The Beatles Appreciation Thread

[Hewson]

FULL CIRCLE

Spoiler

 

[MrPryck2U]

Ruined it.

 

[PennyLanePHINS]

The TV special did well for their albums, which are all over the Billboard 200.

1 - #20
Love - 62
Abbey Road - 82
Sgt. Pepper's - 98
Rubber Soul - 103
White Album - 119
1967-1970 - 137
Live at The BBC Volume II - 145
A Hard Day's Night - 150
1962-1966 - 154
Revolver - 156
Meet The Beatles! - 170
Hey Jude - 186

 

[The Panther]

Or maybe I'm mixing it up with the whole Pete Best sucked and Martin wasn't sold on their ability to find a good drummer, hence the reason they got Andy White to play drums for love Me Do, and Ringo was relegated to tambourine...

Just to point out that on the original 45rpm release of 'Love Me Do' in Britain -- The Beatles' first chart hit in the UK -- it was in fact Ringo playing drums, not Andy White. (However, Andy White plays drums on the B-side, "PS I Love You").

A few months later, when the Beatles' first album (Please Please Me) was assembled, 10 new tracks were recorded in one day, and added to 4 pre-existing masters, which comprised the previously released 'PS I Love You', 'Please Please Me', 'Ask Me Why'... and the previously unreleased "Love Me Do" with Andy White on drums (and Ringo on rather loud tambourine).

Yet more confusing -- when the US single of "Love Me Do" was issued in early 1964, Tollie Records chose the LP-track with Andy White instead of the previously issued single with Ringo.

So, in sum, the original single is Ringo. The album track and the US-single are Andy White.

(Anthology also issued the Pete Best "Love Me Do", from The Beatles' first-ever trip to EMI and Abbey Road -- the drumming on it is truly awful.)

 

[elevated_u2_fan]

Happy Birthday Revolver!

Still one of my all time favourite albums.

 

[Phantom Dreamer]

50 years ago today, the Beatles performed their last paid concert at Candlestick Park.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

All summer I've been listening to basically nothing but this band and their solo work and it's just the greatest music ever made.

I've been reading through a book by a man named MacDonald that chronicles all of the Beatles' studio recordings and gives detailed insight into the recording processes and then he usually goes on to give his own opinion of each track which is fun to read. I recommend it. It's called "Revolution in the Head" (which also happens to be a Girls Aloud song title).

I've known this band's music my entire life and it's so satisfying to revisit it all with new eyes and ears after a few years of growing up. I'll be revisiting these albums with pleasure until the day I die.

Beatles forever.

 

[DaveC]

had a similar experience last summer, it was like rediscovering them all over again. i could hear lots of musical and lyrical subtleties i couldn't pick up when i was younger and it was great. i've been meaning to check out revolution in the head but it's never in the book stores here and i never think to order books online.

 

[lazarus]

Beatlesongs, an earlier book, was my bible for a while. Also spends a lot of time on the recordings but also goes to great lengths to hash out who wrote how much of each song, parse their meanings, etc. There are also a lot of quotes from the band members, particularly Lennon, who apparently in one Playboy interview commented on almost every song they recorded. One of my favorites is in response to the mention of "Honey Pie":

LENNON: (laughs) I don't even want to think about that one.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Yeah I've seen a ton of references to a Lennon Playboy interview from 1980, I believe. That might be the one you're talking about.

 

[iron yuppie]

I should be more familiar with the solo albums than I am. You've got at least three great ones in there in Plastic Ono Band, Ram, and All Things Must Pass.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Check out Imagine if you haven't already. It's great.

 

[lazarus]

Ram might have some great stuff on it, but it also has its share of typical, insufferable Macca moments.

 

[phanan]

Band On The Run is his best anyway.

 

[DaveC]

all things must pass isn't even in the same league as any other solo Beatle albums. it's like comparing the white album to beatles for sale.

 

[LemonMelon]

Band On The Run is his best anyway.

Nah, I'd go with Ram. The second half of Band on the Run is pretty forgettable and Ram is a crazy, kaleidoscopic adventure from start to finish. There are very few albums that are more fun.

 

[lazarus]

I've always found Band on the Run (the song) pretty dumb and stylistically schizophrenic. Could say the same thing about Live and Let Die.

For me, Venus and Mars has a good number of highlights without as much of the stuff that annoys me.

 

[the tourist]

For me it's All Things Must Pass, Ram, and Mind Games in that order as my top 3. Imagine, Plastic Ono Band, and Band On The Run are my next 3.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Wow, what makes you put Mind Games ahead of both Imagine and Plastic Ono Band? I don't even think it's close to those two. Love the title track, though.

 

[LemonMelon]

Plastic Ono Band and Imagine are great albums.

I wish I liked Mind Games, Walls and Bridges and Double Fantasy more. I've tried. They all contain brilliant songs, but as full albums they're just OK.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

Agreed. Double Fantasy is my favorite of those others, though. The John tracks on there are really strong. Straightforward and catchy and inviting. The Yoko tracks...not so much.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

I've always found Band on the Run (the song) pretty dumb and stylistically schizophrenic.

It definitely opens up after the first two little sections end and the third part...the real "Band On The Run" part of the song begins (after the big horn fanfare). But I like the previous two sections, too.

"All I need is a pint a day..." is a line I'm fond of.

 

[david]

Temporary Secretary from McCartney II is such a weird Brian Enoesque song.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[the tourist]

Wow, what makes you put Mind Games ahead of both Imagine and Plastic Ono Band? I don't even think it's close to those two. Love the title track, though.

Tight A$, Intuition and #9 Dream are three of my top five Lennon solo songs, so that helps.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

But #9 Dream isn't on that album.

 

[lazarus]

The mention of Mind Games prompted me to bring the disc on the way to work today, and after about halfway through I think it's pretty damned solid. Personal stuff with a sense of humor and an ear for melody.

 

[GirlsAloudFan]

It's good, yeah. I just don't think it's near Plastic Ono Band or Imagine.

Just taking the former, I mean, songs like "God" and "Mother" are so powerful to me.

 

[the tourist]

But #9 Dream isn't on that album.

Ha! I was misremembering that one. Obviously haven't listened to it in too long. I think I threw it on a burned copy or a playlist with the rest of the album once so I made that association.

 

[nbelcik]

Temporary Secretary from McCartney II is such a weird Brian Enoesque song.


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

He played that live when I saw him, it was a highlight, so weird and interesting


Sent from my iPhone using U2 Interference

 

[Joey788]

What's everyone's thoughts on latter-day McCartney? I thought "New" was a damn good album. I particularly loved "Queenie Eye," "Appreciate" and "Early Days."