The Beatles Stuffology Podcast

It's time to start a new album this episode as we launch into the movie soundtrack - well, half of a movie soundtrack anyway - Help and kick off with the title track. Does it deserve to be the Big Album Opener? It's its reputation overstated? And can the song survive being covered?   Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: @beatles_ology Instagram: beatlesstuff...

We're back (Pt 2)! This is the first episode recorded post-hiatus and we return with the exciting, pulse-racing, thundering climax of a track Yes It Is (ahem). Does the song deserve a higher status than a slightly-beloved and slightly-obscure B-side? Does the genre work for the Beatles? And can the boys keep it together after such a long recording break? (answer: ...ish?). But one question can be...

We're back! After a rather longer-than-hoped-for hiatus thanks to JG's wobbly health, Stuffology returns with one of the all-time classics of the band's back catalogue - the mighty Ticket To Ride. But does the song manage to live up to its titanic reputation? Does the song's reputation get in the way of actually appreciating it? And are cover versions able to do the original justice? Note: This ep...

A quick explanation as to why we haven't posted anything for a while!    Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: @beatles_ology Instagram: beatlesstuffology JG's Blog: Judgementally Reviews … Andrew’s Blog: Stuffology   Produced By: JG McQuarrie

It's time to put individual tracks behind us and tackle The Whole Of The Thing as this week we deal with the album Beatles For Sale. Does it continue the upward trajectory of the albums so far? How many times will the word "nascent" appear? And does the album deserve its knackered reputation? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Woe Woe and Thrice Woe / Twitter: @bea...

We continue playing catch-up on Stuffologgy this week as we plug the remaining hole in Beatles For Sale with What You're Doing. Does the song manage to point to the future of what the Beatles will do? How inevitable are discussions about the Byrds? And is this the most shambolic episode yet?   Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Just. Make. It. Stop. / Twitter: @bea...

It's mea culpa time on Stuffology this week. The more eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed two tracks absent from our Beatles For Sale coverage - Every Little Thing and What You're Doing. This is because - and there's no delicate way of putting this - JG is an idiot and mis-posted. So Every Little Thing will post this week, What You're Doing next week and then after that we'll have our coverage...

We draw a veil over Beatles For Sale with the final song on the album, George's take on Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby. How does the song stack up against the other cover versions? Who actually wrote it? And are the live versions better than the studio recording?   Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: @beatles_ology Instagram: beatlesstuffology JG's Blog:...

It's a stroll through country, er, country this week, as I Don't Want To Spoil The Party moseys on up to the stand. Does the song work for the band? Can they embrace country as easily as other influences? Does anything about this actually, you know, work?   Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: / X / Rated @beatles_ology Instagram: beatlesstuffology JG's Blog...

We head back to the land of Carl Perkins this episode, population Ringo. Yes, it's another cover version but how does this one fare? Can Ringo manage to sound enthusiastic? Does anyone - presenters included - care that much about this track? And will there be yet more Jeff Lynne commenatry?   Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter / X / Arseholes Anonymous: @be...

It's another cover version to be addressed in this episode as the Buddy Holly number "Words of Love" falls under the Beatles influence. Do they manage to capture anything of the original? Who says something nice about Jeff Lynne? And why no Ringo praise? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: @beatles_ology Instagram: beatlesstuffology JG's Blog: Judgementally...

It's Christmas! Or at least it was when this episode dropped which makes this our Christmas episode! That means we kick off the episode with a discussion about Beatles music that gets used in Christmas adverts - is it effective? Or just blatant manipulation? Or something else? Then it's time to move on to our main feature, Eight Days A Week. Does the song stack up against other Beatles No 1's in A...

Like every living creature on planet Earth, it will come as no surprise to discover We Have Opinions on the new Beatles single Now And Then. So we kick off the podcast with a discussion about the new track, the video, whether it really is a Beatles song (spoiler: it is) and whether it's better than the 90s Beatles singles. And then after that it's back to our regularly scheduled programme with Kan...

