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What would you consider to be the Best Beatles Solo Albums?

Here are what I considered to be the best IMO:

10. George Harrison- Living In The Material World
09. Ringo Starr- Goodnight Vienna
08. Wings- Red Rose Speedway
07. John Lennon- Mind Games
06. Paul McCartney- McCartney
05. Ringo Starr- Ringo
04. Wings- Band On The Run
03. John Lennon- Imagine
02. George Harrison- All Things Must Pass
01. John Lennon- Plastic Ono Band

My Top 5:

1. Venus and Mars
2. Plastic Ono Band
3. Ram
4. All Things Must Pass
5.Band On The Run

1. Band on The Run
2. Plastic Ono Band
3. All Things Must Pass
4. Imagine
5. Cloud Nine

Yoko OnoJohn Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and McCartney II

All Things Must Pass - it's really the best. Cosmic grump searches his soul through truly epic soundscapes. Picked it up in mint condition vinyl for a tenner. Now I can listen to it without those annoying bonus tracks/the crappy Apple Jam. It's so amazing. If I was Paul or John, I'd be so angry at that record. It makes Abbey Road look weak.

Plastic Ono Band - COOKIE

McCartney I and McCartney II: The Sequel

Band On The Run, so long as you accept the songs are meaningless. Then it's rollicking good fun.



As an aside, I'm really feeling George Harrison's solo discography at the moment - why do people slag those records off? Extra Texture has You on it, and then a bunch of amazing soul jams. The rest seem to feel that template too, with varying degrees of success, until Cloud Nine where he f***s it to hang out with Ringo & Eric Clapton (yawn). So annoying the critical consensus craps on those records because he's playing with 'hacks' like Willie Weeks or Billy Preston instead of 'genius superproducer' Jeff Lynne and Eric f***ing Clapton.

I mean, Macca would probably kill for a song like I Can't Stop Thinking About You or The Light That Has Lighted The World, or Wake Up My Love, but no. Not unless Jeff Lynne's producing....

I actually like This Guitar Can't Keep From Crying more than While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Very clever than he expressed his bitterness and hurt over how the press treated his tour as a sequel to one of his more critically lauded efforts.

10: Vertical Man
9: Chaos & Creation
8: Venus and Mars
7: Somewhere in England (couple of places higher if you add the rejected tracks)
6: Flaming Pie
5: Living in The Material World
4: Imagine
3: Brainwashed
2: Cloud 9
1: All Things Must Pass

Yeah, George is my favourite, how'd you guess? :lol

Nice to see some love out there for Ringo's Vertical Man.  That album is a really nice one!

Some EXCELLENT points here, Hypehat.

Re: Extra Texture, I return to that album A LOT.  The song "World of Stone" is simply, incredible, just incredible.  I am just so very very emotionally moved by that song, every time.

And Can't Stop Thinking About You is DY-NA-MITE!

I am actually glad "mostpeople" slag ET and Gone Troppo off.  I like to think of these albums as mysterious, unknown treasures that only I know about.  I have joy in the fact that only I and a few other acolytes appreciate these.

("mostpeople" are idiots)

Also, "Baby Don't Run Away" from Gone Troppo brings me close to tears.  A beautiful song.

George always loved Smokey & The Miracles, and started to let it show on his solo records (not so much ATMP, but after that....). I admire that.

Oh man! So many great songs from George's pre-Cloud Nine run (I still love that one too though)

All of All Things Must Pass
Try Some Buy Some
Give Me Peace
Sue Me Sue You Blues
Simply Shady
Blow Away
Love Comes To Everyone
Beautiful Girl
You
Woman Don't You Cry For Me
This Song
Crackerbox Palace
Not Guilty
Dark Sweet Lady
Here Comes The Moon
Teardrops

All fantastic stuff played with such feeling and anchored by that gorgeous voice and distinct slide guitar from Sr George.

