The Beatles APPRECIATION THREAD

[Calvin6s]

Regarding Yoko, it's worth seeking out the video of John Lennon playing with Chuck Berry, and about halfway through the vid, she starts caterwauling off to the side into the mike.  Chuck gives John a death stare for the ages, and you can tell he's thinking, "You need to shut that b**** up, bro."

Never saw that, so had to Google.  This has to be it:
YouTube

[KevShmev]

Hey, here's something to appreciate.  On April 4, 1964, The Beatles made history by having all five of the Top 5 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.  It had never been done before, and I'm pretty sure it will never be done again.  Music listening is just too fragmented today.  There is no single group or artist with the popularity to have that many songs all that hot, all at the same time.

That is both crazy and awesome. 

The thing is, while songs like A Day in the Life and Strawberry Fields Forever are generally viewed as some of the best Beatles songs, they aren't well know such as Hey Jude or Yesterday in the eyes of the public, suggesting that there are others more iconic songs even if they aren't actually better (Twist and Shout, I Wanna Hold Your Hand...)

Or maybe i'm simply confusing iconic with popularity 

I guess it all depends on who you talk to.  I'm seeing way too many younger people who are clueless about the Beatles, and it makes me a bit sad. 

[hefdaddy42]

The thing is, while songs like A Day in the Life and Strawberry Fields Forever are generally viewed as some of the best Beatles songs, they aren't well know such as Hey Jude or Yesterday in the eyes of the public, suggesting that there are others more iconic songs even if they aren't actually better (Twist and Shout, I Wanna Hold Your Hand...)

Or maybe i'm simply confusing iconic with popularity 

I'm not sure anything becomes iconic without being popular.

[KevShmev]

I listened to some of Lennon's solo stuff this week (I forgot I had his best of on CD and had uploaded all of the songs to my iTunes years ago), and I have to admit that I had completely forgotten about (Just Like) Starting Over, which is a highly enjoyable tune.  His cover of Stand by Me threw for a loop, as I have zero memory of ever having heard that prior to this week.

[Mladen]

(Just Like) Starting Over might be my favorite John Lennon solo song, no exaggeration. Every part of it is so beautiful, the melodies are remarkable. Yeah, I know that Imagine is iconic, I also love it to bits and think it has the best lyrics in the history of rock, but (Just Like) Starting Over is a masterpiece as well.

[Outcrier]

Another list, this time from the BestEverAlbums site, showing the best rated Beatles songs (keep in mind some songs like Hey Jude, Paperback Writer and whatsoever aren't rated because they were released as singles):

95/100: A Day In The Life (also, the best rated song of all time in the site).

92/100: Eleanor Rigby, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Something, Tomorrow Never Knows, Strawberry Fields Forever, In My Life.

91/100: Here Comes the Sun, Happiness is a Warm Gun, Yesterday.

90/100: Come Together, I'm Only Sleeping, LSD, For No One, Norwegian Wood, Golden Slumbers, You Never Give Me Your Money, I Am The Walrus, The End, Carry That Weight, Helter Skelter, Let It Be, Penny Lane, Help!

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Great top 25 if you ask me.

[KevShmev]

Yep, it's hard to argue with most of those. 

Also, even though it was technically a cover, I think Twist and Shout has to be one of their most well-known songs.  That's a song that you have to be living in a cave to not know.

[Outcrier]

Twist and Shout is much more well know than most of the songs there but it goes back to that quality/popularity discussion.

Personally, great rock song but not best Beatles songs worthy if narrowed down to 25 (and because they have so many great songs already  ).

[bout to crash]

Hey, here's something to appreciate.  On April 4, 1964, The Beatles made history by having all five of the Top 5 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.  It had never been done before, and I'm pretty sure it will never be done again.  Music listening is just too fragmented today.  There is no single group or artist with the popularity to have that many songs all that hot, all at the same time.

That is so cool! I'll bet my mom remembers that, it was right before her 14th birthday and she was a huge fangirl 

[sneakyblueberry]

Another list, this time from the BestEverAlbums site, showing the best rated Beatles songs (keep in mind some songs like Hey Jude, Paperback Writer and whatsoever aren't rated because they were released as singles):

95/100: A Day In The Life (also, the best rated song of all time in the site).

92/100: Eleanor Rigby, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Something, Tomorrow Never Knows, Strawberry Fields Forever, In My Life.

91/100: Here Comes the Sun, Happiness is a Warm Gun, Yesterday.

90/100: Come Together, I'm Only Sleeping, LSD, For No One, Norwegian Wood, Golden Slumbers, You Never Give Me Your Money, I Am The Walrus, The End, Carry That Weight, Helter Skelter, Let It Be, Penny Lane, Help!

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Great top 25 if you ask me.

Good list. Pretty evenly split between Lennon and McCartney...

