Shows
Ranking The Beatles#74 - Julia with Jude Southerland KesslerOne of the best things about the White Album is seeing so many different sides of each Beatle. To close out the first disc, we get a rare glimpse of the really vulnerable and sensitive John, a side we really haven't seen laid bare prior to this. It's a gorgeous track, lead by an almost hypnotic finger picking pattern, with a single note, bare lead vocal practically forcing you to listen to what he's singing about. Of course Julia was his mother, but is this just a song to/about her? I'd always thought so, until this conversation.
2025-04-231h 12
Ranking The Beatles#76 - Slow Down with guests Blotto BeatlesMaybe it's just me, but I've got a real sweet spot for when, in the midst of all the chaos of exploding into the world's biggest band and becoming the greatest songwriters alive, the Beatles blow off steam by pulling out a song from their garage band days. "Slow Down," written by New Orleanian Larry Williams (protege to Little Richard and Lloyd Price) was recorded during the sessions for the A Hard Day's Night album, when John's early rock and roll voice is arguably at it's peak. Those screams...good lawdy, indeed ! It feels carefree and joyous, they're not...
2025-02-201h 31
Ranking The Beatles#79 - Taxman with Vinyl BenjyWhat do George Harrison and Big Worm from the movie Friday have in common? Messing with their money is like messing with their emotions. But Big Perm, I mean Big Worm, doesn't write banging rock tunes about it. George's "Taxman," the lead off track on Revolver, finds the guitarist squaring off against the greedy hand of the man for taking 98% (NINETY EIGHT) percent of the Beatles income, income they'd actually (unlike so many millionaires and billionaires) worked INCREDIBLY hard to achieve. It's a fantastically sardonic lyric, with a brilliant performance by the band (Paul's basically inventing psychedelic bass parts...
2024-12-271h 14
Ranking The Beatles#80 - For No One with Duncan DriverEveryone knows that couple...everytime you go on holiday, they seem to get into a fight about SOMETHING. Then everyone's walking on eggshells, trying not to be awkward, not picking sides, just wanting to enjoy their nice vacation, but instead having to deal with someone else's drama.
That seems to be a continuing theme with Paul McCartney and Jane Asher on vacation, only when those fights happen, Paul tends to wander off and pen classic songs, like "For No One." It's a strikingly mature and bold song, featuring only Paul and Ringo, buoyed by a brilliant melody...
2024-12-121h 20
Ranking The Beatles#86 - Baby's In Black with Andy Nicholes (co-host 2Legs Podcast)Though the Lennon & McCartney songwriting team found it harder and harder to truly write songs together from scratch as they got busier and busier, with "Baby's In Black," they were able to get "nose-to-nose" and write something truly different from what was expected at the time. A 3/4 time waltz with a melancholy lyric (possibly inspired by Astrid Kirchherr's mourning for Stu Sutcliffe), the first song they recorded for the Beatles For Sale album was a far cry from the uptempo Beatlemania rave ups of A Hard Day's Night or the Cavern-era screamers on their first two LPs. The song...
2024-07-121h 16
Ranking The BeatlesBONUS! A Let It Be Podcast Roundtable ChatAfter decades of hiding in the Apple vaults, the Beatles' 1970 film Let It Be is finally out! Lovingly restored thanks to Peter Jackson's team, the documentary directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg finally gets it place in the sun. What better way to celebrate than with Beatle pals!?!?
We were thrilled as could be to join our pals from the Blotto Beatles, Paul or Nothing, BC The Beatles, and Fans on the Run podcasts to talk all things Let it Be. First thoughts, long time thoughts, expectations, theories, what-have-yous. The beauty of the Beatles, bringing people together as always...
2024-05-161h 53
Ranking The Beatles#101 - Every Little Thing with Joe Adragna, singer, songwriter (The Junior League, The Minus 5)While the exact time and place of this song seems to have been lost to the fog of 80+ years of memories, Paul does remember that he wrote this song with the thought it might end up as the Beatles next single in 1964. It seemed to lack that certain Beatle magic singles required, but it found a home on the back half of Beatles For Sale, albeit a home that maybe doesn't do it the justice it deserves. It's sneaky in a few different ways. It's got melodies and hooks for days, from the verse melody to the soaring chorus...
2023-11-161h 16
Ranking The Beatles#104 - You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) with Sam Whiles, host of "Paul or Nothing"After what must have been a creatively exhausting few months creating Sgt. Pepper, The Beatles blew off steam by recording a track that was more in line with the Goon Show humor they grew up loving, filled with weird voices and sound effects, creating comedic environments and asides, purely for the enjoyment of doing something that appeased them. It took them several sessions over a couple years to finish it, with Paul and John working in on it together even during some of their most tumultuous times. For somer reason, it was something they really wanted to finish. Usually...
2023-11-011h 23
Ranking The Beatles#111 - Here, There, & Everywhere with Dave Depper (guitarist, Death Cab For Cutie)The friendly creative rivalry between the Beatles and the Beach Boys arguably hit it's peak in 1966 when the bands released two albums that routinely top "best album ever" lists, the Beatles' Revolver and the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Lennon and McCartney had been inspiring Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson to up his songwriting, and vice versa. On Revolver, this influence shines through in the harmony-laden "Here, There, and Everywhere," a song Paul managed to scribble together while waiting for John to wake up for a songwriting session. Not a bad way to kill some time. It's an absolutely gorgeous...
2023-09-121h 06
Ranking The Beatles#112 - Two of Us with guests Sodajerker (Brian O'Conner & Simon Barber, songwriters and hosts of Sodajerker on Songwriting)One of the first songs The Beatles worked on for the Get Back sessions of 1969, Paul's "Two of Us" was inspired by his road trips to nowhere with his new love, Linda; piling in the car, picking a direction and getting lost, just for fun. When he brought it to the band, it was originally conceived as a fast, chugging rocker, with a dual harmony vocal for Paul and John to harness their inner Everly Brothers on. This is the song the band were working on when George has his infamous "I'll play whatever you want me to play...
2023-06-201h 39
Ranking The Beatles#121 I'll Follow The Sun with guest Julie ElodyIn the fall of 1964 as the Beatles began working on what would become their 4th album, Beatles for Sale, it was only a couple of months after their 3rd album hit stores. They'd been constantly touring, making their first feature film, recording BBC sessions, essentially going non-stop. Time for songwriting was becoming precious and hard to find, so consequently, they started looking back at more of their favorite covers and originals that had been pushed to the back burner. One of those was Paul's "I'll Follow The Sun," a song with origins that traced all the way back to 1958...
2023-03-301h 08
Ranking The Beatles#125 Fixing A Hole w/ guest Sonia Tetlow (singer, songwriter, musician)Self-care isn't always something that gets prioritized when we're in our 20s. But the notion of taking the time to check in with yourself, to be mindful of the things going on around and inside of you seems to be something that Paul McCartney was tuned into in 1967. He credits this with the freedom to discover himself that he found through mind-expanding stimulants of the time, namely marijuana and LSD. "Fixing A Hole" is the result of this, a metaphorical look at taking personal stock and learning to look after one's self. It's an interesting tune that doesn't really...
2023-02-281h 00
Ranking The Beatles#132 - Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey with musician Kyle Melancon (drummer, Imagination Movers, ex-Dash Rip Rock)By the time of Beatles for Sale at the end of '64, the band were exhausted, overworked, and for good reason. They'd been working nonstop for YEARS with a schedule that most artists would shudder at. While their previous album had been their first of all originals, this time, the tank was a bit lower than before, and the band had to revert back to covers they'd been doing since the Cavern and Hamburg days. Even though they may have been tired, they pulled out a fiery cover of Little Richard's version of "Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey", which was in fact...