Dark Side of the Sun
Band on the Rut
All Things Must Rut
When You Find the Girl of Your Dreams in the Arms of Some Scotsmen From Hull

I think it's Ringo's best album, aside from the needless "Love Me Do" remake, it's pretty strong, some strange choices of guests, but they work well (such as Ozzy Osbourne, who'd have seen that coming?!)

McCartney II would be my #1 if you put the 2 b sides and wonderful christmastime on instead of everything on side 2 (except one of these days)

Nice to see some love here for George's solo work. Usually people praise ATMP and leave it at that. Cloud 9 is nice, but I don't think it's his most consistent album. Beyond ATMP, I think Living In the Material World, the 1979 self titled album and (surprise!) Gone Troppo are my favorites...well, I guess I should include Brainwashed, too. That one has real depth in the songwriting. I was disappointed that the cd reissue of Somewhere in England didn't include the rejected tracks - they were among the best songs, especially Sat Singing and Flying Hour. And we can't forget the Traveling Wilburys!

1. Ram
2. Plastic Ono Band
3. All Things Must Pass
4. Back To The Egg
5. London Town
6. Imagine
7. Tug of War
8. Walls and Bridges
9. Off the Ground
10. Somewhere in England

I'm not familiar with the Long Lost Album, but I do like Ringo's "I Call Your Name". Very Wilburyish.

Out of curiosity, am I the only person who thinks that Walls & Bridges is a better Lennon album than Plastic Ono Band?

I prefer Walls and Bridges, musically POB may be better - and there are parts of it I love - but I find the songs on W&B more relatable. I'd rate Imagine as John's best, though - it's got the message he wanted to get across, but it's got the more commercial sheen to it like a great Beatles album. Mind Games is also underrated.

'Walls And Bridges' is hugely under-rated - but to really get how good the songs are you need the second side of 'Menlove Ave' with those wonderful stripped-down rehearsals. John over-egged it in production.

John: Walls and Bridges
Paul: RAM
George: All Things Must Pass (but 33 1/3 is great too, in a whole different way)
Ringo: Ringo

Band on the Run
Ram
McCartney
Live Peace in Toronto

My Top 5

1) All Things Must Pass
2) Plastic Ono Band
3) Band on the Run
4) Ringo
5) Walls and Bridges

Ram
Band On The Run
All Things Must Pass
Plastic Ono Band

At the moment:


1.  Band on the Run
2.  Plastic Ono Band
3.  George Harrison
4.  Ram
5.  Cloud Nine
6.  London Town
7.  Imagine
8.  Venus and Mars
9.  All Things Must Pass
10. Tug of War

So the consensus seems to be that they did their best work in the years immediately after the breakup - ATMP, POB, Ram, Ringo, W&B, BOTR, Imagine....am I right?

I think that's true. I think George & John had a fair amount of ambition coming out of The Beatles, which helped. I mean, you don't release albums like Plastic Ono Band and All Things Must Pass if you're cruising or tired of the business. Paul was tired but as a consummate showman and show-off (to whom 'cruising' means 'Maybe I'm Amazed')  he got back into it.

Maybe I'm Amazed, if the band wouldn't have throttled Paul at the prospect of doing another one of his tunes as a single, would have been a great send-off to The Beatles imo. He never seems to have showed it to them?

Although George did one of his best efforts, Brainwashed, in 2001 and Chaos & Creation and Memory Almost Full aren't 'bad' by Paul's sometimes horrifying standards (The latter is mastered like hot ass, mind).

Of course, we don't know about John. He had a few nice things in the can, demoed or otherwise, when he died, but if Double Fantasy is anything to go by the 80's might have been rough on him.

1. Band on the Run
2. Plastic Ono Band
3. All things must pass
4. Imagine/Ram

I must be the only one who thinks George Harrison was George's best album.  But I love its warm textures and upbeat vibe, plus the White Album leftover "Not Guilty" and the sense of humor showing through in "Soft-Hearted Hana."  It has a consistent mood that never fails to cheer me up (or down).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nwTVLIIJYI (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5nwTVLIIJYI)

That might be my favorite after ATMP. ATMP is so massive, it might as well be a catagory of its own. Hard for me to find any fault with Brainwashed, I need to put that one on again.

