Music of The Beatles-- songs

Golden Slumbers

Abbey Road, 1969 (Paul) with lyrics by Thomas Dekker (17th C. British poet)

Carry That Weight

Abbey Road, 1969 reprises "You Never Give Me Your Money" with some bed-time related lyrics

Don't Let Me Down

B Side to Get Back 1969

Two of Us

Let it be 1970 Funny intro by John, but completely unrelated. Folky sound, is Paul addressing Linda or John

I Am the Walrus

MMT 1967 Song inspired by acid, an example of psychedelia; lyrics written by John deliberately to confuse/"egg-on" the critics. Also includes modified nursery rhymes, and an overt reference to Lewis Carroll (though later John said he should have picked the carpenter as the good guy, not the walrus!) Superb, complicated arrangement: the four Beatles, a small orchestra, guest singers (Mike Sammes Singers, 16-piece choir specializing in studio work), tape sound effects, and a live recorded radio broadcast The harmony is surreal, magical: continuously confuses or obfuscates the home key, uses only major chords (usually it would be a combination of major and minor chords); John uses 11 of out 12 available chromatic notes in his harmonies (again, unusual) The coda uses a real-instrument version of the Shepard tone: an acoustic phenomenon that gives the impression of a neverending pitch that continuously rises or falls (like a barbershop pole). Bass line in the outro descends; strings ascend; seemingly continously. The radio was incorporated live, at random, and happened to capture a live performance of Shakespeare's King Lear, including the infamous line "O untimely death" that was seen to refer to Paul being dead. Consider American composer John Cage, who composed Imaginary Landscape No. 4 (1941) for twelve radios, resulting in a completely different piece depending on when/where it was played. John knew of Cage (the Beatles had submitted a copy of the lyrics for "The Word" for his project Notations), but I don't know that he was "thinking" of Cage when he employed the radio in this manner. Happy coincidence to get the dramatic reading right when they were doing the sound effects recording. The structure of the song is seemingly complicated: two-part verse, second part of verse serves as a pre-chorus, bridge and intro use the same music (though the bridge also "morphs" into the pre-chorus); outro employs the shepard tone/sound effects/nonsense chorus/radio play.

Love You To

Revolver 1966 Indian inspired, George's first real attempt at bridging rock and Indian music Uses Indian (sitar, tamboura, tablas) and electric instruments Structure mirrors classical Hindustani music: slow opening (alap); main composition; last section speeds up (drut) Shows Harrison is paying attention to these canonic Indian forms By now he's taken a few months of sitar lessons, and his playing is much improved compared to "Norwegian Wood" He will eventually convert to Hinduism This is a song about love as a universal concept, cosmic love. Beatles are becoming the heralds of the countercultural movement of the 1960s, whether they know it or not. There are millions of people listening to songs like this one, "Yellow Submarine," and "The Word".

Fixing a hole

Sgt. Peppers 1967 Psychedelic song with mysterious lyrics, unusual sounds (harpsichord?), and an unusually long, descending guitar solo by George. In summer of '66 George and Pattie had visited India ( G. studied with Ravi Shankar in Bombay). When he got back he was not particularly interested in being a Beatle; he said his heart was still in India.

A day in the life

Sgt. peppers 1967 Two songs in one—verses by John, contrasting section by Paul. Problem: how to link them? They originally recorded 24 measures of empty space, just keeping time, with Mal counting out measure numbers. They set an alarm clock to mark the end of the section Eventually they decided to fill the "linking" section with an orchestral crescendo. It was arranged by George Martin so that each player was free to play at their own pace from the lowest note they had to the highest note that would fit into an E Major chord (the first chord of Paul's section). Musicians were skeptical but they went along, producing one of the most iconic sections in Beatles history. 40 orchestral players were present, wearing full evening attire, they recorded the section four times (eventually wearing masks/clown noses, which can be seen on the promo film). The four takes were then mixed together onto a single track—the four-track recorder obviously was full, so they used the "synced" method we talked about in the Revolver lecture, with Ken Townsend using a common control tone to synchronize two 4-track machines. Total amount of recording time was 34 hours Final chord (another iconic sound) played by Paul, John, Mal & Ringo on three grand pianos, George Martin on harmonium. Geoff Emerick "rode" the control room faders to capture as much of the sound as possible, then used audio compression to boost the signal up. It's a very noisy chord, you can hear a lot of background noise from the studio, but it's still an epic kind of sound. Notice Ringo's fills in the verse (overdubbed—he played bongos on the original rhythm track). Really musical, "plays the song," evokes what he called "the disenchanting mood" of John's lyrics. Album ends with a joke: dog-whistle tone (15 kHz), meant to be audible only by younger fans and pets (not for older people); then a mish-mash of what sounds like gibberish was pressed into the record's run-out groove, which is concentrical (doesn't end). John wanted to put something that would "snap" the audience out of it, and force them to get up and stop the record player.

Strawberry Fields Forever

Single, A side 1967 -- penny lane John worked on the demo for "Strawberry Fields Forever" (provisionally titled "not too bad") while in Spain on the set of Richard Lester's movie, How I Won the War in September of 1966. The earliest version is acoustic guitar-driven, but several lyrical/harmonic elements are kept. Song refers to childhood memory of sneaking into Strawberry Field, which was an orphanage with extensive gardens, when he was a child. The demo shows the embryonic status of the song: the melody, harmony, and lyrics are basically all already there. The first studio version is a stripped-down band version. Band take includes the Mellotron, a primitive sampler, on which pressing a key actives a short tape playback of a pre-recorded sound (in the case of "Strawberry Fields Forever" it was the flute sound). This song took over 55 hours to record. Compare to the 11 hours it took to record the whole of Please Please Me (the album). The end version was a spliced together product of two different takes. The opening is taken from one of the early band takes, with Mellotron, slide guitar (not very loud/prominent in the part they used) and a generally more stripped down sound; the second part was a later orchestration by Martin (on John's request) and included cellos, brass instruments, and a Swarmandel (indian zither), in addition to the band. These two versions were recorded several days apart; John didn't really love either, and decided he wanted a bit of both. The problem was the two halves were at different tempos and in different keys; however, since by a happy accident the pitch and speed were at proportional distances, Martin and Emerick managed to slow one down and speed the other up, meeting somewhere in the middle. The edit between the two parts is audible right after the word "going" in the second chorus (app. 1:00)—notice how the sound of the room changes, and the tempo gets a hair faster. The drums are notable as well: Ringo got a deeper, more "boomy" drum sound (slack-tuned drum skins+dampened drums with towels/sweaters) and played a remarkable set of "musical" fills. The "swooshing" sounds in the background of verses 2 and 3 are backwards cymbal hits, overdubbed later. They really liked backwards tape sounds and would try almost everything backwards at this point. Amazing ending: first coda fades out, then you get a second coda of seemingly unrelated jamming (with some backwards tape effects), then a second fade and John saying "Cranberry Sauce"). The first of many great weird Beatles codas (actually the first might have been "Rain").

