the Beatles are the most essential band in rock history!
The more people say that, the less I care about such statements. I'd rather enjoy them as The Beatles than The Greatest or The Most Essential Band.
Back to the subject, must be Abbey Road. The medley has grown on me over the last year, precisely because of its messy structure pretending coherence: reflects their decline and still leaves tons of fun to discover. I particularly love Mean Mr Mustard, would fit somewhere in Blur's britpop-trilogy. Modern Life Is Rubbish, perhaps. _________________ Always shouts out something obscene
Whilst Abbey Road, despite its tumultuous production background, feels like a very polished and well-constructed album in the modern sense (the LP still being a relatively new release format), I have to say I just appreciate the manic energy of Revolver a little more.
There's the hints of the early pop, but the real gems are the rock'n'roll album tracks throughout, and then it finishes on Tomorrow Never Knows. The fact that this song was made in 1966 just blows my fucking mind. Every single track is just a joy (except Yellow Submarine, but there's still 13 songs besides that).
If the White Album was reduced to a single LP, I think that would've taken it.
If the White Album was reduced to a single LP, I think that would've taken it.
There's no way to do it. If you cut it down, you have to take off songs that other people would love. The best part of the White Album is its sprawl. Like I bet you would cut off "Long, Long, Long" or "Birthday" but I would consider those essential to what makes that album great. And you might think that "Revolution 1" or "Piggies" were essential, but if forced to cut the disc, I would sacrifice those. It's a totally different set of highs and lows depending on the taste of the listener.
Here's my top four:
Revolver (This was my vote)
The Beatles (The White Album)
Abbey Road
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
I'm kind of shocked at how many people are surprised that Abbey Road is being favored. It is literally an album where fans of solid songs or well thought out sequences of songs have a side they can love. It's a well thought out, well made record. It goes down easy (for the most part) and gets better the more you listen to it. That's the perfect recipe for an album that people would like. It could also be argued as Paul McCartney's best Beatles album given the numerous angles his songs pull off from start to finish.
Last thought: "Mean Mr. Mustard/Polythene Pam/She Came in Through the Bathroom Window">"Golden Slumbers/Carry that Weight/The End" although none of it is as mind-blowing as "You Never Give Me Your Money"
Probably how I'd rank them:
Abbey Road
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Revolver
Tie: The Beatles and Let It Be
Magical Mystery Tour
I have a really hard time choosing between all of these as being the best though. They all are top albums for me, but in my chart it was Abbey Road, possibly for nostalgic reasons.
I also think Help! and Rubber Soul were markers in them exploding as song writers. So while good, I don't find them great.
Their debut is better I think then all the other stuff released after debut and Help!... even if some of the songs are awful. Somehow the awesome and couple awful make up for a bunch of mediocre.
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