I’m in a top 5 mood. My Uncle Mark passed away suddenly a few weeks back. That’s part of the reason I’ve not been posting lately. Death, especially sudden deaths, make you reflect on things. I’ve been doing that a lot the last few weeks; evaluating what is important to me. So, in reflecting, I remembered a debate going on around Thanksgiving last year. My father was going around asking people their ‘Top-5 Favorite Beatles Songs’. Now, I am terrible with song names. I always have been. I can remember who played what on what record, but I’ve NEVER been able to remember song titles for the life of me. (The same goes for lyrics. I hear it as its own instrument). So I never put in my $.02. I needed to refer back to some of the records.
And with that, I’d like to dedicated this post to my Uncle Mark. Rest in peace, Mark.
Top-5 Favorite Beatles Songs (in no particular order)
1. I Want You (She’s So Heavy) – Abbey Road
2. She Said She Said – Revolver
3. You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away – HELP!
4. Strawberry Fields Forever – Magical Mystery Tour
5. A Day In The Life – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
I’d apologize for the clichés, but it’s The Beatles. It’s tough with such an influential band. There were certainly some tough contenders for the Top-5: ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ (do they know how to intro an album or what?) was beat out only because of all of the elements in ‘Strawberry Fields’; the looped drums, the movements, the horns, and the cello! And while these days I’m more into Revolver and Rubber Soul, it’s hard not to have everything come from Magical Mystery Tour and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band- the albums I heard most around my house growing up. And on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, how do I choose between the epic ‘A Day in the Life’ that kept me endlessly fascinated vs. ‘Good Morning Good Morning’ which breaks all rock rules by being just drums and horns (essentially) vs. the lilting basslines of ‘Lovely Rita’- pretty much the only McCartney song I like. Oh yeah, that’s the problem with Top-5 lists.