| i-Fred 18.07.2011 17:49 |
Hi All, I have been listening to solo work's by Lennon and Mac. Actually been listening to the ablums rather than compliations as you can always find a few hidden gems. Im tending to lean more towards Lennon's solo work over Mac's. Enjoying both either way you look at it, but I think Lennon had more of an edge over Mac's work. In the short time Lennon was alive creating music, Vs the years after his death Mac had more time to create music. Then, there is also's Ringo's work which I will soon get in to.. Any thought's? |
| Holly2003 18.07.2011 18:00 |
Never rated them. I'm getting into Manilow and Midler right now. I'm keeping their collaborative effort "Bette Midler Sings the Rosemary Clooney Songbook" for last. |
| i-Fred 18.07.2011 18:06 |
Manilow and Midler ........? Are you having a weak moment? eheheheh :) |
| MadTheSwine73 18.07.2011 18:26 |
Lennon always wins it. Better singer, better songwriter, better person. Ok, maybe not a better person, but WAY cooler. |
| brENsKi 19.07.2011 10:57 |
i've been a beatles fan since i first grew to like music..... think my dad first playing penny lane/strawberry fields repeatedly in '67 had some influence anyhow...as a longtime beatles fan i would like to add: like queen , the who and every major band...they're definitely a "sum of the parts" equation.....the four of them (together) hardly ever put a foot wrong, but solo they very very seldom shone like they did from 63-70... also, they're very much a "mood" thing....here's my brief appraisal of each: your mood has to be right at the time you listen lennon's - is for when you want a bit of "weird" in your life.....but NEVER did he attain the heights of his beatles days, in fact it wasn't until just before he died that he started to rediscover the magic formula macca - is pure brazen pop...and works well, a handful of times he did reach the levels of beatles glories ringo - refreshingly different, shitty voice, but musically interesting, and some nice sentiments george - the only one who constantly produce great solo stuff...the limits and shackles removed he definitely shone brightest now if you want to pick out individual tracks of worth try these.... in same order as above: JL - watching the wheels, nobody told me, just like starting over, mind games, how do you sleep at night, jealous guy PM - band on the run, maybe i'm amazed, jet, beautiful night, london town, with a little luck, take it away, goodnight tonight RS - it don't come easy, weight of the world, photograph, back off boogaloo, the no-no song, never without you, GH - wah-wah, my sweet lord, all things must pass, beware of darkness, if not for you, when we was fab, bye bye love, dark horse, beautiful girl, all those years ago, a couple of last bits of advice...if you get a chance to listen to any of these recordings from vinyl...try it...they sound so warm and much better that way lastly, listen to the travelling wilbury's albums....george and friends (bob dylan, tom petty, jeff lynne and roy orbison) having fun with no egos...fantastic |
| i-Fred 19.07.2011 18:24 |
@brENsKi , I totally agree with you on this. As for listening to the solo work I tend to find if you play a mixture of songs from each person in a row, it tends to leave a Beatles after taste. I have been skipping the more "Hits" from each artist and looking for Gem's that you never hear on the radio. Much like....eh em... Deep cuts......from some other Big Band out there. Imagine, Mind Games (Albums) have some great songs on there that even though I never heard them on the radio, I know them? I suppose over the years people have played them, heard them in movies and maybe even some stations play them for somethig different. Another great apsect of Lennon's solo work is his "Anthology" albums. Many un-finished song, and some demo's that once you listen to, remind's you of completed songs to which you can hear how he choose snippits from some of the best bits and added them to form an entire song. How ever, the John Lennon and the POB have some stuff out there that is very different but great when you do wanna hear something different. Its like the cousins of song "Number 9". |
| brENsKi 20.07.2011 10:43 |
have to disagree with you about lennon...his solo stuff is generally the poorest (imo) - he surrounded himself with too many people who would indulge him completely...so the gems were few and far between.... ringo and george made the better solo stuff - after years of playing minor roles, their "unused creativity" finally had an outlet... macca (imo) was marginally better than lennon because for much of his solo career he had established respected artists workign with him...managing to provide some quality control |
| john bodega 20.07.2011 13:57 |
