Playlist: Perfect Beatles Songs

Recently the hard drive on my iPod Classic died, so I replaced it with a hack that allows you to use an SD card. Advantage: your iPod capacity is now limited to the highest-capacity compatible SD card (in my case, 200 gigabytes) instead of the hard-set limit that Apple provided. (Disadvantage: the spring action that releases the SD card is very sensitive, so I drop my iPod, I have to pry it open and put the card back in the slot.)

This was about a year after I replaced my original MacBook, not realizing that for some reason my playlists didn't get backed up, so I have to re-create my playlists, including my "Perfect Beatles Songs" playlist. Unfortunately, I had no documentation of it, so I had to carefully take plenty of time to consider what songs deserve to be added. My wife and I often discuss what a perfect Beatles song is. I can't say there's a hard set definition, but perhaps an explanation of why each song made the list is in order. Here's the playlist:

1. Twist and Shout (source: stereo Please Please Me, 2009 edition) - Yes, I actually prefer the stereo mixes of the early albums, if for no other reason they sound brighter than the mono mixes. How can one not include "Twist and Shout" on a list of perfect Beatles songs? It's a cover, but one that blows the original out of the park. Some people prefer The Isley Brothers' version, but I don't understand how; it sounds clunky, and personally, that weird horn solo makes me think of The Three Stooges. Some argue that The Beatles were actually re-making The Top Notes' version, but I somehow doubt it. Regardless, one cannot deny the power of The Beatles' version, nailed in one take (a second complete take being recorded but not holding a candle to the first), and eventually becoming a standard concert opener.
2. She's a Woman (source: Past Masters, 2009 edition) - "She's a Woman," as a single side, represents the classic duality of Lennon and McCartney. Musically, if not lyrically, it has the same thing to say as its flip-side "I Feel Fine." A great second-song selection in concert, it also deserves a second-position place on this playlist. I chose a British version, as the Capitol-made remixes done by command of Dave Dexter sound like the song was recorded in a tin can in an abandoned subway tunnel.
3. Dear Prudence (source: Rock Band) - Despite its "There's no Santa!" quality of the killer drumming at the end being performed not by Ringo but by Paul, you can't deny: "Dear Prudence" is a Damn Fine Song. John obviously wanted to show off the fingerpicking he had just learned from Donovan back in India, and the hypnotic fingerpicking pattern provides a nice backdrop for a melody that doesn't really have all that many notes in it -- a typical Lennon habit (cf. "Help!," "Julia"). If I'm not mistaken, technically what you hear on the "white" album is Take 1. I don't have my Lewisohn book in close proximity as I type this, but I do believe that in 1968 EMI had acquired an 8-track deck, and with so many tracks to work with, at first if the Fabs messed up, they'd simply go back and wipe out the track with the mistake and re-record the one track. Yeah, I know, takes don't really work that way, but...it keeps the take count down. I sourced the song for this playlist from the Rock Band game, specifically from a stereo mixdown done by Paolo Castillo, because right now, this is the only way to get a version of "Dear Prudence" with a clean intro.
4. Something (source: 1+) - George Harrison perfection; it doesn't get any better than this. "There's no Santa Claus" realization: apparently George didn't like the killer bass line and wanted something much simpler. I often consider doing a crossfade mix going from the final orchestral strains of "The End" straight into "Something:" it could work very well.
5. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (source: Rubber Soul, original 1965 stereo mix from the 2009 box set The Beatles In Mono) - If there was one and only one Beatles song that could be described as "perfect," "Norwegian Wood" would have to be it. I'm not saying it's necessarily my favorite Beatles song; indeed, to ask a fan "What's your favorite Beatles song?" would be akin The overall sound of the song says, "The Beatles are changing and making the world change, so listen up." I can even hear the narrator (FM deejay voice) over a (nonexistent, I take it?) promo advertising Rubber Soul, over the acoustic guitar intro: "There's a new sound from the Fab Four. Sit down, put a buzz on, and dig it." The song has everything: a refrain, verses, two bridges, an instrumental break, an exotic new instrument, a complete story, the classic songwriting team of Lennon-McCartney (although I suspect extremely light on the McCartney), and vocal harmonies...all in two minutes. Two minutes.
