OT: Beatles Survey (and General Beatlemania Thread)

[deadhead]

You can't have a favorite "song" off Abby Road, the "2nd side" suite is really one song and is fantastic.

 

[Rebels57]

You can't have a favorite "song" off Abby Road, the "2nd side" suite is really one song and is fantastic.

I was just about to post this. After inheriting a 70s pressing of Abbey Road on vinyl from my dad, I really came to appreciate the genius of Side 2. It forced me to really sit and listen rather than skipping around like I do with an ipod or whatever other digital service.

 

[Strawberry Fields]

I didn't know whether to make the Abbey Road Medley a single choice or just list the individual songs from it. I decided on the latter solely because I've met and known numerous people who have cited individual songs from the medley as one of their favorite Beatles songs and wanted to give the option of choosing those specific songs if they wanted. (The Sirius XM top 100 Beatles countdowns didn't help me because in all of them so far, both You Never Give Me Your Money individually and the medley as a whole have made the lists.)

 

[FlyerFaithful17]

You can't have a favorite "song" off Abby Road, the "2nd side" suite is really one song and is fantastic.

It definitely is meant to be consumed in one listen. I chose She Came In Through The Bathroom Window as my favorite because A) it’s a great song and B) it contains one of my favorite moments at the medley transition into it (“ooooh look out! She came in through the bathroom window...”).

 

[Strawberry Fields]

Any favorites from the Anthology albums or Live at the BBC?

I'll Be On My Way, Soldier of Love, Some Other Guy, and the live version of I'll Get You are some of my favorites from the latter

Anthology "new" songs:
In Spite of All the Danger
Cry for a Shadow
Like Dreamers Do
Hello Little Girl
That Means a Lot
Come and Get It
Real Love

Anthology takes/alt versions:
One After 909 (1963)
No Reply/Your Face
And I Love Her
And Your Bird Can Sing (the high af giggly version)
Penny Lane
Only a Northern Song
The Fool on the Hill take 4
Of course, the instrumentals of Eleanor Rigby and Within You Without You are cool, too.

 

[FlyerFaithful17]

Any favorites from the Anthology albums or Live at the BBC?

I'll Be On My Way, Soldier of Love, Some Other Guy, and the live version of I'll Get You are some of my favorites from the latter

All of the live stuff starting Anthology 1 Disc 2
Hello Little Girl
How Do You Do It
Strawberry Fields Forever takes
You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away
Come And Get It

 

[Captain Dave Poulin]

I filled the survey out, but my take that always pisses people off is that “Come Together” is the worst single by a mile and an actively terrible song.

Yes times a million.

 

[Jack Straw]

Yoko Ono is the best Beatle

Reported.

 

[JojoTheWhale]

The thing with Come Together- and please chime in your ideas here- was there any other single put out similar to that in the 60s? That was so unique from what I can muster up in my brain in the last 10 minutes. Though I wasn't around, of course.

The iconic bass riff drives the song, clearly, but...it IS the song. And that is outlandish in 1969...really, it's outlandish in music period. Ringo's (also iconic) messy "lefty on a righty kit" shuffle on the floor tom coupled with lead bass as a counter melody to John's vocals? That type of oxymoronic musical void is something only a handful of bands could pull off.

There's just something to say about it. If it wasn't released double A with Something, maybe it would be one of those Happiness is a Warm Gun songs that everyone knows but didn't chart, especially being the opener for one of the most iconic records in human history.

Maybe they release Something with Oh Darling. Then what happens to Come Together? Truthfully, I think it stands up.

If I were to pick their "worst" #1 I might go with the Ballad of J and Y

Well I wasn’t around either, but I’ll do my best.

Different and difficult don’t always lead to good. I played 6/12 strings, so I’m better served to give specific examples there. Joe Satriani does some impossible and unique things and does them so cleanly that it makes your entire existence feel inadequate, but that doesn’t mean I want to listen to them. As far as bass being featured in pop music, you can’t have Motown without the bass lines.

There are so many little things about it that drive me nuts, chief among them the way that the drums are handled. The snares were rattling, so it feels like there’s a heavy hand on fading them in/out in a way that distracts me, yet it still bleeds through other mics anyway.

I usually prefer Lennon’s leads, but Lennon backing Lennon like we have here in combination with the harsh cadence of the leads is too much for me. I tend to think McCartney was right here and he’s my least favorite of the four.

FWIW the Giles Martin mix from 2019 does alleviate some of my issues with it. For all of the pushing of the bass in the song, I never liked the tone of it either. The Martin mix makes it fuller.

 

[DancingPanther]

Any favorites from the Anthology albums or Live at the BBC?