Revolution

Single, B side, 1968 --A side is Hey Jude

Happiness Is a Warm Gun

White Album 1968 Three ideas stitched together, John gave credit to George for helping figuring out ways for his unfinished songs to come together. Opening lyrics come from an acid trip; the rest is often interpreted to reference John's new heroin habit (though he denied it), and explicit sexual tension towards Yoko (what John said the song is about—she is Mother Superior!). Complex time/meter changes, highly irregular; the band rehearsed it a lot in the studio in order to pull it off ("like the old days") guitar solo by George, generally strong performance by everyone. title comes from the cover of a gun magazine that George Martin showed to John, he thought it was absurd but liked the sound of it (also there's a bit of a phallic thing going on throughout the song)

It's All Too Much

Yellow Sub 1969 Noisy, psychedelic freak-out, recorded in 67. It uses different instrumental timbres/textures, lots of guitar feedback (much wilder than "I Feel Fine") Lyrics referring to being overwhelmed by LSD

Sgt Pepper lonely hearts club band/ With a little help from my friends

"Fake live show" concept—audience noise at the beginning, tuning, cheering, acting as an MC of their own album (introducing "Billy Shears"): it's an experience as much as a record "With a Little Help" jokingly refers to Ringo's singing troubles; lampooning his own limited singing range Obvious drug reference ("I get high with a little help from my friends"), also juvenile penis joke This song pair exemplary of Paul's two main styles: the rocker and the Broadway tune master -Paul plays the abrasive, acid lead guitar lines on "Sgt. Pepper" -- George only sings back-up on that track (an early sign of George's alienation—he was very deeply into Indian music and even got away from playing guitar around this time) -At this stage the Beatles would usually record drums and piano/guitar first and then overdub everything, so Ringo was also bored/alienated. He said he learned how to play chess during the recording sessions. Sgt. Pepper was Paul's brainchild, and the album marks his ascent as the creative leader of the Beatles; John felt that his songs were almost "done to order". He was reportedly dissatisfied with the arrangements, and dismissive of some (admittedly great) songs, though he softened his stance later (Playboy interview, 1980). John was also deeply into acid at the time of the sessions, kind of withdrawn, non-combative. He lets Paul have his way.

Paperback Writer

(A-side), 1966 with Rain Huge fuzz guitar+bass sound; heavier version of "Day Tripper," points towards beginning of first wave British Heavy Metal Paul decided to write a song about a book; one of Paul's new "character" songs. Largely his, except a few things from John, such as the "Frere Jacques" BGV line. Direct Injection (DI) recording of bass - reversing a speaker to act like a microphone into the board. You avoid the use of a microphone, the bass doesn't make any sound in the room. Allows them to have a really beefy sound. Guitar riff mostly likely was recorded by Paul. George played guitar part live. Very intricate vocal harmonies (often different).

Rain

(B-Side), 1966 with Paperback Writer Rhythm track was recorded at a faster speed, slowed down for different sound (you can hear the change in speed as it was done manually...trippy). John recorded his solo vocals with the tape running a little slower, so once sped up his voice would sound a little higher, a little off pitch, provided dreamy feeling. Backwards vocals in last verse (first time on a rock record). Apparently, John was stoned, and had brought home a temporary tape from the sessions to listen to at home, and that was just a loose tape, so he had to thread it on his machine, and because he was stoned, he played it backward. Thunderous drumming performance by Ringo. This was his favorite performance. They never wrote or played when they were stoned. John said he loved tripping, but he would never actually be high when he was in the studio or when he was song writing. They were actually pretty professional about that. You can hear the drift in the tempo of the song as they adjusted the speed of the tape. Sometimes it feels like the song drags, but it all contributes to the psychedelic feeling.

Revolver

1966 Revolutionary in production quality/recording techniques. All four Beatles are peaking at the same time: George has three compositions on this record; fantastic drumming by Ringo on several tracks, he himself said he was "possessed"; Paul's songwriting reaches new heights. John is heavily on LSD, has found a different inner self. He's less rough and aggressive. Beginning of John Lennon who (later) was associated with peace and love. Also begins to be estranged from Cynthia (who only had LSD a few times and didn't like it) George, and Ringo also using LSD by now. Paul is resistant. Creates a dynamic in which Paul starts to feel left out. Later, in 1967, he tries LSD. Later in 1968 John became addicted to heroin, probably risked ODing a few times—pretty intense drug use. A lot of their contemporaries died because of drugs. Geoff Emerick (former tape-op) substitutes Normal Smith. Age: 20. EMI had manuals on how to lead recording studios, but Geoff didn't care about these guidelines. He actually went into the recording area, and he would move mics. Recording dates for Revolver: April-May 1966 before last American tour, tracks released to radio stations one by one to build anticipation. Released in June 1966. Remember that the order of tracks on the album doesn't necessarily reflect the order in which they were recorded.

Elanor Rigby

1966, Revolver First song by a rock band to be recorded using only classical instruments (string octet—a double string quartet: two cellos, two violas, four violins); Martin's arrangement inspired by Bernard Herrmann's soundtrack for Psycho. Strings are close mic'd: bigger, warmer, bassier sound (the session players were horrified and kept trying to move further away) Melody alternates between natural minor and the Dorian mode; conventional minor mode is darker, Dorian is brighter. Uneven phrase length ("Eleanor Rigby / picks up the rice in a church where a wedding has been / Lives in a dream") Paul originally said he made up the names, but there is a grave marked Eleanor Rigby in the Liverpool cemetery. Unusually, released in the UK as a double A-side with "Yellow Submarine" right before Revolver.

