Ultimate Battle of The Beatles

EmmetSpiceland

Group E

While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Here Comes The Sun

Group F

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
In My Life

Collie D

Group E

Paperback Writer vs While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Here Comes The Sun vs Got to Get You Into My Life

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Group E

While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Here Comes The Sun

Ultimately the first match came down to the fact I'd be more likely to throw on While My Guitar Gently Weeps on Spotify over Paperback Writer if I was just looking for a quick Beatles fix, but wouldn't mind too much if PW lived to see another round either.

Second match was an easier choice, vastly prefer Here Comes The Sun.

Zaph

Group E

Paperback Writer
Here Comes The Sun



Group F

Come Together
In My Life

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Group F

Come Together
In My Life

Didn't need to give this one a second thought, much like Eleanor Rigby and Blackbird last night, Come Together and In My Life are another two of my absolute favourites. At this stage of the tournament though, whatever songs go through deserve to be there.

Purgative

Group E

While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Here Comes The Sun

Purgative

Group F

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
In My Life

rainbowtrout

Group E

Paperback Writer vs While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Here Comes The Sun vs Got to Get You Into My Life

These were straightforward decisions for me, I like PW and HCTS way more than the other two, which are very good in their own right.

Collie D

Group F

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds vs Come Together
Nowhere Man vs In My Life

rainbowtrout

Group F

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds vs Come Together
Nowhere Man vs In My Life

This was another tie where I have definite preferences. I think Nowhere Man was the weakest song left in the round for me, so it was never going to compete with In My Life.

Rigor Mortis

Group E

Paperback Writer
Here Comes The Sun

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
Nowhere Man

Reberetta

Group E

Paperback Writer vs While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Strained, high demented vocals, the contagious constant beat; it's a belter that just rocks the socks from the beginning. Like a song The Monkees would sing while running in and out of doors on their whacky TV show.

WMGGW is good, with superb guitar playing. It reminds me of All The Young Dudes. But there's no characteristic and/or atypical vocal hook. It's self-indulgent, one-paced and too long.

Here Comes The Sun vs Got to Get You Into My Life

Love the brass sections on GTGYITML, the verse and chorus hooks dig deep into the flesh, but it just falls short of classic status.

What can be said about HCTS? George Harrison's peak. So brilliant even my mother likes it -and she listens to Bagatelle and Nathan Carter. A bunch of instruments that blend effortlessly, I particularly like the smidgen of Moog Synthesizer around the 1:45 mark.

Group F

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds vs Come Together

Dulcet organ (?) intro, catchy vocals, followed by echo/reverb whackiness and a thumping chorus. I'm not surprised it's about LSD! Great song.

Come Together has skilful, unique drumming for pop at the onset, but plonks and plunders along soporifically to an underwhelming "chorus"- if the word can even be applied- and instrumental solos which can barely raise a pulse. It's a slog with nonsense lyrics even by Beatles standards. Ok.

Nowhere Man vs In My Life

IML is a beautful, nostalgic, dreamy song, sentimental without veering into sappiness, with a melodious keyboard instrument solo, almost 'French' sounding. The perfect length. Nowhere Man on the other hand...

Impactful, multi-layered, plangent vocals, appealing tone to the acoustic guitar, production excellent. The short solo and indeed the song in general remind me of Greenday's Nimrod album for some reason. I'm a miserable git so I relate more to its lyrics than IML, which is the main reason it gets my vote.

Nerdlingr

Group E

While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Here Comes The Sun

Group F

Come Together
In My Life

speckle

group e

paperback writer
here comes the sun

Eggonyerface

Group E

Paperback Writer
Here Comes The Sun

Group F

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
In My Life

Declan A Walsh

Group E

Paperback Writer vs While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Here Comes The Sun vs Got to Get You Into My Life


Group F

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds vs Come Together - This was a really tough one to choose between. The rockier bluesier song just got it.

Nowhere Man vs In My Life

Ficheall

Group E
Paperback Writer vs While My Guitar Gently Weeps - I dunno. I like both of these. There are some brilliant versions of WMGGW knocking around, which makes the original seem less impressive.. that's about all I've got influencing me away from it at the mo. But really it's a toss-up.
Here Comes The Sun vs Got to Get You Into My Life - I expect HCTS to win, but it's a bit too twee for me, and GTGYIML has a nice edge and emotion to it.



Group F
Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds vs Come Together - It does have an undeniably good groove.
Nowhere Man vs The Solo in In My Life - Fine

abff

Group E

Paperback Writer vs While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Here Comes The Sun vs Got to Get You Into My Life


Group F

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds vs Come Together
Nowhere Man vs In My Life

loyatemu

Group E

Paperback Writer vs While My Guitar Gently Weeps - these are both fairly lyrically shallow, but great musically. PW shades it with the harmonies.
Here Comes The Sun vs Got to Get You Into My Life - easy win for ...Sun

Group F

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds vs Come Together - I'm not a huge fan of LSD. eh, by which I mean...
Nowhere Man vs In My Life - how is Nowhere Man still here?

