![]() ![]() When I talk about how I want my records to be like a mixtape, that’s basically how I felt about Beatles records. The Beatles set the bar for creative LPs. If you’ve never used Qobuz, you can try out a one-month free trial here. Qobuz is designed to meet the needs of demanding music fans and audiophiles, with a focus on hi-res audio and editorial content, providing human-curated playlists, artist interviews, liner notes, and unique articles. Our big Paul McCartney birthday bash is presented in partnership with the music streaming and download service Qobuz. As we did with Bob Dylan last year, we decided to turn to artists themselves - to discuss their favorite Macca composition, the undying legacy of the Beatles, or even personal anecdotes about McCartney. McCartney did that a few times over, both in the wild left turns of the Beatles’ existence, and in simply writing songs that seemed to beget entire subgenres on their own. There are a lot of iconic musicians out there, but a very, very tiny handful who could be said to have shifted the entire history of pop music. He made classic albums, too, like McCartney II - once a cult oddity, now seized upon as a major inspirational touchstone by younger generations of musicians. He wrote so many immortal songs after the Beatles. When the band fractured, McCartney embarked on what would become a five-decade post-Beatles career strewn with solo albums, Wings releases, and all manner of experiments and detours. The Beatles were, of course, built on the songwriting partnership/rivalry of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Nobody really thought pop music was supposed to have a 60-plus year shelf life back then. All these decades later, they still influence up-and-coming artists new generations are still falling for them (on TikTok, they’re worshipped as if they were a currently active band) and their songs can still surprise and disorient no matter how long they’ve been in the atmosphere. Pop music and pop culture as we know it incubated in the ’50s, and then really blossomed in the ’60s - and the Beatles were at the very top of a feverishly, rapidly changing medium in tumultuous, transformative times. But at the same time, it’s sort of hard to be that hyperbolic considering the scope of the group’s impact. That single hit puts a huge stamp of approval-underline.Every time the Beatles come up, there’s the inevitable danger of hyperbole. And the last single stroke after the last "ri-hi-hide"-gold. This whole section is a brilliant sequence of chords, and this particular chord, at this particular place in the song-with the stoppage of all other instruments-is a top Beatles moment.ĥ: Ringo's different drum figures to introduce the A sections are great. ![]() More Beatle magic.Ĥ: The chord under the 3rd 2nd "ride"- the "ri-hi-hide"-has no connection the the melody notes. Here they aren't, and when the next chord comes, two whole bars later, it's not the chord that 7th/9th usually precede. ![]() Normally these notes are used to pivot to the next chord. It was a Major Statement, second only to "She Loves You" at the time.īesides the obvious two points-the opening riff and the the fabulous drum pattern-there are many important things happening:ġ: The melody is a very new and unique style.Ģ: The 1st I chord lingers for a long time, creating a suspense or anticipation-what will the next chord be? where the hell is it?ģ: The odd use and timing of 7ths and 9ths on "girl that's" (driving me mad). There was nothing even close, even in the Beatles repertoire. This song was shocking when it was new-another Beatle song without precedent. The other ratings show the age skew here. Then near the end when you think they’ve surely reached peak quality, the outro kicks it up another notch. This song starts brilliantly and only gets better as it goes on. Bringing the gorgeous vocal harmonies in for a few words at the end of a line is ten, twenty, a hundred times more effective than loading them in only at the start of a line, as they tried in “What You’re Doing”. The drumming is compelling, the guitar riff is mesmerising, the exciting solo one of George’s best yet. A number one hit around the world and deservedly so!Įvery aspect is flawless and engaging: the lyrics, the composition, the arrangement, the instrumental and vocal performances. This is a truly superlative pop song, masterful, assured, catchy, interesting, creative, fun and everything you could possibly want. It’s only my wanting to leave myself a little head-room in the ratings in reserve for future masterpieces that I’m not scoring this higher.
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