For anyone wading into solo-Lennon (and I say this as a fan) the things you really have to be wary for are these : songs that were written to order (this happened more often as the 70's went on and he felt stuck in the record contract) and brass. Fucking horns. Saxophones. All over the fucking place - more than one respectable Lennon tune was ruined by a bunch of players that ought not to have been there. The guy did not need a zoo of session players to make a point. I do like some solo Macca, but I get this weird thing where when I try to think of songs I like, I just come up with the shit ones. It's hard to believe that the same guy who put out some great tunes with the Beatles would spew up such crap as Spies Like Us, or Hope of Deliverance, or fucking Press ... Jesus the list goes on, I haven't even gotten started. I think he redeemed himself with the stuff on Flaming Pie and Memory Almost Full - although that last album was such a horrible production job, I sometimes find myself unable to listen to it. Anyway, don't listen to anyone who discounts either Lennon or McCartney out of hand - they're clearly 'tarded. It's true that you do have to do a bit of digging to strike gold at times, though. I wouldn't have their job, put it that way. I like reading some of the disappointed feedback on Double Fantasy (this is from before Lennon got shot) about how they missed the old Lennon, how they wanted him to be rock'n'roll and edgy and all of that crap. As twee as this sounds, I always thought that's exactly what he was doing on that album - part of that absurd rock'n'roll mentality is being able to say 'fuck you, I'm going to do what I want' - if that means the music doesn't sound as angry as it used to, then it just means you've grown up a bit. Glad Macca is still going, at any rate. The only real disappointment with him in the last couple of years is that he allowed some IDIOT to auto-tune the vocals on one of his live DVDs. I think it's a New York show - and it's atrocious to listen to. |
| magicalfreddiemercury 21.07.2011 05:54 |
I agree completely with brENsKi but would sum up my feelings about Lennon vs. McCartney with this - John had something to say while Paul had something to sell. Ringo, IMO, may not have had a good voice but he was adorable, comedic, polite... all the 'good things'. George was always my favorite and I own every solo album he made. I own none from the others except John's Double Fantasy. |
| brENsKi 21.07.2011 11:13 |
magicalfreddiemercury wrote: I agree completely with brENsKi but would sum up my feelings about Lennon vs. McCartney with this - John had something to say while Paul had something to sell. Ringo, IMO, may not have had a good voice but he was adorable, comedic, polite... all the 'good things'. George was always my favorite and I own every solo album he made. I own none from the others except John's Double Fantasy. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ "band on the run" "flaming pie" and "mcCartney" are excellent albums "london town" and "tug of war" are worth a listen...if not only for: cafe on the left bank, london town,with a little luck, take it away, somebody who cares, wanderlust i think lennon's problem was that he was always "trying" to say something....when he concentrated on just making pop songs he made some good solo stuff |
| john bodega 21.07.2011 11:58 |
That's the problem with songs that say something. They can be really hit and miss. When he got it right, he got it right, but there are some real fucking mouthfuls of awful in there. Woman is the Nigger of the World has these jumbly lyrics that don't scan well at all. There's a song that really could've done with a rewrite ... and less fucking saxophones. |
| mooghead 21.07.2011 16:04 |
John Lennon made a point of double tracking his voice on his solo work because it is weak (and his later Beatle work). The worst thing about JL's solo work is the production, the compositions are ace but the tracks sound awful. Who the hell puts echo on the drums... its like.. what makes me sound bad... double it.. then times by 3, and we dont need a bass guitar |
| Major Tom 21.07.2011 16:16 |
You mean FAUL MacCartney? :D |
| brENsKi 22.07.2011 16:27 |
just gave them some more listening tonight...and soemthing just occurred to me. it's generally accepted that their finiest beatles single was strawberry fields (lennon)/penny lane(mccartney) and if oyou listen to their solo stuff lennon spent so much effort trying to write another strawberry fields, while macca obsessed with trying to write another penny lane macca came close a few times......."another day" "take it away" "london town" george and ringo on the other hand were just ahppy to "write" stuff...and it reflected in some pretty cool stuff |
| i-Fred 22.07.2011 17:18 |
I dont know if I agree totally on the "trying to re-write" certian Beatles songs. Wasn't John trying to get away from all that? In many songs, he mentions its over, Beatles are finished.. ect ect. Some of his best solo work doesnt sound like the Bealtes.. Maybe Pau might of been, as he wasnt happy about the Bealtes breaking up. |
| brENsKi 23.07.2011 04:08 |
you just made my point for me....BOTH of them made great songs when they tried soemthing different but if oyu listen to JLs solo stuff quite often sounded like his beatles stuff from revolver to white album..... he even did a load of RnR stuff that sounded lexactly like early beatles too it wasn't until Double fanttasy (a direct response to macca's "mccartney II" - esp "coming up") that lennon sounded rejuvenated....albeit a unfortunately, too late |