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Musician and self-described Beatles fanatic Jonathan Pretus ranked the entire recorded catalog of the Beatles, because he's a big, big nerd. Then he decided to make a podcast to talk with other people and learn about their connection with The Beatles' music. Tune in as Jonathan and his guests, joined by his co-host/wife Julia (a more level-headed, casual fan) discuss the rankings, what they think makes each song so great (or not-so-great), and see if it really is a fool's errand to try and rank the music of the greatest band of all time.
- 162 - #62 - Leave My Kitten Alone with Dr. Richard Mills
Is this it? The great Beatles missed opportunity? How can something THIS GOOD have been NOT GOOD ENOUGH to add to Beatles For Sale? Pulled out of the bag when they lads were looking for oldies but goodies to fill out their fourth album, it features arguably one of John's greatest rock vocal performances, and the band is $hIt hot. The common take is how this got shelved whereas "Mr. Moonlight" didn't, but I'd argue this is better than any other cover on the album, and maybe more enjoyable than the originals on it as well. That this song sat in the archives until the 90s is just wild to me. So we better unpack this one.
Joining us this week is Dr. Richard Mills, a Beatles scholar and author of several books on the group, including his latest, "The Beatles and Black Music." Richard joins us to chat about DNA influence on music, Beatle-named pets, the fan impact of the upcoming Sam Mendes films, and so much more!
What do you think about "Leave My Kitten Alone" at #62? Too high, too low or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!!
Catch up with all our previous rankings here!
Fri, 03 Jul 2026 - 1h 39min - 161 - #63 - Bad Boy with Brian Pretus
When the suits in America came asking the Beatles for some market exclusive songs, they reached back into the bag o' tricks, in particular their (John's) affection for Larry Williams, and knocked out a particularly racuous cover of "Bad Boy." It's one of those covers that smokes the original, and it's lead by John, doing his full-throated, rip-out-yer-larynx vocal. This is one of those tracks that could've been a career-maker for a lesser band, and that it lost out on an album spot to Dizzy Miss Lizzy is maybe the main reason it's not as well known or well loved.
We're joined this week by a very special guest, guitarist/songwriter/producer/Jonathan's brother Brian Pretus! His band Bad Operationhas a killer new album out, Everything Must Go, and they're hitting the road this summer and fall. We talk about the Beatles to punk and ska pipeline, scented records, the best band names of all time, and more!
What do you think about "Bad Boy" at #63? Too high, too low or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!!
Catch up with our previous rankings here!
Fri, 19 Jun 2026 - 59min - 160 - #64 - I'm So Tired with Giggens & Jenny Jamball
While immersed in meditation with the Maharishi in India, John was not only substance-free for the first time in years, he was also coming to terms with the fact that he was falling in love with Yoko Ono. With an unclouded brain and an open consciousness, he found himself battling intense insomnia in Rishikesh, which he turned into "I'm So Tired," a song which lives firmly in the darker side of The White Album we've discussed previously. It's one of those brilliant songs which marries the mood and feeling of the song with the lyrics perfectly. You can FEEL that this man is TIRED...tired from the non-stop years of Beatling, tired from abusing his body for years, tired of the mental anguish he's dealt with, tired of being tired. When he sing's "I'M GOING INSANE" it really feels like it, and it's an absolutely cathartic moment on the record.
We're joined this week by the wonderful GIggens and Jenny Jamball! Giggens and Jenny met over a shared deep love of the Beach Boys (we get it), and well, they've just got one of the best meetcutes you'll ever hear. We talk about discovering the Beatles via dads and chipmunks, the shift in our favorite bands social medias, Butter Music, and so much more!
What do you think about "I'm So Tired" at #64? Too high, too low or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!!
Catch up with all our previous rankings here!
Fri, 01 May 2026 - 1h 16min - 159 - #65 - Happiness Is A Warm Gun with Josh Bloom
We're back on the creepy side of the White Album this episode, exploring John's definitely not drug-influenced "Happiness Is A Warm Gun." This song moves through 3 different movements so quickly and adeptly you'd think it was a Paul tune. It's got an ominous vibe to it, though features some absolutely brilliant playing from the lads, and some insane time shifts. It's a really intriguing and vibey song, and it makes me feel a whole lot of things...including the creeps.
Joining us this week is Josh Bloom, author of the book The Apples In Stereo, a biography about the band The Apples In Stereo. He's also a music publicist and industry vet we've worked with in the past, and have had a great time getting to know. He's a big Beatles nerd like us and a really funny fella. Check out iamjoshbloom.com to get a copy of the book, check out his substack, his videos, and more!
What do you think about "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" at #65? Too high, too low or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!!
Fri, 10 Apr 2026 - 1h 33min - 158 - #66 - Boys with Jon Wurster
Ok, ok, ok, I know y'all might disagree with me. But for my money, "Boys" is one of the most fun, and energetic moments on Please Please Me. It's all energy and youthful rock and roll leaning right into it's Shirelles-roots, straight out of the garage. It's Ringo's most ROCKING vocal (why did he never sing with this much bravado ever again?) and while it's not rocket science, I challenge you not to get up and dance to this song. I'm here to get justice for "Boys," one way or the other.
Joining us this weeks is Jon Wurster, drummer for Mountain Goats (formerly of Superchunk) and a whole bunch of other projects and things you've seen and heard. Jon joins us to chat what makes Ringo Ringo, the best Wings song Wings never wrote, Julia discovers Ognir Rrats, and more! Check out Jon on tour with Mountain Goats this year and on the REM tour with Michael Shannon!
What do you think about "Boys" at #66? Too high, too low or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!!
Fri, 27 Mar 2026 - 1h 02min - 157 - #67 - Rock and Roll Music with Kyle Melancon
There's just something magical when the most powerful band in the world reaches back into their bag for a song that's such a part of their DNA, they only need one take at knocking out an absolutely barn burning cover of it, and that's exactly what The Beatles did with Chuck Berry's "Rock and Roll Music." Propelled by Ringo's swinging backbeat (he can't blues it ((also did you know John was singing "you can't blues it?" I didn't until now)) and John demonstrating again that in 1964, he was the greatest rock and roll vocalist on the planet, this track serves as a nice calling card to remember exactly what the band was there for, rocking and rolling. I know this one doesn't always get a lot of recognition, but I love this cover.
Our ol pal Kyle Melancon is back with us for the first time in a hot minute. We chop it up about the new Man on the Run doc, 6 handed piano mysteries, and much much more!
What do you think about "Rock and Roll Music" at #67? Too high? Too low? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!!
Fri, 13 Mar 2026 - 1h 06min - 156 - #68 - All I've Got To Do with Mary Devlin (aka @beatledirt)
"The rhythm's in the guitars" is how the Beatles used to excuse the fact that they had no drummer in the early days. And this rather obscure song features some really great syncopated, sophisticated rhythm guitars. It's moody groove which finds John in his blue-eyed soul mode, and more importantly, how can a song with no real chorus be SO DARN GOOD? This one's a real sleeper tune on a sleeper album; it's bookended by such big moments, it never gets it due. But that ends today at #68!
Joining us this week is the wonderful Mary Devlin (aka @beatledirt on socials, if you follow Beatles content, you know her). When she's not Beatling, she's a singer/songwriter with a GREAT new single out now (like today!) called "Reduce You" and y'all should all go jump on it because it's a jam. Click here to listen! Stream it here or here or anywhere you stream! We chat about her new song, the origins of Beatle Dirt, songwriting and content creating, and so much more!
What do you think about "All I've Got To Do" at #68? Too high? Too low? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!!
Fri, 27 Feb 2026 - 1h 03min - 155 - #69 Martha My Dear with Sam Whiles
3 facts you should know about me:
I love the BeatlesI love Paul's jaunty granny musicI love dogsSo the jauntiest of januty tunes inspired Paul's dog, Martha? PUT IT IN MY VEINS. I adore this tune, driven by what was originally a piano exercise. It features a really gorgeous vocal performance as well, Paul's really approaching the apex of his powers at this point in time musically, vocally, compositionally...he's just cranking out amazing stuff left and right, even if it doesn't fit the perceived mold of what the Beatles "should" be doing.
Joining us this week is our OG podpal, our Beatle nephew, the always brilliant Sam Whiles, host of the Paul or Nothing podcast. We chat about his new radio gig, Anthology, the upcoming Man on the Run doc, a brutal round of "Marry, F**k, Kill," and more!
What do you think about "Martha My Dear" at #69? Too high? Too low? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Fri, 19 Dec 2025 - 1h 23min - 154 - BONUS: Anthology Roundtable Review!
After 30 years, The Beatles Anthology is back! The documentary is available in a newly restored edit on Disney+ featuring a new 9th episode, and the music is out featuring new mixes and a new 4th volume! The holiday season seems to be Beatles season nowadays, and we're not complaining. Because what are holidays for if not for gathering with loved ones and friends? And that's exactly what we're doing for this bonus episode.
We're joined by some of our Beatle people pals for a magical mystery chat, giving all our takes on Anthology, our own histories with it, our thoughts on the new version of doc and the new music, what we loved, what we missed, what choked us up...and for our longtime listeners, get ready because JULIA HAS FINALLY WATCHED THE ANTHOLOGY!!
So join us, Caitlin Larkin, Skylar Moody, Mary Devlin, VinylBenjy, Peter Lane (stick around for the end for a cameo from a special guest) as we talk all things Anthology!
Let us know your Anthology story wherever you're following along. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 16 Dec 2025 - 1h 00min - 153 - #70 Anna (Go To Him) with Dan Absher
When The Beatles were still filling their sets with cover songs, they tended to avoid the obvious ones of their heroes, especially if other bands were playing them. While their competition was covering Arthur Alexander's "You Better Move On," The Beatles favored "Anna (Go To Him)." And even though Paul always says they were "a good little rock and roll band," they were also a good little r&b band as well. John's love of Alexander's music, and r&b in general is well on display here, and he delivers a masterful vocal, smooth when he wants it, anguished when he wants, filled with emotion throughout. It's a stand out track that's one of my favorites.
Joining us this week is Dan Absher, author of the new book "The Fab Four Pillars of Impact," which looks to the Beatles as a blueprint for successful organizations and teamwork. We chat about how the book came to be, whether Jonathan should write a book, the great Al Bundy, and so much more! Check out Dan's book at fabfouracademy.com.
What do you think about "Anna" at #70? Too high? Too low? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Fri, 05 Dec 2025 - 55min - 152 - #71 - Oh! Darling with Caitlin Larkin
With the intention of returning to the Beatles' roots on the Get Back project, it's no surprise Paul chose to mine the New Orleans r&b/early rock and roll stylings that were an early influence. And while it didn't get it's final form until the Abbey Road sessions, there's crumbs of the creation of "Oh! Darling" scattered throughout Get Back and onward. It took months for the song to come together, and weeks for Paul to nail the vocal in just the right tone he was looking for. It's arguably one of his all time best vocal performances, and for a song that was never a single, it's one of the best-known tracks. And hard to believe he's only ever played it live once!
Joining the show this week is our fab pal, the wonderful Caitlin Larkin! We caught up after one of her shifts on the air on the Sirius XM Beatles channel (you can hear her M-F 12-1 EST) to talk about all the wild Beatling that's gone on this year, her report of Paul's intimate Nashville show, and so much more!
What do you think about "Oh! Darling" at #71? Too high? Too low? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Wed, 19 Nov 2025 - 43min - 151 - #90* Now and Then Recorded Live at the Fest for Beatles Fans with Blotto Beatles
If you thought "One After 909" took a long time to gestate, it's nowhere NEAR the journey for "Now and Then." As we all know, it was one of the songs given to the Threetles by Yoko to complete, but it's sonic shortcomings couldn't be solved by the technology of the 90s. But then, seemingly out of nowhere during our ongoing tumultous time period, The Beatles did what The Beatles always do. They show up with something to make us all smile a little more and put a little more love into the world. Whatever it's initial intent was or wasn't, "Now and Then" represents a powerful conclusion of the recorded output of the entity known as The Beatles. And it's just beautiful.
This episode was recorded LIVE at the Fest for Beatles Fans at Jersey City in March of this year in collaboration with our pals, Blotto Beatles. A splendid time was had by all, and for our first ever live podcast, we think it went pretty darn well. Thanks to Scotty C of the Blottos for the editing work, thanks to everyone who came out to our show, and thanks to all the Fest for making it happen!
What do you think about "Now and Then" at #90*? Too high? Too low? And since it came out AFTER the ranking was done, where would you put it? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 17 Oct 2024 - 1h 42min - 150 - #178 - Octopus' Garden with The Beths
Originally released March 16, 2021
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, is it possible this is a much deeper song, where Ringo's really seeking out some shelter from the storm around him? Could this be his "Help"?
We're joined this week by Liz Stokes and Jonathan Pearce, 1/2 of the New Zealand-based rock band The Beths. Their latest album Jump Rope Gazers, out now on Carpark Records, was in our top 3 albums of 2020, a literal constant quarantine companion. It's linked in our Linktree above. Over the last few years, their blend of propulsive, sing-along choruses, four-part vocal arrangements, and wry, introspective lyrics has earned them fans around the world, as well as opening slots for indie rock titans like The Breeders, Pixies, Weezer, and Death Cab for Cutie. We chatted on Mardi Gras day about all sorts of things, from very different Beatle-fan perspectives, and, in a podcast first, Jonathan admits that he maybe got his ranking wrong on this one.
What do you think about "Octopus' Garden" at #178? Too high? Too low? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!Tue, 16 Mar 2021 - 1h 15min - 149 - #72 - I've Just Seen A Face with guest Jack Petruzelli
It's weird how many songs the Beatles have that aren't "hits" but are still universally loved. It seems everyone knows and loves "I've Just Seen A Face," despite never being a single and never appearing on the big compilations. Maybe it's just one that's found a way to sink its' teeth into anyone who's ever known the rush of new love. Maybe it's just one of those classic Paul melodies. Maybe it's the kind of country, kind of rock, kind of acoustic line it seems to walk so well. Maybe it's all of those. Either way, it's an absolute gem.
Joining us this week is Jack Petruzelli, producer, songwriter, musician, and founding member of The Fab Faux, in addition to his work with folks like Rufus Wainwright, Joan Osborne, and more. He joins us to talk about what makes the Fab Faux work (they're probably the best Beatles tribute around, no wigs or costumes needed, just A-list players). We take a trip across previous rankings to question my sanity, while also discussing the upcoming Magical Mystery Camp (June 24-27), an all-inclusive, once-in-a-lifetime music vacation experience in the heart of the Catskills, exploring the music of The Beatles via performances, workshops, songwriting clinics and more! You can join the Fab Faux, Peter Asher, Joan Osborne, Laurence Juber and more, along with Beatle authors (and former RTB guests) Robert Rodriguez and Jerry Hammack, Ken Womack, and more in the Catskills for a Fab time! Learn more and sign up at https://www.magicalmysterycamp.com/
What do you think about "I've Just Seen A Face" at #72? Too high? Too low? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Fri, 23 May 2025 - 1h 07min - 148 - #73 - Blackbird with Allan Kozinn (author, The McCartney Legacy)
McCartney's ability to craft the most capitvating, simple, and gorgeous melodies never fails to amaze. Conceived (we think/he tells us) as a song of encouragement and support for the civil rights movement, in full swing by 1968, "Blackbird" has become one of Paul's signature songs. It was the title of his poetry collection. It's one of the most tattoo'd Beatle lyrics and imagery. It's one of his best, and he knows it, and we know it.
Joining us this week is Allan Kozinn, co-author of the brilliant McCartney Legacy book series. Vol.2 dropped at the end of 2024, and like Vol. 1 before,has garnered rave reviews. It's the most in-depth and thoughtful dive on Paul's non-Beatles years ever done, and we can't recommend it enough! Allan drops in to talk his "demonic" book, the human side of Paul, uncovering treasures in plain sight, and more! Grab a copy at https://www.mccartneylegacy.com/!
What do you think about "Blackbird" at #73? Too high? Too low? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Fri, 09 May 2025 - 1h 15min - 147 - #74 - Julia with Jude Southerland Kessler
One 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.
Joining us this week is the always wonderful Jude Southerland Kessler, the author of The John Lennon series. Jude always seems to know just how to blow our minds with her knowledge and telling of John's story, and this episode is no different. The newest book in the series, Volume 5.2, which is called Some Forever ,Shades of Life Pt 2 covers August of 1965-1966 and contrary to what we discuss in the episode, will be out around August of this year (darn printing delays!). These books are fantastic, we can't wait to dive it and suggest you do the same as well! Check it out at johnlennonseries.com.
What do you think about "Julia" at #74? Too high? Too low? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Wed, 23 Apr 2025 - 1h 12min - 146 - #75 - Get Back with Robert Rodriguez & Jerry Hammack
Ever seen an artist create a global smash hit from the moment of inception through each and every moment of rehearsal and refinement to recording, live premier, and continued real time performances 60 years later? With "Get Back," now you have. Pulling this out of the ether during the 1969 Twickenham sessions, this seedling turns into a fantastic performance by the lads, brought to its' full potential with assistance from Billy Preston. As it says in the ad for the single, it's "music to rollercoast to" and who are we to argue?