I like ATMP a lot, but I think its sheer massiveness tends to obscure some flaws.  A couple of tracks George produced without Spector didn't sound that good; a few of the songs are fairly weak for their length; and two massive versions of "Isn't It a Pity" were a lot more dirge than anyone needed.  If the whole thing had been as consistent in quality as Side 3, it would have been perfect.  And then, what exactly to make of Apple Jam?  So I think it's a bit telling that George never gave himself such a large canvas again and pruned his later albums down to the best stuff he had.

I love Apple Jam. Remember how George put the laugh at the end of Within You Without You, because he realized the song was too somber for its message? That is what Apple Jam is to All Things Must Pass. George and friends had a great, joyous time making the record, but what came out was an overwhelmingly heavy, magnum opus. Jam is there to remind George, his friends and the public, for what its worth, that musicmaking can be just pure fun. And the music there, if it was found on some obscure no-name "lost" act's album, would be hailed, Mojo'ed, sampled, posted on blogs and would go for heavy bucks on Ebay. I mean, the groove on Out Of The Blue? That is monstrous. Some of my favorite Clapton guitar playing.

Yeah, it's a great way to wind down after 4 sides of "serious George".

  You are not. WALLS & BRIDGES is about 2 or 3 cuts shy of being a great album, maybe John's answer to BAND ON THE RUN.

 Paul has done some very good stuff the last 15 years, FLAMING PIE and CHAOS being the gems. John was the most interesting personality in The Beatles but McCartney was ultimately the more interesting musician. In my view anyway.

The Beatles core songwriting team is characterized by the 2 C's

Creative and Commerical

For the most part:

Paul is more commercial, that's why even his worst work sells, but is not as acclaimed as John's.
John's is much more creative, and heartfelt.

When they work together, well you have a perfect blend, AKA, the Beatles.

All things Must Pass
Ram
Plastic Ono Band
Red Rose Speedway
Venus & Mars
Goodnight Vienna
Imagine
Band on the Runs

I've read this a couple of times, and something about it sticks in the craw.

I just don't like dismissing Paul as 'uncreative' when he so obviously writes just for the sake of writing, to the point where his songs are gibberish. I mean, Macca has a song (a top five song, no less) about a doorbell, for christs sake. If anything, John was more considered and meticulous than Paul because he was writing so personally, he had to be.

Aside from the last sentence, I absolutely reject this. I know it's the popular line, but it's not any different than the Beatles' version of the various Beach Boys myths many of us spend time debunking around here. I'd argue that most of Paul's solo music is far more creative than John's. They both had the creative-commercial tug of war in them, as does almost any good artist. But Paul was far more experimental musically, or at least his musical experiments tended to be more enjoyable. Whether we're talking McCartney and Ram, or Band on the Run or Red Rose Speedway, or McCartney II, or the brilliant semi-recent Electric Arguments, Paul was often messing around with form, technique, sounds. John, obviously, had moments of brilliance, but I think he was also more in love with traditional rock n roll, so he was hardly pushing the envelope. To say his music was more creative than Paul's? Meh. And John had just as many albums or tracks that sound like a drunk treading water. For whatever reason, people just like saying John was deep and a thinker while Paul was some ditzy popster. I say f*** that, and to paraphrase a certain musical genius, "it's John, it's Paul, it's the bloody Beatles, shut up."

(I didn't mean for you to shut up. Just an Anthology paraphrase...)

Luther I couldn't agree with you more, and I am a principally a John fan.

Living In The Material World is Georges greatest salbum and I don't think any of Paul or Johns album is better (POB and Ram is just as good, but not better). Be Here Now is almost transcendental.