St. peppers lonely hearts club (album)

1967 At this stage, the Beatles are no longer touring and are not limited by having to compose things they could play live; they have mastered studio experimentation in Revolver; they had heard "concept" albums by Zappa (Freak Out!), & the Beach Boys, and were spurned to top that. The Beatles didn't release anything between Revolver (June 1966) and February 1967, though. Question on everyone's mind: "What happened to The Beatles? Did they dry up?" This is a long stretch of time for a band that used to release a new album every six months. Sgt. Pepper's recording sessions lasted from Nov. 1966- Apr. 1967. This was their most expensive album to date; estimated production costs was £25,000 (equivalent to about $610,000 today). Compare to Please Please Me (cost £400 ($11,000) and recorded in 11 hours). It was released simultaneously all over the world (they had never done that before) on June 1, 1967, which was compared to the Congress of Vienna in terms of an event unifying the West. Radio stations were playing the album on a loop, back-to-back. This album for many people became the soundtrack to the "Summer of Love." The Beatles became a symbol for the counterculture because they were perceived as being anti-establishment. The world, music business included, had been run by "guys in suits," and the Beatles were anything but. They were just some kids from England who had somehow captured the imagination of millions: their lyrics included anything from mysticism, drugs, authority rebellion, and sexual exploration; they managed to be commercially successful despite not being "prepackaged;" they wrote their own stuff and curated every element of their artistic production Sgt. Pepper's was the first Beatles album without an altered tracklist bewteen the US and UK version. Charting: #1 for 22 weeks in the UK, 15 weeks in the US. Some of Sgt. Pepper's "firsts": bit of a "concept album," in which all of the tracks are unified/related. The concept, which is kind of loosely implemented here, was that a fictitious band performing a concert. Pepper was also the first record without "banding;" the tracks on the LP are NOT separated by extended silences, giving the impression of a single performance. Enormous attention was paid to the aesthetics of the record—for example, the record jacket had pink waves (instead of being plain white, or sporting advertisements for other records). The album also came with (completely unnecessary, but cool) cardboard cut-out badges, mustache, and bandstand; and was packaged as a luxurious gatefold with full lyrics printed on the back. The cover alone cost £3000 pounds to make; designed by Peter Blake. Earlier budget for cover art had been around £50 (just get a photographer and snap a photo!). This was an unprecedented amount of money spent on an album cover, but this cover is one of the most unforgettable, iconic album covers. The people appearing on the cover were intricate cardboard cut outs, carefully arranged. Some of the included people were Bob Dylan, Laurel and Hardy, Gandhi (taken out for the final version), Leo Gorcey (funny actor, got painted blue because he insisted they pay him to use his likeness), wax statues of themselves, Stockhausen (electronic music German composer), Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde, 3 Shirley Temples (!), and many more. John also wanted Jesus and Hitler to be included, but they weren't for obvious reasons. Paul and Mal kind of came up with the idea for "Sgt. Pepper" when returning from their 1966 post-tour vacation and at first they thought it was stupid, but Paul grew to like the idea of getting to be other people with different interests. They can be whoever they want, so they all grow mustaches and more facial hair, John wears his glasses, and they have outrageous costumes, etc.

Magical Mystery Tour (Album)

1967 British version is a double-EP: two 7" discs cut at 45 rpm, about 20 minutes in length (album is at least 25 minutes long). Could have fit the music on one 7" disc at 33 rpm, but sound quality would have been affected. Includes a 28-page color booklet; can be seen as an experiment in music packaging/selling. US version is a full LP, includes other 1967 singles. Originally the US version had "fake stereo" mixes for the singles (stereo masters were lost in transit); the CD remasters from from 1987 fixed the stereo mixes. The US version became a "canonic" Beatles album, part of the official discography. It's the only US release to do so. Paul composed the majority of songs for this album

Magical Mystery Tour (film)

1967 Unlike previous movies, this one was written and produced directly by the Beatles, almost improvised, lots of juxtaposed ideas. Released by Apple Movies, part of the Beatles' new multi-media company. Continuation of the energy from Sgt. Pepper's, if without the same kind of laser-like focus. The song clips in the music are pretty sophisticated; mixed with Python-like comedy (absurd, nonsensical, often disturbing) Originally not shown in movies theatres, but broadcasted on the BBC on Boxing Day 1967 (a shopping holiday); also broadcasted in black/white due to TV infrastructure, not to the advantage of the film (very colorful). As a result if rated very low in terms of audience, was savaged by the critics (see quote on poster above), and kind of confused the fans. The Beatles stood by it though. Victor Spinetti returns for his third Beatle movie Mal Evans plays one of the "four or five" magicians.

Yellow Submarine (film)

1968 Perhaps the Beatles's weakest effort. Only two "new" tracks recorded for movie, the rest were either previously released or recorded during the Pepper sessions and discarded. We go a little bit out of order in terms of release dates, but follow recording dates chronologically: Yellow Submarine: Recorded 1967/68, Released Jan 1969 The Beatles: Recorded Feb-Oct 1968, Released Nov 1968 Let It Be: Recorded Jan-Feb 1969, Released May 1970 Abbey Road: Recorded Feb-August 1969, Released September 1969 Al Brodax: director of Yellow Submarine; also director of the Beatles animated series (1964-1965) Contract with United Artists was for 3 movies; however the Beatles were not interested in doing another, especially after MMT film (which was NOT released by United). They decide to do a cartoon instead, using voice actors, with a small cameo of the Beatles in person at the end. UA argued the film didn't meet contractual obligations because the Beatles were barely in it; eventually they agree to shoot what will become Let It Be

The Beatles (white album)

1968 Self-titled (original title was going to be "A Doll's House" but another band used something really similar and the Beatles decided to change it.) Notice the stripped-down aesthetic; kind of the opposite to Pepper. Original run featured numbered/stamped copies (Ringo got #0000001)—ironic that an object meant to be distributed/sold by the millions would be individually numbered Double album, twice the length, more expensive to make. Very varied in terms of song genres, style, and quality. Some critics felt many of the songs weren't that great. George Martin wanted it to be a single album, but at this point the Beatles were basically independent; Martin even takes two-week vacation in the midst of production!. Songwriting has become almost entirely individual; several tracks recorded solo (many by Paul). John REALLY didn't like when Paul worked by himself; very tense atmosphere in the studio. About half of the songs on the album don't feature all four Beatles. Tension and strife in the studio; in many ways, this is the beginning of the end... George Martin goes on hiatus, Geoff Emerick leaves altogether. John demands that Yoko is present at recording session; the other Beatles also start inviting wives/girlfriends. It ruins the kind of "inner sanctum" atmosphere. First Beatles album released on Apple Records, 22 November 1968. (First overall Beatles release: "Hey Jude"/"Revolution" single, August '68)

Lady Madonna

1968 Single, A side Last Parlophone release by the beatles, March 1968. The B-side was "The Inner Light" (Harrison), another Indian composition with much more Carnatic (Southern) elements than Harrison's previous Hindustani (Northern) focus. "The Inner Light" was partially recorded during a visit to Bombay, employing local musicians+George; and later finished in London with backing vocals by Paul and John. First Harrison composition to appear as a single. In "Lady Madonna", there is a noteworthy sax solo by Ronnie Scott; however it's partially covered by George, Paul, and John singing a mock-kazoo line. Later versions of the mix (Anthology and Love) "fixed" the solo by making it louder than the vocals. Lyrics describe the toiling of a Liverpool working class mom; Lennon expressed disdain for the song, even though I find it one of Paul's most memorable "characters". Went to #1 in about 4 weeks

Yellow Submarine (album)

1969 Side 1 Includes a selection of songs from the movie; only four are previously unreleased Side 2 orchestral music written by George Martin for the movie: includes some interesting Beatles quotes but it's not really something we're going to look at in detail.

