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Overrated vs. Underrated songs
18 March 2015
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vectisfabber
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Underrated

Long Long Long – heart-yearningly emotional, the most dynamically variable thing they ever recorded.  Superb.

Baby You’re A Rich Man – overshadowed by its lyrical shallowness and the clavioline, it features stunning percussion, bass, piano and guitar: that arrangement once you strip away the clavioline is stellar.

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Beatlebug, Bongo
18 March 2015
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trcanberra
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So who is measuring this over-rating and under-rating??

I’m still not convinced by these topics.

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18 March 2015
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Overrated vs. Underrated threads

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GEORGE: In fact, The Detroit Sound. JOHN: In fact, yes. GEORGE: In fact, yeah. Tamla-Motown artists are our favorites. The Miracles. JOHN: We like Marvin Gaye. GEORGE: The Impressions PAUL & GEORGE: Mary Wells. GEORGE: The Exciters. RINGO: Chuck Jackson. JOHN: To name but eighty. 

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18 March 2015
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meanmistermustard
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trcanberra said
So who is measuring this over-rating and under-rating??

I’m still not convinced by these topics.

I dont think anyone is. Its all opinion and how do you say one persons opinion on a song’s worth is correct and another’s is incorrect.

Unless its mine.

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18 March 2015
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18 March 2015
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19 March 2015
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Silly Girl said
Please be alerted to the fact that this is JUST MY HUMBLE OPINION. a-hard-days-night-john-5

Overrated A bit too highly rated but still great:  Let It Be , Hey Jude ,

I like Let It Be Hey Jude and The Long And Winding Road , but I go see lot’s of Beatles Tribute bands, and without fail they always, always play these together near the end and I get a little sick of hearing them.  Don’t want to call them overrated, but……… paul-mccartney

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19 March 2015
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I personally think What You’re Doing is criminally underrated. It’s such a beautiful little song. It’s my favourite Beatles song. Not only because it’s so pretty and unusual, it’s because it’s lesser known too.

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20 March 2015
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mccannon
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First of all, overplayed doesn’t mean overrated to me: a great overplayed song is still great, and so are Hey Jude , Yesterday , Let It Be .
Imho the most overrated Beatle song is All You Need Is Love . Since the first time I listened to it I found it weird: it’s too lightweight for an anthem, its intro is pompous, its tempo is annoying, I don’t like its harmonies, I find the “love love love” part monotonous and its lyrics are childish. It should be a timeless anthem, but nowadays it sounds dated and erratic. In a word: a botch.
And imho the most underrated Beatle song is I Want You (She’s so Heavy). I know this is not considered to be a “bad” song but I appreciate it much more than other people do. The instrumental part is stellar, John’s rendition is perfect, Paul’s bassline and vocals are great, the crescendo effect is outstanding. Its repetitiveness makes it hypnotic rather than monotonous. To me it’s the best song on Abbey Road and one of their greatest ever.

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20 March 2015
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mccannon said
First of all, overplayed doesn’t mean overrated to me: a great overplayed song is still great, and so are Hey Jude , Yesterday , Let It Be .
Imho the most overrated Beatle song is All You Need Is Love . Since the first time I listened to it I found it weird: it’s too lightweight for an anthem, its intro is pompous, its tempo is annoying, I don’t like its harmonies, I find the “love love love” part monotonous and its lyrics are childish. It should be a timeless anthem, but nowadays it sounds dated and erratic. In a word: a botch.
And imho the most underrated Beatle song is I Want You (She’s so Heavy). I know this is not considered to be a “bad” song but I appreciate it much more than other people do. The instrumental part is stellar, John’s rendition is perfect, Paul’s bassline and vocals are great, the crescendo effect is outstanding. Its repetitiveness makes it hypnotic rather than monotonous. To me it’s the best song on Abbey Road and one of their greatest ever.

The white noise generator freak-out at the end of I Want You is one of the first in rock, too, I think. Monstrous tune. The riff is very Doom Metal-esque. There’s a tonne of innovations in it.