2022-11-081h 06
Ranking The Beatles#133 - Got To Get You Into My Life with guest Sean Nelson (singer, songwriter, musician)Note: This episode was originally taped several days before the release of "Got To Get You Into My Life (Second Version/Unnumbered Mix)" from the upcoming Revolver Super Deluxe reissue. We reconvened several days after that track's release to discuss the alternate version, and how it not only compares to the original, but how it changes our perceptions of the track. That conversation has been added to the end of our ranking discussion.
One of the defining traits of Revolver is the vast differences between its' songs. The sessions started off with John's psychedelic masterpiece "Tomorrow Never K...
2022-10-251h 52
Ranking The Beatles#134 - Revolution 1 with guest James Campion (author, TAKE A SAD SONG… The Emotional Currency of “Hey Jude”)Following the flower power vibes of 1967, 1968 found the Beatles diving into transcendental meditation, looking inward, and grounding themselves back to the real world around them, which was getting pretty tumultuous. A back-to-basics vibe that was moving through the music scene, combined with John's growing want to speak his mind on current events (aided by the artistic awakening he was experiencing with his new girlfriend, Yoko Ono), lead to the creation of "Revolution 1," a slow bluesy shuffle explaining John's desire to see the oppressive systems around the world crumble, but also his uncertainty of what to do once they fall...
2022-10-181h 12
Ranking The Beatles#135 - Getting Better with guest Debbie Davis (singer, musician)The yin and yang of Lennon and McCartney are rarely so perfectly on display as they are in the chorus of "Getting Better." Paul's eternal optimist, "I've got to admit it's getting better, a little better all the time" runs right up against the sardonic side of John: "It can't get no worse." On this Sgt. Pepper tune, they find meld an upbeat, bouncy melody with darker, quite self-aware lyrics about the worst parts of one's personality, and the human want to better one's self when love is involved. Sometimes we forget these guys are actually human, and made...
2022-10-111h 14
Ranking The Beatles#136 - Michelle with guest Janice Mitchell (author, "My Ticket To Ride")Perhaps the ultimate song written for the purpose of playing it on a beat up old acoustic at a party so you can meet girls (apologies for that run on sentence), "Michelle" was written by Paul back in 1959 for just that purpose. You can easily imagine him brooding in a smokey corner, wearing a turtle neck, and singing an early version of this tune. It get shined up and completed for inclusion on 1965's Rubber Soul, and has become a much-loved, though often maligned Macca classic. I think it's got a whole lot going for it, personally. A fantastic...
2022-10-041h 06
Ranking The Beatles#137 - Dr. Robert with guest Bruce Ferber (writer, producer, author)If there was any inclination the Fab Four were down to “expand their minds,” by the time Revolver came around, there was very little second guessing. The sounds are out there, backwards, mystical. And on "Dr. Robert," what might have been a nudge and wink previously is now just a punch in the face: THESE GUYS TAKE DRUGS.
Whether it’s autobiographical or a character piece though, it’s a fantastic mind movie, where the band paint a great picture sonically of the good Doctor, while John’s vocal moves to almost Dylan-esque places. On an album wherein the...
2022-09-211h 03
Ranking The Beatles#138 - Good Day Sunshine with guest Wayne Federman (comic, actor, author, producer)If ever a Paul song fit the oft-used descriptor of “jaunty,” it’s “Good Day Sunshine.” A tune written during the Revolver sessions, it’s one of the sunnier moments on an album that sees a bit of a darker side of the Beatles than we’d seen before. It’s maybe not the weightiest thing he’s ever done, but it’s amazing how Paul has the ability to soundtrack human emotions so easily; the song really has the bounce and light and fun of new love and a beautiful day. It’s the part of the ying and yang, the light an...
2022-09-131h 22
Ranking The Beatles#139 - Eight Days A Week with guest Dr. Duncan DriverThe break's over friends! We've missed you all, but we're tanned, rested, and ready to rank! Well, actually we're still quite pasty (Jonathan especially), we're still always tired, but we're definitely ready to get back to the business of ranking!
To say the Beatles were working hard in 1964 is more than an understatement. Tours, bbc sessions, t.v. appearances, movies, recording sessions, sometimes multiple of these things in the same day...yeah, it was a lot. So in this situation, one would maybe be excused to not turn out their BEST work. Of course, even the Beatles...
2022-09-061h 24
Ranking The BeatlesBONUS EPISODE! Paul's 80th Birthday - A Paul appreciation chat and song discussion with guest Sean NelsonWe've been on a break between seasons, but being Paul McCartney's 80th birthday, we felt we wanted to contribute our little part to the conversation and global love fest. When our friend and previous guest, musician Sean Nelson reached out and asked if we wanted to chat about our favorite Paul songs, it seemed the perfect way to do so. There's certainly no shortage of words being written to sing his praise, but to us, the best way to show our appreciation is with his music. What can be said that hasn't been said 1000 times already? Probably a lot...
2022-06-182h 38
Ranking The Beatles#140 - Roll Over Beethoven with guest Tim Hatfield (author, "When We Find Ourselves in Times of Trouble")“If you tried to give rock and roll a different name, you might call it ‘Chuck Berry." - John Lennon
To say Chuck Berry was influential on the Beatles would be an understatement. They covered more of his songs during their career than any other artist, and "Roll Over Beethoven" was in their live set all the way back in 1957. So when recording their 2nd album, With The Beatles, in 1963, and having a bit more say on what songs they would record, it's not surprising they went with paying tribute to one of their heroes with a song...
2022-04-201h 21
Ranking The Beatles#141 - Any Time At All with producer/author Jerry Hammack ("The Beatles' Recording Reference Manuals")It’s interesting to think that in 12 months the Beatles had gone from recording almost an entire album in one day, to showing up at EMI’s Abbey Road studio with songs half complete. But by the spring of 1964, needing to finish their 3rd album (which would accompany their first film), that’s just what they did with John’s “Any Time At All.” Coming up with an inventive instrumental bridge in the studio, and a cracking arrangement, the band, George Martin, and the EMI production staff turn in an inspired performance all around for what would be considered by any other...
2022-04-121h 33
Ranking The Beatles#142 - Magical Mystery Tour with Sean Gaillard (author "The Pepper Effect" and host of "Principal Liner Notes" podcast)Riding a serious creative hot streak in 1967, Paul was inspired by the "mystery tour" trips of his younger years, a bus trip to an unknown destination, and developed an idea for a film version of that, starring the Beatles. Of course, being the psychedelic year of 1967, it'd be magical, a Magical Mystery Tour. In needing a theme song or fanfare for the project, not dissimilar to what the band needed for the Sgt. Pepper album a few months prior, the band put together a bombastic track, with rocking drums, blasting horns, and multiple tempo changes. It's great to hear...
2022-03-291h 15
Ranking The Beatles#143 - Sexy Sadie with musician Elroy Finn (ELROY, Crowded House, Liam Finn, Wild Nothing)It's no secret that John Lennon was often trying to fill the hole left his parents' absence. His need of a father figure had definite impacts on his relationships with men his senior and of perceived power, like Brian Epstein and George Martin. The same could be said about Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Once turned on to his teaching, John immediately dove into his teachings of transcendental meditation and was eager to study at his ashram. Stories (along with video and pictures) show John jockeying for proximity to the guru, most comically when he made his way into the lone...
