I have a workmate who said the Beatles are the most overrated band of all time. I fought him in my youth. I mean, it sounds like fighting words, but it is probably true if you give it some thought. No band got more attention...much deserved, some consequential, some outside of their control. They are overrated though, they are a rock band...but they made some of the best art of the 20th Century. It is bold to diss them or not be fully in line with conventional wisdom and opinion that they are beyond criticism. Whenever I see my workmate to this day, I respect him. And we talk on honest levels. Challenging the Beatles can change a man.
Criticizing the Beatles gets personal quick. My wife with the Beatles, me with the Stones...we've fought. We love and overcome, but I'm conscious of my words in this post. And she will have had proofread them prior to publishing. It's for the best.
So the Beatles made 20 proper records, per my count. Of them, Rubber Soul and Revolver are nearly perfect top to bottom and are hands down my top two favorites. But what is number three? It get's hazy.
Sgt. Pepper and the White Album are inconsistent and a bit overrated in my humble opinion. Magical Mystery Tour on the other hand is underrated but short...doesn't quite feel like an LP. Let It Be and Abbey Road rarely make it to my turntable these days. But man, when the Beatles are on, they are on. The most influential and inspiring band of all time. Of all the other albums the White Album has my favorite songs...one's I would put on a mixed tape for a new comer. But, there are also so many skip over songs are straight up bad songs tainting the overall mix.
The White Album, released on the heels of Sgt. Pepperis so hit and miss and can be frustrating to listen to as a whole. I mean what do you do after the academia and intellegencia and even the hoi polloi credit you with your best work (Sgt. Pepper). Ego's are bursting, right? Double album time...
The Y chromosome usually dictates that when you're at the top, you must fall, right? It's happened to many a band.
The Beatles put out Sgt. Pepper in 1967, then Magical Mystery Tour (weirder/better in 1967), and then followed up with The White Album in 1968. Weird American times, weird British record...
The timing and importance of this record are undeniable, and this would have been at the top of my list of best Beatles records had it been pared down from 30 to 17 songs. It would be easily my third favorite.
The Beatles were at their peak of coolness right around 1968 and as my wife claims, their sexiest.
Here's my attempt at taking this hard listen as a whole down to an essential, punch after punch of essential rock.
Let's face it, The White Album is too fucking long.
Here's my song by song case at making The White Album up there with Revolver and Rubber Soul:
1. Back in the U.S.S.R. - not just a tribute to American pop and rock music, the driving piano and guitar fills are joyous and Paul's intonation is more determined than trite. I say keep it.
2. Dear Prudence - John's voice is a goddamn gift, a blessing, my favorite singer at times, and this is THAT voice that gets me, an amazing bass line and drums crisp and impeccably recorded. Weird "look around, round, round" backing vocals around 1:48 are haunting and weird...the guitar fills in the verse at 2:13 are a perfect blast of Beatles greatness. The ending is uproarious and fades to the acoustic part...brilliant. Essential Beatles song, it stays.
3. Glass Onion - percussion, John's voice, weird vocals harkening to their other songs...the Walrus is Paul part...this is a solid track, it stays.
4. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da - the bass line, the crisp drums, the backing vocal work by John can't overcome the schlock harbinger of Silly Love Songs-esque McCartney on the horizon. I can't take this song seriously. I'm not into silly songs...but my kids love em, proving the Beatles are for everyone, just not something that aged well. The baby boomer over-nostalgia link to this song as a Gen X'er sours me as well. It's off.
5. Honey Pie - no
6. The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill - I'm on the fence, John was at the top of his game with songwriting and vocals, but this is boring and not up to the level of Dear Prudence and others on this album. Not enough of a standout track and the Yoko parts can be grating. If this is to be in my top three Beatles albums, this one has to get cut. Sorry.
7. My Guitar Gently Weeps - here's where I'm going to lose some people. I love George songs, but this one is a telling of things to come like Eric Clapton guitar epics a la Layla that are so overbloated and arrogant and exemplary of the bad-1970's. George's buttery voice and guitar work together well, but just the title alone is too much...the lyrics don't hold up to the other songs on this record. The ending is Jam-band-y and Skynnerd-y, it's gotta go. I see people cringing and hating on me...but, sometimes tough love is a bitch. I just don't like this song.
8. Happiness is a Warm Gun - that screeching guitar, the stoned drum fills, the lyrics are biting and the solo at 0:45 is one of the most essential of the whole band's cannon. Haunting and essential. "When I hold you in my arms and I feel my finger on your trigger..."
9. Martha My Dear - the Kinks version of British life resonates so much stronger than the Paul version...this is a great Wings song and middle of the road Beatles song. This one gets cut.
10. I'm So Tired - brilliant in every single goddamn note. Driving chug...leading up to "I'd give you everything I've got for a little peace of mind". Everything I like about rock is represented in this song.
11. Blackbird - the sensitive guy will play this song at guitar center...the campfire has heard this one, but this always felt like a raucous, borderline in-shambles, crazy rock record and this one is a fast forward moment. Great song, just not here, not now.
12. Piggies - Sorry George, this isn't personal. The social commentary is bold and perfectly biting...this plays in my head often when I'm paying parking tickets and red light camera bills. The strings are cool...maybe a bit too. It's off.