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26 March 2015
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I think overrated songs are naturally likely to be A- or B-sides because album cuts get far less publicity and are less likely to polarize the audience into love/hate camps. That said, I don’t hate any of the mentioned songs;

 

Overrated:

Penny Lane

It’s certainly not a bad song, but it pales in comparison to Strawberry Fields Forever . In a period where John was constantly pushing boundaries, Paul would come with safe and simple songs, such as this one.

Rain

Sorry, but I find this song a bit boring. The lack of chord progression makes this song a bit of a strain imo. The catchy rhythm of this song saves it from being skipped in my playlists.

Tomorrow Never Knows

I can appreciate the artistic effort in this song, but I just don’t really enjoy listening to it. Some fans may be praising the song for its construction rather than its aesthetic appeal and I wouldn’t be surprised if it got far less play than the fans’ rating of the song would suggest.

 

Underrated:

She’s Leaving Home

While some rate this song among their best, I think this is a top 5, maybe even top 3 song. If you study Paul’s lyrics, you find so many great nuances and clever use of words. He managed to create a very rich and tangible world with so few words. It helps that the music itself is gorgeous.

I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party

Often overlooked as a B-side track on one of the Beatles’ weakest albums, this is such a clever song signifying the Beatles’ growing maturity for me.

It’s All Too Much & Only A Northern Song

Another overlooked song from another overlooked album, this is one of Harrison’s finest, along with Only A Northern Song . The latter took me quite a few listens to really appreciate the odd beauty of the song. I find I always have to listen to both of these songs in succession.

27 March 2015
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rollingstooone said
I think overrated songs are naturally likely to be A- or B-sides because album cuts get far less publicity and are less likely to polarize the audience into love/hate camps. That said, I don’t hate any of the mentioned songs;

 

Overrated:

Penny Lane
It’s certainly not a bad song, but it pales in comparison to Strawberry Fields Forever . In a period where John was constantly pushing boundaries, Paul would come with safe and simple songs, such as this one.

Whoooooooaaaaa there. Penny Lane is untouchable. It’s just about the greatest non-Brian Wilson Baroque Pop song there ever was (matches anything he’s done if I’m honest, but I’ll compromise). It’s incredibly colourful. The brass arrangement is incredible. The joyful nostalgia is a perfect counter-balance to Strawberry Fields’ depressing nostalgia. It’s just perfect.

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27 March 2015
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Penny Lane ‘? 

Meh! 

I’ve never warmed to it, ever. I dont know what it is but i have never seen what so many others do in it.

"I told you everything I could about me, Told you everything I could" ('Before Believing' - Emmylou Harris)

27 March 2015
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The most underrated Beatles song/cover is Mr. Moonlight

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27 March 2015
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Annadog40 said
The most underrated Beatles song/cover is Mr. Moonlight

Ehh, I guess.

I Think that Rolling Stone should do a cover story of The Rolling Stones covering "Like a Rolling Stone" or if a Type of Beetle was named after The Beatles.

27 March 2015
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rollingstooone said
I think overrated songs are naturally likely to be A- or B-sides because album cuts get far less publicity and are less likely to polarize the audience into love/hate camps. That said, I don’t hate any of the mentioned songs;

 

Overrated:

Penny Lane

Rain

Tomorrow Never Knows

 

Underrated:

She’s Leaving Home

I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party

It’s All Too Much & Only A Northern Songs

I have to respectfully disagree with some of this, of course it’s just my 2 cents (or pennies).

Penny Lane is one of my favourite songs. Each time I listen to it I can see in my mind the fireman, the roundabout, the barber shop, the banker… it’s a visionary experience. Maybe all this belongs to me rather than to the actual song, but what can I say? I hold a soft spot for it in my heart. I admit, though, that Strawberry Fields Forever is superior… and I admit that the first time I saw a photo of the red gate I cried.
By the way: why did they remove the trumpet part in the final section? When I can, I listen to the “Capitol promo” version instead of the official version.

