PART 3
1968 -
single:
LADY MADONNA - PAUL
THE INNER LIGHT - GEORGE
Single number seventeen (and you know what I mean) is the first single released without a primarily written song by John. He wanted Across The Universe to be the single. The horns certainly help the A-side, along with some more Beach Boys style backing vocals. The B-side is maybe George's finest hour. Or, at least his best melody.
single:
HEY JUDE - PAUL
REVOLUTION - JOHN
Like the Hello Goodbye single before it, this is another head scratcher in the singles department. The original Revolution (found on "the white album") was deemed too slow by the other Beatles so John rewrote it with a fast tempo. Still, it wasn't accepted, instead the A-side is a slow song from Paul! What the hell? John must have been a tad confused by the whole affair. This single was the band's best selling one ever, in spite of the over seven minute A-side. John's rewrite features some of the dirtiest guitars they ever recorded.
album:
The Beatles
After the colorful, eye-catching album covers of the previous years, this ninth album from the band was their first and only double album and adorned with a white cover (hence the nickname, 'the white album'). No singles were released from this album! 30 original songs! After the somewhat uneven nature of 1967's output, John, Paul and George rose to the fore with a delightful collection of songs that neatly ran the gamut of popular song genres. There were rules, too. Neither Paul or John could have more than two songs in a row on the album and their output restored a parity. The songwriters also should have shared producing credit.
BACK IN THE USSR - PAUL
Man! You knew The Beatles were communists! Otherwise, another one of Paul's knowing nods to the sound of The Beach Boys, with fabulous backing vocals and a driving beat. Considering how often the fab four travelled by jet it is a wonder the sound effect had not appeared before.
DEAR PRUDENCE - JOHN
Some exquisite guitar adorns this plaintive tune.
GLASS ONION - JOHN
Now, here's a song for the fans. Full of clues and false clues and a wonderful vocal performance from John.
OB-LA-DI OB-LA-DA - PAUL
It's no secret John and George hated this song because of the countless hours over-dubbing. Catchy and banal.
WILD HONEY PIE - PAUL
I'm not sure what the hell this is supposed to be. Even with its short length it still seems too long.
THE CONTINUING STORY OF BUNGALOW BILL - JOHN
The White Hunter is taken to task in this song which features Yoko Ono's first vocal appearance on a Beatles album.
WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS - GEORGE
An absolute stunner from George and a surprise guest guitar solo from Eric Clapton.
HAPPINESS IS A WARM GUN - JOHN
John's wonderful song filled with sexual imagery, or is it some kind of anti-NRA rant? John's vocal on the final verse and outro is truly exciting.
MARTHA MY DEAR - PAUL
Inspired by his dog, Paul knocks out a cute little song featuring some meaty horns. His vocal actually sounds a little happy.
I'M SO TIRED - JOHN
Some think of this song as a companion piece to I'm Only Sleeping, but it is clearly an early song about Yoko. Some of his vocal work is astounding.
BLACKBIRD - PAUL
Again, a wonderful song from Paul. Some folks thought the song was a nod to the Black Power movement and I think it has some lovely guitar work.
PIGGIES - GEORGE
A strange offering from George that just doesn't have the concise, cutting wit of say, John Lennon.
ROCKY RACCOON - PAUL
An old time western saloon of a song full of violent imagery not usually heard in a Paul song.
DON'T PASS ME BY - RINGO w/GEORGE
Ringo gets his first solo songwriting credit (although he did have some uncredited help from George) which is partially saved by some interesting fiddle work.
WHY DON'T WE DO IT IN THE ROAD - PAUL
This is just an odd duck! Singing the same phrase over and over makes even the act of "doing it" boring and banal.
I WILL - PAUL
Paul bounces back right away with this number which opens side 3 of the album. Simplicity at its best.
JULIA - JOHN
A captivating and at times touching song about John's mother. And about Yoko ("ocean child"). This is the closest John ever got to recording a Yesterday-type song as this is his only solo Beatles song with two beautifully overdubbed guitar and vocal parts.