For all the praise it gets, I think there are better Beatles songs than DITL if I'm honest. It's really just two different songs separated by a big random orchestral flourish, I don't see what makes that so great. Also McCartneys part of the song is kinda weak in comparison with Lennons.

[hefdaddy42]

I'll be honest, not very much of ANY of the Beatles' post-breakup solo stuff has moved me.  They were all very talented, no question, but the magic was in them together, for me, with very few exceptions (Maybe I'm Amazed, Imagine).

[KevShmev]

Hef, have you ever heard George Harrison's All Things Must Pass?  If not, check it out.  I admittedly was very late to the game in hearing it (I don't think I heard it in full till maybe 6-7 years ago), but it was worth the wait. Outstanding stuff on there. By far the best solo album by any of the four Beatles.

[Outcrier]

For all the praise it gets, I think there are better Beatles songs than DITL if I'm honest. It's really just two different songs separated by a big random orchestral flourish, I don't see what makes that so great. Also McCartneys part of the song is kinda weak in comparison with Lennons.

I'm with you. That "big random orchestral flourish" you mentioned kinda kill the song for me even though the vocal melodies from the first part are fantastic.

Despite of that, ADITL still is in my top 20 Beatles songs but i do think there are better songs.

[DebraKadabra]

Regarding Yoko, it's worth seeking out the video of John Lennon playing with Chuck Berry, and about halfway through the vid, she starts caterwauling off to the side into the mike.  Chuck gives John a death stare for the ages, and you can tell he's thinking, "You need to shut that b**** up, bro."

Similar thing happened in the early 70s when John joined Frank Zappa and the Mothers on stage for a while at a show in NYC. Yoko was in some kind of sheet, all wrapped up, with a mike and just squawking and caterwauling like usual and she kept at it for about 30 minutes or so AFTER everyone left the stage.

[Calvin6s]

Yoko Johno and Franko

I've never seen these.  I didn't think it was possible to dislike Yoko more than I already did.  How did all the top tier musicians put up with this nonsense? 

I also found another video of the Yoko Chucko fiasco with commentary.  It is hilarious.  NSFW
LiveLeak

[KevShmev]

   How did all the top tier musicians put up with this nonsense? 
 

I'm sure Lennon and Yoko were a package deal, so they put up with Yoko to play with Lennon.  I can just imagine how much she'd get crushed on social media if clips like that happened live in 2015.

[Calvin6s]

Yoko Outro

[Stadler]

For all the praise it gets, I think there are better Beatles songs than DITL if I'm honest. It's really just two different songs separated by a big random orchestral flourish, I don't see what makes that so great. Also McCartneys part of the song is kinda weak in comparison with Lennons.

I'm with you. That "big random orchestral flourish" you mentioned kinda kill the song for me even though the vocal melodies from the first part are fantastic.

Despite of that, ADITL still is in my top 20 Beatles songs but i do think there are better songs.

Look, I totally understand that, and there are probably other reasons to add to the list.  But this FIRMLY (in my opinion) is a discussion about the difference between "great" and "I like it" (or not).  It's easy to dismiss as "a couple songs put together", but that's more a function of how the Beatles were starting to work than any "laziness" or lack of creativity.  First, put yourself in early 1967, a time of a shit-ton of promise, but not a lot of delivery (yet).   When you couple the fact that it doesn't sound like anything that came before, that it was the end-piece of an ALBUM that sounded like nothing that came before (what?  They put the words on the back of the ALBUM? Who are all those people and why are the Beatles wearing those ridiculous outfits?  Who is Billy Shears?) with the fact that it almost perfectly addresses the key concern of the times:   we have these massive national  and international problems ("I read the news today oh boy..."), but we still have to live each day as individuals, with the mundane task of keeping aware of what's going on ("Woke up... and I went into a dream...").   THEN you add to that the subversive (but arguably unintended) drug references ("I'd love to turn you on..."; "found my way upstairs and had a smoke..."), THEN you add the absolutely amazing recording process (the orchestra was recorded after the fact, to bridge the gaps in the song; Mal Evans had to count out - which you can faintly hear - to mark the spot between the end of the previous section and the start of the next section), THEN you add the most recognizable chord in the history of rock (the E major chord that ends the song... and not coincidentially, begins the Cheap Trick record, "All Shook Up")...

All in, what?  Four minutes forty five seconds or something?  Epic.    The upshot? It was a B-SIDE. 

[hefdaddy42]

Hef, have you ever heard George Harrison's All Things Must Pass?  If not, check it out.  I admittedly was very late to the game in hearing it (I don't think I heard it in full till maybe 6-7 years ago), but it was worth the wait. Outstanding stuff on there. By far the best solo album by any of the four Beatles.

No, I haven't.