2022-03-221h 04
Ranking The Beatles#144 - Wild Honey Pie w/ Phoebe Lorde, host of Another Kind of MindOK WE'RE FINALLY HERE!! Let's get down to it. During the creation of the White Album as tensions built among the ranks of the Beatles, the members often found themselves working on their own tracks in different studios, sometimes bringing in other members as needed, or working by themselves. While John and Ringo tended to a mix session for Revolution 9, which Paul hadn't been a part of, Paul was in another studio overseeing overdubs on his own "Mother Nature's Son." Following work on that tune, and feeling a creative streak, Paul demoed a (still) unheard song, "Etcetera," and then...
2022-03-151h 50
Ranking The Beatles#146 - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band & #145 - With A Little Help From My Friends with guest Sam Whiles (host of "Paul or Nothing" and "Macca In Your Attic" podcasts)After enjoying the anonymity of traveling incognito during the Beatles 1966 post-touring break, Paul came up with the idea of creating alter ego for The Beatles as a band, allowing them the freedom to do whatever they wanted, without the weight of the Beatles name attached. Once the project began with that idea in mind, he (along with Beatles' tour manager and assistant Mal Evans) wrote what would essentially be the intro, fanfare, and title track of the album of same name for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band ("the band"). It's a loose, heavy rocker, with really interesting harmonies...
2022-03-081h 51
Ranking The Beatles#147 - I'm A Loser w/ musician & songwriter Hilarie SidneyEven after conquering the world and experiencing the highest highs celebrity had maybe ever known, by summer 1964 John found himself at odds with the public persona he'd been living with. After a journalist told him he felt John was more revealing in his offbeat poetry and prose than in his music, and with a little help from their new friend Bob Dylan and the party supplies he turned them on to, John began looking inward more than he had previously on the band's 4th lp, Beatles for Sale. The album's 2nd track, "I'm A Loser," sees Lennon embracing his...
2022-02-231h 08
Ranking The Beatles#148 - Do You Want To Know A Secret? with Jim BerkendstadtWritten in Hamburg at the end of 1962, and inspired by a very early memory of his mother, "Do You Want To Know A Secret?" is a John tune given to George (or maybe a John & Paul tune written specifically for George, depending on who's telling the story) to sing on their debut album. It's genetic make up is a bit all over there place...a dash of Disney, a pinch of Spanish soap opera dramatics, a hint of a band called The Stereos, and just a kiss of the doo-wah-doos. It makes for a perfectly pleasant song, one that...
2022-02-161h 05
Ranking The Beatles#149 - I'll Be Back with Kit O'Toole (Queen of Beatles Media!)On the A Hard Day's Night album, John is absolutely on fire creatively, and at his most prolific. Tossed off on vacation, possibly as a tribute to Del Shannon's "Runaway," "I'll Be Back" is an oft-overlooked song deserving of way more attention than it usually gets. It's unique in that on a really upbeat album, it serves as a darker closer than one would expect. It features really smart 3 part harmonies that only serve to add to a real maturity found on this track. With the song's journey tracked as it moves from an electric waltz, to a straight...
2022-02-081h 08
Ranking The Beatles#150 - Dizzy Miss Lizzy with guest Sanjay KarnikGuess who's back? It's your old pals at Ranking The Beatles! It's 2022, and we're back for Season 4, with new episodes and ready to rank more Beatles songs. We're starting this season off by looking at a track the boys recorded because Capitol Records wanted a couple of new songs to tack onto yet another cobbled together American release. So the boys reached back into their Cavern/Hamburg bag of tricks, and dusted off a few belters by (fellow New Orleanian) Larry Williams. They liked the end results of "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" so much, they decided to tack it on...
2022-02-011h 02
Ranking The BeatlesBonus: A Tribute to Michael NesmithIn honor of the late Michael Nesmith, we wanted to take the opportunity to talk about the man, his art, his amazing life journey, and the impact it's had on us. His career will always be somewhat intertwined in the Beatles story as a member of the Monkees, a tv show about a band, created in the image of the Beatles, so we think it's not too far a stretch to do this in the confines of a Beatles podcast.
To say his music plays a big role in our lives would be saying the bare minimum. O...
2021-12-171h 08
Ranking The Beatles#151 - Real Love with guest Jack Lawless (@BeatlesEarth)Written during his house-husband years in the late 1970s, John wrote "Real Love" as part of a planned musical about his and Yoko's life. Despite demoing it a number of times, he didn't record it for his Double Fantasy album in 1980. The song was given a new life though when it was chosen by the remaining Beatles as a song to work on for the Anthology project, eventually making it's home as the second "new" Beatles song associated with the landmark project. It's the more uptempo of the two, and some say it's emerged as the more popular of...
2021-12-141h 11
Ranking The Beatles#152 - We Can Work It Out with Matt and Samer of Super Awesome MixImagine a world where your favorite band could release a new album, and a double-A side single with two songs not from that album on the same day. That's exactly what happened when The Beatles released Rubber Soul along side the double-A sided "We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper" single. Paul's side featured a relatively autobiographical tale of ongoing relationship woes with his long time girlfriend Jane Asher. Paul's verses are pleading with her to just understand and see things the way he sees them, if she wants things to work out, while John's more dour bridge section...
2021-12-0757 min
Ranking The Beatles#153 - Yellow Submarine with Scott Durbin and Kyle Melancon of Imagination MoversIt's hard to imagine any other band in history who could pull off recording an album that contains both a genre-defying acid journey like "Tomorrow Never Knows," and full-on children's song like "Yellow Submarine," but that's exactly what the Beatles pulled off on their 1966 album Revolver. In needing a customary Ringo track, Paul, with help from John (as well as Donovan), managed to come up with the perfect vehicle for Ringo's "jovial uncle" persona, while also creating a song that embodied the youthful side of psychedelia and at the same time, a vehicle for ongoing multi-generational fandom. "Yellow Submarine"...
2021-11-301h 09
Ranking The BeatlesBONUS EPISODE - Get Backchat! A roundtable discussion of the Get Back seriesY'ALL. HOW GOOD IS GET BACK? We're absolutely reeling over this masterpiece docuseries. There's so much to absorb, so much to learn, so much to love. It's going to take many, many, many more viewings to take it all in.
We were delighted when our pod pals Tommy, Scotty and Becker from Blotto Beatles invited us to join them online for a conversation with more pod pals, Sam from Paul or Nothing, Allison and Erika of BC The Beatles, and Ethan of Fans on the Run at the end of release weekend to talk about what we a...
2021-11-302h 00
Ranking The Beatles#154 - When I'm 64 with Debbie Davis (singer, Debbie Davis & The Mezmerizers, Oh Crap! It's Christmas)Not many bands in history could, within the space of a few days, go from recording the genre-bending "Strawberry Fields Forever" to the genre-specific "When I'm 64." Then again, not many bands are...The Beatles. Written by Paul at the ripe old age of FOURTEEN, and frequently utilized as a way to kill time when stage power blew at the Casbah or Cavern Club, this jazzy, music hall number may seem worlds apart from the preceding "Within You Without You," but on Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Beatles establish the fact that in music and art, there are...
2021-11-231h 08
Ranking The Beatles#155 - I Want To Tell You CROSSOVER - El Vinilo Returns!By 1966, The Beatles, particular George Harrison, are growing in all sorts of ways. George is living out the most incredible life experiences, immersing himself in eastern religion and culture, and truly blossoming as a songwriter. For the first time, he gets three songs on the band's new album Revolver, and on "I Want To Tell You", he's letting the listener know that there's so much he's seen and learned that he wants to relay, only, he can't find the right way to do it. The frustration turns into music as dissonant chords echo the feeling of hanging one's head...
