Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Top 10 Comedies of the 1980s

Who doesn't love to laugh? I know I do. I grew up during in a great time, when the television was filled daily with Three Stooges and Laurel & Hardy shorts, and there was always a Marx Brothers or W.C. Fields film playing somewhere. And let's not forget Abbott & Costello, Martin & Lewis, Ma & Pa Kettle and, of course, Francis The Talking Mule. Comedy was king. As a youth, I started collecting silent comedies on Super 8mm and discovered the comic trinity of Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd.

The biggest problem with making a list of comedies is deciding what actually is a comedy. How many laughs are needed to turn a drama into a comedy? What about funny musicals? Or funny horror films? It calls for some very subjective judgments.

I am not going to handcuff myself with as many self-imposed restrictions as I did when I made my lists of horror films. My decision concerning what is a comedy will be decided on the basis of the individual film. However, I will try to restrain myself from flooding a decade with the work of a single comic visionary. For example, I am not going to put six Marx Brothers films on my Top 10 Comedies of the 1930s list. I will only pick one of their films as representative of their work during the period.

Also, I am going to try to rate the films in the context of their times. Therefore, expect to see some films on the lists which would be considered politically incorrect today. I will, however, discuss the controversy concerning some of those films when it seems appropriate.

Here's my list of the top comedies of the 1980s. It was a very good decade for comedy. I had a very difficult time narrowing the list down to ten films. I even hard time cutting back my honorable mentions.

Here's the list:

(10). THE BLUES BROTHERS, 1980
Directed by John Landis
Screenplay by Dan Aykroyd & John Landis

The Blues Brothers find themselves on a mission from God to raise money to save the orphanage where they were raised.

No film, with the possible exception of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World and 1941, spent as much money trying to get people to laugh. The film was considered a bloated failure upon its initial release, but my friends and I always thought it was funny.  Plus, with musical guests like John Lee Hooker, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, James Brown and Cab Calloway, what's not to love?  We used to listen to the soundtrack quite a bit on the way to Amway functions.


(9). BACK TO SCHOOL, 1986
Directed by Alan Metter
Screenplay by Steven Kampmann & William Porter

Rodney Dangerfield plays a self-made, millionaire businessman who decides to join his son in college.  Hijinks ensue.

This film was little more than an excuse for Rodney to deliver the kind of one liners that made him the most successful stand up comedian of his time. That was all I was asking for! Too bad Rodney was never able to duplicate the success of this film. He made other ones, but none of this quality and consistency.


(8). CADDYSHACK, 1980
Directed by Harold Ramis

A snotty golf course has to deal with a boorish would-be member and rivalries among the caddies.

The team that brought you Animal House hoped to catch lightening in a bottle again with this second slobs versus snobs comedy. The film underperformed both critically and financially. Former National Lampoon guru Doug Kenney was reportedly pushed over the deep end by the final film which he intended to be about the caddies --  not a mechanical gopher. The film is admittedly spotty but I personally like it better than Animal House. Rodney Dangerfield is fantastic.



(7). REPO MAN, 1984
Written and Directed by Alex Cox

Emilio Estevez plays a rebellious youth who gets drawn into the world of car repossessions and aliens in this punk rock comedy sci-fi film.

I really loved this film, if only because of the presence of the mighty Harry Dean Stanton. He always elevated every film he appeared in, regardless of the size of his role. (I think I first grooved to him as the guitar playing prisoner in Cool Hand Luke.) However, he achieved legendary status in this film as a Repo Man with a code. One of the disappointments of my film career is that I never got to make a film with him.

Alex Cox followed this film up with the equally brilliant biopic Sid and Nancy. Sadly, I haven't cared for his subsequent films.

BTW, this film was produced by former Monkee Mike Nesmith.


(6). RAISING ARIZONA, 1987
Directed by Joel Coen
Written by Ethan Coen & Joel Coen

Unexpected complications ensue when a childless couple, consisting of an ex-con and ex-cop, decide to steal one of a furniture magnate's quintuplets.

I really enjoyed the Coen's first feature Blood Simple, a nifty neo-noir with a sly sense of humor. However, this film knocked really my socks off. It was fresh and original. And hilarious. It fully displayed the vivid and idiosyncratic writing style that would define the brothers. Nowadays, most people consider Nicolas Cage a joke because he takes any role attached to a large paycheck. If you want to see him in his prime, check out this movie.



(5). STRIPES, 1981
Directed by Ivan Reitman
Written by Len Blum & Daniel Goldberg and Harold Ramis

A directionless cabbie, Bill Murray, convinces his best friend to join the Army with him.

