This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on June 26, 2006 1:55 AM.
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A while back, I asked readers to help me think about the contents of a CD devoted to the best of Motown. After cogitating on it for a couple of weeks, I determined that I couldn't really boil it down to 80 minutes -- 160 would be necessary.
Tonight I'm thinking along the same lines. I just rolled through a half-dozen Beatles tunes, and I'm starting to think it might be a good idea to raise the same issue with the Fab Four. If you had to cram all your Beatles music onto one 80-minute CD, what would be on it?
Part of one's choices, of course, would depend on that quintessential Beatles dilemma -- Lennon or McCartney? And how much George and Ringo? Without some guidelines about that, I suspect, people's mixes would be all over the lot. So let's start with that as our threshold inquiry. On an 80-minute CD, how many minutes of songs principally authored by McCartney, and how many by Lennon? How much George, keeping in mind that the Beatles always pushed him down? And how much Ringo?
I'm thinking 27 minutes each of Lennon and McCartney (truly jointly written songs to come half out of each), 16 of George, 10 of Ringo. Fair? Would one CD be feasible? Would two be required? Would even that not be enough?
And this reminds me -- I never did get the Stax CD together! Hmmm..... Some people do summer reading....
I'm thinkin' there is no way, can't be done. I'll try tonight when I have access to all the song lengths, but off the top of my head I;m thinking at leats 240 minutes are needed.
Also Jack not to call you a luddite or anything, but limiting things to CD length increments is soooo last century. I know I used to think in 6 disc sets for what would load into the changer. Now it is what is worthy to be added to the 60 GB iPod vs what is available at the touch of a finger at home on my Rio Reciever accessing my PC.
I'd say there is less of the early stuff that is indispensible, but still a lot of really good songs.
Also people tend to forget how little time there was between "I wanna hold your hand" and "Sgt Pepper". The sheer volume of great stuff they did between roughly '65 and '68 is incredible.
Actually, I have the "1" cd that came out a while back, and I like it alot. It has 27 tracks or so on it. If I had to pick a few favorites, I think I would say Day Tripper, Penny Lane, and Come Together. Not necessarily in that order.
Not a big Motown fan, though...Im not in my 40s yet, maybe thats why...;-)
Why not use a CD player that plays back MP3's (which most do these days), convert your cuts to MP3, and you can put 150 on there? Audio purists might flinch, but are you really going to notice?
Fun project, but Jack, if its a "Beatles" collection, you really shouldn't allocate by author/singer/etc. - just pick the tunes that resonate the most wih you. I look forward to your list (and as a voodo chile of that age, good luck). "gather round, all you clowns, let me hear you say . . . "
From the early years I'd pick "A Hard Day's Night", and "Please Please Me." "No Reply" and "I Feel Fine" just popped into my head, as well. This is not going to be easy. I always thought "If I Fell" captured the two-part John/Paul thing at its best.
You should probably have one early one with three-part harmony. Not to suggest this next song, but have you ever seen that footage of them singing, "This Boy" live? It's ridiculously great.
God, I loved the Beatles. The lads really delivered for the world, no?
The most obvious lock for George Harrison is "Something." The other Beatles thought it was the best song on Abbey Road, and you know that can't be bad.
Lesser classics by George include "I Want to Tell You." If you ever get a chance to hear this song from the concert tour in Japan with George backed by Eric Clapton and his band, take it.
I also loved "If I Needed Someone."
I'm with Mr. McDonald on "Something". It would absolutely have to be on the CD, and then everything else is just the fixins. I love that song. Hmm it's the only Beatles song i can say that i "Love".
Neither did Sinatra. For quite a while he introduced it in concert as one of the most beautiful songs ever written, and he identified the writers as Lennon and McCartney.
I think people had trouble letting Frank know when he was screwing something up. But somebody eventually did.
Just to get warmed up, I'm thinking that maybe I should start with one 80-minute CD of songs that came after the breakup. I always dreamed that the Beatles would reunite, and they'd play some of that material together. What a wonderful gesture of unity that would have been. But it was just a dream I had...
Not to be overbearing or anything, but post-breakup, in my opinion, would have to include "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul, "All Things Must Pass" by George, and "Starting Over" by John Lennon.
From Double Fantasy I'd also include "Woman", "Beautiful Boy"- one of Paul's favorites, and "Watching the Wheels." The last is a personal favorite, although probably not as sophisticated chord-wise as the incredible "Starting Over." I also am stunned by the chords in "Jealous Guy." The problem you're going to face is that minor Beatle songs like "For No One", are better than whole catalogues of other famous composers. And to think I was intimidated by the World Cup pool.
Lennon and McCartney:
"I'd rather see you dead, little girl, than to be with another man.
Let this be a sermon
I mean everything I've said,
Baby, I'm determined
And I'd rather see you dead "
Run For Your Life from Rubber Soul.
