Ultimate Battle of The Beatles

Reberetta

Hey Jude was also written by Paul, so probably the two most commonly recognised Beatles tracks were by the man the majority tend to regard as the lesser songwriter.

Fun Facts (courtesy of a great site called Beatlesbible)

‘Hey Jude’ was the first release on The Beatles’ own Apple Records label. It was a ballad written by Paul McCartney, to comfort John Lennon’s son Julian during the divorce of his parents.

It was written in June 1968, as McCartney drove his Aston Martin to Weybridge to visit Cynthia Lennon and her son. On the journey he began thinking about their changing lives, and of the past times he had spent writing with Lennon at the Weybridge house.

I thought, as a friend of the family, I would motor out to Weybridge and tell them that everything was all right: to try and cheer them up, basically, and see how they were. I had about an hour’s drive. I would always turn the radio off and try and make up songs, just in case… I started singing: ‘Hey Jules – don’t make it bad, take a sad song, and make it better…’ It was optimistic, a hopeful message for Julian: ‘Come on, man, your parents got divorced. I know you’re not happy, but you’ll be OK.’

I eventually changed ‘Jules’ to ‘Jude’. One of the characters in Oklahoma! is called Jude, and I like the name.

"‘Hey Jude is a damn good set of lyrics and I made no contribution to that."- John Lennon...I don't agree with that.

Ficheall

Reberetta wrote: »

Not a single person mourned the exit of Yesterday, the most covered song of all-time if I'm not mistaken?

Wouldn't have mourned Wonderwall either :pac:

(Not that those two even belong in the same record store)

rainbowtrout

El Gato De Negocios wrote: »

I'm really pleased to see For No One getting this far. One of their far lesser known songs but imo one of their best.

One of my favourite Beatles songs. In my top five. Revolver would be my favourite album, that opinion hasn’t changed since my teens.

Reberetta

rainbowtrout wrote: »

One of my favourite Beatles songs. In my top five. Revolver would be my favourite album, that opinion hasn’t changed since my teens.

Revolver was the highest rated album in the top 50 album countdown as chosen by some Boardsies. It came in at No. 6.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was at no. 22

I wonder if a Revolver song will win this competition?

Shameless plug for anyone who missed it:
Top 50 albums of all-time according to 51 Boardsies.

EmmetSpiceland

Reberetta wrote: »

Revolver was the highest rated album in the top 50 album countdown as chosen by some Boardsies. It came in at No. 6.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was at no. 22

I wonder if a Revolver song will win this competition?

Shameless plug for anyone who missed it:
Top 50 albums of all-time according to 51 Boardsies.

‘Abbey Road’ didn’t even feature?

Reberetta

EmmetSpiceland wrote: »

‘Abbey Road’ didn’t even feature?

No, and I wouldn't put it in the upper echelons either; it only features one classic song: Here Comes The Sun.

I'm not the biggest champion of the romantic slush of Something and Oh, Darling! or the slow rhythms of Come Together, Because, Golden Slumbers and Sun King.

As for silly frippery like Maxwell's Silver Hammer, Polythene Pam and Mean Mr. Mustard the less said the better!

In addition, the whole continuous segue approach on albums, one song blending into another, rather detracts from their individualism and uniqueness and rather than any standing out, none of them do. The songs aren't strong. I even used to forget which was which.

It's gimmicky and overall I don't feel it forms a cohesive creative picture; it's certainly not like it's an interesting conceptual piece like The Wall(and I guess it wasn't meant to be); it's more like a slapdash painting on a wall with no coherent outline and design.

John Lennon agrees with me so I must be right.;)

Lennon ultimately said that he disliked Abbey Road as a whole and felt that it lacked authenticity, calling McCartney's contributions "[music] for the grannies to dig" and not "real songs", and describing the medley as "junk ... just bits of songs thrown together"

Arghus

All of their "mature" albums offer something different, in my view, and have their own qualities. Though I'd probably listen to Sargent Pepper's the least and The White Album the most, the charges of it being bloated and self indulgent aren't totally unfair, but I like its sprawl and variety of moods.