6. Ticket To Ride (source: Help!, mono version, 2009 edition) - I need to do further research into this, but I think that the instruments were tuned down the day that this song was recorded. Why else would this (and "I Need You," recorded on the same day) be in A-flat instead of A? (Supporting evidence: The Beatles always played the song in A in concerts and TV and radio appearances.) But whatever. Something about the song...nobody else's songs had this kind of vibe before. Interestingly, many people consider "Ticket To Ride" to be the song that led to the creation of heavy metal and headbanging, and I can't really dispute that; it's totally plausible. Is the song particularly loud or headbangy? Not at all, but still, it can work. I chose the mono mix about 75% because it has a better balance than the stereo versions, and about 25% in tribute to the Capitol single release, which 1) said that this (and, inexplicably, its B-side "Yes It Is") was in the movie Eight Arms To Hold You (and it was never corrected, even on later pressings!), and 2) never was certified gold. Beatles historian Bruce Spizer has on multiple occasions expressed bafflement over this anomaly; seriously, you want to make me believe that "Ticket To Ride" didn't ship a million copies in 1965, let alone in the 52 years since? Heck, half a million even? (The number for gold was lowered to 500,000 years ago.) What bridge do you want to sell me now?
7. Rain (source: Mono Masters) - The next time someone tells you Ringo was the "least talented" Beatle or repeats that thing that JOHN LENNON NEVER EVER EVER SAID about Ringo not being the "best drummer in the Beatles," sit that person's ass down with a good pair of headphones plugged into a recording of "Rain." Oh, yeah. And make sure that person knows that the backing track -- including Ringo's drumming -- was actually recorded at a faster speed and was slowed down before the vocals were overdubbed. Whoa. Yet another example of that A/B Lennon/McCartney dichotomy, this B-side musically says the same thing as "Paperback Writer," but in Lennon's voice. I chose the mono mix because I don't really like how the vocal is isolated to one side of the stereo with so much else going on.
8. Tomorrow Never Knows (source: Revolver, stereo version, 2009 edition) - I actually did consider using the mono version for this playlist. I like the pre-echo effect used on the guitar solo and the (slightly) different placement of some of the sound effects. But the stereo version sounds a lot brighter. The track itself? Wow. "An early clue to the new direction." Tape loops all over the place. Backwards guitar solo. An early (perhaps the first known?) use of an organ's Leslie speaker applied to a voice. An audio acid trip. One chord. Just a C chord droning, with one of the tape loops sometimes coincidentally changing it to a C7 chord. You want to see an amazing set of video footage that fits with this song perfectly? Go to YouTube and type "tomorrow never knows mad men" as the search terms. Oh, did I mention that this was the first song recorded for Revolver? And that it took only three takes to perfect?
9. Strawberry Fields Forever (source: It's Not Too Bad bootleg, US stereo mix) - I believe it was 1987 when I first heard "Strawberry Fields Forever." The only songs from the Magical Mystery Tour album I knew were the ones that were on the Reel Music compilation, but I had read bits and pieces about this song from various Trivial Pursuit "Baby Boomer Edition" questions and what I read in a few books I got from the library. When I finally heard the song on a '70s Capitol reissue of Magical Mystery Tour, it was exactly as I imagined it: Lennon psychedlic bliss. The Beatles recorded three different versions of "Strawberry Fields Forever." John Lennon told producer George Martin that he wanted to use both versions two and three for the final product. George said it'd be impossible because the two versions are in different keys and tempos. John said, "You'll figure it out." Solution: speed up version two a little, slow down version three a little; keys and tempos now match. The first part of the song is version two, second part version three. The edit is on the word "going" in the second chorus. I could go on for pages and pages about the significance of that edit being on that one word. Many people think the edit is brilliant; others, including Sir George himself, have said it's a terrible edit that sticks out like a sore thumb. I, however, wouldn't have it any other way. For this playlist I chose the US stereo version, as that's the one I had heard the first time. It's taken from a bootleg on the Vigotone label that traces the evolution of "Strawberry Fields Forever." The canonical version that you're likely to hear, be it on the radio or from your CD collection, is actually mastered from the German pressing of the Magical Mystery Tour album. Why? Because the German version is 100% in stereo, while the US version (remember, the UK didn't get the album until 1976!) was stereo except for the last three songs, which were fake stereo. But the US version has some extra reverb on the vocal that adds to the trippiness of the song; the German stereo mix has a pretty dry vocal, albeit with an extra "cranberry sauce" at the end that you won't hear on the US version.
10. I Am The Walrus (source: The U.S. Singles Collection, Dr. Ebbetts) - There is no question about it: if you're putting "Strawberry Fields Forever" on a "perfect Beatles songs" list, you also need to put "I Am The Walrus" on the same list. And they need to be next to each other. Most of the lyrics are nonsense, but overall the song is nothing short of genius, right down to the story of how the song came about in the first place. Heck, even Paul McCartney's selling point for the Magical Mystery Tour film is that it has "I Am The Walrus." This is arguably the most Beatle Beatles song ever. For this list I chose the US single version, which has an extra measure between the phrases "I'm crying" and "Yellow matter custard;" all other versions cut that out -- dammit, I want the whole product. Also, the stereo version suddenly switches to fake stereo for the second part because the radio and other effects were recorded live during the mono mixdown; a stereo mix is possible and has been done (by fans) but has not yet been released, which is another reason I opted for the (mono) US single version.
