The Beatles

Anyone catch the Get Back doc? I am only halfway through but wow it is incredible. Essential viewing for any music fan.

Edit: I also hope the top 50 continues @Forostar
 
Mosh said:
Anyone catch the Get Back doc? I am only halfway through but wow it is incredible. Essential viewing for any music fan.

Edit: I also hope the top 50 continues @Forostar
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I've seen just parts of it via youtube. Don't have Disney+. Like what I have seen though. Sort of. Didn't like the scene where George introduced I Me Mine and the way both Paul and John treated him. Not that I care for the song either. I recently heard an interview posted on youtube(can't find it now) from December of '69 where he discussed wanting to tour with The Beatles, but not go through that whole landing in a helicopter thing such as they did in Shea Stadium. Anyway, this doc looks good. Though they are my fave band, I am in no way a Beatles snob. In that they are the greatest band ever for that is subjective. If you don't like them, fine. To each their own:)
 
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I've seen it and absolutely love it. You're a fly on the wall! It's so good to see them having fun, and pretty revealing to see the tension as well.
The band is so doubtful (and divided) about their plans, it almost hurts. But the interaction, the sheer fun of these guys. And last but not least: the creative process is something to behold. It's lovely to see them giving input in songs and helping each other with ideas, what to play etc. Recommended big time !! :notworthy:

Mosh said:
Edit: I also hope the top 50 continues @Forostar
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I should continue indeed.... certainly will this month!
 
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Good to see some serious love for The Beatles. :) Since a few people have done or are about to do their Top 50, here's mine:
  1. Tomorrow Never Knows
  2. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
  3. Strawberry Fields Forever
  4. I'm Only Sleeping
  5. Ticket to Ride
  6. Because
  7. Here, There and Everywhere
  8. You Never Give Me Your Money
  9. I Am the Walrus
  10. Hey Jude
  11. Across the Universe
  12. I Saw Her Standing There
  13. A Day in the Life
  14. The Long and Winding Road
  15. Something
  16. I Want You (She's So Heavy)
  17. Please Mr. Postman
  18. Let It Be
  19. I've Just Seen a Face
  20. Yesterday
  21. Don't Pass Me By
  22. Help!
  23. The Fool on the Hill
  24. Sexy Sadie
  25. Mr. Moonlight
  26. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
  27. The Ballad of John and Yoko
  28. Back in the U.S.S.R.
  29. Happiness Is a Warm Gun
  30. Don't Let Me Down
  31. Oh! Darling
  32. Eleanor Rigby
  33. With a Little Help from My Friends
  34. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
  35. For No One
  36. A Hard Day's Night
  37. For You Blue
  38. Penny Lane
  39. Why Don't We Do It in the Road?
  40. Yellow Submarine
  41. Come Together
  42. Lady Madonna
  43. Savoy Truffle
  44. Blackbird
  45. Octopus's Garden
  46. Mean Mr. Mustard
  47. Old Brown Shoe
  48. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
  49. The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
  50. Paperback Writer
Distribution:
White Album 9
Abbey Road 8
Revolver 5
Help! 4
St. Pepper's 4
Let it Be 4
Please Please Me 1
A Hard Day's Night 1
With The Beatles 1
Rubber Soul 1
Yellow Submarine 1
Beatles for Sale 1

There was absolutely no bias to include a song from each album, it just happened. Despite While album having the bigger number of songs is only my third best Beatles album with first being Revolver, then Abbey Road. Let it Be is towards the bottom tier despite having 4 songs.

Anyway, what's maybe more interesting is what is not included in above list, some of the titans of pop music lies below, in random order:

Get Back
She Loves You
Here Comes The Sun
Helter Shelter
When I'm Sixty-Four
I Want to Hold Your Hand
All You Need Is Love
Drive My Car
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
When I'm Sixty-Four
Taxman
Eight Days a Week
And I Love Her
All My Loving
Please Please Me
Love Me Do
Hello Goodbye
You’ve got to hide your love away
Nowhere man
Revolution
Day Tripper
Twist and Shout
Can’t buy me Love
 
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Just going to post my top 20(in no order) Beatles songs:
Help
I Wanna Hold Your Hand
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Ticket To Ride
Paperback Writer
Nowhere Man
Here Comes The Sun
Something
Revolution
You Can't Do That
If I needed Someone
Taxman
Night Before
Hard Days Night
She Loves You
Dear Prudence
Things We Said Today
And Your Bird Can Sing
Rain
Get Back
LSD
 
I am a huge Beatles and McCartney fan.
This year has been fantastic for Fab Four fans: Let It Be boxset, Let It Be documentary and McCartney's The Lyrics (for which I was lucky enough to attend the "In Conversation" event at the Royal Festival Hall), Plastic Ono Band boxset and the All Things Must Pass boxset (which I don't yet own).

