Week 4 - I've Got a Feeling You'll Have Heard of These

It may not be a surprise what this week's blog is about. Go anywhere this week - newspapers, magazines, music shops, computer games, tv shows - and you'll have been bombarded by this band.

I love the Beatles. For me, they're a world apart from anything else. So much so that, when people ask me who my favourite bands are, I never mention the Beatles. I think it's a waste of words as most people will admit to thinking the Beatles are one of their favourites.

In under a decade they totally changed modern music and their influence is still so apparent today - not just in bands such as Oasis. In fact, I find it quite poetic that, a few weeks after the Gallagher brothers called it a day, the Beatles will have up to 12 of their albums in the charts!

For four guys from Liverpool, they have had a quite preposterous impact, they even introduced Britain and the western world to sitars, reverse tracks and yoga.

But all the technical and cultural stuff aside, their music is what they're best known for - and quite rightly.

Just going through a list of their tracks is like looking at a 'best songs of all time' list. And all done in under ten years.

The Radio Times ran a feature a few weeks ago in which Paul McCartney spoke candidly about the longevity of the band, and his relationship with John Lennon. Also in this feature was a section where celebrities - including Sue Johnston, Michael Parkinson and Stuart Maconie - chose their favourite Beatles tracks

What a question to ask! As Maconie said, it's like asking someone to pick out their favourite line from Shakespeare - there's so much to choose from. The excellent Maconie being the main exception, most people chose the George Harrison number 'Something'. Now, I love that song: it's so laid back, romantic and blissful. However, I also love other perennial favourites such as She Loves You, Can't Buy Me Love, Ticket to Ride, Strawberry Fields Forever, All You Need Is Love... I could go on!

This week, I've decided to list some classic Beatles songs that never, or rarely at any rate, get mentioned as 'favourites'. Again, ending with the song that's been in my head most of this week.

Here goes:

1. Across the Universe
   I think this might be my favourite Beatles song, full stop. But then again, I say that about most of their songs at times! Generally being a McCartney man, there's something magical about this Lennon number that just relaxes me and makes me happy. Plus Sanskrit is welcome in any song. I thought long and hard about putting this one is, as it is arguably the most popular of my choices and may be seen to be a cop-out. However, in my opinion it's not loved as much as it should be - so go on, start loving this more.....More, I said!
   
   
2. Blackbird
   A brilliant McCartney number this, done well by Crosby, Stills & Nash too. When I saw McCartney play at Glastonbury in 04, he played this to an almost silent crowd of 90,000. A truly amazing moment - although not quite as good as the singalong to Hey Jude which took over the entire site and lasted for a good few hours after Macca had left the stage.
   
   
3. Carry That Weight
   For some unknown reason, it's only in the past few years that I've really listened to and got into the later Beatles albums such as The White Album, Let It Be and Abbey Road. God knows why! Carry That Weight is part of the medley which ends Abbey Road and is rumoured to be about encouraging the band to carry on after the death of their manager Brian Epstein.
   For me, it's just a glorious anthemic sing-song that could go on for hours if it wanted. It's also arguably one of their most influencial pieces that glam and BritPop certainly took to heart.
   
   
4. I'll Follow the Sun
   I first came listening to this when I found a copy of an album by The Quarrymen - the Beatles in a previous guise - and loved it. After a few listens it occured to me that I'd heard it loads of times while growing up, as it's on the 1964 album Beatles for Sale. A melancholy little McCartney ditty with a great guitar twinkles, it's a beauty of a song.
   
   
   
5. Things We Said Today
   For Christ's sake! This was a B-side and recorded just because they needed music for their film, A Hard Day's Night. For how many other acts would this have been the pinnacle of their careers?! Great harmony between Macca and...well, Macca. Double-track heaven. It's also a bit heavier than the other ones I've chosen.
   
   
6. I've Got a Feeling
   With an intro Shed Seven have ripped off, this raucous rooftop song from Let It Be is just glorious late-60s rock. A lovely feelgood tune to rock out to. I love Lennon's verses in this too. Brilliant. Enjoy this footage from their rooftop concert on 30 January, 1969.

• Beatles fans, also take a look at the Music Makes Me blog, you'll see a link for it on the right. There you'll find a great project - re-creating all Beatles albums, but using unusual cover versions of the songs. Check it out...!