beatles

#129: It Won’t Be Long

Anthony Cusumano, ,

You know what’s funny? I’m sitting here listening to this song and enjoying it so much that I’m asking myself, “Did I really rank this all the way down at #129?” But then I look at the list of remaining songs and I don’t know what I would switch around. We’re basically in the stretch of the list where things could change on a day-to-day basis due to my mood or how long it’s been since I’ve heard a song or the current stage of the moon.

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If Yom Kippur falls on a full moon, there’s only one song I listen to.

 

“It Won’t Be Long” starts the Beatles’ second album with a bang, and the rise in musicianship is immediately apparent. Granted, their debut was hastily recorded when John Lennon had a cold, but Continue reading “#129: It Won’t Be Long” →

#129: It Won’t Be Long

#130: One After 909

Anthony Cusumano, ,

That the Beatles transformed over the course of their career is hardly news to anyone. In the relatively short span of 1962 to 1969,  their personalities, relationships, and songwriting evolved, but ultimately they were the same four people: John, Paul, George, and Ringo. At the core of that line-up was the legendary Lennon/McCartney partnership, an often exceptionally complicated pair who undoubtedly brought out the creative best in one another.

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Unlike the ill-fated duo of Frank Sinatra and Stevie Wonder.

 

The sessions that eventually led to the Let it Be album and film were designed to bring the band back to its roots–“as nature intended,” according to an ad campaign–mostly in that the resulting music would be free of overdubs and “electronic watchamacallit.” (This eventually proved to be far from the case, but that’s a story for another write-up.) But the frosty, on-camera rehearsals Continue reading “#130: One After 909” →

#130: One After 909

#131: Blue Jay Way

Anthony Cusumano, ,

Undoubtedly one of the most ominous-sounding recordings ever released by the Beatles, it’s hard to believe that “Blue Jay Way” was inspired by such a mundane event of George Harrison waiting for a friend to arrive at his house. Or, I mean, it would be hard to believe if the lyrics weren’t so literal. I have mixed feelings on songs like this; on the one hand it’s kind of a neat diversion to hear an artist steer away from being poetic and just describe something so matter-of-factly. On the other, one of the best things about any work of art is its inherent ability to be interpreted and judged based on the encompassing and unique life experiences of everyone in its audience. When there’s not a whole lot left to the imagination, it isn’t as much fun.

But fun is not the aim of “Blue Jay Way” in any aspect. From its haunting organ fade-in to the monotonous thump of the drum that underscores the first verse to the swirling psychedelic instruments that fly in and out, it’s a pretty trippy four minutes. If you really want to get transcendent though, check Continue reading “#131: Blue Jay Way” →

#131: Blue Jay Way

#132: Maxwell’s Silver Hammer

Anthony Cusumano, ,

It’s really difficult for me to switch allegiances once I discover a song. By that I mean I become so accustomed to the first version I hear that, most of the time, any other version or cover (or original) just sounds wrong to me. I can appreciate and often even enjoy different renditions, but I’ll usually return to my initial introduction. It’s why I always get stoked when one of my favorite artists releases a massive box set filled with demos and alternate takes, which I subsequently listen to one time and then disregard in favor of the album versions I’ve known all along.

Ah, but there are exceptions, and “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” is very much one of them. I blame Continue reading “#132: Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” →

#132: Maxwell’s Silver Hammer

#133: Good Night

Anthony Cusumano, ,

One of the most gorgeous and endearing songs in the Beatles’ catalog, “Good Night” not only serves as a palette cleanser from the atrocious “Revolution 9,” but caps off the entire White Album so perfectly. After a chaotic ride through 29 songs that run the gamut both stylistically and qualitatively, we finish with this lovely lullaby written by John and sung delicately by Ringo.

As a result of singing songs like this and “Yellow Submarine” (not to mention hosting Thomas the Tank Engine), Ringo is an obvious choice to be the preferred Beatle of children, but most people grow out of that. That doesn’t mean we should Continue reading “#133: Good Night” →

#133: Good Night

#134: Another Girl

Anthony Cusumano, ,

Ooh, Paul McCartney’s getting sassy here! It’s hard to imagine a song like this coming out in 2018 and not receiving some mild backlash, but the Beatles could get away with anything, including this not-entirely-fictional threat that Paul’s significant other had better play her cards right, because if she doesn’t, he has another girl lined up and ready to go. “I ain’t no fool and I don’t take what I don’t want,” he taunts, and unlike Continue reading “#134: Another Girl” →

#134: Another Girl

#135: You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me

Anthony Cusumano, ,

There are few things in this life more pointless than the cover song that merely replicates the original. I’m not universally discrediting them–I love 10,000 Maniacs’ carbon copy of Patti Smith’s “Because the Night,” and Stone Temple Pilots’ faithful rendition of “Revolution” (by some band) is also quite awesome. But there’s a risk/reward equation in reworking a beloved song and sure, sometimes it doesn’t pay off–would anyone take the Carpenters’ bizarre takes on “Ticket to Ride” and “Help!” over some band’s originals?–sometimes you end up with Continue reading “#135: You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me” →

#135: You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me

#136: Why Don’t We Do it in the Road?

Anthony Cusumano, ,

Time for me to be a hypocrite. I ranked “I Wanna Be Your Man” the worst original Beatles song largely due to its lousy, basic 18-word vocabulary. “Why Don’t We Do it in the Road?” clocks in at just 17 unique words, yet here it is, nearly 75 slots higher. I mean, obviously there are plenty of legitimate reasons for that which I’ll get into, but I’ll admit, that’s a pretty wide jump. You’re probably thinking, Continue reading “#136: Why Don’t We Do it in the Road?” →

#136: Why Don’t We Do it in the Road?

#137: Drive My Car

Anthony Cusumano, ,

Kicking off Rubber Soul into high gear, “Drive My Car” steered the Beatles onto a road they’d never gone down before, and I’m already sick of these car puns so let’s forget this intro ever happened.

In the first half of the sixties, the Beach Boys seemed to corner the market on automobile tracks, from “409” to “Little Deuce Coupe” to “Driving Aimlessly Because Continue reading “#137: Drive My Car” →

#137: Drive My Car

#138: The Night Before

Anthony Cusumano, ,

This has got to be one of the most unjustly overlooked Beatles songs ever. I realize by putting it at #138, I’m probably not doing anything to curb its underrated status, but man, give it a listen and tell me that this is not a damn good song on every level. Really. There’s a palpable excitement from the opening roll of the bass and drums to the twinkle of a guitar riff that punctuates everything.

I really don’t know where to start with the praise. How about Continue reading “#138: The Night Before” →

#138: The Night Before