Joining us this week are Robert Rodriguez and Jerry Hammack. You may know Robert from his brilliant and long running podcast, Something About the Beatles and his books, and Jerry's the author of the Beatles Recording Reference Manuals, a fab 5 volume series documenting how each and every musical sausage was made by the band. They've joined forces now for Ribbons of Rust: The Beatles Recording History in Context. It's a fascinating deep dive into the recordings and the world, musical and otherwise, that informed them. Volume 1 is out now, covering 1954-1963, so there's A LOT more to look forward to! Grab a copy at RibbonsofRust.net!
What do you think about "Get Back" at #75? Too high? Too low? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 27 Mar 2025 - 1h 33min - 145 - #76 - Slow Down with guests Blotto Beatles
Maybe 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 fretting over if this new song is going to be the next big hit, they're just hitting the release valve and letting go all that pressure, just playing rock and roll for the fun of it. I love those moments.
Bad news, folks: Julia's not with us today. Good news, folks: our podpals from Blotto Beatles are! We love any chance to catch up with our Blotto bros, and this time was no exception (well, except for Julia's absence). We talk about the trouble with Larrys, Beatle footware, covers, the Fest for Beatle Fans, and so much more! If you're not listening to Blotto Beatles, you should be, so check it out!
What do you think about "Slow Down" at #76? Too high? Too low? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 20 Feb 2025 - 1h 31min - 144 - #77 - Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds with Jason Kruppa
Did you guys know the Beatles did drugs? IT'S RIGHT THERE IN THE TITLE, MAN, LSDDDDDDDD! Inspired by a drawing done by his son Julian, John's "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" is arguably the most psychedelic of Beatles psychedelic songs. But that trippiness overshadows brilliantly musical performances and inventive production. It's one of the high points of The Beatles and George Martin (and his team) being on the same wavelength, all pulling in the same direction. Lucy (and her parent album) may have lost a touch of its' shine among the common listener, but listen with fresh ears and be blown away all over again.
Joining us this week is the always fantastic Jason Kruppa, host of theProducing the Beatlespodcast, co-author of All Things Must Pass Away: Harrison, Clapton, and Other Assorted Love Songs. He was supposed to join us via Zoom a couple of weeks ago (during the now famous New Orleans snow storm) but the recording set up at RTB HQ couldn't handle the cold and died on us. So we had to reschedule once we got back up and running, so we were able to connect in person, which was much better! We chat with Jason about the brilliance of the Beatles' vocals, isolation videos, Crocs, the importance of the drummer, and so much. more!
All isolations in this episode provided by Jason. Be sure to subscribe to Producing the Beatles!
What do you think about "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" at #77? Too high? Too low? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 06 Feb 2025 - 1h 17min - 143 - #78 - Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) with author Sara Schmidt
**Disclaimer: First show of the new year, and yeah, I know, I blew it, but I own up to it! The integrity of the list remains!**
The fabs sure loved writing songs about their relationships on vacation. As we discussed one of Paul's recently ("For No One"), now it's John's turn. John's ode to infidelity and arson turned into one of the most sublime sonic moments in their catalogue, as well as one of the most influential. George's now iconic sitar part influenced so many other bands of the time to start experimenting with Indian music (The Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black" maybe most famously), and marked the beginning of his and the band's bringing Eastern music to popular Western culture. It's a defining sound of the 60s, and this song may be well the defining song of the Rubber Soul album.
Joining us this week is Beatles author and all around lovely person Sara Schmidt! She's the author Dear Beatle People: The Story of the Beatles North American Fan Club and Happiness is Seeing the Beatles: Beatlemania in St. Louis .She's also the brains behindmeetthebeatlesforreal.com where she's been archiving Beatles photos and fan stories since 2007. While Apple and so many are telling the history of the band, this is the other side of the coin, the thing that made it work, the fans, and it's a fantastic archive of stories and interactions with the band. Check out the website and Sara's books at meetthebeatlesforreal.com, and if you have a story to share with her, send it over!
What do you think about "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" at 78? Too high? Too low? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 09 Jan 2025 - 1h 00min - 142 - #79 - Taxman with Vinyl Benjy
What 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 here while also providing a ripping guitar solo). It sets the tone for Revolver by moving away from the romantic theme of so many of their songs, into a new, cool, and darker world.
Joining us this week is the wonderful Vinyl Benjy! If you're on social media and follow music accounts or record accounts, the odds are high you've seen his smiling, pleasant self showcasing records and cool trivia about them. His record collection is swoonworthy, and the dude knows his stuff! We talk about the joys of record collecting, the importance of chap stick, George’s financial gripes, and Julia’s got a real spicy hot take for us! Check Benjy out on Instagram @vinylbenjy and TikTok @vinylbenjy!
What do you think about "Taxman" at 79? Too high? Too low? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Fri, 27 Dec 2024 - 1h 14min - 141 - #80 - For No One with Duncan Driver
Everyone 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 and progression, and a top notch McCartney vocal. It's like the sad ending to the story that began with "She Loves You," addressing YOU, the listener...where it used to be that she loves you, now, she no longer needs you. Brutal, but beautiful.
Returning to the show to discuss this tune is our friend Dr. Duncan Driver! You may have heard him on our "Eight Days A Week" episode a while back, or maybe you've heard him as a contributor to One Sweet Dream. He joins us from the future, or Canberra (listen to how badly Jonathan butchers that in the intro!), to discuss Paul's headspace in 66 when he writes this song, his ascension as an artist, and this classic Macca tune. If you'd like to hear more of Duncan's thoughts on "For No One," check out the writings he did on it, "Three Perspectives on 'For No One'" here, here and here.
What do you think about "For No One" at #80? Too high? Too low? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 12 Dec 2024 - 1h 20min - 140 - #81 - Hey Jude with James Campion (author, "Sing A Sad Song: The Emotional Currency of Hey Jude")
Note: PLS LISTEN BEFORE LIGHTING YOUR TORCHES AND GATHERING YOUR PITCHFORKS!
Written as a way to show sympathy and encouragement to young Julian Lennon in the face of his parents' divorce, "Hey Jude" is obviously one of the high water marks of modern popular music. It's a brilliantly composed song with a powerhouse vocal from Paul, showcasing his ability to go from the sweetest, most emotive and sensitive places to an absolute beast, shredding his voice and screaming from the pits of his you know whats. The rest of the lads turn in a perfect accompaniment, all serving the song as it builds to a chorus that is the prototype for the lighters-aloft stadium anthem, designed to unite masses of people. I've experienced what I think may be the closest thing to nirvana singing along to this with Paul and 70,000 strangers, and it's amazing. But once you've done that, and you've heard the record a million times, that record doesn't really compare to that moment. In fact, I find myself not really connecting to the record in that way at all anymore, and more often than not, rarely choose to listen to it. It's a victim of overexposure in a way, but maybe that's just a me problem?
To help me sort this out, we've called on our old friend James Campion, who literally wrote the book on the subject, Sing A Sad Song: The Emotional Currency of Hey Jude. James joins us to chat about subjective preference vs objective quality, Paul's ultimate flex, Ted Lasso parallels, and his upcoming book on Price. Follow along with all things JC at jamescampion.com, and order a copy of his book while you're at it!
What do you think about "Hey Jude" at 81? Too high? Too low? Have I totally lost the plot? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Fri, 29 Nov 2024 - 1h 27min - 139 - #82 - Dig A Pony with guest Nicholas Dayton (songwriter/producer, Sesame Street)
John came into the Get Back project only one fully formed new song, "All I Want Is You," later re-named as "Dig A Pony." After a possibly initial ambivalent reaction, the band tightened it up as the first song recorded in their own Apple Studios. It eventually found it's true home on the rooftop of Apple on a cold January day, where the band nailed it in one rock solid take. The song lumbers and moves in weird ways, almost like a giant kind of stomping slowly, while John delivers a fantastic vocal of some kind of wordplay I've never really understood. Musically, it's just so good though. The riff is classic rock guitar at it's core, held down by the most perfect subdued drumming from Ringo, and a jagged and refined yet unexpected solo from George. It's such an odd song, but it feels so good, you can't not love it.
Joining us this week is New Orleans-based songwriter and producer Nicholas Dayton! Nick writes songs for Sesame Street, which is maybe the coolest job you could ever have. He's also done some acting, and been seen on 30 Rock and Nickoldeon. Add to that he plays bass in a 60s cover band AND an Elton John tribute? It's like a found a long lost sibling! Join us as we chat about hearing Big Bird sing a song you wrote, Lin-Manuel Miranda, 60s music, and so much more!
What do you think about Dig A Pony at 82? Too high? Too low? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or find us now on Bluesky! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 14 Nov 2024 - 1h 40min - 138 - #83 - You've Got To Hide Your Love Away with Steven Page
Thousands of words have been written about Bob Dylan's influence on the Beatles. Despite all those words, one need look no further than "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" from the Help! album. Taking the folk trademark of heavily strummed 6 and 12 string acoustic and nylon string guitars, minimal instrumentation, the song finds John delivering (up to this point) one of his most introspective lyrics with a brilliantly intimate and weary vocal performance. The arrangement is mature and subtle, never taking the focus off the lyric. It's real "3 chords and the truth" stuff, and it's fantastic.
Joining us this week is the legendary Steven Page! Steven made a name for himself as lead singer and co-founder of Barenaked Ladies before embarking on seriously busy solo career. His 2022 album Excelsior! is fantastic, as his the debut from his Canadian version of the Travelling Wilburys, the Trans-Canada Highwaymen. Check it all out at stevenpage.com
What do you think of You've Got To Hide Your Love Away at #83? Too high? Too low? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 31 Oct 2024 - 1h 18min - 137 - #84 - Old Brown Shoe with guest Sean Nelson
Upon rejoining the band following his departure in the Get Back sessions, George pulled his more serious material, most of which would end up on All Things Must Pass. Along with his blusey and lightweight "For You Blue," he also brought in a stomping little piano song he wrote during the sessions, "Old Brown Shoe." It wouldn't find a home for a few months until the band needed a b-side to "The Ballad of John & Yoko," and even then, it remains one of the more obscure songs in the Beatles catalogue. But that said, I've always loved it. George sings like he's really having fun with it, and whoever the hell is playing whatever on this song (it's all very murky and mysterious) is really killing it. But what's he singing about? George's shoe game was pretty solid after all. Maybe it's about stepping out with a new love? Maybe it's about leaving someone...or someone(s)?
It's always a pleasure to welcome our old pal Sean Nelson back to RTB! Sean is best known as the singer of the band Harvey Danger, who's song "Flagpole Sitta" is one of the 90s defining songs, and the tip of the iceburg of a ton of great music in their catalogue that you'd do yourselves a favor to dig into (along with is own solo work). He's also now the host of his own podcast, The Wonder of It All, a deep dive in to the pros and cons of success. He's a great conversationalist so it only makes sense his podcast would be fantastic. Be sure to subscribe to it and tune in!
What do you think of Old Brown Shoe at #84? Too high? Too low? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, some of our new Revolver-themed merch, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 17 Oct 2024 - 1h 48min - 136 - #85 - One After 909 with BC The Beatles
As a songwriter, I could never imagine at this point in my life, putting out song a wrote at 16 or 17. I don't ever want anyone to hear that. But then again, I'm not the Beatles, who were able to resurrect one of the earliest songs in their repertoire, from well before they were even The Beatles. Though the song was in their early setlists for a long time, it never found a home on a Beatles record, even after taking a shot at recording it in 1963. But when nostalgia reared it's head during the Let It Be sessions, this song came back to the fore, and with Billy Preston in tow, it found a new life a scorching little rock song that fit the bill for the Get Back project perfectly. It's the most rocking moment of the whole month, and in their performance on the rooftop that day, for a couple of minutes, you see these world-weary men return back to the young, hopeful, driven boys they were when they first started. Even if the song has no real meaning, it's a fantastic moment with real electricity to it.
Joining us this week are Allison and Erika from BC The Beatles, one of our favorite Beatles podcasts. We chat about their own Beatles journeys, the Beatles' invention of meta-nostalgia, Paul's sock game, Cruisin' Classics, and much more! If you're not listening to BC The Beatles, I dunno what you're waiting for, get on it! Listen here, or anywhere you get podcasts, and follow them on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
What do you think about "One After 909" at #85? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 25 Jul 2024 - 1h 17min - 135 - #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 shows tremendous growth and bravery for daring to do the unexpected, and gives a brilliant example of John and Paul's best Everly Brothers-esque harmonies. It's a song they were very proud of, as evidenced by the fact that that once it was out, it stayed in their live show until the end of their touring days. Even in the jaded-slugging-it-out-un-enthusiastically shows of 1966, John and Paul seem to genuinely delight in being so close on one mic and singing in harmony for the entire song. It's a real gem that likely doesn't get it's due since it's a waltz in the 3rd song slot on what some consider their "worst" album.
This week, we close the circle on the RTB X 2Legs meet up by welcoming Andy Nicholes to the show! After having his co-host Tom Hunyady on the last episode, it only seemed appropriate to have Andy on as well. We love 2 Legs, and Andy was great on the panels we saw him on at the Fest for Beatles Fans, so we're big fans. He joins us to talk about bootlegs, solo fandom, growing up as fans in the 90s, and so much more! Be sure to check out 2Legs anywhere you get podcasts and follow them on Facebook!
For you Julia stans, she's not with us this week unfortunately. She'll be back we promise. To make it up to you, be sure to listen through to the end of the episode for a little bonus treat.
What do you think about "Baby's In Black" at #86? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Fri, 12 Jul 2024 - 1h 16min - 134 - #87 - You Never Give Me Your Money with Tom Hunyady (co-host, 2Legs and Talk More Talk podcasts)
In many ways, Paul McCartney is the ultimate storyteller. He's got an unparalleled ability to craft characters and a situations that are so vivid, you can't easily tell when he's hiding his own feelings and life stories in them. So when we writes a song where he's totally upfront about a situation, no story, no characters, you can bet it's something important to him. And that's what he's doing with "You Never Give Me Your Money" from Abbey Road. Maybe the first time we get. real glimpse of the Paul who can take various fragments and create a composition with different movements, the song discusses his frustration with the Beatles' inner-organization fighting over their financial situation. One might think a song with such a specific perspective would make it hard to connect to, but Paul's vocal is so on point and so emotive and authentic, it's easy to connect to. It's also, imho, the auditory blueprint for Abbey Road, crystal clear guitars, signature drum fills, sparkling sonics, it's a true gem of the catalogue.
Joining us this week is someone who knows McCartney pretty darn well, Tom Hunyady, co-host of 2Legs, A Solo Paul McCartney Podcast, as well Talk More Talk, A Solo Beatles Videocast. Tom's been deep-diving into Paul's catalogue for a long, long time, and we're big fans of his shows, so when we had a chance to connect at the Fest for Beatles Fans, we couldn't have been happier. Tom joins us (with a BIG discrepancy in our ranking) to discuss the Beatles podcast landscape, One Hand Clapping, recognizing Paul's genius, and more. Be sure to check out 2Legs and Talk More Talk to follow what Tom's doing!
What do you think about "You Never Give Me Your Money" at #87? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 27 Jun 2024 - 1h 29min - 133 - #88 - No Reply with guest Jeff Slate (musician, journalist)
The journey of "No Reply" is a curious one. A song John seemed to not think much of, and originally offered to another Brian Epstein-managed artist, it also was possibly slated to be the final song recorded for A Hard Day's Night. If not for Ringo's tonsillitis, who knows what would've happened with it. After spending some time with it though, and working it into a bit more interesting arrangement, it turned out to be the lead off track to the band's 4th album, and a real signpost to where the band was headed. More introspective than what had come before it, and a much less energetic album opener than Beatles fans were expecting, No Reply is a real sneaky song. It's filled with great melody and harmony, possibly one of the best bridges the band ever recorded, and it's all done very economically. Not a second is wasted on this song. It shows a real growth that the band is starting to go through, with John painting a brilliant scene throughout the song. It's a fantastic and unique way to start a Beatles record, and a song that doesn't get nearly enough love.
Joining us this week is musician and journalist Jeff Slate. You may have read his articles in Rolling Stone, Billboard, or the New Yorker, or heard him as guest DJ on Sirius XM or KLOS. He's got a brand new record out, The Last Day of Summer with a laundry list of great players joining him. It's a fantastic pop rock album, we can't recommend it enough. He'll be on the road this November supporting the Wallflowers on the East Coast so don't miss it! We chat with Jeff about working with the Elephant's Memory band, being challenged by Pete Townsend, John's toilet demo, Weekend Wilburys, and more! Check out all things Jeff at www.jeffslatehq.com or follow him on Twitter or Facebook!
What do you think about "No Reply" at #88? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 20 Jun 2024 - 1h 25min - 132 - #89 - Lady Madonna with Davis Rogan (pianist, host DJ Davis' Tasting Notes))
After spending a year and half out firmly planted in psychedelia, The Beatles returned to Earth at the beginning of 1968 with "Lady Madonna," a Paul-penned tune that pays tribute to the strength of women, a topic he mines throughout his career. The song also serves an homage to New Orleans' piano legend and rock and roll trail blazer Fats Domino, and marks maybe the first time the band created their own intentional throwback to the early rock and roll of their youth. It's a grooving song with a fantastic shuffle from Ringo, some great faux-horn vocals from George and Paul. It always feels like a little slice of home to me, perhaps because New Orleans music is at the root of the song.