2021-11-161h 28
Ranking The Beatles#156 - Tell Me Why with Jude Southerland Kessler (author, The John Lennon Series)By the time The Beatles were writing songs for their first film A Hard Day's Night, John was absolutely on fire. "Tell Me Why," a song he went on to consider as nothing more than a throwaway, was a song he seemed to be able to just toss off with no problem at this point in time, absolutely on top of his game. But what comes off as a perfect slice of early Beatle songcraft may actually have way more meaning than what it seems on the surface, and this meaning may be one that appears way more regularly...
2021-11-091h 32
Ranking The Beatles#157 - For You Blue with Garry and Paul Abbott (hosts of Big Beatles Sort Out)After George's infamous walk-out during the Get Back/Let It Be session, his return was one of several conditions. He insisted the band move from Twickenham to their own Apple Studio, the idea of the big live show/tv program had to go, and he pulled almost all of his songs from consideration. After spending the winter holidays in the US with Bob Dylan and the Band and other musician pals, he was keenly aware that his songwriting had reached the same level of John and Paul. Songs like "Hear Me Lord" and "All Things Must Pass" went back...
2021-10-261h 35
Ranking The Beatles#158 - Only A Northern Song with Dr. Bob Hieronimus and Laura Cortner (authors, "It's All In The Mind: Inside The Beatles Yellow Submarine Vol 2")*NOTE - Audio has been corrected! Apologies!*
There's no shortage of songs in the Beatles' catalog in which the listener can project their own lives and stories into the lyrics. A song complaining about being on the short end of bad publishing deal may not be one of those songs, but that's just what "Only A Northern Song" is. George's first attempt at a track for Sgt. Pepper is a droney, somewhat monotone diatribe about the needlessness of writing lyrics with meaning, or singing a song in tune, because at the end of the day, it's a Beatles song and...
2021-10-191h 27
Ranking The Beatles#159 - Good Night with Jason Kruppa (author and host of "Producing the Beatles" podcast)After an unintended, Hurricane-induced hiatus, we're back in action! And what better way to get the party started back up than by talking about..."Good Night"? The Ringo-sung, John-penned closer to the White Album has always been somewhat of a polarizing song in the Beatles' cannon. Some love it, some loathe it. Yet, like so many moments in the band's catalog, there's so much more at play here. Where else could a song this saccharine fit than after the audio soundtrack of a revolution? Who else but Ringo could sing something so sweet and soothing? But then again, isn't...
2021-10-121h 51
Ranking The Beatles#160 - I'm Happy Just To Dance With You with Chloe & Daisy of All About The Girl podcastThe Beatles needed a song for George Harrison to sing in their first film, A Hard Day’s Night. After producing his first self-composed song on the band’s previous album, the still-emerging writer didn’t have one of his own yet to offer up, so John and Paul wrote the uptempo “I’m Happy Just To Dance With You.” A many-chorded, clanging rocker with an incredibly propulsive rhythm guitar part, the song presents an interesting side of the band that’s even less threatening to parents and teenage girls…they don’t even want to hold your hand…just dancing togethe...
2021-08-171h 25
Ranking The Beatles#161 - I Don't Want To Spoil The Party with Dr. Christine Feldman-Barrett (author, scholar, historian, musician)After 3 albums where he comes off as the alpha male/leader of the gang, John Lennon seems to be dealing with a crisis of confidence on the band’s fourth album, Beatles For Sale. For the first time, his self-penned songs seem to fully embrace his emotions in a way they hadn’t previously. The self-consciousness on display in “I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party” shows a guy who, while we may have seen him as the life of the party, maybe has been hiding his own fears behind the loud, confident, cocky persona we’ve gotten to know so f...
2021-08-101h 21
Ranking The Beatles#162 - Another Girl with Ken Womack (author, podcast host, professor of English and Popular Culture)It's easy to overlook a song like "Another Girl," as it sits on an album (Help!) with multiple major Beatles classics, and is featured in a film (also Help!)that's usually given the short straw when discussing the Fabs celluloid catalog. However, for something tossed off on a holiday, then captured basically in one take, it's a really fun, breezy pop rock tune. Musically (and visually in the film), it's essentially the blueprint for what The Monkees would come out with: an easy-bop-along pop tune with a catchy vocal and a fun beat. However, just below the surface a...
2021-08-031h 27
Ranking The Beatles#163 - Chains with Susan Cowsill (singer, songwriter; The Cowsills)This 1963 album Please Please Me album track is a great example of the Beatles understanding the value in digging through record store racks for songs other bands weren't playing. "Chains," a Goffin/King song gave George Harrison a vocal spotlight on the Beatles' debut album, and a place for their impeccable three part harmonies to have a home. There's a great innocence to this track, as the band's love of R&B and girl groups shines through on this song. Maybe it's a lightweight track, but good grief it sure is catchy, and they sing the hell out of...
2021-07-271h 23
Ranking The Beatles#164 - Not A Second Time with Andrew Sandoval (producer, author, radio host, artist manager, songwriter)This 1963 John song often gets overlooked these days as album filler. However, this With The Beatles track can be seen as one of the songs responsible for writers and critics viewing The Beatles as actual artists. In a 1963 article, critic William Mann called John and Paul the greatest British songwriters of the year, but also heaped praise upon the band's "lugubrious" music and "pandiatonic clusters, and "the Aeolian cadence of 'Not A Second Time.'" John viewed this as nonsense, but the result was the validation of them not just as pop stars of the moment, but as writers...
2021-07-201h 30
Ranking The Beatles#165 - Your Mother Should Know with Mike Viola (singer, songwriter, producer)Happy 1 year birthday to us! Thanks to everyone who's joined us on this ride so far! We're releasing this episode 1 year + a day on from our first episode, and we couldn't be more chuffed to have made it this far. We're so glad you're all here with us!
Paul's made no bones about his admiration for the music of his parents' generation, the music hall numbers his family loved that must've filled the Macca home, either on record or when dad Jim played during family gatherings. He claimed to have written "When I'm 64" when he was 14, so...
2021-06-151h 15
Ranking The Beatles#166 - Think For Yourself with Kyle Gass (Tenacious D, guitarist/actor)After having his mind perm-blown by acid in the spring of 65, George's songwriting changed its' trajectory, both in quality (upwards) and in subject matter. Gone were the boy/girl-romance songs, and in came a more thoughtful, world-weary young man, the same almost dour man we met just 2 years earlier holding the pen for "Don't Bother Me." With Rubber Soul's "Think For Yourself," George seems to be delivering a memo of caution regarding the peril of being stuck in traditional ways of living and thinking. It's unclear who he's talking to though. Is it a romantic partner? A platonic relationship...
2021-06-081h 18
Ranking The Beatles#167 - I'm Looking Through You with Mark Bryan (Hootie & The Blowfish guitarist, songwriter)It's our 50th Episode! Thanks to everyone who's been along for the ride so far. We're so glad you're here! On to this week! Paul McCartney sometimes is (unfairly) criticized for not bearing himself in his songs in the more upfront ways John often did. While he usually wraps his emotions in bigger stories and concepts, there have been times he's been extremely candid about his life in song. Late 65-66 saw him bearing his thoughts on the struggles of his relationship with Jane Asher in a handful of tracks, especially on Rubber Soul, which is where we find...
