The Beatles vs. The Monkees

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Thu May 19, 2005 11:37 am

I prefer the Dillards. Y'know, they did a sit-com in the 1960's too!

djm · Post by **djm** » Thu May 19, 2005 1:03 pm

Man, this is bad. I'm actually going to agree with Lorenzo on something. Sorry, L.

McCartney has a true gift for coming up with catchy riffs/tunes. He is absolutely braindead when it comes to lyrics, so I guess I kinda agree with Weekender, as well. Lennon had his moments. It would be a mistake to worship everything the Beatles did blindly, but a big loss to totally discount them. L&M admitted to writing separately even in the 60s. That is no big revelation.

For you folks who are big afficionados of retro, I am trying to find out who did "Sleep Walking", the surf-sounding instrumental with the slide guitar going. I would like to try working this one out on UPs, but can't remember how the whole tune went.

Thx,

djm

izzarina · Post by **izzarina** » Thu May 19, 2005 1:38 pm

Lorenzo wrote:Question is...who was the better song writer: Paul or John?

I'm going to have to pull a cranberry here and say that you aren't giving enough options in your "poll"

In MY opinion, George was the best song writer in the Beatles. You have "Piggies" and "Taxman" just to name a couple. He was brilliant. It's too bad that he was not given more license to write on their albums.

susnfx · Post by **susnfx** » Thu May 19, 2005 2:25 pm

Hmmm...I don't know...George was MY Beatle and I adored him, but even I couldn't get into his double album All Things Must Pass solo stuff (which I still have, by the way).

Susan

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Thu May 19, 2005 3:18 pm

Why doesn't anybody like Ringo Starr?

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Thu May 19, 2005 3:26 pm

Cranberry wrote:Why doesn't anybody like Ringo Starr?

drummer...

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Thu May 19, 2005 4:00 pm

don't forget the "r" there, Denny!

Post by **Dale** » Thu May 19, 2005 4:02 pm

The Weekenders wrote:
They were better as a team. Some, if not most, of their solo written songs suck.

A major interview with John Lennon paints a different picture, more in line with what Lorenzo has said. Of course, it's an interview with John Lennon, so who knows how reliable it is.

Lennon went through a large number of songs from the Lennon-McCartney catalog and indicated that, in large part, songs were written solely either by Paul or by John or with one of them writing most of the song with a fairly minor contribution by the other. Usually very minor. In any case, Lennon was clear that there was very little actual collaborative song-writing. The interviewer would go through all of these songs and Lennon would say "That was Paul's." "That was mine." and so on. I recall that when the interviewer asked about "Fool on the Hill," Lennon said that was Paul's song and it was one he really wish he could say he wrote. And, he was right to wish that, of course, given that "Fool on the Hill," is the finest song in the Beatles catalog.

But, again, who knows? I'm not sure I'd regard Lennon as the most reliable informant in the world. Maybe Paul has confirmed this independently--I don't remember.

Dale

Jack · Post by **Jack** » Thu May 19, 2005 4:39 pm

The Weekenders wrote:don't forget the "r" there, Denny!

Ooops. Did I spell it wrong? Wouldn't be the first time.

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Thu May 19, 2005 5:19 pm

DaleWisely wrote:
The Weekenders wrote:
They were better as a team. Some, if not most, of their solo written songs suck.
A major interview with John Lennon paints a different picture, more in line with what Lorenzo has said. Of course, it's an interview with John Lennon, so who knows how reliable it is.

Lennon went through a large number of songs from the Lennon-McCartney catalog and indicated that, in large part, songs were written solely either by Paul or by John or with one of them writing most of the song with a fairly minor contribution by the other. Usually very minor. In any case, Lennon was clear that there was very little actual collaborative song-writing. The interviewer would go through all of these songs and Lennon would say "That was Paul's." "That was mine." and so on. I recall that when the interviewer asked about "Fool on the Hill," Lennon said that was Paul's song and it was one he really wish he could say he wrote. And, he was right to wish that, of course, given that "Fool on the Hill," is the finest song in the Beatles catalog.

But, again, who knows? I'm not sure I'd regard Lennon as the most reliable informant in the world. Maybe Paul has confirmed this independently--I don't remember.

Dale

Who knows then... maybe it was the influence of George Martin or somebody.....

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Thu May 19, 2005 5:19 pm

The Weekenders wrote:don't forget the "r" there, Denny!

drummerr...
Like that?

The Weekenders · Post by **The Weekenders** » Thu May 19, 2005 5:21 pm

I mean I like him and all, but I was thinkin' dum and .....

emmline · Post by **emmline** » Thu May 19, 2005 5:24 pm

Cranberry wrote:Why doesn't anybody like Ringo Starr?

In all fairness, a girl named Barb and I used to sit in the dorm laundry room when we were freshman an "jam" which mostly meant strumming the chords to "It don't Come Easy."

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Thu May 19, 2005 5:29 pm

The Weekenders wrote:I mean I like him and all, but I was thinkin' dum and .....

Have you ever had a drummer that never was on beat... It made me appreciate Ringo. He may not be inspired but he is one hell of a metronome.

Some people are just simpler than others. It can be good to have one of them around to help keep you grounded!

Denny

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu May 19, 2005 7:01 pm

A teenager at the time, I was under the impression that all the Beatles and OC the Rolling Stones etc ..ie Brit rock-n-roll had already been to bed with at least a million teenage girls.

The Monkies OTOH seemed to us kids to be more errrrr like us. virgins ..., and therefore were liked as well as played at our weenie British kid parties as opposed to the other drug snorting animals which we made a point of not buying or listening to, despite and often because the DJs there endlessly played them at us.

In fact, for exotic 'other' entertainment most of us would be listening to far sexier stuff eg Robert Johnson or similiar and bits of folk thrown in for good measure eg Bob 'the Dollar' Dillion, the odd bit of The Clancys and doses of The Dubliners went down well with shandy and pop + crisps at the boozer.

Anywho, the image of filthy lower animalness pretty much sticks to Britrock, see for example the messy end of The Who etc. So even today if I am listening to NPR here which does have a Beatle show on sunday, and I hear a word about it, I immediately switch to a modern Jazz show.

If I have to listen to rock I always select Amercan bands, if listening to Nonie Noh I prefer British - suppose its just my taste so yes I prefer the Monkies to the Brutals.