Well, the time has arrived. We've talked about it often enough in the run-up to this episode but, finally, it's time to tackle the much-reviled Mr Moonlight. Does the song deserve it's reputation as one of the big stinkers of the early Beatles career? Is there much justification for it on the album? And just how far down the ranking (or up - it's that exciting!) will it land? Plus - shock of all s...

It's a brief (very brief, in fact) foray in to the world of the Short McCartney Ballad with the rather charming "I'll Follow The Sun". Does the song deserve to be thought of as slight? How many weather-related other songs can get mentioned? And is there enough content to actually justify calling it a ballad?   Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter / X / Is Thi...

It's time for a cover of one of the most well-known songs ever as The Beatles cover Chuck Berry's Rock and Roll Music. Does the song deserve the classic status it holds? Do The Beatles manage to make a decent fist of it? And how many times can the word "Showaddywaddy" me mentioned in one podcast? (If you're thinking the answer is "too many" then you're correct!) Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eM...

Oh dear, what can we do, it's time to talk "Baby's In Black" at you. Ahem. Yes, it's waltz-time here at Stuffology! Can the song carry the change of pace for the album successfully? Why is the baby in black? Why is Han Solo mentioned?     Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter / X / Seventh Circle Of Hell: @beatles_ology Instagram: beatlesstuffology JG's Blog:...

It's time for Lennon's first Dylan attempt this week... or is it? It's I'm A Loser, either way! Does the song deserve its reputstion as following on the heels of Mr Zimmerman? Why are Spandau Ballet brought up (and dismissed out of hand)? Could this be the episode that talks least about the actual song itself and just provides a series of minor diversions instead? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking...

It's time for a new album as Beatles For Sale falls under the spotlight and it's opening track, No Reply. Does this different way of starting an album on a more melancholy note work? Do the Anthology versions shed any light on the situation? And does this really signify Lennon's increasing maturity as a songwriter? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: @beatl...

We flip the I Feel Fine single over to its B-side this time out to cover the McCartney rocker She's A Woman. Does the song manage to maintain the quality of its A-side? How do the cover versions stack up this time? And just how many other words rhyme with "presents" anyway?   Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: @beatles_ology Instagram: beatlesstuffology JG...

On to a single as we leave the world of albums temporarily behind and embrace I Feel Fine as this epsiode's Stuffology outing. Does the song manage to hold its own away from any kind of parent album? How much can someone say "I don't like this" while admitting to liking it and then changing their mind? And do the non-Lennon three-quarters of the band hold up their end of things?   Rankings: Track-...

It's four for the price of one this episode, as JG and Andrew tackle the whole of the Long Tall Sally EP in one go. So that'll be Long Tall Sally itself, I Call Your Name, Matchbox and Slow Down - plenty to be getting on with! How does the EP stack up when compared to the material that surrounds it? Does the band manage to make a good fist of the covers? And what of the lone Lennon/McCartney origi...

It's a bumper-length episode this time out as JG and Andrew cover both the A Hard Day's Night album and movie. After a quick check-in to cover the health of the dynamic podcasting duo (it says here) and a discussion about Paul McCartney, AI, and all that Beatles news stuff, they get on with the task at hand. How does the album compare to the previous two? Is the movie as good as its reputation? An...

We round off the analysis - if that's the word, and it isn't - of the A Hard Day's Night album with the closing track, I'll Be Back (and not an Arnie joke in sight...er, earshot). After a fairly morose start (to the podcast, not the song), how does I'll Be Back work as an album closer? Does it manage to tie everything together? And why so much ELO discussion?    Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eM...

Time for something a little controversial this time out, as JG and Andrew tackle the notorious You Can't Do That. How big is the disjuncture between the music and the lyrics? Is there any justification for defending this song in a modern context? And how do you even begin to score something like this?   Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: @beatles_ology JG'...