I'm not a purist, so my top choice would be one of the compilations...

Past Masters, Volume Two.



Day Tripper
We Can Work It Out
Paperback Writer
Rain
Lady Madonna
The Inner Light
Hey Jude
Revolution
Get Back
Don't Let Me Down
The Ballad Of John And Yoko
Old Brown Shoe
Across The Universe
Let It Be
You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)

If you're unfamiliar with the album, it's the second volume of non-album* tracks. 'Get Back', 'Let It Be' and 'Across The Universe' are all alternate non-album versions.

*I think it was issued when EMI released all the U.K. albums on CD (plus the U.S. Magical Mystery Tour album).

Revolution, is so much better than Revolution 1, from The Beatles album.

If you want to restrict it solely to studio albums, then I'd say The Beatles.

Justin1972UK said:

The Off-White Album

hold up, compilation wise its no contest its:






DISC 1:

1. Strawberry Fields Forever

2. Penny Lane

3. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

4. With A Little Help From My Friends

5. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

6. Day In The Life, A

7. All You Need Is Love

8. I Am The Walrus

9. Hello, Goodbye

10. Fool On The Hill, The

11. Magical Mystery Tour

12. Lady Madonna

13. Hey Jude

14. Revolution

DISC 2:

1. Back In The U.S.S.R.

2. While My Guitar Gently Weeps

3. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da

4. Get Back

5. Don't Let Me Down

6. Ballad Of John And Yoko, The

7. Old Brown Shoe

8. Here Comes The Sun

9. Come Together

10. Something

11. Octopus's Garden

12. Let It Be

13. Across The Universe

14. Long And Winding Road, The

Justin1972UK said:

ufoclub said:

This will always be my favorite compilation. Along with Red it will keep you busy for a while.

TonyVanDam said:

I love the competition that came from beneath the surface during these sessions.. The better the songs got, the more competition it was for each to come up with something better.. i think one good example is the AMAZING "Helter Skelter" that paul wrote.. that was punk before punk was around.


just listen to that baseline....


then another great example is "Happiness is a Warm Gun" by john.. which it was basically around 3 songs.. and cut and pasted by George Martin.. so good studio trickery for that one.. it paved way for things like Paranoid Android by Radiohead..

songs like "Martha My Dear" about Pauls white shaggy dog, is a great example of how paul's always loved touching lightly with english "twee" songs.. and this was his best.. it had the english sound, and the song had a nice "rockish" tone to it from the drum and guitar riffs.. very subtle but impressive sounding.

George had some massive monsters too "While My Guitar".. which displayed Eric Claptons playing guitar...

Disk 1 is suitable for a "Beatle" album.. it had a nice flow to it.. felt like a musical rollercoaster..

Disk 2 is VERY experimental. even lyrically... a big portion of why it was experimental was johns revolution "No. 9".. the 9 minute song of hand cut tape loops by john himself.. but even songs like Helter Skelter and Yer Blues have an edgy appeal that takes some getting used to..but once your immune to its presence.. they stay on repeat.
Another good example is how on Cry Baby Cry... the song is primarily john.. and as the song ends.. a few negative space moments go by.. and here comes paul with odd lyrics and strange chords singing "can u take me where I came from.. brother can you take me back"


What i think its so great about this album.. is that it sounds timeless.. for it to affect so many muscians after it came out.. Their actual sound from this album is superior to the one's who were inspired.. thats something to be said about their entire catelog..
[Edited 3/2/06 18:04pm]

Justin1972UK said:

For me Past Master II is filled with second rate material: The Inner Ligh, You Know My Name, Rain. Besides there are hits that became unbeareble because of overplaying: Hey Jude, Let It Be. But I recognize that it contains one of my favorites ever: We Can Work it Out, and a lot of authentic gems: Old Brown Shoe, The Ballad of John And Yoko, Across The Universe. But for my taste not the best album not the best compilation.

its crazy off key isn't it? I heard he made up this song in response to his dissapointment: He read a review about how wild some other band's song (or album) was and when he listened to it he was let down, so made up what he had imagined.

Sdldawn said:[quote]

TonyVanDam said:

Best? I don't know...but my favorite Beatles record is Rubber Soul.

co-sign. althouhg for the last month i have been obsessing over their early stuff, ie please, please me - help!.

so much good stuff it's hard to chose but i go with the stuff in quotes. the "mid-period" beatles music is my fav.

ufoclub said:[quote]its crazy off key isn't it? I heard he made up this song in response to his dissapointment: He read a review about how wild some other band's song (or album) was and when he listened to it he was let down, so made up what he had imagined.

