210: Wild Honey Pie

Album: The Beatles
Writer: McCartney
Singer: McCartney

Verdict: One of the few Beatles songs where literally nobody else had anything to do with it. If they had, they might have told Paul to just fucking stop it already. He admits it’s purely an experimental track (another song where there are no lyrics other than the title) that he wasn’t even considering putting on the white album until Pattie Boyd raved about it. Thanks Pattie.

209: Money (That’s What I Want)

Album: With the Beatles
Writer: Berry Gordy, Janie Bradford
Singer: Lennon

Verdict: Our first cover song, and is the case for most of the Beatles covers, they shouldn’t have. While the lyrics are not inspiring, this version is just so freaking boring. And, of course, it’s been covered a half-dozen other times by big bands. Including the Stones. I’m not going to listen to that one either.

208: Not A Second Time

Album: With the Beatles
Writer: Lennon
Singer: Lennon

Verdict: The entire wikipedia entry for this song is about the song’s musical structure, praising Lennon up and down for it. Lennon says it was unintentional.

207: Flying

Album: Magical Mystery Tour
Writer: All of them
Singer: Instrumental

Verdict: The only instrumental recorded by the band, and there’s a good reason it was the only one. The mellotron that Lennon uses makes me want to sleep and in general I hate maracas.

206: Maxwell’s Silver Hammer

Album: Abbey Road
Writer: McCartney
Singer: McCartney

Verdict: The first time I heard this sung I dug it, loving its coyness and explicit violence. But after the curiosity wore off, I realized that the song actually makes my ears hurt. It apparently also hurt the rest of the band, and McCartney obsessed over making it a perfect song, which was impossible. Lennon and Starr both hated it. I’ve seen this ranked on some lists in the top 20. Hoo boy. It was also meant for the white album, where it would have fit better. It really ruins the rhythm of Abbey Road and I skip it every time.