Ranking The Beatles

Even though the Fabs had shown some affinity for country, it's on the White Album where they dive headfirst. Paul's turn at spinning a country story comes via "Rocky Raccoon," one of the numerous songs written by the band in India early in 1968. Leaning on a cheeky, twangy vocal, the tale of Rocky, Dan, and Lil has a bit of everything: a love triangle, a shootout, a drunk doctor who doesn't appear...

As the opening track on Rubber Soul , "Drive My Car" represents the line in the sand in which The Beatles shake off their beat-group roots, and firmly enter a smokey, hazy world, influenced by the world they've conquered and toured, and made in their image. Their continuing love of R&B manifests itself in the bass driven tune, propelling a story of a would-be star persuading the narrator to be...

To finish the break-neck recording sessions for Rubber Soul , the band dug back into the archives for the song "Wait," originally recorded and shelved during the Help! album soundtrack. A new overdubs, and voila! A fine album track, it's a great performance from all parties, but it also has a hint of the beat-group that the band had outgrown by this album, so it's got an interesting vibe of being...

This week's song is an "all-Paul" track (writing-wise, at least John says it is) that found a home on the Help! film and soundtrack. On celluloid, the boys craft "The Night Before" in a field, surrounded by tanks and assailed by wind. In real life, they knocked it out in 2 takes in Abbey Road in February of 65, the track marking the first time we hear Lennon on keys, and a key part that drives the...

There's an old joke...What was the last thing the drummer said before getting fired? "I've written a song..." Ringo first brought "Don't Pass Me By" to the Beatles when he joined the band in 1962. Not until the free-for-all spirit of The White Album in 1968 did the band agree to take up his jolly country tune, and when we say the band, we mean just Paul. Dueling sources place both Beatles behind t...

The Beatles kicked off sessions for Rubber Soul with a song John wrote based off a lyric lifted from an Elvis song. It's an interesting case that on a record where they tap into the idea that "the word is 'Love'" but close that record out with "Run For Your Life," perhaps the most aggressive and threatening song Lennon ever wrote. The lyrical content being at odds with all things "fab," it's a sha...

John & Paul often talk about some songs as being "work songs"....tunes they knocked out for other artists, or George and Ringo, or tracks to fill out the album. They often referred to #188, "Little Child," as one of those songs. It's a fairly simple, uptempo rocker intended for Ringo's vocal spotlight on With The Beatles , though John eventually handles  the vocal on it. Simple as it may...

One of the great things this podcast has given over so far is a chance to re-examine songs you've heard hundreds of times. Through that, "There's A Place" revealed itself to be the roots of the introspective and sensitive Lennon who goes on the bring us songs like "Nowhere Man," "Strawberry Fields Forever," all the way to "Watching The Wheels." And it's brave as hell to put a song that low-key is...

Every holiday season from 1963-1969, members of the Official Beatles Fan Club would receive a special present from the Fab Four: a limited edition, fan-club-only flexidisc record, made just for them. What started out as a brilliant turn of PR, scripted to strengthen the appeal and bond between band and fan turned into an outlet for the boys to create whimsey and weirdness without consideration of...

At the onset of the Get Back/Let It B e project, John had a dilemma: he was short on songs. Paul and George had them falling out of their back pockets, but John was...going through some things, and didn't have a ton of material. He looked to the past, as the rest did, to old Lennon/McCartney tunes, rock & roll standards, covers, and old folk songs, like " Maggie Mae ," a tale-as-old-as-time st...

One of the first songs T he Beatles worked on for their fourth record, Beatles for Sale , ended up being one of the last ones they finished, and along the way, I argue, the create the blueprint for what becomes power-pop. A catchy, repeating guitar riff on a jangly 12-string, a signature drum part, earnest, powerful, heart-on-the-sleeve vocals, and MELODY MELODY MELODY. "What You're Doing" may not...

The White Album is definitely a high water mark for The Beatles . This expansive, now-classic album lifts off with the Chuck Berry-meets-The Beach Boys flavored rocker "Back In The USSR." The rocking Beatles are back from their psychedelic trips, and the gang's all here...except for Ringo, who walked out during the recording of this track. Paul takes over on the drums, adequately, and the original...