All Things Must Pass is the best. 'Nuff said.

I'd say it's a tie between All Things Must Pass and Walls and Bridges.  I'm glad to see some of George's less-typically-respected albums getting some attention here as well, though.  I myself am quite partial to Thirty-Three and a Third, George Harrison, and Gone Troppo.

I find George to be the most consistent of the ex-Fabs. There aren't any albums of his I don't like (unless we count the two he released before the breakup). Dark Horse suffers due to his throat problems, but even that one has its moments. Extra Texture is probably his darkest work - Grey Cloudy Lies, World Of Stone, Tired of Midnight Blue, not really much of his uplifting spirituality on that one. John's work varies wildly - Imagine is as good as any Beatles album, but Some Time In New York City is pretty bad. Paul's made some gems like Tug of War and Band on the Run, but also had his share of dogs - Off the Ground, anyone? Ringo is the biggest surprise to me. The 1973 Ringo album is universally acclaimed as his shining moment, but Goodnight Vienna and Rotogravure had some good songs, too. But I think his best albums have been the more recent ones. Time Takes Time from 1992 is solid from start to finish, as is Vertical Man, and I've enjoyed Y Not and Ringo 2012 a lot. His singing has only improved with age, and since he sobered up, he seems to have approached his music with a renewed passion. Of course, none of those albums have sold squat, but it doesn't matter.

  I own albums by Paul, John, and Ringo. Although familiar with most of ALL THINGS MUST PASS, CLOUD NINE and a few radio hits, I never bought any George product until purchasing his recent LET IT ROLL: SONGS BY____ compilation awhile back. Hearing all that stuff together was - pardon the cliche - a spiritual experience. I had seriously underestimated George Harrison. Why? Hard to say. Kudos to the compilers for including "Cheer Down"!

No one's yet mentioned Driving Rain by Paul! I think it's a fantastic album!!!!

I haven't listened to much of their solo discographies, but for me, 'Ram' is not only the best of what I've heard, but also up there with the greatest pop records in my collection. Brilliant stuff.

I also enjoy 'Band on the Run', 'Venus and Mars', 'Back To The Egg', 'Tug of War' and John's songs on 'Double Fantasy' very much.

.

Again, I'm just amazed - and not just maybe - how much praise Ram recieves these days. Back in the day, Paul seemed to be universally reviled for releasing albums of domestic bliss, while John was primal screaming his lungs out. The critics hated pretty much everything Paul did after the Beatles until Band on the Run; and everything after that until Tug of War, which is kind of a forgotten album now.

 TUG OF WAR is a good one. The title track, "Take It Away", "Wanderlust", "Ballroom Dancing", "Here Today", even "Ebony and Ivory" (in the contest of the LP) are all terrific. Easily Paul's best 80's LP.

 Best 70's  Band on the Run
 "     "80's  Tug of War
 "     "90's  Flaming Pie
 "     "00's  Chaos & Creation

   Paul's 21st century experimental streak rather admirable.

I'd say it's a toss-up between Tug of War and Flowers In The Dirt for best 80's Macca album.

Essential (should be in every home):
John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band (1970)
George Harrison - All things must Pass (1970)

Very, very good (essential if you can afford them):
Paul McCartney - McCartney (1970)
 Paul & Linda McCartney - Ram (1971)
Paul McCartney & Wings - Band on the Run (1973)
Paul McCartney - Chaos & Creation in the Backyard (2004)

Pretty good (but not essential):
George Harrison - Concert for Bangladesh (live 1972)
 Paul McCartney & Wings - Venus & Mars (1975?)
Paul McCartney - McCartney II (1980)
Paul McCartney - Flowers in the Dirt (1988?)
Paul McCartney - Flaming Pie (1997)

