John?
Paul?
George?
Ringo?

After watching the documentary Let It Be, I think I like Paul the best.

I think Paul was obviously the most talented (He could play guitar better than George, drums better than Ringo), and he wrote a greater number of good songs than the others. But, I think John's greatest gems are the Beatles' best songs. For example: A Day In The Life, Strawberry Fields, Lucy In The Sky with Diamonds. Also, John's solo stuff was way better than Paul's. Sorry, but Wings sucks, except for an occasional good song.

Every documentarian of The Beatles has objectivity denied by this subject. Having seen a few, it's clear each film has a subtle favorite.


I made this flyer years ago- the picture is from a magazine and read "kiss your favorite Beatle" and had these life-size Beatle-lip reproductions. I guess the intent was to have teens make out with the magazine, which I find pathetic, creepy and hilarious (imagine the male side of this if it became a trend). People assumed it was our band members, and could match each set to our lips. I was suprised how many people swore up and down that I was the bottom set. I can kinda see it though.

See if you can match the Beatles to their lips! Feel free to make out with your screen.

George, as a Beatle....Solo, not so much.

My fav has to be John. Don't get me wrong Paul is genius, so is George, and for his part, so is Ringo. But I always thought John was the best cuz all his songs spoke from his heart, and he wrote about what he felt about. And he also had the music to back up his writing. It's all about John!

i liked the beatles alot in middle school ( they were all still alive), and in recent years have been slowly coming back around to them.

paul has alot of talent, but his material contains by far the most sap.

i like that George collected ukuleles



lately ive been playing Rain and you Wont See Me with Zots.

last year, i played She's a Woman and My Guitar Gently Weeps as instrumentals with Duende. i am still working on She's So Heavy... these guys left a lot of material to explore.


johns lips on the bottom, ringos next, i cant tell the top two sets of lipps. actually i'll guess pauls on top and george beneath.

check out this video of while my guitar gently weeps. i think prince is wearing the outfit that george wore in some photos for rubber soul

George Martin followed closely by Yoko...

Seriously though, I agree with mc, but I think my favorites are still from Paul. I think John is perceived as writing better songs because he didn't write the corniest Beatle songs (Paul's:'Martha my dear', 'Long and Winding Road',etc). Though JL's 'Good Night' is almost there. "It's only Love" is pretty god-damn corny but has a nice chord progression, so it's hard to hear.

I also think Paul was much more experimental, though everyone refers to John's '#9' thing.
Helter Skelter, Sgt. Pepper production, Abbey Road suite, these were all McCartney's off-the-wall ideas.

Fuck Wings.

quote:

Originally posted by g f x:
check out this video of while my guitar gently weeps. i think prince is wearing the outfit that george wore in some photos for rubber soul

ok maybe only the hat...

quote:

Originally posted by sssk:
George Martin followed closely by Yoko...

Seriously though, I agree with mc, but I think my favorites are still from Paul.

what does paul know???

anyway, this should put it all to rest....


yer blues

I remember that video. Prince is ROCKIN'!!!

quote:

Originally posted by g f x:
anyway, this should put it all to rest....


yer blues

Wow, that was cool. Kieth Richards relegated to bass!

quote:

(He could play guitar better than George, drums better than Ringo),

Anybody can play drums better than Ringo!

Ringo may not have been a super-technical drummer, but I don't think anyone else could have fit the beatles like he did. His parts were written to the songs, which in my opinion is how all drummers should do it.

I like Pete best.

i grew up with the beatles-- saw them on ed sullivan when i was five; listened to them daily until they broke up; mags, trading cards, lunchboxes, i had all of it. so, i've been through the teeny bopper thing of having each each one as my favorite at one time or another.

harrison's leads were simplistic but the style of the time. looking back to when groups like cream got big and guitar "gods" became the be-all and end-all of rock, harrison's short and sweet approach is refreshing.
his triple LP all things must pass (produced by phil spector)is a landmark, the best and most cohesive of all solo beatles records. even the side of extended jamming with clapton is suprisingly good.

ringo may be clubfooted and clumsy but his style is distinct. maybe its the nostalgia speaking but i love his sound. the opening roll of she loves you still gives me a thrill.

lennon was pigheaded and a bit of an arse but still my hero for over 30 years. mccartney's beatle stuff may be more catchy but lennon's improves with age. his solo stuff is uneven but honest and soul baring. the climax of cold turkey is chilling.

sssk is right about mccartney being behind most of the grand experiments. too bad his pyschedelic stuff is fluff comapred to lennon's.
although i adore wimpy pop crap, mccartney is mostly annoying. i'd rather listen to hilary duff than wings and i'm not kidding.
grafitti i saw years ago sums him up for me: "its not the money , paul, its the principle".

quote:

Originally posted by sssk:
George Martin followed closely by Yoko...

yoko is severely under-rated! she was an avant garde, experimental and confrontational artist when the beatles were still singing about holding hands. her music is better than she gets credit for.

the beatles wouldn't have lasted past a few top 40 hits if it wasn't for george martin. the debate over lennon vs mccartney will go on forever but they were at their best together -- with the invaluable help of george martin who translated their most outre ideas into reality.

quote:

ringo may be clubfooted and clumsy but his style is distinct.

Ringo is left handed. Their producer wouldn't let him play a kit set up lefty.

I play "Rain" with GFX. One of the hardest songs to learn for me because of all the left hand leads Ringo did on that song. In other words, pick up a lefty guitar and play it right handed but favor your left hand.

One thing Ringo did very well was keep time. The man is a walking clock. You can set a metronome to his playing... and all of his playing with The Beatles was done without a click.

quote:

Originally posted by sssk: George Martin followed closely by Yoko..... I also think Paul was much more experimental, though everyone refers to John's '#9' thing.

quote:

Originally posted by CA: yoko is severely under-rated! she was an avant garde, experimental and confrontational artist when the beatles were still singing about holding hands. her music is better than she gets credit for.

I like Yoko too. The song Kiss, Kiss, Kiss especially is perfect early new wave and totally listenable. Her collaborations and remix albums kinda lack though, especially considering the talent involved.

#9 is.... I guess at the time... etc, whatever. It sounds like some teenager just started an experimental band with his first copy of Frooty Loops, or like Negativeland had a slow day. It does not hold up as music or as experimental. It's got such a filler feel, like they just had some extra room on that side. I feel the same way about most of John's wierder stuff; he's best at rock and pop. When he's pure it's on, but otherwise it seems forced- as if I'm supposed to be into the ideas more than the music, which I hate. Even when listening to some droning/clashing noise I'm still into it for the sound. Paul can be more natural in a variety of styles, maybe that's why he can also be boring (I think he's more collaborative too, which is why a lot of his contributions get overlooked and why Wings dragged him down?). I think George seems the most consistent, without the highs and lows of the others.

As for Wings... well, I don't listen to it unless it shows up, but I'm not inclined to run from it. It's still better than a lot of musicians are 20 years into their career.

quote:

Originally posted by Punch Bucket:
#9 is.... I guess at the time... etc, whatever.

i was 10 years old when the white album came out and #9 scared the hell out of me.

it was the first double LP i'd ever seen. my older brother showed me side 3 and 4 and i was totally mystified. the bastard even told me sides 1 and 2 were the edges of the record! i've never forgiven him. for that, and for telling me the wolfman lived under the basement stairs.