Four Lads From Liverpool...

[Karin]

Time for another poll. Who's your favorite "Beatle" and why?

I've always liked George. Even though he wrote - like - 4 Beatles songs that ever get air time, I think they are the best of the lot ("Something" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" are fantastic). Also, much of his later solo work had a lot of depth and soul. I've enjoyed his latest (and sadly last) album, "Brainwashed" immensely.

So - will anybody else weigh in?


Karin

[Corey]

George Martin, because he crafted those songs and for me the legacy of The Beatles is entirely in the recordings. Awesome albums.

Regardless of the official credits, Harrison almost certainly contributed to more than 4 tunes. The thing was that Harrison was a mensch and he just hated participating in the endless acrimony over credits so he didn't bother. I don't blame him. McCartney is still quibbling about that stuff to this very day. Just last year he villified Yoko Ono in the press for denying his request to change the credits on Hey Jude to read "McCartney, Lennon" instead of "Lennon, McCartney". So...

[Jessica]

i'm too young to have a favorite Beatle. I know that Paul McCartney gets on my nerves for some reason, and John Lennon... I don't know... too much talked about. The other two, I don't know anything about them except that they've passed away.

[Corey]

Ringo is alive. It was Lennon who passed. (along with Harrison)

The Beatles gave their last concert the very day I was born but there was still no escaping their influence here in Canada over the following decades. The radio/media in Edmonton was just chock full of The Beatles all through the 70's. I remember when I was taking guitar lessons there at the age of 6 the standard guitar textbook that they gave us was "The Lennon McCartney Songbook". Tom Dooley was my bane.

Even though I never save anything, not even photos, the one thing which has miraculously stuck to me somehow to this very day is that songbook.

Karin, check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWUHvz-RRhs

I love that video. Most important thing to note is how much more he sounds like the Beatles than either McCartney or Lennon solo. That tells me something very specific about George Harrison's music. He was clearly the backbone of their sound IMO.

[Karin]

Yeah - Ringo is still alive, and he is the luckiest MAN alive.You know - he joined the band right before they made it big, he's married to a Bond girl, and yes - he'll outlive them all...


But anyway...yes, of course George H. contributed to more than 4 songs, but for some reason "When I'm 64" seems to outplay "Here Comes the Sun"...

George Martin was brilliant - good answer, Corey, and how about Mr. Spectre and his wall of sound...

I'm technically too young to know the Beatles too, but my dad got me into them. I even did a presentation in grade seven about the Beatles and set up a little stage with my Ken dolls - no joke.

Everything in the name of fun, here, folks!

Karin

P.S. thanks for the link, Corey. Will check it out later. Internet is as slow as molasses for some reason...

[Corey]

Spector came along much later and was basically a nightmare. His 1970 remixes of some of their previously recorded songs including Let It Be, Long and Winding Road, and All Across The Universe only became recognized as "good work" after several years of market success, at the time he was criticized.

Spector is a dark character, always was. By contrast Martin is a mensch. Totally opposite ends of the spectrum.

Anyhow without boring you, here's the fundamental artistic difference; George Martin is a trained musician who produced radio dramas for a time. It is unquestionably his experience in producing radio dramas which is the binding force behind albums like Sgt. Peppers. Whereas Phil Spector was a pop producer, his hits are all pop tunes. Good tunes to be sure, but hardly touching on that "extra dimension" that George Martin was able to create. It's rather like the difference between Shakespeare and Steven King.

Many would define George Martin as "a producer's producer". He was a trained musician also:
http://www.georgemartinmusic.com/george_martin.htm

[Kazr]

George Harrison definately was my fave Beatle,he was the *quiet* one but had a mischievous nature, I also thought back then he was the cutest
I loved the antics of John & Ringo ,but overall George wins out

I agree, Paul Mccartney drives me bonkers, he cannot sing for peanuts now, & it's embarrassing to watch him perform,think its time he decided on retiring

[Karin]

Woo-hoo Kazr! Georgie is our lad!

Corey - thanks for your thoughts, NEVER boring - super interesting, actually. At the risk of being simplistic, I suppose it can be summed up this way - Long and Winding Road- yikes . Sgt. Pepper - that's when they was fab (Love George H.'s "Within You Without You" on that one, by the way... His song "Rising Sun" on Brainwashed is like a bookend to it.)


Karin

"For in the rising sun,
You can feel your life begin.
Universe at play
Inside your DNA
You're a billion years old today"

- George Harrison, "Rising Sun"

[Corey]

Yes. The other side of the coin is that some say The Beatles gave Spector very little to work with, i.e. Long and Winding Road, so he was essentially just making the best of a mediocre situation.

Great George Harrison lyrics Karin. He's right you know. People should think about that kind of stuff more, it keeps us humble.

[Kazr]

Hmmmmmmmm Karin & Corey
Sometimes I feel a billion years old LOL- but yes we do take a lot for granted don't we ?
Great lyrics.