BIRTHDAY - PAUL w/JOHN
Two things John and Paul always wanted to do was record a new Christmas standard and record a new birthday standard. Here is the latter, a piece mostly written by Paul (with Yoko singing in the background!), it is a bit rousing if nothing else.
YER BLUES - JOHN
Reportedly recorded in a control room, this take on the then burgeoning British blues scene finds John and his fellow Beatles in rare form.
MOTHER NATURE'S SON - PAUL
Paul does John Denver before John Denver does John Denver.
EVERYBODY'S GOT SOMETHING TO HIDE EXCEPT FOR ME AND MY MONKEY - JOHN
Certainly holds the record for longest title in The Beatles' canon, this acute bit of rock starts strong but becomes repetitious.
SEXY SADIE - JOHN
A wonderful song about John's version of events during the trip to India.
HELTER SKELTER - PAUL
It's a slide ride in the UK, this version was edited down from one rather long take. It's a blistering rocker.
LONG LONG LONG - GEORGE
A dreamy little number from George with nice guitar work and some interesting drumming from Ringo.
REVOLUTION 1 - JOHN
John's original "slow" version he submitted for the single winds up as the opener of side four. I suppose revolution isn't Top 40 material. However, John is trying to sell it as a top forty number with his gentle, dreamy vocal delivery on a song about revolution.
HONEY PIE - PAUL
Another song that seems misplaced, sounding more like something that should have been on Paul's solo album, Ram. Depending on one's mood it can be catchy. John's jazzy guitar solo (something he was underrated for was his solos) is rather amazing.
SAVOY TRUFFLE - GEORGE
So, George has a sweet tooth? Well, his pal Eric Clapton certainly did! Wise use of a pretty beefy horn section.
CRY BABY CRY - JOHN
This song may be John at his Alice In Wonderland best. More interesting imagery.
REVOLUTION 9 - JOHN w/YOKO
Oh but there was mighty fight about including this sound collage on the album. It's length would make Hey Jude blush and its listenability is purely up to each individual. John may have lost the fight with Revolution and Across The Universe (see below) but won the battle with this track.
GOOD NIGHT - JOHN
Sometimes erroneously credited to Paul, here a nice bedtime lullaby perfectly intoned by Ringo. George Martin's orchestration is quite lovely, too.
1969 -
album:
Yellow Submarine
Not a Beatles album, per se, I've included it because of the original songs that it does feature. 2 songs were from singles with 4 originals. The rest of the album has songs from the soundtrack written by George Martin. The Beatles had nothing to do with the film except for a brief bit at the end. The songs they gave to the producers ranged from okay to pretty insightful. Don't see the film while on drugs!
ONLY A NORTHERN SONG - GEORGE
A right wry commentary from George. Northern Songs was the company set up to administer the publishing rights for the Lennon-McCartney duo, and also, George's songs as well. He has little problem skewering his band mate's company and would eventually form his own publishing company called Harrisongs.
ALL TOGETHER NOW - PAUL
I don't know - notable for the old fashioned car horn? Rather a trifle to be sure.
HEY BULLDOG - JOHN
The best of this bunch, John's song is a driving number with a little shading of mockery. Another fabby guitar solo as well.
IT'S ALL TOO MUCH - GEORGE
The coda repeats "too much" at least four dozen times! An interesting late '60's song from George.
single:
GET BACK - PAUL
DON'T LET ME DOWN - JOHN
The Beatles' nineteenth single was their first one in several months and was meant to tie in with their forthcoming album, Get Back. This was not be and the album eventually surfaced as Let It Be the following year. The A-side is the studio version featuring some wonderful keyboard work by guest artist Billy Preston, who was the only musician to share label credit with The Beatles! Paul's song is also helped along by John's rollicking lead guitar work. John scores his second appearance in a row as a songwriter on the B-side with a song showing the distance traveled since This Boy.