13. Rocky Raccoon - I have a specific bad high school memory that frames my experience with this one. There was a fundraiser where you could donate a dollar and place a vote for a song of your choosing that they would play in the school cafeteria for a week at lunch. Some smart ass rich kids got $20's from mom and dad and stacked the votebox and I had to listen to this castrated song when me and my small group wanted to bring some heat to the snack bar. Lame-o song. If I'd gotten my way, digging pennies out of couch cusions, Belleville Township High School West would have been treated to no less than 20 minutes and 34 seconds of Rush's 2112 for one week proper...mullets a-sway. It's off,
14. Don't Pass Me By - my favorite Ringo song, it stays. And, that pipe-y sound is a piano recorded through a Leslie 147 speaker.
15. Why Don't We Do It In The Road - Paul has his Helter Skelter voice on, and that can be a good thing. It's great on that song, not on this song...let's cut it.
16. I Will - Wings on the horizon, it takes more than this to be on a Beatles top five record. This one has to go...even though it is soft and warm and melodically perfect. Doesn't feel like a rock song...quiet songs can be rock songs...see next one.
17. Julia - This is how a quiet rock song can be perfect. John's multi-tracked vocals are hypnotic...sings like a lullaby to little ones. Donovan, one of my favorite British musicians that didn't get enough respect from Bob Dylan, showed Lennon how to pick in this style. Keeper.
18. Birthday - this seems like a Paul vs. John record in many ways...the push and pull between Paul's pop and John's creative side...but this mess of a song rocks like a Midwestern American Rock or Soul song. It's so overplayed it's hard to listen to it without thinking of T.V. commercials...but it rocks. It stays.
19. Yer Blues - John's voice is desperate. The Beatles "If I ain't dead already, girl you know the reason why." "I feel so suicidal, even hate my rock-n-roll." Sheesh, this is so American blues inspired, yet filtered through the most creative musicians of their time. Guitar solos and effects and fun...great drum fills. Ringo was so great. A must keep.
20. Mother Nature's Son - Again, just like Rocky Raccoon and Martha My Dear. Same song style. Great Wings songs. The melodies and vocals are top shelf, just not greatest Beatles record material. After much deliberation and some good ole back and forth with my better half, this one stays by a nose representing this side of Paul.
21. Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except For Me and My Monkey - The greatest Beatles rock song, hands down...I'll take all arguments to the contrary. The percussion, vocals, guitars, pace are definitive of what defines "rock" to me. This is the most outrageous, mess of barely off the tracks rock...from note one on. SUCH A JOY!!!!!!!! My record is all scratched up due to late nite/early morning fumbled drops of needle. A drunken, unabashed blast of fun and mess. Tick tick, tick tick snare. Top 10 song of all time.
22. Sexy Sadie - calico cats were named after this song (I miss that crabby fat cat), the wah-wah backing parts, the falsetto. It's a keeper slow number...the world needs a break after hearing the previous track, you can't stay that high for long. This is the perfect comedown from My Monkey. John's voice is what defines this record.
23. Helter Skelter - reading the book of the same name about Charles Manson and all that California weirdness as a little kid in the 1970's helped frame the creepiness and early thoughts of how rock lyrics can move people...this is a tough, awesome rock song. Turn the Targa cassette player up to 11 and blow some Auto Zone speakers out in the $800 car...a rocker.
24. Long, Long, Long - This is my favorite George song of all time. When people talk about psychedelia in the 60's, this is what I consider an example of the good that came outta that. Less self-indulgent and boorish than all the druggy hippie crap, this is sweet, giving, melodic, droning and stunningly beautiful...the drum fills are epic! That weird organ from Paul. This song makes me get sentimental every damn time, in an embarrassing way, glad it's not played on Muzak at Schnucks. There'd be a pathetic weepy dude in aisle 12...this is what rock music is and always can be. Goddamn.
25. Revolution-rock speed or what, the song sounds stoned. Unbelievable, not even Nike commercials could take this down. Keep for sure.
26. Honey Pie- unacceptable. If your Anglo-Jones is this pulsing, go listen to the Kinks who killed these guys with Britishness. Schmaltz. The Village Green Preservation Society is better in everyway. No.
27. Savoy Truffle-Sweet Jesus, George, best munchie song in history. Organs? Brass? Hell yes, sweet groove and vocals, guitar squeaks and squeels...sweetness. Among the best rock songs ever.
28. Cry Baby Cry-how do you come down after that slap and binge of Savoy Truffle? Well, I guess this. Messy break. Beatles brillance? This is one I use in my argument. Sexy, weird, crispy rhythm, women love this song. I do too and everyone is right.
29. #9- not my speed, but people much smarter than me like this and see it as a must. Fast forward, or raise the needle, this thing is over.
30. Good Night- well I guess there's a thud on the ending, then. Is this what happens when everyone leaves and George Martin and Paul McCartney plot the future and realize how great they are? What's next? Let It Be I guess.
Okay, I've just trimmed this down to my 3rd favorite Beatles record...I'm not so arrogant as to rearrange the order ;)
1. Back in the U.S.S.R.
2. Dear Prudence
3. Glass Onion
4. Happiness is a Warm Gun
5. I'm So Tired
6. Don't Pass Me By
7. Julia
8. Birthday
9. Yer Blues
10. Mother Nature's Son
11. Everybody's Got Somthing to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
12. Sexy Sadie
13. Helter Skelter
14. Long, Long, Long
15. Revolution
16. Savoy Truffle
17. Cry Baby Cry
The White Album is now the third best from top to bottom. But the Stones were better...(running from wife).
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