Please consider registering
Guest
sp_LogInOut Log Insp_Registration Register
Register | Lost password?
Advanced Search
Forum Scope


Match



Forum Options



Minimum search word length is 3 characters - maximum search word length is 84 characters
sp_Feed sp_TopicIcon
Beatles solo albums - the best ones and your favorites
15 December 2009
11.01am
Avatar
Joe
Pepperland
Admin
Forum Posts: 5690
Member Since:
31 March 2008
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Hmm. Smileys don't seem to be appearing.

Test: ConfusedCoolCryEmbarassedFrownKissLaughSmileSurprisedWinkYell

Can buy me love! Please consider supporting the Beatles Bible on Amazon
Or buy my paperback/ebook! Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs

Don't miss The Bowie Bible – now live!

19 December 2009
6.40pm
Avatar
mjb
Carnegie Hall
Members
Forum Posts: 519
Member Since:
14 October 2009
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Joe said:

 My knowledge of most of their stuff isn't great, apart from Lennon's, which is strange given that I know The Beatles' music inside out and back to front.


You surprise me Joe! I do agree with you about the Beatles stuff though.  I can quote ridiculous amounts of trivia about the Beatles recordings but nowhere near enough of the solo years. I do have everything they've ever recorded as solo artists up to the mid 90's and then familly took over and there were more important things to buy. I must admit there are things I haven't listened to in years. 

The McCartney catalogue is HUGE and very difficult to remember but there are hidden gems on albums and, in particular, CD singles.  And there is some 'unreleased' stuff that is fantastic!

"If we feel our heads starting to swell.....we just look at Ringo!"

20 December 2009
2.33am
Avatar
Sun Queen
Find me in my field of grass
Paris Olympia
Members
Forum Posts: 397
Member Since:
21 August 2009
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

mjb said:

Joe said:

 My knowledge of most of their stuff isn't great, apart from Lennon's, which is strange given that I know The Beatles' music inside out and back to front.


You surprise me Joe! I do agree with you about the Beatles stuff though.  I can quote ridiculous amounts of trivia about the Beatles recordings but nowhere near enough of the solo years. I do have everything they've ever recorded as solo artists up to the mid 90's and then familly took over and there were more important things to buy. I must admit there are things I haven't listened to in years. 

The McCartney catalogue is HUGE and very difficult to remember but there are hidden gems on albums and, in particular, CD singles.  And there is some 'unreleased' stuff that is fantastic!


I have to agree with both of you! I know Beatles music like the back of my hand, and I am slowwwwwwwly (mind you, slowly!) starting to get into all their solo works. I recently downloaded John's Mind Games , and I am so impressed. It has to be one of my favourites of his, it's superb. And I've discovered yet another Paul gem! Flaming Pie is excellent, I highly, HIGHLY recommend it to people who haven't given it a listen yet. Calico Skies is beautiful, absolutely lovely, and Somedays is another excellent Paul classic. He rarely does anything mediocre, doesn't he? What a career he's maintained.

Tongue, lose thy light. Moon, take thy flight… see ya, George!

20 December 2009
8.08am
Avatar
mjb
Carnegie Hall
Members
Forum Posts: 519
Member Since:
14 October 2009
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Alissa said:

 I recently downloaded John's Mind Games , and I am so impressed. It has to be one of my favourites of his, it's superb.


Dave Spinozza is superb on that album. The hours I spent playing “air guitar” when I got the album back in the seventies!!!!

"If we feel our heads starting to swell.....we just look at Ringo!"

21 December 2009
11.24am
Avatar
Joe
Pepperland
Admin
Forum Posts: 5690
Member Since:
31 March 2008
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

In honesty, and it's an opinion that's been voiced before, I think The Beatles were far greater than the sum of their parts. I've no real desire to hear Ringo's solo stuff, and most of McCartney's solo recordings seem quite variable in quality. The only person I'm pretty curious about hearing more of is George – I have All Things Must Pass (great) and Dark Horse (not so great).

I did listen to Good Evening New York City on Spotify. I thought it was actually quite rough-sounding in places; far less polished than I'd expect, even for a live album. It made me think twice about getting tickets for McCartney in Europe (though I probably will anyway). Some of the performances really were disappointing, at best average, which made me wonder why those particular recordings were chosen.

On the subject of McCartney live, I wish he'd vary his setlist a bit. He's got so many classic songs but he seems to perform largely the same ones at every concert.

Can buy me love! Please consider supporting the Beatles Bible on Amazon
Or buy my paperback/ebook! Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs

Don't miss The Bowie Bible – now live!