single:
THE BALLAD OF JOHN AND YOKO - JOHN
OLD BROWN SHOE - GEORGE
The band's twentieth single was a quickly written and recorded jaunty song by John, backed with a great song written by George. John's song was his first A-side since All You Need Is Love nearly two years previous. That fact alone speaks volumes of how his songs had fallen out of favor as coveted A-side material, especially to the bean counters. As far as they go, they could not have been happy as this single broke a long string of number one hits, as it peaked at number five. This was the first of John's pamphlet songs, written and recorded so quickly that only John and Paul were available. A reunion of the Nerk Twins. It is a neat summing up of the adventures of the new couple, whose actions at the time were increasingly alienating the press corps, among others. The song was also banned in many countries and from many radio stations in the southern United States for the "Christ you know it ain't easy" refrain which resulted in the lower chart placing. The B-side is awash in some great fuzz bass and shows George's growing range as a songwriter.
single:
SOMETHING - GEORGE
COME TOGETHER - JOHN
The only single from the band to feature a George written A-side, which he brushed off as being a bone thrown to him by the others. Both songs were lifted from the forthcoming Abbey Road album (The Beatles' last) and show each composer at their best. Something is such a gorgeous song, filled with invented hooks and guitar work. Also, in common with a lot of the songs recorded during these last sessions of the band, the song has amazing backing and harmony vocals. The B-side is like proto-punk, but richly produced. The coda alone is worth the price of the single.
album:
Abbey Road
Although released before Let It Be, this album, The Beatles' eleventh, was in fact the last album they recorded. Only 2 songs were on a single with 15 original songs on the album. Perhaps sensing this was their last hurrah, the entire band turned in some great work. The album also shows the direction Paul would go with his songs throughout most of the 1970's. Also of note, how John's songs are basically excluded from the so-called medley that comprises most of the B-side of the album. Quite an ironic finish for John, who was in fact the leader of the group. He disbanded The Beatles in the Fall of 1969, but was sworn to secrecy by his band mates, managers and bean counters because of the as yet unreleased album and singles.
MAXWELL'S SILVER HAMMER - PAUL
Apparently, this song also stands out in George and John's minds as a song that seemingly kept overdubbing forever. It is a strange song from Paul to be sure, like a kiddie murder show.
OH DARLING - PAUL
One of Paul's best gut wrenching Little Richard vocals ever put down on vinyl. This song shows that even late in their career, Lennon-McCartney continued to try and top each other.
OCTOPUS'S GARDEN - RINGO w/GEORGE
Ringo's second effort (again with uncredited help from George) is a far more interesting number. There is just some wonderful imagery and it is a bit of a sequel to Yellow Submarine.
I WANT YOU (SHE'S SO HEAVY) - JOHN
John has so few songs on the album, but the ones he does contribute are great. This may be the ultimate stoner song, I suppose, but it is carefully laid out and edited.
HERE COMES THE SUN - GEORGE
The sun is life! Ringo's drumming is fairly spectacular as are George's lyrics.
BECAUSE - JOHN
Some of the best vocal harmonies on any song they did along with such lines as "because the world is round..."
YOU NEVER GIVE ME YOUR MONEY - PAUL
Paul's take on the continuing legal hassles that were embroiling the brand name. This song also introduces the famous medley and is also one of Paul's best melodies.
SUN KING - JOHN
One of John's most wonderfully silly exotic songs. Again the vocal harmonies are outstanding.
MEAN MR. MUSTARD - JOHN
The following two songs by John are more or less snippets of longer versions. John didn't feel very good about them, apparently, and allowed Paul to edit them down to fit his medley. The songs are very good despite their length.
POLYTHENE PAM - JOHN
This has a wicked flair to it, for some reason.
