Your Favorite Album

[rick36]

I think the reason Sgt Pepper hasn’t aged as well as most Beatles efforts is that it was contrived. Paul and George Martin were out to produce something spectacular, and so they did. John wasn’t interested in the concept, George was learning Indian music, and Ringo learned to play chess.

Revolver on the other hand was a fantastic surprise, I think as much for the band as for the audience - It sounds like they had great fun making this LP. I was blown away with it in 1966, as I am to this day.

Yellow Submarine was to be a (Mono) EP, like MMT, but was expanded into a somewhat dismal LP.

The White Album was all over the place musically - which is a large part of its charm to me. The tracks were put in a “concept” running order, however I think it’s the opposite of “Pepper”. I can't imagine anyone really not liking this LP!

Oh yeah, Favorite Album:

Number 1: Revolver
Close 2nd: The Beatles (White Album)
Ms Congeniality: Rubber Soul

[shamustwin]

I dunno...

Getting Better - very cool pop, Ringo's excellent and original, great guitar work
Fixing A Hole - bluesy, great guitar work again (that solo!), both different than anything Macca did before or after.

And they're both basically a four piece rock band arrangement. Let's see any band today put out one of those. Please!

Listening not as a whole but as individual songs, save a couple, to me Pepper doesn't suffer.

And Abbey Road! Just for the bass playing! Loose, mistakes and all! Macca kills on that one! On the surface sounds polished, but a close listen had me thinking Paul's having a good time playing rather than trying to get everything perfect.
Like he at that point admitted to himself he was a fantastic bassist.

[doctorwho]

What I find strange is that when I bought the U.S. album "Beatles '65" back in the day, I pretty much hated it. Now, I find myself really liking the songs that were on it (like Mr. Moonlight).

[8mileshigher]

Having said all of this, my favourite album is Revolver!!!!!

I just can't get away from And Your Bird Can Sing (John's vocal, Paul's Bass playing, that riff), Taxman (Macca's solo), Tomorrow Never Knows (Ringo's Hypnotic drum pattern, John's stoned vocal delivery), The whole thing basically, apart from Doctor Robert which I've never really been a massive fan of. There you go, rant over!!

Well, a tough call, but I will cast my vote for Revolver too....
AYBCS --- is the best Beatles guitar work, bar none, IMHO, with George and Macca doubling on the extraordinary solo. And 40 years later, I listen to that guitar work more than any other Beatles composition. Its been a favorite since they used to play it quite often on the Beatles cartoon show in 1966, when I was a kid. Shows you how wrong Lennon could be, classifying Bird Can Sing as a throw-away song.
Taxman -- that great Taxman solo has been the subject of several threads here
Tomorrow Never Knows --- an ageless epoch of the time/space paradigm and some thought provoking lyrics

Not to mention that Paperback Writer/Rain were also from the Revolver sessions.

When you take all the different style Beatles tunes on Revolver, such as Love You To, Got to Get You Into My Life, Eleanor Rigby, I Want to Tell You, etc. it really towers above the rest of the Beatles albums as a testament to their creativity, use of many types of musical instruments, excellence in songwriting and their performing diversity. Macca really started expanding his Bassist abilities during the Revolver sessions - Paperback Writer. Listen to the bass on AYBCS and others, the Ric 4001 really stands out ! And one of the most tasteful fifteen second guitar riffs of all time has to be George's little fill there, towards the end of Got to Get You Into My Life. Throw in a Klaus Voorman designed LP cover for good measure, that people still examine intently decades later.

The concept of Beatles creative-expansionism took off with Revolver ...backwards recordings in Rain and I’m Only Sleeping, the Indian music in Love You To, the raw psychedelica and deeply philosophical Lennon compositions like Tomorrow Never Knows and She Said She Said, the string ensemble and sadness of Eleanor Rigby, the simple-theme and humorous aspects of Yellow Submarine, the Beach Boys parody on Here, There and Everywhere…

The Strawberry Fields/Sgt. Pepper sessions the following year, merely added some seasoning to an entree that the chefs had previously cooked up.
One person's opinion ...

[beatlefreak]

Nice to see this thread revived. Keep 'em coming...

[Clint]

For me, Rubber Soul was their first great album and they just kept getting better from there. But the majestic mess of the White Album makes it my sentimental favorite. It touches on or anticipates every genre of music. Basically, making it a primer for Western Music of the 20th Century.

[kenposurf]

Rubber Soul
Abbey Road
Sgt Peppers
Oh yeah..all the rest also

[syncop8r]

Not on the list sorry but Let it Be ... Naked is my favourite, followed by Abbey Road, followed by White Album, which I would rate higher if it had a few certain songs removed.

[beatlefreak]

Mark, perhaps you'd like to revive this thread, and give us your picks:
http://www.rickresource.com/phpBB3/view ... ngle+album

[dinorock]

Well, FWIW:

Rubber Soul - for me its kind of a transition album between phases but the songs are tight and new
Abbey Road - maybe its the production, maybe its 'cause your can reallyhear the bass
Revolver - great songwriting
White Album - can take through about every emotion you can experience

Favorite cover song: Words of Love (Holly) off Beatles for Sale.

[Ric-O-Buc]

If I could only pick one: Revolver

[brammy]

The Beatles never made an album named "Something New"..... but I love it just the same.

[FretlessOnly]

...The most votes went to Rubber Soul, with Revolver coming in second.
The least votes (no votes) were for Beatles For Sale, Help!, Sgt. Pepper's, Magical Mystery Tour and Yellow Submarine.

Given the recent replies, it looks like it may be time for a recount.

[beatlefreak]

Nothing has changed - Rubber Soul is still the leader (12 votes), Revolver is still second (10 votes), The Beatles is still third (4 votes). Abbey Road and Let It Be each received 3 votes, 1 vote each for Please Please Me, With The Beatles and A Hard Day's Night. The rest still haven't received any votes.

[brammy]

if thats the case, I'll put in a vote for 'Please Please Me' simply because of the lack of studio multi-track tricks.

Is it arguably the single best one day recording session in rock'n'roll history? NO.... it's not arguable.
It's simply the best one-day effort ever.