JP Liz V1

Group E

Paperback Writer
Here Comes The Sun

Group F

Come Together
In My Life

speckle

group f

in my life

And the first difficult choice for me as I equally like both ... LITSWD havn't forgot you my beloved furry friend but
Come Together as it is a great jamming song to play live and for other folks to join in or even to throw odd dance shapes too

Arghus

Group E -

Paperback Writer vs While My Guitar Gently Weeps: I like Paperback Writer, but I don't love it. It's obviously a great rocker in its own right, but absolute upper echelon of the Beatles catalouge - no. WMGGW is straddled with a silly title and it is preachy, like a lot of George's stuff, but it is also an epic, magnificent tune, which sweeps and soars and carries you away.

Here Comes The Sun vs Got To Get You Into My Life - There's about fifty Beatles songs better than Got To Get Into My Life.

Group F -

Lucy in The Sky With Diamonds vs Come Together: Lucy is cool tune, one of the highlights of Sargent Pepper's, but it doesn't have the staying power of Come Together. It's undoubtedly amazing - the harpsichord effect on the intro, the way the chorus just explodes out at you, the general feeling of out of your gourd magic - but it's not as amazing as Come Together and, trust me, if you listen to it enough it can get tiresome.

Come Together, on the other hand, is ageless. The criticism of it being slow is fair. It is. But the groove is so dark, strong and alluring that it doesn't matter. The plod and the slow vocal phrasing give it a dark narcotic energy.

Come Together is dirty, it's mean. Lucy, in comparison, is up in the sky and lacking in vitality. And the dynamics in the song are fucking incredible: the way the band drops out so certain lines really hit: "hold you in his armchair so you can feel his disease", every element is so judiciously right on the money - McCartney's backing vocals, that little one extra flourish McCartney does on the bass at 1:25, the outstanding drumming, that repeating blues guitar lick that just gets higher and higher with great interplay with the falsetto vocals. There's about a hundred different things I think are class.

Everything is tight, the attention to detail is spot on. Sure, it's definitely influenced by earlier songs, but what's added in the execution helps it to transcend its influences. It is an absolutely excellent song. I also love how the overall vibe of disaffected grimness and cynicism is like the sound of the real reality check after all the mop-toppery and psychedelic love is done and over with. The song presages the cultural tumult of the seventies after the utopian dream of the sixties. One of the band's best songs.

Nowhere Man vs In My Life - Nothing wrong with Nowhere Man, but it's pretty meat and potatoes compared to the company it's in now.

Zebrano

Group E

While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Here Comes The Sun


Group F

Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
Nowhere Man

El Gato De Negocios

Through to the next round.

Group E
Paperback Writer
Here Comes The Sun

Group F
Come Together
In My Life


Up Next, the Quarter Finals!

El Gato De Negocios

Group A

Here Comes The Sun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQetemT1sWc

vs

In My Life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBcdt6DsLQA

Get Back

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEESfv-11ng

vs

We Can Work It Out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgRrWPdzkao

Group A

Here Comes The Sun vs In My Life
Get Back vs We Can Work It Out

El Gato De Negocios

Group B

Come Together

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oolpPmuK2I8

vs

Paperback Writer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SepZDSkY4Ro

For No One

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELlLIwhvknk

vs

Eleanor Rigby

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gluNoLVKiQ

Group B

Come Together vs Paperback Writer
For No One vs Eleanor Rigby

Arghus

El Gato De Negocios wrote: »

Through to the next round.

Group E
Paperback Writer
Here Comes The Sun

Group F
Come Together
In My Life


Up Next, the Quarter Finals!

So much for my prediction of a dark horse win for While My Guitar Gently Weeps! Very surprised to see it lose out there in that match up.

El Gato De Negocios

Group C

I Feel Fine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLBVgnZyuic

vs

Blackbird

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Man4Xw8Xypo

A Day in The Life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSGHER4BWME

vs

I am The Walrus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1Jm5epJr10

Group C

I Feel Fine vs Blackbird
A Day in the Life vs I Am The Walrus

El Gato De Negocios

Arghus wrote: »

So much for my prediction of a dark horse win for While My Guitar Gently Weeps! Very surprised to see it lose out there in that match up.

If you had asked me at the outset what would be in the final 12, maybe half of whats there would have been in my list. Very interesting to me that the most popular songs like Hey Jude, Let It Be etc didn't fare out too well.

EmmetSpiceland

Wait…what…Paperback Writer? Nah, man, count that again. Has to be some sort of mistake.