To talk about New Orleans piano music, there are few better than Davis Rogan. Davis is known internationally as a master of the artform, and one of New Orleans' classic larger than life personalities. That personality is so big, it spawned a main character on HBO's popular Treme series. He's worked in radio, worked as a music teacher, been at the forefront of the hybrid of brass music, funk and hip-hop with his band All That. We chat with Davis about reapproaching the Beatles music after music education, Fats Domino, synthesizing New Orleans music, Alex Chilton, and much more! Check out Davis at davisrogan.com and Facebook.com/DavisRoganMusic to see if he's coming to your neck of the woods!
What do you think about "Lady Madonna" at #89? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 13 Jun 2024 - 1h 10min - 131 - #90 - The Inner Light with Caitlin Larkin (DJ, Sirius XM The Beatles Channel)
There seems to be somewhat of a misconception of The Beatles having a really big "Indian period." In reality, there's only 3 songs that really fit that bill, and the 3rd a final one, "The Inner Light," may be the most open hearted and enlightened one. After being inspired/challenged by a scholar he met on the David Frost show, George took lyrics from the Tao Te Ching and created a gorgous song that found it's home on the b-side of the Lady Madonna single. Recorded in Bombay while working on the Wonderwall Music soundtrack, George created an authentic and beautiful song with a gorgeous lyric, that gets sprinkled with a kiss of the Beatles magic at the end, one line of 3 part harmony that reminds the listener "oh yeah, it's The Beatles." It's an unappreciated, somewhat unknown tune that should get more love than it usually does.
We're joined this week by an absolute ray of sunshine, the lovely Caitlin Larkin! Caitlin is a DJ on the Sirius XM Beatles Channel who got her job after a campaign of posting a series of faux-radio promos on Tik Tok and catching the ear of the Sirius folks. She's a joy to listen to, has great taste in what she chooses to play, and is one the nicest folks in all of Beatle-fandom. We have a blast talking about old Napster throwbacks, what goes on behind the scenes at the Beatles channel, Liverpool tears, and the magical Beatles quiz book. Be sure to listen to Caitlin weekdays on the Sirius XM Beatles Channel from 12-1 EST, and follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
What do you think about "The Inner Light" at #90? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 30 May 2024 - 1h 19min - 130 - #91 - Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey with guest Brian Marchese (host, Where's That Sound Coming From?)
The longest titled song in the Beatles' catalogue is also one that maybe flies a bit below the radar. Buried on side 3 of the White album, "Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey" is one of the heaviest rockers in the back half of their career. Inspired by the Maharishi, and also possibly by a growing drug issue, John leads the band through a frantic and hard tune with lyrics that maybe don't quite make sense. George's playing is at his heaviest and most guitar-hero, as if he's trying to claim his spot in the late 60s guitar world. There's so much to love on this track, from Paul's whoops and firebell frenzy to the brilliant beat swapping intro. This is one that I think can surprise people who don't think the Beatles could REALLY rock.
Speaking of monkeys, we're super excited to be joined this week by Brian Marchese, host of the podcast "Where's That Sound Coming From? presents 'Questions But No Answers,'" a brilliant show diving deep into the song catalogue of the late, great Michael Nesmith. If you've listened to our show, you know I love the Nez and the Monkees, so I was thrilled to have Brian join to talk about what inspired him to create his show, as well as his own history with Beatles. Be sure to check out "Questions But No Answers" anywhere you get podcasts, and follow along on Facebook and Instagram.
Wanna check out my own personal Nez playlist and see what makes his stuff so special? Here you go!
What do you think about "Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey" at #91? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Fri, 24 May 2024 - 1h 47min - 129 - BONUS! A Let It Be Podcast Roundtable Chat
After 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 theBlotto Beatles,Paul or Nothing,BC The Beatles,and Fans on the Runpodcasts 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. If you don't listen to their shows, you better get on it!!
Unfortunately, Julia was unable to join the chat. So, much like the short Peter Jackson/Michael Lindsay-Hogg interview that precedes Let It Be, she and I sat down separately to record an intro and get her thoughts on tape as well.
What are your thoughts on Let it Be? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 16 May 2024 - 1h 53min - 128 - #92 - If I Needed Someone with Ethan Alexanian (host, Fans on the Run)
Imagine the feeling you'd get when the band that was the inspiration for YOUR band put out a song and told everyone YOUR band inspired that song? Probably a pretty amazing feeling. That's exactly what happened when The Beatles released the George Harrison-penned "If I Needed Someone" on Rubber Soul in December 1965. George was quick to give credit to Roger McGuinn and The Byrds for the 12 string riff that propels the song, as it's a pretty direct descendant of The Byrds' "The Bells of Rhymney." It's also a pretty brilliant piece of stoned cool that, to me, exemplifies sound of Rubber Soul. The final echoes of the 12 string that powered the 64-Beatlemania hits leads the charge one more time on a song that contains big hints of the new direction, a droning sound taken from George's new interest in Indian music, brilliant 3 part harmonies borrowing a page from the increasingly intricate harmonies of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys (as well as the aforementioned Byrds). It's a song the Fabs obviously liked too, as they performed it from 65 through the end of their touring career in 1966, making it the only Harrison composition the band ever played live.
Joining us to chat about this song is the one and only Ethan Alexanian, the host of Fans on the Run, the podcast for, by, and about Beatles fans. Ethan joins us to talk brave sartorial choices, fandom, obscure 60s groups, the joy and pain of 12 strings, and more! Ethan loves this song so much he's almost at a loss for words! Be sure to listen to Fans on the Run anywhere you get podcasts, follow along on Facebook or Instagram, and check out Ethan's killer artwork at https://ethanalexanian.com
What do you think about "If I Needed Someone" at #92? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 09 May 2024 - 1h 13min - 127 - #93 - Honey Pie with Dr. Christine Feldman-Barrett, author (A Women's History of the Beatles, The Life, Death, and Afterlife of the Record Store)
Much has been discussed of Paul McCartney's love of what John Lennon called "granny music." The music of his parents' generation, British Music Hall, Vaudeville, Tin Pan Alley...you know the genre...the stuff Lennon loved to complain about when it came from Paul, but seemingly had no problem with his favorite group, Nilsson, whos stock and trade was the song tradition rooted in that era. Paul, however, loved, and still loves, music and art from that time. It gives him a chance to embody the character pieces he so easily writes, putting himself in the shoes of Fred Astaire and getting to pretend he's someone other than Paul McCartney. Honey Pie also has roots in trad jazz, and Lennon obviously knew a thing or two because he pulls off a spot-on Django Reinhardt impression on his guitar solo. Personally, I love this side of Paul, "Honey Pie," "You Gave Me The Answer," "Martha My Dear," I'll take it all!
Returning to the show this week is the always wonderful Dr. Christine Feldman-Barrett, author of the brilliant book A Women's History of the Beatlesand the newly released "The Life, Death, and Afterlife of the Record Store." She joins us from all the way across the world in Brisbane where we chat about appreciating legacy artists in all their eras, what record stores mean to her, the cyclical nature of culture, and an exciting round of Beatles trivia! Be sure to pick up a copy of her book at the links above or anywhere you get good books!
What do you think about "Honey Pie" at #93? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 02 May 2024 - 1h 09min - 126 - #94 - Free As A Bird with Skylar Moody (Beatles content creator, journalist)
Some 25 years after the Beatles' break up, new music from the band emerged via a cosmic combination of technology and enduring love...and the career-spanning Anthology project. Using a solo John piano demo, the remaining Threetles completed "Free As A Bird," a stately and beautiful track, complete with the still gorgeous Beatle harmony, brilliant lead guitar, some new lyrics by Paul and George, a bit of that trademark Beatle cheekiness...it was them, all over again. In my opinon, the song holds up incredibly well within the catalogue. Of course there were/are naysayers, but wasn't this song bound to be the victim of unreal expectations? Despite that, it's a track that makes me feel a real sense of warmth and love and happiness, which is everything I want out of a Beatles song, and it's all the more amazing that they were able to provide that some 25 years after they initially broke up.
We're so happy to be back! We're also so happy to have our first guest for this season be the absolutely wonderful Skylar Moody! If you're on social media and a fan of the Beatles, you've likely seen Skylar's content out there. She handles social media content for the Fest for Beatles Fans, and is partnering with the Brooklyn Museum as a consultant and content creator for the Paul McCartney "Eyes of the Storm" photo exhibition. It's good to know that with people like Skylar at the helm, Beatles fandom will continue to grow and spread to new generations of fans. Follow Skylar on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook, or at skylarmoody.com.
What do you think about "Free As A Bird" at #94? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 25 Apr 2024 - 1h 24min - 125 - #95 - Savoy Truffle with Chris Carter (host, Breakfast with the Beatles)
After a few years of producing some fairly heady and serious musical output, George found himself wanting to lighten the load a bit in 1968. Not everything needed to be Within You Without You, inspiration didn't always have to be divine. It could come from anywhere, even your friends gross teeth. Thanks to his friend Eric (you know who)'s love of chocolates and disregard of dental hygiene, George came up with Savoy Truffle, an under-rated (imo) tune in which Paul and Ringo provide some of their nastiest grooves. George's decision to let the song be led by horns instead of guitar keep it exciting and energetic in a way it just wouldn't be if guitars were the feature instrument. George said around this time he "just wanted to be a rock star," and he certainly seems to be the part here, with a great vocal delivery matching his guitar lines, and lyrics that are downright sexy. How this song doesn't get more love is beyond me, cuz it's a killer.
To wrap up our 2023 season, we're delighted to welcome the one and only Chris Carter, host of Breakfast with the Beatles! Chris is celebrating the show's 40th ANNIVERSARY, and we couldn't be happier to talk about it with him. I mean, it's on in our car every morning anyway! We chat with Chris about the history and the future of Breakfast with the Beatles and how he keeps it fresh, gnarly horn sounds, absent John, and a wonderful story about a call from a Beatle's wife. If you don't already, listen to Breakfast with the Beatles Monday - Friday 8-11 ET on Sirius XM's Beatles Channel, and on KLOS every Sunday 9-12 PT.
What do you think about "Savoy Truffle" at #95? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 28 Dec 2023 - 1h 16min - 124 - #96 - It Won't Be Long with Ken Womack (author, "Living the Beatles Legend, The Untold Story of Mal Evans")
Riding high on the success of a chart topping debut album and #1 singles, the Beatles were searching for what the next big hit would be. While "It Won't Be Long" didn't turn out to be that hit, it did provide a brilliantly urgent shot with which to start their sophomore album. It absolutely fires out of the speakers, grabbing the listener immediately with a passionate lead vocal from John that volleys back and forth "yeah!" "yeah!" "yeah!"s with Paul and George. A great guitar hook, tight syncopation from John and Ringo showing that this band has chops and an ear for crafting winners even on mere album tracks. It's a great way to start the second album, showing that there's definitely more in the tank from this young upstart band.
We're thrilled to welcome back author and Beatles scholar Ken Womack! He's ready to rank, and ready to talk about his fantastic new book, "Living The Beatles Legend: The Untold Story of Mal Evans," a book that finally shines the light on the boys' longtime assistant and confidante. We talk about amazing journey to rescue Big Mal's archives, the Red and Blue remixes, the storm of touring, and much more! Grab a copy of the book here, and get ready for the follow up next year!
What do you think about "It Won't Be Long" at #96? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 21 Dec 2023 - 1h 20min - 123 - #97 - Good Morning, Good Morning with Red Rockers
It can be tough to write songs when you're not out living real life experiences. After the Beatles stopped touring, John often found himself at home, bored and isolated from the social scenes he'd been in while on the road. But John could find inspiration in anything...posters, newspapers, even commercials. That's where he found inspiration for this rocking ode to everyday malaise that would find a home towards the end of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Driven by some gnarly sounding horns, a driving drum track that hides a complicated time signature, and an absolutely ripping guitar solo from Paul, "Good Morning, Good Morning" seems to often get the short end of the stick. It's not as psychedlic and dreamy as some of John's other Pepper-era tunes, but it's certainly as vidual a lyric and as well produced a track, and a nice chance to hear the band really rock on that album.
This week, we're thrilled to be joined by Darren HIll and John Thomas Griffith of the recently-reunited Red Rockers. Before they scored an early MTV hit in 1984 with the song "China," they were hailed as America's answer to The Clash by Rolling Stone, and released the seminal album "Condition Red." After a fateful discovering of long-lost master tapes, they've not only recently re-mixed and re-released the album, they've also performed their first live show since breaking up in 86 (it was amazing, btw). We chat with John and Darren about how they got their record back, reuniting, the Beatles punk credibilty, de-evolution, the art of the album, and so much more. Follow Red Rockers on Facebook or Instagram to see what the future holds, order yourself a copy of Condition Red, or stream it wherever you listen to music!
What do you think about "Good Morning, Good Morning" at #97? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 14 Dec 2023 - 1h 00min - 122 - #98 Hello Goodbye with Debbie Davis (singer, musician)
1967 was arguably the top of the mountain for the Beatles. With the Sgt. Pepper album, they provided the soundtrack that encapsulated global consciousness, while also elevating themselves beyond just a mere pop band; they were artists of the highest order.
It was also the beginning of the end, with the death of Brian Epstein kicking off a long series of events that would eventually unravel the band. But by the year's end, they were just too big to fail. As such, "Hello, Goodbye" made it's impact as a return to light-heartedness that the band, and the world, needed. It's an insanely catchy song, sing-a-long-able in every way, and miles removed from the higher plane they'd been operating on for the last year. But it's kind of like cotton candy. It's sweet, and satisfies the sweet tooth, but doesn't have any real substance to it. But boy, it's sure tasty.
This week we inaugurate Debbie Davis as the newest member of the 4 timers club! We welcome back one of the best singers in New Orleans to discuss this song, musical grave robbing, commerciality, and more!
What do you think about "Hello, Goodbye" at #98? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 07 Dec 2023 - 1h 23min - 121 - #99 I Will with guest Mike Viola (singer, songwriter, producer)
We're into the top 100 songs in our rankings! We can't turn back now!!
Paul McCartney seems to have a knack for making sure he finishes things. "Now and Then" is a good example; he saw something there worthwhile and though it took a couple of decades, he saw it through to completion. The same can be said for "I Will," a song for which he had a melody kicking around a long time before he was able to complete a lyric for. After tossing lyrics he worked on in India with Donovan, and after John declined to help, he came up with what on paper are incredibly simple lyrics, but say so much more. And that melody...what a winner. He looped in Ringo and John to add percussion, and a brilliant vocal bass, cramming the final song with hooks in a simple arrangement. It makes for one of the more beautiful and light-hearted moments on an album that can sometimes be viewed as really dark.
To discuss this song, we're thrilled to welcome back this week's guest, Mike Viola! Mike (who joined us back in 2021 to discuss #165 "Your Mother Should Know") is a wonderful singer, songwriter, and producer, who's worked with acts like Panic! At the Disco, Fall Out Boy, Mandy Moore, Jenny Lewis and more, and has written songs for numerous films like Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. He's also the voice you hear singing the brilliant "That Thing You Do!" from the film of same name. Since we last spoke, he's released the fantastic "Paul McCarthy" album, which we highly recommend you check out. And he's going to be on a solo acoustic tour in the early part of 2024, which we also highly suggest you get tickets for if he's in your area. We chat with Mike about manic creativity, songwriting responsibility, the best way to watch Get Back, and more!
What do you think about "I Will at #99? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 30 Nov 2023 - 1h 14min - 120 - #100 I Should Have Known Better with Laurie Kaye
As Paul noted in the Get Back series, The Beatles seemed to excel when their backs were against a wall. They were certainly feeling the time crunch during a several week residency in Paris in early 64. They hadn't yet conquered America, but they were due to be there in a couple of weeks. They also had their first movie on the horizon, and they had to finish writing most of the songs for the film and it's accompanying album. All while playing a bunch of shows, and trying to enjoy the fact that they'd just gotten their first #1 in the US.
Thankfully, they were able to knock out some classic material in that time, including this song, "I Should Have Known Better." Featuring an effective harmonica hook, a 12 string guitar solo, and a wonderful lead vocal from John, this song almost exemplifies '64-era Beatles. In fact, it's often the song I think about what when I think about what typifies the band. It's the first Beatles song I can remember hearing also, which may explain that. It's simple, sustinct, effective, and so so catchy.
Joining us to chat this week is Laurie Kaye, author of the new book "Confessions of a Rock and Roll Name Dropper: My Life Leading Up to John Lennon's Last Interview. We chat with Laurie about her journey in radio, including interviewing a couple of other Fabs, leading up to her December 8th 1980 interview with John. We also discuss some of the other legends she's chatted with, harmonicas, the Hard Days Night Movie, and much much more! Check out Laurie's book at https://www.confessionsofarocknrollnamedropper.com/ or wherever you get Beatle books!