11. If I Needed Someone (source: Rubber Soul, original 1965 stereo mix from The Beatles In Mono) - George Harrison does The Byrds! Don't believe me? Listen to The Byrds' version of "The Bells of Rhymney," and then immediately listen to this. It's no surprise: during a press conference once The Beatles said that The Byrds were their favorite American band...which itself isn't a surprise because to get their overall look and feel, The Byrds literally went to see A Hard Day's Night and took notes on everything they saw. I chose the original 1965 stereo mix mainly because the guitar solo really jumps out -- you can actually hear fingerpicking during the guitar solo (probably done by John), but not so much on the mono mix or George Martin's 1986 remix (which is the canonical version, by the way).
12. Leave My Kitten Alone (source: Anthology 2) - Perhaps the biggest head-scratcher among die-hard Beatles fans is to think about how the Powers That Be deemed "Mr. Moonlight" to be releasable, but not "Leave My Kitten Alone." Really? Listen to that damn song and tell me it's not one of the ass-kickiest covers The Beatles ever did. Why on earth did it sit unreleased for 32 years?!
13. I Want to Hold Your Hand (source: Meet The Beatles!, mono, from the 2004 box set The Capitol Albums Vol. 1) - There's no question about including this song. Dippy? Sure. (Which may explain why The Beatles never performed it again after 1964 but still kept "She Loves You" in their concerts.) But what's not perfect about it? The chorus is short, easy, and catchy. The intro builds up into an explosion of The Beatles telling the world, "WE'VE ARRIVED! (and to prove it, we're here)" After "Love Me Do," "Please Please Me," and "She Loves You" were rejected by Capitol, who had right of first refusal on imported products from parent company EMI, Capitol finally...uhh, rejected "I Want To Hold Your Hand" until Capitol Records president Alan Livingston -- at the encouragement/demand of his wife -- stepped in and made Dave Dexter add it to the release lineup. What happened next? Oh, right...Beatlemania in the United States. How can you not include "I Want To Hold Your Hand"? I went with the mono version, as there isn't a decent enough stereo mix at my disposal, and I felt the version on the 2004 CD release of Meet The Beatles! has more punch than the other versions released on a digital medium (be it CD or download).
14. This Boy (source: Mono Masters) - When I first heard "This Boy," I thought it sounded way too professional to be an original. It had to be a cover of a Platters song or something. Then I looked at the credits. There were a few other Beatles songs that gave me the same thought: "It sounds too professional to be a Beatles original." I learned that if it sounds too good to be a Beatles original, it is a Beatles original. The three-part harmony is impeccable. Little subtle thing I noticed not too long ago: listen to George Harrison on the line "would always feel..." He sings the word "feel" with melisma. I chose the mono mix because the vocals need to be in both speakers.
15. She Loves You (source: Past Masters) - Honestly, I don't have much to say about "She Loves You" other than that it's loud, explosive, and in your face. The original session tapes were lost or erased, but then how are there so many different versions of this song with different edit points? I chose the version from the 2009 reissue of Past Masters because it's the cleanest sounding of all the edits. Oh, yeah: dig that G6 chord that George, John, and Paul sing on that final "yeah."
16. Please Please Me (source: Please Please Me, stereo, 2009 edition) - I'm pretty sure my original, lost-to-history version of this playlist did not have "Please Please Me." But its requirement is mandatory. Yes, we all know about the "started out a a Roy Orbison-esque slow song" story. But it is indeed the result of that story that made me create some room in the playlist for this song. "Congratulations, boys; you've just recorded your first #1," said Sir George Martin over the talkback at Studio 2, so legend has it. Sure enough, their second single hit #1 on four of the singles charts in England...except none of those four charts became the single de facto standard, hence its non-inclusion on 1. I chose the stereo version because, again, the stereo mixes of the early albums sound brighter to me, but more importantly, there stereo mix has a Lennon vocal slip-up on the last verse, followed by a semi-laughed singing of the phrase "Come on." How can you not love that?