Enjoyable and/or pretty good depending on mood, but not essential:
 John Lennon - Imagine (1972)
John Lennon - Walls and bridges (1974)
George Harrison - Living in the material world (1971)
George Harrison - Cloud 9 (1987)
Paul McCartney & Wings - Wings over America (live 1976)
 Paul McCartney & Wings - Back to the egg
Paul McCartney - Tug of War (1982)
Paul McCartney - Back in the USA / Back in the world (live 2003)
Paul McCartney - Memory almost full (2005)

Memory Almost Full
London Town
Flowers in the Dirt
Red Rose Speedway
Ram
All things Must Pass
Cloud Nine
Ringo
Time Takes Time

Not a Lennon fan... :)

Brainwashed should get name checked more often than it is. It's my second favorite George album behind All Things Must Pass. Every song has it's own personality and the feel on the album is amazingly upbeat and spiritual.

[delet.]

Yup. Even Rocking Chair in Hawaii. I guess you didn't "get the picture".  :P

I love Rocking Chair in Hawaii -- a great re-make of one of George's favourites!

Brainwashed is one of George's best. I need to work on "Any Road" - it sounds simple, but the way the words flow over the rhythm is actually quite challenging.

My vote would go to All Things Must Pass.

Same here with JL/POB coming in a close second. 

Ringo-Nothing is really essential except for Ringo, BOB, and Blast From Your Past. Try to get Coochy-coo if you can find it on 45, great BOB offcast.

George-The Wilbury's albums and Cloud 9 are great, the best however is All Things Must Pass. I also enjoy 33 and a third, and the self titled one from 1979.

Paul-I stick mainly to the seventies but his two oldies rock and roll albums are nice, Unplugged is good, and I find I play Flaming Pie and Memory Almost Full a little more than other recent ones.. Press to Play is good song wise though it sounds very 1986. Still none of them are as good as albums like McCartney, Ram, Band On The Run, Venus and Mars, Over America, and Back To The Egg. Most of his non album singles are very nice too.

John-I love John, dislike Yoko immensely. So though I find it too subjective to play often, his POB does have a really interesting sound. Imagine and Walls are more my speed. I also like Instant Karma and Nobody Told Me a lot.

John made great singles; as an album artist, he was more hit and miss.

I think you somewhat hit the nail on the head there and I'll explain what I mean.  If you pick up the 2005 compilation "John Lennon: Working Class Hero" which is by far the definitive anthology of Lennon's commercially released output of the many that are out there, you probably have on those two discs the balance of John Lennon's truly great solo work.  That being said he has at least three albums that are in my opinion worth investigating further and those are "John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band" which I've previously cited as being perhaps the best solo Beatle effort out there, "Imagine" which despite the overplay of the title track has some real gems throughout the course of the record and the posthumous "Milk And Honey" which has some incredibly hard rocking tracks on it and in my opinion is vastly superior to "Double Fantasy".  "Milk And Honey" is also quite possibly the best argument for Yoko Ono as a commercially viable artist as her contributions to that record actually are pretty solid with "Let Me Count The Ways" being particularly touching given the events that transpired between when she wrote it and when it was released four years later.

However, if you really want to truly experience what John Lennon was about as an artist then the "John Lennon: Anthology" is a must have for your collection.  It might be the best archival release I have in my entire collection as it was put together with a great deal of taste and features some great music to boot.  In fact the argument can be made that when it comes to Lennon's solo career he was most at home recording demos at his piano or on his acoustic guitar and often when he'd take these songs into the studio to record the "definitive versions", he often overproduced, over thought or otherwise lost the sheer buoyancy found on many of his demo recordings of the same songs.

I agree about the John Lennon: Anthology.

I played Dear John and Mr. Hyde's Gone (Don't Be Afraid) for my kids a few nights ago and they were really into it.

I love John's demos. Remember hearing them - and taping them - back in 1988/89 when our local classic rock station aired The Lost Lennon Tapes. Some of the demos are better than the finished records - not as polished, but more inspired.

"Stuck Inside A Cloud"just might be my all-time fave George song

Only if you discount Approximately Infinite Universe, which in another world is being acclaimed as one of the very best solo Beatles albums.