What do you think about "I Should Have Known Better" at #100? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Wed, 29 Nov 2023 - 52min - 119 - #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, to that chorus' emphatic tympani hits. And that's before we even get to John's 12 string electric guitar part, which comes across as a totally different take on the 12 string electric from what George would have played. Speaking of John, he turns in a fantastic vocal, and it's one of the rare times in the catalogue a song is sung by a Beatle who wasn't also the composer of the song.
Joining us this week is Joe Adragna, the brains behind power-pop force The Junior League. He's been putting out critically acclaimed music under this moniker since the early aughts, as well as playing in a variety of other groups. We chat with Joe about DIY recording and Jonathan's lazy musical output, power pop blueprints, childhood Beatles obsessions, and the Beatles' impact on kids today. Be sure to check out Joe's music at The Junior League's bandcamp page, or wherever you buy or stream music! And give em a follow on Facebook!
What do you think about "Every Little Thing" at #101? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 16 Nov 2023 - 1h 16min - 118 - #103 You're Going to Lose That Girl & #102 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) with guest Mary Lasseigne
Been a long time since we did a two-fer episode! Here we go!
The Beatles often seemed to turn in some of their best work when up against a deadline. A handful of songs that would make up most the Help!album seemed to come about in short order, as the band had to write and record a big majority of the album before leaving to film. "You're Going to Lose That Girl" is one John knocked out in short order that really shows the band's growth as a unit, and represents them at maybe the most professional sounding of the early Beatles era. A killer, classic John vocal with pitch perfect call and response vocals from Paul and George and rock solid foundation from Ringo, pushed forward by a frantic bongo overdub. It just seems to be the epitome of early-Beatles cool, especially in light of the brilliant performance footage of it in the Help!film.
And in very different times, the band turn in one of their most straight ahead rocking performances with "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)." By the end of the Sgt. Pepper sessions, the band hadn't really done a true out and out fast rocker since maybe the middle of 1965. Ready to put their masterpiece to bed, the band spent the last day of the sessions letting it all out on the uptempo penultimate track. With some of Ringo's most killer grooves (the Beastie Boys would sample the intro on Paul's Boutique, their own hip-hop Sgt. Pepper), absolutely killer guitar from George and John, and some of Paul's most frenzied shouting, the band showed that even though they were branching out in all directions, they could be the best rock and roll band in the world.
Joining us to talk these two songs this week is Mary Lasseigne! The bassist for The Cowsills (formerly of Cowboy Mouth, just like me - there's a lot of us) stops by to talk backing into the Beatles via Wings, playing with 60s legends, Now and Then, and these two very different Beatles tunes. Catch her on the road with The Cowsills!
What do you think about "You're Going to Lose That Girl" at #103 and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" at #102? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 09 Nov 2023 - 1h 32min - 117 - Now & Then - a round table discussion from Ranking the Beatles, Blotto Beatles, & BC The Beatles
IT'S HERE!! New Beatles music in...2023!?!?!
What a time to be a Beatles fan. After blowing our collective minds with the Get Back documentary in 2021, Peter Jackson and co. have again used their MAL software to allow separation of John's vocal and piano from his original demo, solving the issue that seemed to have stalled the completion of this song in the 95 Anthology sessions. With the help of Giles Martin, Paul and Ringo have finally seen this one over the finish line, the last new Beatles song.
It's a LOT to take in. From the song itself, to ithe controversial video, to the even more controversial single artwork, we wanted to discuss it all. So we decided to gather some Beatle pod friends to chat about after we had a couple of days to let it all sink in. We're joined by Allison of BC The Beatles, and Tommy, Becker, and RB of Blotto Beatlesto let our thoughts out and see just how we're all feeling about this momentous moment in Beatles history.
What do you think about Now and Then? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com for all things RTB, grab yourself a Rank Your Own Beatles poster (we'll be updating it soon to include "Now and Then"), or if you're really enjoying it, Buy Us A Coffee!
Mon, 06 Nov 2023 - 1h 30min - 116 - #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 a song like that would stay in the vaults, but by the time the wheels had fallen off, this bizarre track found a home as the B-side of "Let It Be," mainly due to John's prodding. If any song released during their time together could be considered obscure, it's probably this one.
However, while it's understandable that this song may not be people's cup of tea, I've always found this to be an absolutely captivating and fun song. It's the absurd humor and silliness we all love in A Hard Day's Night or Help or (more so) Magical Mystery Tour, but on record instead of film. This is probably one of the best looks at the entangled relationship of Lennon and McCartney, two people so connected into each other's brain and psyche and humor. It's their in-jokes, it's their connection as friends with their own private world, and it's right here on record. It's two friends on the microphone doing being the kids they've always been, and it's a blast. How you can you listen to this and NOT smile? And not to mention, it has maybe one of Paul's most ferocious vocals, and possibly Ringo's fattest groove and best sounding drums? Cmon! Who else could do this!?!?!
To discuss this bizarre tune, we're happy to welcome back our good buddy Sam Whiles. He's the host of "Paul or Nothing," the absolutely wonderful Paul McCartney podcast, which is the only place to get All Paul All The Time. He joins us to discuss the bizarre humore and charm of the Beatles, the weird chemistry of bandmates, early aughts internet, and why Jonathan chooses this hill to die on. Be sure to subscribe to Paul or Nothing wherever you get podcasts, and follow Sam on Twitter and Instagram to join the fun.
What do you think about "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)" at #104? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Wed, 01 Nov 2023 - 1h 23min - 115 - #105 - Across The Universe with Dan Wilson (guitarist)
Lots of songwriters point to the idea that the best songs are the ones that tend to find the you, letting the writer be the vessel or medium. Much like "Yesterday" did for Paul, "Across The Universe" seemed to come to John from within a dreamstate, appearing in his subconscious while lying in bed, almost pushing him to get up and go write down the words and find the melody that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. An absolutely gorgeous lyric no doubt influenced by the band's recent immersion into meditation and easter philosophy, the song marks John at perhaps his most cosmic and peaceful. The irony is that from a recording standpoint, John never could figure out what he wanted to do with the song. Unlike "Yesterday," where George Martin seemed to know exactly what the song needed, that directive and inspiration was no where to be found for "Across The Universe." Lennon lead the band through multiple arrangement ideas but never captured what he thought he was hearing in his head, or where he thought the song should go. Which is a shame because I think although it's a really beautiful track (I love all the versions out there) the track ultimately suffers from an almost un-easy performance from John. As released, it never feels totally settled and comfortable in it's own skin. It's almost like it's missing the confidence in the delivery because John never seems sure of where he should be going. But even still, it's a beautiful song, one of John's best written songs, I just think it's a B- minus track of an A+ song.
Joining us this week is jazz guitarist Dan Wilson! The Ohio-based virtuoso joins us to chat about making people move, jazz vs rock, coming into jazz from a church and funk background, and his newest album Things Eternal, which features a FANTASTIC version of "Eleanor Rigby." There's a taste here in the episode, but we highly recommend you check out the whole thing. Be sure to follow Dan on Facebook and at his website to hear more music and see when he's playing!
What do you think about "Across the Universe" at #105? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Wed, 25 Oct 2023 - 1h 23min - 114 - #106 - Baby, It's You with Chuck Gunderson, author "Some Fun Tonight"
It almost seems a shame that the Beatles only ever recorded one Burt Bacharach song. There are arguably no finer melodicists in modern popular music than Bacharach and Lennon/McCartney. But "Baby, It's You" is the only song from his catalogue they ever laid to tape. Recorded for their first album and a product of their well documented love of girl-group R&B, it's a chance for John to show his fantastic, soulful voice. His voice really carries the track with an impassioned delivery, bolstered by always great background vocals from Paul and George, solid foundation, and a charming celeste solo from George Martin. It's a wonderful example of John's potential for being a blue-eyed soul singer if things had been a little different.
Joining us this week is Chuck Gunderson, author of "Some Fun Tonight - The Backstage Story of How the Beatles Rocked America: The Historic Tours of 1964-1966." His books are the absolutely definitive look at the Beatles North American tours, the going-ons that made them happen, and the behind the curtain look at what went down. It's a stunning 2 volume set filled with hundreds of unreleased photos, we can't recommend it enough! We talk with Chuck about Beatles tributes, writing the book you want to read, the simplicity of early Beatles tours, girl groups, US albums and more! Get a signed copy of the books at somefuntonight.com, or grab a copy at Amazon or wherever you get books.
What do you think about "Baby It's You" at #106? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 19 Oct 2023 - 1h 03min - 113 - #107 - I Feel Fine with Laurence Juber (guitarist, composer, Wings)
At the end of what was probably the busiest year they'd ever have, the Beatles needed a single for the Christmas market in 1964. They needed to churn it out while also wrapping up work on their 4th album. John picked up a riff from a Bobby Parker song and wrote what he thought was "a lousy song" around it, but nevertheless, brought it to the band. Thankfully, his fellow Beatles all had deep bags of tricks to pull from. Ringo added a latin groove straight out of "Tequila," George added a Chet Atkins-infused solo, Paul keeps it tidy with a grooving bass part and great harmonies. And a little bit of musical voodoo gets sprinkled on top when the band stumbled upon the magic of feedback, which they then tack on to the beginning of the track. All of the sudden, this "lousy song" is their 6th consecutive #1 that year, stayed in their live set for the next 2 years, and goes on to be the 56th best selling single of all time in the UK. Not bad for a little song called "I Feel Fine."The Beatles magic of turning a song into something stronger than the sum of its' parts is on display here, as there's not too much weight to the song, but boy is it a cool song.
Speaking of cool, how cool is this? Joining us on the show this week is guitarist, composer, and former Wings member Laurence Juber! The London-born virtuoso joined us for a lovely chat back in June (which is why some of the upcoming things he mentions have already happened), in which we discuss his Teatime with LJ livestreams on Facebook, the upcoming Brady Bunch musical he's been working on, his journey with Wings, an absolutely lovely moment with George Harrison, and much, much more! Be sure to follow Laurence on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LaurenceJuberGuitar and you can check out all of his music and keep an eye on dates on his website at https://laurencejuber.com/.
What do you think about "I Feel Fine" at #107? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 10 Oct 2023 - 1h 18min - 112 - #108 - I've Got A Feeling with Julian Fulco Perron (singer, songwriter)
Though the Lennon/McCartney partnership really only existed in name by 1969, the two songwriters still knew who the best person was to help complete a half-written tune. As they'd done before on songs like "We Can Work It Out" and "A Day in the Life," each brought an unfinished piece they were able to stick together to make a whole with "I've Got A Feeling," combining Paul's verse idea and John's bridge. It's a song they worked on constantly during their January '69 sessions and was the source of some real touchy moments with George, but it never really took flight until Billy Preston showed up and sprinkled his magic keys on it. Billy's gospel-tinged electric piano provides the perfect call and response in the verse. Paul delivers a powerful top-of-the-range vocal that gets countered by John's more subdued bridge vocal. George's fluid leads throughout combine well with Billy's keys, and Ringo provides a super solid foundation, as always. But in the end, the song doesn't really SAY anything, it's more a performance track than an actual song. Though, I'd give my left toe to write a track like this and have it be someone's 108th favorite song of mine.
Joining us this week is Denver-based singer and songwriter Julian Fulco Perron. He's got a couple of incredibly catchy, vibey, funky singles out right now, reminiscent of "Arrow Through Me" era Wings and Bee Gees grooves. And he does it all himself! We talk about being a DIY artist, genre hopping, what would have happened if Billy had joined the band full time, and Julian's great story about attending a Paul show. Follow Julian at his website, Facebook, or Instagram and stream his music wherever you stream groovy tunes! The songs "About Love" and "Burnout, Baby" are featured in this episode.
What do you think about "I've Got A Feeling" at #108? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Be sure to check out www.rankingthebeatles.com and grab a Rank Your Own Beatles poster, a shirt, a jumper, whatever you like! And if you're digging what we do, don't forget to Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 03 Oct 2023 - 1h 01min - 111 - #109 I'll Cry Instead with Phoebe Lorde of Another Kind of Mind
In early 1964, John was certainly on a hot streak as a songwriter. He had the lion's share of material on the band's 3rd album, the soundtrack to their film "A Hard Day's Night." He wrote the title song essentially on command. He was the main or sole writer on the majority of the album, and had the most lead vocals. In the film, he's presented as the cocky, confident leader of the group, an image Lennon would be saddled with to present day. Yet that image isn't really the truth. In reality, he's actually filled with fear of abandonment, jealousy, self-image issues, and questions of self-worth, and all of these issues come to the forefront in the very self-aware "I'll Cry Instead." It's a propulsive, rhythmic tune, with a great Lennon vocal, and the height of economy in songwriting. In under 2 minutes, he exposes his jealousy and desire for revenge while also being too afraid to show the hurt he keeps inside. Pretty heady stuff for a pop song, which is probably why director Richard Lester chose to leave this one out of the film. We're thrilled to welcome back the always wonderful Phoebe Lorde, co-host of the brilliant podcast Another Kind of Mind. AKOM is one of the most fascinating Beatles podcasts around these days, challenging longheld tropes and narratives about the band with commentary, educated criticism, and original, thought-provoking analysis. Their work was recently featured in by the GRAMMY Foundation in an article about the history of LGBTQ+ people in the Beatles story. If you're not already listening to AKOM, check them out wherever you get podcasts, follow on Twitter or join the convo on Facebook! What do you think about "I'll Cry Instead" at 109? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram! Be sure to check out rankingthebeatles.com for all your RTB needs, and tell a friend to come join in the fun!
Tue, 26 Sep 2023 - 1h 19min - 110 - #110 I Need You with guest Kit O'Toole (host of Talk More Talk & Toppermost of the Poppermost)
George Harrison's journey as a songwriter began later than his other bandmates. After delivering his first self-penned track for the band's 2nd album, he had to rely on a Lennon/McCartney song for the 3rd, and a Carl Perkins cover on the 4th. But by the time of the Help! album, he had 2 on the table, and found his abilities starting to really grow. With "I Need You," he drops the dour, bitter persona he is sometimes known for to deliver an open, honest, vulnerable track that's economical in length, has some gorgeous key changes, and features the band starting to stretch in terms of trying new sounds in the studio. George plays rhythm guitar on a nylon string acoustic, Ringo plays percussion on the back of a guitar, John (?!?!) delivers the back beat on the snare drum, while Paul delivers a really interesting bass part that eschews the normal root note bass mentality. The band aren't afraid to venture into new territory, and George seems unafraid to show his actual vulnerability and own real life turmoil, which all coalesces into a track that's better than people remember.
This week, we're thrilled to welcome back the Queen of Beatles media, Kit O'Toole! Fresh from speaking on a whopping 7 panels at the Chicago Fest for Beatles Fans, we chat with Kit about her upcoming course on the British Invasion at Monmouth University (sign up here), the legacy of the Help! film and album, George's growth as a writer, memories of cds and cassettes, and so much more! Follow Kit on Facebook for more fun!
What do you think about "I Need You" at 110? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram! Be sure to check out rankingthebeatles.com for all your RTB needs, and tell a friend to come join in the fun!
Tue, 19 Sep 2023 - 1h 06min - 109 - #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 song that, honestly, I'm not sure why in the hell I have it ranked at #111. I must've been in a weird mood the day I did this ranking, or maybe I was halfway through a bottle wine (I did make this list during quarantine afterall), but this song is just beautiful. Between the melody and the 3 part harmony, I pick up real mid 60s Brian Wilson vibes here (not surf era, more the Summer Days.../Pet Sounds era), and it makes me think that while "Here, There, and Everywhere" has a really basic backing track, I wonder if it might have benefited from a more intricate style Brian Wilson production?
To chew on my latest ranking abomination, we're happy to welcome back Death Cab for Cutie guitarist Dave Depper! Since we last chatted with Dave, his band has released the fantastic album Asphalt Meadows, as well as an acoustic version of the album, and he's released a solo album which is an entire cover of the Air album Moon Safari. Busy fella!
Dave calls this song "the most beautiful song ever recorded by anyone," but in shocking news, Julia's not quite feeling it! We chat with Dave about creative spontaneity, remixes, Paul's stunning dexterity as a singer, God-level songwriting, and one of the best stories about meeting a Beach Boy (not that one, and probably not the other one you're thinking of either). Check out Dave on tour with Death Cab for Cutie and the Postal Service this fall (if you can snag a ticket), and head to davedepper.com or deathcabforcutie.com to pick up his tunes and DCFC's, or anywhere you choose to listen to/buy music.
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Follow along and let us know your thoughts on Facebook, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter (I'm never calling it X) @rankingbeatles. Be sure to visit rankingthebeatles.com for all your RTB needs, tshirts, posters, you name it!
Tue, 12 Sep 2023 - 1h 06min - 108 - #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, or I won't play at all, whatever it is that will please you, I'll do" moment in the Let it Be film. Despite it's peaceful, loving origins, it was a track that caused major head bumping. However, in it's final form, it's a breezy, easy, track, with effortless vocals from Paul & John, and just the right amount of everything from the band musically. I've got to say, I adore this song, and what I was thinking when I ranked this at #112, I have no idea. Honestly, maybe I was drunk. I don't know, I ranked these during lockdown so it's possible.
