The Beatles "Rain" appreciation thread *

The point of this compilation is to compile only all the Post-Pepper Beatles' originals (Lennon/Mccartney, Harrison and Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starskey) from mid 1967 to early 1968 into one great Beatles album.
This is the great album sandwiched between Pepper and the white album.

 

I agree.
Thanks for the final tweaking of our new "Magical Mystery Tour" album.

 

Matthew, I switched "Rain" and "Paperback Writer" to make the Lennon-McCartney compositions more balance on each side. See the highlighted songs.
This is my new "Revolver" album.

 

An amazing song. My first exposure to it was after waiting through a downpour at Buckeye Lake in Columbus, Ohio, having the Grateful Dead open the show with their version back in 1994. Of course this experience helped add to what was an already top notch song. What a bassline!

 

That's ironic -- Child of the Moon is a complete ripoff of Rain. I like it nonetheless.

 

I don't disagree with the punchiness argument in favor of mono. However, one neat thing about the stereo mix (at least on the 80's Capitol CDs) was that you could isolate each Lennon vocal from Rain by shifting the balance. One side gets you the "stoned robot" vocal, the other the "screaming" vocal. It's nice to hear them isolated from one another and they sound great combined, too...

 

Great song, of course!

Check out "Goodbye Dreaming Fields" by Martin Newell, the guitar tone is exactly the same in places.

 

Ha! At least I'm consistant. I hear it -- the verse melody is close & Keith's stop-start strumming is like a punked-out version of the rhythms of "Rain."

They lyrics are totally different and really cool ... every time I see a horizontal new moon (they're mostly in the spring) it's cresent-shaped smile.

Now to compare JJF and PBW ...

 

Note to new bands: When your b-sides are as good as Rain, you're ready to
be signed.

 

But you have 2 Lennons songs in a row on Side 1 & 2 McCartney songs in a row on Side 2.

Here's mine which I've posted before that I've burned on CD-R a couple of times (once with the '87 CD issues and now with the mono versions):

Side 1 = 21:26

1. Taxman
2. Eleanor Rigby
3. I'm Only Sleeping
4. Paperback Writer
5. Love You To
6. Here, There and Everywhere
7. Rain
8. Yellow Submarine

Side 2 = 19:09

1. She Said, She Said
2. Good Day Sunshine
3. And Your Bird Can Sing
4. For No One
5. Dr. Robert
6. I Want to Tell You
7. Got to Get You Into My Life
8. Tomorrow Never Knows

This has a natural flow to it, but I'll try programming each of your suggestions to see if I like them.

 

I'll try that myself. thanks for your suggestion.

By the way, speaking of "Rain", I much prefer the stereo version over the mono. I am talking about the 2009 remasters of "Rain".

 

"Rain'' is my favorite Beatles song. "And Your Bird Can Sing" is my second favorite.

 

That's a nice orderly document of an entire year of Beatles history.

However, had they sat on all these tracks and released this in one chunk, it would be considered more of a mess than the White Album. This is all over the map.

To me, those early '68 recordings exist in their own weird little vacuum, but they definitely have more of a White Album vibe than a MMT vibe. The rest of the YS tracks sound like what they basically might have been had the movie not been pitched...Pepper outtakes.

Compiling that entire year into one playlist means you have a couple of good singles, some decent MMT tour tracks, and *gasp* a lot of filler.

 

Actually, you'd have 3 singles (mid-67, late-67, early-68), a double-EP (MMT) and the proposed (YS) single-EP.

And BTW, one final tweak to track list would switch ATU and LM, to keep the early '68 single sides together, even tho it means back-to-back Lennon sides (HB and ATU).

 

I'm grateful for this thread, because I thought I was the only one to appreciate it; while maybe not my fav Beatles song, I loved the sound of "Rain". My chronology may be faulty, but I've always thought of this song as just about their first foray into a more psychedelic sound, kind of like a signpost that pointed to Sgt. Pepper's straight ahead.

 

Put PAPERBACK WRITER and RAIN in place of YELLOW SUBMARINE and DR. ROBERT and you have the Beatles best album.

 

I always do. LOL For me that song IS the bass(and the drums), the rest is just a bit of decoration around it. I swear when it gets to that bit, near the end with those bass flourishes and it pauses briefly and then picks up again...I always hold my breath during the pause, can't help it.

 

This was one of The Beatles greatest singles ever. The mono mixes are so much better than the stereo mixes done for both songs, a shame. I love the longer fade on the mono Paperback Writer and the drums and bass on both songs is just fantastic.

 

This is one where, actually, I think the stereo mix sounds more ferocious. The mono mix is different - mellower. I'm not saying one is better, or worse. The stereo mix to me really shows off the great drumming.

 

I never considered that before but I completely agree. Replacing those (my two least favorite songs off Revolver) with my 2 very favorite songs of all of 1966 is GENIUS!!

 

I have an original copy in pic sleeve in plastic tacked to my wall. Incredible.

 

First Beatle single I ever bought with my own money. Played Rain twice as much as Paperback Writer. First Beatle single not about a relationship.

 

I love "Rain", I consider it one of the most progressive tracks the band recorded.

a brief O/T comment:

Love this list but I would remove "Only A Northern Song" as it's a Pepper track.
How about including "You Know My Name.."?

 

'Rain' flat-out rocks. When cranked-up nice and loud, this song never fails to amaze me. Loved it since I first heard it back in '86 when I bought the 'Hey Jude' record.

 

I believe Hello Goodbye was the a-side and I Am the Walrus was the b-side.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hello,_Goodbye