Hey all,
Now that all the Beatles in Australia festivities are (sadly) over, I’m going to start posting less Australianised posts, and make this blog more generally Beatle-ish. I’m sitting in our study-type-room, listening to Anthology 3 on YouTube (‘Happiness Is A Warm Gun’ was just on – that version proves how beautiful John’s voice was!), and I thought I’d begin one of the most definitive posts a Beatlemaniac can put on their Beatles-related blog – their favourite Beatles songs! As I said on my ‘Welcome’ post, there is no such thing as my favourite Beatles song, or even a countdown of my ten favourites, so instead, I’m going to list one of my favourite songs off each album, so please enjoy! Also, this is only my opinion (and a very small quota of it, at that), so don’t be offended if your favourite Beatle number is not mentioned – it’s likely that it’d still make my favourites!
Real Love (Anthology 2)
Yeah, yeah, yeah – I know this technically doesn’t count as a proper Beatles song, but it’s so darn beautiful! I heard this for the first time the other week (when I listened to my newest Beatles CD from Melbourne), and I have to admit I got a little emotional. I just watched the official music clip – same effect. John, you really were something special – we miss you!
Please Please Me (Please Please Me)
Favourite song off The Beatles’ first album – it’s boppy, the harmonica riff is fab, and I love basically everything about it!
It Won’t Be Long (With The Beatles)
I love this one, too – the tune is sophisticated, the lyrics are slightly dark, and the chords are gorgeously outrageous and obscure (trust me – I’m a guitarist). Listening to this song makes me want to dance/sing/let my hair down; I challenge you to sit through this song without dancing or singing. I’m fairly sure that any such feat is impossible!
If I Fell (A Hard Day’s Night)
Okay – no explanation needed for this one. ‘If I Fell’ is one of the most exquisite songs ever written – END OF STORY! This is the clip from A Hard Day’s Night, by the way.
Baby’s In Black (Beatles For Sale)
I find it hard to find a favourite song on Beatles For Sale, probably because it’s my equal-second favourite album. But ‘Baby’s In Black’ is an utterly fabulous stand-out; everything from the waltz time, to George’s lead guitar line, to the John/Paul two-part harmonies… God, I love this song!
You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away (Help!)
Ever since I knew who The Beatles were (or maybe even before – I must have been about seven when I first heard this song), I have pertained a passionate love for this song. It played a major part in my becoming-a-Beatlemaniac; it was one of the first Beatles songs I ever heard! But anyway (sentimental values or not), this song is so gorgeous, that even if you aren’t a fan, this song will win you over! This clip is from Help!, in case you’re wondering.
Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Rubber Soul)
This was one of the first-ever songs I played on guitar. Listen to it, and you will understand why – the acoustic guitar line is just exquisite, and same goes for the vocals (I love that John/Paul harmony on the chorus)! And how can I write about ‘Norwegian Wood’ without talking about that little thing that made this song so revolutionary – it was the first-ever rock song to involve a sitar, something that only a certain George Harold Harrison could do. Thanks, George – your gorgeous sitar line adds to the extreme amount of beauty that John had already cast over this composition!
She Said She Said (Revolver)
Revolver is my favourite album, and I find it very, very difficult to find just one favourite song from it, but (to put it bluntly) I LOVE THIS SONG! If I was forced to choose a favourite Beatle song, it would probably be this one. Yeah, yeah, yeah – I know it is about John’s experience on an LSD trip, but forget that. Just listen to the lead guitar (I dig that overdrive), the fact that John and George are harmonising ( 🙂 )- oh, I give up. I love every single thing about this song!
She’s Leaving Home (Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band)
Tough choice. Very tough choice between ‘Lucy In The Sky’, ‘Lovely Rita’, the title track and the above. The song is incredibly complex, the balance between lead and back-up vocals is gorgeous, and the lyrics are beautifully poignant – that is all.