2021-06-011h 19
Ranking The Beatles#168 - Christmastime Is Here Again with guest Blotto BeatlesThough the Beatles recorded an annual holiday record for their fan club, it took them until 1967 to finally put an actual real Christmas song on one of them. The very last thing the Beatles recorded together in 1967, "Christmastime Is Here Again" is almost a mantra, a repetitive sing-a-long, filled with all the fun and personality you'd want from the Fab Four, capturing a festive holiday spirit while avoiding virtually any cliche or normal hint of traditional Christmas music. It's interesting that for a band who's every move was recorded and noted, virtually NO info exists about the origins of...
2021-05-251h 39
Ranking The Beatles#169 - From Me To You with David Pomerleau (bassist, Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes, The Walrus - A New Orleans Beatles Tribute)The Beatles 3rd single, and their first bonafide #1 hit, is a sub-2 minute blast of all the early hallmarks of early Beatlemania: John & Paul singing together, a super catchy hook, and chord progressions more complex than just about any of their peers were pulling off. And of course, a mop-shaking "wooooo!" The band always viewed this song as a major leap in their songwriting ability and quality, and in learning how to add in complex changes and arrangements, an early and encouraging signal to them that they aren't bound by conventional means of thinking...about anything.
Joining us this week i...
2021-05-181h 33
Ranking The Beatles#170 - The Fool On The Hill w/ Damon Johnson (singer/songwriter, guitarist, Damon Johnson & The Get Down, Alice Cooper, ex-Thin Lizzy/Black Star Riders, Brother Cane)A quintessential Paul McCartney track, "The Fool On The Hill" lands in a dreamy haze on Magical Mystery Tour, the tale of someone who lives with their head in the cloud, not a care in the word, inspire of the worries of those who think they're....a fool. Is the song about the Maharishi? About John? Paul himself? Or maybe all of us? Paul's never quite owned up to the truth on it, but it doesn't detract from the fact that this is a beautiful song. But what DOES detract is the peculiar choice of a recorder, the loud...
2021-05-111h 16
Ranking The Beatles#171 - Cry Baby Cry with Paul Sanchez (singer, songwriter, ex-Cowboy Mouth)Written at the end of 1967 and finding a home later the following year on the back end of the White Album, "Cry Baby Cry" serves as several different significant markers. It's John's last real psychedelic track, marking the end of his acid-haze word play and the start of writing as reporting on real life. It's the last track engineer Geoff Emerick works on with the band, quitting mid-session due to ongoing tensions. And it's also the start of what Jonathan refers to as "the creepiest 11 and a half minutes in the Beatles catalog." This dreamy, opium-den-sounding track is a...
2021-05-041h 38
Ranking The Beatles#172 - You Won't See Me with Sean Nelson (singer/songwriter, writer, ex-Harvey Danger)As one of several songs Paul wrote at the end of 1965 during a rough patch with Jane Asher, "You Won't See Me" provides a glimpse into the real-life on-goings of Paul McCartney, something listeners only ever get careful, glancing views of. With this piano-driven, Motown influenced track, buoyed by an incredibly strong vocal, the lads create something that sounds fresh even today. Recorded on the last day of Rubber Soul sessions, the song showcases a Paul who's hurt, a bit angry and salty, but also completely desperate to get his partner back. It's a fantastic track on a fantastic...
2021-04-272h 00
Ranking The Beatles#173 - Matchbox with guests Jak Locke & Angie TusaThe affection The Beatles had for Carl Perkins' music is no secret. "Matchbox" was a longtime part of the band's early live show, first sung by John, then by Pete Best, then again by John. Starting in '63, Ringo took it over for a few BBC sessions, then in studio in June of '64, with Perkins himself hanging in the studio with them. Their cover is a swinging, sloppy, rollicking fun mess. Ringo fumbles lyrics and melodies all over the place, but, in Jonathan's opinion, it's a fun, fast tune showing a bit of that raw rocker vibe that...
2021-04-201h 09
Ranking The Beatles#174 - Misery with guest Joe Wisbey, host of The Beatles Books PodcastThe second track on the band's debut LP, "Misery" was actually the first time John and Paul wrote a song with the intent of shopping it to another artist, Helen Shapiro. When she passed on the song, it gained a spot on the Please Please Me album, being one of the only really "new" songs put to tape on the album, most everything else being songs that had long been in their live set. Compared to a lot of the rest of the album, the song sounds quite grown-up production-wise, even if the lyric is kind of teenage-woe-is-me. John...
2021-04-131h 36
Ranking The Beatles#175 - Birthday with guest Dave Depper (guitarist, Death Cab for Cutie)Leave it to Paul and the lads to come up with a classic song from conception to mix in just under 12 hours. That's the story of "Birthday," the storming rocker that kicks off side 2 of The White Album. Inspired by the rock and roll of their youth, courtesy of the 1957 rock film "The Girl Can't Help It," the Beatles put together an absolute barn burner of a rock tune, and captured a track that shows just how great a rock and roll band they could still be, at a time when working individually was increasingly becoming the norm. A...
2021-04-061h 17
Ranking The Beatles#176 - Thank You Girl with The Sunset Four (the world's youngest Beatles tribute band)Written in Feb 1963 just after their marathon recording session for the Please Please Me album, "Thank You Girl" started it’s life as the Beatles’ attempt at their next single, another early example of tunes John and Paul wrote together sitting eye-to-eye. By the time they hit studio to record it, it'd become the b-side of "From Me To You," but it found a home in their live set for a little while and on some BBC sessions. It's a track that finds the band continuing to learn who they are and what they can do, finding that "Beatles sound" but...
2021-03-3052 min
Ranking The Beatles#177 - She's A Woman with guest Kyle Melancon (drummer - Imagination Movers, Dash Rip Rock, etc)The morning of Oct 8, 1964, Paul came up with a song idea he was so excited about, he had the band work on it at their recording session that day. He saw it as a Little Richard-esque r&b rock tune, something they hadn't been able to write yet. The track, "She's A Woman," became the b-side for "I Feel Fine," but the band must've had a soft spot for it. It became a staple of their live show from the time of release until their final live tour date at Candlestick Park in 1966. It's certainly got some interesting elements to...
2021-03-231h 07
Ranking The Beatles#178 - Octopus' Garden with The BethsOriginally released March 16, 2021Sometimes, all it takes to write a signature song is...quitting your band. During a sabbatical from the tense White Album sessions of 1968, a trip on Peter Sellers' boat gave Ringo the inspiration for "Octopus's Garden." With a little help from his friends, George in particular, he was able to put together something that's incredibly charming and fun, and the last example of the band all pulling together to support their beloved drummer; it's a stellar performance all around, and a sonic gem, along with the rest of Abbey Road. As childlike and saccharine...
2021-03-161h 15
Ranking The Beatles#178 - Octopus's Garden (with guests The Beths)Sometimes, all it takes to write a signature song is...quitting your band. During a sabbatical from the tense White Album sessions of 1968, a trip on Peter Sellers' boat gave Ringo the inspiration for "Octopus's Garden." With a little help from his friends, George in particular, he was able to put together something that's incredibly charming and fun, and the last example of the band all pulling together to support their beloved drummer; it's a stellar performance all around, and a sonic gem, along with the rest of Abbey Road. As childlike and saccharine as it may be though...
