Though all of the songs on this list are ones that I enjoy, there are certain sequences of tunes that I think are particularly good. The "Can't's" with "Can't Hardly Wait," "You Can't Put Your Arms Around a Memory," and "Can't Stand Me Now" form a nice trio. The "Don't's," though, might be the best sequence of songs here.
As I've said before, The Beatles were part of the soundtrack of my youth. I know all of their albums and have heard their catalogue probably more than any other artist's. I've strayed away from questions like "What's your favorite" this or that for some time now, mostly because it's hard to boil things down to a single choice. I can, however, definitely say that without a doubt "Don't Let Me Down" is one of my two favorite Beatles' songs. You'll have to keep following the blog to see the other one.
A lot of people don't like the Beatles' final release "Let It Be." Shoot... The Beatles don't even like it! John Lennon said it was crap. It's their final release, but actually their second-to-last recording. Most everyone in the Beatles' camp thought LIB was sub-par material. They reconvened with George Martin, who said "I'll come back to you, but let's record something the right way." They ended up with the masterpiece "Abbey Road." "Let It Be" is probably looked at more as Paul McCartney's failed attempt to record simpler, more basic rock and roll tracks like the Beatles did in their early days, before George Martin's string arrangements and the Fab Four's preoccupation with multi-tracking, tape-looping, and other sonic experiments became their signature. The album is considered more of an afterthought, but I really like it.
"Let It Be" has a great stripped-down style. It almost sounds like demos compared to the Beatles other work, but that's what I like about it. It's the same reason I really enjoy looking at artists' sketches and early renderings of their final work. It's makes them appear more human. When you strip everything away, what can you really do? How talented are you? Everybody knows that John, Paul, George, and Ringo were supremely adept at song-writing and recording, but how good were they as players? "Let It Be" shows you.
"Don't Let Me Down" was a single released at the time of LIB. The Beatles were from the old days when albums were one thing and singles another. I prefer to listen to them in eras as opposed to albums, so "Don't Let Me Down" is a single recorded at the same time as songs like "The Long and Winding Road," "Get Back," and the famous title track. For one reason or another, it was just put out as a separate cut. The songs from this time are also notable for the fact that Billy Preston plays on several of them, and his keyboards on "Don't Let Me Down" are a great and vital part of the tune. Another thing to listen for are Paul's wonderful bass lines. When the Beatles' catalogue was recently remastered and reissued, one great treat is how much more clearly you can hear the bass. Songwriting and singing aside, Sir Paul was one heck of a bass player. Pulling it all together in the end is the vocal performance of John Lennon. His pain-wracked plea sounds raw and powerful. I've always thought that John had great versatility in his voice, from the whispery loveliness of "Julia" to the screaming angst in "Revolution." "Don't Let Me Down" showcases the latter in the choruses, which are my favorite parts to listen to.
"Don't Let Me Down" is on the singles compilation "Past Masters Vol 1 and 2." To hear the song, click on the icon in the widget jukebox along the side of the page.
***Blogger's note: All Beatles' songs on this site are NOT the newly released remastered versions. To hear those high quality numbers, you're going to have to shell out the money and buy the cd's.
As I've said before, The Beatles were part of the soundtrack of my youth. I know all of their albums and have heard their catalogue probably more than any other artist's. I've strayed away from questions like "What's your favorite" this or that for some time now, mostly because it's hard to boil things down to a single choice. I can, however, definitely say that without a doubt "Don't Let Me Down" is one of my two favorite Beatles' songs. You'll have to keep following the blog to see the other one.
A lot of people don't like the Beatles' final release "Let It Be." Shoot... The Beatles don't even like it! John Lennon said it was crap. It's their final release, but actually their second-to-last recording. Most everyone in the Beatles' camp thought LIB was sub-par material. They reconvened with George Martin, who said "I'll come back to you, but let's record something the right way." They ended up with the masterpiece "Abbey Road." "Let It Be" is probably looked at more as Paul McCartney's failed attempt to record simpler, more basic rock and roll tracks like the Beatles did in their early days, before George Martin's string arrangements and the Fab Four's preoccupation with multi-tracking, tape-looping, and other sonic experiments became their signature. The album is considered more of an afterthought, but I really like it.
"Let It Be" has a great stripped-down style. It almost sounds like demos compared to the Beatles other work, but that's what I like about it. It's the same reason I really enjoy looking at artists' sketches and early renderings of their final work. It's makes them appear more human. When you strip everything away, what can you really do? How talented are you? Everybody knows that John, Paul, George, and Ringo were supremely adept at song-writing and recording, but how good were they as players? "Let It Be" shows you.
"Don't Let Me Down" was a single released at the time of LIB. The Beatles were from the old days when albums were one thing and singles another. I prefer to listen to them in eras as opposed to albums, so "Don't Let Me Down" is a single recorded at the same time as songs like "The Long and Winding Road," "Get Back," and the famous title track. For one reason or another, it was just put out as a separate cut. The songs from this time are also notable for the fact that Billy Preston plays on several of them, and his keyboards on "Don't Let Me Down" are a great and vital part of the tune. Another thing to listen for are Paul's wonderful bass lines. When the Beatles' catalogue was recently remastered and reissued, one great treat is how much more clearly you can hear the bass. Songwriting and singing aside, Sir Paul was one heck of a bass player. Pulling it all together in the end is the vocal performance of John Lennon. His pain-wracked plea sounds raw and powerful. I've always thought that John had great versatility in his voice, from the whispery loveliness of "Julia" to the screaming angst in "Revolution." "Don't Let Me Down" showcases the latter in the choruses, which are my favorite parts to listen to.
"Don't Let Me Down" is on the singles compilation "Past Masters Vol 1 and 2." To hear the song, click on the icon in the widget jukebox along the side of the page.
***Blogger's note: All Beatles' songs on this site are NOT the newly released remastered versions. To hear those high quality numbers, you're going to have to shell out the money and buy the cd's.
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