On That Note: Get Back (to the A-Sides)

[drlove]

Part of what I love about these threads is that it gets me listening to some music that aren't normally in my rotation. The Beatles fit that bill for me. I really respect them and appreciate them more than I did when I was younger, but I just don't listen that much. Last night I did. here would be my quick top 5. #1 has always been my favorite.
1. Ticket to Ride
2. Paperback Writer
3. Ballad of John and Yoko
4. Hey Jude
5. We Can work it Out

 

[MeanDean]

My top five, when I thought about it, fell together in a minute or two:

1. Hey Jude (my introduction to pop music in Nov 1968, with the transistor radio under the covers. Still fabulous after all these years)
2. I Want to Hold Your Hand (The song that shocked American ears in early '64 . Three guitars, loud, by competent players. Lyrics geared to teens, but the music was oh-so sophisticated ). A real John and Paul collaboration.
3. Hard Day's Night (the cartoon's song and theme of their first and best movie. Supposedly inspired by something Ringo said, John wrote it in a single night. The opening chord (reportedly George's contribution) is signature.
4. We Can Work it Out (a friend came to my house with this 45 (flip side Nowhere Man) and the chord change with the harmonium just knocked me out)
5. Yesterday (Paul's first really big song Nothing was bigger then (1966 or so)

My bottom few:
Love Me Do (first single, not quite up to everthing they did later)
Let It Be (Paul's pretensions)
Long and Winding Road (I like it better than Let it Be but still Paul being pretentious)
Yellow Submarine (gimmicky)

This reminded me of a younger MeanDean who got a few dollars from a 4H project and bought the lowest priced tape recorder at Spartans (against my father's advise). Then listened by my tabletop AM radio for Hey Jude to come on so I could record it from the speaker to save 79 cents for the single. I also remember recording Those Were the Days by Mary Hopkin and one of those reggae-esque singles from Johnny Nash, probably Hold Me Tight

 

[cyclones500]

FWIW: Since our A/B sides were compiled a couple of years apart, I got curious which are my favorite A/B Beatles records as a whole, so I did a combo A side/B side ranking, based on my OTN posts.

Parentheses - ranking of each song on the respective lists.
Brackets - total points of rank for each record.
In case of ties, I listed the one w/ highest A-side ranking first.

1. (2) Penny Lane / (2) Strawberry Fields Forever [4]
2. (5) Paperback Writer / (1) Rain [6]
3. (3) Help! / (6) I'm Down [9]
4. (6) Hey Jude / (5) Revolution [11]
5. (9) I Want to Hold Your Hand / (3) I Saw Her Standing There [12]
6. (10) We Can Work It Out / (4) Day Tripper [14]
7. (4) I Feel Fine / (13) She's A Woman [17]
8. (8) A Hard Day's Night / (10) I Should Have Known Better [18]
9T. (1) Ticket to Ride / (24) Yes It Is // (7) Eight Days A Week / (18) I Don't Want to Spoil the Party [25]
11T. (11) Nowhere Man / (15) What Goes On // (18) Get Back / (8) Don't Let Me Down [26]
13. (13) Can't Buy Me Love / (14) You Can't Do That [27]
14T. (15) Lady Madonna / (16) The Inner Light // (24) Hello Goodbye / (7) I Am the Walrus [31]
16. (20) The Ballad Of John and Yoko / (12) Old Brown Shoe [32]
17. (22) Something / (11) Come Together [33]
18. (26) Yellow Submarine / (9) Eleanor Rigby [35]
T19. (12) She Loves You / (26) I'll Get You // (17) All You Need Is Love / (21) Baby You're A Rich Man // (19) Let It Be / (19) You Know My Name (Look Up the Number] [38]
22. (16) From Me To You / (23) Thank You Girl [39]
23. (23) Twist and Shout / (17) There's A Place [40]
24. (14) Yesterday / (27) Act Naturally [41]
25. (25) The Long And Winding Road / (20) For You Blue [45]
26. (21) Please Please Me / (25) Ask Me Why [46]
27. (27) Love Me Do / (22) P.S. I Love You [49]

Closest ranking between A&B (identical): Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever; Let It Be/You Know My Name.
Widest variance between A&B: (23) Ticket to Ride/Yes It Is.