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Non Smiley Smile Stuff => General Music Discussion => Topic started by: TV Forces on March 07, 2006, 07:37:26 AM



Title: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: TV Forces on March 07, 2006, 07:37:26 AM
Everybody knows the hits and I'm sure most people here have the catalog memorized.  But there are many solid Beatles tunes that do not get the recognition they deserve.  I just wanted to spotllight a little list of 27 of those.  Feel free to add what you wish, but these are some of my favorites that a lot of casual Beatles fans won't know because they weren't hits.. but insanely top notch songs.

It Won't Be Long
All I've Gotta Do
Devil in Her Heart (a cover, but a great performance)
And I Love Her
I Should Have Known Better
Things We Said Today
You Can't Do That
I'll Be Back
I Call Your Name
Yes It Is
The Night Before
You're Gonna Lose That Girl
I Need You
It's Only Love
I've Just Seen a Face (two brilliant tunes showcased
prominently on US Rubber Soul but buried toward
the end of UK Help!)
You Won't See Me
In My Life
Here, There and Everywhere
Fixing a Hole
Getting Better
Dear Prudence
Martha My Dear
The Inner Light
Hey Bulldog
Two of Us
I've Got a Feeling
Because


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: Jonas on March 07, 2006, 07:45:30 AM
Dear Prudence and In My Life are both great...I would've never thought of them as being underrated. :thumbsup


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: Uncomfortable Seat on March 07, 2006, 08:04:01 AM
There's A Place
Thank You Girl
I'll Get You
I'm Happy Just To Dance With You
She's A Woman
I Don't Want To Spoil The Party
Tell Me What You See
And Your Bird Can Sing
It's All Too Much
Long, Long, Long

. . . to name just 10, that is


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: TV Forces on March 07, 2006, 08:09:06 AM
Dear Prudence and In My Life are both great...I would've never thought of them as being underrated. :thumbsup

Well, you know.. I said songs that most casual fans wouldn't know very well.
There are some solid tunes like "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Please Please
Me," which are well known but still not on the tip of peoples tongues when it
comes to the Beatles.

I'd even add "Long Tall Sally."  A cover I never gave the biggest MERDA about
for years and years.. until all of a sudden I really started digging how Paul
sang "oh baby" at the end of the lines..  now I don't turn it off when it comes on.


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: TV Forces on March 07, 2006, 08:10:06 AM
Thank You Girl
I'll Get You
And Your Bird Can Sing
It's All Too Much

Nice!


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: Don't Back Down on March 07, 2006, 08:22:42 AM
Hey, Bulldog definately. I love that one. Love playing that intro lick on guitar


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: koeeoaddi there on March 07, 2006, 08:37:05 AM
its all too much - thats great 1967 psyche there.
within you without you - more peple seem to dislike that than like it.
long long long - hmmm....another george song.
piggies - again, more people dislike it than like it

um....yes, so i think george is the underrated one.


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: Sir Rob on March 07, 2006, 08:38:23 AM
Problem is, virtually the entire Beatles catalogue is ingrained in casual listeners of a particular age and older.  More interesting to think of tracks that have been under-rated or even derided.  I like 'Piggies' very much but that one seems to come in for a lot of flak.  'Helter Skelter' is dismissed by Ian MacDonald in his great book 'Revolution in he Head' (perhaps it was the Manson connection in both cases he didn't like) but I like that a lot also.  'It's Only Love' was hated even by Lennon himself (for it's supposedly simplistic lyric if I remember rightly) but I think it's great.  Hmmm...I'll probably think of some more later.    


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: TV Forces on March 07, 2006, 08:49:23 AM
'It's Only Love' was hated even by Lennon himself (for it's supposedly simplistic lyric if I remember rightly) but I think it's great.  Hmmm...I'll probably think of some more later.    

I was listening to "It's Only Love" on ANTHOLOGY VOL. 2 yesterday and just thought, "wow, this is a great song."  I'd be surprised to find a John quote saying something good about a song of his.  It seems he's constantly bitching about songs and being negative.


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: Bubba Ho-Tep on March 07, 2006, 11:36:34 AM
Savoy Truffle
Your Mother Should Know
What You're Doing
Misery


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: CosmicDancer on March 07, 2006, 11:38:06 AM
Happiness Is A Warm Gun, Savoy Truffle, Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except For Me And My Monkey, and Blue Jay Way are a few favorites of mine that dont get a lot of recognition.  There are of course many more!


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: Daniel S. on March 07, 2006, 03:35:39 PM
Yes It Is and Hey Bulldog are the two most underrated songs on your list. Brilliant songs that never get played on the radio. Should of been as popular as Paperback Writer.


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: Daniel S. on March 07, 2006, 03:42:34 PM
It's really hard to discuss the Beatles with anyone in real life because if you say anything that comes across as negative they always get angry. Why are the Beatles beyond criticism? What other band are people so defensive about.


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: b.dfzo on March 07, 2006, 03:49:14 PM
The Beatles, and everything about them, pretty much, are not either overrated or underrated...if you know what I mean.  They are pretty much smack in the middle.


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: Aegir on March 07, 2006, 04:26:37 PM
Underrated Beatles songs? Anything before 1965 that's not She Loves You or I Want To Hold Your Hand, and nearly everything by George or Ringo.