The service comedy is one of the oldest story lines in cinema. Most classic comedians did their own take on it. Shoulder Arms, anyone? Reitman, Ramis and Murray, with a valuable assist from the decade's top second banana, John Candy, manage to freshen it up for a new generation. (Interestingly, Goldie Hawn provided a female service comedy only a year earlier with Private Benjamin. Also recommended.)  This is a very funny film. I think I saw it in the theaters three times during its initial release.



(4). THIS IS SPINAL TAP, 1984
Directed by Rob Reiner
Written by Christopher Guest & Michael McKean &

A dismal North American tour exasperates the personal difficulties in a clueless British heavy metal band.

This film essentially invents the mockumentary. (Though we might have to give The Rutles the nod for that.) The film is hilarious. The songs are great. They work equally well as heavy metal songs and spoofs of heavy metal songs. More importantly, it is a true credit to the talented cast that, despite the broad humor, you actually begin to care about the characters by the end.  Bravo.



(3). GHOSTBUSTERS, 1984
Directed by Ivan Reitman
Written by Dan Aykroyd & Harold Ramis

Three professors of the paranormal set up their own business after being booted from a university.

I absolutely loved this movie when it first came out. It was one of the first great "special effects" comedies. Sadly, while the comedy still holds up, the special effects now look very dated. They pull me out of the film every time I watch it. Originally, Aykroyd was writing this film as a vehicle for John Belushi and himself. After Belushi's untimely death, Bill Murrary got the lead. Personally, I don't think Belushi would have done anywhere near as well with the role as Murray. He was perfect. (Still, it sucked that Belushi died....)

I couldn't even sit through the whole 2016 reboot with the female cast, but its not misogyny. I didn't care for the sequel either. That was a disappointment, too!


Written and Directed by John Hughes

A high school principal tries to crack down on a popular senior who skips school with two of his friends for a day on the town.

No one quite captured the zeitgeist of the 1980s like John Hughes. It was a bit of a struggle to decide what film to put in the Top 10. Well, not really. Ferris rules, as always. Who never dreamed of being him in high school? I know I did, and the movie wasn't even made until long after I graduated. Still, I love a lot of the other John Hughes films. I was really tempted to put Planes, Trains & Automobiles on the list. It is peak Steve Martin and John Candy. It is very sweet and touching. Fortunately, I wasn't tempted as much by his teen comedies. Those films, particularly Sixteen Candles, have raised the ire of the Politically Correct Mind Police who consider them cornerstones of the "rape culture."

I can't believe that a writer/director who rose to fame at National Lampoon could ever be accused of being politically incorrect.

Ferris Bueller is a better film narratively than the next one, but it didn't make me laugh as much.


(1). AIRPLANE! 1980
Written for the screen by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker

The jokes fly fast and furious in this spoof of airplane disaster movies.

Definitely, in my humble opinion, the funniest film of the decade. Most of the jokes have an easier time landing than the titular plane. It is filled with classic bits. Also, in a remarkable turn of events, the film gave the formerly stalwart Leslie Nielsen a second career late in life as a comic. It's rare for a leading man to get a second bite at the apple. The writing team also hit gold with The Naked Gun: From the Files of the Police Squad! in 1988.

BTW, I think this trailer is funnier than most films today....


Honorable Mention:

MY FAVORITE YEAR, 1982. A funny homage to the golden age of live television.  ARTHUR, 1981. My favorite late Dudley Moore film. Check out my 1960s list to see my favorite film of his overall. A CHRISTMAS CAROL, 1983. This flick will make my inevitable list of Top 10 Christmas films. However, it's kinda weird watching it now after seeing the mom's breasts in Slap Shot. NATIONAL LAMPOON'S VACATION, 1983. When I first conceived of this list, I was certain Vacation would make it.  It didn't. Oh, well.  UHF, 1989.  We just watched this Weird Al movie on the Yippee Ki Yay Mother Podcast. I forgot that it featured Victoria Jackson, who also appeared in two of my films Marriage Retreat and Brother White. It's still funny, but I think millennials will miss some of the references. PORKY'S, 1981. Every generation has a raunchy sex comedy. This was mine. My friend Jim and I saw a sneak preview of the film with our dates. Our dates were appalled (mine mainly) and demanded that we leave halfway through. We did, but Jim and I snuck back and saw it later. BETTER OFF DEAD, 1985. Always enjoyed this film from Savage Steve Holland starring the young John Cusack. Speaking of John Cusack, I can't forget Rob Reiner's 1985 film THE SURE THING. I know Rob Reiner's 1989 film WHEN HARRY MET SALLY.... is one of the textbook romantic comedies, and the deli scene is a classic, but overall I didn't find the film as funny as those on my Top 10.  I know TOOTSIE, 1982, was a big box office and critical hit, and I loved it at the time, but a recent viewing left me uninvolved. Probably not because of the #MeToo complaints against Dustin Hoffman, but....  Pee-Wee Herman hasn't made a #MeToo complaint against himself yet, which keeps PEE-WEE'S BIG ADVENTURE, 1985, in the mix. BIG, 1988, is more sweet than funny. USED CARS, 1980. This is a funny Robert Zemeckis film that doesn't get the love it deserves anymore. A FISH CALLED WANDA, 1988, is an under-appreciated crime caper comedy with a touch of Monty Python thrown in. MYSTERY TRAIN, 1989. Technically speaking, I don't know if this Jim Jarmusch film is a comedy, but it was my favorite film on the year of its release. Albert Brooks' best film LOST IN AMERICA, 1985, gets extra points from me for having a hero from the realm of advertising. This is another film I thought for sure would make my Top 10 but it didn't.  Call it number 11.

