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Pick Songs For The Ultimate Beatles Rock Album

6 February 2017
2.24pm

QuarryMan

Rishikesh

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The Beatles are often scorned by rock lovers because they’re considered to be too poppy to be taken seriously as a rock band, but I think they are very underrated as rock musicians so I decided to make a playlist of their best rock songs.

The idea here is to pick their best 12 rock songs as a standalone album. It works best if you picture it as a debut album – I think my picks could rival Led Zep IV, Who’s Next, Appetite For Destruction etc as solid rock albums.

The rules: 12 tracks plus a bonus if you want.

Here’s my list

Side One

1. Back In The U.S.S.R – my favorite album opener by them. Gets the mood going and has a catchy if simple guitar solo.

2. Something – every great rock album has a ballad, and this one has a killer bridge and one of George’s best solos.

3. Come Together – A simple effective funky rocker.

4. Yer Blues – As close to blues rock as they got.

5. Everybody’s Got To Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey – Could be switched for several other songs but I felt this one fits the tracklist.

6. I Want You (She’s So Heavy) – Closing the first side we have the first ever doom rock song. I chose it as a closer because a) it’s long b) it does that on Abbey Road too.

Side Two

7. Let It Be (Album Version) – Epic and grandiose, and one of my favorite solos.

8. Helter Skelter – One of the first metal songs.

9. Hey Jude – Not particularly rock but has a great singalong.

10. And Your Bird Can Sing – Possibly the best guitar work in their catalog.

11. The End – I think it would be quite funny to have the End as the penultimate track. Oh, and the mind blowing three way solos + Ringo’s best drum solo.

12. While My Guitar Gently Weeps – George’s best song, with Eric Clapton’s epic guitar howling and weeping all the way through.e

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6 February 2017
3.17pm

SgtPeppersBulldog

Swinging London

Rishikesh

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I think these ones would go well (this is not my tracklist, as it exceeds 12, but these are good ones to pick from!)

Cry For A Shadow

I Saw Her Standing There

(maybe) Twist And Shout

I Wanna Be Your Man

Leave My Kitten Alone

I’m Looking Through You

Paperback Writer

Sgt Pepper Reprise

Hey Bulldog

Revolution (single version)

(maybe) Birthday

(Quarry Man has already said all the ones I would’ve said for The White Album and Abbey Road portions)

Get Back (single version)

The Ballad Of John And Yoko

Oh, Darling!

One After 909

I Me Mine

"Some kind of happiness is measured out in miles... "

2017:

7 February 2017
8.48am

ewe2

Inside the beat

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Beatles ROCK!

Vinyl tracking, aim to keep around 20 min a side, because rock is LOUD. Yes I cheated on the numbers, because ROCK told me to

Side One

Hey Bulldog (YSS version just for the scary closeness of John’s voice.)
She Said She Said (guitar licks the weight of anvils on your nut)
Come Together (heavy and groovy)
Birthday (almost insane and bright, and a solid rocker)
Taxman (obligatory George, those guitar stabs could take out an eye)
I Want You (She’s So Heavy) – you can’t really put this anywhere else and it limits the size of a side and it is MONSTROUS.

Side Two

Revolution (single version, noisiest)
Helter Skelter (i’ve got blisters and you’ve got tinnitus)
Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey (terrific song)
Old Brown Shoe (much underrated and hella groovy)
One After 909 (mainly an excuse to feature Billy Preston and George’s solo)
Yer Blues (loud guitars!!)
Don’t Let Me Down (more awesome Billy Preston and cos it’s a heavy song, man)
The End (should never be the last track on a side!)
Get Back (ALBUM version – because it’s looser and has the jokier ending)

Yes! Nine songs on a side at 20 minutes!! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

I was torn on several songs. I think Ticket To Ride or Day Tripper are also both worthy in a rocking way, but actual heavier rock took precedence. Also choosing between George songs, Savoy Truffle and I Me Mine both deserved an outing too.

Perhaps a second vinyl should be made of earlier rock and we could have a Red/Blue situation, call it oh I dunno the White/Black records.

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