best of a band - the beatles

[here's a fun little thing i used to do on another forum i frequented. each one of these threads will be based upon one generally well known band. i'll ask a handful of opinion based questions about the band. i hope you guys have fun with it! and have fun reading each others responses.]

for the inaugural thread, we'll start with the band many people generally consider to be the best rock and roll and/or pop band ever.

the beatles.

1) what is your favorite beatles album?

2) what are your five favorite beatles songs?

3) who is/was your favorite beatle?

4) what's the best beatles cover song you've ever heard?

5) what band do you think best represents the beatles' sound or spirit in a post-beatles world (lets say anything after 1980 or so)?

(i'll post my own responses latter on)

Great thread idea, Eric.

1. Favorite Beatles Album: Revolver. This was a transitional album that finally showed they were moving from being purely a pop band to a group of artists who were willing to experiment. They had their feet in both worlds, and we got to hear their early phase completely polished up (e.g. "And Your Bird Can Sing") and a preview of their next phase (e.g. "Tomorrow Never Knows"). Every moment of this album is brilliant.

2. Five Favorite Beatles Songs: (this list has changed over the years, so this list is as of this moment 1) Two of Us; 2) Rain; 3) {Abbey Road Side 2}; 4) Ask Me Why; 5) While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

3. I've always appreciated George for his spiritual approach, but I can't really pick a "favorite."

4. There are two: (1) "Two of Us" by Michael Penn and Aimee Mann on the I Am Sam soundtrack; and (2) "Strawberry Fields Forever" by XTC. The latter cover was a note-for-note reproduction of the Beatles' original, right down to XTC's renting a Mellotron to complete the effect.

5. I don't think any band today captures the sound or spirit completely. Some teeny-pop bands like The Click Five (whom I saw opening for Ashlee Simpson last year-- yes, I am a total Dad) try to cop the look and feel of the "moptop" phase (as did The Knack in the late 70s), but they come up short. The only bands I think came close to the spirit and were clever enough both musically and lyrically are groups like Squeeze, Siouxsie and the Banshees (who were huge Beatles fans themselves), and the aforementioned XTC. Some say Oasis came close, too, but I never listed to much of their stuff.

How's that for starters?

excellent caribiner!
now if i can get some more takers...

ok, i'll go then...

1) same here, revolver. it's on an informal list of mine as one of "the perfect albums of all time". something completely and utterly listenable from beginning to end with great hooks and no fluff.

2) a day in the life
two of us
julia
for no one
something (sentimental favorite)

(honerable mention: rocky raccoon - i just always really enjoy this song when i listen to it)

3) john.

4) sarah mclachlan . blackbird

5) probably belle and sebastian.
they've certainly got the sound down. at least the britpop and soft melodic pop thing. they also seem to have the feel, a fun group, with mild behid the scenes tension (more than just inter-band like the beales too).
i'd also say the following bands/artists do a good job at capturing some of the sound:
the polyphonic spree
badly drawn boy
elliott smith
the apples in stereo
yo la tengo (some of the pop, lots of the psychedelia)

Speaking of the Polyphonic Spree, Quest For The Rest. That cute little online adventure game was to announce one of their new albums and created by Amanita Design (Jakub Dvorsky) the same artist behind Samorost and Samorost 2.

wow, maybe i'm losing it, but i have no idea what to do with that flash game.

i've clicked on lot of stuff, made things crawl away, pop out, wake up, shrug their shoulders, grow thorns, but nothing else...

Well the cactus... It has flowers, they bloom, they become fruit...

1) what is your favorite beatles album?

Help!

2) what are your five favorite beatles songs?

I'm only sleeping, Words of Love (captures everything I love about the Beatles - vocal harmonies, loving lyrics, feel-good sound), Run for your life, Across the Universe, We can work it out (5 that currently spring to mind as being great but non-obvious


3) who is/was your favorite beatle?

John


4) what's the best beatles cover song you've ever heard?

I'm loving the Beatles/ Monkees mashup Paperback Believer atm


5) what band do you think best represents the beatles' sound or spirit in a post-beatles world (lets say anything after 1980 or so)?

Hard to say, I'm tempted to say something like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club or the Smashing Pumpkins for their mix of rock songs with depth and melody, but no-one even comes close...

1) Revolver as well. Its here where all four members were working in complete unison, later albums began to show more of an individual approach to each song

2) Changes from day to day but here goes

i) a day in the life
ii) we can work it out
iii) i've just seen a face
iv) norwegian wood
v) happiness is a warm gun

3) Paul. They wouldn't have moved forward if it wasn't for Paul, he was the instigator of every movement they followed. It always makes me laugh that people think Ono's influence on John caused him to go avant garde, where Paul had been interested in it and showing John about it for three years already.

4) Hendrix doing Sgt Pepper. Brilliant.

5) Good question. Musically, in terms of progression and reinvention either Radiohead or Damon Albarn. In terms of social impact, probably Nirvana.

glyndav said:

3) Paul. They wouldn't have moved forward if it wasn't for Paul, he was the instigator of every movement they followed. It always makes me laugh that people think Ono's influence on John caused him to go avant garde, where Paul had been interested in it and showing John about it for three years already.

Click to expand...

It's refreshing to hear this. The popular school of thought has always been that Paul had the pop-song ear and John was the edgier one, and it's not that simple.

Paul seemed to be the one pushing the envelope, and of course sometimes it backfired (e.g. "Magical Mystery Tour," and the "Get Back" fiasco), but it was movement.

By the way, I am listening to the 5.1 DVD mix of Love right now and it's blowing me completely away.

hey, i love magical mystery tour...

the actual song is probably in my top ten, i really dig it.

Actually, Magical Mystery Tour (the film, which is what I was referring to) has been ripped unfairly. It's a complete mess, but it has some great moments including a big production number for "Your Mother Should Know" and The Bonzo Dog Band performing "Death Cab for Cutie" to a striptease.

In The Beatles Anthology, Paul tries to write off the MMT movie as an "experimental film" but even he can't keep a straight face when he says it.

Besides, I saw the original Casino Royale a few weeks ago, and now I know what a real mess of a film is. :-D