SHE CAME IN THROUGH THE BATHROOM WINDOW - PAUL
One of Paul's crowning achievements. With some influence from John lyrically, this song also underscores the amazing vocal harmonies performed by the boys throughout this album.
GOLDEN SLUMBERS - PAUL
Another piano themed piece by Paul.
CARRY THAT WEIGHT - PAUL
Even Ringo can be heard during the rousing chorus! The song dashes back for some more concerns about money and funny paper and then comes Paul's next song.
THE END - PAUL
A nearly perfect send-off, Paul's simple melody bursts into a guitar/drum solo traded off by all four boys. The last line is nearly majestic.
HER MAJESTY - PAUL
Not wont to leave well enough alone, Paul tacks on the very short ditty, several seconds after the last song. Wonder what the Queen thought of it?
1970 -
single:
LET IT BE - PAUL
YOU KNOW MY NAME (LOOK UP THE NUMBER) - JOHN + PAUL
Finally, the album that was originally known as Get Back, gets released as Let It Be, a soundtrack for a movie that basically shows the disintegration of the band and here is the preview single! This penultimate single from the group has Paul's baby as an A-side, filled with religious symbols and a soaring vocal. This version was produced by George Martin and is much cleaner than the Phil Spector version on the album. The B-side dates from 1967 and is the last true Lennon-McCartney song. Anyone familiar with the songs The Beatles gave away on their annual Christmas records given to fans only will recognize the same inventive silliness.
album:
Let It Be
Released after the "official" break up, The Beatles' twelfth album is also sort of a soundtrack for the infamous film of the same name. 4 songs were on singles, 2 were covers and only 6 were originals. It is as if we went back in time to 1963. The somewhat tortured road traveled by this album from recording to release includes three different producers. The last one was legendary wall of sound producer Phil Spector.
TWO OF US - PAUL w/JOHN
In a way, this song could be about John and Paul and their lives together, and maybe that's exactly what it is.
DIG A PONY - JOHN
If nothing else, this song represents John at his referential best. Culled from the live concert, it is extremely chilly.
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE - JOHN
The story with this song began in early 1968 and would have made a fab first single of the year if The Beatles and George Martin had not screwed it up. Unlike Strawberry Fields Forever, which started out as a demo of just voice and guitar and morphed into one of John's signature creations, this song may indeed have been compromised by the others as John suggested later. The "finished" track, which was given to a wildlife charity album included odd, unwanted sitar and backing vocals by a group of girl fans recruited by Paul from right outside the studio! This version was reworked by Spector who stripped away some of the more egregious elements and added some orchestrations and choir. In spite of all this, John's great lyrics and melody survived.
I ME MINE - GEORGE
George goes off well with this "last album' production of one his most driving rock songs. It may also express the absolute crap that was happening at the time with the Apple Corp.
I'VE GOT A FEELING - PAUL w/JOHN
A rare double vocal from John and Paul in the later stages of the sixties. It truly is one of their best songs together.
THE ONE AFTER 909 - JOHN + PAUL
Here is, finally, after six years, the released version of the song first featured during those sessions long ago in 1963. If nothing else, George's guitar solo is much better in this version.
single:
THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD - PAUL
FOR YOU BLUE - GEORGE
This twenty-third single from the band, and their last one, is wistful on one hand and a brief compendium of their entire career on the other. Again, a single that ignores John, this version of The Long And Winding Road was, by Paul's standards, cloying inept by the re-producer Spector. Regardless, like John's earlier failure to get the band on board for Across The Universe, Paul's song at least was brought to some sort of artistic fruition. The B-side gives George a great send-off and sorta shine the individual Beatles better than The End. Here is Ringo at his best, Paul with immaculate bass runs and John playing a freaking steel guitar. All thanks to George!
Here is a post script. For whatever reason (loyalty, contractual?) the only solo record to carry the Lennon-McCartney moniker was John's peace anthem, Give Peace A Chance.
