It's Beatles night on "Idol" and chances are some enduring classics of rock will be ruined for viewers forever. Or will these gems of songwriting allow the singers to shine when they have no Whitney or Journey to hide behind? We'll see tonight, but The Beatles don't have a good record at being covered by other artists. Perhaps because the songs were done so well in the first place, you don't get the same kind of genius reinvention you see with songwriters such as Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen (though I do love Nina Simone's wistful take on "Here Comes the Sun" and Stevie Wonder's soulful 'We Can Work It Out.")
I hope Chosen David goes for "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" in honor of all the closet cases in the entertainment industry who have to disguise who they are to win the approval of mainstream America (he dedicated last week's song to homeless families, so why not do something both noble and knowing?) Speaking of concealment, everybody's got something to hide except Stripper David and his apparently very popular monkey. Why not go for "A Hard Day's Night"? Does he work like a dog? Only he and his male strip club clients know for sure.
My favorite Beatles era ("Help!"-"Rubber Soul"-"Revolver") should be a good place to look for folkies Jason Castro and Brooke White. "In My Life" or "Yesterday" play well with subtlety and feeling over vocal fireworks. Carly Smithson, Amanda Overmyer and Michael Johns will probably go for something more on the rock side like "Helter Skelter" or "Revolution." I'm guessing that "Happiness is a Warm Gun" for Michael. If he really works out the climax to that song (and maybe learns a few moves from Stripper David), the same will be true for me. Sometimes a concealed weapon isn't the best policy, I say. This is why we really need "Idol: The XTube Files" this season.
Here are my picks for the Top 25 Beatles songs. Feel free to add your own favorites in the comments section!
1. In My Life ("Rubber Soul")
2. Here, There and Everywhere ("Revolver")
3. Let It Be ("Let It Be")
4. Hey Jude (single)
5. Revolution (single)/Revolution 1 and 9 (White Album)
6. A Day in the Life ("SPLHCB")
7. Taxman ("Revolver")
8. Help! ("Help!")
9. I Saw Her Standing There ("Please Please Me")
10. Girl ("Rubber Soul")
11. With a Little Help from My Friends ("SPLHCB")
12. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away ("Help!")
13. Love Me Do ("Please Please Me")
14. Nowhere Man ("Rubber Soul")
15. Strawberry Fields Forever ("Magical Mystery Tour")
16. Tomorrow Never Knows ("Revolver")
17. I 've Just Seen a Face ("Help!")
18. Julia (White Album)
19. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds ("SPLHCB")
20. I'm Looking Through You ("Rubber Soul")
21. Baby It's You ("Please Please Me")
22. Back in the USSR (White Album)
23. Wait ("Rubber Soul")
24. Across the Universe ("Let It Be")
25. Yesterday ("Help!")
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3 comments:
A top 25 Beatles song list without A Hard Day's Night is shambolic.
I expected more of you Colin.
Otherwise, good stuff as usual.
I guess "A Hard Day's Night" would be in the Top 50. That's the problem with a band as good as the Beatles. You can probably have four different and respectable top 25 lists and still not duplicate any songs on them.
Sparrow: What's another name I would know you by?
"The Sparrow" was born out of the late night and very drunken impression that I should post on here incognito, I have no idea why. I went with it for a while in an attempt to save face but can't be bothered.
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