Kieran.Stories

When I was ten, we went on a school trip to the Albert Dock, Liverpool. On the coach back, I had my first real argument with a friend. He was anti-Beatle. He told me that Eminem was both better and would be remembered for longer than the Beatles. I didn’t like Eminem, because his music videos were too much. We reached an impasse. Around this time, I read my first book that wasn’t for children. Larry Kane’s Ticket to Ride came with a CD of interviews with the band on their 1964 and 1965 American tours. I listened to it before bed. The Beatle narrative was more important to me than the music. Everyone at school knew at least one song, but I hoarded Beatle facts, I wanted them to be my band.

One of my favourite podcasts, Your Own Personal Beatles (Robin Allender, Jack Pelling), has a regular section on controversial Beatles opinions. It usually comes at the end of an episode. I wanted to compile a list here of my favourite controversial opinions from the podcast. Thinking about these opinions out of context opened new avenues for me. With the Beatles, there is so much context. What I like about YOPB is the focus on personal history. It is not a history of the band. When I watched Get Back with my dad, it broke a sort of spell. These Beatles were people. They sat around. I started to enjoy the messiness. Sometimes, thinking about the Beatles is like thinking in television static. There’s too much information. It’s all too much. Podcasts like YOPB help to tune the channel. KBO.

Introduction – Jack & Robin’s Personal Beatles

The Beatles should be a single record. Jack goes back and forth on this.

Robin is not a huge fan of Rubber Soul.

Guy Chambers

Chambers describes ‘Long, Long, Long’ as an unmemorable dirge.

Robin explains why this is his favourite Beatles song.

Jonno

‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’ is great.

Matthew E. White

Mind Games is John Lennon’s best album.

Josh Widdicombe

70% of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is unlistenable.

Field Music

‘Let it Be’ is underrated.

Laura Barton

I don’t listen to them that often. Whenever I do, I think, God, this band is great.

Christine Feldman-Barrett

The Beatles should have continued to tour after Revolver.

John Bradley

Hallucinogenic drugs made the Beatles’ music a bit boring.

Adam Buxton

They’re underrated.

Shaun Keaveny

The best version of ‘Across the Universe’ is on Let it Be Naked.

Sam Carter

George might be the best Beatle.

Ania Magliano

‘Hey Jude’ should be longer.

John Higgs

Ram, Imagine, and All Things Must Pass, you have to think of them as Beatles albums, because they’re all part of that great surge of creative energy that came after Rishikesh.

Max Tundra

Magical Mystery Tour is the best Beatles album.

Ed Dowie

Dowie talks eloquently about the film Yesterday and its central flaw: it erases the band.