Sdldawn said:

the song in question was "I Can see for miles" by The Who. It was described as the loudest, rawest, dirtiest rocker they'd ever done, so Paul McCartney thought "let's make the loudest, dirtiest rocker that we've ever done"

jacktheimprovident said:

I think you're right, and I Can See For Miles isn't very loud & dirty, is it? Great song, just not that loud or dirty.

I always thought of Helter Skelter an dangerous & kind of scary as a child. I was thinking about the lyrics the other day:

"When I get to the bottom I go back to the top of the slide
Where I turn & I stop & I go for a ride
Till I get to the bottom & I see you again."

How did they make that hard & scary? It's like a lullaby.

NDRU said:

Yeah, the Magical Mystery Tour "album" is a compilation. It was configured for the U.S. market in 1967 and wasn't released in the U.K. as an album until 1976. The first seven songs are from the British Magical Mystery Tour Double E.P. (I guess this would be called a mini-album now) and the last four tracks were just tacked on the end.

The original cover of the gatefold 7" vinyl package (without the orange/yellow border) is much nicer.



I've never understood why all the Christmas Fan-Club flexi-discs haven't been released on CD. I'd buy it.

If Beatles albums weren't still so damn expensive, I'd get those that I don't have yet and post here, too. They just won't lower the price!

But BTWM, how great is "Penny Lane"? It IS the most sugary pop you can imagine, but somehow it works - childhood memories perfectly captured.

Justin1972UK said:

Well I be damned. All I know is my mama had it since like `68.

I would rank 'em like this

1) Rubber Soul
2) Revolver
3) The Beatles
4) Abbey Road
5) Help!
6) A Hard Day's Night
7) Beatles For Sale
8) With The Beatles
9) Let It Be
10) Please Please Me
11) Magical Mystery Tour
12) Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band


I really don't dig the 1967 era Beatles recordings. I think the songwriting really suffered and they compensated with "studio trickery". A lot of folks disagree but it turns my stomach to see Sgt. Pepper routinely rated as their best. Song for song I think it is clearly their worst!

I also think that Help! and A Hard Day's Night are criminally underrated. Yes, with Rubber Soul their music became much better. But I think the two above albums are much more consistent, song for song, than the music they released in 1967.

co-sign.

1 - Abbey Road

2 - Revolver
3 - White Album
4 - Pepper
5 - Magical Mystery Tour / Rubber Soul

2,3,4,5 could change every day, but Abbey Road is my nr. 1 for sure!

dammme said:

If I had to pick one.. this would be it!

rialb said:

I think Beatles For Sale is much weaker than Sgt. Pepper & Magical Mystery Tour.

A few great songs, but the album is their most spotty.

But Hard Days Night is very underrated.
[Edited 3/10/06 10:36am]

Compilations don't count!
It is tricky but I usually come down on the side of Abbey Road.

rialb said:

co sign
[Edited 3/14/06 19:15pm]

My list changes as constantly as my fave Prince albums...but right now its:

1) Beatles For Sale (no I am not high...i NEVER thought this would happen but I truly am lovin this one right now. I think this one is THE overlooked gem in their catalog).
2) White Album
3) Revolver
4) Magical Mystery Tour
5) Abbey Road
6) Sgt Pepper
7) Help!
8) Rubber Soul
9) Let It Be Naked
10)Hard Days Night

dammme said:

How can you say Rain is second rate material!! You are fucking crazy...that thing is brilliant! Clean out those ears! Geesh!

Jackeblu said:

Yeah, I think the only songs that aren't classics on there are The Inner Light & You Know My Name.

NDRU said:

I like Rain actually, but I dont find it has the same quality level of Across the Universe of The Ballad of John..

dammme said:

Probably not, but it's still a great song. I think I like it even more because it's almost unknown.

I love playing "unknown" Beatle songs for people like my girlfriend who think they've heard every Beatles song a million times.

The Let It Be album is good for doing this--Two Of Us, Dig A Pony, For You Blue, I've Got A Feeling, I Me Mine, 1 After 909 are all songs the general public doesn't know as well as the classics.

NDRU said:

Break out the anthologies...

Sdldawn said:

The version of I've Got a Feeling on Anthology completely blew one friend of mine away. It's probably the best version of the song, even though it breaks down.

I always wanted them to release the fast version of Two of Us that's in the movie Let It Be. I think they could release another Anthology to the die-hard die-hards.

Magical Mystery Tour
Revolver
Sgt. Pepper

White Album
Revolver
Sgt. Pepper

A persaonl fave is Rubber Soul