#2 Top 10 Beatles Songs

topic chosen by Chris

Voting ends March 13th by midnight

Unless your name is Peter McGregory, then you've all gone through a deep obsession with those four lovable mop-topped ragamuffins from Liverpool. John, Paul, George and Ringo are responsible for not only a good chunk of the inspiration for pretty much all pop music these days, but also can claim massive amounts of influence over personal matters and significant moments in life. Case in point, take Seth's (from Superbad) confessing appreciation towards their relating brilliance when he flounders a panicky, "Matt Mure, he's the sweetest guy ever! Have you ever stared into his eyes? It was like the first time I ever heard the Beatles."

Don't be shy in snagging the mp3s. Although, by Chris and Connor law, everyone should have already had these tracks to begin with. But don't worry, we won't tell unless we find ourselves in some sort of blackmailing situation.

--------- C h r i s ----------
"Damn hippies."

10. - HEY BULLDOG [mp3]
The best song in history to feature barking, the song owns a staggeringly profound opening pounding piano riff that basically commands you, like a dog, to tap your foot to it in glee along with some of the coolest guitar work spanning the group's entire career.

09. - HELLO, GOODBYE [mp3]
Before Target ripped it to corporate shreds in one of their ads altering the lyrics to "hello, goodbuy," this song amplifies my obsession with pop songs with subtle piano or organ, but the best featured instrumentation has got to be the violin vs. drums sequence at the 1:16 mark of the track until the 1:37 mark. From there on out, you can hear the continuous pop brilliance all the way until the 'heyla heyhey loha (cha cha)' closing.

08. - DRIVE MY CAR/THE WORD/WHAT YOU'RE DOING [mp3]
Possibly the most fun initial album listen next to Night Ripper, was 2006's Love, a revamped mix of 130 original Beatles recordings into 26 tracks of corresponding matching under the helm of hand-in-hand Beatles producer (Sir) George Martin. This is the best example of the styling of the album as not only does it overlap the three titled tracks together, but a keen ear can pick out the guitar solo from "Taxman" and the horns from "Savory Truffle" sifted carelessly into the batter.

07. - FOR NO ONE [mp3]
The most mellowed out, mature track on my list also is, by my knowledge, also the only that features a french horn. Apparently Paul wrote this song while in a ski resort bathroom in the Swiss Alps. Then, when they recorded it, John and George were not involved in any increment, leaving Ringo to the drums and Paul to everything else.

06. - GETTING BETTER [mp3]
I'm not going to lie. The first time I heard this song was from those old Phillips light bulb commercials. I had not yet been introduced to The Beatles at that point as a result of me only being probably about five or six of age. Now, with it's jaunty guitar punches and piano pangs I can't help but smile as bright as a Phillips bulb whenever I hear it.

05. - ACROSS THE UNIVERSE [mp3]
The homemade sounding intro to the almost equally mesmerizing "Let It Be" (which was painstakingly difficult to leave off this list) "Across The Universe" owes its lovely gentile rhythm to it's lyrical origins which was heavily influenced by the band's interests in 'transcendental meditation.' Thus, it was given a soothing cosmic feel that can be heard by more than us here on Earth thanks to NASA beaming the track into space last month. Also, my favorite cover of a Beatles song (future list?) is this track preformed by Fiona Apple and produced by notorious Beatles fanatic Jon Brion. [mp3]

04. - TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS [mp3]
I would like so much to experience the first reception in 1966 to this notorious LSD and The Tibetan Book of the Dead tagged track as it shook the heads of many as it has seagulls, swirling sitar, crazy accelerated orchestra renditions, some of the first double tracked vocals which were also recorded through an organ amp, and much, much more who-knows-what bells and whistles all guided along by Ringo's quasi off beat drums. Damn hippies.

03. - DEAR PRUDENCE [mp3]
One of John Lennon self-proclaimed favorite Beatles song is also one of mine as well because it's one of those great songs that even though it has a chorus and verses and all that mumbo-jumbo, it constantly escalates upward the entire length of the track giving it a momentous upwelling of triumph that apparently James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem thought was too good not to mimic is his own song "Never As Tired As When I'm Waking." [mp3]

02. - SHE SAID SHE SAID [mp3]
Figures that with my indie snob mentality three of these top ten tracks are taken from the stereotypical indie favorite, Revolver album. Really, I can't be blamed as this song while it sounds a tad better as a jumpy follow up and somewhat necessary after the hit-or-miss "Yellow Submarine," it definitely can still hold it's own as another LSD addled track that almost didn't make the album cut.

01. - A DAY IN THE LIFE [mp3]
Originally banned from the BBC for the "I'd love to turn you on" line, this quintessential masterpiece has a credited 46 member effort featuring over 50 instruments but really the only I need is the goosebump conjuring opening piano chords against the lightly strummed acoustic guitar that extrudes so much more graceful appreciation and knowledge beyond being the greatest Beatles song and than just knowing how many holes it takes to fill the Albert Hall.

---------- C o n n o r ----------
"I say we jot down our favorite lyric/sentence of the songs. It speaks louder than the explanations"

10. - ROCKY RACCOON [mp3]
He said Rocky you met your match.
And Rocky said, Doc it’s only a scratch
And I’ll be better, I’ll be better doc as soon as I am able.

09. - DIG A PONY [mp3]
I told you so, all I want is you
Everything has got to be just like you want it to

08. - WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS [mp3]
I look at you all see the love there that’s sleeping
While my guitar gently weeps.

07. - YOU'VE GOT TO HIDE YOUR LOVE AWAY [mp3]
Here I stand with head in hand,
Turn my face to the wall.
If she’s gone I can’t go on,
Feeling two foot small.

06. - PAPERBACK WRITER [mp3]
It’s a dirty story of a dirty man,
And his clinging wife doesn’t understand.
His son is working for the Daily Mail,
It’s a steady job,
But he wants to be a paperback writer

05. - BABY, YOU'RE A RICH MAN [mp3]
How does it feel to be one of the beautiful people
Now that you know who you are
What do you want ot be and have you travelled very far
Far as the eye can see.

04. - THE END [mp3]
And in the end,
The love you make is equal to the love you take

03. - LET IT BE [mp3]
For though they may be parted there is
Still a chance that they will see
There will be an answer, let it be

02. - HEY JUDE [mp3]
Hey Jude, don't let me down
You have found her, now go and get her
Remember to let her into your heart,
Then you can start to make it better

01. - I'LL FOLLOW THE SUN [mp3]
Some day you’ll know I was the one,
But tomorrow may rain so I’ll follow the sun.

NOW GO VOTE!

(odd that neither of us have any of the same selections)