2021-03-161h 15
Ranking The Beatles#179 - Maxwell's Silver Hammer (with guest Sam Whiles, host of "Paul or Nothing" podcast)One of the most divisive tracks in the Beatles' catalog is another classic example of Paul McCartney being able to invent stories out of thin air, wrap them in insanely catchy melodies and arrangement, and somehow draw the ire of all of his band mates, and like, 50% of the general population. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" gets a bad rap...if his bandmates hadn't literally trashed it in the press upon release (and on through the 2010s), or had it been recorded a couple of years earlier, would it be as divisive, or held up as a classic McCartney? Is it "...
2021-03-091h 45
Ranking The Beatles#180 - Honey Don't (no guests, just us!)You can really chart the band's early growth with all the different versions of this Carl Perkins' tune. "Honey Don't" appeared in the band's live set in 1962, and found a home on the Beatles for Sale album. It made multiple appearances over the years on BBC sessions, and each time, it's done a bit different. The band's growth from rough and ready, garage rock band to seasoned, attentive recording artists can be tracked over these versions. And while Jonathan may find that interesting, Julia isn't sure that necessarily makes it a great song.
That said, this week...
2021-03-021h 04
Ranking The Beatles#181 - The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill (with filmmaker Paul Saltzman)In early 1968, the Beatles journeyed to Rishikesh to seek the fulfillment they realized they weren't finding in fame, drugs, money, and success. While the results of the trip on the group are debatable, there's no denying it provided them with tremendous inspiration for songs. One fellow student, and his mother, provided the inspiration for this Saturday morning cartoon adventure, "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill." The song joins "Rocky Raccoon" and "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da" in the category of story songs on The White Album that, while they may not be the most meaningful, impressive things the Fabs ever wrote, they...
2021-02-2357 min
Ranking The Beatles#182 - Rocky Raccoon with Celeste Faia (PhD candidate in Microbiology and Immunology)Even though the Fabs had shown some affinity for country, it's on the White Album where they dive headfirst. Paul's turn at spinning a country story comes via "Rocky Raccoon," one of the numerous songs written by the band in India early in 1968. Leaning on a cheeky, twangy vocal, the tale of Rocky, Dan, and Lil has a bit of everything: a love triangle, a shootout, a drunk doctor who doesn't appear to actually help Rocky with his gunshot wound. Thankfully, he finds a Bible in his room and then....we don't know! Does he ride of into the...
2021-02-161h 39
Ranking The Beatles#183 - Drive My Car with Sean Nelson (ex-Harvey Danger, singer/songwriter, journalist, writer)As the opening track on Rubber Soul, "Drive My Car" represents the line in the sand in which The Beatles shake off their beat-group roots, and firmly enter a smokey, hazy world, influenced by the world they've conquered and toured, and made in their image. Their continuing love of R&B manifests itself in the bass driven tune, propelling a story of a would-be star persuading the narrator to be her "chauffeur" (nudge nudge wink wink say no more) before she even has a car. A great example of a fascinating and clever story in song. It's a great...
2021-02-091h 55
Ranking The Beatles#184 - Wait with Micah McKee (singer/songwriter, host of American 100 podcast)To finish the break-neck recording sessions for Rubber Soul, the band dug back into the archives for the song "Wait," originally recorded and shelved during the Help! album soundtrack. A new overdubs, and voila! A fine album track, it's a great performance from all parties, but it also has a hint of the beat-group that the band had outgrown by this album, so it's got an interesting vibe of being a Help song in a Rubber Soul costume. One wonders if late 65 Beatles would've recorded this in the same style as early 65 Beatles, considering the growth they'd made personally...
2021-02-021h 41
Ranking The Beatles#185 - The Night Before with singer/songwriter Ben LabatThis week's song is an "all-Paul" track (writing-wise, at least John says it is) that found a home on the Help! film and soundtrack. On celluloid, the boys craft "The Night Before" in a field, surrounded by tanks and assailed by wind. In real life, they knocked it out in 2 takes in Abbey Road in February of 65, the track marking the first time we hear Lennon on keys, and a key part that drives the entire song. It's a fun, upbeat song that gives Paul a place to shine in the film, while the latin-tinged bridge section shows their...
2021-01-261h 10
Ranking The Beatles#186 - Don't Pass Me By - Drummer Roundtable with guests Kyle Melancon and Andre BohrenThere's an old joke...What was the last thing the drummer said before getting fired? "I've written a song..." Ringo first brought "Don't Pass Me By" to the Beatles when he joined the band in 1962. Not until the free-for-all spirit of The White Album in 1968 did the band agree to take up his jolly country tune, and when we say the band, we mean just Paul. Dueling sources place both Beatles behind the drum kit, strangely, and we're frankly not sure who it is because while it's messy enough to be Paul, it's weird and groovy enough to be...
2021-01-191h 39
Ranking The Beatles#187 - Run For Your Life with guest Diana Erickson, co-host of Another Kind of Mind podcastThe Beatles kicked off sessions for Rubber Soul with a song John wrote based off a lyric lifted from an Elvis song. It's an interesting case that on a record where they tap into the idea that "the word is 'Love'" but close that record out with "Run For Your Life," perhaps the most aggressive and threatening song Lennon ever wrote. The lyrical content being at odds with all things "fab," it's a shame that a band so known for bringing joy and happiness never took the time to second guess what they were singing about on this track. It's t...
2021-01-121h 48
Ranking The Beatles#188 Little Child CROSSOVER! with The Oasis PodcastJohn & Paul often talk about some songs as being "work songs"....tunes they knocked out for other artists, or George and Ringo, or tracks to fill out the album. They often referred to #188, "Little Child," as one of those songs. It's a fairly simple, uptempo rocker intended for Ringo's vocal spotlight on With The Beatles, though John eventually handles the vocal on it. Simple as it may be, it's part of a period where the band starts realizing they're not beholden to the standard pop song arrangement or instrumentation, starting to spread their wings while maintaining a foot steadily i...
2021-01-051h 32
Ranking The Beatles#190 There's A Place & #189 Devil In Her Heart - Ranking & year-end wrap up with Jonathan & JuliaOne of the great things this podcast has given over so far is a chance to re-examine songs you've heard hundreds of times. Through that, "There's A Place" revealed itself to be the roots of the introspective and sensitive Lennon who goes on the bring us songs like "Nowhere Man," "Strawberry Fields Forever," all the way to "Watching The Wheels." And it's brave as hell to put a song that low-key is commentary on mental health on your debut album in 1963, a time when those things weren't really discussed. But this is maybe the first time the Beatles become...
2020-12-221h 19
Ranking The BeatlesCROSSOVER! Ranking The Beatles Christmas Fan Club Releases with 12 Songs of Christmas PodcastEvery holiday season from 1963-1969, members of the Official Beatles Fan Club would receive a special present from the Fab Four: a limited edition, fan-club-only flexidisc record, made just for them. What started out as a brilliant turn of PR, scripted to strengthen the appeal and bond between band and fan turned into an outlet for the boys to create whimsey and weirdness without consideration of commerciality. As they got turned on, so did the Christmas records. Bringing in elements of their beloved Goon Shows, pantomime and theatre, avant garde sound collages, the band turned in increasingly creative, then...
2020-12-151h 29
Ranking The Beatles#191 - Maggie Mae with Bruce Spizer (Beatles historian and author)At the onset of the Get Back/Let It Be project, John had a dilemma: he was short on songs. Paul and George had them falling out of their back pockets, but John was...going through some things, and didn't have a ton of material. He looked to the past, as the rest did, to old Lennon/McCartney tunes, rock & roll standards, covers, and old folk songs, like "Maggie Mae," a tale-as-old-as-time story about a prostitute robbing her...John. This tune, with's it's equally odd history, shows up between takes of "Two of Us," a light-hearted jaunt through songs...