Is this one a keeper?
Thinkin' 'bout the times you drove in my car.
Thinkin' that I might have drove you too far.
And I'm thinkin' 'bout the love that you laid on my table.
I told you not to wander 'round in the dark.
I told you 'bout the swans, that they live in the park.
Then I told you 'bout our kid, now he's married to Mabel.
Yes, I told you that the light goes up and down.
Don't you notice how the wheel goes 'round?
And you better pick yourself up from the ground
Before they bring the curtain down,
Yes, before they bring the curtain down.
Talkin' 'bout a girl that looks quite like you.
She didn't have the time to wait in the queue.
She cried away her life since she fell off the cradle.
Charamba, Douro 2008
Horse Heaven Hills, Cabernet 2010
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills Pinot Grigio 2011
Avignonesi, Montepulciano 2004
Lorelle, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2011
Villa Antinori, Toscana 2007
Mercedes Eguren, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Lorelle, Columbia Valley Cabernet 2011
Purple Moon, Merlot 2011
Purple Moon, Chardonnnay 2011
Abacela, Vintner's Blend No. 12
Opula Red Blend 2010
Liberte, Pinot Noir 2010
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Indian Wells Red Blend 2010
Woodbridge, Chardonnay 2011
King Estate, Pinot Noir 2011
Famille Perrin, Cotes du Rhone Villages 2010
Columbia Crest, Les Chevaux Red 2010
14 Hands, Hot to Trot White Blend
Familia Bianchi, Malbec 2009
Terrapin Cellars, Pinot Gris 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2009
Campo Viejo, Rioja, Termpranillo 2010
Ravenswood, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2010
Waterbrook, Reserve Merlot 2009
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills, Pinot Grigio 2011
Tarantas, Rose
Chateau Lajarre, Bordeaux 2009
La Vielle Ferme, Rose 2011
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio 2011
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir 2009
Lello, Douro Tinto 2009
Quinson Fils, Cotes de Provence Rose 2011
Anindor, Pinot Gris 2010
Buenas Ondas, Syrah Rose 2010
Les Fiefs d'Anglars, Malbec 2009
14 Hands, Pinot Gris 2011
Conundrum 2012
Condes de Albarei, Albariño 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2007
Penelope Sanchez, Garnacha Syrah 2010
Canoe Ridge, Merlot 2007
Atalaya do Mar, Godello 2010
Vega Montan, Mencia
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir, Marlborough 2009
Portuga, Rose 2011
Revelation, Chardonnay, Pays d'Oc 2010
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 2005
Monte Alto, Tinto Reserva 2005
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Cabernet, Indian Wells 2009
Espiral, Vinho Rose
Vin-Koru, Pinot Gris 2011
14 Hands, Hot to Trot Red 2009
Rodney Strong, Cabernet, Sonoma 2009
Abacela, Vintner's Blend #11
Portuga, White 2010
La Bourgeoisie, Red 2009
Januik, Red 2009
Three Rivers, River's Red 2008
Kirkland, Alexander Valley Merlot 2008
Muga, Rioja Rose 2010
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2009
Mauro Molino, Barbera d'Alba 2009
Garda Chiaretto Rose
Columbia Crest, Two Vines Vineyard 10 White
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley 2009
L'Hortus, Rose de Saignee 2010
Maculan, Pino & Toi 2008
McKinley Springs, Bombing Range Red 2008
Trader Joe's Pinot Gris 2009
Montes Alpha, Cabernet 2007
Gran Sasso, Sangiovese, Terre di Chieti 2009
Garda, Classico Chiaretto Rose
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1999
Picos del Montgo, Tempranillo 2008
Chateau de Montmirail, Vacqueyras 2008
La Granja 360, Syrah 2009
Montgras, Carmenere Reserva 2009
Lange, Pinot Gris 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet 2008
Kirkland, Pinot Grigio 2010
Trader Joe's Coastal Syrah 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 2008
Trader Joe's Coastal Chardonnay 2009
Vieux Papes Red
Domaine de l'Aujardiere, Chardonnay 2009
Santa Rita, Cabernet, Medalla Real 2007
Penfold's, Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Guild, Red, Lot #02 2008
Dievole, Dievolino Sangiovese 2008
Laforet, Burgogne Chardonnay 2009
Columbia Winery, Merlot 2007
Bonterra, Cabernet 2008
Elk Cove, Pinot Gris 2009
Maquis Lien 2006
Scott Paul, Pinot Noir, Le Paulee 2007
The Occasional Book
Neil Young - Waging Heavy Peace
Mark Bego - Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul (2012 ed.)
