Last Song by the Beatles

[Basvarken]

Nothing wrong with lightweight lighthearted songs.

But Yellow Submarie is plain stupid square hoompah

[uwe]

It probably has to do with the fact that I heard a lot of these songs the first time when I was still actually a child. My nine years older brother had the Magical Mystery Tour EP and I remember listening to that over and over again - with Your Mother Should Know, Fool On The Hill and the title track being my favorite songs at the time. There was no other contemporary pop music I listened to as intently as a, say, 8- to 10-year-old. I found the whole surreal Magical Mystery Tour concept mesmerizing.

[uwe]

Nothing wrong with lightweight lighthearted songs.

But Yellow Submarie is plain stupid square hoompah

Despite all the hoompah even bordering on the grotesque, it has this laconic melancholy running through it many songs sung by Ringo have. And I can never listen to the song without immediately visualizing the animated movie to it which I thought brilliant as a child and still think brilliant today.

Besides, what's wrong with hoompah?

[westen44]

Although I'm not sure why, it seems "Yellow Submarine" really was written as a children's song for Ringo.  I think some dispute this, but I'm not sure why.  I'm not crazy about the song, but it's good enough, IMO.  What I like most is when listening to the Revolver album, you go from Yellow Submarine to She Said She Said.  The frivolous atmosphere is suddenly broken by the guitar of She Said She Said.  I'm sure this was intentional.  I really like She Said She Said.  It proved how well John Lennon and George Harrison could work together.  Paul isn't on the song at all.  George helped John write the song, played guitar, sang backup, and played bass.  John Lennon has been quoted as saying he was very pleased with this song.  Once again, the contrast between it and "Yellow Submarine" can't be ignored.  You go from someone singing a lighthearted song to a song about what it's like to be dead.  Supposedly, this had been inspired by Peter Fonda telling the story of his NDE as a child to John (who like everyone else at a party they were at just wanted to get away from Peter Fonda after that.)

I think Magical Mystery Tour (album in the U.S./EP elsewhere) has been underrated.  One recent interpretation of Fool on the Hill which I've read is that it's really the people observing the fool on the hill who are the fools.  "Your Mother Should Know" I think stands out as Paul's most impressive dance hall song of all.  The melody is haunting and beautiful. 

In watching the "Now and Then" video once again, I did notice this time the poignant ending.  The way the Beatles are on stage for a final bow, and then suddenly vanish. 

[Alanko]

I've given this new Beatles song a listen but not really liked it very much. Paul's voice sounds too old and doddery, blending with the other voices, and there is a surprisingly incongruous guitar part, that sounds like (ironically) something from a dodgy home demo.

The problem with gussying up a demo, for me, is twofold. John might have chopped and changed the lyrics, structure etc before committing to a studio recording. Secondly, a producer might have tweaked the tempo, feel, structure and turned it into a very different song. The plodding four-square spectre of Jeff Lynne haunts this track, as it does on Free as a Bird and the Wilburys stuff.

As for it being the final Beatles song, I'm a bit skeptical. With improvements in AI audio extraction, all sorts of farts and squeaks could be lifted off the Esher tapes, clashed together with George or John home demos from the '70s and served up with drum loops and perfunctory bass lines, and then spun out as new material. A bit like the ghoulish '70s Hendrix albums that married demo material with session musicians copying Jimi's style, to build ghost tracks. You could have an almost infinite stream of new Beatles tracks using the most scant original material to enfkesslyextrapolate new songs.

[westen44]

I've given this new Beatles song a listen but not really liked it very much. Paul's voice sounds too old and doddery, blending with the other voices, and there is a surprisingly incongruous guitar part, that sounds like (ironically) something from a dodgy home demo.

The problem with gussying up a demo, for me, is twofold. John might have chopped and changed the lyrics, structure etc before committing to a studio recording. Secondly, a producer might have tweaked the tempo, feel, structure and turned it into a very different song. The plodding four-square spectre of Jeff Lynne haunts this track, as it does on Free as a Bird and the Wilburys stuff.

