Best Post-Beatles Song

[DACrowe]

True. At this time, he was at his most egotistical. It was 'his' band, and no one else's. And once Paul kind of started becoming the driving force, it irked George and, more specifically, John. But on the other hand, if Paul didn't get them all together to work, nothing would've got done. George would've been meditating while John would be off making goat sounds with his wife.

Really, not one person or one thing is to blame for The Beatles breaking up. Just huge egos and forgotten friendships.

And no, the lyrics to 'God' might not be sweet, but they feel honest. And that's how a song should feel. Genuine.

George will always be awesome, but Paul really became the soul of the band in those last two or three years and that just infuriated Lennon who spent much of the '70s allowing his wife to deride McCartney's solo career. Quite sad.

And I am aware that those were his feelings in that song, but they represent the feelings of what I hated John becoming. Before the end of his life he came down from his smug cloud, but it represents everything that went wrong with the Beatles and why their most talented member became a *****e near the end. So it is honest, but it is an ugly image it paints, in my opinion.

 

[Mr.Webs]

And you see, that's another reason why I liked Lennon. He knew how bad a person he could be, how he could be a pure asshat at times to some of the people that truly mattered most to him (Just ask Stuart Stutcliffe and Paul McCartney), and he was honest about it. It wasn't until the last few years of his life as a family man that he'd decided to accept it and move on, not dwell on it and moan.

It makes it even more of a shame, his assassination. He was finally learning about peace within himself...and I can only imagine the work he would've went on to do.

 

[ManofmyWord]

Ringo's Performance of Photograph at the Concert for George is my favorite version of the song and so ironically fitting. But it doesn't top the best song of the Night...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aa3ylmxnLM

Billy Preston is one of the most underrated musicians in recent History.

 

[Joker]

This thread has made me realize they really need to put out a remastered box set of all of Georges solo stuff, just like they did for the Beatles. John, Paul, and Ringo too, but I probably wouldn't buy those...

 

[ManofmyWord]

I agree but I don't see it happening. It took four years just to remaster the Beatle's stuff and people will buy them BECAUSE it's "the Beatles". I doubt anyone not already a fan will know or care about Solo albums.

 

[Joker]

I hope we at least get remastered releases of all of Georges stuff. Let It Roll, and Danhi doing all this stuff with the Beatles recently gives me hope for it.

Anyway, I take back my previous vote, this is the best post-Beatles song...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGKgimxUUig

 

[Catman]

While Ringo released It Don't Come Easy, George was the one who wrote, arranged, and then gave it to him.

You can say that about a lot of songs...even the ones Ringo sang when he was on The Beatles.

his greatest accomplishment, post-Beatles? Probably this:

once Paul kind of started becoming the driving force, it irked George and, more specifically, John.

George was annoyed more than anything else. He was more upset about Yoko. George worked hard to have his voice heard in the band, so to have Yoko show up and be considered an equal to John was a slap in the face to him.

This thread has made me realize they really need to put out a remastered box set of all of Georges solo stuff, just like they did for the Beatles. John, Paul, and Ringo too, but I probably wouldn't buy those...

Shouldn't George get a "Let It Be...Naked" version of his Phil Spector produced songs?

 

[Joker]

I think you mean John, as Georges involvement with Spector was minimal (he co-produced All Things Must Pass and The Concert For Bangla Desh). And no, I don't, as John was in those sessions and, if the Imagine documentary is anything to go by, was totally behind Spector's choices for his songs. I think George was fine with his work on the two albums he helped him with as well, as he talks very highly of Concert For Bangla Desh as an album in his book, and everyone loves All Things Must Pass.

 

[Catman]

Georges involvement with Spector was minimal (he co-produced All Things Must Pass and The Concert For Bangla Desh).

I think George was fine with his work on the two albums he helped him with as well

Actually, he wasn't. He said that there was too much reverb in the album. And he's right.

 

[DACrowe]

You can say that about a lot of songs...even the ones Ringo sang when he was on The Beatles.

Indeed. Lucky man, got one of the absolute best Bond girls.

George was annoyed more than anything else. He was more upset about Yoko. George worked hard to have his voice heard in the band, so to have Yoko show up and be considered an equal to John was a slap in the face to him.

****ing Yoko. Did I say that out loud? Sorry.

 

[Catman]

Did you read that Rolling Stones article from a few weeks back about John and George getting into a fist fight while working on the Get Back/Let It Be album?

It was a good article because it made things clear. Yoko Ono didn't break up The Beatles per say. George was the only one who REALLY hated her. The break-up was a combination of the feud between John and Paul over leadership of the band with George being upset that Yoko had more say in the band than him. While, Ringo, well, he didn't really care either way.

 

[DACrowe]

No. I went to buy it at my local bookstore and it was sold out. I may have to search for that, I guess. Sounds really good.

 

[CrimsonMist]

George was the only one who REALLY hated her. The break-up was a combination of the feud between John and Paul over leadership of the band with George being upset that Yoko had more say in the band than him. While, Ringo, well, he didn't really care either way.

You can't really blame George, though. I mean, this is the man who wrote "All Too Much" arguably one of the top 5 greatest Beatles songs EVER. Add to that, Taxman, Piggies, Savoy Truffle, Long Long Long, Within You Without You. He had a song writing ability that equaled and sometimes surpassed that of Lennon & McCartney. And Yoko having more of a say was a huge slap in the face.

And I prefer "Let It Be...Naked" over "Let It Be". Spector's arrangements really sucked, except Let It Be. I love how the orchestral arrangement just explodes out of nowhere. It also has the better George solo than the "...Naked" version. But the arrangements he did for "Across The Universe" and "The Long & Winding Road" were awful. I have a bootleg version of the axed "Get Back" album, which isn't much better.

oh, and Mr. Webs, your face has no taste in music!

t:

 

[DACrowe]

I have traditional Let it Be and it has three of my favorite Beatles songs: Let It Be (it maybe my actual favorite!), The Long and Winding Road and Across the Universe. I also love Get Back and 9-09-09.