Abbey Road

1969 The Beatles' final studio effort. Right after the "Get Back" sessions they head back to the studios to "make it right". George Martin and Emerick are back, on condition of better behavior from the band. Alan Parsons (future prog-rock legend) is assistant engineer. Iconic cover photo came about as an improvised idea, they were toying with the idea of calling the album Everest and fly to Nepal to take the picture; eventually they realised it would have been impractical so they simply walked outside the studio and took the picture there (Paul's idea).

All You Need Is Love

A side 1967-- Baby You're a Rich Man This song became kind of a mantra for the counterculture; again happens at the perfect historical moment ("putting flowers into the barrels of guns") Commissioned by the BBC for the first worldwide satellite simulcast, entitled "Our World". Aired on 25 June 1967. Combination of live performance elements (orchestra, lead vocals, bass, drums, lead guitar), other were pre-recorded (backing track with additional percussion and backing vocals). Martin was quite stressed due the technical difficulties; Lennon nervous, can be seen chewing gum (!) Released as a single in July '67 Coda becomes self-referential, John sings "Yesterday", and Paul "She Loves You"...

The Ballad of John and Yoko

A side with old brown shoe, 1969 A song by John chronicling the events leading to and following his marriage to Yoko. Had idea for the song and wanted to record it right away, so he called up Paul (George & Ringo were unavailable). John and Paul working closely together (and having fun) despite the "touchy" subject matter. They record all instruments heard on the track (Paul on bass and drums) Banned in the US for the blasphemous refrain, and in Spain for politics (rock of Gibraltar is contested b/w Spain and the UK). Released as a single in May 1969, the B-side was George's "Old Brown Shoe" The song refers to John and Yoko's first "bed in" for peace; their new theory of bagism (if anyone wore a bag over their head/body there would be no prejudice); and the acorns they sent to various world leaders as an invitation to plant trees, not drop bombs.

Get Back

A side, with don't let me down, 1969 (Also the inspiration for calling it "jojo's" bizarre adventure)

She Came in Through the Bathroom Window

Abbey Road, 1969 (Paul) relates a real-life incident of fans breaking into Paul's home to steal some pictures (since returned) and clothes. (there's a break between this and the following song, then it's straight through to the end)

Here Comes the Sun

Abbey Road, 1969 Another stellar song by George, instant classic. Written in Clapton's garden, longing for/appreciating the simple pleasures of life at a time of strife/stress—not unlike "Octopus's Garden" in a way. Iconic fingerstyle guitar intro, but without the restrictions of a rigid arpeggio pattern. Lots of synth (Moog) in the arrangement, gets progressively more obvious throughout the song. Personally I think George went a little overboard with it. He was very interested in the possibilities of the Moog and recorded a whole album with it, Electronic Sound, released by Zapple (Apple's "experimental" label) in '69

Because

Abbey Road, 1969 One of the Beatles' most lavish songs. Three part vocal harmony, triple-tracked to result in the illusion of nine voices. Arrangement uses an electric harpsichord (played by G.Martin), electric guitar, and Moog synth (George). Poetic lyrics by Lennon, striking/associative imagery, in his own words: "No bullshit"

Octopus's Garden

Abbey Road, 1969 Ringo's second "solo" composition; written in Sardinia while on vacation, as he learned that octopi build underwater gardens with rocks and shiny objects. Part escape-fantasy, part children's song, it actually works really well overall and reflects a massive improvement from the likes of "What Goes On" and "Don't Pass Me By" George helped with arranging, great lead guitar parts, bubble sound effects during solo. Paul played the piano part in addition to bass & background vocals

The End

Abbey Road, 1969 Ringos' only drum solo in the Beatles catalogue, followed by guitar solos by the Paul, George, and John, in order, repeated three times.

Something

Abbey Road, 1969 Slightly older song by George, dates back to White Album. Arguably his best song with the Beatles? First A-side for George (double-A single release with "Come Together") Verse and Bridge are in different keys that are somewhat related, but also quite distant. Change of key in bridge is perceived like a big "lift" propelling the song to new heights. Terrific performances by everyone—George on lead guitar, Paul's bass part, Ringo's drumming, Martin's orchestral arrangement. Right at the end of the Beatles' carreer, George's pieces finally get the attention/care they deserve (mostly thanks to his own arranging prowess)

Come Together

Abbey Road, 1969 Song written by John; inspired by Timothy Leary's campaign slogan for his California gubernatorial campaign (which failed) Lyrics refer to each different Beatles (George-Ringo-John-Paul); Billy Preston on keys. Lennon was sued by Big Seven, the publisher of Chuck Berry's songs for lifting a line (lyrically, and sort of melodically) from Berry's "You Can't Catch Me" Great sounding track—muted drums, delay on handclaps and voice at beginning, super-active bass line by Paul. John recorded all the vocals; Paul was reportedly disappointed he didn't get to sing it together with John as in the good ol' days.

I Want You/She's So Heavy

Abbey Road, 1969 Two distinct songs, both composed by John, stitched together/alternating. One of the band's longest tracks, very repetitive/doomy song. John plays lead guitar on this recording. The ending section (coda) features multiple overdubbed guitars to create heavier sound, blended in with white noise from the Moog synthesizer (played by John, again). Coda alone is nearly four minutes long, repeating the bassline/guitar chords obsessively. Minimalist lyrics (fourteen words total) are referring to Yoko.

Polythene Pam

Abbey Road, 1969 about a woman with a plastic film fetish. John ties it to previous song by changing the name of Mr Mustard's sister

Her Majesty

Abbey Road, 1969 originally discarded and cut out of the medley (appeared between Mr. Mustard and Polythene Pam—hence the crashing chord at the beginning of the clip), it was spliced at the end of the master tape by studio assistants who were told never to throw away anything from the sessions. The Beatles liked the surprise/light effect and left it on. Unlisted on the album cover until the '87 CD re-release ("ghost track").

Mean Mr. Mustard

Abbey Road, 1969 written by John in India, story song about nothing at all

Sun King

Abbey Road, 1969 written by John, also in three-part harmony, famous "word salad" bridge

You Never Give Me Your Money

Abbey Road, 1969 written by Paul while honeymooning with Linda, about/against Allen Klein (also slightly escapist...notice a pattern?)