And despite your glowing review, I probably still won't.  Sorry.

[sneakyblueberry]

For all the praise it gets, I think there are better Beatles songs than DITL if I'm honest. It's really just two different songs separated by a big random orchestral flourish, I don't see what makes that so great. Also McCartneys part of the song is kinda weak in comparison with Lennons.

I'm with you. That "big random orchestral flourish" you mentioned kinda kill the song for me even though the vocal melodies from the first part are fantastic.

Despite of that, ADITL still is in my top 20 Beatles songs but i do think there are better songs.

*snip*

Good words, Stadler.  I appreciate your insight and analysis of the song, and it has made me appreciate it more. 

I suppose everything should be considered in context, which funnily enough is something a lot of people are guilty of forgetting when it comes to the Beatles, or any other act or media etc ahead of its time.  We take a lot of things for granted in retrospect without considering the impact and importance these things had at their inception. 

[KevShmev]

Hef, have you ever heard George Harrison's All Things Must Pass?  If not, check it out.  I admittedly was very late to the game in hearing it (I don't think I heard it in full till maybe 6-7 years ago), but it was worth the wait. Outstanding stuff on there. By far the best solo album by any of the four Beatles.

No, I haven't.

And despite your glowing review, I probably still won't.  Sorry.

No need to apologize.  It's your loss. 

[Cool Chris]

I suppose everything should be considered in context, which funnily enough is something a lot of people are guilty of forgetting when it comes to the Beatles, or any other act or media etc ahead of its time.  We take a lot of things for granted in retrospect without considering the impact and importance these things had at their inception. 

You are not wrong, and those are good words. But at the same time, I don't evaluate music based on the context of the time it came out. My tastes are not dictated but impact, influence, or importance. If something was powerful and amazing at its release, and I think it blows, I am going to think it blows. I will recognize its historical significance, but it isn't going to affect my personal preferences.

So yes, things should be evaluated in context, to a degree. But when it comes to personal taste, I only care about how it makes me feel, and the level of enjoyment I derive from it, now.

[erwinrafael]

I suppose everything should be considered in context, which funnily enough is something a lot of people are guilty of forgetting when it comes to the Beatles, or any other act or media etc ahead of its time.  We take a lot of things for granted in retrospect without considering the impact and importance these things had at their inception. 

You are not wrong, and those are good words. But at the same time, I don't evaluate music based on the context of the time it came out. My tastes are not dictated but impact, influence, or importance. If something was powerful and amazing at its release, and I think it blows, I am going to think it blows. I will recognize its historical significance, but it isn't going to affect my personal preferences.

So yes, things should be evaluated in context, to a degree. But when it comes to personal taste, I only care about how it makes me feel, and the level of enjoyment I derive from it, now.

Which is why Stadler stated that : " But this FIRMLY (in my opinion) is a discussion about the difference between "great" and "I like it" (or not)."

We were not discussing liking ADITL at the personal level. It's about discussing its "greatness", which should always be put in context.

[r0cken]

I'm always so stumped when I encounter people that don't like the Beatles. I mean, they like rock music but not the Beatles. I know, I know, to each his own, but I just can't get it through my thick  head... What's NOT to like?   

[Calvin6s]

Beatles, eh? Ah, yes, I seem to remember their off-key caterwauling on the Sullivan show. What was Ed thinking?

[LudwigVan]

I suppose everything should be considered in context, which funnily enough is something a lot of people are guilty of forgetting when it comes to the Beatles, or any other act or media etc ahead of its time.  We take a lot of things for granted in retrospect without considering the impact and importance these things had at their inception. 

You are not wrong, and those are good words. But at the same time, I don't evaluate music based on the context of the time it came out. My tastes are not dictated but impact, influence, or importance. If something was powerful and amazing at its release, and I think it blows, I am going to think it blows. I will recognize its historical significance, but it isn't going to affect my personal preferences.

So yes, things should be evaluated in context, to a degree. But when it comes to personal taste, I only care about how it makes me feel, and the level of enjoyment I derive from it, now.

Interesting discussion. I find it difficult to evaluate music in a complete vacuum. It's easier to remove historical context, but not so much personal context. Sentimentality and emotion gets in the way of evaluating certain pieces of music that I grew up with, at least in an objective way. That pimply-faced 10 year old kid that holed himself up in his bedroom playing Abbey Road and Sgt Peppers over and over again is always going to have a soft spot for the music no matter how good or bad it may be.  Kinda like that first puppy love or the first time you had sex. Even though it may have been clumsy and awkward, it still holds an extra special place in your heart and mind. When it comes to bands like Pink Floyd, Zeppelin and The Beatles, I was not just hearing the music, I was living it.

[Cool Chris]

Sentimentality and emotion gets in the way of evaluating certain pieces of music that I grew up with, at least in an objective way. 

