Tag Archives: the beatles

My iPod #432: The Beatles – Glass Onion

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My introduction to “Glass Onion” wasn’t via listening to The Beatles self-titled album (or The White Album) from 1968, but through The Beatles’ official mash-up album “LOVE“. Mind you the version on that album only contains John Lennon singing “Oh yeah”, “Nothing is real”, and the last verse before the creepy string outro mixed with a lot of elements from other Beatles songs. But I still thought it was alright. It made me want to listen to the whole track. So I did.

“Glass Onion” is a track written by John Lennon in which he makes several references to other Beatles songs in order to freak out the conspiracists and general strange people who thought there was more to The Beatles than the four members were actually letting on. The song references range from “There’s a Place” from their 1963 debut to “https://www.youtube.com/embed/v2i1WhHXyBY“>The Fool on the Hill” from 1967’s “Magical Mystery Tour” – the latter getting its own musical nod when Paul plays the recorder near the end of the song. Ringo Starr actually plays on this track too; he does not appear on “Back in the U.S.S.R.” or “Dear Prudence” has he had temporarily left the band when times were rough. So whether the track starting off with the jarring drum fill was meant to signal his entrance or just a coincidence is up for questioning. The vocals and rhythm section come to an abrupt end and give way to the aforementioned scaling strings section that brings the song to an ominous end, fading out (and sounds like it begins to slow down weirdly in the last few seconds) before the clanging pianos of “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” begin.

And so there you have it. Probably the most meta track The Beatles ever made. And one of their most darker sounding ones too.

My iPod #424: The Beatles – Girl

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“Girl” is the ninth track on the album Rubber Soul, the second album The Beatles released in 1965 and their sixth album overall. Written primarily by John Lennon, the track concerns a relationship where the narrator is strung along by a cold-hearted lady who wears the trousers in their relationship, putting him down at any given opportunity. Though the narrator knows she is bad news he just can’t stay away, and carries on living through the torment.

This song is smooth and very calming to listen to despite the seemingly desperate subject matter. Acoustic guitars dominate the mix, or the left speaker if you’re listening to it in stereo. “Girl” also has a bit of a swing vibe about it too and makes use of the group’s spot-on vocal harmonies. The backing vocals even sing the word ‘tit’ repeatedly at various points, they’re very subtle but once you hear them you can’t forget.

I think the first time I ever heard the track was when I watched its ‘dreamscape’ (the video above) from the Rock Band game on YouTube. We all need to thank Harmonix for the work they put into that, even if they didn’t release all the albums as DLC.

My iPod #417: The Beatles – Getting Better

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My favourite “Sgt. Pepper” song. No doubt. It’s so cheerful and upbeat. Everything about it sounds so happy. The bouncy, walking bassline. The skipping drum pattern in the verses. The playful switching between Paul’s lead vocal and the child-like backing vocals. Despite the obvious lyrical references to domestic abuse in the bridge, it’s all switched around in the next few lines where the narrator reveals that they’re not that type of person anymore and they are changing their ways. In general it’s a very enjoyable song with a very positive message, and there’s nothing wrong with having tunes like that in your life.

The first time I heard the song, it was not actually The Beatles’ original but a cover by the band Kaiser Chiefs which was done for the album’s 40th anniversary back in 2007. It’s okay. It can’t compare to how The Beatles did it though.

So if you want to be in a good mood, put this track on. You’ll have a smile on your face in no time.

My iPod #409: The Beatles – Get Back

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A track about two fictional characters who have initial thoughts about themselves which are actually not true, “Get Back” is a solid track grounded by a firm bass which plays one note for the majority of the track and pounding drums. Its sound too is also enhanced by the fancy finger-work on the keyboard provided by Billy Preston, adding a soulful flavour to the steady rock beat.

The first time I actually ever heard the track was when Paul McCartney played it in a concert at the Royal Albert Hall for Children in Need in 2009. I was not there. Was just on the television. But as you may or may not have read already that year was when I suddenly started listening to anything The Beatles had ever created, so what better chance was there than to see one of the main songwriters performing the songs himself?

Judging by the number of people singing along to the words and clapping in unison with complete joy on their face, it looked like “Get Back” had been quite the popular track. But funnily enough, I’d forgotten how the track actually went until I watched the “Let It Be” film a few weeks later. Silly, silly me.

What was meant to be the song to signal The Beatles’ return to their rock and roll roots without the fancy production and lavish instrumentation they had used in the preceding years turned out to be the band’s swansong, the last track on the group’s final album “Let It Be” from 1970. Even if “The End” was meant to be the true last track of the band’s work, I am content with “Get Back” taking its place as that role. It might not be as extravagant as that song, but it does bring a sense of closure in its own way.

My iPod #381: The Beatles – For No One

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A slow song about the gradual ending of a relationship, “For No One” written by Paul McCartney and performed by The Beatles is one of the saddest tracks in the group’s catalogue.

McCartney was going through a rough patch with a girlfriend many many years ago, and this is one of many songs that he wrote about that point in time. This seems to detail the eventual end of that ‘patch’ ‘cos from “Sgt. Pepper” onwards he didn’t write those types of songs anymore. In fact, it seemed to be getting so much better for him from that point onwards. Still, “For No One” is details McCartney’s regret and sadness caused by the situation.

Accompanied by only by drums (courtesy of Ringo Starr) which you can barely hear and a mournful French horn that gets its own solo and appears again near the song’s conclusion, “For No One” is the one track from “Revolver” that will have you tearing up and feeling Paul’s pain. John Lennon was a fan of this one too, but probably not because of that reason.