Playing The Beatles Backwards: The Ultimate Countdown

[Farin 2]

To most Beatles fans, choosing between the songs of the Fab 4 is a bit like choosing between children. But, on the JamsBio exclusive, Playing The Beatles Backwards, one intrepid fan dares to rank the original songs of The Beatles and give his reasons why in a worst-to-first countdown. Prepare to hit the message boards to defend your favorites, and follow the countdown all the way to Number 1.

Playing The Beatles Backwards: The Ultimate Countdown

[Viaene 0]

I saw that on Last.fm, they should make a book out of it. Every song has a minimum of 20 lines of explanation

[The Seeker 0]

I didn't read all of the explanations... but I;m sure I will at some point.

Anyway, my thoughts...

I wasn't very happy with how they treated Abbey Road (I Want You (She's So Heavy) is the third worst Beatles song?!), but then I saw #4 - Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End I would've been even happier had they included Mean Mr Mustard and Polythene Pam as well though.

And I'm so glad to see Can't Buy Me Love and Yesterday that far down the list

edit: hey... where's If I Needed Someone? That song's great.

Edited January 27, 2009 by Guest

[edna 6]

And I'm so glad to see Can't Buy Me Love and Yesterday that far down the list

edit: hey... where's If I Needed Someone? That song's great

...indeed...

[bazooka 0]

hey... where's If I Needed Someone? That song's great.

Inexplicably, it's at number 133, ranking a full ninety-seven places away from Octopus' Garden at number 36 ?? The author obviously experiences life and music in a way much different than bazooka.

[RonJonSurfer 15]

I have many problems with the list...not the least of which is "Yer Blues" at #182. I love The White Album...love it!! Not one song in the Top 10 from The White Album??

[Steel2Velvet 0]

Certainly requiring a ton of reading of some very thoughtfully written examinations, the thing that struck me hardest about this compilation was just how prolific this group was!

I found myself thinking, "What would the world be like today had they remained together (the Stones have - it is not something impossible to comprehend), remained healthy, viable and still writing/making music together? What would their portfolio count be?" Consider, maybe, 1500 Beatles songs? If only ...

[LeeBB 0]

Hey, that's a great article. I thought from the post title that this was about plaing Beatles songs backwards to hear the devil messages.

But this is all very well thought out and written, I'm only a third of the way through. So far, the real stand-out oddity is Penny Lane somewhere around #120, and And I Love Her way down there too. But I'll have to wait until I see what's at the top to see if it all makes sense.

thanks for the link!

LBB

[Farin 2]

I thought from the post title that this was about plaing Beatles songs backwards to hear the devil messages.

at first I thought so too

but that's what they decided to name the article, so...

[Epiphany 0]

The Beatles backwards is "Eht Seltaeb."

It's really impressive that someone compiled that list.

[LeeBB 0]

Wow, this article mentions that if you play "I'm So Tired" backwards, you can hear John saying "I wish I were not a Beatle", so I thought I'd try it, and there it is. It's about 80 seconds into the reversed track, if you're interested, and very very spooky in a David Lynch kind of way.

I don't know what to make of that... just a bizarre accident, I guess, but very freaky.

LBB

[LeeBB 0]

Phew!

Just finished getting through that list. Took me three slow days at work. Great article, great list. Lots to disagree with, lots to agree with, and quite of lot of interesting personal insight and analysis. Would make a very good Beatles book.... I don't think I've ever seen a song by song critique of the whole Beatles catalog before, plus I'm a sucker for lists, especially annotated ones.

All in all... I rate The White Album more highly than he does, and Sgt Peppers rather worse ;-)

Many thanks to the author!

LBB

[edna 6]

Hmm... I wish I had time to read that... I can´t believe I don´t have time for important things...

Too good I have a couple days off next week...

[Kevin 3]

Inexplicably, it's at number 133, ranking a full ninety-seven places away from Octopus' Garden at number 36 ?? The author obviously experiences life and music in a way much different than bazooka.

... Who clearly experiences life and music differently than most homo sapiens .

[LeeBB 0]

... Who clearly experiences life and music differently than most homo sapiens .

I don't have any real problem with the author's list. He obviously loves the Beatles, and he has put songs in a different order than I would, but that's to be expected. No matter what your favourite song is, he probably rated it higher than Penny Lane, so you should have little reason for complaint ;-)

Plus, this guy has put a lot of effort into this article, with all of its insights, and I got heaps from it. I'm looking at She's Leaving Home through new eyes now. I thank the author. Well done.

LBB

[Kevin 3]

Why are you quoting us then ? We seem to agree .

[LeeBB 0]

Why are you quoting us then ? We seem to agree .

Ahh, I misunderstodd you, Kevin. Apologies. I thought you were referring to the author, not to Bazooka ;-) I have done you a terrible injustice!

LBB

[The Seeker 0]

Inexplicably, it's at number 133, ranking a full ninety-seven places away from Octopus' Garden at number 36 ?? The author obviously experiences life and music in a way much different than bazooka.

Ah, there it is. I went through the list twice and managed to miss it both times.

As for Octopus' Garden, well... I wish I could travel back in time and somehow remove that song and Maxwell's Silver Hammer from Abbey Road

[LeeBB 0]

To tell the truth, I always skip straight from Something to Here Comes The Sun ;-)

LBB

[The Seeker 0]

I only skip those two songs, and Come Together once in a while. Oh! Darling and I Want You are great.

[LeeBB 0]

I loved Oh Darling, I Want YOu, and Maxwell when I was a kid, but Maxwell is really pretty bad, and I've just heard the rest enough. COme Together and SOmething, though, are right up there with anything that the Beatles ever recorded, and I can hear them forever. And after them, I'm just impatient to get to Here Comes The Sun, cause I hate to come down even a little from the Harrison high ;-)

LBB

[edna 6]

As for Octopus' Garden, well... I wish I could travel back in time and somehow remove that song and Maxwell's Silver Hammer from Abbey Road

That´s what I always did... and "Yellow Submarine" from Revolver. Not to talk about you "Rev#9"...

[Epiphany 0]

Also Run for Your Life from Rubber Soul. What were they smoking when they made that? You know what, nevermind.

I'm kind of surprised that Little Child was considered so horrible. I love that one.

[The Seeker 0]

I completely forgot that Yellow Submarine is on Revolver.

And Run For Your Life is quite alright I think.

[The Seeker 0]

I loved Oh Darling, I Want YOu, and Maxwell when I was a kid, but Maxwell is really pretty bad, and I've just heard the rest enough. COme Together and SOmething, though, are right up there with anything that the Beatles ever recorded, and I can hear them forever. And after them, I'm just impatient to get to Here Comes The Sun, cause I hate to come down even a little from the Harrison high ;-)

LBB

I never really listened to Abbey Road as a kid - I just didn'tget it then. The first time I realised that it's not that bad after all I must've been seventeen or eighteen. And strangely enough I remember not liking Oh! Darling and I Want You then - I thought I Want You was pretty awful until RonJon posted something about it. Then I suddenly saw it from a different angle.

Here Comes The Sun isn't one of my favourites I'm afraid...