The Let It Be documentary is utterly fascinating! You have to watch them more than once to take everything in. But never before have us fans been so connected to them than we have with these series. Utterly fantastic!
 
Though I love The Beatles, I never really got into their solo stuff. I tried, but with a few exceptions their solo songs didn't do anything for me.
 
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44 Revolution / B-side Hey Jude / Revolution single (1968)
This is the fast, distorted version. I like how that fuzzy distorted sound was created: by injecting the guitar signal into the mixing console through two microphone preamplifiers, almost overheating the console. According to sound engineer Geoff Emerick this was severe abuse of the studio equipment. :)
Of course, this song feels like pure rock and roll, but the sound makes it different. It's as if the Beatles sound like a mix of Status Quo and ZZ Top long before these bands found their own typical sound.

45 There's a Place / Please Please Me (1963)
I'm not a huge lover of the harmonica but in this number it rings a very melancholic bell. Well done John Lennon. This is a wonderful little song with lyrics I like (the "And it's my mind and there's no time when I'm alone" bit). The "In my mind there's no sorrow" bridge I probably like the most because of the melody. It happens only once, but then again, it makes it the more special.
46 When I'm Sixty-Four / Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
At first, this one felt as some sort of humpty dumpty children's song (melody and rhythm in verses). But when that chorus starts I'm struck by that truly beautiful, melancholic melody Paul is singing. I love that interplay with the backing vocals as well.
47 Something / Abbey Road (1969)
I love the production and Ringo's drum beat here. Such a simple, yet effective beat. You hear it very well but it does not sit in the way of anything else.
I had to get used to this song. It has grown on me and it managed to creep in my top 50. There is a very serene mood with memorable string orchestration. The lovely guitar solo and Ringo's untypical rhythm underneath bring nice variation. I get a bit impatient in the final 50 seconds. I am not very fond of having to hear that whole last verse again, except for Paul's superb basslines. I think he may be doing different things throughout the whole song.
48 Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) / Rubber Soul (1965)
For a long while this song was not in my top 50. But it jumped in. The best part, by far, is the harmony.
The lyrics are very dry and give a good look into the mind (and drastic actions!) of the visitor.
49 Twist and Shout / Please Please Me (1963)
This song is pretty repetitive but I like the intensity of it. Of course John gives it all (had nothing left afterwards; first take and that was it) but I also dig Ringo's drumrolls here. With headphones I can focus more on his playing, and it's good fun. The repetitiveness of the song, also of that riff and the sort of stoic backing vocals make an interesting contrast with the looser role for John and Ringo.
50 I Wanna Be Your Man / With the Beatles (1963)
Yes, yes I know... dumb, simplistic lyrics, hardly any variation in the song. But man, this grooves! I read it has a "heavy Bo Diddly beat".
I like the constant drive of the rhythm guitars, the roughness of the solo and there's a cool Ringo drumroll around 1:50.
I also like this (unofficial) instrumental version:
51 & 52: the two songs that just didn't make my top 50:
51 I Saw Her Standing There / Please Please Me (1963)
I like how this no nonsense approach sounds. Clear sounding, upclose electric guitars, neat, cool riffs (especially the fast one by Harrison?), fine solo.

52 You Never Give Me Your Money / Abbey Road (1969)
Really fine melancholic beginning with contrasting lyrics having a different emotion (rather angry instead).
The next jumpy section is sort of light and fun, not that much my cup of tea musically... then "Oh that magic feeling" is a fine part.
I also like the rocking section when Paul continues singing. Then that lovely guitar bit starting @ 2:48.
This one has good ideas, and I can see why people might have this higher. My son surely has this higher in his list which he is busy with at this moment. For me it is just not as grabbing as 51 other songs, and naturally this says a lot about the quality of the Beatles catalogue.
The One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, all good children go to Heaven lyric was taken by Bad Religion who were (especially Brett Gurewitz) big Beatles fans, and used in the chorus of their song Anesthesia (from the album Against the Grain, 1990).
53 and beyond: 53 plus 54-83 in chronological order.
"I've Got a Feeling" was the last of this bunch I doubted about, so that one can be considered as my number 53:

