So, I just listened to all my beatles songs on my computer, weeding out duplicates etc, and decided to write up the findings. All the best songs. All the worst songs. The over- and under-appreciated. And the secret “most scouse Beatles song” category
Best beatles songs:
Get Back - The drive. The way the song builds. The marching snare drum. The small plinkering of guitars in the background. The lyrics. Get Back is just one of those everything comes together. The drumming is world-class, the bassline is pulsating its way through. And, of course, it reminds me of when the Norwegians left after Uni. Get back, girls, seriously, we miss ya.
Lady Madonna - Oh hell yeah! There is no arguing with this song. Truly soul-tingling stuff. The piano part is what drives this piece forward. The vocal harmonies are as Beatles as they come. Then, out of nowhere, a saxophone solo. How could it go wrong? Well, exactly, so it didn’t.
Old Brown Shoe - An unusal choice, perhaps, but Old Brown Shoe is great for the reasons Beatles are great - the recording I have is lo-fi (i think there aren’t any truly good recordings of this song), but in it, the Beatles really showed the Merseybeat for what it was, is, and has since become known for. Innovative, groovy, and with passion beyond its own good.
Revolution - The Beatles recorded a series of different versions of Revolution, and I love all of them. The most famous version is just their most take-no-prisoners song. It starts by launching into a mad guitar-piece, before calming down in proper Skiffle style, with a classic rock beat and calm rhythm behind it. Oh, and of course, the socialist in me is mighty pleased by the lyrics.
Rocky Raccoon - Rocky is one of the concept songs where the Fab Four became properly legendary. In a quasi-western country style, the calm song reaches a crechendo which at first listening seems completely out of place - but which I’ve learned to love as what really makes this song. It is as if they went “yeah, this is great, but we’re bored now, let’s rock”, by throwing themselves at what I always imagined as a ‘last chance saloon’ type setting, before returning to their regular style. If all country music was like this, I wouldn’t minds so much, I think.
Worst beatles songs:
Of course, they are great. But they didn’t get it right every time - I guess that couldn’t be expected of any band. But when the Beatles screwed up, they did so very gracelessly:
Free as a Bird - too obnoxious
Getting Better - what were they thinking?
Mean mr. Mustard - a combination of the two above, sadly.
Most under-appreciated beatles songs:
For you Blue - The Beatles play the blues… And how! Soft, gentle piano accompaniment, backed up (carefully) by the bass playing. And a voice that just softly caresses the song along. An instant classic, no doubt.
You’ve got to hide your love away - I have no idea why this song gets mentioned last (if at all) in proper Beatles history. Sure, it isn’t as inventive as some of the others, but it is so obviously Bob Dylan-inspired. They aren’t beating him at his own game, but hell, they get pretty close. And, of course, it’s the theme song to everybody who has ever been unsuccessfully in love, or for someone who falls for their best friend.
Most over-rated Beatles songs:
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - The guitar piece is too whiny, the harmonics are off, the lyrics are too pretentious, and it just cuts into my musical ears. Sorry, guys, it sucks.
She loves you - She Loves You (yeah yeah yeah yeah) was just the Beatles moving too far into pop music. The drumming is too frantic and they sound like syncopated sheep in the chorus (’you know that can’t be baaaaaaaa’). I appreciate that it was a top hit, but it is not one of the songs that stood the test of time particularly well.
Long and Winding Road - It just sounds too much like Paul is on drugs, and the background orchestra isn’t The Beatles enough.
Special category: Most scouse Beatles song:
Magical mystery tour - When they hit that chorus, there is no mistaking it: These are proper scouse scallywags. And I love it.