23 December 2009
2.48am
K-Ren
A Beginning
Members
Forum Posts: 6
Member Since:
23 December 2009
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

I've always been more interested in John's than of the that of the others. I don't listen to Plastic Ono Band too often, simply as it's not much of a comfortable listen, but it is a great album. I really like Mind Games , even though it opened up very slowly for me, I'm only discovering the merits of Meat City- I'm still disappointed with the version of One Day At A Time that was included, the other version is much better. You Are Here, Mind Games , Intuition, those are great songs. I've always liked Walls And Bridges too. I also compiled Double Fantasy and Milk And Honey into one album, excluding Yoko's contributions, and called it Isis, since the sessions were practically together. I think, if it was released in that fashion, it would have been the ultimate come-back album, and probably his best. Still haven't gotten round to Imagine , STINYC or RN'R, and I don't think I will for awhile, they've never really appealed to me.

I can't say I'm a huge fan of Paul's solo career, or that I know a lot about it. I never fancied his stuff too much, and I've played through Ram and McCartney- it just seems kind of hackneyed. A lot of his output has been pretty dogdy over the years too.

Of George's stuff, I have All Things Must Pass , and some of the songs on there, to think he was holding them in from the Get Back sessions! Behind That Locked Door is a classic song. I was pretty suprised not to see Thirty Three and 1/3 mentioned by the way, very good album. From Beautfiul Girl to Learning How To Love You is some really fun, funky stuff.

As for Ringo….I didn't even like Photograph…

23 December 2009
1.17pm
Avatar
Joe
Pepperland
Admin
Forum Posts: 5690
Member Since:
31 March 2008
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Give a listen to Ringo's I'm The Greatest – it was written by John shortly after The Beatles split up (I think), about himself, but works well as a Ringo song.

I know tastes differ from person to person, but you really should listen to Imagine . Lennon described it as Plastic Ono Band with sugar on the top, which is a fair assessment. It's got some of his greatest songs on it. I wouldn't bother with STINYC though.

What's the other version of One Day At A Time? Is that a bonus track on a reissue? I only have the original vinyl.

I like the idea of a Yoko-free Double Fantasy /Milk And Honey . I'll give that a go. Although I have to agree with George Martin's assessment of DF, that he'd been out of the studio for too long and it showed. A could of years later he might have come out with something truly astounding if he'd lived long enough.

Welcome to the forum, by the wayLaugh

Can buy me love! Please consider supporting the Beatles Bible on Amazon
Or buy my paperback/ebook! Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs

Don't miss The Bowie Bible – now live!

23 December 2009
3.17pm
K-Ren
A Beginning
Members
Forum Posts: 6
Member Since:
23 December 2009
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Joe said:

Give a listen to Ringo's I'm The Greatest – it was written by John shortly after The Beatles split up (I think), about himself, but works well as a Ringo song.

I know tastes differ from person to person, but you really should listen to Imagine . Lennon described it as Plastic Ono Band with sugar on the top, which is a fair assessment. It's got some of his greatest songs on it. I wouldn't bother with STINYC though.

What's the other version of One Day At A Time? Is that a bonus track on a reissue? I only have the original vinyl.

I like the idea of a Yoko-free Double Fantasy /Milk And Honey . I'll give that a go. Although I have to agree with George Martin's assessment of DF, that he'd been out of the studio for too long and it showed. A could of years later he might have come out with something truly astounding if he'd lived long enough.

Welcome to the forum, by the wayLaugh


Thanks, long time listener, first time poster!

I was going to get Imagine , but I suppose the hype behind it as his greatest song/album kind of turned me off, I like exploring the works that got less credit/exposure, because I usually find them to be worth far more. I like Jealous Guy , Crippled Inside and How Do You Sleep?, so I do plan on getting it eventually.

The version of One Day At A Time I'm talking about was one without that high-pitched vocal, but a deeper more controlled one instead. I think this is it (I can't be sure, my sound-card is broken at the momentConfused) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..n9gc5MQTZk

I really enjoyed the DF/M&H combination, it's not that I'm anti-Yoko or anything, the majority of Lennon's solo work probably would have never existed if not for her, and the music she came out with was kind of interesting. It's merely that, putting any songwriters next to John Lennon leads for a bit of a dip in quality (aside from the Beatles, of course!). I really like the album though, I think it's got a mature, sort of comforting, family vibe to it- and I especially enjoyed listening to the acoustic demos, it helped my songwriting just to see how he recorded. It also makes me a bit sad, because he didn't get to build on it. There's an intentional, marked difference between Plastic Ono Band and Double Fantasy , and that's what I really dig. He sort of went from 'trying to find myself' to finding himself in those 10 years. So that album has such a story and history behind it, and in combining the two, I think you get some excellent results.