"When I Get Home" is a great example of peak early-period John Lennon. It's a raucous track with interesting harmonies, an amazing vocal delivered with all the attitude and swagger of someone who'd dared to take on the world and won. It's a brutal, rocking punch that found it's way to the second half of the "A Hard Day's Night" album. It's really got nothing going against it, other than it's maybe...

There's always been something about The Beatles that made them really shine on screen. Their charisma and ease on camera seems to come from a rounded appreciation of the arts, including literature and theatre. That they only ever released one cover of a Broadway tune is interesting, especially when you consider it's kind of what got them their shot with George Martin, but that's what happened with...

As a musician, I couldn't ever imagine having the world hear the first song I ever wrote...or have the guts to put that first song on a record that's expected to sell millions of copies. But that's just what happens with #198, George's "Don't Bother Me." It checks all the 60's early rock boxes, all while in a minor key! Impressive? George called it "not a great song," and maybe he's not wrong, but...

Few can dispute the fact that The Beatles were masters at the craft of songwriting. Melding music and lyrics was literally THEIR THING. They were GREAT at it. So it's an odd move for them to undertake recording a Memphis R&B styled instrumental during the sessions for Rubber Soul . A track owing more than just a tip-of-the-cap to Booker T. & The MGs ' " Green Onions ," "12 Bar Original" fi...

Country music always played a part in The Beatles' story, more so than it probably gets credit for. Cavern and Hamburg sets featured covers of  songs from the likes of Chet Atkins and Carl Perkins, while George's early lead style is massively influenced by them as well, all the way down to his choice of guitar. Ringo's love of country ends up with him doing a full on country album with studio...

This episode drops into the contentious White Album sessions. Paul's perfectionism can be such a blessing, but also a curse. In trying to craft the joy and fun of #202 "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da," he ends up infuriating other band members and fighting with George Martin. Not the easiest way to get to a happy, silly, family friendly song. But then again, happy and family friendly are nowhere on the docket...

There's a reason The Beatles are so associated with the word "love." While they wrote a huge amount of songs about romantic love, they became the flag-bearers for love as a universal cause. #204 "The Word" marks the first time we see the Fabs stepping into that spokesperson role, espousing the power of love and peace. Just two years later, on the heels of telling the world love was all they needed...

Buddy Holly was one of the biggest influence on the Beatles, particularly John and Paul. They covered at least 13 of his songs during their early days. He inspired them to be both singers AND songwriters. So it's kind of surprising they only released Buddy Holly cover. As much as I enjoy " Words of Love ," it feels like it's never gotten above the "that's nice" level for me. It's a track that stru...

Under the gun for material to complete Rubber Soul, the Beatles dusted off an old Quarrymen-era tune, sprinkled a bit of Buck Owens on it, and gave Ringo his vocal turn with #207, "What Goes On."  An earlier version was considered as a single to follow up "Please Please Me," but it found it's home as a nice bit of album filler in 1965. Featuring nice guitar and bass work, a solid vocal, and d...

Paul McCartney and John Lennon are, inarguably, two of the greatest songwriters of all time. On this episode, we tackle what may be the most inconsequential songs they penned during their time as Beatles. These songs also show the different paths they'd found themselves on in 1969...Paul, able to be fully self-sufficient on his own, creating on whim; John, searching for something while in the thro...

It's our first ever crossover episode! We're putting our heads together with Tommy, Scotty, and Becker, the hosts of Blotto Beatles, a podcast where they discuss a different Beatles song over a handful of adult beverages, then decide where it should rank in their personal rankings. Great minds think alike! In this episode, we discuss "I'll Get You," the b-side to the "She Loves You" single. It's a...

Ancient philosophers once wrote "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." No, wait, sorry, that was Semisonic. It's true though. Beginnings and endings are fascinating because of what comes from both. "Love Me Do" was the beginning for the Beatles, but the end of the proverbial black & white life society was living in. Boom! Color. "The Long and Winding Road" marked the end...

You know how when a puppy's paws get big, and they get real clumsy and don't know what to do with them, and it's super cute, but they need to grow into their paws? That's how Jonathan sees "That Means A Lot," a song from the "Help!" album sessions, shelved until the Anthology release in the 90s. We're joined this week by drummer and classical pianist Andre Bohren to discuss this song, as well as "...