Poll: Which of These 2 Beatles Albums Are Your Favorites?

[Anderton]

You can choose up to two. Albums are in alphabetical order. You have to vote before you can see the results...have at it!

[Notes_Norton]

Abbey Road because the long medley is IMO the best piece of work they've ever done. It's almost like a symphony, or at least a capriccio.

 

It was tough between Rubber Soul and Revolver, but I chose Rubber Soul because it was the point where IMO they went from an ordinary band to something more than an ordinary band.

 

Notes

[Nowarezman]

I put down my two traditional favorites - Revolver and Sgt. Pepper - but really, all their albums from Help on are incomparable to me.

 

How can you be objective about things you love so much and were all intertwined with growing up?

 

nat

[ChiefDanG]

I only voted for A.R. only.

If Magical Mystery Tour was listed, that would have been number 2.

[KuruPrionz]

I will note that 3 of these albums strike me as more "John, Paul, George and Ringo albums and Revolver and Sgt. Peppers are veering in that direction.

And that's OK, I love those albums.

 

But I'd toss in Yesterday and Today, and Hard Days Night and cap it off with whichever album had Please Please Me on it. To me, that was the Beatles, a team working together.

[Al Coda]

Sgt. Pepper´s and Abbey Road

 

A.C.

[BMD]

White Album - Sheer variety of songs

 

Abbey Road - Probably the best album ever

[harmonizer]

Abbey Road is my favorite. An album that includes "Something" and "Come Together" does not really need any other songs.

"Come Together" was so new and so listenable at the same time, which is a rare combination.

I also have a deep appreciation for the medley on side 2 of the LP.

 

My other vote was for Rubber Soul.

 

While I respect the incredible variety and experimentation in the songs of the White Album, it includes songs that sound like they did not finish recording them. Birthday is a clear example, and it frustrates me to hear its unfinished nature when I listen to it. I have always assumed this was a result of them not getting along well at the time.

[RABid]

Confession time. I"m not a Beatles fan. Not since I was 5. I don"t hate them. I just consider them too predictable and simple. Maybe because the first song I remember learning was 'Help. I need somebody. Help. Not just anybody. Help. I need somebody. Help.' Anyway, I never purposely listen to them, nor do I skip their songs when they pop up on the radio.

[Doerfler]

OT to the poll. Hey Rob, maybe just focus on the melodies. Here is a great example. Watch, then carry on with the OP's intent for this thread.

 

[Anderton]

I will note that 3 of these albums strike me as more "John, Paul, George and Ringo albums and Revolver and Sgt. Peppers are veering in that direction.

And that's OK, I love those albums.

 

But I'd toss in Yesterday and Today, and Hard Days Night and cap it off with whichever album had Please Please Me on it. To me, that was the Beatles, a team working together.

 

I specifically chose these albums because they were the later albums. It's almost like the earlier stuff, which I really like, was by another group.

[KuruPrionz]

I will note that 3 of these albums strike me as more "John, Paul, George and Ringo albums and Revolver and Sgt. Peppers are veering in that direction.

And that's OK, I love those albums.

 

But I'd toss in Yesterday and Today, and Hard Days Night and cap it off with whichever album had Please Please Me on it. To me, that was the Beatles, a team working together.

 

I specifically chose these albums because they were the later albums. It's almost like the earlier stuff, which I really like, was by another group.

 

Yes. Paul and John working together was a pop hit engine, separately they both wrote some fine material but John's "edgy belligerence" blended very well with Paul's "nice-nice cleverness" and made for unique results.

 

I was more making an observation than a critique, both bodies of work have stood up very well over time and I have no idea what music would sound like now without the influence of the Beatles, it is impossible to underestimate it. I'm a fan, always have been.

[Anderton]

Totally agreed, the "opposites attract" aspect worked so well for them (and for many other bands). Stories of fights among band members are legendary, but often, they were the most exciting bands.

 

I have no idea what music would sound like now without the influence of the Beatles, it is impossible to underestimate it.

 

And it's impossible to know what the Beatles would have sounded like if they hadn't heard Buddy Holly and Little Richard One of the most wonderful aspects of music is how it grows and mutates.