EmmetSpiceland

Group A

Here Comes The Sun
We Can Work It Out

Group B

Come Together
For No One

Group C

Blackbird
A Day in the Life

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Group A

In My Life
We Can Work It Out

Group B

Come Together
Eleanor Rigby

Group C

Blackbird
I Am The Walrus

Fairly straightforward and easy decisions for me in every match here... In My Life, Come Together, Eleanor Rigby, Blackbird, and I Am The Walrus were always in my Top 10 Beatles songs, and I've a new found love for We Can Work It Out (I always liked it, but don't think I ever gave it too much attention previously) because of this tournament, and I now hold it in the same regard as the aforementioned 5.

ShaneU

Group A

Here Comes The Sun vs In My Life
Get Back vs We Can Work It Out

Group B

Come Together vs Paperback Writer
For No One vs Eleanor Rigby

Group C

I Feel Fine vs Blackbird
A Day in the Life vs I Am The Walrus

Zebrano

Group A

Here Comes The Sun
Get Back

Group B

Paperback Writer
For No One

Group C

Blackbird
I Am The Walrus

Rigor Mortis

In My Life
We Can Work It Out

Paperback Writer
Eleanor Rigby

Blackbird
A Day in the Life

I'm really surprised For no One continues its onward drive. I was delighted to hear it again and it is definitely the 're-find' of this competition for me. But while it is a lovely song, it just doesnt feel like it deserves to go further, particularly against Eleanor.

Purgative

Group A

In My Life
We Can Work It Out

Purgative

Group B

Come Together
For No One

Purgative

Group C

Blackbird
A Day in the Life

Declan A Walsh

Group A

Here Comes The Sun vs In My Life

Get Back vs We Can Work It Out - That was a tough one to decide.


Group B

Come Together vs Paperback Writer - Another tough match, but the rock wins out on this occasion so John beats Paul.

For No One vs Eleanor Rigby - I have rediscovered the beauty of this song during this tournament. Otherwise, I could easily have voted for the other.


Group C

I Feel Fine vs Blackbird

A Day in the Life vs I Am The Walrus - Another tough one for me but ADITL is special.

Incidentally, I am a bit confused. Normally, quarter-finals are the last 8 - not 12 as here. The semi-finals would be the last 4 and the final would be the last 2.

Zaph

Group A

Here Comes The Sun
Get Back


Group B

Come Together
For No One


Group C

I Feel Fine
I Am The Walrus

Collie D

Group A

Here Comes The Sun vs In My Life
Get Back vs We Can Work It Out

Group B

Come Together vs Paperback Writer
For No One vs Eleanor Rigby

Group C

I Feel Fine vs Blackbird
A Day in the Life vs I Am The Walrus

rainbowtrout

Group A

Here Comes The Sun vs In My Life
Get Back vs We Can Work It Out

rainbowtrout

Group B

Come Together vs Paperback Writer
For No One vs Eleanor Rigby

rainbowtrout

Group C

I Feel Fine vs Blackbird
A Day in the Life vs I Am The Walrus

rainbowtrout

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Incidentally, I am a bit confused. Normally, quarter-finals are the last 8 - not 12 as here. The semi-finals would be the last 4 and the final would be the last 2.

Isn't there supposed to be three songs in the final? I think that is the format, so 12 - 6 - 3 would make sense.

El Gato De Negocios

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Incidentally, I am a bit confused. Normally, quarter-finals are the last 8 - not 12 as here. The semi-finals would be the last 4 and the final would be the last 2.

It's down to the number of songs at the outset and how they break down after each round so we were going to be left with 3. There is a post early in the thread from someone that explains it better.

Ficheall

Group A
Here Comes The Sun vs In My Life - Piano Solos will only get you so far.
Get Back vs We Can Work It Out - Possibly my favourite left in the comp, iirc.

Ficheall

Group B
Come Together vs Paperback Writer -
For No One vs Eleanor Rigby- Bleh. I quite like For No One, but.. Eleanor Rigby has always been one of the first songs that sprung to mind when anyone mentions the Beatles. Strings and choralesque are fecking great.



Group C
I Feel Fine vs Blackbird - I may have been mistaken about WCWIO being my favourite left. But Blackbird definitely isn't, so a very easy vote.
A Day in the Life vs I Am The Walrus - I don't understand how IATW made it this far.

abff

Group A

Here Comes The Sun vs In My Life
Get Back vs We Can Work It Out

Group B

Come Together vs Paperback Writer
For No One vs Eleanor Rigby

Group C

I Feel Fine vs Blackbird
A Day in the Life vs I Am The Walrus

Eggonyerface

Group A

Here Comes The Sun
We Can Work It Out

Group B

Paperback Writer
For No One

Group C

Blackbird
A Day in the Life