I never actually listened to a Yoko only album, just the collaborations with John, but I do like her songs on Milk and Honey. The John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band albums had nearly identical covers, I wonder if anyone ever took the wrong one home?

Band on the Run has a great material, but the production is rather..."meh". Every song from that album works better live.

I've always had a soft spot for McCartney (the first album). Brilliant, simple stuff.

Me too. And Ram is my favorite solo Beatle album. I don't care what critics thought at the time. They just wanted Abbey Road Vol. II, I suppose, and so were unable to enjoy it for what it is (an unpretentious, incredibly melodic and enjoyable pop record).

I've been exploring, revisiting George Harrison material.  I like it better now than I did previously.  Brainwashed and Early Takes are currently in heavy rotation on my player.  I really enjoyed the George movio bio by Marty S. 

As for other more recent Beatles solo LP's, for some reason, I'm partial to Paul's Memory Almost Full and I just love his cover of Paper Moon on the Kisses CD.  One of these days I need to do a PM playlist.  There are at least a few good songs on each of his many recordings.  Time changes one's perspective on certain music over the years.  One can listen without the bias one might have had toward, say, John vs. Paul in the early solo years.

The critics of the day had it in for Macca because it was perceived at the time that he instigated The Beatles breakup.  Therefore many of them judged his solo output extremely harshly.  In fact last year when RAM got the deluxe treatment, someone dug up an old review  of RAM by Springsteen's producer Jon Landau where he basically tore the album to shreds.  Last year Landau was asked to comment on his forty year old review and lets say he had all types of egg on his face as I'm sure many of Macca's critics at the time would now speaking of their harsh reviews with the benefit of hindsight.  At least Landau had the courage to stand up and be counted for in regards to his hatchet job of a review.

Macca's problem is his lyrics. This clearly doesn't bother a lot of people, as he got a #2 with Let Him In, a song literally about the act of someone ringing a doorbell. But all the same, music comes first for him and he fills in nonsense to fit a melody. If, by some feat of alternate universing, he wrote Yesterday in 1975 instead of 1965, I'd bet my right hand it would have come out as 'Scrambled Eggs, Oh My Baby How I Love Your Legs' (his initial placeholder) instead.

Too much weed or not enough incentive?

Paul, like Brian, is a melody man first and foremost. Let Em In might have a silly lyric, but it sure is fun to play on the piano. Is it just coincidence that one of the better lyrics of the Wings era, Mull of Kintyre, was co-written by Denny Laine? I think Paul, like Brian, should write with a good lyricist more often. Paul's early post- Beatles music was criticized for espousing cozy domesticity.....exactly what that rebel Lennon was doing on Double Fantasy nearly 10 years later. I know the critics like everything to be cutting edge and angry, but who wants to live their whole life like that? I'd trade all the biting, nasty rock 'n' roll for a happy home life any day.

Paul has written many a good lyric in his day.  "Somedays" off "Flaming Pie" and "Distractions" off "Flowers In The Dirt" immediately come to mind and that is just off the top of my head.

Yeah, when the feeling strikes he can do good work - Memory Almost Full struck me as quite lyrically strong, although I haven't listened to it in a while - but the guy also has songs called 'Mumbo' 'Bip Bop' 'Bap' etc. And lots of his most acclaimed work is gibberish, such as Jet, Uncle Albert, Coming Up (hell, all of McCartney II) or Band On The Run.

It's not a criticism, just how it is - the dude throws all his energy into his music as opposed to lyrics, unlike John or George. Late Beatles sorta typifies this, like The White Album features John exhuming dormant feelings about his mother/takes on the protest movement/the very concept of The Beatles themselves and Paul sings about his dog and that it's your birthday today - not that John doesn't have his 'dumb' moments on The White Album lyrically but as a contrast Macca doesn't step up his lyrical game to that level, just writing parody (Back In The USSR) or genre exercise (Helter Skelter, Honey Pie, Ob La Di). And they're great, well maybe not Ob La Di, but that's just how he writes.