Baby You're a Rich Man

B side 1967-- "All you need is love" Another mantra-like song, attempting to recognize individual worth/beauty, John's response to people asking him how it felt to be on top of the world. Verses by John, chorus is an unrelated idea by Paul. Possibly talking about Brian Epstein? I don't think so, but some people have read references to him in some of the lyrics

Strawberry Fields/ Penny Lane (single)

Double A side 1967 There were the earliest songs recorded from the Pepper sessions, released upon pressure from EMI in February 1967(media was suggesting The Beatles had "dried up") Didn't make it to #1 (kept at #2 by "Release Me" by Engelbert Umperdinck). First time a Beatles single doesn't top the charts since Please Please Me. George Martin later regretted not including these tracks on the finished album; the press went crazy with this, thinking that "the bubble had burst" for The Beatles.

Let it Be (Album)

Last Beatles album to be released, May 8 1970, roughly a month after Paul McCartney announced he was leaving the band. NOT THE LAST to be recorded. Recording and production history is the most complicated among Beatles albums. The original concept was for an album called "Get Back", featuring a more stripped down sound, with simpler arrangements, no overdubs. All songs on the album were intended to be recorded live, without editing or special effects. Since Emerick had quit working with the band Glyn Johns is brought in as a hybrid engineer/producer role. George Martin's role is kind of unspecified. Paul takes the lead, effectively trying to salvage what's left of the group. John is disinterested, addicted to heroin, and very much into Yoko. He resents the other Beatles and the staff, who are often mean/rude to Yoko United Artists is also demanding another Beatles feature film, since their original contract was for three movies, and the studio felt that Yellow Submarine didn't count (since the Beatles were barely in it). So the Beatles decide to record the making of this album, with film crew present and recording pretty much every moment spent in the studio (makes it more tense.) The project initially took place at Twickenham studios from Jan 2-10, 1969. The Beatles had chose to use the space because their own studios, designed by "Magic" Alex Madras, was basically unusable. Twickenham was a huge, cavernous space, often cold and uncomfortable. The weird location contributed to the tensions among band members. On January 10th George quits after separate fights with Paul & John; leaves the band for two weeks. Lennon can be heard suggesting they replace him with Clapton. Later he comes back, but demanded they move back at their own studios at Apple Corps (which was made usable in the meantime); also George invited keyboardist Billy Preston to ease tensions. Preston's presence acts as a diffusing factor and ensures the Beatles act more professionally. He becomes the first artist to share a recording credit with them: "Get Back"/"Don't Let Me Down" single, released April 1969, is credited to "The Beatles with Billy Preston"

The Long and Winding Road

Let it be 1970 Another gospel-inspired song, really heavy-handed production by Spector. Lazy bass playing by John, almost to the level of sabotage. Spector ended up choosing an early run-through rather than the "final" take, removed guitar and electric piano, added a Disneyesque, overly-dramatic orchestral arrangement.

Let it Be

Let it be 1970 Classic ballad by Paul, gospel-inspired Notice horrid delay effect on hi-hat, second verse "Let It Be" exists in three versions: album, 1970 single (produced by George Martin), and ...naked version. Each features a different guitar solo by George.

I Me Mine

Let it be 1970 Finished in January 1970 by George, Paul, and Ringo. John had privately quit the band in September of 1969. This is the last Beatles song to be recorded by the band while all four members are still alive (John not present though). Changes of meters in verses/chorus Lyrics are a commentary on egotism and selfishness. Notice completely unnecessary orchestral overdubs (Spector)

Across the Universe

Let it be 1970 Recorded in 1968 as a demo before the band went to India; one version released on No One's Gonna Change our World, a WWF benefit compilation album in 1969. Spector took the demo version and overdubbed an orchestral/choral part (the 1969 recordings were never finished)

For You Blue

Let it be 1970 Straightforward 12-bar blues by George. John plays lap steel guitar/solo. Reference to famous slide guitarist Elmore James in George's commentary over the solo.

Blue Jay Way

MMT 1967 Another of George's raga-rock fusions: this one is basically droning, static harmony, but doesn't use any exotic instruments. Summer of 1967, George spends some time in the US, including a famous visit to Haight-Ashbury in SF at the peak of the "Summer of Love" The song was composed when George was waiting for Derek Taylor (Beatles press agent) in a house on the L.A. hills; George smoked some weed and composed the song, capturing the atmosphere of the moment You can hear some clear example of phasing (especially on the lead vocals and the drums): ADT machine is manipulated in real time by slowing down one of the two tapes; the result includes sound waves that are shifted against one another, creating a phase cancellation (swooshing sound, sounds like a jet engine flying by); what you hear something that is not "real" drums sound The visual elements from the film really amplify the atmosphere of the songs, and this song is a good example of that.

Hello Goodbye

MMT 1967 Started as a joke with Alistair Taylor (Beatles aide); Paul asked him to shout out words, and he would compose a song by responding with the opposite. John was expecting that the a-side was going to be "I Am the Walrus", disappointed that the more commercial song was picked by George Martin. Here's a restored promo film, shown on the Ed Sullivan Show in the fall of 1967. Promo films are the Beatles' new avenue into the world (no more touring) Kind of amateurish (obviously lip-synced, and not even that well); George and John look kind of bored. Paul directed the video, said it was way harder than he thought! Notice Paul's active bass playing (you can see his fingers pretty clearly in several shots), also another great drum performance by Ringo

Tomorrow never knows

Revolver 1966 Constant drone on a low C. They were interested in writing "one chord songs", this is the first time the were able to do it (they got close with "Love Me Do," "The Word," and "Paperback Writer"). Paul was influenced by German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen; piece uses extremely long and complex home tape loops, strung together across several tape machines in different rooms. One is Paul's laughter, played backwards and sped up—sounds like birds. Solo has been claimed to come from "Taxman" but IT DOES NOT (it's similar, but different; definitely not the same solo or even bits of it). It is however played backwards. George Martin has said it would not be possible to replicate this song exactly due to the random processes they did when recording it in the studio—a lot of the changes in volume, or the switches from one loop to another were done on the fly. Also: John voice is fed through a Leslie Cabinet (rotating speakers); he wanted to be swung from the ceiling fan or to go to a tibetan mountaintop/hire a choir of a thousand monks, but the Leslie speaker achieved a passable effect instead. Additional "swirly" effects done by manually flanging (slowing down with finger) the tape reel. Lyrics based from the book The Tibetan Book of the Dead (not actually Tibetan; by U.S. psychedelia advocate Tim Leary) Trivia: this may be the first Beatles song in which the title does not appear in the lyrics.