2020-12-081h 13
Ranking The Beatles#192 - What You're Doing with author Rich Tupica (There Was A Light: The cosmic history of Chris Bell and the Rise of Big Star)One of the first songs The Beatles worked on for their fourth record, Beatles for Sale, ended up being one of the last ones they finished, and along the way, I argue, the create the blueprint for what becomes power-pop. A catchy, repeating guitar riff on a jangly 12-string, a signature drum part, earnest, powerful, heart-on-the-sleeve vocals, and MELODY MELODY MELODY. "What You're Doing" may not be the high-water mark on the album, but it's impact on bands would be felt for generations to come.
One of those bands who followed that blueprint, and then fine-tuned it...
2020-12-011h 49
Ranking The Beatles#194 Back In The U.S.S.R & #193 Why Don't We Do It In The Road w/ John Thomas Griffith (songwriter, guitarist)The White Album is definitely a high water mark for The Beatles. This expansive, now-classic album lifts off with the Chuck Berry-meets-The Beach Boys flavored rocker "Back In The USSR." The rocking Beatles are back from their psychedelic trips, and the gang's all here...except for Ringo, who walked out during the recording of this track. Paul takes over on the drums, adequately, and the original Threetles create a classic Beatles tune. But it's also the first time they look backwards, and it's the first time in a long time we hear them trying to sound like someone else.
2020-11-241h 19
Ranking The Beatles#195 When I Get Home CROSSOVER with El Vinilo"When I Get Home" is a great example of peak early-period John Lennon. It's a raucous track with interesting harmonies, an amazing vocal delivered with all the attitude and swagger of someone who'd dared to take on the world and won. It's a brutal, rocking punch that found it's way to the second half of the "A Hard Day's Night" album. It's really got nothing going against it, other than it's maybe the most "throwaway" of John's early peak. Well, that, and maybe one of the worst bits of lyric the man every committed to tape. But he sells...
2020-11-171h 17
Ranking The Beatles#196 Til There Was You with actor/musician Michael Cerveris (The Who's "Tommy", Marvel's AntMan & The Wasp, The Blacklist, The Good Wife)There's always been something about The Beatles that made them really shine on screen. Their charisma and ease on camera seems to come from a rounded appreciation of the arts, including literature and theatre. That they only ever released one cover of a Broadway tune is interesting, especially when you consider it's kind of what got them their shot with George Martin, but that's what happened with "Til There Was You." They really nail it on this song from The Music Man, despite John's own misgivings, thanks to a gorgeous vocal from Paul, and sublime guitar work from George...
2020-11-101h 18
Ranking The Beatles#198 Don't Bother Me & #197 Ask Me Why with Jak Locke (Jak Locke Rock Show) & Angie TusaAs a musician, I couldn't ever imagine having the world hear the first song I ever wrote...or have the guts to put that first song on a record that's expected to sell millions of copies. But that's just what happens with #198, George's "Don't Bother Me." It checks all the 60's early rock boxes, all while in a minor key! Impressive? George called it "not a great song," and maybe he's not wrong, but its not awful, and it certainly shows a better beginning than anything I ever wrote. #197, "Ask Me Why," hits a spot I love: Early John...
2020-11-031h 22
Ranking The Beatles#199 - 12 Bar Original with Adam Hill, Memphis based engineer/producer (Big Star, Jack White, Klaus Voorman, Low Cut Connie)Few can dispute the fact that The Beatles were masters at the craft of songwriting. Melding music and lyrics was literally THEIR THING. They were GREAT at it. So it's an odd move for them to undertake recording a Memphis R&B styled instrumental during the sessions for Rubber Soul. A track owing more than just a tip-of-the-cap to Booker T. & The MGs' "Green Onions," "12 Bar Original" finds the band doing their best to step WAY out of their lane. The track gets tossed into the archives eventually and Rubber Soul gets spared this white boy groove, but if...
2020-10-271h 07
Ranking The Beatles#200 Act Naturally with Chapel HartCountry music always played a part in The Beatles' story, more so than it probably gets credit for. Cavern and Hamburg sets featured covers of songs from the likes of Chet Atkins and Carl Perkins, while George's early lead style is massively influenced by them as well, all the way down to his choice of guitar. Ringo's love of country ends up with him doing a full on country album with studio giants in 1971 in Nashville, but before that, he dips his toes in the the country pool with his own songs and cover choices, like #200, "Act Naturally." Ringo's n...
2020-10-201h 03
Ranking The Beatles#202 - Ob-La Di Ob La-Da & #201 What's The New Mary Jane with Stephen Turner (guitarist, The Breton Sound, Epic, tWeezer)This episode drops into the contentious White Album sessions. Paul's perfectionism can be such a blessing, but also a curse. In trying to craft the joy and fun of #202 "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da," he ends up infuriating other band members and fighting with George Martin. Not the easiest way to get to a happy, silly, family friendly song. But then again, happy and family friendly are nowhere on the docket when John and Yoko enlist George and Mal Evans on the auditory equivalent of a bad acid trip, #201, "What's The New Mary Jane." Then again, they're crafting two VERY different ideas...
2020-10-131h 17
Ranking The Beatles#204 The Word & #203 Flying w/ Debbie Davis (singer, Debbie Davis & The Mezmerizers, Oh Crap! It's Christmas)There's a reason The Beatles are so associated with the word "love." While they wrote a huge amount of songs about romantic love, they became the flag-bearers for love as a universal cause. #204 "The Word" marks the first time we see the Fabs stepping into that spokesperson role, espousing the power of love and peace. Just two years later, on the heels of telling the world love was all they needed, they found a way to turn the most simple melody into an absurdly catchy instrumental for a spaced out druggy film, which is were we find ourselves with #203, "Flying."
...
2020-10-061h 16
Ranking The Beatles#205 Words of Love w/ Kyle Melancon (drummer, The Imagination Movers, Dash Rip Rock)Buddy Holly was one of the biggest influence on the Beatles, particularly John and Paul. They covered at least 13 of his songs during their early days. He inspired them to be both singers AND songwriters. So it's kind of surprising they only released Buddy Holly cover. As much as I enjoy "Words of Love," it feels like it's never gotten above the "that's nice" level for me. It's a track that struggles to stand out in an album that struggles to standout amongst the best of the Fabs. It's not that I don't like, I just feel like I...
2020-09-291h 15
Ranking The Beatles#207 What Goes On & #206 A Taste of Honey w/ Brett Milano, music writer & lead content creator for The Beatles Rock BandUnder the gun for material to complete Rubber Soul, the Beatles dusted off an old Quarrymen-era tune, sprinkled a bit of Buck Owens on it, and gave Ringo his vocal turn with #207, "What Goes On." An earlier version was considered as a single to follow up "Please Please Me," but it found it's home as a nice bit of album filler in 1965. Featuring nice guitar and bass work, a solid vocal, and done in one take, it lands as not a bad song, not a great song, but good enough.
#206, "A Taste of Honey," is the first ti...
2020-09-221h 07
Ranking The Beatles#209 Her Majesty & #208 Dig It w/ Justin Molaison (singer/songwriter)Paul McCartney and John Lennon are, inarguably, two of the greatest songwriters of all time. On this episode, we tackle what may be the most inconsequential songs they penned during their time as Beatles. These songs also show the different paths they'd found themselves on in 1969...Paul, able to be fully self-sufficient on his own, creating on whim; John, searching for something while in the throws of addiction, and pulling the band behind him to try and manufacture inspirado.
