It's to be expected, of course, with the arrival of a remastered back catalogue where the sound is x-times better than the 1987 versions + elaborate box sets.
Pitchfork reviews the albums, all of 'em, as I'm sure many others will do too. Still, one could hope these reissues would allow for at least some degree of revision of the Beatles and their music. Not so, according to Pitchfork at least. Rubber Soul (their best by far), Revolver (quelle surprise), Sgt. Pepper's... (great dream pop avant-fun), and Magical Mystery Tour (good songs, but very uneven) all getting perfect scores.
I'm still baffled by those who pick Revolver as the foursome's best (not to mention "best ever"). Plenty of great songs, sure, but the gaping void of stupidity that is "Yellow Submarine" ruins the listening experience for me. No matter how I look at the album (either counting songs or listening to it as a whole - e.g. how one song relates to the others etc.), "YS" simply does not work. It's silly, dumb, the singing is flat, nor does it work as an experimental break. Yet Plagenhoef has the gall to call it "an inventive and charming track too often derided as camp". Too often? Too rarely is more like it.
Well, that's my two cents, anyway. Rant over.
1 comment:
Two cents isn't enough..I'll add another five. Not only is Yellow Submarine proof that funny was something the Beatles never were, but on Revolver you also have an overdose of (admittedly quite great) McCartney ballads. Got To Get You Into My Life is McCartney failing to rock as always and knowing it. I Want to Tell You shows that Harrison was good for two songs per album, never three. Doctor Robert is a throwaway that Lennon probably could have written in his sleep in 1966, and no one is going tell me that And Your Bird Can Sing is a masterpiece either. Add to this that Good Day Sunshine is pretty lame and you have at least seven tracks that are sub par on "the greatest record of all time". As for the rest, they could probably have made the greatest EP of all time.
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