Who's a better songwriter (Let's make it interesting):

[Tweedling]

John is over rated.

[bjorn_skurj]

I would like to throw the name of Jarvis Cocker out there. Not for consideration as best ever, but as someone who can be in the same room as the best ever.

[tongue-tied]

The middle bit of "A Day In The Life", which is definitely the best part of the song.

 

I think you meant to post this in the blasphemy thread.

[Gobias Industries]

Without getting into a discussion about how it's not all that great a song, it's half Lennon.

 

To be technical, Lennon's part actually was from his song, "Everybody Had A Hard Year," which got sandwiched in I've Got A Feeling, for one reason or another during the sessions. So technically, it's not part of the song. Regardless, it really is one of the lesser of the Beatles catalog, which isn't saying how any other artist should really sell their soul to put it in their catalog.

[HighFives]

I voted Ray Davies.

[bobbob1313]

There are two opinions on "I've Got A Feeling" being expressed in this thread. I don't want to say one of them is wrong, but one of them is definitely right.

[mountain bed]

There are two opinions on "I've Got A Feeling" being expressed in this thread. I don't want to say one of them is wrong, but one of them is definitely right.

Whenever I hear that song I get conflicting emotions - first off, the song always makes me get a shit-eating grin. It ALWAYS makes me feel good. Then I think of how great that song could have been live...I think we've talked about this before but what a crying shame it is that so much of the Fab's best material never was played in front of people. By '69 or '70 the amplification systems were so much better and the crowds were (generally) much more laid back.

[bobbob1313]

They were also a pretty terrific group of musicians, especially when Billy Preston was with them. They may not have been virtuosos, but each one of them was a musician in the most pure sense of the word. They knew exactly what they were doing with their instruments and played the perfect notes everytime.

[Gobias Industries]

They were also a pretty terrific group of musicians, especially when Billy Preston was with them. They may not have been virtuosos, but each one of them was a musician in the most pure sense of the word. They knew exactly what they were doing with their instruments and played the perfect notes everytime.

 

How much of a dick was Paul McCartney to not let Billy Preston into the band?

[jff]

"Drive My Car".

 

This is a great one, but had it not been for Lennon, it would have been "You Can Buy Me Golden Rings" and it would have been horrible.

 

Ugh.

 

Anyway, thanks everyone for answering my question. I don't listen to the Beatles as much as I used to so it's easy to forget how many great songs are in their catalog. I still don't rank Paul as high as a lot of other "great" songwriters, but it's interesting to see what folks think of as his high point(s).

 

To answer my own question, I'd probably list "Eleanor Rigby", "Blackbird", "For No One", "I've Just Seen a Face" for starters.

[bobbob1313]

I think in a lot of ways, McCartney appeals less to your brain and more to your ear with his music (as opposed to Lennon or Dylan). You don't have to think about his songs, but they are infinitely listenable and very rarely are the lyrics embarassingly bad.