01 Please Mr. Postman / With The Beatles (1963)
02 Sie Liebt Dich / single (March 1964)
03 I Call Your Name / Long Tall Sally EP (June 1964)
04 Slow Down / Long Tall Sally EP (June 1964)
05 A Hard Day's Night / A Hard Day's Night (1964)
06 I Should Have Known Better / A Hard Day's Night (1964)
07 Honey Don't / Beatles for Sale (1964)
08 Bad Boy / Beatles VI (June 1965)
09 Help / Help! (1965)
10 I Need You / Help! (1965)
11 Yesterday / Help! (1965)
12 Think for Yourself / Rubber Soul (1965)
13 Michelle / Rubber Soul (1965)
14 I'm Looking Through You / Rubber Soul (1965)
15 In My Life / Rubber Soul (1965)
16 Rain / single (June 1966)
17 Love You To / Revolver (1966)
18 Yellow Submarine / Revolver (1966)
19 For No One / Revolver (1966)
20 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
21 With a Little Help of My Friends / Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
22 Lucy Ia The Sky With Diamonds / Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
23 Fixing A Hole / Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
24 I Am the Walrus / Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
25 Back in the U.S.S.R. / White Album (1968)
26 The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill / White Album (1968)
27 Don't Pass Me By / White Album (1968)
28 Old Brown Shoe / single (May 1969)
29 Two of Us / Let It Be (1970)
30 Get Back / Let It Be (1970)
31 I've Got a Feeling / Let It Be Naked version (no. 53)
 
Mosh said:
Anyone catch the Get Back doc? I am only halfway through but wow it is incredible. Essential viewing for any music fan.

Edit: I also hope the top 50 continues @Forostar
Click to expand...
I binged it last weekend. Pretty amazing stuff to be honest. It's actually mind blowing that all that footage has been locked away for 50 years allowing almost a false narrative to be built around those sessions. It bears repeated viewing as there's just so much nuance going on you don't pick it all up at once.
 
Bruins1 said:
I agree. Watched a 3 minute clip this morning of the making of the song Get Back and Paul hardly listened to George's input.
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When he presents ‘I,me,mine’ they’re so dismissive of it, it’s a bit heartbreaking. But then watching Paul come up with Get Back and Let it Be was breathtaking, such casual genius
 
Boroking said:
When he presents ‘I,me,mine’ they’re so dismissive of it, it’s a bit heartbreaking. But then watching Paul come up with Get Back and Let it Be was breathtaking, such casual genius
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So true. Saw that clip also. John's reaction(in that clip) was harsh. Still, what you said about Paul is true. As a kid in the 70s, as far as the "ex-Beatles" were concerned the only solo one of them whose music I ever heard was Paul's. And this was around 1977. So much so that I couldn't stand him. He was everywhere. Still can't stand the song "Coming Up". Ugh:)
 
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Bruins1 said:
So true. Saw that clip also. John's reaction(in that clip) was harsh. Still, what you said about Paul is true. As a kid in the 70s, as far as the "ex-Beatles" were concerned the only solo one of them whose music I ever heard was Paul's. And this was around 1977. So much so that I couldn't stand him. He was everywhere. Still can't stand the song "Coming Up". Ugh:)
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According to your profile you were barely alive in 1977, if born at all.
 
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Forostar said:
According to your profile you were barely alive in 1977, if born at all.
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That was a mistake. I was actually born on 2/10/1968. Just never corrected it:). And no, at age 53 I do not have a "dad bod", still in good shape and have all my hair with little to no greys:) Most people that have met me think that I am anywhere from 10-15 years younger than I actually am. Not a bad thing:) Gotta admit though, it was depressing while working with this 20 year old guy 2 years ago that after revealing my age, he told me that I was 10 years older than his mom. Ugh. Anyway, didn't hear my 1st Beatles song until 1976 and that was Please Please Me. Loved it then. Still love it now. My 1st Beatles album was Beatles'65 which I bought in '78. Still have it. Fave song off it is No Reply.
 
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MindRuler said:
Paul wrote some cheesy stuff but most of his solo songs are pure brilliance. Never got into Lennon solo tbh.
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Gotta agree with you on his cheesy stuff, but I have to admit that outside of the "hits", I never really bothered to check out his other songs. Exceptions being Old Siam Sir(love that song) and a few others that I can't remember. I just have a greatest hits by Lennon and All Things Must Pass by GH. Of course I've heard other songs by them and Ringo, but for some reason their solo stuff never really interested me. I'm always going back to The Beatles because I like that sound they created when they were together.
 
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