To rightfully question my sanity this week, we welcome Brian O'Connor and Simon Barber to the pod. Better known as the duo Sodajerker, Brian and Simon are a songwriting team who also host the absolutely brilliant podcast Sodajerker on Songwriting. For the last 10 years, they've been interviewing the cream of the crop of the world's biggest and most successful songwriters, legends such as Elvis Costello, Lindsey Buckingham, Nile Rogers, Diane Warren, Paul Simon, Noel Gallagher, and an up-and coming writer you may have heard about named Paul McCartney. They've amassed the largest archive of songwriter interviews in the world, and it's one of my absolute favorite listens, both as a musician, and as a music lover. Brian and Simon join us to talk about all manner of things, sculpting air, esoteric songwriters like Van Dyke Parks and Michael Nesmith, bad Scouse acting, how badly Jonathan blew it here, and their absolutely EPIC meeting with Sir Paul.
Check out Sodajerker at www.sodajerker.com, or on Apple podcasts or anywhere you get podcasts!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to visit rankingthebeatles.com! Wanna show your support? Buy us a coffee!
Tue, 20 Jun 2023 - 1h 39min - 107 - #113 - Piggies with guest Andre Bohren (musician, The Walrus, 1000s of others)
By the time of the White Album, George Harrison had mellowed considerably, thanks in part to his immersion in meditation. His newfound enlightenment replacing the dour, bitter side that came out in earlier songs like "Don't Bother Me," or "Taxman." So it's interesting that this chilled out version of George would decide to pickup the abandoned-in-1966 song "Piggies"to complete for the band's 1968 album. But indeed he does, and with a big assist from Abbey Road engineer Chris Thomas, turns in an Orwellian baroque classical-influenced social commentary track about class inequity. It's an outlier on a album with many outliers, but it's a really fun, light-hearted yet heavy-handed track that wouldn't work nearly as well without the harpsichord work of Thomas, who happened to be overseeing the session and had the gumption to suggest, and then perform that part that essentially drives the whole track. Whether it's essential is another argument for another podcast, but it wouldn't be the White Album without "Piggies."
Bringing a close to 3 Weeks of The Walrus is the caboose that makes our Beatley engine work, Andre Bohren. Andre is commonly known in musical circles as a drummer, mainly holding it down for Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes and being one of the busier drummers for hire in the area. He's the drummer in the Walrus, but he's also the keyboardist/pianist and he often plays drums and keys at the same time. You see, he's a classically trained pianist, who, when he's not playing drums, also does classical performances at clubs and festivals all over town. And since I know nothing about classical music, he's the guy for the job. We chat about some of the intricacies of classical music, the chronological proximity of the Beatles to classical composers (its about the same from then to now, terrifyingly enough), Chris Thomas, MVP, and the playful "screw you" that is "Piggies." Check out everything Andre, and get a copy of his fantastic classical piano record Resonance at https://www.andrebohren.com/.
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to visit rankingthebeatles.com! Wanna show your support? Buy us a coffee!
Tue, 13 Jun 2023 - 1h 24min - 106 - #114 - Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby with guest Felix Wohlleben (guitarist, The Walrus)
Though George was still a budding songwriter in 1964, deadlines and heavy workloads meant he didn't have anything ready for the band's 4th album. John and Paul didn't seem to have the time to write him something new either, so when the clock was ticking, the band reached back into their bag of beloved covers to find a spotlight for their lead guitarist. Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby, a song by one of their heroes Carl Perkins (or was it?) proved a formidable track to give George a chance to flex his well honed country guitar muscles, and give the band a fun rocking moment to end their most mellow record to date, Beatles For Sale. It may be a cover, but it's a great band performance. George is really confident in his singing and playing, and really seems to be going for it vocally. It's a really fun track on a more serious album, and though the track is a good time, live, it's an absolute stomper. At Shea Stadium, they sound like the world's best garage band. I maybe wonder if I associate that smoking like track more with the song and that may bump the ranking up a bit more in my subconscious, but maybe not. I just love this song.
We're in week two of the Three Weeks of Walrus here on Ranking the Beatles, and who better to talk George with than our own quiet one, Felix Wohlleben? Our lead guitarist joins us to talk about the origins of The Walrus and his own journey as a guitarist, the influence Jazz has on the Beatles (and their influence in Jazz), Carl Perkins: Song Thief, Beatles Vs. Stones, and more! Though we have no Walrus album for you to check out (I mean, the Beatles did it first), check out the record Felix just made with Jenn Howard! Get yours here!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to visit rankingthebeatles.com! Wanna show your support? Buy us a coffee!
Tue, 06 Jun 2023 - 1h 05min - 105 - #115 - It's Only Love with guest David Pomerleau (bassist, The Walrus, Johnny Sketch & The Dirty Notes)
When you're cranking out 2 albums a year, plus singles, plus a movie, plus BBC sessions, plus tv appearance, AND touring, it can be a little difficult to crank out nothing but brilliance. While most of us hardcore Beatle fans are not quick to deride many songs in their catalog, the Beatles themselves certainly could be, and both John and Paul minced no words in describing this Help! album track. "Abominable," "Abysmal," "Lousy," and "Not literature" are just a few of the descriptors they gave to this song. That said though, I tend to think it's actually got some real merit, despite the slight lyrics and weak rhymes. Melodically, it's actually quite lovely, and John's vocal is beautifully understated throughout, with just enough ache in the chorus to sell it, followed by a wonderful falsetto Roy Orbison-esque sendoff. It's always been a bit of a sleeper for me, as a great melody can cover up all manner of sins.
For the next three episodes, we'll be welcoming on my bandmates from The Walrus - A New Orleans Beatles Tribute to chat songs and Fabs. After playing more shows than our band ever has in the last couple of years, I thought it'd be interesting to see how our immersion into the catalog has influenced the work we do outside of it. And I just like hanging with these folks.
Joining us this week (for the 3rd time!) is David Pomerleau, bassist and singer in The Walrus (as well as New Orleans institution Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes, and the country trio Desert Nudes). We chat with Dave about his songwriting process, being allowed to hate your own work, chaos brains, Phish and Rush, embarrassment and so much more!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to visit rankingthebeatles.com! Wanna show your support? Buy us a coffee!
Thu, 01 Jun 2023 - 1h 02min - 104 - #116 - Lovely Rita with guest Matt Hobbs (songwriter, creator of "Puppy Songs")
It takes a certain higher level of creativity to write a song based around the more mundane and every-day-type affairs. Obviously, that's something Paul McCartney has in spades, as he was able to turn an encounter with a meter maid into the Sgt. Pepper track "Lovely Rita." A bouncing song held down with a really funky groove from Ringo, a ridiculously cool bass part from Paul, all manners of vocal effects and sounds, it's the kind of track that they Beatles could've only put out on the Sgt. Pepper album. There's a humor to the whole process that belies the fact that it's author is one of the smoothest bachelors in the world, but ultimately strikes out in his attempt to woo said meter maid. Who would write a song about this? Paul McCartney, of course.
Joining us for our 100TH EPISODE (!!!) is Atlanta-based-by-way-of-New-Orleans songwriter Matt Hobbs. Matt's the brains behind Puppy Songs, the creator of viral songs inspired by his dogs (and listeners dogs), a master at taking the mundane, every-day-type affairs, like the goofy things we sing to our pets, and turning them into insanely catchy songs. His recent song "Cheese Tax" landed him, as well as his pups Leni and Mar Pup on NPR, The Today Show, and a list of other sites, podcasts, and interviews, including a sponsorship with Kraft Sings, who made their own Cheese Tax pack. Puppy Songs has been a constant source of smiles in our house, and we think you should give a follow on Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, or check it out on Spotify, even if you don't have pups of your own. Also, check out Matt's new-non-puppy single, "How Amazing,"which is out now! We chat with Matt about finding ways to stand out, sharing your authentic self, White Album summers, the REAL Rita, and living (musically) by the idea of WWPD? What would Paul Do?
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to visit rankingthebeatles.com! Wanna show your support? Buy us a coffee!
Tue, 23 May 2023 - 1h 14min - 103 - #117 - You Really Got A Hold On Me with guest Robert Dean (author)
The Beatles's love of Motown is no secret. They were HUGE fans. So it's no shock that their second album featured 3 different songs from the Motown catalog. In fact, the first song cut especially for the album was their powerful cover of Smokey Robinson's "You Really Got A Hold On Me." Now, even though a business deal between Brian Epstein and Motown head Barry Gordy assured its' placement on the record, the band hold nothing back in delivering their heartfelt performance. Buoyed with a great harmony vocal from George, John delivers an absolutely scorching lead vocal, progressing from fragile and intimate to pleading to devastatingly heart wrenching. There's nothing extraordinary needed from Paul and Ringo, and like any rhythm section worth their salt, they hold down the track and let the song do the talking. It's one of my favorite of their early covers, and one I wish we had more live versions of, one can only imagine how this was in person in the Cavern. Joining us this week is author and self-described enlightened dumbass Robert Dean. His work's been featured in outlets like Mic, Eater, Fatherly, Austin-American Statesman, Consequence of Sound, USA Today, and he's appeared on your TV and radio through places like CNN and NPR. Though based in Austin now, we've known him since his days and night in New Orleans, much of which time informs the essays in his brilliant new book Existential Thirst Trap. We chat about writing with authenticity, the punk rock ethos, slouching towards irrelevance, his least favorite Christmas song, and much more! Pick up a copy of Existential Thirst Trap, and follow him on Instagram at @literallyrobertdean. What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to visit rankingthebeatles.com! Wanna show your support? Buy us a coffee!
Tue, 09 May 2023 - 1h 11min - 102 - #118 - She Said She Said with guest Jon Auer (The Posies, Big Star)
If Revolver is the record where The Beatles remove any illusion to their drug use, "She Said She Said" may be one of the cornerstones of that moment. A song with origins from an evening of tripping on LSD in Los Angeles, it's a song that straddles a number of different lines. It rocks, but it's not rocking. It's psychedelic but not trippy. It's autobiographical but filled with illusion. It's probably my favorite guitar tone of all time. It's also a song that's a bit mysterious. Whoever "She" is, what she's saying is confusion. What's it like to be dead? How does she know? Who the hell is playing the bass? Regardless of the answers to these questions, it's just a killer track, and one that really sums up the Revolver ethos, in my humble opinion. Joining us this week is songwriter, singer, guitarist and producer Jon Auer. Jon first made his name in the 90s as a founding member of now-defunct power-pop heroes The Posies, whose albums Dear 23 and Frosting on the Beater landed them all over MTV and alternative radio in the 90s, as well as landing a track on Ringo's Time Takes Time album ("Golden Blunders," originally from Dear 23). He also spent 17 years as member of the reunited legendary Big Star. With surviving founding member Jody Stephens, Jon recently joined Wilco's Pat Sansone, R.E.M.'s Mike Mills, and Chris Stamey of the dBs for a tour celebrating the 50th anniversary of Big Star's debut release, #1 Album. Jon joins us to talk a number of things, including this LSD-soaked Revolver track, who played bass on it, his Ringo & Peter Asher connection, the recent Big Star tour, and more! What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to visit rankingthebeatles.com! Wanna show your support? Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 02 May 2023 - 1h 32min - 101 - #119 - I Call Your Name with guest Jude Kessler (author, "The John Lennon Series")
What was originally a song given away to fellow Liverpudlian singer Billy J. Kramer, "I Call Your Name" is claimed to be one of John's earliest song attempts, pre-dating the Beatles when he was first learning to play guitar. The song was spruced up with Paul for Kramer, but then reclaimed by the Beatles in early 1964 in consideration for songs for A Hard Day's Night. That plan fell by the wayside, but the track found its' home on the Long Tall Sally EP and The Beatles Second Album in the US, though managed to stay somewhat of an obscurity, as far as Beatles songs go at least. However, that doesn't prevent it from being an ripping, if not adventurous slice of music from the boys. For such an early song, it goes to some interesting places melodically, showing John possessed his knack for songwriting at an early age. It features some fantastic 12 string work George, though he's still getting comfortable with the instrument. It's a song about being absolutely devastated by loss, to a point of not even being able to cry, and if the timing is correct as John claims, it seems like it may be about something really, really hurtful from his past. It's all held together by a phenomenal vocal performance from John, hitting the peak his of his early phase vocals. Then of course, there's that rhythm change in the solo, an imaginative, experimental move the band had never tried, completely out of left field. It's a fantastic song and recording, as evidenced by the fact that it was covered contemporaneously by acts like The Mamas & The Papas and The Buckinghams, among others.
When we need to get deep on John, few are better to speak on it than Jude Kessler, author of the on-going 9 volume "The John Lennon Series." She's been researching Lennon's life since the 80s, and her books are becoming known to be the benchmark for deep diving on John and his history and what makes him tick. Plus we just like talking to her because she's incredibly nice! She's released 5 of the 9 volumes so far, and the audiobook for the 3rd volume, "She Loves You," is out now! Check it all out and get a copy at thejohnlennonseries.com! We chat with Jude about the Fest for Beatles Fans, John's family life, Beatle b-sides and so much more!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebook,Instagram @rankingthebeatles, orTwitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to visitrankingthebeatles.com! Wanna show your support? Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 25 Apr 2023 - 1h 28min - 100 - #120 - All Together Now with guest Madeline Bocaro (author, "In Your Mind - The Infinite Universe of Yoko Ono")
After almost a half a year of intense work on the Sgt. Pepper album, it's hardly surprising that, though there was plenty of work to be done for future endeavors, the Beatles were looking to blow off some steam and take things a little bit lighter. "All Together Now," a song that even by Paul's own admission is pretty slight in the grand scheme of things, certainly fits that bill. It eventually found its' home in the Yellow Submarine film and accompanying soundtrack. In the film, it's the finale, when we finally get a glimpse of the real life Fabs, looking different than their cartoon counterpoints, not quite Beatlemania, but not quite the longhair, bearded phase they'd be into after the film. It's a weird, inbetween phase, highlighted by John's brilliant mutton chops. But musically, it's just a blast of simple, pure joy...nothing more, nothing less. Driving acoustic guitars, hand claps, harmonicas, honking horns, and a call and response vocal of what's essentially nonsensical children's song lyrics are all the ingredients of what's basically musical ice cream...no real nutritional value, but boy is it delicious. This is a song that always puts a smile on my face and makes me move, regardless of the mood I'm in. The Beatles can be all things to all people, and one of the things I genuinely appreciate about them is the fun they can bring, and this is one of my favorite examples of that. I think I may be in the minority on here, but it's my list, so hate on, haters!! :)
Joining us this week is author Madeline Bocaro, author of "In Your Mind - The Infinite Universe of Yoko Ono." Having been a fan of Yoko from before she was with John, Madeline's been working towards this book for years. She tracks Yoko's life and journey through her artwork and music, delivering a fantastic book that is best described (at least in our conversation) as hitting the imaginary nail on the imaginary head. You can get a copy at conceptualbooks.com or any of your usual bookstores, and follow her blog at https://madelinex.com/.
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebook,Instagram @rankingthebeatles, orTwitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to visitrankingthebeatles.com! Wanna show your support? Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 04 Apr 2023 - 50min - 99 - #121 I'll Follow The Sun with guest Julie Elody
In 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. What was originally a bit of a jauntier song was transformed into an introspective, folksy ballad, given some lyrical tweaks and a fresh arrangement, and turned into a really beautiful moment on an album that often gets overlooked. It provides somewhat of a throughline for Paul's love of ballads and more tender material, a throughline that starts with their first album and continues all the way through to today. And for a song that he wrote when he was 16...it's pretty darn beautiful. If it loses any points, it's not its' own fault, its just part of such a storied song catalog of songs written by a more learned songwriter. But what a melody. Don't sleep on this one.
Joining us this week is New Orleans-based alt-pop musician and songwriter Julie Elody! After finding some initial success with her college band, she's now working solo, collaborating with producers and artists from around the world. She's recently released a couple of new singles, the gorgeous "Hate Myself," and most recently, "Get Fit," a banger about working out so that we can eat all the chips and good food we actually want to eat. We talk with Julie about how the Beatles impact her coming from a pop perspective, not growing up with a ton of Beatles, ungooglable band names, the damage of pep band arrangements of Beatles songs, and more! Check out her music at www.julieelody.com, and follow her on Instagram @julieelody. You can also catch Jonathan's recent appearance on her Tub Talk Tuesday here!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebook,Instagram @rankingthebeatles, orTwitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to visitrankingthebeatles.com! Wanna show your support? Buy Us A Coffee!
Thu, 30 Mar 2023 - 1h 08min - 98 - #122 - Please Mr. Postman with guests Blotto Beatles
The Beatles' love of r&b, Motown, and especially Smokey Robinson are no secret. They were such fans, their 2nd album, 1963's With The Beatles featured 3 motown covers, including "Please Mr. Postman," originally by the Marvellettes, and the first chart topping single for the Motown label. While it wasn't as big a hit in the UK, it was a hit with the Beatles, who added it to their set as early as December 1961. By the time they were working on their second album, they had turned it into a scorching, passionate tune, with one of John's finest early vocals, great backing vocals from Paul and George, and as always, rock solid support from Ringo. Their love of the material shines through, making for one of my favorite Beatles cover songs of the early era. It's just got...that thing.
