The Smiley Smile Message Board

People moan about Sloop John B on Pet Sounds - wrongly in my opinion a.)  I think it's a great song and piece of music  b.) It gives a bit of pacing somehow to the album.  Doesn't sound out of place at all to me.

But what about 'Yellow Submarine' on Revolver?!  I have to say, I know it's a sort of children's song (along with whatever drug references there might be) but I find it very irritating and I really don't like it much.  I think it let's an otherwise really great album down a bit (but not that much!)

What do others think?

Agreed. Replace Eleanor Rigby and Submarine with Paperback Writer and Rain. All singles at some point so it doesn't ruin the 'no singles on albums' philosophy.

I think that's a pretty uncontroversial opinion. I think you'll have a hard time finding anybody who disagrees with you.

EXCEPT ME.

I find it not in the least bit irritating. In fact, I find it absolutely guileless and sweet. There's something so righteously innocent about that one -- screw the "drug references," cause I'm not biting, I think this is actually an attempt to write a genuinely cute children's song -- see also "Goodnight." Both songs I sang as lullabies to my daughter growing up, and both songs she loved, so I'd say both songs worked just fine.

If growed-up rock hipsters are too cynical to like it, it can't be helped. I'm glad it exists for the kids. I know *I* loved it as a kid as well.

Love the melody, too, and I'm a big defender of Paul's "nonsense songs" like "All Together Now," because I think he has a way with an almost painfully simple melody that is virtually unmatched. And I dig the production and the gooning dialogue in the middle. And I *adore* Ringo's performance. He's great for the kids: see also, again, "Goodnight."

i totally agree, sloop john b great, yellow submarine: overrated!
also, about the movie, it's not that great....Magical Mystery Tour is better, at least there's some Beatles involvment.

Sub is great. I love it dearly. Great Ringo vocal (although he stumbles a bit on the first line) and cool production. But the coolest part of it is that it was on a single with Eleanor Rigby. 60s pop yin and yang, baby.

And I'd say Yellow Submarine is underrated. Who exactly overrates it?

I like Yellow Submarine, too. Paperback Writer/Rain is awesome, though, so that would be a tough call. It's weird that those songs are 'hidden' on Past Masters.

Point taken but I still think it's out of place on Revolver.  'Goodnight ' I love - really wonderful 1930s movie or radio type pastiche.  The Beatles were full of all sorts of pre-rock 'n' roll music from their childhoods and Hamburg set lists.  Love the spoken 'Goodnight children everywhere' bit at the end.  My memory tells me that this, somewhat surprisingly, is actually a John song.   Is that right?

You're right. John it is.

"Good Night" was written by John for Julian.

"Yellow Submarine" came to Paul in a dream, but John had some input, and, also, another fellow Brit: Donovan.  Paul was stumped when it came to finishing the last line: "And we live a life of ease, everyone of us has all he needs".  Donovan suggested: "Sky of blue, sea of green, in our yellow submarine".

I couldn't imagine listening to "Revolver" without "YS".  I think in the sequence of things, you have "Here, There, And Everywhere" (the loveliest tune on the album), "YS" (the silliest song on the album), and "She Said She Said" (one of the hardest rocking songs on the album.)  I think the impact of "She Said" is heightened by this sequencing.

What, you mean a good one after a duff one?   ;D 

Well, it is hard to imagine these things without because they've always been there on things which are so familiar.

Hmm...I was going to make a witty rebuttal, but this came to mind: there is no greater mistake than that of always being right.  Or something like that.

Sorry I don't mean to come over that way!   ???  I'm just giving an opinion.  Don't we all think we're right when we post?  It's up to others to prove us wrong or make us reflect (as you have done here).  Oops!  Have I done it again!   :)

YS is a great way to get kids to listen to the Beatles.  Trust me on this one.

Arrggghhhh!!!!  Now I see what you mean!   :-[

i'm just stating people my age in my community love that song and say it's their best, of course they havnt heard anything past the 1 album

That was pretty funny, Sir Rob - don't feel foolish just because I let an old saying do the talking!  Anyway, you made my day, LOL :)

(That's why they are called old sayings...right?)

I hate it.

It's easy to hate.  Can you tell us what you love about the song?

Nothing.

Your loss. Its a fun song if you let it be.

UGH! Another terrible song!  ;D

I'd have liked to hear Let it Be sung by Elvis.

Elvis would have NAILED that song.

Me too. I actually love the version Claudia Linnear sings in the Mad Dogs And Englishmen film and Deluxe Edition CD. Heartfelt and explosive.
Everybody, go buy that movie now.

Made a great song even greater, eh Ian? ;)

Speaking of Joe Cocker.  I really like 'im... I like all the versions of Beatles tunes he did more than the originals (I think)...

Wait'll you see him do Something in Mad Dogs. Woah, man. You can see why George wrote it for him.

:o :o

Wow, I never thought of that before.  Elvis would have mopped the floor with Macca's relatively weak vocal.  Great song but a little limited by the performance.

George wrote it for him?  Didn't know that...

I like the version on the best of CD I have... But I've never been terribly partial to that song, doesn't cut my mustard.

Am I the only person who digs what he did with "With a Little Help From My Friends"?, I thought he whooped the original... awesome organ/guitar interplay.