17. Roll Over Beethoven (source: The Beatles' Second Album, stereo, from The Capitol Albums Vol. 1) - Yes, I've heard the Electric Light Orchestra version. Doesn't hold a candle to The Beatles' version. Show me a Chuck Berry song The Beatles didn't significantly improve. Go on, I dares ya. I chose the "Dexterized" stereo mix from their second Capitol Records album; it has a lot of excitement to it, which I learned as I was driving home from work in 2004 the day I got The Capitol Albums, Vol. 1, and as I was driving through Howell, NJ on route 33, this song burst out of the speakers. It made my 38-mile-one-way commute so much more bearable.
18. Kansas City / Hey Hey Hey Hey (source: Beatles For Sale, stereo) - It disturbs me to no end how much vitriol this Little Richard cover gets from fans. Come on, man! Nothing but excitement here, and how can you not yell "HEY! HEY! HEY! HEY!" during the call/response part? Oh...and much like "Twist and Shout," the Fabs nailed this song in one take. Tried another take, wasn't as exciting, so take 1 was used. Stereo version is the only option.
19. You Can't Do That (source: A Hard Day's Night (UK), stereo) - I'll tell you why this B-side (and video outtake from A Hard Day's Night in which a teenage Phil Collins can be spotted in the crowd) is perfect. Beatlefest 1996 at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Chicago. A group of kids named Generations got up during the Battle of the Bands and just absolutely frickin' nailed "You Can't Do That." Before they even finished the opening riff, all Beatles fans in the ballroom were on their feet. Hear it live performed by a good band, and you'll truly hear how everything just comes together. Generations brought the place down. Sadly, they got knocked out in the finals after a lacklustre performance of "Twist and Shout." This song needs to be heard in stereo; it loses a lot in mono.
20. I Feel Fine (source: 1+) - This is another song that you need to sit your Ringo-hating friends down for. The drumming is nothing short of divine; listen to that cymbal work! Catchy riffs throughout the song, lyrics that stick in the brain, and that classic opening bit with McCartney's A-string making another guitar's A-string vibrate...just perfection from start to finish.
21. I've Got a Feeling (source: Let It Be...Naked) - Near the end of 1968, John Lennon wrote a song called "Everybody Had a Hard Year." His brother-from-another-mother Paul McCartney had another song he was working on called "I've Got a Feeling." Both songs had similar chord patterns. Put the two together and you have classic Lennon-McCartney synergy. Everybody on the recording -- Ringo on his drums, George with some great licks, John with some great vocals (check out the Yellow Dog bootleg Celluloid Rock for an outtake in which he's a dead ringer for Bruce Springsteen), Billy with some attention-grabbing electric piano seasonings, and a killer bassline from Paul -- is nothing short of essential. Listen to the version from the 2003 album Let It Be...Naked and enjoy the punch the song packs as opposed to its heavily filtered Spector production on the Let It Be album.
22. Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / The End (source: Abbey Road, 2009 edition) - I admit, I only put this on the playlist because I figured if I didn't, I'd get lynched. Truth be told, I'd most likely skip this simply because "A Huge Melody" is ubiquitous, especially the maudlin part 2. I guess you just can't deny the importance of these three tracks with their lyrics, George Martin's orchestral touches, Ringo's only drum solo, and the final sentence that was essentially The Beatles' farewell message to the world. For this playlist I actually have all three tracks merged into one big one. I left out "Her Majesty" for the same reason many people think the British version of Sgt. Pepper's goes too far by following the neverending chord with a dog whistle and chopped up tape.
23. Hey Jude (source: Mono Masters) - At least in the States, "Hey Jude" is The Beatles' most successful song. It's got a good message and is fairly easy to play on a piano or a guitar. If you question its inclusion on a list of perfect Beatles songs, then go to YouTube and look for the video of that guy cheering up an angry mob of delayed passengers at Newark International Airport by leading the crowd in a "Hey Jude" singalong. I admit I got sick of this song a long time ago, but when I listened to the mono version in 2009, it was a completely new experience, especially with the bass line.
24. Let It Be (source: Past Masters) - I tell ya, if there's anything that could make this song not perfect, it'd be if the ending were any different. Listen to those final chords and tell me it doesn't say, "SO THERE." Actually, if I had my druthers, I'd fly in the guitar solo from the album version and change the last verse so that it contains the line "There will be no sorrow." But hey, I'm tired; not gonna bother.
25. A Day in the Life (source: Love) - If you can listen to "A Day in the Life" and cannot understand its inclusion on a "perfect Beatles songs" list, then you're beyond help. I won't even try to explain it to you. I chose the Love version for two reasons: it includes Lennon's infamous "sugar plum fairy" count-in, and it has a clean start.

Should you choose to build this playlist yourself, be warned: it's a dangerous listen, hearing so much greatness in one sitting. You may not be able to talk for hours afterwards. Good luck.