Other Lists:



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Thursday, December 20, 2018

Top 10 Comedies of the 1970s

Who doesn't love to laugh? I know I do. I grew up during in a great time, when the television was filled daily with Three Stooges and Laurel & Hardy shorts, and there was always a Marx Brothers or W.C. Fields film playing somewhere. And let's not forget Abbott & Costello, Martin & Lewis, Ma & Pa Kettle and, of course, Francis The Talking Mule. Comedy was king. As a youth, I started collecting silent comedies on Super 8mm and discovered the comic trinity of Chaplin, Keaton and Lloyd.

The biggest problem with making a list of comedies is deciding what actually is a comedy. How many laughs are needed to turn a drama into a comedy? What about funny musicals? Or funny horror films? It calls for some very subjective judgments.

I am not going to handcuff myself with as many self-imposed restrictions as I did when I made my lists of horror films. My decision concerning what is a comedy will be decided on the basis of the individual film. However, I will try to restrain myself from flooding a decade with the work of a single comic visionary. For example, I am not going to put six Marx Brothers films on my Top 10 Comedies of the 1930s list. I will only pick one of their films as representative of their work during the period.

For example, on this list of films from the 1970s, I have only included one film from Mel Brooks, one film from Woody Allen and one film from Monty Python. That said, I do include two films directed by Arthur Hiller, because I do not believe Hiller was the comic visionary behind the those films. I will make those kinds of judgments throughout the process.

Also, I am going to try to rate the films in the context of their times. Therefore, expect to see some films on the lists which would be considered politically incorrect today. I will, however, discuss the controversy concerning some of those films when it seems appropriate.

Enough small talk.  Here's my list:

(10). THE IN-LAWS, 1979
Directed by  Arthur Hiller
Written by Andrew Bergman

Father of the bride, Alan Arkin, a mild-mannered dentist, tries to bond with the father of the groom Peter Falk, who might be a spy.

Peter Falk and Alan Arkin made a wonderful team, and this zany film was a perfect vehicle for them. Falk plays it straight as Arkin becomes increasingly distraught as he finds himself dragged into a series of international adventures. Although it was remade in 2003 with Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks in the leads, this film remains criminally under seen and neglected.



(9). THE HOSPITAL, 1971
Directed by Arthur Hiller
Written by Paddy Chayefsky

George S. Scott plays the chief of medicine at a major New York City hospital dealing with a dissolving marriage, impotence, medical ineptitude, urban unrest and murder.

This very dark satire of (then) modern medicine was written by one of my screenwriting heroes Paddy Chayefsky. A number of screenwriters have won three Academy Awards, but he is only one who did it with three solo credits. His first Oscar came for Marty, which dealt with the milieu of the working class as personified by Ernest Borgnine (who also won an Oscar.) In this film, and his subsequent Oscar-winner Network, Chayefsky deals with the problems of articulate, educated professionals. There are some truly great monologues in this film. George C. Scott was hot at the time, coming to this film after his amazing turn in Patton. Ultimately, I believe film goes off the rails before it ends, but it is still a great ride.

Sadly, this film is little seen or discussed today. I suspect this is because its reputation was overwhelmed by Chayefsky's eerily prescient follow-up Network.



Directed by Hal Needham

A hotshot trucker and his partner take a bet to transport some illegal alcohol from Texas to Georgia, but complications arise when a runaway bride and a determined sheriff enter the mix.

Action film or Comedy? I say both. This is a very amiable film that catches Burt Reynolds at his most charismatic and Sally Fields at her most adorable. (I like her, I really like her.) Plus, we get Jackie Gleason saying things he could never say to Alice back in the day. Kudos to Reynolds for giving Needham, his long time stunt co-ordinator, a chance to develop and helm this picture. In addition to comedy, the film also features a number of great car stunts. Generally speaking, the 70s were a dark decade for cinema. This film shows the sunnier side, and certainly sold a lot of Pontiac Trans Ams. I know I wanted one. (I did buy a Pontiac, but it was Tempest.)




(7). SLAP SHOT, 1977
Directed by George Roy Hill
Screenplay by Nancy Dowd

A coach of a failing minor league hockey team, Paul Newman, turns to violence on the ice to fire up  support for the team.