But I have the official released album. Is the Naked one really so much better and which arrangements are better or worse between the two?

 

[rdh007]

Ringo: See DACrowe's post (Though I quite like Photograph)

Lennon: Watching the Wheels

Macca: Band on the Run/Live and Let Die (The former is probably a better song, but the latter has some personal meaning to me and is pretty rockin')

 

[rdh007]

You can't really blame George, though. I mean, this is the man who wrote "All Too Much" arguably one of the top 5 greatest Beatles songs EVER. Add to that, Taxman, Piggies, Savoy Truffle, Long Long Long, Within You Without You. He had a song writing ability that equaled and sometimes surpassed that of Lennon & McCartney. And Yoko having more of a say was a huge slap in the face.

Truth.

Also, while we're almost on the subject; The White Album is my desert island album. Anyone else?

 

[DACrowe]

Seeing how well received those pictures are here are some more examples of...Ringo's accomplishments:

 

[Joker]

But I have the official released album. Is the Naked one really so much better and which arrangements are better or worse between the two?

The Naked one is also an official release. But yes, it's a million times better than regular Let It Be. All of Spector's bulls**t is gone.

 

[DACrowe]

Really. I am going to go get it now. But I've listened for over a decade to the other release so it is going to be quite an adjustment for me.

What did Spector do that was so bad/ Just curious.

 

[Sawyer]

seeing how well received those pictures are here are some more examples of...ringo's accomplishments:

qft.

 

[CrimsonMist]

Really. I am going to go get it now. But I've listened for over a decade to the other release so it is going to be quite an adjustment for me.

What did Spector do that was so bad/ Just curious.

Spector slowed down "Across The Universe" and added crappy choir/orchestral arrangements. He did this to "The Long And Winding Road" and "Let It Be", also. You'll notice when you listen to the single edit of "Let It Be"(On Past Masters, vol. 2 and Beatles 1) that the orchestral arrangements were brought down in the mix by George Martin.

"...Naked"'s versions strip all the songs down to the basic elements. None of Spector's crap and a much fuller sound. "Across The Universe" is sped up to it's proper master track speed, and much more laid back, with slight phasing going on the guitars. "The Long And Winding Road" is a piano ballad, which is how McCartney always wanted it: him on piano, with the band backing him up. nothing more.

It's my preferred version of the album. Definitely buy it.

 

[ManofmyWord]

I know Lennon-favored Beatle fans are few and far inbetween but this vid is excellent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IXX5gFBkfY

 

[Joker]

Here's something that this thread seems like a good place to ask. When I was a teenager, I loved John Lennon, he was easily my favorite Beatle. Then as I got older, I got more into Harrison. I'm wondering if this is simply because as I got older, I got into the more mature sound of Harrisons work, which is decidedly less angry and rebellious than Lennons. Is this just me, or did it happen to anyone else as well?

 

[Road Warrior]

Here's something that this thread seems like a good place to ask. When I was a teenager, I loved John Lennon, he was easily my favorite Beatle. Then as I got older, I got more into Harrison. I'm wondering if this is simply because as I got older, I got into the more mature sound of Harrisons work, which is decidedly less angry and rebellious than Lennons. Is this just me, or did it happen to anyone else as well?

When I was younger I was more into Paul McCartney. His songs have a good pop-sound melody. As I got older I got more into John Lennon. Not so much his angry rebellious songs, but his artsy-fartsy experimental ones. Strawberry Fields Forever and I Am the Walrus come to mind.

 

[DACrowe]

Here's something that this thread seems like a good place to ask. When I was a teenager, I loved John Lennon, he was easily my favorite Beatle. Then as I got older, I got more into Harrison. I'm wondering if this is simply because as I got older, I got into the more mature sound of Harrisons work, which is decidedly less angry and rebellious than Lennons. Is this just me, or did it happen to anyone else as well?

Intriguing. When I first got into the Beatles as a kid, I of course ffavored their poppier early songs. I also preferred John because he was hte lead singer and his songs were just honestly better than Paul's from those early years. This includes Help!, Hard Day's Night, With the Beatles, etc. As I got older I listened to the later albums more and found the genius in them finally and at first gravitated more towards uber-thoughtful hippy John with Across the Universe, Come Together, All You Need is Love, I am the Walrus, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Oba-Di Oba-Da, etc.

But I got out of rejecting ballads for being ballads and came to really think in those final years Paul was easily the better songwriter with the incredibly mournful Let it Be, Hey Jude, The Long Winding Road and the fun of Hello, Goodbye, Get Back and Penny Lane. I also think Elenoire(sp?) Rigby is the most depressing and morbidly haunting song the Beatles ever did. George also really shined here with Here Comes the Sun, My Guitar Gently Weeps and the absolutely brilliant Something.

And then came the post-Beatles. At first again I gravitated towards John and also Paul because every kid loves Bond movies. But now I just find most of Paul's post-Beatles stuff way too poppy and most of John's post-Beatle stuff self-indulgent, whiney and naive. I still think they may have the two or three best solo career songs between them (Live and Let Die, Happy Christmas and Imagine) but you're right

George had EASILY the best post-Beatles career. He spent the entirety of the '70s writing one amazing song after another. The Concert for Bangladesh is probably one of the best live shows I've ever seen recorded (or been to personally to compare to the tape). George lost himself in music like he was frantically making up for being held back in the Beatles as a songwriter and he def. experimented the most and I can name a dozen post-Beatles song by George I love off the top of my head.

So I agree.