1968 -
single:
LADY MADONNA - PAUL
THE INNER LIGHT - GEORGE
Single number seventeen (and you know what I mean) is the first single released without a primarily written song by John. He wanted Across The Universe to be the single. The horns certainly help the A-side, along with some more Beach Boys style backing vocals. The B-side is maybe George's finest hour. Or, at least his best melody.
single:
HEY JUDE - PAUL
REVOLUTION - JOHN
Like the Hello Goodbye single before it, this is another head scratcher in the singles department. The original Revolution (found on "the white album") was deemed too slow by the other Beatles so John rewrote it with a fast tempo. Still, it wasn't accepted, instead the A-side is a slow song from Paul! What the hell? John must have been a tad confused by the whole affair. This single was the band's best selling one ever, in spite of the over seven minute A-side. John's rewrite features some of the dirtiest guitars they ever recorded.
 |
| (cover design by Richard Hamilton) |
The Beatles
After the colorful, eye-catching album covers of the previous years, this ninth album from the band was their first and only double album and adorned with a white cover (hence the nickname, 'the white album'). No singles were released from this album! 30 original songs! After the somewhat uneven nature of 1967's output, John, Paul and George rose to the fore with a delightful collection of songs that neatly ran the gamut of popular song genres. There were rules, too. Neither Paul or John could have more than two songs in a row on the album and their output restored a parity. The songwriters also should have shared producing credit.
BACK IN THE USSR - PAUL
Man! You knew The Beatles were communists! Otherwise, another one of Paul's knowing nods to the sound of The Beach Boys, with fabulous backing vocals and a driving beat. Considering how often the fab four travelled by jet it is a wonder the sound effect had not appeared before.
DEAR PRUDENCE - JOHN
Some exquisite guitar adorns this plaintive tune.
GLASS ONION - JOHN
Now, here's a song for the fans. Full of clues and false clues and a wonderful vocal performance from John.
OB-LA-DI OB-LA-DA - PAUL
It's no secret John and George hated this song because of the countless hours over-dubbing. Catchy and banal.
WILD HONEY PIE - PAUL
I'm not sure what the hell this is supposed to be. Even with its short length it still seems too long.
THE CONTINUING STORY OF BUNGALOW BILL - JOHN
The White Hunter is taken to task in this song which features Yoko Ono's first vocal appearance on a Beatles album.
WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS - GEORGE
An absolute stunner from George and a surprise guest guitar solo from Eric Clapton.
HAPPINESS IS A WARM GUN - JOHN
John's wonderful song filled with sexual imagery, or is it some kind of anti-NRA rant? John's vocal on the final verse and outro is truly exciting.
MARTHA MY DEAR - PAUL
Inspired by his dog, Paul knocks out a cute little song featuring some meaty horns. His vocal actually sounds a little happy.
I'M SO TIRED - JOHN
Some think of this song as a companion piece to I'm Only Sleeping, but it is clearly an early song about Yoko. Some of his vocal work is astounding.
BLACKBIRD - PAUL
Again, a wonderful song from Paul. Some folks thought the song was a nod to the Black Power movement and I think it has some lovely guitar work.
PIGGIES - GEORGE
A strange offering from George that just doesn't have the concise, cutting wit of say, John Lennon.
ROCKY RACCOON - PAUL
An old time western saloon of a song full of violent imagery not usually heard in a Paul song.
DON'T PASS ME BY - RINGO w/GEORGE
Ringo gets his first solo songwriting credit (although he did have some uncredited help from George) which is partially saved by some interesting fiddle work.
WHY DON'T WE DO IT IN THE ROAD - PAUL
This is just an odd duck! Singing the same phrase over and over makes even the act of "doing it" boring and banal.
I WILL - PAUL
Paul bounces back right away with this number which opens side 3 of the album. Simplicity at its best.
JULIA - JOHN
A captivating and at times touching song about John's mother. And about Yoko ("ocean child"). This is the closest John ever got to recording a Yesterday-type song as this is his only solo Beatles song with two beautifully overdubbed guitar and vocal parts.