23 December 2009
5.38pm
Avatar
Joe
Pepperland
Admin
Forum Posts: 5690
Member Since:
31 March 2008
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

That version of One Day is really lovely. He should have sung it like that, rather in the dodgy falsetto. It might have become a classic Lennon song. Thanks for sharing – the video has some photos I'd not seen before too, including the one of The Beatles drawing.

Can buy me love! Please consider supporting the Beatles Bible on Amazon
Or buy my paperback/ebook! Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs

Don't miss The Bowie Bible – now live!

23 December 2009
8.14pm
Barry Cappi
Guest
Guests

The Imagine LP was the peak of John's solo career – he never came near to matching the quality of songs & production after leaving Ascot to live in NYC.

Listen to the searing power of Give Me Some Truth & the vitriolic but oh so hurtful, sneering How Do You Sleep (both with amazing lead guitar from George) & contrast with the lovely delicate Oh My Love (George on acoustic). Other highlights are the bluegrass Crippled Inside (George again, this time on slide), the rough & dirty Its So Hard, & all this without mentioning the title track & Jealous Guy . A classic LP that actually stands comparison with Beatles albums. (Love Mind Games also – the sound on the remixed CD is so much better than the original vinyl. And yes David Spinnoza is great on Aisumasen & Bring on The Lucie. But there are a few filler tracks in there…)

George's solo output stalled alarmingly after Material World, & whilst each LP has a few tracks I love, even I wouldn't listen to some of those albums all through. Some good albums ('George Harrison ' & 'Cloud Nine ') but his best later moments came with the Traveling Wilburies, especially Vol 1 with Orbison. Such a lovely album.

And if you want to hear George's best ever guitar, find a copy of Splinter's The Place I Love LP – & listen to Somebody's City played LOUD.

Ringo – love the Ringo LP & the singles It Don't Come Easy (have you heard George's version?) & Back Off Boogaloo. Nothing else.

Paul – not my man. Band On The Run was slick & sold shedloads but I have to say I find it all a bit shallow.

23 December 2009
8.38pm
Avatar
Sun Queen
Find me in my field of grass
Paris Olympia
Members
Forum Posts: 397
Member Since:
21 August 2009
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Barry Cappi said:

Ringo – love the Ringo LP & the singles It Don't Come Easy (have you heard George's version?) & Back Off Boogaloo. Nothing else.

Paul – not my man. Band On The Run was slick & sold shedloads but I have to say I find it all a bit shallow.


I agree with almost everything said… except with the Paul bit. I have to disagree.

I think that most of his songs, the best ones at least, are hard to find. They're hidden gems, scattered willy-nilly throughout his albums. Calico Skies, to me, is brilliant and beautiful, as well as When the Night, while its lyrics probably leave something to be desired, the passion's there. And for Paul's solo work in general, I think all the passion is there. He (from what I've heard of all the Beatles solo work) carried the same level of passion consistently through all his albums. You can tell; he loves what he does. He has fun, he's into it, it was what he was made to do. That's what turns me onto his music so much, is just the pure joy he gets out of it. That love is devoid sometimes in Ringo's solo music especially, even in George's on a rare occasion (mostly in the filler songs.) John's got it, just doesn't always show it. But Paul throws himself into his songs. He dives in. And that's what makes it worth listening to.

Tongue, lose thy light. Moon, take thy flight… see ya, George!

24 December 2009
12.00pm
Avatar
Joe
Pepperland
Admin
Forum Posts: 5690
Member Since:
31 March 2008
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

This article made me reassess McCartney's solo stuff: http://thequietus.com/articles…..he-best-of

I guess I tend to think he's a little shallow, but he obviously has the odd song that's worth hearing. I'm just not sure it's worth wading through all the back catalogue to get to it.

Can buy me love! Please consider supporting the Beatles Bible on Amazon
Or buy my paperback/ebook! Riding So High – The Beatles and Drugs

Don't miss The Bowie Bible – now live!

25 December 2009
7.19pm
Avatar
mjb
Carnegie Hall
Members
Forum Posts: 519
Member Since:
14 October 2009
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

A typical McCartney hidden gem is The Loveliest Thing. It is simply superb. It's on a CD single circa My Brave Face.  Can't recall which one at the mo……

"If we feel our heads starting to swell.....we just look at Ringo!"