We're excited to team up with our OG podpals for this episode! Those boys from Beantown are back, Becker, Tommy, Scotty C., and RB, the crew behind Blotto Beatles, the best ranking-while-drinking-Beatles podcast around! We love hanging and chatting with this crew, it's always a blast. We finally meet RB, the newest Blotto, and talk about his Beatle journey, Motown songs, Beatle covers good and bad, Blotto episode titles, and so much more! Be sure to listen to Blotto Beatles anywhere you get podcasts, on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and at blottobeatles.com for all things Blotto (incl. great merch!)
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebook,Instagram @rankingthebeatles, orTwitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to visitrankingthebeatles.com! Wanna show your support? Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 21 Mar 2023 - 1h 20min - 97 - #123 - She's Leaving Home with guest Olivia Nilsson (Harry Nilsson's daughter)
Lennon and McCartney were masters at finding inspiration all around them, not just from their own personal lives. On the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, John was inspired by a poster in his house and wrote "Being For The Benefit of Mr. Kite." Paul found inspiration in reading a news story about a young teenage runaway, and turned that into the harp and string-laden drama ballad "She's Leaving Home." Another of those great Macca Mind Movies where the story is so vivid you not only can see it in your mind's eye, but you sympathize with the characters in the song. It's a song that often gets overlooked, as it's surrounded by so many big hitters on the album, but it's an absolutely gorgeous tune.
Joining us this week is Olivia Nilsson, daughter of the late, great Harry Nilsson, who was so taken by "She's Leaving Home," he recorded his own version of it just days after the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. With a gorgeous horn arrangement and spotlighting Harry's brilliant vocal range, his version has always been one of our favorites in his catalog. Olivia runs the fantastic Nilsson social media accounts, where she shares stories of her dad, histories of songs, and behind the scenes tales all with a much more personal touch than one would normally find from an artist, especially a legacy artist. She's instrumental in the ongoing resurgence in the interest in Harry's music, and a fantastic guard of his legacy. We talk building her dad's legacy, his Forrest Gump-ian career, mutual inspiration between Harry and the Beatles, his cover of She's Leaving Home, and much more! Be sure to follow on Instagram at @officialnilsson, TikTok at @theofficialnilsson, or on Twitter at @officialnilsson to see what she's sharing!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebook,Instagram@rankingthebeatles, orTwitter@rankingbeatles! Be sure to visitrankingthebeatles.com! Wanna show your support? Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 14 Mar 2023 - 1h 02min - 96 - #124 - I Wanna Be Your Man with guest Narada Wise (drummer, Sean Johnson & The Wild Lotus Band)
From the moment he joined the band, Ringo's popularity meant he'd have a song or two to sing each night. This was a practice for The Beatles even when Pete Best was in the band, but once things really took off, and Lennon and McCartney were becoming more solidified songwriters, they knew it'd be good to have an original for Ringo to sing. "I Wanna Be Your Man" was written while the band was working on their second album, and according to some tellings, was written on the spot for a young, upstart band called The Rolling Stones, who were looking for a song that might be a hit. Whether it was written specifically for the Stones or for Ringo, it turned into Ringo's vocal turn on the With The Beatles album, and also provided the Stones with their first chart hit. It's a simple but effective rocker, a glimpse to what the band might've sounded like bashing it out in the Cavern, and it stuck in the band's live set all the way through the end of their touring days in 1966. It swings, it's fun, it's got a really cool turn around, and Ringo really goes for it vocally, which isn't what he usually does.
Joining us this week is Narada Wise, an Ohio-based drummer who plays with New Orleans-based kirtan band Sean Johnson & The Wild Lotus Band. We talk about just what kirtan music is, how Ringo influences Narada's playing even in a genre that's very different from the Beatles, the brilliance of Ringo, rock & roll lazers, and much more! Follow Narada and the band at www.seanjohnsonandthewildlotusband.com, check out their music, and see when they're coming to your town!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebook,Instagram@rankingthebeatles, orTwitter@rankingbeatles! Be sure to visitrankingthebeatles.com! Wanna show your support? Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 07 Mar 2023 - 57min - 95 - #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 sound like anything else on Sgt. Pepper, it's not overtly psychedelic, and personally, it's a bit of a sleeper for me. A sleeper in that I seem to forget about it but when it pops up I remember how lovely it is. There's some interesting questions about it too...did Mal Evans get a co-write on it? Did John really play bass? How did George get that rad guitar tone??
Joining us this week is the wonderful Sonia Tetlow, an Atlanta, GA-based singer/songwriter by way of New Orleans. She's got a fantastic new solo album out, "Better Days," which Jonathan played guitar on, and features previous RTB guests Andre Bohren and Paul Sanchez. We talk about what it takes to make a really great record, a mysterious Beatles song Sonia doesn't like, and much much more! Follow Sonia on Facebook, and you can stream "Better Days" anywhere you stream quality music, or download it or buy it on CD through her Bandcamp!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebook,Instagram@rankingthebeatles, orTwitter@rankingbeatles! Be sure to visitrankingthebeatles.com! Wanna show your support? Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 28 Feb 2023 - 1h 00min - 94 - #126 - Mother Nature's Son with guest Susan Shumsky (author "The Inner Light: How India Influenced the Beatles")
Originally sketched out in a notebook of song ideas started in Rishikesh, Paul's "Mother Nature's Son" is part of a trifecta of White Album songs where he emerges as fully formed solo artist, the only Beatle on the track. It's a beautiful acoustic-based song about the solitude and peace one finds in nature. Featuring a nice bit of Nilsson-influenced brass, it provides fantastic imagery and scenery, another of those great Beatle mind movies. And to my ears, it's also a LOT more autobiographical than it gets credit for. Paul had been somewhat isolated from the other 3 Beatles for a few years, socially, living in the city area of London, while the other three relocated to the stockbroker belt. The others took to LSD long before he did. He left India before John and George. In a lot of ways, he kind of HAD to become a self-contained solo artist to get out all the creativity he had inside him because he didn't have his partners around him as much. Maybe this poor young country boy is more telling of a track than we realize? Regardless, it's certainly one of his more beautiful acoustic tracks that he can just churn out so easily. This one feels so effortless and delicate and unguarded, in a way a lot of these songs don't for him.
Joining us this week for our 90th episode, and our season finale, is Dr. Susan Shumsky. Her new book is called The Inner Light: How India Influenced the Beatles. It's a topic she knows a thing or two about, as she spent several decades under the mentorship of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and has spent years teaching thousands of people meditation. We chat with Dr. Susan about her own experiences with Maharishi, his thoughts on the White Album, Paul being more of an open book than we realize, and much much more! Grab a copy of her fantastic book (we read it on vacation shortly after taping, it's great) at your local bookstore or online at drsusan.org.
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebook,Instagram@rankingthebeatles, orTwitter@rankingbeatles! Be sure to visitrankingthebeatles.com! Wanna show your support? Buy Us A Coffee!
Wed, 28 Dec 2022 - 1h 02min - 93 - #127 - Not Guilty with guest Sam Whiles (host of "Paul or Nothing")
"We made a mistake," said John. "We thought there was more to him than there was, you know?" said Paul. After their stay in Rishikesh ended, the Beatles' overall disillusionment with the Maharishi lead to John and Paul publicly distancing themselves from the Eastern philosophy and path to enlightenment that George had lead them all to pursue. And while the unit a whole distanced themselves, marking the end of that phase for the group, George continued his practice and involvement for the rest of life. He felt the group viewed him at fault for they saw as public embarrassment, but in his mind, they were free to make any choices they wanted, and to follow any path they chose. It wasn't his fault. And thus was born "Not Guilty," a song recorded during the summer of '68 for the White Album.
The band spent more time on "Not Guilty" than any other song in their recorded catalog, and after all that work, it was left in the archives until the Anthology project in the 1990s. George re-recorded it in the late 70s for his self-titled solo album, albeit in a much mellower version. The Beatles version though seethes in a moody, angry way. George's fully self-referential lyrical style is on display, singing a song about something obviously very personal, maybe almost too much so though. It's a much darker, heavier song than The Beatles typically are known for, with some interesting instrumental and arrangement choices, leading them to spend over 100 takes trying to get the track right. But everyone comes to play here. John's harpsichord track moves things into a kind of demented carnival territory, with George adding a sublime, almost detached lead vocal, and a stabbing electric guitar part. Ringo gives a dynamic, grooving part, while Paul provides one of the coolest bass parts he ever laid down. Maybe John and Paul weren't comfortable with letting George be the one to air the dirty laundry at this point, but to me, leaving this song off the White Album was a rare mistake in their catalogue. It makes the album a bit more of a rocking album, and shows another side of the band musically.
We're always pleased to catch up with this week's guest, our old pal Sam Whiles. Sam hosts the brilliant podcast "Paul Or Nothing," the place to get all Paul, all the time. We chat about George's knack for pointing the finger at others, whether this should've been on the White album, George solo albums, and we talk a good bit of smack about other Beatle podcasts (all joking of course!). Check out Paul or Nothing anywhere you get your podcasts!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebook,Instagram@rankingthebeatles, orTwitter@rankingbeatles! Be sure to visitrankingthebeatles.com! Wanna show your support? Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 20 Dec 2022 - 1h 35min - 92 - #128 - Baby You're A Rich Man with guest James C., host of The Oasis Podcast
They say there's no rest for the wicked, but throughout the 60s, there was often no rest for the Beatles. As soon as work was done on the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album, they began working on more songs with an eye towards the recently-contracted-Yellow Submarine film. Inspired by an acid-fuled evening spent at the 14 Hour Technicolor Dream and his immersion into the hippy scene of '67, John began working on a song called "One of the Beautiful People." At some point, he paired with a song fragment Paul had, possibly inspired by their want for manager Brian Epstein to start enjoying himself and some of the money they'd all made, and "Baby, You're A Rich Man" was born. One of the coolest grooves the Beatles (especially Ringo) ever laid to tape, the tune bounces from detached, light-hearted falsetto to a boisterous, joyous chant of the chorus, all held together with a musical equivalent of a mosquito in flight, John's performance on the clavoiline (possibly played with an orange?), an instrument that was lying around Olympic Sound Studios, the studio the band was recording in on that evening. It's an absolute jam of a track, and incredibly fun, but the track maybe hiding that fact that the song itself is maybe lacking a bit in substance.
Joining us this week is our old pal James C., host of The Oasis Podcast. He recently undertook the ill-advised task of ranking the entire catalogue of Oasis, as well as the Gallagher bros post-Oasis work. We wanted to compare notes on how we each went about our rankings, and what we took from it. Of course, I'm always up to talk about Oasis, as they're one of my other favorite bands. We touch on all kinds of things like musical and emotional growth (or lack thereof), memories triggered by music, and the difference between American and British podcast guests. Check out his brilliant Oasis Podcast anywhere you listen to podcasts about Oasis!
Trigger Warning: in regards to a long-held rumor about a lyrical variation on this song supposedly sung by John about Brian Epstein, we do discuss the cultural differences between the F-word, and the word is mentioned in that conversation, but purely in a contextual sense. If you'd rather skip this discussion, it starts at an hour and 3 minutes in, and lasts for about 6 minutes, feel free to skip ahead, and know that in no way do we condone or support hate speech or language of that type.
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebook,Instagram@rankingthebeatles, orTwitter@rankingbeatles! Be sure to visitrankingthebeatles.com! Wanna show your support? Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 06 Dec 2022 - 1h 41min - 91 - #129 - Things We Said Today with guest Laurie Jacobson (author, "Top of the Mountain: The Beatles at Shea Stadium 1965")
Paul McCartney seems to always have a fondness for looking through time. He looks to older age in songs like "When I'm 64,"too his own passing in "The End of The End" from Memory Almost Full. He presents quasi case studies in the music of yesteryear with songs like "Honey Pie" or "Your Gave Me The Answer." With "Things We Said Today," he's looking to the future to look at the present, thinking that one day, what he's experiencing NOW will be but a memory. Or something like that. That's how he explains it at least, and who am I to argue?
Presented on the back half of A Hard Day's Night, "Things We Said Today" is a somber look at a relationship he already seems to know may not last. Its driven by an energetic acoustic guitar and a fantastic McCartney melody with some nice chord movements. Additionally, being an acoustic based, up-tempo, minor key song, it stands out on an album that's pretty filled up with John-dominated rockers as a song with a bit of sophistication. And while it's definitely a really good song, I don't necessarily think it's a great one. It seems to serve as a blue print for things Paul would go on to do better in the coming years, and as such, I don't find myself thinking of it all that often. When I do though, I definitely enjoy it, it just feels like....it's a bit lighter than I remember it?
Joining us this week is author and Hollywood Historian Laurie Jacobson. Her newest book, Top of the Mountain: The Beatles at Shea Stadium 1965 is a fantastic recounting of the entire journey of the concert event that changed live music, as told from interviews with people who helped put the show on, performers on the bill, and people in the audience, many of whom are now well known figures. We can't recommend it enough, it's a great read! We talk about Shea, seeing the Beatles live, nightly Beatle rituals, and also, I had a cold when we recorded this, so apologies if my voice is a bit scratchy at times. The show must go on as they say. Grab a copy of Laurie's book at lauriejacobson.com or anywhere you get good books!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebook,Instagram@rankingthebeatles, orTwitter@rankingbeatles! Be sure to visitrankingthebeatles.com! Wanna show your support? Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 29 Nov 2022 - 1h 02min - 90 - #130 - Revolution 9 with guest James Campion (author, TAKE A SAD SONG… The Emotional Currency of “Hey Jude”)
Hindsight being what it is, one can only imagine the reaction listeners had when they first reached the back half of side 4 of the White Albumin November 68, and the sounds of"Revolution 9"came out of their stereos for the first time. While adjectives such as "bewilderment" or "confusion" probably are safe bets, The Beatles had been sowing seeds of avant-garde & outside influence in their music since they introduced the sitar on Norwegian Wood in 1965, moving to tape loops and backwards tracks and exploratory (if not self-indulgent) recording techniques on Revolver, Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery tour, and they'd been nothing if not progressive since day 1. All of them had experimented in making their own home-studio recordings of weirdness, and while they hadn't completely committed to putting out something like this in a traditional commercial sense, once John had Yoko's encouragement to stretch out to new artistic horizons, all bets were off. He was staying true to his art and following his muse, and Beatle fans were invited to come along for the ride.
Our first taste of this is "Revolution 9," an 8 minute plus journey through playful and terrifying soundscapes, spoken word, and tape loops, with roots from the original extended take of "Revolution 1." The final product is a auditory journey through John's idea of the sonics of actual revolution: chaos, explosions, backwards sounds, eerie melodies, screaming, stereo spectrum panning creating a dizzying effect. Over 40 loops pass through the tape heads at EMI's Abbey Road studios, each faded in and out of the track in real time by John, with help from Yoko and George. It's truly a one-of-a-kind performance, using the studio as an instrument, both musical and one of chaos. And while it may have caused many listeners to ask "why?," if you look beyond the obvious, there's more important questions to ask, and more joy to be discovered. Why would an artist who's work I so admire put out something I don't get? Why don't I get it? What are my expectations, and are they fair to the artist? The more time you spend with a track like this, the more you can start to see those things and begin to appreciate the track. I, for one, appreciate that this is maybe the only song that you can never hear the same way twice. It's like a choose-your-own-adventure book, but in a song. I also like that it's essentially a non-visual soundtrack. You can listen to it and picture every element of it in your head, all are total mysteries until you imagine what's passing through your eardrums. And to add to it all, they've dropped this slice of musique concrete on a pop album that ended up in like, 30 million homes. Arguably one of the boldest and bravest artistic moves ever. The Beatles could be absolutely fearless, and what sums that up more than this?
Coming back to chat with us this week is James Campion, author of the book Take A Sad Song: The Emotional Currency of Hey Jude. We had such a good time talking "Revolution 1," we had to have him back for #9! We dive deep into topics like what constitutes art, being true to yourself, Stockhausen, and more. This is one of our favorite chats yet! Grab a copy of "Take A Sad Song" anywhere you get books, or order one through jamescampion.com and he'll even sign it for you!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Or just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to visit rankingthebeatles.com! Wanna show your support? Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 22 Nov 2022 - 1h 38min - 89 - #131 - I Me Mine with guest Micah McKee (singer, songwriter)
It only took a few days of the Get Back project for George to lose any real optimism he may have entered it with. Malaise, indecision, and ego had been building for a while, and as they took root in the project, George took to pen to put down his feelings towards his song-writing bandmates’ (and humanity in general’s) egos and selfishness, the minor key “I Me Mine.”
In the end, the track only features the lineup that would go on in the 90s to be coined The Threetles, as John was on holiday and already had announced his intention for a divorce, but George, Paul and Ringo turn in a pretty great performance. While it could’ve been approached as little more than a loose end to tie up, they bring their A-game, from George’s lead guitar which moves from elegant acoustic to aggressive electric and his fantastic lead vocal performance, to Paul’s smart addition of the rock bridge, all held together by a really artful drum track from Ringo. It’s one that really hits the mark. Even Phil Spector doesn’t overstep the line here, making the right call in extending the arrangement, and not overdoing it with the orchestra and choir.