I want to tell you

Revolver 1966 George is improving still as a songwriter—this is his third contribution to this album (!) Temporary titled "I don't know" or "Granny Smith Part Friggin' Two" (after "Love You Two", which bore the temp title "Granny Smith") About difficulty to communicate with people, particular with relationships Lyrics are reflected in the stuttering introductory riff, as well as in the very strange chord in the verse on which the piano seems to get "stuck" (or "hung up"?). Chord is dissonant, unstable, very unusual for rock and roll music.

Gotta get you into my life

Revolver 1966 Pau's personal ode to marijuana Great swinging arrangement for brass instruments by Paul and G.Martin. Notice the change in timbre/color when the guitars come in towards the end of the song (maybe inspired by instrumentation on Pet Sounds?)

Here, There and Everywhere

Revolver 1966 Paul's song - obvious "response" to Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys (in turn a response to Rubber Soul...) American Rubber Soul sounds more folky than the British version; opens with "I've Just Seen a Face". Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys heard it while working on Pet Sounds and was stimulated to make an album without "filler" tracks and with an overarching, cohesive sound. The Beatles heard Pet Sounds at a private listening party in London; they were still recording Revolver, and had time to "respond". Paul writes this as a harmonic venture into Beach Boys territory. Harmonically very complex—frequent modulations in the bridge Brass comes in during the last few seconds of the song, similar to how classical instrumentation sometimes changes abruptly in Pet Sounds

And Your Bird Can Sing

Revolver 1966 Possibly referring to Mick Jagger's girlfriend at the time, Marianne Faithfull ("bird"= girl in UK slang); or possibly about Frank Sinatra's manhood ("bird"=penis in Italian American slang). Personally I think it's about Marianne Faithfull, but John was making a lot of penis jokes during one of the recording session. Dual guitar intro/solo, in harmony (George + Paul). Never done before by the Beatles, won't really do it again: they usually do not repeat themselves to be more creative. Notice how the final chord is not the tonic chord, creates a bit of a suspended feeling, allowing for a great segue into the following song.

Doctor Robert

Revolver 1966 Reference to NY doctor prescribing stimulants ("uppers") to wealthy patients Also possibly about the UK dentist who slipped LSD to George, John, Cynthia, and Pattie at a dinner in 1965, allegedly hoping to kickstart a swinging session/orgy. They end up driving around London all night at ridiculously slow speeds, go clubbing until the club closes, etc. etc...John is really into it, George too, the wives not so much Notice the color/timbre/instrumentation changes in the bridge—as if signaling the drug taking effect. These are the actual drug references that the censors did not get at the time. Throughout this track and the whole album you can hear a new guitar sound for the Beatles, with really sharp/edgy distortion and jagged, stab-like rhythm playing (survives into Sgt.Pepper's, eventually changes again)

Good Day Sunshine

Revolver 1966 Reflects an altered state of mind/hints of psychedelia (especially the line about the sun "burns my feet when I touch the ground"; Almost a run-through for "Penny Lane"; notice prominence of piano as rhythm and solo instrument. Piano solo by George Martin, not as good as the one on "In My Life" Chorus (and intro): Accented beats creates the illusion of a different meter, grouped as 3+3+2; however the song is in 4 throughout:

She said She said

Revolver 1966 Relates a LSD-party incident with Eleanor Bron and Peter Fonda. Peter told a story about shooting himself in the leg and almost died, John (who was high) was really freaked out and had him removed from the party. Notice two-part bridge; meter changes (number of beats per line: 4+4; 3+3+3; 6+3; 6+3) Paul did not play on this song (had a 'barney' with the others, left the studio); George most likely played bass on this song.

I'm only sleeping

Revolver 1966 Trippy, psychedelic song by John (not "overtly" about drugs, but easily drug influenced in its atmosphere) Backwards guitar solo and fills by George (carefully composed so it would fit with the song). There are four different versions of the solo and fills: the mono and stereo versions of the US and UK releases (it's on "Yesterday and Today" in the US discography) are all slightly different

For No One

Revolver 1966 Uses an almost Baroque instrumentation (clavichord, strings); terrific French horn solo played by Alan Civil ("greatest French horn player in London" at the time). Solo is hard both because of high register (top note is actually outside of the instrument's conventional range), and Civil also lamented that the song was recorded "between" two keys (that's a bit unclear actually). Not a 100% solo song from Paul, but almost. Ringo is the only one that played in it other than Paul and session players. Lyrics are dark, almost depressing, very mature. About another argument with his girlfriend Jane Asher, foreshadows breakup (two years later) Another suspended ending!

Yellow Submarine

Revolver 1966 Written as a phychedelic children's song. Narrow melodic span to suit Ringo's vocal range Use of sound effects and collage; John and Paul singing into the echo chambers, Ringo went down the hallway to shout "drop the cable, cut the cable!" At one point they submerged a microphone in a bowl full of water, protecting it with a condom. Very dangerous idea (expensive microphone, unorthodox technique). They actually didn't use that effect in the final recording (the water sounds were made by blowing bubbles through straws, and by swishing metal chains in a vat full of water). Lyrics convey ideas of community, friendship, and love—another "zeitgeist" song, not really meant anything, but it became a symbol for its epoch. Mal Evans led a "conga line" with various guests (including Marianne Faithfull, Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones, and Pattie Harrison) singing the chorus at the end Abbey Road Echo Chambers—walls are not square, tiled throughout, columns create complex sound reflections. They would play audio into chamber through a speaker and record the resulting echoes, mix it in with the original to create reverb effect (a sense of "space").

Taxman

Revolver, 1966 George's second non-love song ("Think for Yourself") Lead guitar by Paul—easily the best solo so far in Beatles literature. Snarling, slithering, sort of Indian-tinged (a "nod" to George") Anti-establishment song, against incredibly high British taxation rate for people making as much money as the Beatles (95%!) Taxman or Batman? the "Taxman" tag and the accompanying chords sound very similar to Neal Hefti's theme for the TV show "Batman" (the one with Adam West) Release history is problematic—show first aired in the US in Jan 1966, but the Beatles hadn't been to the US since '65; UK debut is June '66 (AFTER the recording of "Taxman"). However, the theme song was released as a single in Jan '66 in the US, so maybe Harrison got his hands on that somehow?

