jon1983 Posted March 27, 2008 Posted March 27, 2008 So, we have had the best five beatles songs? I wonder what you think their best solo work was. List your top five..... 1. Instant Karma - John Lennon 2. Jet - Paul McCartney 3. Band on the run - Paul McCartney 4. Working Class Hero - John Lennon 5. Cold Turkey - John Lennon
Guest Posted March 28, 2008 Posted March 28, 2008 No top five for me; just one or two from each of them. Paul McCartney - 'You Want Her Too'. Recorded in 1989 for 'Flowers in the Dirt' and co-written (and sung) with Elvis Costello. The latter gives McCartney's usally sacharine lyrics a bit of an edge: She makes me go so wrong (Yeah you kept me awake, you know you did) I've loved her oh so long (So why don't you come right out and say it, stupid?) I also like 'My Brave Face' from the same sessions. George Harrison - I've got a strange fondness for 'I've Got My Mind Set on You'. Very 80s though. John Lennon - 'Jealous Guy'. I'm not a huge fan ('Was it a millionaire, who said imagine no possessions?'...) The other bloke did a good job with Thomas the Tank Engine, I'm told.
Hollis Posted March 28, 2008 Posted March 28, 2008 Impossible to choose the best McCartney song as there are just so many, but today I'll go for: Maybe I'm Amazed (McCartney) and Beautiful Night (Flaming Pie) John - Jealous Guy & Cold Turkey George - All Things Must Pass (after hearing Paul sing it on the Tribute concert) or My Sweet Lord and Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) Ringo: Photograph and It Don't Come Easy
JenC Posted March 28, 2008 Posted March 28, 2008 Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let it Roll) - George Harrison Let it Down - G H These are two of my favourite songs ever so understandably my favourite solo Beatles songs. I haven't really thought about a top five; I'll come back when I have a list. Although I must give a mention to John's Jealous Guy. What I find to be a haunting vocal and beautiful orchestration. I love it.
Mighty_Boosh Posted March 28, 2008 Posted March 28, 2008 1. George Harrison - My Sweet Lord 2. John Lennon - Watching the Wheels 3. John Lennon - Mind Games 4. Paul McCartney - Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey 5. Paul McCartney - Maybe I'm Amazed
Ousetunes Posted March 28, 2008 Posted March 28, 2008 John Lennon - Jealous Guy Achingly beautiful, the string arrangement just tears me to pieces. The little piano intro (Nicky Hopkins playing the high notes) and the strings which are joined ever so slowly by an acoustic guitar. The yearning, pleading vocal of Lennon particularly on 'I didn't mean to hurt you', it's just one of those songs that leaves me breathless. Forget Imagine, this is the real Lennon. Stunning. George Harrison - Isn't It A Pity? A song which surely must have left McCartney scratching his head and questioning his own judgment: Did the Beatles really turn this gem down? Yes and maybe it threatened the sacred (and misleading) Lennon-McCartney songwriting tag too much. It's George in a calm and reflecting mood. Simple lyrics but also so true, possibly inspired by the break-up of the Beatles but also with a hint of hindu philosophy. Capo'd guitar and piano are joined eventually by strings and Ringo's plodding drums and then Harrison's trademark slide guitar. Okay, so some of the ending - a little bit too Hey Jude - is superfluous and Phil Spector gets a little too carried away, but it simply cannot hide the fact that this song with its typical Harrison diminished chords is a work of art unsurpassed in his entire solo catalogue. Paul McCartney - Back Seat Of My Car A song with so many ideas it could be broken up into another ten songs, and each would be memorable. Brilliantly executed and nicely recorded it contains a magnificent vocal and is typical Paul-at-the-piano. Melody, structure and ideas. It's a bit thin lyrically but lyrics were always Paul's achilles heel. The 'we believe that we can't be wrong' anthem bit is Beatles-by-numbers but that's just it, it grabs you. Ringo Starr - Photograph With a songwriting credit of Harrison-Starr, this is a great track. It's catchy, well sung (George's harmonies with his Dark Horse rough voice is clearly audible) and well played. Okay, it's hardly challenging but isn't that Ringo anyway? Bubbling Under: Lennon - #9 Dream Harrison - All Things Must Pass (my funeral choice) Macca - Love In Song Starr - King Of Broken Hearts
lindsey12 Posted March 28, 2008 Posted March 28, 2008 John Lennon - watching the wheels go round Nobody told me ( there would be days like this ) Mind Games Instant Karma ..actually maybe just all of them
JenC Posted March 28, 2008 Posted March 28, 2008 George Harrison - Isn't It A Pity? A song which surely must have left McCartney scratching his head and questioning his own judgment: Did the Beatles really turn this gem down? Yes and maybe it threatened the sacred (and misleading) Lennon-McCartney songwriting tag too much. It's George in a calm and reflecting mood. Simple lyrics but also so true, possibly inspired by the break-up of the Beatles but also with a hint of hindu philosophy. Capo'd guitar and piano are joined eventually by strings and Ringo's plodding drums and then Harrison's trademark slide guitar. Okay, so some of the ending - a little bit too Hey Jude - is superfluous and Phil Spector gets a little too carried away, but it simply cannot hide the fact that this song with its typical Harrison diminished chords is a work of art unsurpassed in his entire solo catalogue. A simply stunning song, but I've always had a soft spot for version two. The way the lone piano plays, to then be joined by the drums, and the strings and bam! (I'm talking about the 'build up' part). It's not quite as an epic affair as version one, but a slightly different take on the song, and a great version all the same.
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