I'll Be On My Way, Soldier of Love, Some Other Guy, and the live version of I'll Get You are some of my favorites from the latter

Anthology "new" songs:
In Spite of All the Danger
Cry for a Shadow
Like Dreamers Do
Hello Little Girl
That Means a Lot
Come and Get It
Real Love

Anthology takes/alt versions:
One After 909 (1963)
No Reply/Your Face
And I Love Her
And Your Bird Can Sing (the high af giggly version)
Penny Lane
Only a Northern Song
The Fool on the Hill take 4
Of course, the instrumentals of Eleanor Rigby and Within You Without You are cool, too.

The sminking OF gin Rocky Racoon f*** up
When John screws up the words to Come Together

The absolute best "alternate" version is no doubt the piano take of Good Night. Some of my favorite piano, I learned how to play that one too.

Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite when they're all f***ing around. Then George Martin...."alright men let's go light's on..."

The alternate "with ciggy in mouth" marching snare take of Your Mother Should Know

So many great/hilarious anthologies

 

[DancingPanther]

Well I wasn’t around either, but I’ll do my best.

Different and difficult don’t always lead to good. I played 6/12 strings, so I’m better served to give specific examples there. Joe Satriani does some impossible and unique things and does them so cleanly that it makes your entire existence feel inadequate, but that doesn’t mean I want to listen to them. As far as bass being featured in pop music, you can’t have Motown without the bass lines.

There are so many little things about it that drive me nuts, chief among them the way that the drums are handled. The snares were rattling, so it feels like there’s a heavy hand on fading them in/out in a way that distracts me, yet it still bleeds through other mics anyway.

I usually prefer Lennon’s leads, but Lennon backing Lennon like we have here in combination with the harsh cadence of the leads is too much for me. I tend to think McCartney was right here and he’s my least favorite of the four.

FWIW the Giles Martin mix from 2019 does alleviate some of my issues with it. For all of the pushing of the bass in the song, I never liked the tone of it either. The Martin mix makes it fuller.

The drums are very odd in that song. It's like they draped them with blankets, then reverbed the hell out of them

It's funny, what annoys you draws me to it. I like those imperfections in music. But hey, that's just personal preference. I won't be banging your door down

Satriani is f***ing nuts. As I'm listening to Hendrix lol

 

[JojoTheWhale]

The drums are very odd in that song. It's like they draped them with blankets, then reverbed the hell out of them

It's funny, what annoys you draws me to it. I like those imperfections in music. But hey, that's just personal preference. I won't be banging your door down

Satriani is f***ing nuts. As I'm listening to Hendrix lol

Yeah, it’s all just preference. I think how much Blues I listen to has an effect on me here because I have expectations of what a bass should do in a song like this that others might not.

People usually find this nuts, but I would tell you that the bass in “Taxman” feels like it pulls the song forward more to me than “Come Together.” Feel free to mock that.

 

[Jack Straw]

Growing up the Beatles were far and away my favorite band. I had all the albums (the ones that were released in the US) and I remember that I couldn’t wait until the next Beatles single was released. Eventually they were supplanted by the Dead, but I always thought the two had similarities. Not the least of which was that McCartney and Phil Lesh were two of the most creative bass players I’ve heard. Both play the bass more like a lead guitar than a traditional bass.

Paul was my favorite Beatle, I liked his voice better than John’s and tended to like his songwriting a little better. More for the music than the lyrics. Favorite albums were probably Rubber Soul/Revolver/Sgt Pepper, not necessarily in that order.

 

[DancingPanther]

Yeah, it’s all just preference. I think how much Blues I listen to has an effect on me here because I have expectations of what a bass should do in a song like this that others might not.

People usually find this nuts, but I would tell you that the bass in “Taxman” feels like it pulls the song forward more to me than “Come Together.” Feel free to mock that.

Why the hell would I mock that? More than Come Together? Maybe a point of contention. As much, and if not more? Certainly.

Paul's bass playing really gets overlooked in the music world imo because of his singer/songwriter type cast. The dude could f***ing play

Take a Day In the Life for example. Or full on lead bass in With a Little Help from my Friends

But see there's a difference between the bass playing in Taxman and A Day in the Life vs Come Other and With a Little Help from my Friends. Lead bass is not the same as a....poignant rhythmic bass lick/riff/line as a main artery in a song. You seem to prefer the latter. I don't really have a preference between the two

 

[Strawberry Fields]

The fuzz bass in Think for Yourself gives me life

 

[Jack Straw]

The fuzz bass in Think for Yourself gives me life

My favorite was always the bass line in Hey Bulldog. Epic. But agree on Think for Yourself.

 

[FlyerFaithful17]

Yeah, it’s all just preference. I think how much Blues I listen to has an effect on me here because I have expectations of what a bass should do in a song like this that others might not.