27 May 2010
12.53am
LOMAN
St Peters Church
Members
Forum Posts: 13
Member Since:
26 April 2010
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Joe said:

My favourite Beatles solo album is probably Plastic Ono Band, though these days I’m more likely to put All Things Must Pass On. I must get some more of George’s CDs – that’s the only one I have. Can anyone suggest a next step?


DARKHORSE is amazing! The song “Simply Shady” is beautiful. Great guitar work on the whole thing. Better than Living in the Material World in my opinion! Probably just as good as All Things too! a-hard-days-night-george-4

Oh that magic feeling…nowhere to go!

27 May 2010
1.00am
LOMAN
St Peters Church
Members
Forum Posts: 13
Member Since:
26 April 2010
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

a-hard-days-night-paul-11 If I had to pick one over-all favorite solo album from the four, it would have to be RAM. But, only because Band On The Run doesn’t count as “solo” in my opinion due to the fact that Wings were a band. Plastic Ono Band and All Things Must Pass are probably just as good (for that matter, so are McCartney and Darkhorse), but the songs “Too Many People ” and “Heart Of The Country ” are enough to push Ram just over the top.

Oh that magic feeling…nowhere to go!

27 May 2010
4.12am
Avatar
mithveaen
Sitarday's room
Rishikesh
Members
Forum Posts: 4621
Member Since:
1 May 2010
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

K-Ren said:


 

Thanks, long time listener, first time poster!

The version of One Day At A Time I’m talking about was one without that high-pitched vocal, but a deeper more controlled one instead. I think this is it (I can’t be sure, my sound-card is broken at the momentConfused) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v…..n9gc5MQTZk

 


 

My God !! In some pics John looks so thin!! I thought of Christopher Walken in The Deer Hunter.. I was truly shocked !!

 

To keep this a little on topic I’m just exploring some of the solo works. As Joe say, I think the Beatles were better together than individually. Still, some of their work is quite interesting. I’m going to check your recommendations…

 

Edit:  BTW welcome to the forum!!

Here comes the sun….. Scoobie-doobie……

Something in the way she moves…..attracts me like a cauliflower…

Bop. Bop, cat bop. Go, Johnny, Go.

Beware of Darkness… 

16 June 2010
7.11pm
freshtommyboy
belgium mortsel
A Beginning
Members
Forum Posts: 8
Member Since:
16 June 2010
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

from all the 4 solo careers i think john had the best one

with songs as mother imagine and jealous guy

then second george with my sweet lord and here comes the moon

3th paul with mull of kynthre (whatever it calls)

4th ringo

 

i dont know much about there solo albums but more about the singles

do you want to know a secret?

16 June 2010
7.44pm
Avatar
HammerDealer
Out of my brain, on a train.
London Palladium
Members
Forum Posts: 200
Member Since:
13 June 2010
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Lennon – Imagine

Harrison – All Things Must Pass

Starr – Photograph

McCartney – I don’t own any, yet… a-hard-days-night-paul-4 but soon, so very soon.

When I Twish And Shout, it makes the Girl say "What Goes On?", and than I say, "I do this Here, There and Everywhere", and than she finishes by saying "Honey Don't".

27 June 2010
10.13pm
Avatar
The Fool on the Hill
In a Glass Onion
The Cavern Club
Members
Forum Posts: 82
Member Since:
26 June 2010
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline

Mines is pauls wings over america tour

 

I've got a hole in my pocket!

9 July 2010
6.02pm
Avatar
wingspan81
Argentina
A Beginning
Members
Forum Posts: 9
Member Since:
8 July 2010
sp_UserOfflineSmall Offline
Forum Timezone: Europe/London
Most Users Ever Online: 700
Currently Online: Mr. Heath
Guest(s) 1
Top Posters:
Starr Shine?: 16105
Ron Nasty: 12534
Zig: 9832
50yearslate: 8759
Necko: 8043
AppleScruffJunior: 7583
parlance: 7111
mr. Sun king coming together: 6402
Mr. Kite: 6147
trcanberra: 6064
Member Stats:
Guest Posters: 88
Members: 2857
Moderators: 5
Admins: 1
Forum Stats:
Groups: 3
Forums: 44
Topics: 5508
Posts: 380272
Newest Members:
jsullivan2112_1, catadorademusica, Slowhand, mirrortime, Julie
Moderators: Joe: 5690, meanmistermustard: 24944, Ahhh Girl: 22198, Beatlebug: 18181, The Hole Got Fixed: 8410
Administrators: Joe: 5690