When I'm Sixty-Four

Sgt. Peppers 1967 Inspired by Paul's dad's 64th birthday. Arrangement by Martin (clarinet trio), emphasizes Paul's "music hall" style Kind of a corny song, but also charming

Lucy in the sky with diamonds

Sgt. Peppers 1967 Inspired by a drawing by John's son Julian, featuring one of his preschool buddies (Lucy). Lots of speculation about the title referring to LSD (Paul joked that the title referred to LITSWD instead). Obviously the song IS psychedelic, but it doesn't really have any "secret" message or anything like that. Adventurous harmonies (verse, pre-chorus, and chorus are in three different keys) and meter changes (verse/pre-chours are in triple meter, chorus is in four; notice the meter modulation (3 beats in the verse=2 beats in the chorus)) Very active McCartney bassline Surreal lyrics, almost Lewis Carroll-like. John's lyrics are becoming more and more for their own sake (see "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!") Also notice tambura drone, guitar through leslie cabinet (pre-chorus) and Lowrey Organ (intro melody)

Good Morning Good Morning

Sgt. Peppers 1967 Inspired/lampooning a breakfast cereal advertisement Lyrics critique the boredom/sameness of suburban life/societal expectations Constantly changing meters in verse, irregular groups of 5s, 4s, and 3s, clearly navigated by Ringo (he IS a good drummer!) Acid guitar solo/fills by Paul Brass by Sounds, Inc. (an instrumental band also on EMI—requested by Lennon) The coda features a sequence of different animals sound recordings (in order of increasing size/fierceness); the clucking chicken at the end becomes the guitar riff of the "Sgt. Pepper's" reprise.

Getting Better

Sgt. Peppers 1967 Jimmie Nicol saying, Paul was reminded of it while on a walk with his sheepdog Martha Another set of optimistic/sarcastic lyrics (Paul/John) Third verse explicitly refers to John's abusive history "trademark" bassline by Paul, very active/melodic Tambura again for sustained effect on third verse

She's leaving home

Sgt. Peppers 1967 No rock instruments, just the voices and small orchestra (no Ringo) Martin was not the arranger for this, it was done by Mike Leander because George M. was busy with other projects for a couple of days, and Paul couldn't wait. G. Martin was reportedly upset at this, but still conducted/recorded the orchestra like a consummated pro. Style of arrangement reminds that of Martin, but is a bit heavier-handed and not as clear, in my opinion. Lyrics are about youth emancipation and the difficulty of communicating between older and current generation. The comments from the parents were contributed by John; the parents kind of evolve over the course of the song, but they don't really "get" their daughter. Notice the complex prosody again: phrase lengths are asymmetrical, melody kind of tumbles around, almost like the image of the girl tiptoeing down the stairs. Similar Paul songwriting feature as "I've Just Seen a Face" and "Eleanor Rigby"

Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite

Sgt. Peppers 1967 The lyrics are taken from a vintage circus advertisement poster found by Lennon Circus interlude music done by cutting up a bunch of organ & calliope recordings (some made by them, some from the archives), throwing the pieces of tape in the air, and then splicing it together (random/aleatoric process, like in some contemporary avant-garde music). John said he wanted to "smell the sawdust on the floor" Henry the Horse was NOT a secret code for heroin, despite what people said. Notice the beautiful strangeness of the lyrics, most of them are simply lifted/rearranged from the original poster with very few changes.

Within You Without You

Sgt. Peppers 1967 The second song to be recorded by a solo Beatle song (the first one was "Yesterday"); only George participates Uncredited Indian session musicians, indicate kind of systemic racism in England (nobody cared enough to write down their names in the studio logs) The most noticeable instruments are the dilruba (bowed sitar), tambura, and tabla; notice the deep, detailed recorded tabla sound. George also plays a nice sitar solo Alan Pollack (Beatles historian/musicologist) says this song was too strange for rock fans, too naive for Indian music experts Orchestral instruments (by George Martin) mimic and have to adapt to the tuning of Indian instruments Laughter at end? George H. felt the song was too serious; wanted to take some of the weight off.

Penny Lane

Single, A side 1967 -- strawberry fields As many of Paul's songs, this one is often dismissed as being saccharine and contrived, but this song reflects places in his childhood in Liverpool and has a lot of sincerity, lyrically. Complex harmonies by pop music standards: he uses pivot chords to modulate between different keys for verse and chorus. Pivot chords are chords that are common between the two keys and can act as a gateway from one to the other. Later in the song, before the very last chorus repeat, Paul employs a so-called "truck driver" modulation (a type of direct modulation, changes the key "upwards", like a trucker downshifting/revving up the engine for speed; very common in commercial/pop music for the uplifting psychological effect) . Also note the hyperactive, melodic bass line (a new Paul trademark, also in "With a Little Help from my Friends" and many other songs from this time forward) Paul had recently heard a performance of Bach's Brandenburg Concertos on TV, so he requested a piccolo trumpet solo (performed by David Mason). This famously difficult solo was written by Paul and transcribed by G.Martin. Psychedelic elements: Paul's lyrics "flatten" the different times of year to present a psychedelic portrait of Penny Lane—the seasons' ambiguity (is it summer or winter (nurse selling poppies=Remembrance Day, in November)? Raining or sunny?) is an "all-at-once" portrayal, which is a hallmark of psychedelia. Also, the song incorporates a distorted, amplified piano track, which feedbacks at the very end (remember altered/bigger sounds=psychedelic traits as far as I'm concerned) Song include a couple of jokes: a musical one ("Banker sitting" accompanied by a very low contrabass note), as well as a dirty one ("four of fish and finger pie"...)

Hey Jude

Single, A side 1968 -- B side is Revolution Written by Paul to console Julian at the time of his parents' divorce (originally entitled "Hey Jules"). John thought the song was actually written for him. Incredibly long coda, almost a foreteller of future "stadium Rock" anthems. Orchestra only appears in the coda (surprise!) In the coda the session musicians were asked to overdub vocals and handclaps—a few asked asked to be paid a double fee and were not included in the recording as a result.

Revolution 9

White Album 1968 "Revolution 9" was mainly done by George, John, with help from Yoko. Shows the influence of John Cage ("Williams Mix"), Stockhausen, and Edgard Varèse. Very strange mix of stock audio, orchestral symphonic samples, bits of John's voice from the recording sessions, all cut/pasted/reversed into a dream-like scenario. You should listen to this as a kind of movie for your ears: notice the way that short loops become "rhythmic" through repetition; also notice the startling effect (called "acousmatic") that happens when you are confronted with a familiar sound "masked" or otherwise hidden from its expected source. In "Revolution 9" the most obvious example is the entrance of John's voice, which is manipulated/fragmented, yet suddenly recognizable as his own. I can't tell how "deliberate" a lot of these effects are in the Beatles's case, but all told "Revolution 9" is a successful attempt at creating a memorable, unpredictable listening experience.