People usually find this nuts, but I would tell you that the bass in “Taxman” feels like it pulls the song forward more to me than “Come Together.” Feel free to mock that.

It was good enough for The Jam to completely copy the Taxman bassline, so it’s good enough for me too.

 

[Strawberry Fields]

My favorite was always the bass line in Hey Bulldog. Epic. But agree on Think for Yourself.

I'd probably have to choose Rain as my favorite McCartney bass line.

 

[DancingPanther]

I'd probably have to choose Rain as my favorite McCartney bass line.

Great song to drum to as well.

Which leads me to my next point. There are people out there who think Ringo was a bad drummer or otherwise rode the others' coattails. To those people I say throw them in the Sea of Monsters

 

[Tarantula]

I'd probably have to choose Rain as my favorite McCartney bass line.

It's one of my favs, but paperback writer has a solid groove as well.

 

[Perfect_Drug]

I'm an Oil fan visiting this site (saw this thread highlighted at the top of the mains).

Just wanted to say I'm a huge industrial metalhead. Most of my fave shows were Metallica, NIN and Pantera.

When Paul McCartney played a free show up in Quebec City a decade ago, I went expecting an old geriatric playing tuned down Beatles songs at half speed.


NOPE


Paul put on the most energetic and high-tempo show I had ever seen in my life.

He played every song so pitch perfect, like he had played that set every day for 6 decades. It was so effortless, it was like he could have done it blindfolded and deaf. You have no idea what true musicianship looks like until you watch a Beattle.

For some reason, after watching him perform it live, 'Lady Madonna' became my favorite Beattles song. That encore gave me shivvers.


If you ever have a chance to watch Paul Perform DO IT. Even if it costs $1000 for a ticket. Even if you're a hip hop, country, or metal fan like me.

 

[DancingPanther]

I'm an Oil fan visiting this site (saw this thread highlighted at the top of the mains).

Just wanted to say I'm a huge industrial metalhead. Most of my fave shows were Metallica, NIN and Pantera.

When Paul McCartney played a free show up in Quebec City a decade ago, I went expecting an old geriatric playing tuned down Beatles songs at half speed.


NOPE


Paul put on the most energetic and high-tempo show I had ever seen in my life.

He played every song so pitch perfect, like he had played that set every day for 6 decades. It was so effortless, it was like he could have done it blindfolded.

For some reason, after watching him perform it live, 'Lady Madonna' became my favorite Beattles song. That encore gave me shivvers.


If you ever have a chance to watch Paul Perform DO IT. Even if it costs $1000 for a ticket. Even if you're a hip hop, country, or metal fan like me.

Seen him twice. He does put on an excellent show

I LOVE the piano in Lady Madonna. I also the little grace licks on the guitar in that track.

 

[Strawberry Fields]

McCartney came to Hershey in summer 2016. I wanted to go but this was JUST before I was into the Beatles (it wasn't until that fall) so we chose to see Elton John instead (we couldn't afford both, but Elton put on a great show too so I can't regret it too much). If he had only come a year or two later. That was a once in a lifetime opportunity

 

[FlyerFaithful17]

Great song to drum to as well.

Which leads me to my next point. There are people out there who think Ringo was a bad drummer or otherwise rode the others' coattails. To those people I say throw them in the Sea of Monsters

As a drummer, this is an insane notion. Most actual drummers recognize his unique, understated swing. His creativity, on songs like Ticket To Ride, powers the music along.

 

[Tarantula]

I'm an Oil fan visiting this site (saw this thread highlighted at the top of the mains).

Just wanted to say I'm a huge industrial metalhead. Most of my fave shows were Metallica, NIN and Pantera.

When Paul McCartney played a free show up in Quebec City a decade ago, I went expecting an old geriatric playing tuned down Beatles songs at half speed.


NOPE


Paul put on the most energetic and high-tempo show I had ever seen in my life.

He played every song so pitch perfect, like he had played that set every day for 6 decades. It was so effortless, it was like he could have done it blindfolded and deaf. You have no idea what true musicianship looks like until you watch a Beattle.

For some reason, after watching him perform it live, 'Lady Madonna' became my favorite Beattles song. That encore gave me shivvers.


If you ever have a chance to watch Paul Perform DO IT. Even if it costs $1000 for a ticket. Even if you're a hip hop, country, or metal fan like me.

The Beatles were the group that hooked me on music. I got hooked during the mid 70's. Saw Paul, Linda and Ringo at Toronto late 80's, great show. The Skydome had just opened and the first concerts there were known for bad sound and it was not the best in that regard, but they were pretty solid. Highlight was seeing Ring do the drum solo from The End. Wasn't expecting it, had the biggest grin on my face that I have had in years.