Oh I definitely agree with this. Art touches us all in uniquely, in different ways at different times in our lives.

[Stadler]

I suppose everything should be considered in context, which funnily enough is something a lot of people are guilty of forgetting when it comes to the Beatles, or any other act or media etc ahead of its time.  We take a lot of things for granted in retrospect without considering the impact and importance these things had at their inception. 

You are not wrong, and those are good words. But at the same time, I don't evaluate music based on the context of the time it came out. My tastes are not dictated but impact, influence, or importance. If something was powerful and amazing at its release, and I think it blows, I am going to think it blows. I will recognize its historical significance, but it isn't going to affect my personal preferences.

So yes, things should be evaluated in context, to a degree. But when it comes to personal taste, I only care about how it makes me feel, and the level of enjoyment I derive from it, now.

As erwinrafaeil already pointed out, see what I wrote in the first sentence:  this is the difference between "great" and "I like it".   You can absolutely think it blows and that is your right and no one can take that away from you, or argue with you.   But - in my view - one strains credibility when they confuse the two.  I think Bob Dylan is unlistenable.  Literally.  So I say that "Blowin' In The Wind" or "Blonde on Blonde" blow (i.e. I don't like them).  But for me to also say they are not great songs/albums is ludicrous.   They are iconic.  They are the backbone of American music.   What I think about them aesthetically doesn't matter one bit.  I'm irrelevant.

[Orbert]

It's semantics.  To me, if you say something blows, you're saying that it is no good.  Since we're talking about music, it comes down to individual taste, and someone saying it is no good can basically be the same as "I don't like it", but while both are opinions, one sounds more like a statement of fact while the other is a statement of preference.

If I don't like something, I say I don't like it.  I don't say it sucks or it blows (which oddly enough mean the same thing).  All that does is piss off people who actually like it.  I just say I don't like it.

Consider a sports analogy.  You have a quarterback who's played in two games so far, completed 1 of 25 attempted passes, been intercepted 4 times, and has even fumbled the ball twice.  The team has scored no points while he's in, and they currently have net yardage which is negative.  If you say this guy blows, you will not get any argument.  But if you say you like him, once people stop laughing, they'll ask you why.  You apparently have your reasons, and the mere fact that they're asking you would seem to validate your position.  You are allowed to like someone/something even if they suck.  Conversely, you can dislike something other people think is great.

If there's a band which has sold 500 million albums (or whatever The Beatles are up to now), you can say you don't like them, but to say that they suck is just plain wrong.  Clearly a huge number of people enjoy their work, and they are very successful recording artists by almost any standard.  You just don't like them.  Say you don't like them, but they definitely don't suck.

[masterthes]

Beatles are the Gods of music. End of story. Top 20, huh? Ok, (not including the Medley)

I Saw Her Standing There
She Loves You
Eight Days A Week
Ticket To Ride
Something
Dear Prudence
Blackbird
Rocky Raccoon
A Hard Day's Night
Help!
Let It Be
Across The Universe
Don't Let Me Down
I Am The Walrus
Strawberry Fields Forever
A Day In The Life (my favorite Beatles song)
Lucy In The Sky
Paperback Writer
Hey Jude
Lady Madonna

[sneakyblueberry]

Rocky Raccoon

that's an oddball choice!  I always considered that filler (and there's quite a bit of that on the White Album, imo).  Fair enough tho, you've inspired me to give it another listen!

[Outcrier]

An oddball choice is Your Mother Should Know 

Not really, but never seen anyone (besides me) who likes that song that much to put it in his top 20.

[jammindude]

The White Album is probably my favorite Beatles album.   

If you think about it, Why Don't We Do It in the Road is deeper than the rap it gets.    It's making the statement that you can often get away with something by just doing it in full on plain sight.    I actually really love that song, and feel like people dismiss it too quickly. 

Everything except Revolution #9 (which is just freakin crap) is actually really prime Beatles.

[sneakyblueberry]

An oddball choice is Your Mother Should Know 

Not really, but never seen anyone (besides me) who likes that song that much to put it in his top 20.

That's a fantastic choice, would make my top 20 for sure, I just wish it were a bit longer, maybe another section or something but that might ruin the magic of it. 

The White Album is probably my favorite Beatles album.   

If you think about it, Why Don't We Do It in the Road is deeper than the rap it gets.    It's making the statement that you can often get away with something by just doing it in full on plain sight.    I actually really love that song, and feel like people dismiss it too quickly. 

Everything except Revolution #9 (which is just freakin crap) is actually really prime Beatles.

There are some absolute gems on there but yeah I always felt it had its fair share of filler.  I should give it a spin today.

[Outcrier]

Same here. I would probably love The White Album if it was a single album with the strongest tracks like While My Guitar and Happiness is a Warm Gun.