Returning this week is our palMicah McKee, singer/songwriter, and brains behind The Lonesome Wilde. Micah’s one of New Orleans’ more prolific songwriters, and his band’s new single “I’m Your Piano” is out now. He’s also the host of American 100, a podcast looking at the history of the Billboard top 100 charts. We touch on a number of points, from what made George his Beatle, the sadness of 69/70, our shared love of the New Orleans Pelicans, and whether or not I Me Mine was a warning to others about the failure of flower power the Summer of Love.
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's official website, www.rankingthebeatles.com and our brand new webstore!! RANK YOUR OWN BEATLES with our new RTB poster! Pick up a tshirt, coffee cup, tote bag, and more! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support? Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 15 Nov 2022 - 56min - 88 - #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 a medley of "Kansas City" and a song of his own. In 1959, at one point there were 5 different covers of "Kansas City" on the Billboard charts. The fabs manage to turn in one of the more energetic moments on Beatles For Sale here. Paul's Little Richard vocal tribute is always on point, Ringo gives a swinging backbeat. The gang vocals are 100% pure energy and fun, you can't not want to singalong. To me, this is a real highlight and a killer cover from the band. That said, I have a real sweet spot for Beatle covers. This isn't their best Little Richard cover though, and we won't get to that one for quite a while. Joining us this week is yet another member of the 5 timers club, our buddy and bandmate Kyle Melancon. Recorded on Toss Day 2022 (thanks, Ringo) we cast a wide net on Beatlechat, ranging from poorly-made Beatle albums, what makes their covers successful or unsuccessful), the long strange version of "Kansas City," that ol' N'awlins classic Jazzbolaya, and we introduce a new element to our show! What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's official website, www.rankingthebeatles.com and our brand new webstore!! RANK YOUR OWN BEATLES with our new RTB poster! Pick up a tshirt, coffee cup, tote bag, and more! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support? Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 08 Nov 2022 - 1h 06min - 87 - #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 Knows," and then moved from the paisley, trippy world to the sunshine and R&B bombast of Paul's "Got To Get You Into My Life." He must've known it was full of potential, as he lead the band through 2 different arrangements of it, then sat on it for several weeks before landing on the song's iconic horn arrangement. As we learn recently though, that melody was around as part of a full band, guitar melody. Yet one of Paul's strengths has always been pulling the most out of a song's potential, and he does it swimmingly here. It's a bright, confident blast of Stax/Motown-influenced R&B, yet feels distinctly like something that would come out of swinging London in the summer of '66. One of my only wishes was that the final version had more of the full band energy in it. And wouldn't you know it, as soon as I say that in a podcast episode, days later, a version with the full band gets released!
ALSO: At #133, yeah, I totally blew it. I don't know what I was thinking when I ranked this song #133. Mea culpa. I humbly offer my apologies on this gross misstep.We're happy to welcome this week's guest, singer/songwriter/musician Sean Nelson back to the podcast! As the first member of our illustrious 5-timers club, Sean (formerly of Harvey Danger) joins us to discuss the thrill of hearing new Beatles songs, why buying physical albums seems to be part of the Beatles experience, Paul's ode to chocolate, getting to be an honorary Rutle, and he and Julia share their best curly hair tips. If you're in the New York area, catch Sean live at City Winery Nov 6th! Tickets available here! Sean's latest single, Viral Love, can be heard here, or anywhere you stream music.
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's official website,www.rankingthebeatles.comand our brand new webstore!!RANK YOUR OWN BEATLES with our new RTB poster! Pick up a tshirt, coffee cup, tote bag, and more! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 25 Oct 2022 - 1h 52min - 86 - #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. His want for this to be the band's next single lead to the creation of a faster, uptempo, unnumbered version that would be released as the b-side to "Hey Jude." Elements of the over 10 minute jam that became "Revolution 1"would get repurposed for John and Yoko's avant garde tour de force, "Revolution 9."
"Revolution 1," however, was John's original statement, his artistic intent. He wanted the song slow so the lyrics were upfront and easy to understand, but to me the song's opioid-induced tempo kind of undercuts the message. The track itself is really interesting. It's a crisp, acoustic rhythm guitar provided by George, grounding the back-to-basics idea, but that idea gets undercut by lead guitar and loops and sounds that run in and out of the track. It's just as much a studio concoction as it is a band performance. John isn't sure if he can be counted in or out, and neither is the band just yet, as to whether they want to return to their roots.
Joining us this week is James Campion, author of the book Take A Sad Song: The Emotional Currency of Hey Jude. We look at the times and history surrounding the writing and recording of "Hey Jude" and the "Revolution" trio, and the parts they play in their creations. We also talk about the multiple layers of the band, their first entry into the realm of political sons, the quintessential mansplain, and more! Grab a copy of "Take A Sad Song" anywhere you get books, or order one through jamescampion.com and he'll even sign it for you!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's official website,www.rankingthebeatles.comand our brand new webstore!!RANK YOUR OWN BEATLES with our new RTB poster! Pick up a tshirt, coffee cup, tote bag, and more! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 18 Oct 2022 - 1h 12min - 85 - #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 mistakes just like all of us. Though it maybe doesn't add much to the "concept" theme of Pepper, it's certainly a great and catchy song, and a band moment on a record where those full band moments start to become less frequent.
We're thrilled to have our friend Debbie Davis back this week! One of the most revered singers in New Orleans, and now part of a touring bluegrass 80s cover band (how wild is that?), Debbie's knowledge of music and what makes things tick is always a pleasure to get to enjoy. We discuss all matter of issues, from traumatizing kid movies, the worst places to accidentally dose yourself, Jerry Garcia neckties, the lads' self-awareness, and Julia FINALLY gets with the porridge train! Be sure to follow Debbie's new band, Frankie Goes to Dollywood to see when they're headed your way!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's official website,www.rankingthebeatles.comand our brand new webstore!!RANK YOUR OWN BEATLES with our new RTB poster! Pick up a tshirt, coffee cup, tote bag, and more! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 11 Oct 2022 - 1h 14min - 84 - #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 melody, impeccable playing, brilliant vocals...and honestly, I think I blew it on this ranking. I even say so in the episode. Maybe I was just in a mood when I ranked it, but whatcha gonna do?
Joining us this week is Janice Mitchell, author of the brilliantly-titled book My Ticket To Ride: How I Ran Away to England to Meet the Beatles and Got Rock and Roll Banned in Cleveland.Jan's lead a pretty amazing life and experienced some pretty amazing things, and we touch on a whole bunch of them, including this fantastic story her book is based on. Together we discuss her book, this amazing wine & cheese song, Below Deck, and Jonathan butchers the beautiful French language.
Get a copy of Jan's book anywhere you pick up books, and get a signed copy here!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's official website,www.rankingthebeatles.comand our brand new webstore!!RANK YOUR OWN BEATLES with our new RTB poster! Pick up a tshirt, coffee cup, tote bag, and more! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 04 Oct 2022 - 1h 06min - 83 - #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 band is really starting to use the studio as an instrument, “Dr. Robert” holds its’ own as a great live band performance, especially with John and Paul’s fantastic vocals being recorded together. Sonically, this is maybe the song that exemplifies to me the brilliance of the sound of the Revolver album, chiming Epiphone Casinos and Vox Amps, thumping Rickenbacker bass. It’s maybe my favorite SOUNDING Beatles album, and this is one of my favorite sounding moments. It’s not a major player in the overall arc of the catalog, but it’s a good one for sure.
Joining us this week is Emmy and Golden Globe nominated screenwriter, producer, and author Bruce Ferber. While his biggest credits include some truly classic sitcoms like Home Improvement, Sabrina The Teenage Witch, Bosom Buddies, Coach, and Growing Pains, these days he’s turned his pen towards writing award winning novels. His current book is I Buried Paul, a story of a man who plays Paul McCartney in a Beatles Tribute band. It’s a self-described love letter to the power of music, and an exploration of the sacrifices its disciples are willing to make in service to its’ magic. We chat with Bruce about just what drove him to dive into the world of Beatles Tribute acts, learning to be open to change, the REAL Dr. Robert, and what may be the greatest Beatles Tribute band of all time. Get yourself a copy of I Buried Paul at bruceferber.net, or anywhere you buy good books!
P.S. - This was recorded prior to the announcement of the upcoming Revolver box set reissue.
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's official website,www.rankingthebeatles.comand our brand new webstore!!RANK YOUR OWN BEATLES with our new RTB poster! Pick up a tshirt, coffee cup, tote bag, and more! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Wed, 21 Sep 2022 - 1h 03min - 82 - #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 and dark that make the Beatles so successful.
Joining us this week is comedian, actor, author, and now Emmy winning-producer Wayne Federman. Wayne is the producer of the documentary George Carlin’s American Dream,”which recently won the 2022 Emmy for Outstanding Documentary. He’s also the the author of the book The History of Standup: From Mark Twain to Dave Chapelle, was the head monologue writer for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and has popped up in a long list of movies and tv shows that you’ve definitely seen. We chat with Wayne about being a Ringo stan, the value of the Beatles brand comedy, musical DNA between songs, song inspiration, and much much more! Check out WayneFederman.com to grab his book, and follow him on Twitter at @federman.
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's official website,www.rankingthebeatles.comand our brand new webstore!!RANK YOUR OWN BEATLES with our new RTB poster! Pick up a tshirt, coffee cup, tote bag, and more! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 13 Sep 2022 - 1h 22min - 81 - #139 - Eight Days A Week with guest Dr. Duncan Driver
The 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' not-best-work is still classic, and that's what Eight Days A Week is. It's the first time the band ever took a song to the studio that was incomplete, such was the pace at which they needed to churn out material. It's got all the catchiness and melody of a classic Beatles tune, but it maybe KIIIIINDA feels a bit tossed off as well, in that "too big to fail" way. It's the intersection of the band's need to maintain chart dominance while also starting to experiment in studio and stretch their legs as artists. It's a great tune, for sure, but is it also an early sign to a new direction? A new direction apart?
Joining us this week is Dr. Duncan Driver, who, if you listen to other Beatle podcasts, you've no doubt heard (he's frequently featured on One Sweet Dream, among others) wax eloquently about the Fabs. We're delighted to finally have him on our show, and we touch on all kinds of points, everything from the pop song firsts, Beatles by numbers, Big Mac and Crossroads songs, and Duncan flips the script on our rapid fire questions! Be sure to follow Duncan on social media at https://twitter.com/drduncd, and catch him on episodes of One Sweet Dream!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's official website,www.rankingthebeatles.comand our brand new webstore!!RANK YOUR OWN BEATLES with our new RTB poster! Pick up a tshirt, coffee cup, tote bag, and more! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 06 Sep 2022 - 1h 24min - 80 - BONUS EPISODE! Paul's 80th Birthday - A Paul appreciation chat and song discussion with guest Sean Nelson
We'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 really, there's so much to talk about with the Beatles, especially Paul, who continues creating and working into his's 8th decade.
So we each chose our top 5 Paul Beatle songs and top 5 post Beatle Paul songs. The songs aren't ranked the same way we normally do them. Jonathan's Beatle songs are more a "top 5 unappreciated" list, not reflective of what's in the official RTB ranking...can't let the secrets out!! And like everyone, our list probably has changed since we compiled them, but these are songs we love wanted to share of love of, along with our love of Paul. Happy birthday Paul, here's to another 80 years of sharing your gifts with all of us!
This is a free form, largely unedited conversation, recorded today, June 18th, 2022, Paul's birthday. We wanted to "Instant Karma" it and record and post same day, so please forgive any extra "um's" or dog noises in the background.
Check out Sean's most recent single, "Viral Love" on Apple Music or anywhere you stream good music. What are your favorite Paul songs? Drop us a line on Facebook at facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Twitter at @rankingbeatles, or Instagram at @rankingthebeatles. And be sure to check out our website, www.rankingthebeatles.com, where you can also grab a tshirt or a Rank Your Own Beatles poster!!Sat, 18 Jun 2022 - 2h 38min - 79 - #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 that, by this time, was in their DNA. It's an exciting, if a bit controlled, rock & roll rave up, with George in the forefront, handling the classic intro riff with skill and finesse. He gives what might be his best and most energetic sounding vocal of the Beatles early output (he does tend to sometimes sound a bit non-plussed in his vocal delivery), and plays a great solo (even if he kind of muffs a note or two at the end). The band are cooking behind him, especially Ringo, who absolutely drives the track. Chuck's original served notice to the establishment that rock and roll was here to stay, and for a while that was true. Following the late 50's/early 60's more mellow, crooner boom though, when the Beatles brough rock and roll back to the forefront, their cover of "Roll Over Beethoven" serves much the same purpose....a statement piece informing the establishment that, again, rock and roll was here, youth culture was here, and the days of old were gone.
Joining us this week is author, PhD, lifelong Beatles fan (and retired professor) Tim Hatfield. What began during the pandemic as Tim's daily, Beatles-themed inspirational email chain to cheer up friends and family, is now a book, "When We Find Ourselves in Times of Trouble - The Beatles: All Their Songs with Encouraging Words for Challenging Times." It's a fantastic read, finding uplifting and inspirational ideas from all the songs in the band's catalog! We had a great time chatting with Tim, talking about the Beatles' influence on his teaching career and style, passing the torch of a Beatle-influenced world to students, learning his own tenacity in working on the book, faithful cover songs, and what produces an energy in a song that some people hear, while others (looking at you, Julia) may not. Pick up Tim's book on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Beatles-their-songs-encouraging-challenging-ebook/dp/B0974LRBYV. It's a beautiful read.
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's official website,www.rankingthebeatles.comand our brand new webstore!!RANK YOUR OWN BEATLES with our new RTB poster! Pick up a tshirt, coffee cup, tote bag, and more! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Wed, 20 Apr 2022 - 1h 21min - 78 - #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 band’s standard, a “filler song.” But as with so many Beatles tracks, there’s a lot hiding behind the surface. John’s vocal melody seems to be pulled more from the Paul school of melody writing, with a melody moving all over the place, as opposed to more single or double note melodies where the lyric is the focus, a trait John would lean on throughout his career. It’s a gorgeous line, buoyed by a great low-key verse vocal and a scorching, raspy chorus. A swinging Ringo groove (while on the verge of collapsing from tonsillitis the next day), a chiming George 12 string, and great support from Paul on bass and piano (as well as figuring out the instrumental bridge), and that classic 1964 Beatlemania production shimmer all add up to a filler track that probably would’ve been a hit for any other band. The icing on the cake is the rare example of a single snare hit that’s just as much a hook as the chorus itself. All in all, it’s a great song (aren’t they all), but by no means the best they’d come up with. But oh man, isn’t it exciting?
Our guest this week is Canadian-American recording artist, producer, recording and mix engineer Jerry Hammack, author of the brilliant "The Beatles Recording Reference Manuals." If you want to know how these songs were made, from demo to final take, Jerry’s books are the Bible for how they were done. He’s got great points of view as a producer and musician, and honestly, we could’ve talked to him all day. We talk about putting your all into filler tracks, a producer’s role of saying “yes,” the Beatles as a measuring stick in recording, putting in the work in the studio, and so much more! You can learn more about his work as a mix-engineer at www.jerryhammack.com, his music at www.throttlebodymc.com and more about The Beatles Recording Reference Manuals at www.beatlesrecordingreferencemanuals.com.
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's official website,www.rankingthebeatles.comand our brand new webstore!!RANK YOUR OWN BEATLES with our new RTB poster! Pick up a tshirt, coffee cup, tote bag, and more! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 12 Apr 2022 - 1h 33min - 77 - #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 the band ROCK in 1967, and the horns are just piercing and powerful. The sped up vocals add to the trippiness of the affair, and it has a wonderful fade off into the mysterious unknown. It's does a great job as a theme song for MMT, both the film, and album (or EP), but as far as "a song" it doesn't necessarily carry much weight. But as always, it's fun, it's catchy, and it's exciting...it's the Beatles, after all isn't it?
Joining us this week is Sean Gaillard, author of "The Pepper Effect: Tap into the Magic of Creativity, Collaboration, and Innovation"as a look at the intersection of the Beatles and education. Sean's also the host of "The Principal Liner Notes Podcast," and has contributed articles to PBS and Culture Sonar. AND he's a big Monkees fan, so you know we're gonna get along smashingly. We talk about exactly what IS "the Pepper effect," having confidence in your ability to explore and be creative, being willing to fail, Beatle rituals, and Julia's desire to never go on a trip without a destination. Be sure to follow Sean on Twitter and Instagram at @smgaillard, and subscribe to "The Principal Liner Notes" wherever you get podcasts.
We dedicate this episode to the memory of Taylor Hawkins, drummer of the Foo Fighters, who passed away Friday March 25th, the night before recording this episode. The music he created and the joy and love he helped share will live on, and he will be very, very missed.