I Am The Walrus (Magical Mystery Tour)
I lose it when I listen to this song – who doesn’t? It is really funny, and the tune is really cool – but I mainly love this song ’cause of John’s hysteric-inducing lyrics! This is the clip from that mad TV film that only Beatlemaniacs actually like (you know what I mean) – that is why the video is so trippy.
Long, Long, Long (The Beatles/White Album)
I just realised that I hadn’t put any George songs on this list, which is a crime – sorry, Georgie! I just love the drums, George’s vocals- I give up! Why am I spending so much time trying to explain why I love these songs, when most of the people who read this blog I would assume are Beatlemaniacs, and would just get it??
Hey Bulldog (Yellow Submarine)
That riff. And John and Paul at the end. That is all I have to say.
Because (Abbey Road)
I think the harmonies, the guitar and the synths speak for themselves, here – ‘Because’ is (cliché) too beautiful for words! There is another song on Abbey Road that deserves a special mention, though – ‘Octopus’s Garden’. It was the first song by The Fabs that I ever heard (at about age four), and it introduced me to a certain kind of magic that is The Beatles.
I Me Mine (Let It Be)
Just like every other song on the list (almost), I cannot explain why I love this song. I just do, and I’m sure that at least the Harrison Heads reading this will agree. I apologise for not putting more Harrison-penned songs on this list – a lot of his compositions make my favourites list, but John’s songs generally end up being my favourite songs off each album.
Yes It Is (single/Past Masters Vol. 1)
Here comes Johnny with his beautiful three-part harmonies, again – isn’t it interesting how he wrote all the three-part songs? But anyway, since I heard this song (the B-side to ‘Ticket To Ride’) about six months ago for the first time, I have had a large obsession with it, mainly for the volume pedal-ed guitar, the 6/8 time-signatures, it’s incredible musical complexities and (you guessed it!) the John/Paul/George harmonies! I know that John didn’t like this song, much – in 1980 (two days before that man with a gun (who does not deserve to be named) interfered with John’s life – or death… ) he described it as “an attempt to rewrite ‘This Boy’ that didn’t quite work” – but John was often quite critical of his Beatle work. Despite this, though, most Beatles fans I know/have read about (the latter being the majority of this crowd!) love this song, and I could not agree with them more! Oh, and the Anthology 2 version of this song is unbearably exquisite – listen to it below, and you’ll see why…
Day Tripper (single/Past Masters Vol. 2)
Da, da da da da da, da, da, da da da… (and those lovely vocals, and the percussion line, and that music clip above, despite the fact I think there should be more close-ups of John, and every other darned thing about this song)… END OF STORY! Isn’t that riff alone a valid enough reason to love this song?!
Well, there we go – a list of my very, very favourite Beatle tunes! I might do a Part 2 of this post at some point, but until then, enjoy having Beatles listening marathons!
(And as for some other Beatle-y things…)
The cover for the UK 50th anniversary A Hard Day’s Night has been changed, which is a very good thing! If you’ve seen the first edition (be glad if you haven’t), you’ll know that it was absolutely ATROCIOUS (repeat, ATROCIOUS). I also discovered that it is now being released here in Australia on BluRay/DVD, so my UK edition that I pre-ordered a couple of months ago will be extra special! Follow the links if you want to pre-order too (my old UK BluRay link I posted before now does not work).
For a UK edition (will also work in Australia, as we are the same BluRay region code):
For an Australian edition (don’t ask me why it’s rated M here, but PG elsewhere – I did think that its former G rating was pushing the boundaries a little, but M is overdoing things):
For an American edition (you lucky-ducks get to see it on the big screen, at your local cinema – guess who’s envious??):
http://thebeatles.shop.bravadousa.com/Product.aspx?cp=61569_65516&pc=BGAMB5679
And the most popular Beatle/s according to the readers/writer of this blog is (drum roll please, Ringo)… a draw between John and George, who are – coincidentally – my favourite and my second-favourite (yay for Johnny and Georgie)! Good day sunshine, for now (before I go too Beatle-mad, though I’m fairly sure I already fall under that category…) 🙂
All You Need Is The Beatles 