Of course, late Beatles also shows John sliding lyrically into gibberish too - what the sh*t is Dig A Pony or Come Together 'about', etc) and Paul stretching that genre formalism to breaking point - 'comedy' like Maxwell, writing The Great Love Song with Long & Winding Road, folky ditties like Teddy Boy, 50's sh*t like Oh Darling, gospel rock with Let It Be, etc.

Rambling a bit, but it's a slow day at the office.

John: Plastic Ono Band, Imagine, Sometime In New York City, Double Fantasy
Paul (Solo): McCartney, McCartney II, Tug Of War, Pipes Of Peace
Paul (Wings): Band On The Run, Venus And Mars
George: All Things Must Pass, Living In The Material World, Cloud Nine

  Wow, someone actually likes Sometime in New York City. And Pipes of Peace (an unfairly maligned album IMHO).

I suppose I quite like Pipes Of Peace, after all it's got Say Say Say. Though I have to admit I don't care for a large percentage of solo McCartney.
And I love Sometime In New York City. Still say it's his fourth-best solo album (behind the other 3 I mentioned). Other than it being very political, I don't see why it's so disliked, it's a great album IMO.

1. Paul McCartney - Venus and Mars
2. Paul McCartney - Ram
3. George Harrison - All Things Must Pass
4. Paul McCartney - Back To The Egg
5. Paul McCartney - Chaos and Creation In The Backyard

6. Paul McCartney - Band on the Run
7. John Lennon - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
8. John Lennon - Imagine
9. Paul McCartney - Tug Of War
10. John Lenonn - Double Fantasy

The original unreleased version of McCartney II

RINGO'S ROTOGRAVURE

That's actually not a bad album. Not as good as "Ringo" from '73, but I'd say equal to Goodnight Vienna.

I agree, I really like the song 'Cookin'!

What is this? McCartney II is the only McCartney album I like so this intrigues me!

It's like the released version, but even weirder. I believe his record company refused to put it out or something like that.
So you can guess that most of McCartney's fans actively dislike it.

http://www.collectorsmusicreviews.com/mccartney-paul/paul-mccartney-the-lost-mccartney-album-strange-apple-sar-010/

Unless the mixes are different still, these previously-unreleased songs and alternate, longer mixes of album tracks are all included on the 2011 Archive Collection release of McCartney II.

As a casual Beatles fan only, i can only think of six that I know and like (here in chronological order per Beatle):

George Harrison----All Things Must Pass

John Lennon----John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, Imagine, Walls and Bridges

Paul McCartney----McCartney, Band on the Run

1. Band on the Run
2. All Things must pass
3. Imagine
4. Venus & Mars
5. Ringo
6. Flaming Pie
7. Cloud Nine
8. Mind Games
9. George Harrison

McCartney's first solo album, easily.

Not sure after that.

I haven't really dug that deeply into Beatles solo records.

Of Paul, I've listened to Ram, McCartney, and Chaos and Creation in the Backyard - all of which I've enjoyed and are quite good.
I have all of John's albums due to a nifty box set, but haven't listened to them all. His debut is alright (although seemingly forgettable) and Imagine is only worth a mention for how much I love "Crippled Inside." Maybe John just ain't for me.
Of George, I wouldn't hesitate to say All Things Must Pass is a fantastic record, despite not listening to the damn thing yet. I've heard "My Sweet Lord," "Isn't It a Pity," "What Is Life," and "Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)," which are all outstanding songs. 

Like you Bubbly, I can't say I've delved too deeply into Beatles solo-country.  The few that I have, didn't have me craving for more.  But I'm not a Beatle-lover.

But this one was like a 3-ton megatron bomb -- the second I heard it.

