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What's the worst track on a Beatles album?

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xSkarloeyxSkarloey Frets: 2962
Maxwell's Silver Hammer for me. 
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  • Don't Pass Me By or Rocky Racoon for me, utter crap. The White Album is probably my favourite despite its imperfections but why the hell these two made the final cut and Not Guilty was omitted is criminal.
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  • richardhomerrichardhomer Frets: 24793
    edited September 2016
    Revolution Number Nine off the White Album. Shite.

    Doesn't even benefit from any decent guitar work to save it....
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  • Bungalow Bill for me. How these subpar offerings were put on while George's stuff had to wait until ATMP is a mystery. 
    "A city star won’t shine too far"


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  • xsheqxsheq Frets: 71
    Skarloey said:
    Maxwell's Silver Hammer for me. 
    Yep
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  • vasselmeyervasselmeyer Frets: 3665
    edited September 2016
    Rocky Racoon is a nadir. Absolute shit. You could make a case for a fair few tracks off the White Album which is way too self indulgent with poor QC. If I never hear The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill again I wouldn't be unhappy.
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  • martmart Frets: 5205
    ...How these subpar offerings were put on while George's stuff had to wait until ATMP is ...
    ... clear proof that Lennon and McCartney's egos and insecurities were greater than their quality control. 
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  • octatonicoctatonic Frets: 33725
    Skarloey said:
    Maxwell's Silver Hammer for me. 
    I have a soft spot for this song because I remember singing it in primary school choir.
    I was at a hip, progressive school for a couple of years.
    We also sang Purple Haze.

    Yellow Submarine gets my vote.
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  • At least the songs on the White Album were well produced...

    I'd go for Dig It off Let It Be.  Not really even a song. 
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  • All of them.

    But if I had to pick the worst of the worst... Yellow Submarine. 
    Music the great communicator, use two sticks to make it in the nature - a music reviews blog: http://usetwosticks.wordpress.com/
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    A tie between Rocky Racoon and Bungalow Bill, narrowly beating Maxwell's Silver Hammer.

    I actually love Yellow Submarine for its sheer childish humour, but it doesn't belong on Revolver at all.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • ICBM said:

    I actually love Yellow Submarine for its sheer childish humour

    I'm pretty sure that John's yelling "full stern ahead. Mr Bastard!" in the section with the sound effects. Quite like that song.

    Don't Pass Me By wins it for me. Total toss. I quite like Rocky Raccoon.

    Don't talk politics and don't throw stones. Your royal highnesses.

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  • xSkarloeyxSkarloey Frets: 2962
    edited September 2016
    @Octahedron- don't you like the Beatles then mate?


    @english_bob I almost put "Don't Pass Me By" as well. Atrocious song, especially that line, "you were in a car crash and you lost your hair". I remember being about 17 hearing that for the first time and thinking 'what is this SHIT?'

    What's worse is that I think that's the song that, according to the excellent book Revolution in the Head, Ringo was working on for a year or two. The mind boggles.
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  • english_bobenglish_bob Frets: 5128
    edited September 2016
    Skarloey said:

    @english_bob I almost put "Don't Pass Me By" as well. Atrocious song, especially that line, "you were in a car crash and you lost your hair". I remember being about 17 hearing that for the first time and thinking 'what is this SHIT?'

    What's worse is that I think that's the song that, according to the excellent book Revolution in the Head, Ringo was working on for a year or two. The mind boggles.
    Not even any decent guitar work to divert attention from the terrible lyrics.

    And yes, as others have said, George was amassing a shitload of really great songs around this time. Why they didn't make it on to the White Album when some right old shite did I have no idea- was he knowingly withholding them, knowing that the Beatles weren't going to last forever (things were already starting to sour)? That said, he did contribute While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Savoy Truffle and Long, Long, Long, all of which are equal to any of John or Paul's songs on the album.

    I need to read Revolution In The Head again. I recall yer man being positively scathing about John's bass "playing" on The Long And Winding Road.

    Don't talk politics and don't throw stones. Your royal highnesses.

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  • NeilNeil Frets: 3594
    Yellow Submarine - can't bear it.
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  • @english_bob Yes indeed. I remember now, the writer of that book was Ian McDonald.

    He was utterly scathing about Lennon's bass 'work' on The Long and Winding Road. IIRC he juxtaposed it directly with the bass AND electric piano work Macca did on Come Together, which does take the song even further up a notch, no question.

    He also said something like 'if there's any one song which explains why the Beatles were going to break up, it's Maxwell's Silver Hammer'. Nice anvil work on that track though, tapping on the hammer rythmically.


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  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28280
    What a weird thread. I absolutely love all the songs mentioned here, well, apart from Rev no 9. 
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    I have to admit I quite like Don't Pass Me By… I suppose I tend to overlook the lyrics a bit because of that great jaunty rhythm and the off-kilter orchestration.

    Ringo had been working on it for six years too!

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • @icbm What orchestration?! It sounds like some old boozer busking on a violin ;)
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  • ICBM said:
    I have to admit I quite like Don't Pass Me By… I suppose I tend to overlook the lyrics a bit because of that great jaunty rhythm and the off-kilter orchestration.

    Ringo had been working on it for six years too!
    Six years to come up with this?

    I listen for your footsteps
    Coming up the drive
    Listen for your footsteps
    But they don't arrive
    Waiting for your knock, dear
    On my old front door
    I don't hear it
    Does it mean you don't love me any more?

    I hear the clock are ticking
    On the mantel shelf
    See the hands are moving
    But I'm by myself
    I wonder where you are tonight
    And why I'm by myself
    I don't see you
    Does it mean you don't love me any more?

    Don't pass me by, don't make me cry, don't make me blue
    Cause you know darling I love only you
    You'll never know it hurt me so
    How I hate to see you go
    Don't pass me by, don't make me cry, don't make me blue

    I'm sorry that I doubted you
    I was so unfair
    You were in a car crash
    And you lost your hair
    You said that you would be late
    About an hour or two
    I said that's alright I'm waiting here
    Just waiting to hear from you

    Don't pass me by, don't make me cry, don't make me blue
    Cause you know darling I love only you
    You'll never know it hurt me so
    How I hate to see you go
    Don't pass me by, don't make me cry



    Bloody good drummer though. For Revolution In The Heed, Ian MacDonald apparently totted up all the mistakes that led to unusable takes in the studio, and Ringo was by far the most consistent player of the band.

    Don't talk politics and don't throw stones. Your royal highnesses.

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  • And to be fair to old Ringo, Ed Milliband had five years to put together a decent manifesto for the last election and faired no better.

    Great drummer yes indeed. Very musical and sympathetic.
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