Wednesday, March 23, 2005
The Beatles 1 album
In this post I want to discuss the Beatles compilation 1. (See previous post for some general comments on the band.)
As I understand it, the premise of the album was to include only single releases that reached #1 on the singles charts. The entire premise is a faulty one IMHO, however, for two reasons: the process by which songs became a single was arbitrary, haphazard, and ego-driven. For example, John wanted "I Am the Walrus" to be the A-side of the single over "Hello Goodbye." Which is the better song? (Personally I loathe "Hello Goodbye, so you know what I think!). Second, just because a song didn't happen to reach the top spot doesn't mean it's any less of a song--it could just be an accident of historical contingency. "Strawberry Fields Forever" for example is definitely one of their twenty best songs, even if at the time the public didn't think so.
If the intention of the album were to create a collection of their 20 best songs, then I think some songs would have to be added and others taken off. For example, vote to get rid of: "Hello, Goodbye", "I Want to Hold Your Hand", "I Feel Fine", "Ballad of John and Yoko" (personally I really like this song, but is it really one of their 20 best?), "Long and Winding Road"; vote to add: "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Here Comes the Sun", "Across the Universe", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Dear Prudence", "Drive My Car," "Revolution", "A Day in the Life," etc. (Make your own list.)
Maybe there could be a companion volume: Beatles 2 that has some of the songs left off 1 that should have been on it and/or songs that are good but have been neglected for whatever reason. There's a whole set of "minor" songs that deserve as much credit for the Beatles' greatness as "Hey Jude" or other major songs on 1 or the "red" and "blue" albums, such as "Dear Prudence" or "Blackbird."
The thought experiment of creating one, ultimate Beatles collection is a challenge. Here's my idea for one:
1. Please, Please Me
2. Love Me Do
3. A Hard Day's Night
4. Yesterday
5. Help!
6. We Can Work It Out
7. Day Tripper
8. Drive My Car
9. Nowhere Man
10. In My Life
11. Paperback Writer
12. Rain
13. Yellow Submarine
14. Strawberry Fields Forever
15. Penny Lane
16. Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
17. A Day in the Life
18. All You Need Is Love
19. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
20. Dear Prudence
21. Happiness Is a Warm Gun
22. Hey Jude
23. Revolution
24. Across the Universe
25. Something
26. Here Comes the Sun
27. Let It Be
Wow, that's a difficult list to make! I'll have to check to see if this would all fit on a single disk. As it is, this would provide a pretty good balance between the different stages of development of the band from early to late. Also, a good balance between the different bandmembers: J-15, P-9, G-3, R-1 (sang "Yellow Submarine" even if he didn't write it). Maybe this is more of a two-disk project. (to be continued . . . . )
As I understand it, the premise of the album was to include only single releases that reached #1 on the singles charts. The entire premise is a faulty one IMHO, however, for two reasons: the process by which songs became a single was arbitrary, haphazard, and ego-driven. For example, John wanted "I Am the Walrus" to be the A-side of the single over "Hello Goodbye." Which is the better song? (Personally I loathe "Hello Goodbye, so you know what I think!). Second, just because a song didn't happen to reach the top spot doesn't mean it's any less of a song--it could just be an accident of historical contingency. "Strawberry Fields Forever" for example is definitely one of their twenty best songs, even if at the time the public didn't think so.
If the intention of the album were to create a collection of their 20 best songs, then I think some songs would have to be added and others taken off. For example, vote to get rid of: "Hello, Goodbye", "I Want to Hold Your Hand", "I Feel Fine", "Ballad of John and Yoko" (personally I really like this song, but is it really one of their 20 best?), "Long and Winding Road"; vote to add: "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Here Comes the Sun", "Across the Universe", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Dear Prudence", "Drive My Car," "Revolution", "A Day in the Life," etc. (Make your own list.)
Maybe there could be a companion volume: Beatles 2 that has some of the songs left off 1 that should have been on it and/or songs that are good but have been neglected for whatever reason. There's a whole set of "minor" songs that deserve as much credit for the Beatles' greatness as "Hey Jude" or other major songs on 1 or the "red" and "blue" albums, such as "Dear Prudence" or "Blackbird."
The thought experiment of creating one, ultimate Beatles collection is a challenge. Here's my idea for one:
1. Please, Please Me
2. Love Me Do
3. A Hard Day's Night
4. Yesterday
5. Help!
6. We Can Work It Out
7. Day Tripper
8. Drive My Car
9. Nowhere Man
10. In My Life
11. Paperback Writer
12. Rain
13. Yellow Submarine
14. Strawberry Fields Forever
15. Penny Lane
16. Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite!
17. A Day in the Life
18. All You Need Is Love
19. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
20. Dear Prudence
21. Happiness Is a Warm Gun
22. Hey Jude
23. Revolution
24. Across the Universe
25. Something
26. Here Comes the Sun
27. Let It Be
Wow, that's a difficult list to make! I'll have to check to see if this would all fit on a single disk. As it is, this would provide a pretty good balance between the different stages of development of the band from early to late. Also, a good balance between the different bandmembers: J-15, P-9, G-3, R-1 (sang "Yellow Submarine" even if he didn't write it). Maybe this is more of a two-disk project. (to be continued . . . . )
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hey i'd BUY yours....i'd just DOWNLOAD the other! but yeah as a HUGE beatle fan myself i agree with the faulty playlist of "best beatle songs" that was chosen.
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