by Nick Deriso and Pico
We are a couple of music reviewers who are proud of our divergent tastes. Nick's got you covered from David Allen Coe to Marcus Roberts, while Pico swerves wildly between The Subdudes and John Scofield.
But there's a place we come together (heh): The Beatles. A conversation we had the other day in the wake of the "Hey Bulldog" rave-up revealed that we share a lot of the same favorite non-hit Beatles songs. From there, an idea was born.
So in the spirit of John Lennon and Paul McCartney's songwriting partnership we decided to collaborate on writing a piece listing our favorite, lesser-known Beatles songs and take turns explaining why we think they're... so heavy.
I Me Mine
Nick:
A taut, unjustly forgotten gem — and one of the few songs Phil Spector didn't muck up on the Let It Be project. Here, his swirling strings add the perfect portent as Harrison delves into a favorite subject: How we're all really bastards, deep down.
Pico:
Phil also gets props for picking out the best take, which was only a minute and a half long, and deftly stretching it to full-song length. Even this song-lengthening edit survived the de-Spectorization that occurred for Let It Be... Naked. George lashes out at the mighty human ego on "Mine," which is in a way an ironic counter-point to "Taxman" (tackled below). This is also the last song the Beatles recorded prior to breakup, and John wasn't even around for it.
Hey Bulldog
Pico:
I already covered this one back in July, but one thing I failed to note back then was George's contribution. Consistent with the relaxed mood prevalent during the February, 1968 mini-sessions, Harrison reels off a loose, jangly solo characteristic of his knack for providing not the most flashy guitar work, but the one that fits the song just right. He was like having a crack session guitarist inside the band.
Nick:
This has the fun, loose and collaborative feel of the best of the group's early work, notable since by this point The Beatles were really just a backing group for whoever composed any particular track. As they howl, moan, and bark their way through a rollicking little aside, you remember not just what made these two remarkably listenable rock composers — but also what made Lennon and McCartney friends.
Getting Better
Nick:
I relish Lennon's drive-by cynicism on fluffy little tracks like this from McCartney. Paul, as he often will, threatens to float right off while the soaring chorus builds behind him. But no sooner does he sing "it's getting better all the time," then we have Lennon dropping anchor: "Can't get no worse." "Getting Better" might not be the best example of this brilliant balancing act — for that, head over to the worn copies of "We Can Work It Out" — but it certainly ranks as a tucked-away favorite in the genre. Great guitar riff, too.
Article comments
1 - Colin
Nice article chaps:
Taxman always seems kind of mean-spirited from someone who went on to embrace rather more non-materialist philosophies and, despite the super tax rates, was very wealthy, All Things Must Pass George don't sweat your tax rates. Still, the guitar solo is absolutely extraordinary and it's a cracker. Absolutely No Reply as well, a real driver.
I've got less time for Mother Nature's Son than you, Macca at his sickliest.
I'm always amazed by I've Just Seen A Face from the Help album - often derided as throwaway I just think it's a cracking race-along pop song.
There are far too many others to mention but I'll try and match your ten:
I've Just Seen A Face. I'm Looking Through You (rather similar I'm sure you'll agree), She Said She Said, Don't Bother Me (George being curmudgeonly again! But I love the surliness this time), Things We Said Today, Baby You're A Rich Man (for the groove), Glass Onion, Sexy Sadie, In My Life (too well known?), ohhhh, and Cry Baby Cry....
The list will change in my head in 25 seconds anyway but there are some top tracks there I'd contend.
2 - Donald Gibson
"I Need You" - I found a new appreciation for this one after Tom Petty sang a great version of it at the Concert For George. The song gets a bit trumped by other tracks on the Help! soundtrack, but it's a lovely song nonetheless.
- Donald
3 - Steve
"You Know My Name, Look Up The Number" is one of my favorite Beatles songs.
4 - zingzing
ahh, wonderful. i've been on a beatles kick recently...
"no reply" has always been a favorite, to the point where i have, several times, declared "beatles for sale" my favorite beatle album. beatle-tastic! i love the bossa-nova-esque beginning, the wonderful release of the "i saw the light" bit, which is a wonderful bit of literary whatsit. the song is much like "good vibrations" and "happiness is a warm gun" in its multiple sections, and wonderfully ignorant of its own brilliance (it seems). and ringo's off-time cymbal crash just before the ending is so dramatic. definitely two minutes of beatle-beauty. oh yes. (and the following two numbers are no slouches either.)
"you never give me your money" is probably paul's best undervalued song. it's just so damn good that, even as a john fan, i have to question my own preconceptions. paul could certainly whip it out, and how. lyrically, you'd expect this to be a john song. structurally, it's as brilliant as "no reply" (or "hiawg"), but it, in typical paul fashion, knows it. how paul could put such gorgeous, ambitious music around so much personal gripe... just shows how much talent he could toss around.
other underplayed beatle classics? hrm. how about "it won't be long," "golden slumbers," "oh! darling," "i'm only sleeping," "yer blues," "revolution 9," "i wanna be your man," "kansas city/hey-hey-hey?"
of course, my favorites are all underappreciated, because they are too brilliant for words: "twist & shout," "help," "hiawg," "she said, she said," etc, etc, etc.
5 - zingzing
um, and "you never give me your money" is about the dissolution of the beatles. oh fun:
"You never give me your money
You only give me your funny paper
and in the middle of negotiations
you break down"
*funny paper is legal papers. what with the general disagreement about who would be the beatles' manager. paul wanted linda eastman's father or uncle. the rest another. and so it goes.