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: halleluwah on March 07, 2006, 04:45:58 PM
 'Helter Skelter' is dismissed by Ian MacDonald in his great book 'Revolution in he Head' (perhaps it was the Manson connection in both cases he didn't like) but I like that a lot also.  
I think MacDonald just doesn't like heavy music to begin with.  He spends a good deal of the book pontificating about the chasm between 'pop' and 'rock' (with the latter being a profanation of the former in his opinion), and goes out of his way to say that every heavy song the Beatles ever did was an embarrassing disaster.  And so he disses "I Want You (She's so Heavy)" and "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" just as much (can't remember what he said about "Revolution").  I liked a lot of MacDonald's book, but he certainly seems like he has an axe to grind against hard rock.




In general, though, I don't think The Beatles really HAVE many underrated songs at all.  Their catalogue is so obsessively well-known by so much of the population that I don't think there's much in the way of legitimate obscurities.  But I will say that I rarely hear "Not a Second Time" or "Yes it Is" mentioned anywhere, and those are two of the band's best early tracks in my opinion, so I might call those a bit underappreciated.  But as far as mentioning songs like "In My Life" or "And I Love Her" or "Getting Better," come on.  Those (and several others on these lists) are really well-known songs, and really well-appreciated ones as well.  Hell, didn't some British publication rank "In My Life" as the greatest song ever written a few years ago?


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: b.dfzo on March 07, 2006, 05:10:35 PM
I'd say the stuff that is generally not included in The Beatles' official releases: In Spite Of All The Danger, You'll Be Mine, Cayenne, their rock version of Ain't She Sweet, Cry For A Shadow, etc. etc.


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: Ron on March 07, 2006, 08:06:17 PM
It's not an unknown song, but I think "She Loves You" is highly, highly underrated.  They never really topped that song, in my opinion.  So well written, and the spirit of the whole song perfectly sums up everything that was good about the Beatles.  I love the philosophy of the line "She said She Loves You! ... and you know that CAN'T be bad!"

That's an incredible, incredible song.  Everything they ever would be was summed up in the "YEAHHHH YEAAAAHHHH YEEAAAAAHHH YEAAAAAHHHH" at the end of the song.  Brilliant. 


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: Sir Rob on March 08, 2006, 01:42:34 AM
One thing I've never understood is why 'If You've Got Troubles' draws so much critical flak.  I think it's a really great rocking song!


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: TV Forces on March 08, 2006, 05:17:55 AM
It's really hard to discuss the Beatles with anyone in real life because if you say anything that comes across as negative they always get angry. Why are the Beatles beyond criticism? What other band are people so defensive about.

I'm not sure what this has to do with the thread of underrated Beatles songs.  It's not
criticism.  It's pointing out they have some brilliant tunes that a lot of people don't
give proper props to.


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: Sir Rob on March 08, 2006, 05:44:14 AM
It's really hard to discuss the Beatles with anyone in real life because if you say anything that comes across as negative they always get angry. Why are the Beatles beyond criticism? What other band are people so defensive about.

How dare you!   >:D


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: wind chime on March 08, 2006, 06:36:13 AM
Some of my favourites that never made it to any "hits" compilation (i.e Love Songs, RNR Music, Blue & Red albums, Ballads, 1)

What Youre Doing?
Doctor Robert
I'll Cry Instead
Anytime At All
Julia
Yer Blues
I Dig A Pony


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: matt 1234 on March 10, 2006, 09:20:11 AM
" Happiness is a warm gun"  already up there, but gotta just say thats gotta be the best unknownish beatles song. 


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: b.dfzo on March 10, 2006, 10:07:08 AM
"That Means A Lot"!


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: wind chime on March 12, 2006, 06:22:11 PM
TMAlot...too much echo for me. but a good song...


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: b.dfzo on March 12, 2006, 07:06:57 PM
And I also second "If You've Got Troubles" - severely underrated, for the riff alone is made of solid gold. 


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: wind chime on March 15, 2006, 03:49:43 PM
Cry For a Shadow is amazing!!! best pre Ringo track!


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: mike thornton on March 15, 2006, 05:39:17 PM
"wait," "things we said today," "you won't see me," "and your bird can sing, " "i'll follow the sun"...probably a good short list. i don't own any fab records. :o thing is i have them all *memorized.* best band, best singers, best writers, best chemistry. really, the only complete package in pop music. i could go on and i'm sure some pop luminaries, bw included, would agree with me. only the enigmatic bob made as big an impact, socially and musically.


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: SurferGirl7 on March 16, 2006, 12:32:23 PM
I'll Be Back
Yes It Is
Every Little Thing
The Inner Light
Martha, My Dear
Not A Second Time
Don't Bother Me (George said it was crap, but not bad at all for a first song!)
I'll Cry Instead
For No One
Lovely Rita
Good Morning
Sgt. Pepper reprise
That Means A Lot
I'm Looking Though You (alt. anthology version - i like it better then the orginal!)
Only a Northern Song
When I Get Home
Don't Let Me Down
I'll Follow The Sun
Girl
You Like Me Too Much


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: b.dfzo on March 16, 2006, 01:34:09 PM
I almost forgot "You Know What To Do"...lightweight, but still good.  So simple in arrangement.


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: SurferGirl7 on March 16, 2006, 01:52:15 PM
Everything on Live at the BBC even though a lot of covers the stuff is so cool and raw, it is seriously underrated.


Title: Re: Underrated Beatles Songs
Post by: pixletwin on May 03, 2012, 10:14:40 AM
Misery and Yes It Is. Oft overlooked, but real jewels in the Beatles' discography.