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's official website,www.rankingthebeatles.comand our brand new webstore!!RANK YOUR OWN BEATLES with our new RTB poster! Pick up a tshirt, coffee cup, tote bag, and more! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 29 Mar 2022 - 1h 15min - 76 - #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 passenger seat of the Maharishi's helicopter ride, later telling the others he hoped that he might "slip him the secret." So when it appeared that Maharishi may not be the more-than-mystical figure they'd thought him to be, John's wrath was quick and sharp. It was in the taxi ride out of Rishikesh that he began singing a VERY explicit melody to himself about Maharishi, George Harrison asking him not to be quite so brutal in his lyrics. In changing the subject from a man accused of sexual misconduct to "Sexy Sadie," an imaginary woman who made a fool of everyone, he may be doing a disservice to both the song and himself. That said, it's a fine song, however, to me, it feels uncomfortable in inself, never quite settling in. The recording was incredibly labored over, hours and hours of overdubs, arrangements and effects recorded and removed. In that light, it makes one wonder if that's maybe an attempt to distract from a story John maybe wasn't quite as upset about months later.
Joining us this week from the future (and the past) in his New Zealand home is musician Elroy Finn. While on a pandemic-induced break from touring in Crowded House (he's the youngest son of Neil Finn), he wrote, recorded, produced, and mixed his debut solo album, "ELROY."It's a vibey, mellow collection of synthy-psychedelic melody, and we highly recommend it! We chat with Elroy about different Beatles records soundtracking different parts of your life, growing up in a musical household, whether this is a replaceable song on the White Album, meeting Paul, and much more! Be sure to check out his record, follow him on Facebook at facebook.com/elroyelroyelroy and on Instagram @elroytf!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's official website,www.rankingthebeatles.comand our brand new webstore!!RANK YOUR OWN BEATLES with our new RTB poster! Pick up a tshirt, coffee cup, tote bag, and more! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 22 Mar 2022 - 1h 04min - 75 - #144 - Wild Honey Pie w/ Phoebe Lorde, host of Another Kind of Mind
OK 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 began building a track based on a guitar riff he came up with in Rishikesh. Adding additional guitars, percussion, and wild vocal acrobatics, Paul and the staff of Abbey Road finish the evening by mixing this weird track, and using their hand against the tape machine to manipulate the speed of the song, giving it it's even weirder sonic warble. In about an hour "Wild Honey Pie" was born, a track that had no real precedent in 1968, as far as it it's experimental nature and sound. It's weird, disjointed, grooves, and works within itself in ways that don't always make sense in passing listens. In headphones, it reveals how dual guitars weave together to form this strange, almost atonal melody, while the man who, at the time, had arguably the greatest voice in popular music throws his voice around in ways others wish they could. It's Paul at his experimental best, giving you just enough to do be different and not overstay its' welcome, and it's the beginning of a through-line that appears throughout his career, whether in his early home solo works, the synthy-strangeness of McCartney II, his collabs with producer Youth as The Fireman, all the way up to his tape loops and sounds he created for his Rockdown album, McCartney III. As Julia puts it, "Wild Honey Pie"walked so "Temporary Secretary" could run. But fear not, listener, Julia's just as perplexed at this ranking as you might be.
Joining us this week to talk about this track is the fantastic Phoebe Lorde, one of the hosts of Another Kind of Mind, which, in our humble opinion, is one of the best Beatle-pods around. Challenging well-worn tropes and narratives about the band, and examining their history with more nuance and deeper, more candid discussion, AKOM is part of a rejuvenation of the discussion of the legacy of the Beatles, refreshing the story and opening it up to new light after all these years. We're big, big fans. With Phoebe along for the ride, we touch on all kinds of points, like trying to break through historical biases in the Beatles' story, finding the space to be creative, defining "experimentation," the weirdness of 1964 Beatles songs on an album called "Beatles 65," and much more! Be sure to listen and subscribe to Another Kind of Mind anywhere you get podcasts, and follow along on their socials on Twitter @akompodcast and on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/anotherkindofmindpod.
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's official website, www.rankingthebeatles.com! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 15 Mar 2022 - 1h 50min - 74 - #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, a fantastic Paul vocal, fantastic Paul guitar, and a killer drum sound from Ringo. With some help from George Martin, they really create a movie of the mind, starting with the murmur of the crowd, the tuning of instruments, laughter, applause. And it all segues into the spotlight for Ringo, "With A Little Help From My Friends." A song custom tailored to Ringo's strongest points as a vocalist, as well as his personality, this song really cements the persona of Ringo as everyone's lovable uncle. It's also probably more of a biographical song for the drummer, as he so often talks of his love of playing and being with others, he truly craves that camaraderie of friendship and community. It's his signature song, and for good reason, you can't not smile when listening to it.
Returning to the show this week to talk about these songs, as well as berate Jonathan for many-a-previous rankings, is our pal Sam Whiles of the "Paul or Nothing"and "Macca In Your Attic" podcasts! Sam chats with us about the dawn of Paul's creative dominance in the Beatles, Beatle podcast tshirts, whether the concept of Sgt. Pepper is genius or pretentious, and the idea of songs versus tracks. We also touch on emotional response versus energy response, presidential impressions, and the Kim Kardashian of the Beatles story! Be sure to check out "Paul or Nothing" and "Macca In Your Attic," and follow Sam on Twitter @McCartneyPod and Instagram @paul_mccartney_pod. He's one of the best!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's official website, www.rankingthebeatles.com! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 08 Mar 2022 - 1h 51min - 73 - #147 - I'm A Loser w/ musician & songwriter Hilarie Sidney
Even 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 trademark wordplay and wit, alternating the idea of a loser as both someone who isn't cool and confident (at least not as he pretends to be) with someone who's lost something, or someone. It's an important song in John's songwriting journey, as the track has that trademark early Beatle excitement, with a first taste of introspection that he begins to master on albums like Help! and Rubber Soul. Another clue to the new direction.
Joining us this week is songwriter and musician Hilarie Sidney of The High Water Marks (and formerly of Apples In Stereo). We talk about being born into a Beatles family, life in Norway, hamburger snobs, and the similarities between the Beatles' Apple Corps. and Elephant 6 Recording Collective, which she helped found in the late 80s/early 90s, which gave rise to such indie bands as Neutral Milk Hotel, Olivia Tremor Control, and her own Apples In Stereo among others. We also talk about her current band The High Water Marks, their new album Proclaimer of Thingswhich came out Feb 4th, and is a fun blast of 60s influenced indie pop rock. This episode features samples of the tracks "Jenny" and "Proclaimer of Things." Pick up a copy of the album at their Bandcamp page https://thehighwatermarks.bandcamp.com, and be sure to follow along on Facebook!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's official website, www.rankingthebeatles.com! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Wed, 23 Feb 2022 - 1h 08min - 72 - #148 - Do You Want To Know A Secret? with Jim Berkendstadt
Written 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 would released as an American single in 64 and go all the way to #2, while Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas would cover it and take to #1 in the UK. Despite that, by the summer of '63 the Beatles were well and done with the song, and maybe that's rightfully so. It doesn't seem to have any of the hallmarks of what made a great Beatles song, nor does it necessarily sound very different from any other number of pop groups of the day. But that said, it's charming and catchy and a pleasant way to spend 1:58.
Joining us this week to chat is "The Rock & Roll Detective," Jim Berkenstadt! Jim's the author of a number of books including Black Market Beatles, Classic Rock Albums: Nirvana - Nevermind, The Beatle Who Vanished,and his newest one, Mysteries In The Music: Case Closed. We discuss run-ins with rock legends, working with Apple Corps, George Harrison and his estate, the mystery and excitement of bootlegs, and so much more! Check out Jim's goings-on at rockandrolldetective.com, on Twitter @rockdetective, and on Facebook!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's official website, www.rankingthebeatles.com! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Wed, 16 Feb 2022 - 1h 05min - 71 - #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 electric pop tune, to an acoustic and nylon string driven song show the Beatles really working hard at refining what they're doing to get the best track possible. The end result is an early clue to the new direction, as you get introduced to the Beatles for Sale era right there at the end of A Hard Day's Night.
Joining us to chat this week is the wonderful Kit O'Toole, a writer, music journalist and video podcaster. She's the author or of Songs We Were Singing: Guided Tours Through the Beatles’ Lesser-Known Tracks and Michael Jackson FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the King of Pop,a writer and associate editor for Beatlefan Magazine,among other writing jobs. She also co-hosts Talk More Talk : A Solo Beatles Videocast, which is a wonderful dive in to the solo career of the Fabs. We chat about all manner of things, like never clapping on the 1 and 3, challenging the idea of a pop song, and the multitude of ways the Beatles seem to impact people. On Feb 15, through Monmouth University, Kit is co-hosting (with our pal Ken Womack) a Tuesday Night Record Club event discussing Prince's Sign O' The Times, album, its a free event, you can sign up here! Follow along for future courses and events, as well as her upcoming books and more at kitotoole.com, and check out Talk More Talk as well!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's official website, www.rankingthebeatles.com! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 08 Feb 2022 - 1h 08min - 70 - #150 - Dizzy Miss Lizzy with guest Sanjay Karnik
Guess 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 to the end of the 5th album (and the soundtrack to their 2nd film - the color one) Help! It's a barn burner of a rocker with a Lennon vocal that's coming straight from the gut. It's a rocker for sure, but a questionable arrangement choice, and some less than inspired guitar work, keeps this song from reaching the heights it maybe should've. It still smokes though, and is a ball to listen to.
We're excited to start this season off a little differently. When we first started up this podcast, one of my oldest and dearest friends texted me that whenever it came about in the list, he wanted to talk about "Dizzy Miss Lizzy," and after 25 years of friendship, you gotta do right by your buddy. So we're happy to be joined by Sanjay Karnik, a New Orleans native, now living in Chicago, and one of the finest people we have the pleasure of knowing. We chat about a number of different things, including the Beatles influence in realtime on India (as opposed to the often discussed influence of India on the Beatles), learning western pop music in an Indian-American household, the speed of the bands trajectory, the advantage of knowing your creative partners so well, and beautiful story about his parents and "Love Me Do." If you enjoy our chat, feel free to follow him on Twitter at @SKar1789 for a slew of progressive politics, sports, music, and other assorted shenanigans.
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's official website, www.rankingthebeatles.com! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 01 Feb 2022 - 1h 02min - 69 - Bonus: A Tribute to Michael Nesmith
In 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. Our lives have been greatly enriched because we have his songs in it. In light of his passing, it only seems appropriate to put his music out there in anyway we can, so we're presenting a baker's dozen of our favorite Nez tunes, some well known, some not so well known. We think/hope they're songs you might enjoy and be able to take into your lives as well. If you dig them, and we hope you do, we've built a playlist for you to enjoy those songs, plus a bunch more, all songs from both his time with the Monkees and as a solo artist.
We tried to give a cliffnotes version of his incredible life, but this was all done fairly off the cuff, so we've no doubt forgotten things here and there. But it seemed a good way to do our part to help keep his memory alive. We hope you enjoy this bonus episode, and more so the music contained within.
https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/michael-nesmith/pl.u-kv9lbmmT6E3al
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7qQkGLA1jBSAXRIykkP0UR?si=b0ade223d4e84027 (note: Spotify doesn't have Nesmith's entire catalog, so about an hour of music is missing from this playlist compared to the Apple playlist).
Songs featured in this episode include:
Sweet Young Thing - The Monkees
You Told Me - The Monkees
Circle Sky - The Monkees
Listen To The Band - The Monkees
Nine Times Blue - Michael Nesmith & The First National Band
Hollywood - Michael Nesmith & The First National Band
Propinquity (I've Just Begun To Care) - Michael Nesmith & The First National Band
Keep On - Michael Nesmith
Dance - Michael Nesmith
Yellow Butterfly - Michael Nesmith
Me & Magdelena - The Monkees
Elusive Ragings - Michael NesmithFri, 17 Dec 2021 - 1h 08min - 68 - #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 the two. As a song that was mostly complete before the Threetles got to it, the final version ends up pretty smothered in Jeff Lynne's production style, which maybe prevents it from quite taking off like it should, but despite that, it's a song that's always made me feel happy. Seems I'm not the only one....
Joining us this week is Jack Lawless, the brains behind the Beatles twitter account @BeatlesEarth. With almost 50,000 followers, it's one of the most active Beatle twitter accounts, and one of the best representations of how Beatles fandom has adapted to social media. We chat with Jack about all kinds of things, from the cross-generational fun of chatting about the Fabs, soundtracking parts of your own life to Beatles eras, to run-ins with Yoko and Sean. Be sure to follow Jack on Twitter @BeatlesEarth, and keep an eye out for his upcoming podcast!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's new official website, www.rankingthebeatles.com! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 14 Dec 2021 - 1h 11min - 67 - #152 - We Can Work It Out with Matt and Samer of Super Awesome Mix
Imagine 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 actually gives a bit of hope to proceedings somehow...there's no time for fussing and fighting. It's a stone Beatles classic but does it deserve the praise it gets?
Joining us this week to hash it all out are Matt and Samer, the brains behind Super Awesome Mix! It's a platform and podcast that celebrates the power of a good ol-fashioned mix tape (or mix cd, or mix 8 track, or mix reel-to-reel), where every element of the mix, from the track order to song selection to handmade cover art, is poured over before presenting it to it's benefactor. A mix has the power to say all the things we sometimes can't, and in the age of playlists, that personal human element of the mix is gone. Super Awesome Mix is an app where you can create your own mix, add personal notes or voice memos custom artwork and send it to someone, just the way we used to with mixtapes, only...in a digital platform. It's miles more personal than a playlist. Super Awesome Mix is also a podcast, where Matt and Samer and their guests discuss the art of the mix, and go over different themed mixes each show. If you grew up making mixtapes like we did, this is right up your alley. Download the app and start playing with it, it's so much fun, and be sure to subscribe to the podcast as well! You can also follow along on Twitter and IG.
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's new official website, www.rankingthebeatles.com! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 07 Dec 2021 - 57min - 66 - BONUS EPISODE - Get Backchat! A roundtable discussion of the Get Back series
Y'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 all just watched. We talk about our favorite moments, the most enlightening moments, the most surprising moments and a whole lot more. A splendid time was had by all, and we wanted to share it with all of you.
So here's a bonus episode, graciously provided by the Blottos for us to share and you to enjoy.
Make sure to follow and subscribe to all of their shows!
Blotto Beatles
Paul Or Nothing
BC The Beatles
Fans on the RunRecorded live Sunday, November 28, 2021
Tue, 30 Nov 2021 - 2h 00min - 65 - #153 - Yellow Submarine with Scott Durbin and Kyle Melancon of Imagination Movers
It'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" envisions a utopia where we can all be happy and carefree, and that's one of the best things The Beatles have been able to provide in their legacy. Of course, it's also the springboard for the classic animated film and merchandise mega-product of same name.
Joining us this week to talk what might be the ultimate pop children's song is Scott Durbin, progenitor and keyboardist for children' rock band Imagination Movers! Of course, it only seemed appropriate to also bring back the Movers' drummer, and friend of the pod, Kyle Melancon to join in. We talk about a number of topics, from the Movers' recent songwriting award nominations, their work on their Disney Channel show, what makes children's music work, coming to the Beatles late, merchandising, and much more! Follow the Imagination Movers at imaginationmovers.com as they get ready to celebrate their 20th anniversary next year, and check out their super enjoyable most recent album, Happy to Be Here!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's new official website, www.rankingthebeatles.com! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 30 Nov 2021 - 1h 09min - 64 - #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 no rules. Much like "Your Mother Should Know," it's almost punk rock to put a song like this on such a major album. It's delivered with no hint of irony, and full respect for the music of the time it seems to be pulled from. That's how a song like this ends up as a standard, all these years later.
Joining us this week for the second time is jazz singer and all around badass, Debbie Davis! One of the premier jazz vocalists in New Orleans, Debbie joins us to talk the through line between jazz and the Beatles, the pop landscape of 66, how to raise a cool kid who's into rock music, and much more! As the world opens up, be sure to follow Debbie to see when you can catch her live, or check out her records. All available at debbiedavismusic.com.
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments onFacebookhttps://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's new official website, www.rankingthebeatles.com! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support?Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 23 Nov 2021 - 1h 08min - 63 - #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 against the wall. And this isn't just a fab gear pop rock song. It's a song with pounding piano, a glitchy guitar riff, and melodically oozing the influence of the Indian music he's now studying under Ravi Shankar. It's a real inclusion of eastern music and western pop, and it's the last time we hear George writing as a guitarist for the next year and a half or so. A song with this much going for it is destined to be a stand out on any album in any band's catalog, right? Right?
Bad news this week: Julia's M.I.A. for the first time in RTB history. So I understand if you Julia Stans are like, "nah, see you next week, pal." But the good news....our friends Matt, Adam, and Grace from El Vinilo return to the show this week! All the way from across the pond in Liverpool, our old pod pals return to talk about George and his underdog story, running a podcast based on Rolling Stone's top 100 albums only to have Rolling Stone update those top 100 albums in the middle of your podcast, Liverpool adventures, and more! El Vinilo is one of our favorite podcasts, discussing the albums in Rolling Stone's top 100 list, and comparing them to a current chart topping album. Listen and subscribe to them anywhere you get podcasts, and follow along on Instagram @elvinilo!
What do you think? Too high? Too low? Just right? Let us know in the comments on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/rankingthebeatles, Instagram @rankingthebeatles, or Twitter @rankingbeatles! Be sure to check out RTB's new official website, www.rankingthebeatles.com! Enjoying the show, and wanna show your support? Buy Us A Coffee!
Tue, 16 Nov 2021 - 1h 28min
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