My Perfect Beatle Album

A friend challenged a group of us, all Beatle nuts, to assemble our perfect, personal Beatle album. We had to limit ourselves to 14 tracks and were given two weeks to complete the challenge. The following is my list including my rationale for each song choice. It is arranged as an LP with bonus tracks for the CD version.

Side One

A Hard Day’s Night – The best opening of any rock & roll song ever.

Help – Another great rock & roll song that shows a four-piece group already moving beyond typical arrangements with great lyrics, melody, vocals, instrumentation and beat.

Boys – My favorite Ringo song. Pure Cavern/Germany Beatles simple rock & roll. I hear this song and think, this is what they sounded like in those clubs. Straight ahead, 4-piece rock & roll band with great playing, girl group bgv’s, bass line that proves that Stuart did need to leave the band, a lead that reminds us that George got Chet Atkins.

Back in the USSR – My favorite Beatle song. The Lads give homage to Chuck Berry & the Beach Boys with a farcical lyric.

Revolution (single version) – Years later, they still know how to play rock & roll with a protest song.

The End – These guys can play their instruments! My only complaint; I wish the drum solo was twice as long. Does anyone know, is the guitar duel order, Paul, George & John, then repeating in that same order?

Hey Jude – I wanted an anthem and this is my favorite Beatle anthem. Almost included Give Peace a Chance instead but I think this is a better song. They got Top Forty radio to play a song longer than three minutes! Plus it is a song of hope. Things will get better.


Side Two

Here Comes the Son – The best second side of an album opening song ever, plus I have always, always liked this song. Also, I had to include at least one George song!

In My Life - This is so much more than a love song. It is a celebration of life. It’s one of the songs that will be performed at my funeral. The others are Tears of Heaven (Clapton), Time of Your Life (Green Day), and That Where I am, There You May Also Be (Rich Mullins)

Here, There & Everywhere – Perfect love song.

Strawberry Fields Forever – This song and Penny Lane are recording masterpieces. Many people point to Sgt. Pepper as a masterpiece of the time but I put SFF & PL in the same vein. There is an abundance to hear in these two songs. I remember when Dick Clark played a short film the Beatles produced for one of these songs and asked for responses from the audience one boy said, “They went out with the Twist.” At the time I thought, “Kid you have no idea what you’re saying.” I wonder if he regrets his comment.

Penny Lane – George Martin told the story of the recording of the piccolo trumpet. After the guy finished playing it he was completely out of breath and Paul said, “That was pretty good. Let’s have him do it again to see if he can play it better.” The guy had a shocked expression on his face, looked at Martin and said, “I don’t think I can do it again.”

Because (a cappella version found on disc two of Anthology Vol. 3) – The Beatles sang incredible harmony. John, Paul & George each sang this three times so there are nine vocals on this song yet it is incredibly tight. This also reminds me of one reason why I’ve never been as interested in their solo work. It appears as if they all forgot how to sing harmony.

Kansas City – The Beatles were a great cover band. No question The Fabs great song writers, but equally great as a cover band.


CD Bonus Tracks:
Christmas Time is Here Again – Not a great song, but lots of fun.
You Know My Name, Look Up My Number – A strange song that, for some reason, I enjoy hearing.