Back when I was really first getting into them I didn't get why Abbey Road was considered to be their best. A bit too polished and the second half is bits and pieces of song fragments stuck together rather than truly mind blowing individual songs - which is reflection of them beginning to run out of steam at the time of recording it - but I do appreciate it a fair bit more these days. That polish works a bit more for me now instead of putting me off. I totally disagree that it only features one classic song - Come Together and Here Comes The Sun are bona-fide classics and She's So Heavy is absolutely fcking awesome and does pulverise.

El Gato De Negocios

Group A

I Feel Fine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrAV5EVI4tU

vs

Day Tripper

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYZlME0mQB8

She Loves You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S302kF8MJ-I

vs

A Day In The Life

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usNsCeOV4GM

Group A

I Feel Fine vs Day Tripper
She Loves You vs A Day in the Life

JP Liz V1

I Feel Fine

She Loves You Ya Ya Ya

El Gato De Negocios

Group B

Hey Jude

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

vs

We Can Work It Out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qyclqo_AV2M

I Am The Walrus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tjhb5gkw4No

vs

Happiness Is a Warm Gun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdvnOH060Qg

Group B

Hey Jude vs We Can Work It Out
I Am The Walrus vs Happiness Is a Warm Gun

quickbeam

Group A

I Feel Fine vs Day Tripper - tough draw, I like both of these.
She Loves You vs A Day in the Life -definitely an easier choice here, though SLY certainly isn't bad.



Group B

Hey Jude vs We Can Work It Out - great catchy tune, and not a fan of HJ
I Am The Walrus vs Happiness Is a Warm Gun - least favourte of the four I'm voting for here, but better than IATW.

EmmetSpiceland

Group A

I Feel Fine
A Day in the Life

Group B

We Can Work It Out
Happiness Is a Warm Gun

Zebrano

Group A

Day Tripper
A Day in the Life

Zebrano

Group B

We Can Work It Out
I Am The Walrus

rainbowtrout

Group A

I Feel Fine vs Day Tripper
She Loves You vs A Day in the Life

rainbowtrout

Group B

Hey Jude vs We Can Work It Out
I Am The Walrus vs Happiness Is a Warm Gun


I am the Walrus and Happiness is a Warm Gun are two of my favourites. This wasn't an easy decision.

Reberetta

Group A

I Feel Fine v Day Tripper
Two songs with lively chord structures, guitar noodling and harmonious multi-vocals. Out of the two, DT packs the more powerful punch, both vocally and riff wise. I Feel Fine is almost like a pauper's DT; the latter may attain classic status, but IFF falls a little short in my opinion. It also has a limp guitar solo, almost unnecessary really.

She Loves You v A Day in the Life
SLY is a slice of pure top-notch pop but its repetitive chorus doesn't have a lasting impact and it loses out to the more interesting, complex, melancholic and unsettling ADITL.

Group B

Hey Jude vs We Can Work It Out
It's cool how the vocal in WCWIO comes in immediately. The verse is the strongest part of the song. "Life is very short.." which, I presume, might be regarded as the chorus, is lacklustre compared to the bouncy preludes, so although it's good, it's no HJ.

I Am The Walrus vs Happiness Is a Warm Gun
Wonky, demented lyrics and a I really like the vocals (or effect on the vocals?); snarly. The most intriguing section is the string interlude starting @2:04 which takes it to another (and better )place. I'm not the chief admirer of IATW; I'd like it to be faster and heavier somehow, but my thoughts on HIAWG are known. No contest!

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Group A

Day Tripper
A Day in the Life

Pretty close call in the first match and Day Tripper only slightly edges it over I Feel Fine, both are great songs.

Second match was a bit easier, but only relatively speaking and it's not a slight on She Loves You, as all decisions at this point of the tournament are going to be hard to make, but A Day In The Life is more of an experience.

abff

Group A

I Feel Fine vs Day Tripper
She Loves You vs A Day in the Life


Group B

Hey Jude vs We Can Work It Out
I Am The Walrus vs Happiness Is a Warm Gun - don't really like either of these songs

Also Starring LeVar Burton

Group B

We Can Work It Out
Happiness Is a Warm Gun

Hard not to love the NA-NA-NA sing a long bit of Hey Jude and that's definitely what makes it such a fan favourite, but overall I think We Can Work It Out is the superior song.