 

But you bring up an interesting point. If the Beatles had been surgically removed from musical history, I wonder if today's music would sound totally different, or more or less the same. EDM and hip-hop don't have much to do with what was going on half-a-century ago, and today's rock seems to owe more to Led Zeppelin et al compared to the Beatles, who tended to emphasize songwriting above all. Hmmm....

[KuruPrionz]

Totally agreed, the "opposites attract" aspect worked so well for them (and for many other bands). Stories of fights among band members are legendary, but often, they were the most exciting bands.

 

I have no idea what music would sound like now without the influence of the Beatles, it is impossible to underestimate it.

 

And it's impossible to know what the Beatles would have sounded like if they hadn't heard Buddy Holly and Little Richard One of the most wonderful aspects of music is how it grows and mutates.

 

But you bring up an interesting point. If the Beatles had been surgically removed from musical history, I wonder if today's music would sound totally different, or more or less the same. EDM and hip-hop don't have much to do with what was going on half-a-century ago, and today's rock seems to owe more to Led Zeppelin et al compared to the Beatles, who tended to emphasize songwriting above all. Hmmm....

 

 

I read recently that John and Paul were amazed by Captain Beefheart and thought he was awesome. Go figure!

FWIW, I am a fan of Captain Beefheart too, have been since Trout Mask Replica, which drove a friend's parents insane back in my mid teens.

[KuruPrionz]

EDM and hip-hop don't have much to do with what was going on half-a-century ago, and today's rock seems to owe more to Led Zeppelin et al compared to the Beatles, who tended to emphasize songwriting above all. Hmmm....

 

And one of the defining aspects of Led Zeppelin is the obvious comparison of Robert Plant imitating Janis Joplin - probably from the Cheap Thrills album. The we can wonder where Janis got it and way on back we go!!!

[Notes_Norton]

EDM and hip-hop don't have much to do with what was going on half-a-century ago, and today's rock seems to owe more to Led Zeppelin et al compared to the Beatles, who tended to emphasize songwriting above all. Hmmm....

 

And one of the defining aspects of Led Zeppelin is the obvious comparison of Robert Plant imitating Janis Joplin - probably from the Cheap Thrills album. The we can wonder where Janis got it and way on back we go!!!

They both were influenced by Roky Erickson of the "13th Floor Elevators". Somewhere out there is a biopic of Roky and it illustrates that fact.

 

And Craig, if you had put Magical Mystery Tour in the choices, it would have been more difficult for me to pick #2.

 

"Let It Be" demonstrates to me how much George Martin was a creative part of the Beatles. He was a huge Bach fan, and you can hear Bach's harmonic voicings in many of the Beatles songs, but not in "Let It Be" nor in their individual works after the Beatles Broke Up. Even "Help" with its three "Help" lines but with a decending harmony under those lines is pretty Bach-ish.

 

IMO the Beatles were a Quintet.

 

Insights and incites by Notes

[KuruPrionz]

They both were influenced by Roky Erickson of the "13th Floor Elevators". Somewhere out there is a biopic of Roky and it illustrates that fact.

 

 

Insights and incites by Notes

 

Of course, now we wonder who influenced Roky Erickson? I will hazard a guess that it was a singer on an early "race record" from the 20's or 30's, maybe another generation in-between to get there and we can't go back much farther because recordings weren't made back that far and that's really the only accurate reference point we have, no?

[techristian]

I like when George Martin moved them all into the psychedelic "orchestral mode" Revolver, SGT Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour and on..

 

Dan

[Geoff Grace]

Sgt. Pepper for me.

 

It's too hard to pick a second favorite, although it might have been Magical Mystery tour if it were on the list. Let it Be corresponds with the happiest year of my childhood, so I was tempted by it; but that would have meant I'd have to pick against Rubber Soul, Revolver, Abbey Road, and The White Album, and how could I do that?

 

Best,

 

Geoff

[Dave Bryce]

Writing in Help!

 

dB

[Chip McDonald]

As *albums*, the only ones I have wanted to listen to uninterrupted were _Revolver_ and _Sgt. Pepper_.

 

My *song* preferences are on _Abbey Road_ and the _White Album_. Mostly because they are interspersed with songs that sound like *previous* eras, early era Beatles, that to me wrecks the stylistic flow/progression. Which is why _Revolver_ is on my list; as a step beyond _Rubber Soul_ there is no "looking back", it's just progressive and different throughout.

