthday to Ringo - 70!

[Ousetunes 10]

Thought the Plastic Ono Band documentary was fantastic. One of the best Beatles related programmes in ages.

 

Great, illuminating interviews: Ringo and Yoko looked great as did Klaus Voormann. These folk know how to age gracefully unlike the ridiculous Elliot Mintz who at least had the funniest line about John Lennon being the real deal and his not being fake in any way!! This guy is 65 years old but the orangey plastic surgery makes him look like some rubber 16 year old.

 

That aside, there was great comment from the affable Mark Lewisohn (whom I met at a Beatles Convention in the late 1980s) and the opportunity to listen to the master tapes. Quite moving too; Lennon's voice was a beautiful tool and the way these songs were recorded, often leaving tracks blank as opposed to filling them up for the sake of it, proves that he was, even after the Beatles, streets ahead of everybody else.

 

Ringo said that he usually declines to comment about other albums he featured on but was prepared to make an exception in this case. He, Klaus and Yoko spoke with great affection about these sessions. They sounded quite intimate, a moment where you had to be there to know what it was all about.

 

A shame then that for an unknown reason, the Gimme Some Truth documentary was withdrawn and replaced with some groups and artists doing Beatle cover versions. It would have been great to move on from POB to Imagine but the Plastic Ono Band doc was unforgettable.

 

Well done to all concerned.

Edited July 10, 2010 by Ousetunes

[JenC 10]

I couldn't watch the documentary last night so I'll find it on iPlayer at some point, given that it seems worth catching.

 

 

There's a birthday do I wish I'd been invited to!

 

[JenC 10]

Red and Blue Albums Remastered.

 

http://www.thebeatles.com/#/news/Red_and_Blue_Albums_Remastered/

 

Some of the comments below the article echo exactly my thoughts as soon as I read the article heading. What about Live At The Hollywood Bowl? The Let It Be DVD? (I've never even seen this; only the various clips shown on the Anthology set)

 

I'm sure we'd be more thankful to see these releases, rather than remastered compilations.

[Ousetunes 10]

It's another case of treading water isn't it?

 

We want (or at least I want):

 

Complete Videos DVD 1962-1970. Promotional videos and clips from the songs performed in the films;

 

The Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl on CD;

 

Shea Stadium Concert, remastered on DVD (and restored please even if that means listening to duff notes and in some instances, nothing but screaming. Do not insert studio versions over supposed live footage, thank you!!);

 

Get Back DVD and original version of Get Back on remastered CD.

 

Also, the Beatles released A Collection Of Beatles Oldies in 1966, their only compilation whilst a working group. This would complete the CD collection from 1962-1970. No such need for Reel Music, Love Songs and Ballads to follow suit, fortunately...,

[JenC 10]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00v3jp5#p00bf4tk

 

A series about India's history being broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland, split into handy chapters. Chapter 10 is titled Bombay's Beatle, about George Harrison's relationship with Indian music. It could be worth a listen, although I've listened to a radio programme about this before, so I'm not sure if it'll simply be that same programme.

[Ousetunes 10]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00v3jp5#p00bf4tk

 

A series about India's history being broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland, split into handy chapters. Chapter 10 is titled Bombay's Beatle, about George Harrison's relationship with Indian music. It could be worth a listen, although I've listened to a radio programme about this before, so I'm not sure if it'll simply be that same programme.

 

Thanks for that, Jen.

 

This might be on Santa's list: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Collaborations-Ravi-Shankar-George-Harrison/dp/B00405DV0M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1286396825&sr=8-1

 

PS. I started my new job last Monday and the great news is that I don't work Saturdays (hooray!!) AND I get five weeks' holiday!

[Cols 10]

John's 70th today. Lot's of stuff on Radio 6 & 7. Pick of the list is "The Beatles Story", an early 70's BBC radio documentary narrated by Brian Matthews. It's on at 3am every morning for the next 12 days (definitely one for "listen again"). Quite a rarity, this one. I remember it vaguely but haven't heard it in years.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00v73wx