Good Night

White Album 1968 A lullaby for Julian by John. For the album, given to Ringo to sing, and augmented by a deliberately cheesy arrangement (by George Martin) upon Lennon's request.

Julia

White Album 1968 Dual meaning: about Lennon's mother, but also Yoko. John saw Yoko as a mother figure. "Ocean Child" is one of the possible translations/meanings of Yoko's name. This is the only solo recording by Lennon from the Beatles timeframe. He was not into the idea of individual members recording by themselves. Both Guitar and voice are double tracked; Donovan-inspired guitar part.

Mother Nature's Son

White Album 1968 Inspired by one of the Maharishi's lectures; guitar parts shows Donovan's influence. Brass arrangement+distant timpani sound, recorded by Paul halfway down the hall with the studio door open. John and Ringo "walked in" on Paul recording this tune alone. John also wrote a song about the same lecture, entitled "Child of Nature" (Esher Tapes); he later changed the lyrics and title into "Jealous Guy" "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey" and "Sexy Sadie" were also inspired directly by the Maharishi—the first was a phrase he used often, the second refers to the allegations of sexual harassment that contributed to John to lose faith in him.

Blackbird

White Album 1968 Inspired by the civil rights movement in the US; "Black Bird=Black Girl" in English slang. Guitar part shows influence of Donovan, but was also modeled in part on Bach's Bourrée from the E Minor Lute Suite (popular classical piece that Paul apparently dabbled with). Double track on the Paul's voice, foot taps (NOT A METRONOME), taped birdsong.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

White Album 1968 Originally a mellow, acoustic guitar driven ballad (see Esher Tapes). Lead guitar by Eric Clapton (the Yardbirds, Cream), joins the session on George's invitation. Because they had a guest, everyone was on their best behavior. Notice Clapton's guitar fills (happening when the voice is not singing), which feature wide, controlled string bends (pushing the string sideways to change its pitch) and expressive, voice-like vibrato. The solo was treated with generous amounts of tape flanging (slowing down one side of the tape so that it goes out of sync with itself), to make it sound more Beatles-y. The solo was played on a Gibson Les Paul, which features a slightly shorter string length allowing for easier, smoother bends. Eric gifted the guitar ("Lucy") to George after the session. Also the attack move from White Album from jojo part 5 but we knew that

Dear Prudence

White Album 1968 Paul on drums, George on lead, John on acoustic: notice guitar picking pattern (Donovan influence) Previous to the stay in Rishikesh, most Beatles songs that included acoustic guitars were strummed or used very simple picking patterns Song is dedicated to Prudence Farrow, Mia Farrow's sister, who was kind of secluded throughout the Rishikesh experience.

Helter Skelter

White Album 1968 Paul read a review of a record that was defined as "the craziest sounding ever"—heard the song in question and thought it wasn't nearly crazy/heavy enough. Decided to write a heavy tune in reply to accusations of only writing ballads. One of the recorded takes turned into an extended-30 minutes jam. Although an Helter Skelter is simply a kind of corkscrew slide common in British playgrounds, Manson took the title to refer to "Hell" and used the song as a major inspiration for his doomsday/race riot scenario. Stereo and mono versions on album differ—stereo has much longer coda, with two fake fade-outs before Ringo yells "I got blisters on me fingers!" To me, "Helter Skelter" belongs to a string of "heavy" Beatles tunes (reaching back to "Ticket to Ride", "Day Tripper", and "Paperback Writer", and pointing forward to "I Want You/She's So Heavy," which contributed to the formation of the early British Heavy Metal sound (obviously alongside other bands like Zeppelin, Sabbath, etc)

Piggies

White Album 1968 Political/satirical topic, baroque elements like instrumentation and arrangement The lyrics were interpreted by Charles Manson to be a coded message; he and his followers carved the words "Pigs" or "Piggies" on their victim's bodies. George was horrified when he found out.

Back in the USSR

White Album 1968 Recorded without Ringo, who had left the band after being annoyed one too many times by Paul's particular requests on how to play drums on his songs. Goes to Sardinia with his family. Rest of the band send him a telegram "you're the best rock drummer in the world and we love you"; he comes back to find his drum kit draped in flowers (George) Beach Boys influence (or spoof? Check those BGVs...) witty lyrics with numerous wordplay on California surf music and Soviet imagery rawkin' solo/lead guitar (sounds like Paul to me, but John, Paul, and George were all noted as playing lead on this song in the studio logs) "Back in the U.S.S.R." was criticized as being sympathetic to communism in the USA, but on the hand became extremely popular in Russia in the underground Western music scene.

Don't Pass Me By

White Album 1968 Ringo's first independent composition (he had received credits for "What Goes On" and "Flying") Your average Carl Perkins/Buck Owens country song, rendered both weirder and more interesting by the intense use of effects (sped-up tape, weird out of tune violin part, double-tracked voice...)

Long, Long, Long

White Album 1968 Song by George, kind of a love poem to the divine Strange sound at the end is a combination of a rattling whiskey bottle (which was sitting on top of the organ and would resonate/rattle when certain notes were played), combined with a drum roll, vocalization by George, and pick scrape on the guitar strings. Really awesome, esoteric sound, expressing the inexpressible (and therefore quite fitting to the song in question)

Glass Onion

White Album 1968 lots of references (lyrical and musical) to previous Beatles songs, coupled with a few Liverpool references ("cast iron shore"). Once again John is trying to be mysterious/throw the critics off his scent, but he's mainly playing with language. "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da": recorded extensively, beginning chords played by an exasperated John. An example of Paul frustrating the others by spending too much time on his own (often trivial) compositions. "Wild Honey Pie": solo Paul, going nuts with an out-of-tune guitar, warbled with tape tricks, plus several overdubs of his own voice; references a later song, on side 4 "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill" (John) - features Yoko as guest vocalist, plus several other friends in the singalong part. Relates an actual hunting accident in Rishikesh.

Hey Bulldog

Yellow Submarine 1969 Kind of a heavy song—guitar riff, almost proto-metal Recorded in 68, before going to India. George possibly plays the solo. Paul barks.

Only a Northern Song

Yellow Submarine 1969 Song by George expressing his disillusionment with the Beatles publishing business. Originally recorded for Pepper, G. Martin blocked its release (asked George to try and write something better→"Within You, Without You"). Weird arrangement (glockenspiel, trumpet), dissonant harmonies.

Abbey Road Medley

You Never Give Me Your Money Sun King Mean Mr. Mustard Polythene Pam She Came in Through the Bathroom Window Golden Slumbers Carry That Weight The End Her Majesty