BIRTHDAY - PAUL w/JOHN
Two things John and Paul always wanted to do was record a new Christmas standard and record a new birthday standard. Here is the latter, a piece mostly written by Paul (with Yoko singing in the background!), it is a bit rousing if nothing else.
YER BLUES - JOHN
Reportedly recorded in a control room, this take on the then burgeoning British blues scene finds John and his fellow Beatles in rare form.
MOTHER NATURE'S SON - PAUL
Paul does John Denver before John Denver does John Denver.
EVERYBODY'S GOT SOMETHING TO HIDE EXCEPT FOR ME AND MY MONKEY - JOHN
Certainly holds the record for longest title in The Beatles' canon, this acute bit of rock starts strong but becomes repetitious.
SEXY SADIE - JOHN
A wonderful song about John's version of events during the trip to India.
HELTER SKELTER - PAUL
It's a slide ride in the UK, this version was edited down from one rather long take. It's a blistering rocker.
LONG LONG LONG - GEORGE
A dreamy little number from George with nice guitar work and some interesting drumming from Ringo.
REVOLUTION 1 - JOHN
John's original "slow" version he submitted for the single winds up as the opener of side four. I suppose revolution isn't Top 40 material. However, John is trying to sell it as a top forty number with his gentle, dreamy vocal delivery on a song about revolution.
HONEY PIE - PAUL
Another song that seems misplaced, sounding more like something that should have been on Paul's solo album, Ram. Depending on one's mood it can be catchy. John's jazzy guitar solo (something he was underrated for was his solos) is rather amazing.
SAVOY TRUFFLE - GEORGE
So, George has a sweet tooth? Well, his pal Eric Clapton certainly did! Wise use of a pretty beefy horn section.
CRY BABY CRY - JOHN
This song may be John at his Alice In Wonderland best. More interesting imagery.
REVOLUTION 9 - JOHN w/YOKO
Oh but there was mighty fight about including this sound collage on the album. It's length would make Hey Jude blush and its listenability is purely up to each individual. John may have lost the fight with Revolution and Across The Universe (see below) but won the battle with this track.
GOOD NIGHT - JOHN
Sometimes erroneously credited to Paul, here a nice bedtime lullaby perfectly intoned by Ringo. George Martin's orchestration is quite lovely, too.
1969 -
Yellow Submarine
Not a Beatles album, per se, I've included it because of the original songs that it does feature. 2 songs were from singles with 4 originals. The rest of the album has songs from the soundtrack written by George Martin. The Beatles had nothing to do with the film except for a brief bit at the end. The songs they gave to the producers ranged from okay to pretty insightful. Don't see the film while on drugs!
ONLY A NORTHERN SONG - GEORGE
A right wry commentary from George. Northern Songs was the company set up to administer the publishing rights for the Lennon-McCartney duo, and also, George's songs as well. He has little problem skewering his band mate's company and would eventually form his own publishing company called Harrisongs.
ALL TOGETHER NOW - PAUL
I don't know - notable for the old fashioned car horn? Rather a trifle to be sure.
HEY BULLDOG - JOHN
The best of this bunch, John's song is a driving number with a little shading of mockery. Another fabby guitar solo as well.
IT'S ALL TOO MUCH - GEORGE
The coda repeats "too much" at least four dozen times! An interesting late '60's song from George.
single:
GET BACK - PAUL
DON'T LET ME DOWN - JOHN
The Beatles' nineteenth single was their first one in several months and was meant to tie in with their forthcoming album, Get Back. This was not be and the album eventually surfaced as Let It Be the following year. The A-side is the studio version featuring some wonderful keyboard work by guest artist Billy Preston, who was the only musician to share label credit with The Beatles! Paul's song is also helped along by John's rollicking lead guitar work. John scores his second appearance in a row as a songwriter on the B-side with a song showing the distance traveled since This Boy.