This is my favorite sports comedy of all time, beating out notables such as The Bad News Bears, Tin Cup,  Happy Gilmore and Major League. (I do not consider Burt Reynolds version of The Longest Yard a comedy. The less said of the Adam Sandler version, the better.) The insightful script by Nancy Dowd reflects the experiences of her hockey playing brother, who also plays Ogilthorpe in this film. In addition to the comedy, the film also shows surprising depth and also works as a drama. This film also made my list of Seven Guy Films, which women tend not to enjoy. That was evidenced by our episode of the Yippee Ki Yay Mother Podcast where we discuss the film.

Here's the podcast:



Here's the trailer:



(6). THE JERK, 1979
Directed by Carl Reiner
Screenplay by Steve Martin & Carl Gottlieb & Michael Elias

Stand-up Steve Martin plays a sheltered idiot trying to make his way in the world.

This is a goofy, juvenile comedy that captured the kind of humor that made Steve Martin the top stand-up comedian of his time. His comedy and films would mature over the years, but this is the one that made him a movie star. I remember laughing all the way through this film when it was first released. I have subsequently stayed away from it. I am afraid I would sit slack-jawed and silent if I watched it now. I prefer my fond memories of it.

Nowadays, the most interesting thing about this film to me is that one of the screenwriters, Carl Gottlieb, also wrote the script for Jaws!  Talk about range!



(5). BEING THERE, 1979
Directed by Hal Ashby
Script by Jerzy Kosinski, based on his novel

A illiterate, simple-minded gardener named Chance (Peter Sellers) rises to level presidential advisor after being mistaken for a rich man by a dying billionaire.

This is a simple, one-joke satire that keeps upping the stakes to absurd levels. Peter Sellers plays a retarded man raises in isolation by a wealthy man in Washington, DC,  to tend his garden. When the old man dies, Chance, dressed in the clothes of his former employer, is forced onto the streets. Accidentally hit by a limousine, Chance is taken into the home of a dying billionaire. Once in the corridors of power, the amiable Chance becomes a blank canvas against which people project their own desires and expectations. The success of the film can be credited to an amazing performance by Peter Sellers, in his second to last film.



(4). ANNIE HALL, 1977
Directed by Woody Allen
Screenplay by Woody Allen & Marshall Brickman

Woody Allen plays a comedian who reminisces about his relationship with the titular character, played by Diane Keaton.

The 1970s was the height of accused child molester Woody Allen's funny period.  I had to choose between this film and Sleeper, Bananas, Play It Again, Sam, and the creepy Manhattan. During the 70s themselves, I probably would have picked the time travel comedy Sleeper as my favorite, but I have grown to appreciate Annie Hall as Allen's comedy masterpiece. It is not my favorite of his films, however. That would be Crimes and Misdemeanors.

BTW, with the swirling accusations of pedophilia, I am essentially boycotting Allen. I will watch his films if they come to me in the form of Academy screeners, but I will not see his films in theaters anymore or purchase Blu-Rays or DVDs. #MeToo, baby.

However, I can't deny he made some very funny films. Hence his presence on the list.



(3). ANIMAL HOUSE, 1978
Directed by John Landis

The dean of Faber College tries to shut down the rowdiest fraternity on campus in this landmark comedy.

This raunchy film is the granddaddy of the slobs versus snobs school of comedy. It was a monster hit, which made a SNL star John Belushi a movie star. (He's top-billed, but his character does little to resolve the plot. He functions in essentially the same capacity as Harpo does in a Marx Brothers film.) It is filled with classic bits, quotable lines and classic old school rock 'n' roll. Some people consider this film the defining point between "old" and "new" comedy.

Nowadays, critics and activists complain that this is the film that put the college "rape culture" on the map. It's hard to argue against that analysis. The film definitely portrays sexual mores which were questionable at the time, and extremely politically incorrect today. I can only say one thing in defense of the film: It's funny, and that's all that's required in the genre.

Still, I wouldn't expect a remake anytime soon....




(2). LIFE OF BRIAN, 1979
Directed by Terry Jones
Screenplay by Graham Chapman & John Cleese & Terry Gilliam,

A young Jewish man is mistaken for the messiah in this spoof of Biblical times.

As a Christian, I was never offended by this film. I always found it funny, and I always feel like I understand Latin better after I watch it.

It was very difficult choosing between this film and 1975's Monty Python and The Holy Grail. Both films are hilarious and filled with great bits and gags, but Life of Brian works better as a narrative. Holy Gail kind of just peters out. (Truth be told, The Meaning of Life is my favorite Monty Python film, but we'll get to that in the 1980s.)

Kudos to Beatle George Harrison who provided the funding when the normal backers chickened out.