Jenny Lawson - Let's Pretend This Never Happened
J.D. Salinger - Franny and Zooey
Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol
Timothy Egan - The Big Burn
Deborah Eisenberg - Transactions in a Foreign Currency
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Slaughterhouse Five
Kathryn Lance - Pandora's Genes
Cheryl Strayed - Wild
Fyodor Dostoyevsky - The Brothers Karamazov
Jack London - The House of Pride, and Other Tales of Hawaii
Jack Walker - The Extraordinary Rendition of Vincent Dellamaria
Colum McCann - Let the Great World Spin
Niccolò Machiavelli - The Prince
Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus - The Nanny Diaries
Brian Selznick - The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Sharon Creech - Walk Two Moons
Keith Richards - Life
F. Sionil Jose - Dusk
Natalie Babbitt - Tuck Everlasting
Justin Halpern - S#*t My Dad Says
Mark Herrmann - The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law
Barry Glassner - The Gospel of Food
Phil Stanford - The Peyton-Allan Files
Jesse Katz - The Opposite Field
Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited
J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
David Sedaris - Holidays on Ice
Donald Miller - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
Mitch Albom - Have a Little Faith
C.S. Lewis - The Magician's Nephew
F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ivan Doig - Bucking the Sun
Penda Diakité - I Lost My Tooth in Africa
Grace Lin - The Year of the Rat
Oscar Hijuelos - Mr. Ives' Christmas
Madeline L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Steven Hart - The Last Three Miles
David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day
Karen Armstrong - The Spiral Staircase
Charles Larson - The Portland Murders
Adrian Wojnarowski - The Miracle of St. Anthony
William H. Colby - Long Goodbye
Steven D. Stark - Meet the Beatles
Phil Stanford - Portland Confidential
Rick Moody - Garden State
Jonathan Schwartz - All in Good Time
David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Anthony Holden - Big Deal
Robert J. Spitzer - The Spirit of Leadership
James McManus - Positively Fifth Street
Jeff Noon - Vurt
Road Work
Miles run year to date: 21
At this date last year: 52
Total run in 2012: 129
In 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269
Comments (28)
I thought Ringo only penned "Octopus's Garden."
Posted by Brandon | June 26, 2006 12:54 PM
Ringo time would include anything Ringo sings.
Posted by Jack Bog | June 26, 2006 1:03 PM
Before and after the split?
Posted by Cynthia | June 26, 2006 1:35 PM
Their catalog is all over the place... this task is like trying to split an atom.
My question is, are most Beatles fans very partial to early or late era songs, or do they swear by the whole thing?
Personally, the early stuff is disposable...
Posted by TKrueg | June 26, 2006 1:43 PM
I'm thinkin' there is no way, can't be done. I'll try tonight when I have access to all the song lengths, but off the top of my head I;m thinking at leats 240 minutes are needed.
Also Jack not to call you a luddite or anything, but limiting things to CD length increments is soooo last century. I know I used to think in 6 disc sets for what would load into the changer. Now it is what is worthy to be added to the 60 GB iPod vs what is available at the touch of a finger at home on my Rio Reciever accessing my PC.
Posted by Eric | June 26, 2006 1:47 PM
TKreug,
I'd say there is less of the early stuff that is indispensible, but still a lot of really good songs.
Also people tend to forget how little time there was between "I wanna hold your hand" and "Sgt Pepper". The sheer volume of great stuff they did between roughly '65 and '68 is incredible.
Posted by Eric | June 26, 2006 1:50 PM
Actually, I have the "1" cd that came out a while back, and I like it alot. It has 27 tracks or so on it. If I had to pick a few favorites, I think I would say Day Tripper, Penny Lane, and Come Together. Not necessarily in that order.
Not a big Motown fan, though...Im not in my 40s yet, maybe thats why...;-)
Posted by Jon | June 26, 2006 3:16 PM
I'd say from the beginning till the split as a parameter. And that early stuff sounds really good to me (maybe you just had to have been there....)
Posted by Lily | June 26, 2006 3:31 PM
Why not use a CD player that plays back MP3's (which most do these days), convert your cuts to MP3, and you can put 150 on there? Audio purists might flinch, but are you really going to notice?
Posted by Mark Mason | June 26, 2006 3:59 PM
Why not use a CD player that plays back MP3s
Hey! That's MY idea!
I like Jack's challenge though. Can you distill the Beatles into 80 minutes?
Posted by Chris Snethen | June 26, 2006 4:44 PM
A CD player that plays mp3's? Come on, I still drive a car that has only a cassette player in it!
Posted by Jack Bog | June 26, 2006 5:55 PM
In that case shouldn't you be asking for 120 minutes, or more acurately 2 sets of 60 minutes:-)
Posted by eric | June 26, 2006 7:12 PM
Fun project, but Jack, if its a "Beatles" collection, you really shouldn't allocate by author/singer/etc. - just pick the tunes that resonate the most wih you. I look forward to your list (and as a voodo chile of that age, good luck). "gather round, all you clowns, let me hear you say . . . "
Posted by Doug | June 26, 2006 8:45 PM
From the early years I'd pick "A Hard Day's Night", and "Please Please Me." "No Reply" and "I Feel Fine" just popped into my head, as well. This is not going to be easy. I always thought "If I Fell" captured the two-part John/Paul thing at its best.