Ahh, who needs it though, when we have Bridge Over Troubled Water. Same thought, way better song.

Matinee, I believe Cocker SAVED that piece of garbage. Great version, with Jimmy Page on guitar. The Woodstock version is the best thing from that festival.

Lookit, thar's another raggedy, salty bastard whose voice I love.  He got kicked out of Australia for drug posession... 

Bridge Over Troubled Water - same as Something or Let It Be?  I have trouble with that song too, it has the nice emotional peaks in "I will lay me down", but I don't know... doesn't quite get over the line for me...  (this is based on S&G, a fucking awful version in a school talent show and a whole bunch of shitty "Australian Idol" versions...)

Though, I ain't heard Elvis do it...  if he did, that'd be worth reevaluating it.

Elvis wrings every ounce of passion he can from BOTW.  Great track.

Mmm, Elvis and Cocker were great reinterpretors of other peoples tunes... Most always improving them.

I think I like their covers more than the ones that were written by/for them.

I mean, Cocker's "The Letter"... FOOK!

I couldn't agree more about The Letter.
You must hear Elvis do bridge. it'll blow your mind.

I'll get downloadin'  now... Onya mate.

Yup, listening to big E doing Bridge now...

Just fantastic... I love when his voice breaks, beautiful sound.

 ;D

The one I got is from "The Gospel Music of Elvis Disc 2", is this the best version Ian?  The one you and Jeff were talking about?

Which version of E doing BOTW?  I only have the one from the "That's The Way it Is" 3 disc set.  Is there a studio version as well?

Edit: Matinee, looks like I posted at the same time you did.

There's 2 versions on TTWII. One is studio with applause dubbed onto the end. That's the one from the original album.
On the 2nd disc there's a live take.
On the 70's box set, there's the studio take sans applause.

Plus there are other live versions on FTD releases, but you won't be too likely to see those.  You can pretty easily tell which version is which on TTWII.

The one I've been listening to is from disc 2.  Don't recall the Disc One version, I'll have to pull the disc out.

Track 12!  ;)

I will speak up in praise of "Let It Be", with qualifications:

I really like the 2 Beatles versions the best, and I think Mac's vocal doesn't suffer from lack of 'passion'.  When I think of latter-day Elvis doing it, I can only imagine him OVERdoing it.  More power doesn't necessarily equal more passion, or at least an appropriate rendering of passion.

For a while, Paul was just killing this song (in a bad way) in live concerts by adding this very false showbizzy 'passion' to it--which it absolutely doesn't need.  This was a serious song in which he describes a spiritual visitation from his mother, for God's sake!  A holy event.
Quieter, seriouser, seem to be the way to go.  Certain things take restraint in order to get the perfect balance of elements.  (I just about cringed recently when a coworker recently said to someone, "What if Elvis sang REAL rock and roll?"  Meaning:  like Metallica.  Yikes.  Define real, guys.  There seem to be 2 minds in the world:  the More/Harder/Faster Is Better vs. the Interesting/Surprising/Different Is Better...)

Anyway, somehow he's figured it out and his more recent versions of LIB and Jude sound more sincere again.  Now if only he could find a drummer who doesn't feel the need to just bludgeon the hell out of every ballad...

Are you one of those people who does not like 70's Elvis?

That sounds famililar...

...for the same reason people hate on late 70s Elvis, people hate on late 70s Dylan...

...but I like "Yellow Submarine"!  It's their Goon Show infuence worn proudly on their sleeves.  See also: "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)".  Now THERE is a song that lets it ALL out!

Right on, man.

You know my name...look up the number...YOU, KNOW, MY NAAAAAAMME!!!!!  LOOK UP DA NUMBAHH!  YOU -- YOU KNOW---YOU KNOW MY NAAAAAAAAAMME!!!

"Hey RINGO, Hey RINGO! Let's hear it for Dennis! Ha HEY!".

If ever there were an underrated, underheard Beatles song, "You Know My Name" would be it...I mean, it's the B-Side of "Let It Be"!!!

(...and "The Inner Light", probably the prettiest Eastern pastische George ever came up with.  Practically no one outside of voracious Beatles fans have had the chance to hear this.)

Yeah, I like Inner Light. That and Love You Too are the only Indian things George did that I really dig.

I like Within You Without You for George Martin's arrangement for strings; it really enhanced the eastern instrumentation.  (The instrumental version is on the Anthology 2)  But, yeah, have to agree.

Yes, the instrumental is amazing. I hate the vocal doubling the instrumental melody, though. I pretty much hate that in any song. (Except for All Day And All Of The Night.)

He's right. Same goes for the movie. Both my kids sing alnong like crazy to the YS songtrack thanks to the cartoon.

I like YS it's a larf.  I also love George's harmony, he sounds kind of bored :-)

I know what you mean!  And I thought I was the only one who noticed that.

I love that song! One of my favourites; on a lot of the mix cds I make or give away. It's cool that it's easily available on cd with Past Masters 2.

I dig the Anthology 2 version more than the released version.

Either way, that intro is a killer!  Love it!

What was the point of adding 2 minutes to the song and editing a minute of the regular version out??

Good point.  But...!  The PM2 >>>mix sound<<< stinx.

And what about a shout for Brian Jones?  Playing the....

:)