(1). BLAZING SADDLES, 1974
Directed by Mel Brooks
Screenplay by Mel Brooks & Norman Steinberg & 
Story by Andrew Bergman

A corrupt politician, hoping to get some land needed for a railroad, assigns an African-American sheriff to a racist small town in hope of driving off the inhabitants.

The 1970s were a hot decade for Mel Brooks. This was his funniest period, and I had a hard time choosing between this film and Young Frankenstein, which was also released in 1974. Both of these films are excellent, but I found this western spoof, and examination of racism, funnier.  That said, I find Young Frankenstein funnier than many of the other films on this list, but I can't do a Top 10 list with three Mel Brooks films, three Woody Allen films and two Monty Python films.

I saw this film on its initial release at my neighborhood theater The Arcade. A friend of mine's mother took us both to see it. She was absolutely mortified and squirmed during all of the sexual humor. She shouldn't have worried. Most of it flew right over my youthful head. I only suspected that it was dirty because of her reaction.

I have a 16mm print of the film and I used to show it in my backyard on the occasional summer evening. However, I have decided to end that practice. I think some of the racial humor, as well-meaning as it was intended, doesn't always quite play to all audiences anymore. I agree with a comment I heard on the Movie Sign with the Mads podcast. They said this movie couldn't get made today, so thank God it got made when it did.

This was, after all, the film that opened the door to fart jokes.






Honorable Mention:

MASH, 1970. I run hot and cold with Altman. Sometimes I laugh with this film. Sometimes I find the humor too mean-spirited. THE KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE, 1977. This John Landis directed skit film introduced us to the Zucker, Abrahams, Zucker writing team. Often hilarious, but spotty. WHAT'S UP, DOC? 1972. I found this Peter Bogdanovich screwball comedy spoof hilarious at the time, but I have developed such a visceral dislike of Barbra Streisand that I'm afraid to watch it now. PINK FLAMINGOS, 1972. This film might represent the highpoint of the early career of Baltimore native auteur of bad taste John Waters. THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, 1975. I saw midnight showings of this film dozens and dozens of times, but I can't give the filmmakers all of the credit for the comedy we found in it. MEATBALLS, 1979. Very enjoyable, but Murray and Reitman would surpass it in the next decade. It just doesn't matter! It just doesn't matter! THE BIG BUS, 1976. A funny disaster film spoof, but Airplane! would later eat its lunch. SILVER STREAK, 1976. The film takes its murder plot to seriously to be a comedy, but it was the first of many pairings of Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. UP IN SMOKE, 1978. Cheech and Chong hit the big screen. If they didn't invent the stoner genre, they certainly took it higher!  THE ADVENTURE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES' SMARTER BROTHER, 1975. Gene Wilder wrote and directed this fun spoof.

Other Lists:



My novel Chapel Street is now available! You can currently buy the Kindle and paperback at Amazon and the Nook, paperback and hardcover at Barnes & Noble.


Learn more about the book, click Here.

Watch the book trailer:

  

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Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Beatles Albums Ranked


I love the Beatles. Their music has always struck an emotional chord with me, wherever I am in my life.  I believe the reason the band is always able to  speak to me is because they went through so many changes themselves. From the harmony-driven rock-n-roll of their first albums to the innovative pop of their mid-period, through their psychedelic experimentation and their return to rock, the Beatles never rested on their laurels. Throughout their career, they all grew as both musicians and songwriters, but each stop along the way offers its own joys. Abbey Road is not inherently better than Please, Please Me. Both albums are excellent in their own rights. They're just different.

My appreciation of the Beatles has only grown over the years. My first artistic love has always been the movies. I wasn't "into" music. I used to say that my taste in music during my teenage years ran the gamut from BA to BE. (The Bach pieces I learned on the piano to, of course, The Beatles.) At first, I really only concentrated on their melodies and lyrics. When I picked up the guitar, I developed a greater appreciation of musically and their use of (minor) 4 chords. When I picked up the bass, I fell in love with McCartney's amazing melodic playing. Now, I find myself concentrating on Ringo's underrated drumming. (I once had a fascinating discussion about Ringo's drumming with the E Street Band's Nils Lofgren, but that's another blog.)

This list is completely subjective, based on my feelings today. Over the years, many albums have risen and fallen in my estimation. For example, during the 1990s, I obsessively listened to the White Album while I commuted to and from New York for work. A few years ago, when I was working for National Geographic, I found myself listening to Let It Be practically every night on my way home. More recently, Help! lingered at the top of my playlist. However, the recent remixes have shuffled my order of preference yet again.

I am only ranking the official Beatles canon. The British versions, many of which where not officially released in the United States until the CDs finally came out. I must confess that my feelings regarding the often haphazard Capitol releases sometimes affects my opinion of the British releases.

Here's the list: (Feel free to disagree.)