"I never give you my number
I only give you my situation
and in the middle of investigation
I break down"
*same thing, but with more emphasis of the breakdown in communications between the beatles.
"Out of college, money spent
See no future, pay no rent
All the money's gone, nowhere to go"
*paul had about 900,000 pound sterling when he left the beatles. not chump change, especially in the late 60's... but not a fair chunk of the money he was responsible for moving.
"Any jobber got the sack
Monday morning, turning back
Yellow lorry slow, nowhere to go
But oh, that magic feeling, nowhere to go
Oh, that magic feeling
Nowhere to go"
*dunno about that first bit, but the "magic feeling" is probably about paul lamenting the loss of the beatles' particular synchronicity or something.
"One sweet dream
Pick up the bags and get in the limousine
Soon we'll be away from here
Step on the gas and wipe that tear away
One sweet dream came true today
Came true today
Came true today (yes it did)"
*paul saying, "i'm out." probably because john wanted to say it.
"One two three four five six seven,
All good children go to Heaven"
*paul is dead.
6 - Pico
Well, I figured in a vague sense "You Never Give Me Your Money" had something to do about the battle Paul was fighting against the rest of the Beatles, but except for a few lines, the lyrics made no sense to me.
That was a mighty impressive breakdown, zing.
7 - El Bicho
two of my favorites, not yet mentioned. Polythene Pam and I Want You (She's So Heavy), the latter of which I saw played by Cheap Trick with Al from Ministry at the Hollywood Bowl. And it was good.
8 - JC Mosquito
"I've Just Seen a Face" - seems to never tire me out.
9 - Glen Boyd
I'd have to rate their best unsung gem as "The Night Before" from the Help! soundtrack. It never gets any airplay, yet has a great hook and one of Macca's best vocals sung in the "rock" voice.
I'd go with "Hey Bulldog" as a close second. As far as Pepper tracks, I always liked "Lovely Rita" a lot -- great psychedelic harmonies on that one. With "White Album", I always liked George's "Savoy Truffle" a lot, as well as John's "Happiness Is A Warm Gun." Moving on to Revolver I'd have to say...oh shit, where does it really end with these guys?
-Glen
10 - Chaz
she said she said,it's all too much,cry baby cry,yer blues,i want you(she's so heavy),not a second time,i'll be back,i want to tell you,i need you,tomorrow never knows,every little thing....just to name a few,i agree....my mind will come up with others in a few minutes....thank you
11 - johnozed
'any jobber got the sack' refers to Apple employees who got fired when Allen Klein came on the scene and cleaned out 3 Saville Row.
My personal faves,
Tomorrow Never Knows
You Know My name(Look Up the Number)
Baby You're A Rich Man
It's All Too Much
She's A Woman (Reverb version)
The Word
Cry Baby Cry
I Want To Tell You
Rain
12 - Jeri
Things we say today. for no one ,fixing a hole she said she said , i will, i need you , oh darlin ,
13 - Andy Sayers
"Glass Onion" made my Top 10 Beatles songs list.
14 - Londyn
I have yet to hear a Beatles song I didn't like. My favorite being 'She Came in Through the Bathroom Window'. Having not been born in the 60s but rather the way late 80s and my parents being too high to remember any of their childhood, I can say I do not know if it was a fan favorite.
But, a close few ties for second are the cliche classics: 'I Wanna Hold Your Hand' (it's so simplistic and innocent), 'Here Comes the Sun' (first song I EVER heard in my life), 'Michelle', and a favorite among the pseudohippies in my school- 'I Am The Walrus'
15 - JC Mosquito
There's plenty of Badfinger tunes that SOUND like the Beatles' greatest hits they never made - I never tire of those ones.
16 - FrodoBagginz
no one ever talks about "The End" but it is such a great song!
17 - nowheremanontherun
Wow, so many.
Wild Honey Pie, Sun King, The End, Octopus's Garden, Because, You Know My Name, Sexy Sadie, Long Long Long, Happiness is The Warm Gun, Rocky Racoon, Good Night, Dear Prudence, Martha My Dear, Cry Baby Cry, Savoy Truffle, Piggies, Everybody's Got Something To Hide, I've Got A feeling, Dig A Pony, And Your Bird Can Sing, She Said She Said, I Want To Tell You, Got To Get You Into My Life, Tomorrow Never Knows, Lovely Rita, When I'm 64, Getting Better, Fixing The Hole, Girls, If I Fell, etc etc etc
18 - gjk
Nowheremanontherun, I believe the song is Fixing a hole. (But clever name and great song choices.)
19 - hi
Golden slumbers?
20 - SomeDude
Happiness is a warm gun is a great one.
21 - wassup
Got to get you into my life. Also had a great cover by Earth, Wind, Fire.
22 - Chris
Hi! In Martha My Dear Paul uses his dog's name but the lyric is a defiant/unrepentant yet guilty/hurt/pleading address to his ex-fiance Jane after she left because of his affair/s - i.e. a post-break-up song from the 'guilty party'. In the verses he admits that he still loves her and thinks they're meant to be together etc., yet the chorus addresses his affairs when he tells Jane to be more understanding and to not be silly - that "when you find yourself in the thick of it, help yourself to a bit of what is all around you"...