confessions of a dangerously beatles-obsessed mind Sep 09 '05    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet Popular Products in Music Revelation [Digipak] by Journey From $12 Machine Gun Etiquette by The Damned From $40 The Bottom Line . So. The Beatles. What is there to say that hasn't already been said (mostly by myself on this site)? But I know you all love reading about the Beatles, and you love me, and my 30+ Beatles-related reviews just aren't enough. So now you get to read my thoughts on twenty of the best offerings from my favourite group. And if you're tired of hearing about the Beatles, blame Alex for starting this Fab Four Write-Off. In case you hadn't noticed by now, my love for the Beatles is more a frightening obsession. The funny thing is, I don't know what it is that made me love them so. All I know is I hadn't been listening to a lot of music, and, after buying the 1 CD for someone who threw it on the figurative trash heap, I figured I'd listen to it to make my lost $10 worth it. From there, I was hooked. I've got all the albums, even greatest hits packages made up entirely of songs I already own; Beatles posters adorn the walls of my room; I've seen and liked every Beatles movie, even the ones which aren't called A Hard Day's Night; and to this day, one of the first questions I ask someone I've just met is, "How many Beatles albums do you own?" You might think I'd be disappointed now that I've heard everything the Beatles released, but on the contrary, they convinced me that music could be good (something I would never have realized from watching TRL) and inspired me to become the music freak I am today (though my current unemployment has put the kibosh on any music-buying for now). But anyway, on with the list (in no particular order). 1.) Twist and Shout just cuz it's the first Beatles song I ever heard. After seeing Ferris Bueller's Day Off, I wanted to know what the song playing during the parade scene was. My initial reaction: "What? It can't be the Beatles! That old group?" How soon things would change. 2.) Helter Skelter, because it's responsible for making me buy The White Album. Well, I would have bought it anyway, but I bought it sooner than I would have, so... It's hard to believe this song was written by the same guy who gave (forced upon) us "Silly Love Songs." That would be Paul, who screams his lungs out about riding a rollercoaster over the heaviest guitars and drums the group ever beat the hell out of. And it's all capped off with Ringo's shout of "I've got blisters on my fingers!" Forget Charles Manson and all that crap, and just enjoy the Beatles at their hard rocking best. 3.) A Day in the Life, because it simply blew me away on first listen, and even after hundreds, perhaps thousands, of subsequent listens, it never fails to amaze me. I could go on about the quiet piano and acoustic guitar beginning, the orchestral breaks which tie the song together, the lyrics made up of two unfinished songs by John and Paul, the song-ending orchestral buildup, and a thousand other things. But why bother? You've heard it already, and if you haven't, you need to. 4.) Eleanor Rigby, for depicting so vividly and poetically what it feels like to be incredibly lonely. 5.) I Am the Walrus, for proving that even when you're completely out of your mind on drugs, you can still write nonsensical songs that will be embraced by millions, and for including the line "Elementary penguin singing hare krishna, man you should have seen them kicking Edgar Allan Poe." 6.) Two Of Us, because even though John and Paul were barely on speaking terms at the time, you'd never guess it from their perfect harmony here. 7.) For No One, for being one of the truest "relationship songs" the Beatles ever did. 8.) Rain, for being arguably the group's best B-side release, for featuring some of Ringo's best drumming, and for utilizing the backwards tape trick in a non-annoying way, something most artists fail to do (hi, Missy). 9.) Yer Blues, cuz the blues are cool. 10.) If I Needed Someone, for being so relentlessly upbeat and sweet that I just had to fall in love with George for writing it (even if no one else did). 11 and 12.) Something and Here Comes the Sun, because they're two of the most beautiful songs written by any of the Beatles, and because most people will choose one of these two as their favourite Harrison song. 13.) Strawberry Fields Forever, cuz it's just as weird and avant-garde now as it was in 1968. 14.) In My Life, for its poignancy and simplicity and the way it makes me feel all nostalgic and stuff. 15.) Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), for its deceptively normal, soft and acoustic and folky beginning, until George's sitar comes in, adding an incredible something to the song. I'm not sure how to explain it, but without the sitar, I don't think the song would be as haunting and lovely as it is. 16.) She's Leaving Home, because of the gorgeous strings, John and Paul's trading vocals, and lyrics with which I can easily identify. 17.) Tomorrow Never Knows, for offering evidence that it's possible to create loopy, experimental psychedelia utilizing 1966 equipment. 18, 19, and 20.) Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, and The End, for being some of the best unfinished songs in pop history, and for closing a terrific album with a terrific line -- "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."

Read all comments (16)|Write your own comment

Write an essay on this topic.