My entry in the Fave Fab Four Songs W/OSep 25 '05 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line While my Beatlemania is a thing of the past, I'm still a big fan of the band since it marked my life in more ways than one. This is my entry in alexdg1's Fave Fab Four Songs W/O. Oh, the memories... I might be overdoing it. I was actually born a month and a half after John Lennon died, but my Beatlemania took place in my mid-teens: for about two years, 90% of the music I listened to was related to the Beatles (my mother and one of my uncles owned most of their albums, and had gone to their 1964 concert in Montreal), and me and my friends “covered” around thirty of their songs. I eventually went elsewhere musically speaking, and don't listen to the records as much as I used to, but I still have overwhelmingly positive feelings about them. So, without further ado, here is a list of twenty Beatles songs that have especially marked my life (as you will see, I lean heavily towards Lennon and the band's later years) - the order roughly mirrors my tastes, but it is anything but definitive and could change at any moment. As one could expect, many more could have been selected... Across the Universe. I identified this song as my favorite at the beginning of my initial infatuation with the Beatles, in the mid-1990s, and find no reason to change my mind about it. Beautiful in many ways... and no matter what Paul or John might think, the Spector version has always been the best in my opinion. Dear Prudence. Very, very nice... definitely my favorite song on the White Album. I like it almost as much as Across the Universe, but felt that it wasn't quite as deep or universal, at the time. I tried to emulate John's distinctive picking style while playing guitar, with uneven results. Blackbird. Modest but complex, and just about perfect. I think that Paul's lower-profile songs on the White Album (this, Mother Nature's Son...) were more effective than the better-known ones (Helter Skelter, Back in the USSR, Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da, etc.). I loved to play it on my acoustic guitar as well. I Am the Walrus. Magical Mystery Tour is probably my favorite Beatles album; while not as slickly sounding as records like Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road, I still think it has the best batch of songs. And what more can one say about this particular piece? Surrealism and sixties psychedelia merge for four and a half minutes... heaven. Let It Be. One of the better-known of all pop songs, but I've always felt that my reasons for loving it were rarely shared - I especially appreciate its slow, strong groove. It's deceptively simple, and has one of Paul's best melodies. But I don't think the Beatles' original recording did it justice: it needs less harmonies, but more up-front drums - this latter criticism is one that I could put forward for many of their songs, unfortunately: George Martin so-called “genius” for arrangements often eludes me, I'm afraid, and poor Ringo rarely was awarded the chance to shine... I'm Only Sleeping. Just superb. Strange atmosphere... neither up nor down, but truly dreamy. John nailed it. Strawberry Fields Forever. The second member of the one-two Lennon psychedelic punch on Magical Mystery Tour. Quite mesmerizing on all levels... Nowhere Man. Melancholy, willful and undeniably melodic. My favorite song on Rubber Soul. Tomorrow Never Knows. A fantastic psychedelic blast whose influence is still being felt today. Tomorrow never knows indeed... Julia. The darker companion of Dear Prudence on the White Album... a moving piece with intense imagery and emotions. Here Comes the Sun. As pantheistic a song as the Beatles ever wrote. And another one that I loved to play with friends. Because. Beautiful harmonies, fantastic mood. Unlike many other songs on this list, this one grew on me over the years and took some time to sink in. She Said She Said. Nice mix of the mundane and the offbeat (no pun intended!)... very good use of conflicting tempos. Another great electric number from Revolver. The Fool on the Hill. Paul puts his own surreal touch on the Magical Mystery Tour album with a unique song that is at once typical and atypical... in any case, a memorable piece. Norwegian Wood. This one fits perfectly on the mostly acoustic Rubber Soul... a neat little story, and the sitar is a crucial contribution by George. Glass Onion. Weird stuff, with a straight, to-the-point arrangement but loaded with arcane references and upside-down poetry. One of the band's most underrated songs. Yesterday. It may be overplayed in all sorts of arrangements nowadays, but this still doesn't strip the song from its beauty. Magical Mystery Tour. This might the Beatles' least appreciated title song, but it does a marvelous job at propelling the rest of the album in the stratosphere... or, at least, in an over the top, trippy place... Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise). The original song as it should have been done: even more up-front drums and guitars, and a fantastic drive. No wonder Jimi Hendrix wanted to cover it... With a Little Help From My Friends. By far my favorite Beatles song sung by Ringo (whose delivery is splendid)... another deft mix of the mundane and the obscure. Highly effective melodies and harmonies all around. Thank you for reading...  |
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