single:
THE BALLAD OF JOHN AND YOKO - JOHN
OLD BROWN SHOE - GEORGE
The band's twentieth single was a quickly written and recorded jaunty song by John, backed with a great song written by George. John's song was his first A-side since All You Need Is Love nearly two years previous. That fact alone speaks volumes of how his songs had fallen out of favor as coveted A-side material, especially to the bean counters. As far as they go, they could not have been happy as this single broke a long string of number one hits, as it peaked at number five. This was the first of John's pamphlet songs, written and recorded so quickly that only John and Paul were available. A reunion of the Nerk Twins. It is a neat summing up of the adventures of the new couple, whose actions at the time were increasingly alienating the press corps, among others. The song was also banned in many countries and from many radio stations in the southern United States for the "Christ you know it ain't easy" refrain which resulted in the lower chart placing. The B-side is awash in some great fuzz bass and shows George's growing range as a songwriter.
single:
SOMETHING - GEORGE
COME TOGETHER - JOHN
The only single from the band to feature a George written A-side, which he brushed off as being a bone thrown to him by the others. Both songs were lifted from the forthcoming Abbey Road album (The Beatles' last) and show each composer at their best. Something is such a gorgeous song, filled with invented hooks and guitar work. Also, in common with a lot of the songs recorded during these last sessions of the band, the song has amazing backing and harmony vocals. The B-side is like proto-punk, but richly produced. The coda alone is worth the price of the single.
 |
| (cover photo by Iain Macmillon) |
Abbey Road
Although released before Let It Be, this album, The Beatles' eleventh, was in fact the last album they recorded. Only 2 songs were on a single with 15 original songs on the album. Perhaps sensing this was their last hurrah, the entire band turned in some great work. The album also shows the direction Paul would go with his songs throughout most of the 1970's. Also of note, how John's songs are basically excluded from the so-called medley that comprises most of the B-side of the album. Quite an ironic finish for John, who was in fact the leader of the group. He disbanded The Beatles in the Fall of 1969, but was sworn to secrecy by his band mates, managers and bean counters because of the as yet unreleased album and singles.
MAXWELL'S SILVER HAMMER - PAUL
Apparently, this song also stands out in George and John's minds as a song that seemingly kept overdubbing forever. It is a strange song from Paul to be sure, like a kiddie murder show.
OH DARLING - PAUL
One of Paul's best gut wrenching Little Richard vocals ever put down on vinyl. This song shows that even late in their career, Lennon-McCartney continued to try and top each other.
OCTOPUS'S GARDEN - RINGO w/GEORGE
Ringo's second effort (again with uncredited help from George) is a far more interesting number. There is just some wonderful imagery and it is a bit of a sequel to Yellow Submarine.
I WANT YOU (SHE'S SO HEAVY) - JOHN
John has so few songs on the album, but the ones he does contribute are great. This may be the ultimate stoner song, I suppose, but it is carefully laid out and edited.
HERE COMES THE SUN - GEORGE
The sun is life! Ringo's drumming is fairly spectacular as are George's lyrics.
BECAUSE - JOHN
Some of the best vocal harmonies on any song they did along with such lines as "because the world is round..."
YOU NEVER GIVE ME YOUR MONEY - PAUL
Paul's take on the continuing legal hassles that were embroiling the brand name. This song also introduces the famous medley and is also one of Paul's best melodies.
SUN KING - JOHN
One of John's most wonderfully silly exotic songs. Again the vocal harmonies are outstanding.
MEAN MR. MUSTARD - JOHN
The following two songs by John are more or less snippets of longer versions. John didn't feel very good about them, apparently, and allowed Paul to edit them down to fit his medley. The songs are very good despite their length.
POLYTHENE PAM - JOHN
This has a wicked flair to it, for some reason.
SHE CAME IN THROUGH THE BATHROOM WINDOW - PAUL
One of Paul's crowning achievements. With some influence from John lyrically, this song also underscores the amazing vocal harmonies performed by the boys throughout this album.
