JOESEDDIT’S CRATES FULL OF VINYL – THE BEATLES

I’ve got a couple of crates full of old vinyl albums that I haven’t listened to in years due to lack of equipment to play them. Over a period of about a year and a half I revisited each album on the internet or bought the CD and ranked the songs. I also recorded some brief thoughts, rated the album, and posted the results on Rolling Stone’s 100 Greatest Artists comment section. I’m recycling and categorizing/grouping the posts on this website.

Abbey Road

Separating the songs between “Because” and “The End” is just wrong. My favorite Beatles music.

Scale of 1 to 10:  A

1- Because – The End

2- Come Together

3- Oh! Darling

4- Octopus’s Garden

5- Maxwell’s Silver Hammer

6- Something

7- Here Comes the Sun

8- I Want You (She’s So Heavy)

9- Her Majesty

The Beatles (White Album)

Whew! Gotta really pay attention to rank 30 songs. One of the most highly regarded Beatles albums.  Some great songs but I think they get too cute (trying too hard) in spots. I’m guessing after the recent success of “Sgt. Peppers”, they felt obligated and motivated to keep pushing the “innovative” envelope.  But personally I think some good songs on this album would be even better without the gimmicks.  Otherwise - as has been well documented - a very good album.

Scale of 1 to 10:  B +

1- While My Guitar Gently Weeps

2- Blackbird

3- I Will

4- Cry Baby Cry

5- Revolution 1

6- Rocky Raccoon

7- Back in the U.S.S.R

8- Long, Long, Long

9- Julia

10- Dear Prudence

11- Ob-Li-Di, Ob-Li-Da

12- Savoy Truffle

13- Mother Nature’s Son

14- Happiness is a Warm Gun

15- I’m So Tired

16- Birthday

17- Glass Onion

18- Honey Pie

19- Yer Blues

20- The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill

21- Sexy Sadie

22- Helter Skelter

23- Don’t Pass Me By

24- Martha My Dear

25- Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey

26- Good Night

27- Piggies

28- Wild Honey Pie

29- Why Don’t We Do it in the Road

30- Revolution 9

Introducing… The Beatles

I initially had this Beatles album in the reject pile ‘cuz I thought it was a compilation. But research on the internet says it’s not. But in a way, it kinda is ‘cuz just about all of these songs are on the previously released LP “Please Please Me”. I started to read further but it got too complicated to understand in a brief skimming. Anyway, good stuff considering how early in their career the Fab Four were. Excellent vocals and great melodies executed to perfection. The style reflects the times and doesn’t have the benefit of the technology and advanced artistic ideas that were to come, but otherwise an enjoyable listen. It’s hard for me to understand why “Love Me Do” made it as a hit. It’s not a bad song, but relative to other Beatles songs - even the ones on this album alone - it’s rather simple and mundane. Songs three thru nine on my list could be switched a spot or two, or even three.

Scale of 1 to 10:  A –

1- I Saw Her Standing There

2- Twist and Shout

3- Do You Want to Know a Secret?

4- Boys

5- Baby It’s You

6- Anna

7- Chains

8- P.S. I Love You

9- Misery

10- Love Me Do

11- A Taste of Honey

12- There’s a Place