 

Which is the side of the Beatles *I* like. I have no nostalgia for the nascent, primordial post-Carl Perkins/Elvis Beatles. While interesting, it's not my tastes. From the standpoint of "what album prior to 1966 had such a comprehensively individualistic, unique compilation of songs" _Revolver_ has no peer. _Pet Sounds_ is unique, but from song to song doesn't present as much *singular8 diversity as _Revolver_ does.

[Nowarezman]

My actual favorite album growing up with the Beatles was the American release "Yesterday and Today".

 

I mean how can you top an album that has:

 

Drive My Car

I'm Only Sleeping

Nowhere Man

Dr. Robert

Yesterday

And Your Bird Can Sing

If I Needed Someone

We Can Work It Out

Day Tripper

 

Skipping the two C&W covers....

 

It's also hard to top the 2nd Past Masters, too. So many fantastic songs never on an album release per se.

 

nat

[Shamanczarek]

I picked Rubber Soul and Revolver. I have to qualify that with the American version of Rubber Soul and the British version of Revolver. The British Rubber Soul had "Drive My Car", "Nowhere Man", "What Goes On", and "If I Needed Someone" which for the American version were replaced by Help! outtakes "I've Just Seen a Face" and "It's Only Love" which actually sounded more in keeping with the predominately acoustic nature of the remaining songs on the album. The American Revolver took away "And Your Bird Can Sing", "I'm Only Sleeping", and "Doctor Robert" making the British album the definitive version. All these leftover songs plus the singles "Yesterday" and "We Can Work it Out"/"Day Tripper" made Yesterday and Today a collection of strong songs but not part of The Beatles original intent.

[RABid]

I'm a bit shocked. My family likes to watch America Says on the Game Show Network. The premis of the show, they ask America a question and report the top 7 answer, giving only the first letter of each word as a clue along with a blank that gives a hint of how long the word is by how long the blank is. Watching Season 3 Episode 147.

 

The question - My favorite song by The Beatles is ___________.

 

The clues...

H__ J___

Y_____ S________

C_____ T____________

Y________

H___

L__ I_ B_

T_____ A__ S____

 

My first thought was "This is too easy. That team will run the board." The team that got the question guessed one answer in 30 second. The other team gets a chance to fill in the blanks of any answer not guessed by the first team. They got two answers. Two teams of 4 players could only guess 3 of the Beatles songs!

[Anderton]

Let's see...I came close. And, I also figured out how to use the Spoiler function!

 

 

Hey Jude

Yellow Submarine

Come Together

Yesterday

Help

Let It Be

??

 

[Doerfler]

Twist and Shout, which as we all know is an Isley Brothers song

[RABid]

Yep. Twist and Shout is the one I could not think off. I don't really consider it a Beatles song.

[Anderton]

There are two musical certainties in life.

 

* If you're at a party and people say "hey, you know how to play a guitar, c'mon, play something, hey everybody, sing!" you can never go wrong with "Twist and Shout."

* If you need to get people up and dancing, play Donna Summer's "I Feel Love."

[KuruPrionz]

There are two musical certainties in life.

 

* If you're at a party and people say "hey, you know how to play a guitar, c'mon, play something, hey everybody, sing!" you can never go wrong with "Twist and Shout."

* If you need to get people up and dancing, play Donna Summer's "I Feel Love."

 

 

Three, you start Who Do You Love and somebody in the band will shout out "What are the chords?"

[KenElevenShadows]

 

But you bring up an interesting point. If the Beatles had been surgically removed from musical history, I wonder if today's music would sound totally different, or more or less the same. EDM and hip-hop don't have much to do with what was going on half-a-century ago, and today's rock seems to owe more to Led Zeppelin et al compared to the Beatles, who tended to emphasize songwriting above all. Hmmm....

 

Not an enormous Beatles fan, although I like them and respect them immensely.

 

The Beatles may have an influence that we don't know, whether it's writing your own songs, the more melodic function that the bass plays, wordplay, or other things. Difficulty to say.

 

Today's rock does appear to be more influenced by Zeppelin and Sabbath for the most part.