13). Yellow Submarine
13 January 1969

Well, when you make a list something has to be on the bottom. Yellow Submarine sadly earns this honor. The Beatles initially had no enthusiasm for their animated feature and the soundtrack became the dumping ground for new songs they felt unworthy of their more serious projects. Personally, I love the songs they dumped here. All Together Now might be an insubstantial sing-a-long, but Hey Bulldog is easily one of their best rockers. Harrison's It's All Too Much might be the most under appreciated track in their entire oeuvre.

So why does the album make the bottom of the list? The lack of new songs. The album only featured four new Beatles tracks, filled out with two previously released singles and producer George Martin's incidental score. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy Martin's score, but it isn't generally what I want to hear when I put on a Beatles album.


Apple has essentially replaced the original album with the Yellow Submarine Songtrack which dumps the George Martin tracks in favor of the other previously released Beatles songs used in the film. As a further enticement to make the switch to the new album, the songs have all received outstanding new stereo remixes. It is a must for all Beatles fans.

I was actually cold to the animated feature film itself until I finally saw it on the big screen with the new 5.1 mix.  Now I'm a believer.


Best Track:          Hey Bulldog
Weakest Track:   March of the Meanies

12). Beatles For Sale
4 December 1964

In some ways this album marks an improvement over its predecessors. The first three tracks shows growing depth in their songwriting and a willingness to embrace the dark side of life and love. Lennon, in particular, began to write more personal songs like I'm A Loser. That said, the cliche about the exhaustion evident in the cover photo also manifesting itself in the tracks rings true. The album was recorded in bits and pieces between constant touring. The guys definitely needed a rest from manager Brian Epstein's goal to release two albums and four singles a year. (That would be a total of 36 songs. Name a major recording artist today that comes close to that level of productivity!) The worst songs on the album are the covers. They all seem perfunctory and lack the energy of the covers on their first two albums.


Best Track:    I Don't Want To Spoil The Party
Worst Track: Mr. Moonlight
11). Please, Please Me
22 March 1963

This album, in this configuration, wasn't officially released in the United States until the CDs came out. The bastardized first American version, Introducing The Beatles, released by VeeJay, was the first album I bought. Here's the funny part. While I was listening to this album, my older brother was listening to a cassette of The White Album that one of my uncles lent him. I didn't even realize both albums were from the same group.

Aside from the included singles and B-sides, this album was recorded in one day. It definitely captures the excitement of their early live performances. Who can argue with an album that starts with I Saw Her Standing There, one of their best original rockers, and ends with Lennon's larynx-shredding cover of Twist and Shout. That this album doesn't make their Top 10 only shows how the strength of their subsequent material.


Best Track:    Twist And Shout
Worst Track: A Taste of Honey

10). With The Beatles
22 November 1963

I have long debated whether this, the Beatles' second album, was better than their first one. This is one of the rare instances were the Beatles deliberately attempted to repeat themselves. Epstein and Martin were insistent that they duplicate the pattern of their first album. But there were differences. The covers from first album were mainly Brill Building songs. The Beatles switched to Motown for this album. Also, the first album had a more 'fifties sounding ambience. This album had a warmer sound. Ultimately, I give this album the edge because I think the originals are a tad stronger.


Best Track:    All My Loving
Worst Track: Hold Me Tight

9). Let It Be
8 May 1970

I was long familiar with the singles, but I didn't hear the rest of this soundtrack album until the early eighties when I was visiting a friend in Ocean City, Maryland. Loved it. Loved the concept. Loved the energy of the live, and semi-live material. And guest Billy Preston certainly added some soul. Objectively, you can easily argue that the songs themselves are not as strong as the songs on most of their other albums, but they have their own charms. If I love it, why do I rank this album so low. Mainly on account of The Long and Winding Road and Let It Be. Those songs are both fabulous, but they don't fit on this album. The strings on The Long and Winding Road, in particular, destroy the concept and takes me out of the groove every time. Paul was right to be upset.


In 2003, Paul supervised a remix of the album called Let It Be... Naked to remove producer Phil Spector's fingerprints. I was very happy with the remix of The Long and Winding Road, but I was utterly dismayed at the other unnecessary changes. They removed the studio chatter which gave the original album a warm, friendly vibe. They also used alternate takes and edits on certain songs, and even auto tuned John Lennon! Auto tuning John Lennon? Have you no shame?

Generally speaking, I have applauded the remixes of the Beatles albums, but not in this case!