As for it being the final Beatles song, I'm a bit skeptical. With improvements in AI audio extraction, all sorts of farts and squeaks could be lifted off the Esher tapes, clashed together with George or John home demos from the '70s and served up with drum loops and perfunctory bass lines, and then spun out as new material. A bit like the ghoulish '70s Hendrix albums that married demo material with session musicians copying Jimi's style, to build ghost tracks. You could have an almost infinite stream of new Beatles tracks using the most scant original material to enfkesslyextrapolate new songs.

Hopefully, nothing would ever be done similar to the disaster Alan Douglas created when he botched Jimi Hendrix songs in the 70s.  I doubt if anyone would ever be foolish enough to try something like that again.  But I would also not be surprised if "Now and Then" turns out to not be the last Beatles song after all.  They still may try one day to come up with something else. 

[uwe]

To me, Magical Mystery Tour is Sgt Pepper II - the two would have made a wonderful double album. I always see them as companion pieces.

[westen44]

To me, Magical Mystery Tour is Sgt Pepper II - the two would have made a wonderful double album. I always see them as companion pieces.

I'm not sure if the Beatles themselves realized how good the Magical Mystery Tour album was.  On the other hand, they may have overrated Sgt. Pepper.  However, it did have "A Day in the Life" on it.  Especially for someone hearing the song for the first time, that would have to be considered something major.  I can't say the same for "When i'm 64."  I wish somehow that song could have been obliterated. 

[Dave W]

To me, Magical Mystery Tour is Sgt Pepper II - the two would have made a wonderful double album. I always see them as companion pieces.

It would be a double failure in my view, unless you like fluff and dance hall music.

I'm reminded of what Bob Dylan allegedly said to the band after they played Sgt Pepper to him ahead of the release: "I get it, you're not cute anymore."

[uwe]

I know it's uncool, but the orchestral Beatles, basically Paul's Rickenbacker era, are my favorite. They + George Martin invented PROG as they went along. Sgt Pepper is a magical record to me, the ultimate sophisticated pop album. All the more impressive as they did not have a blueprint for it and went from I Want To Hold Your Hand to this in the space of a few years.

And there is absolutely nothing wrong with When I'm 64! And I'm only turning 63 next week.

[Basvarken]

And there the case must rest, I don’t believe that this song will be talked about much in ten years from now nor that it will ever gain the airplay/number of clicks of even, say, Love Me Do. Nor will Free as a Bird for that matter.

They are number 1 in the UK charts now

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/nov/10/the-beatles-54-years-no-1-singles-now-and-then-uk-chart

[uwe]

Worse songs have had that placing, but you don‘t need to rewrite Beatles history either.

Since when have you become such a Beatles buff, Rob? I always thought you needed a "minimum black music content" with anything you dig, some distinct Blues, Soul or Funk influence? Beatles music isn't entirely white of course, but pretty much. I'm just curious.

[Basvarken]

Since when have you become such a Beatles buff, Rob?

Am I?

I just point out that the song is more successful than you thought it would be.

[westen44]

Am I?

I just point out that the song is more successful than you thought it would be.

It is mostly successful because it may be the Beatles last hurrah.  But it is in the overall best interest of almost everyone involved that people make the most of it.  I am trying to include myself in that, although it's hard because I think the song is a lackluster effort by a legendary band.  Anyone could sit down and easily write down the names of Beatles songs better than this one.  The song is so bad that it's almost incomprehensible what is being dealt with here.  I can name several Beatles songs which are worse, but not many.  It isn't as bad, though, as "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number.)  That's a song the Beatles themselves loved, but many fans hated.  I think it's probably based on an inside joke that you'd have to be a Beatle to understand. 

[uwe]

The current interest in and popularity of the song is based on (i) AI curiosity, (ii) morbid interest in hearing Lennon sing something "new" 43 years after his murder which shook the world and (iii) general soft focus Beatles nostalgia, Rob. It has little to do with the mediocre - it’s not awful, even two dead Bestles are too good for that - quality of the song. I can assure you, if we two had recorded it with or without the aid of Al no one would give a stale Gouda about it.