Rain , I admit, is a bit overrated.

Tomorrow Never Knows is a song I will never tire to listen to. An hypnotic song which astonishes me every time I listen to it. The reversed guitar effects that comes out from nothing, the vocals in the last verse, the one chord played to death… all contributes to a mind-blowing experience each time.

She’s Leaving Home is probably a bit underrated. The lyrics are great, the melody outstanding, Lennon’s backing vocals are remarkable. Probably people consider it too “soft”, but it perfectly fits the flow of the album. It’s like a theatrical play.

I would not consider I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party underrated. The harmonies are good but it’s a remake of I’ll Cry Instead from a melodic point of view. The vocals sound really tired and the guitar solo is forgettable.

It’s All Too Much is not bad (although anything psychedelic sounds dated nowadays) but the Fabs are sure self indulgent in the coda. Come on, it’s not Hey Jude . The song could last a couple of minutes less. Not underrated to me.

Only A Northern Song is erratic, dissonant and seems to have no real structure, from the beginning to the end. It sure fits the mood on the Yellow Submarine film. Not bad after all if you put the song in the context, but I’d not consider it underrated.

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27 March 2015
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I think their overrated songs are Tomorrow Never Knows , Julia and Love Me Do .

Underrated:

Dear Prudence  

Blue Jay Way  

For You Blue

I Need You  

Old Brown Shoe

Is it just me or are a lot of George songs underrated? 

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27 March 2015
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LittleBeatlemaniac said
I think their overrated songs are Tomorrow Never Knows , Julia and Love Me Do .

I tend to agree about Love Me Do . OK, it’s their first single and so it’s where all started. But I think the song is really poorly structured and performed (and what’s more the harmonica intro is a rip-off).

27 March 2015
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Underrated:

Anna (Go To Him): I can’t help it. I love it.

I’m Happy Just To Dance With You : My fave from A Hard Day’s Night . A perfect song.

No Reply / I’m A Loser / Baby’s In Black : With these first three songs you’d think Beatles For Sale was shaping up to be one of the greatest works of their career, but alas its reliance on covers is more than disappointing (though none of them are bad at all). 

You’re Going To Lose That Girl : One of Lennon’s finest vocal performances accompanied by superb backing harmonies from Paul and George. The best scene from Help ! as well.

Dizzy Miss Lizzy : Possibly my favorite cover by The Beatles. As a stand alone piece its dizzying and rejuvenating, but following Yesterday it also works as a half sincere and half ironic outro.

Getting Better / Fixing A Hole / She’s Leaving Home : The first of two triptychs on Sgt. Pepper . A descent into illusory optimism (“It can’t get no worse” against “It’s getting better all the time”, followed by the repairing of cracks in Fixing A Hole that is subverted by the self deluded parents in She’s Leaving Home ) and isolation from the community so crucial in With A Little Help From My Friends .

When I’m Sixty-Four / Lovely Rita Good Morning Good Morning : The second triptych on Sgt. Pepper , this time representing a symbolic transition from the performance to the real world our band of lonely hearts are desperate to seek shelter from. The final addition is one of THE songs of Lennon’s career.

Flying : Transcendent and its own sequence in the film oddly foreshadows the filtered landscapes in 2001: A Space Odyssey one year later.

Wild Honey Pie : Fun!

Revolution 9 Good Night : The most rewarding moment in The Beatles’ oeuvre is the overwhelming climax of The White Album . The work’s fragmentation of the political and the personal is answered with this nightmarish yet surprisingly hopeful experiment in reconstructing consciousness (“If you become naked” defines the entire approach to the controversial album). Good Night is such a wonderful capper that leaves the events on a merry note and serves as a treat for enduring its predecessor.

Maxwell’s Silver Hammer / Oh! Darling : I’m astounded so few understand the point of this pairing when Oh! Darling even includes the lyric, “Please believe me, I would never do you no harm.”