Hopefully, the rumors are true that Apple is preparing to re-release the documentary film:


Best Track:    I've Got A Feeling
Worst Track: The Long and Winding Road

8). Revolver
5 August 1966

I know Beatle purists will probably be horrified that I placed this album so low on the list. Many people consider this to be the Beatles' best album. On an individual track-by-track basis, it might indeed be their best work. However, the album never really held together for me as a whole. I suppose my main problem is that I was decidedly underwhelmed by the American version, which trimmed three Lennon songs from this album to put on the Capitol hodgepodge Yesterday and Today. As a fan, I definitely fall into the Lennon camp, so, as much as I love Here There and Everywhere, Eleanor Rigby, and For No One, the album felt completely off balance without the Lennon songs. George actually sang more lead vocals on the American version than John did! (Love Harrison's song I Want To Tell You, another severely underrated Beatles track.) The CD release finally restored the Lennon songs Doctor Robert, And Your Bird Can Sing and I'm Only Sleeping, but I still didn't think the album held together. The tracks were too disparate.  I feel myself being pulled into too many different directions every time I listen.

Great songs, though.

Looking forward to a Giles Martin remix of this album! (The stereo remix of Eleanor Rigby on Yellow Submarine was great.)


Best Track:     Here There and Everywhere
Worst Track:  Love You To
7). Help!
13 August 1965

I never bought the American versions of Help! and A Hard Day's Night since they were half albums, mixing the soundtrack songs with lame instrumentals. Therefore, the British versions were the only ones I really knew.  Lennon's songwriting skills were growing by leaps and bounds on this album. He dominated side one -- the soundtrack side. That said, I enjoy McCartney's songs, The Night Before and Another Girl, even if some critics dismiss them as throwaways.

McCartney does dominate the non-soundtrack side with his tracks Yesterday -- the most covered song in the history of pop music -- and I've Just Seen A Face, one of my favorites.

BTW, although I will admit that A Hard Day's Night is objectively a better movie, I enjoy watching Help! more. I'll never forget seeing it for the first time on television. My aunt Sharon was babysitting us and she was so appalled by some edits in the film that she called the station to complain.


Best Track:    Help!
Worst Track: It's Only Love

6). Rubber Soul
3 December 1965

I hate to admit it, but I actually liked the American version of this album better.  The Capitol version, starting with I've Just Seen A Face instead of Drive My Car, gives the album a distinct folk rock vibe. It feels more focused than the British version. That said, there is certainly nothing wrong with the official version.

This is album where the Beatles grew-up. Their songs, particularly those by John Lennon, showed new maturity. (Paul would catch up to him on Revolver.) Now completely comfortable in the studio, they began to experiment. George even brought in the sitar for Norwegian Wood. Really, the only sour note on the album is the closer Run For Your Life. The jealous little rocker doesn't find the more enlightened mood of the rest of the album.


Best Track:    In My Life
Worst Track: Run For Your Life

5). A Hard Day's Night
10 July 1964

The Beatles' third album, and the soundtrack to their first movie, is the only one to feature only Lennon McCartney songs. The album opens memorably with the defiantly epic G7add9sus4 chord on the title track. It is one of the definitive moments in rock 'n' roll history. This Lennon dominated album (he sang lead on nine of the thirteen tracks) is also one of their most consistent sounding. Harrison played his new Rickenbacker 360 twelve string guitar throughout  the album. The full, warm sound inspired thousands of guitar players. It also doesn't hurt that the album is attached to a wonderful movie. The film captures Beatlemania at its height and the album shows why Beatlemania existed in the first place.


Best Track:    A Hard's Day Night
Worst Track: When I Get Home


4). Magical Mystery Tour
27 November 1967

Another soundtrack! (Five out of their thirteen canonical albums are soundtracks. And another one of their albums inspired a dreadful BeeGees musical, but the less said about that the better....)

Feeling they were little more than extras in Help!, they decided to make their own film. John Lennon once famously said "any picture goes with any music." Well, Magic Mystery Tour disproves that theory in a big way. The film proved to be their first "failure," but the music was a different story.

The first side of the album covers the McCartney dominated soundtracks songs. The second side collects a number of their psychedelic-era Summer of Love singles and B-singles.  Any album with Strawberry Fields Forever, Penny Lane and I Am The Walrus has to rank pretty high!

BTW, this album is the only American configuration that entered the official Beatles canon after it was later released in Britain itself. (Initially, the Beatles only released a double EP of the soundtrack in their native country.)

PS. While looking for a video clip, I discovered the film has been released in Germany with a new 5.1 audio mix. How come I don't have that?


Best Track:   Strawberry Hills Forever
Worst Track: Flying

3). The Beatles (The White Album)
22 November 1968

The Beatles, aka The White Album, is a fiery return to more basic rock-n-roll after the group's psychedelic period, which began with Revolver and ended with Magical Mystery Tour.

To me, one of the problems of the Beatles' psychedelic period was the McCartney dominance. During that period, Lennon produced some absolutely amazing work, but his productivity (and leadership of the band) waned as a result of constant LSD use. Apparently one of the main reasons the group trekked off to India to study under the Maharishi was to try to ween Lennon off the drugs. It worked (at least temporarily.) No longer under the influence, Lennon's muse returned with a vengeance. He wrote a ton of songs, as did McCartney and Harrison. When they returned to England, they took the unprecedented step of demoing their material together at Harrison's Esher home prior to recording the album.