GOLDEN SLUMBERS - PAUL
Another piano themed piece by Paul.
CARRY THAT WEIGHT - PAUL
Even Ringo can be heard during the rousing chorus! The song dashes back for some more concerns about money and funny paper and then comes Paul's next song.
THE END - PAUL
A nearly perfect send-off, Paul's simple melody bursts into a guitar/drum solo traded off by all four boys. The last line is nearly majestic.
HER MAJESTY - PAUL
Not wont to leave well enough alone, Paul tacks on the very short ditty, several seconds after the last song. Wonder what the Queen thought of it?
1970 -
single:
LET IT BE - PAUL
YOU KNOW MY NAME (LOOK UP THE NUMBER) - JOHN + PAUL
Finally, the album that was originally known as Get Back, gets released as Let It Be, a soundtrack for a movie that basically shows the disintegration of the band and here is the preview single! This penultimate single from the group has Paul's baby as an A-side, filled with religious symbols and a soaring vocal. This version was produced by George Martin and is much cleaner than the Phil Spector version on the album. The B-side dates from 1967 and is the last true Lennon-McCartney song. Anyone familiar with the songs The Beatles gave away on their annual Christmas records given to fans only will recognize the same inventive silliness.
 |
| (cover photos by Ethan Russell) |
Let It Be
Released after the "official" break up, The Beatles' twelfth album is also sort of a soundtrack for the infamous film of the same name. 4 songs were on singles, 2 were covers and only 6 were originals. It is as if we went back in time to 1963. The somewhat tortured road traveled by this album from recording to release includes three different producers. The last one was legendary wall of sound producer Phil Spector.
TWO OF US - PAUL w/JOHN
In a way, this song could be about John and Paul and their lives together, and maybe that's exactly what it is.
DIG A PONY - JOHN
If nothing else, this song represents John at his referential best. Culled from the live concert, it is extremely chilly.
ACROSS THE UNIVERSE - JOHN
The story with this song began in early 1968 and would have made a fab first single of the year if The Beatles and George Martin had not screwed it up. Unlike Strawberry Fields Forever, which started out as a demo of just voice and guitar and morphed into one of John's signature creations, this song may indeed have been compromised by the others as John suggested later. The "finished" track, which was given to a wildlife charity album included odd, unwanted sitar and backing vocals by a group of girl fans recruited by Paul from right outside the studio! This version was reworked by Spector who stripped away some of the more egregious elements and added some orchestrations and choir. In spite of all this, John's great lyrics and melody survived.
I ME MINE - GEORGE
George goes off well with this "last album' production of one his most driving rock songs. It may also express the absolute crap that was happening at the time with the Apple Corp.
I'VE GOT A FEELING - PAUL w/JOHN
A rare double vocal from John and Paul in the later stages of the sixties. It truly is one of their best songs together.
THE ONE AFTER 909 - JOHN + PAUL
Here is, finally, after six years, the released version of the song first featured during those sessions long ago in 1963. If nothing else, George's guitar solo is much better in this version.
single:
THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD - PAUL
FOR YOU BLUE - GEORGE
This twenty-third single from the band, and their last one, is wistful on one hand and a brief compendium of their entire career on the other. Again, a single that ignores John, this version of The Long And Winding Road was, by Paul's standards, cloying inept by the re-producer Spector. Regardless, like John's earlier failure to get the band on board for Across The Universe, Paul's song at least was brought to some sort of artistic fruition. The B-side gives George a great send-off and sorta shine the individual Beatles better than The End. Here is Ringo at his best, Paul with immaculate bass runs and John playing a freaking steel guitar. All thanks to George!
Here is a post script. For whatever reason (loyalty, contractual?) the only solo record to carry the Lennon-McCartney moniker was John's peace anthem, Give Peace A Chance.
No comments:
Post a Comment