You should probably have one early one with three-part harmony. Not to suggest this next song, but have you ever seen that footage of them singing, "This Boy" live? It's ridiculously great.
God, I loved the Beatles. The lads really delivered for the world, no?
Posted by Bill McDonald | June 26, 2006 11:20 PM
Ditto, Bill! And throw in "drive my car" as well!
Posted by Lily | June 26, 2006 11:57 PM
Tell Me Why
From Me To You
Nowhere Man
I Need You
Across the Universe
Strawberry Fields Forever
Act Naturally
Who is Worse?
1) The one legged gold digger skank who appeared in porno shots ?
2) Yoko ?
3) Sadam Hussein ?
4) Al Franken ?
Posted by brother gary | June 27, 2006 6:41 AM
From the old days: And Your Bird can Sing. John Lennon: Beautiful Boy and Working Class Hero.
Posted by Cynthia | June 27, 2006 10:47 AM
The most obvious lock for George Harrison is "Something." The other Beatles thought it was the best song on Abbey Road, and you know that can't be bad.
Lesser classics by George include "I Want to Tell You." If you ever get a chance to hear this song from the concert tour in Japan with George backed by Eric Clapton and his band, take it.
I also loved "If I Needed Someone."
Posted by Bill McDonald | June 27, 2006 11:13 AM
I'm with Mr. McDonald on "Something". It would absolutely have to be on the CD, and then everything else is just the fixins. I love that song. Hmm it's the only Beatles song i can say that i "Love".
Posted by pril | June 27, 2006 11:39 AM
Yeah, "Something" is something. Beautiful, a favorite of many. Didn't realize it was Harrison.
Posted by Cynthia | June 27, 2006 12:46 PM
Neither did Sinatra. For quite a while he introduced it in concert as one of the most beautiful songs ever written, and he identified the writers as Lennon and McCartney.
I think people had trouble letting Frank know when he was screwing something up. But somebody eventually did.
It is a marvelous song.
Posted by Jack Bog | June 27, 2006 2:16 PM
Just to get warmed up, I'm thinking that maybe I should start with one 80-minute CD of songs that came after the breakup. I always dreamed that the Beatles would reunite, and they'd play some of that material together. What a wonderful gesture of unity that would have been. But it was just a dream I had...
Posted by Jack Bog | June 27, 2006 2:21 PM
Not to be overbearing or anything, but post-breakup, in my opinion, would have to include "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul, "All Things Must Pass" by George, and "Starting Over" by John Lennon.
From Double Fantasy I'd also include "Woman", "Beautiful Boy"- one of Paul's favorites, and "Watching the Wheels." The last is a personal favorite, although probably not as sophisticated chord-wise as the incredible "Starting Over." I also am stunned by the chords in "Jealous Guy." The problem you're going to face is that minor Beatle songs like "For No One", are better than whole catalogues of other famous composers. And to think I was intimidated by the World Cup pool.
Posted by Bill McDonald | June 27, 2006 4:16 PM
Lennon and McCartney:
"I'd rather see you dead, little girl, than to be with another man.
Let this be a sermon
I mean everything I've said,
Baby, I'm determined
And I'd rather see you dead "
Run For Your Life from Rubber Soul.
Is this one a keeper?
Posted by stephen | June 27, 2006 4:24 PM
Er, no. I believe Lennon was forced to renounce that one soon after its release.
You want a clunker? "Mr. Moonlight." My goodness.
Posted by Jack Bog | June 27, 2006 4:28 PM
You might ponder "Badge" by Cream, if you're so inclined. That's George doing the leslie solo on it. But Wait! It's Beatles time. I'm sorry.
Posted by pril | June 27, 2006 9:59 PM
Didn't George write "Badge"?
Posted by Jack Bog | June 27, 2006 10:14 PM
Badge
by Eric Clapton and George Harrison
Thinkin' 'bout the times you drove in my car.
Thinkin' that I might have drove you too far.
And I'm thinkin' 'bout the love that you laid on my table.
I told you not to wander 'round in the dark.
I told you 'bout the swans, that they live in the park.
Then I told you 'bout our kid, now he's married to Mabel.
Yes, I told you that the light goes up and down.
Don't you notice how the wheel goes 'round?
And you better pick yourself up from the ground
Before they bring the curtain down,
Yes, before they bring the curtain down.
Talkin' 'bout a girl that looks quite like you.
She didn't have the time to wait in the queue.
She cried away her life since she fell off the cradle.
Posted by stephen | June 28, 2006 9:35 AM