Second match was a much tougher decision, wouldn't have minded seeing both of these make it to the quarter finals or further, Happiness Is A Warm Gun is one that grows on me more and more each and every time I listen to it and slowly but surely crept its way into my inner circle of Beatles songs. On the other hand I Am The Walrus has always been one of my Beatles favourites and was always in that inner circle, so kills me to vote against it, but had to go with the gut instinct. Whichever goes through from this one though I'll be more than happy.

rainbowtrout

Reberetta wrote: »

No, and I wouldn't put it in the upper echelons either; it only features one classic song: Here Comes The Sun.

I'm not the biggest champion of the romantic slush of Something and Oh, Darling! or the slow rhythms of Come Together, Because, Golden Slumbers and Sun King.

As for silly frippery like Maxwell's Silver Hammer, Polythene Pam and Mean Mr. Mustard the less said the better!

In addition, the whole continuous segue approach on albums, one song blending into another, rather detracts from their individualism and uniqueness and rather than any standing out, none of them do. The songs aren't strong. I even used to forget which was which.

It's gimmicky and overall I don't feel it forms a cohesive creative picture; it's certainly not like it's an interesting conceptual piece like The Wall(and I guess it wasn't meant to be); it's more like a slapdash painting on a wall with no coherent outline and design.

John Lennon agrees with me so I must be right.;)

I do like the mash up on Abbey Road, but I can see where you're coming from. I would generally only listen to it if I was listening to the whole album, rather than as standalone songs.

The part of the medley that interests me is Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/ You Never Give Me Your Money/ . The rest I can take or leave.

Purgative

Group A

I Feel Fine
A Day in the Life

Purgative

Group B

We Can Work It Out
Happiness Is a Warm Gun

loyatemu

Group A

I Feel Fine vs Day Tripper - oh god, the riffs, this is getting really difficult. I've gone with IFF for it's early use of feedback (not the first, but probably the first by a major act).
She Loves You vs A Day in the Life - ADITL is a strong candidate for overall victory.

Group B

Hey Jude vs We Can Work It Out - Hey Jude is overplayed and Macca's insistence on wheeling it out at every opportunity is annoying. But that shouldn't overlook the fact that it's a tremendous tune with huge cultural significance, that WCWIO, great though it is, can't beat.
I Am The Walrus vs Happiness Is a Warm Gun - oh man, this one is really tough. Two of Lennon's finest latterday LSD-influenced blowouts. I've gone for Walrus because of that incredible arrangement (a George Martin masterclass), but there's not much between these two.

Declan A Walsh

Group A

I Feel Fine vs Day Tripper - I like both for their guitar riffs, but I think IFF edges it with its feedback sound.

She Loves You vs A Day in the Life - No contest here. The only question is: will it go all the way to the final?


Group B

Hey Jude vs We Can Work It Out - My first time not voting for Hey Jude, I think, in this competition, but the second is more interesting melodically.

I Am The Walrus vs Happiness Is a Warm Gun

Nerdlingr

Group A

Day Tripper
A Day in the Life

Group B

We Can Work It Out
I Am The Walrus

Choices getting tougher now. We can work it out could be a dark horse maybe? Such a great song. Love Johns "life is very short " part...always reminds me of those old carousels with the horses/fairground rides.

Zaph

Group A

I Feel Fine
A Day in the Life


Group B

We Can Work It Out
I Am The Walrus

quickbeam

Also Starring LeVar Burton wrote: »

Hard not to love the NA-NA-NA sing a long bit of Hey Jude and that's definitely what makes it such a fan favourite, but overall I think We Can Work It Out is the superior song.

The NA-NA-NA bit is the main reason I dislike it. It goes on forever.

Ficheall

Group A

I Feel Fine - despite Day Tripper's great riff. Both deserving though. Unimportant, but really liked the videos in this round's clips.
She Loves You - the energy in this is great.

Ficheall

Group B
We Can Work It Out - If hey Jude didn't have the irritating na na nas, it would be a better song imo, but WCWIO is great esp. the major/minor switches.
Happiness Is a Warm Gun - not a fan of either of these. Don't understand the appeal of IATW - aside from its oddity, which it seems some people rate highly.