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a1/All_Things_Must_Pass_1970_cover.jpg)

I'm fairly confident in saying this is the one.  I mean sh-t... George Harrison had been living under the shadow of one of music's biggest songwriting duos.... and being no slouch of a songwriter himself, Harrison just f-cking unloaded.

Love the gnomes too.   :3d

The only negative thing I can say about ATMP is that is was so incredibly great, George was never able to come up with another album that matched it - although I like almost everything he did, even critically derided albums like Dark Horse, Extra Texture, and Gone Troppo.

Don't forget the Spector touch, he took a song such as Wah Wah with it's basic guitar riff and nothing lyrics and turned it into a wall of sound hard rock epic.

Mr. Waves, we don't usually agree on anything (e.g. I think Harry Nilsson is a terrible singer), but this time you summed up my own thoughts. For starters, I absolutely love "Crippled Inside", the intro with George is so beautiful & kind, dig the off-kilter positive vibe of the song. Cool to know someone besides me likes it. But as you've said, not a big John fan as well.
"Chaos & Creation..." is possibly my favorite McCartney solo record. "English Tea" & "Jenny Wren" are esp. amazing.
On George, I agree with your picks, except "Isn't It a Pity?", I would also add the title track with its ravishing Hawaiian sonic imagery.

Now, what about Ringo? This chum gets often forgotten. What you heard & what you liked?

To be honest, not much. I once had that compilation of Songs They Gave Away, which had "I'm the Greatest." It was a fine song, but that's pretty much the extent of my Ringo listening.

Just out of interest & because it's interesting to compare, you should seek out Ringo's stuff (CD/vinyl/watever you like & found in mint condition coupled with low cost) & give it thoroughful listen. Even though he's not an accomplished songwriter, there are still some gems out there. And frankly, "I'm the Greatest" isn't like the best of his songs, so don't judge him by that one which btw was written by John Lennon & handed to Ringo because he thought the latter would sing the title in a less arrogant way. I'll for one advise you to check out either "Y Not" of the latest (co-credit with Van Dyke, by the by) or "Vertical Man".

To tell you the truth, I never understood all the fuss about I'm the Greatest". The song itself is not the greatest, I think it's just the idea of John writing it for Ringo, and the fact that John, George and Ringo are reunited on the song. I really like "Vertical Man" a lot, I think Ringo and Mark Hudson made a good team. They also did one of the better rock and roll Christmas albums, "I Wanna Be Santa Claus".

Wow, don't know how it fell off my radar, esp. considering I'm a huge fan of Christmas music. What's in your opinion the best tracks of the album? I'm asking because I want to compare my own picks (as I find out later) with your favorites; it's a fun thing to compare tastes, you know. Thanks in advance. And thanks for recommending sth. new to my playlist. Hope Ringo's stuff is as good as Macca's "Wonderful Christmastime".

Nobody bought Ringo's Xmas album, sadly, cause I love it. My favorites are the title track and "The Christmas Dance", which is kind of a skiffle track. Some great drumming on the opening track, too, "Come on Christmas".

I own Ring's Christmas album.

*waves*

Okay, so you're the other person that bought it. Too bad nobody buys Ringo's music anymore, he's made some of his best stuff in the last 20 years.

Really? I find that to be one of his weaker efforts. Love McCartney 1, although admittedly it succeeds more on charm than great songwriting. Always an enjoyable listen, though. I'd take the best parts of McC1, Ram, Tug of War and Pipes of Peace for Paul at his solo best (well, okay, Ram is billed to "Paul & Linda McCartney"....yeah, right).

I'm not a Beatles fan, but my girlfgriend is. So she has quite a lot Beatles solo albums, especially Paul Maccartney, because she's a fan.  So from the albums that I know I have to say that Paul's Chaos and Creation in the Backyard is THE best solo album. It has everything the other albums should have: it's well arranged and executed and you can actually listen to it from the beginning to the end. Not one embarrassing pseudo-loud and rocking song. I actually really love this album.