175: Long, Long, Long

Album: The Beatles
Writer: Harrison
Singer: Harrison

Verdict: I’ve been really picking on George lately. While reading up a bit on this song, I found little but endless accolades, with some even considering it George’s best song, doubling as both a love song and a painful and moving message to God. So I just fired it up again to give it another chance. Nope. The lyrics are fine, but it sounds like George is mumbling into a tunnel. I want to shake him and tell him to sing already. The ending also sounds like someone is farting aluminum cans.  

174: Thank You Girl

Album: Past Masters, Volume 1
Writer: Lennon/McCartney
Singer: Lennon

Verdict: Literally written as a thank you to their screaming female mobs, both John and Paul dismiss the song as just practice. I agree. I like Lennon’s vocal stylings, but there’s just not much here.

173: Slow Down

Album: Past Masters, Volume 1
Writer: Larry Williams
Singer: Lennon

Verdict: I wonder if Larry Williams was glad the Beatles helped further popularize his songs or if he was embarrassed at how they continued to butcher them completely. Out of Larry’s voice this sounds smooth and like something you could dance to. The Beatles version is uninspired and poorly performed.

172: Matchbox

Album: Past Masters, Volume 1
Writer: Carl Perkins
Singer: Starr

Verdict: I’m trying to determine if The Beatles really sucked at doing covers, or if it was just that they did most of them early in their career when for the most part they just sucked in general. Once again they take a lively, rockabilly song and just make it completely uninteresting.

171: One After 909

Album: Let It Be
Writer: Lennon
Singer: Lennon

Verdict: One of the earliest songs Lennon wrote and one of the last he recorded for The Beatles. Not a bad song for a 17 year-old. It’s a train song, and while not terribly interesting, they seem to be having a lot of fun with it. Its energy and style would have fit better on one of their earlier albums. It’s really out of place on Let It Be.