Sun King : My favorite song of the Abbey Road Medley. A beautiful reverie that doubles as a final rest stop before the climax.

 

Overrated: None :P

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27 March 2015
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Entharsis said
Underrated:

Anna (Go To Him): I can’t help it. I love it.

I’m Happy Just To Dance With You : My fave from A Hard Day’s Night . A perfect song.

No Reply / I’m A Loser / Baby’s In Black : With these first three songs you’d think Beatles For Sale was shaping up to be one of the greatest works of their career, but alas its reliance on covers is more than disappointing (though none of them are bad at all). 

I’d actually go further and say that the first five tracks off ‘Beatles For Sale ‘ (so ‘No Reply ‘, ‘I’m A Loser ‘, ‘Baby’s In Black ‘, ‘Rock And Roll Music ‘ and ‘I’ll Follow The Sun ‘) make it the best opening run on any Beatles album, sadly it starts to slide from ‘Mister Moonlight’ and never quite gets it back. Tho i do love it all from ‘Words Of Love ‘ thru to the closing ‘Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby ‘ something is missing. 

You’re Going To Lose That Girl : One of Lennon’s finest vocal performances accompanied by superb backing harmonies from Paul and George. The best scene from Help ! as well.

Dizzy Miss Lizzy : Possibly my favorite cover by The Beatles. As a stand alone piece its dizzying and rejuvenating, but following Yesterday it also works as a half sincere and half ironic outro.

Totally agree on these two, ‘Dizzy Miss Lizzy ‘ on ‘Help !’ it brings the album down failing to work where it was (tho where else do you place it?), on its own its a fantastic rocker.

Getting Better / Fixing A Hole / She’s Leaving Home : The first of two triptychs on Sgt. Pepper . A descent into illusory optimism (“It can’t get no worse” against “It’s getting better all the time”, followed by the repairing of cracks in Fixing A Hole that is subverted by the self deluded parents in She’s Leaving Home ) and isolation from the community so crucial in With A Little Help From My Friends .

When I’m Sixty-Four / Lovely Rita Good Morning Good Morning : The second triptych on Sgt. Pepper , this time representing a symbolic transition from the performance to the real world our band of lonely hearts are desperate to seek shelter from. The final addition is one of THE songs of Lennon’s career.

Flying : Transcendent and its own sequence in the film oddly foreshadows the filtered landscapes in 2001: A Space Odyssey one year later.

Wild Honey Pie : Fun!

Revolution 9 Good Night : The most rewarding moment in The Beatles’ oeuvre is the overwhelming climax of The White Album . The work’s fragmentation of the political and the personal is answered with this nightmarish yet surprisingly hopeful experiment in reconstructing consciousness (“If you become naked” defines the entire approach to the controversial album). Good Night is such a wonderful capper that leaves the events on a merry note and serves as a treat for enduring its predecessor.

Maxwell’s Silver Hammer / Oh! Darling : I’m astounded so few understand the point of this pairing when Oh! Darling even includes the lyric, “Please believe me, I would never do you no harm.”

Sun King : My favorite song of the Abbey Road Medley. A beautiful reverie that doubles as a final rest stop before the climax.

  

Love ‘Sun King ‘. That fecking guitar opening with the chirping crickets!heart Definitely underrated.

Overrated: None :P

I’d add to the underrated pile (tho i’ve probably stated it before) ‘Run For Your Life ‘ and ‘What Goes On ‘ as they are often slated for daring to exist never mind be on a Beatles record. 

Run For Your Life ‘ is all out nasty John with a fabulous vocal from him and some wonderful guitar work from George. But the words aren’t very nice and we cant have that.ahdn_paul_01George liked it, enough said.a-hard-days-night-george-4

What Goes On ‘ has the best Ringo vocal on anything, the harmonies and backing vocals from John and Paul are amazing and again George’s C&W guitar work is incredible. And just listen to Ringo’s drumming. How solid can you get on a recording?

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