We're joined this week by New Orleans-based singer/songwriter Justin Molaison. Justin studied music and songwriting at Berklee, w...
2020-09-151h 01
Ranking The Beatles#210 I'll Get You - CROSSOVER! With Blotto Beatles!It's our first ever crossover episode! We're putting our heads together with Tommy, Scotty, and Becker, the hosts of Blotto Beatles, a podcast where they discuss a different Beatles song over a handful of adult beverages, then decide where it should rank in their personal rankings. Great minds think alike!
In this episode, we discuss "I'll Get You," the b-side to the "She Loves You" single. It's a song that really has no downside to it, it shows the Fabs already learning how to work the crowd, even on record, and has one of my absolute favorite John & Paul joint...
2020-09-081h 15
Ranking The Beatles#212 Love Me Do & #211 The Long & Winding Road w/ Paul Sanchez (singer/songwriter)Ancient philosophers once wrote "Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." No, wait, sorry, that was Semisonic. It's true though. Beginnings and endings are fascinating because of what comes from both. "Love Me Do" was the beginning for the Beatles, but the end of the proverbial black & white life society was living in. Boom! Color. "The Long and Winding Road" marked the end of the Beatles, but the beginning of their respective solo careers, and the beginning of the hindsight with which we view them and their collective works. Which allows me too look back at these...
2020-09-011h 11
Ranking The Beatles#214 That Means A Lot & #213 Tell Me What You See w/ Andre Bohren (drummer of Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes, classical pianist, producer)You know how when a puppy's paws get big, and they get real clumsy and don't know what to do with them, and it's super cute, but they need to grow into their paws? That's how Jonathan sees "That Means A Lot," a song from the "Help!" album sessions, shelved until the Anthology release in the 90s. We're joined this week by drummer and classical pianist Andre Bohren to discuss this song, as well as "Tell Me What You See," a song that features a lyric Andre calls "unforgivable." GASP!
We also discuss making music during a...
2020-08-181h 07
Ranking The Beatles#216 - If You've Got Trouble & #215 - How Do You Do It? w/ Jeffrey Roedel (writer, director, producer)This week we travel back to 1963 and 1965 via 1995 with previously unreleased tracks from The Beatles Anthology. The Fabs had a great knack for self-editing and knowing when something wasn't quite working. In the case of "If You've Got Trouble," that knack helps when your song has got "stupid words" and is "the naffest song" (George said so himself. This shelved Ringo vocal from the "Help!" session is a perfect example. He's GOT to have a song on the record, but this one just never really connects.
Another element to their story is how they were always willing t...
2020-08-111h 05
Ranking The Beatles#218 Hold Me Tight & #217 You Like Me Too Much w/ Mike Patton (Vista Blue, The Robinsons, The Radiant Radish radio show)Heads up, Faith No More fans: this ain't your guy, and yes he's heard all the jokes. Power-pop songwriter and dj/music curator Mike Patton joins us as we continue counting down our ranking of all the Beatle songs. At #218, Hold Me Tight is, as Macca describes it, " an attempt at writing a single that didn't quite work out." Sure is snappy though! Mike tells Jonathan why he's way off base with it at #218.
Following that is George's "You Like Me Too Much," a song that, once listened to with modern day thoughts and sensibilities, maybe isn't o...
2020-08-041h 05
Ranking The Beatles#219 - Love You To w/ Alex Rawls (writer/critic, MySpiltMilk.com, 12 Songs of Christmas, Rolling Stone, Spin)Sorry if we offended anyone by approaching something from Revolver so quickly, but alas, here we are. George's first full-on excursion into Eastern music may be one of the more significant and important songs in the Beatles catalog. That doesn't mean it's my favorite of his songs though. I've got it ranked at #219, but music writer/critic Alex Rawls totally disagrees with me. We talk about Alex's history with Beatles music, Christmas music...all kinds of music!
Check out Alex's site www.myspiltmilk.com where he covers the cream of New Orleans music and beyond.
A...
2020-07-281h 04
Ranking The Beatles#220 - P.S. I Love You w/ Dave Pomerlau (bassist, Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes)The b-side to the Fabs' debut single has never been my cuppa. It's always seemed a bit too wimpy and lightweight. Yet beneath the surface, might there be the an early sign of a new direction? Dave Pomerlau seems to think so, and does his best to convince Jonathan that this song is maybe trickier than originally thought. We also explore how The Beatles' helped provide healing times for New Orleans musicians post-Hurricane Katrina, Julia establishes the podcast as a Wings-friendly zone, and briefly dip our toes into the world of "Return To Pepperland." Briefly. Like, not long, but e...
2020-07-211h 06
Ranking The Beatles#221 - Mr. Moonlight w/ Adam Hill (producer/engineer, Big Star, Jack White, Klaus Voorman)Not quite the caboose, but close! At #221, Mr. Moonlight ranks as my 3rd least favorite Beatles song. We’re joined on this episode by engineer/producer Adam Hill (Big Star, Jack White, Klaus Voorman and more). In this epidode, we discuss how a band so known for it’s brilliance could lay such an egg as this. We also discuss Adam’s work with Klaus Voorman on his solo album “A Sideman’s Journey" (with some great Hamburg stories re-told), how the Beatles influenced the work that went into making the classic Big Star albums, Ringo watching bums, and hear the b...
2020-07-1448 min
Ranking The Beatles#223 Sie Liebt Dich & #222 Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand w/ Kyle Melancon (Dash Rip Rock, Imagination Movers, Big in the 90s, Daphne Moon)And we're off! Counting down Jonathan's own personal ranking of the entire Beatles catalog. Our guest on this episode is musician Kyle Melancon, drummer for Emmy-award winning Disney stars The Imagination Movers and formerly of Louisiana Music Hall of Fame rock band Dash Rip Rock. We get in to the brass tacks of why these songs are where they are on the list, a bit of history and why these songs were made, as well as Kyle's personal Beatles history and how it's impacted his career as a musician. We also get enjoy a spoken-word rendition of the translations...
2020-07-0742 min
Ranking The BeatlesTeaser #2Out of boredom during COVID quarantine, I decided to rank 224 songs recorded by my all time favorite band, The Beatles. My own opinions, my own $.02. Long story short, all my friends had opinions, and they weren't afraid to share them. They also shared how that music has effected their lives in different ways. It turns out, everyone has a Beatles story. This is a place to share and experience those stories.
2020-06-1601 minRanking The BeatlesA(nother) Beginning: Meet Your Co-Host"There's a great woman behind every idiot." - John Lennon.
This is super true. When the idea came of having a co-host, I wanted someone who didn't share my same obsession with The Beatles, someone who could help keep my scattered brain organized, someone who could make me laugh and was easy to talk to. Also, someone who was, you know, available? We're still under quarantine and all. I just so happen to be married to a woman who checks all those boxes, and was surprisingly willing to follow me down this ridiculous road and keep me f...
2020-06-1424 minRanking The BeatlesA Beginning: Meet Your HostHi! I'm Jonathan, and I'm a Beatles nut. I have been ever since I was a little kid. I've bought all the records (and cds and tapes and download), read all the books, poured over the boxsets, the hours and hours and hours of outtakes and isolated tracks and live tracks, made the pilgrimage to Abbey Road, The Cavern, Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane. I've spent what my parents always called "an exorbitant amount of time" on this band. They've always been my musical companion, through good and bad. So with time on my hands during the Covid-19 lockdown, I...
2020-06-1421 min2020-06-1400 min