Underrated Beatles

So they finally remastered The Beatles’ albums, and they are scheduled for release some time this week, and I don’t think I’ll buy them, in fact I know I won’t buy them, partly because I’m unemployed and therefore broke, and partly because I can’t justify spending all that money, especially on music I already have, remastered or not. And I happen to be suspicious of the whole concept. Yeah, I know it sounds amazing, and I can’t really argue with that, but still it’s a kind of historical revisionism. This is not what The Beatles sounded like when they existed. But I will leave that discussion for another day…

So on this occasion, I thought I’d throw my 2 cents in here, and provide my own list, not of the best Beatle albums or the best Beatle songs, nor of the worst. This, rather, is my own revenge, an accounting of 10 of what I consider to be the most underrated of Beatle songs, the ones that get dismissed as inconsequential, second rate, not worth writing about etc etc, the ones that fall through the critical cracks. So let’s go…

1. Hey Bulldog –Yeah I love Eleanor Rigby and Yesterday and Julia, but man, The Beatles were a *rock* band. Hey Bulldog was hidden away on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack, an album that itself fell through the cracks, and none of the critics that I’ve read seem to have noticed this track, or if they had, they just kind of waved it away. But it pounds and it stomps, and it sears through flesh. It is the epitome of Lennon as the paragon of cool. And in case we forget what a great musician McCartney really was…
2. Rain – Ditto for McCartney, but this is another Lennon track, and I’m not sure that it should be on this list, because I think it’s had some recognition, but I say not enough. The A side was Paperback Writer, and that’s what got all the attention, but this is where the brilliance is.
3. I’ll Follow The Sun – A folky acoustic track from Beatles ’65. The harmonies on the refrain (“And so the time has come…”) alone are worth whatever you pay for the CD.
4. I’ll Get You – Maybe by Paul, maybe a genuine collaboration between John and Paul, they did that in those days. This was the flip side of She Loves You, considered a second rate Beatle song by the pundits, but the combination of longing and optimism and determination is unmatched. And man, listen to the melody. Second rate?
5. I’m Down – Ok, Dave Marsh recognized this one in The Heart Of Rock And Soul. Sue me. And did I say Hey Bulldog was rock? Ok. Put the roll in. This reminds us that The Beatles were a rock and roll band. And that’s different.
6. If I Needed Someone – Let’s not forget George. Here he does his 12 string best. He knocked the Hollies’ cover, not very graciously or fairly I think, but we’ll leave that for today. This was from The Beatles Yesterday And Today, but if you buy the new CD it’ll be on Rubber Soul.
7. And Your Bird Can Sing – Another track from Yesterday And Today (look for it on Revolver). This soars, and I don’t know how anyone can hear what’s going on with the guitar on this and not be blown away. And the bass counterpoint…
8. You’re Gonna Lose That Girl – From the Help! soundtrack. Lennon again. This is what they were trying to say on She Loves You, but here they get it right.
9. Within You Without You – The most dissed track from Sgt. Pepper – George Martin himself described it as “rather dreary” – but, like, I guess I don’t agree. I think the juxtaposition of the Indian instruments and the strings is inspired. So there.
10. Two Of Us – The lead off track from the last Beatle album (hear me? Yes. The last Beatle album was Let It Be, not Abbey Road). John and Paul do their best Phil and Don, and capture a genuine folky feel in what is essentially a farewell song to the world.

Honourable Mention: I’ll Be On My Way – Lennon and McCartney wrote this way back when, and gave it to Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, who put it on the B side of one their hits (the A side was Do You Want To Know A Secret, also by The Beatles). Someone could have made a career out of this song. The Beatles themselves didn’t seem to have recorded it in the studio, but a recording finally surfaced on The Beatles At The BBC, and hey, you know, it’s not Beethoven’s 9th, ok, but neither is it a song to throw away. Well it’s good we finally have it anyway…