The result was a sprawling double album which dabbled in practically every kind of music. Although I docked Revolver a few points for its musical diversity, the conflicting styles and approaches are the whole point of this album. This is a band exploring their possibilities. That it holds together as a whole piece as well as it does is a tribute to the brilliant sequencing of the songs.

As good as the original album was, I really enjoy the recent remix. The songs now have more modern stereo mixes. I found it often maddening listening to this album in my old car.  I had a loose wire in my stereo system, and if I hit a pothole the wrong way, I would lose my left speakers, which meant, in the case of this album, entire instruments!  I wouldn't have that problem with these new mixes. I strongly recommend them! (Plus, you get the Esher demos as a bonus disc!)


Best Track: Happiness Is A Warm Gun
Worst Track: Revolution 9

2). St. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
26 May 1967

I'll never forget the first time I heard this album. I went over to a friend's house after a baseball game. He put this album on the stereo as he changed. We only stayed long enough to listen to the first three songs, but I was enraptured.  I didn't buy the album myself until many years later. When I did, I was decidedly underwhelmed. Aside from the tracks I was already familiar with from the 1967-1970 (The Blue Album) compilation, I didn't think much of the songs.

Prior to 2017, I would have ranked this album somewhere between five-and-seven on this list. Then came the Giles Martin remix. It was like listening to the album for the first time. I still think some of the songs are weak, but I really enjoy the aural experience of the album as a whole. I find myself listening to this album quite a bit. Hence it's surprising new position on my list.


Best Track:   A Day In The Life
Worst Track: Lovely Rita

1). Abbey Road
26 September 1969

The Beatles, angry and feuding, decided to put aside their petty grievances and produce one last album, under the watchful eye of producer George Martin. They all suspected this would be their last album, and they put their all in it and created their masterpiece.

In a compromise move, side one was given over traditional rock songs favored by Lennon while McCartney dominated side two with an elaborate song suite.  This album shows the group at the height of their musical skills, instrumentally and vocally. George Harrison finally comes to rival Lennon and McCartney as a songwriter with two of his best compositions Something and Here Comes The Sun, and even Ringo Starr contributes the delightful Octopus' Garden.

Some cynics have argued that the song suite is simply a hodgepodge of substandard songs and unfinished fragments, but it holds together beautifully and proves to be a great coda to their career.  Yes, they would all go onto solo success, but this album remains their collective pinnacle.


Best Track:   Something
Worst Track: Her Majesty

Other Albums:


If you purchased the albums listed above, you will still find yourself without some of their most important and popular tracks since the Beatles tended to create stand-alone singles not drawn from their albums, as well as other extraneous tracks. Therefore, you need Past Masters, Volume One and Past Masters, Volume Two, both 7 March 1988, to fill out the official canon. Both albums are necessary for true fans.


Of course, if you own all of those albums, you still don't have everything. There's still the live albums. The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl was never released during the height of Beatlemania, when it would have sold millions, because no one was satisfied with the audio quality. The band could barely be heard above the screaming fans. It finally came out on vinyl on 4 May 1977. I picked it up mainly as a curio, but only listened to it once or twice. That version was never released on CD. The material was remixed and released as Live At The Hollywood Bowl on 9 September 2016 in conjunction with the documentary Eight Days A Week. I enjoyed that album more, but I think it still falls in the completists only category. The substandard audio quality of Live! at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962 (8 April 1977) makes these lively performances of the Beatles at their most raucous suitable only for the most rabid fans. Also, after years of court battles, Apple apparently has finally won control of the masters and has effectively buried them (for now.) Much kinder on the ears are the two albums Live on the BBC, 30 November 1994, and On Air - Live at the BBC Volume Two, 11 November 2013. The Beatles recorded dozens of their early songs and rock 'n' roll standards live in the studio for various BBC programs. These albums partially collect those songs.  These albums should entertain even the most casual fan. To me, the definitive Beatles live album has yet to be released.


Love, 20 November 2006, remixes and re-imagines a number of Beatles classics to be used in conjunction with a Cirque du Soleil show. It is a wonderful album for a new generation of fans, and its success paved the way for the great remixes of their canonical albums.


Less essential for the causal fans are Anthology 1 (21 November 1995), Anthology 2 (18 March 1996)  and Anthology 3 (28 October 1996). These three double albums treat fans to a number of previously unreleased songs and alternate takes, and, in the case of the first two albums, entirely new Beatles songs Free As A Bird and Real Love.  (Here's hoping Paul eventually releases the third track!) Of course, the fanatics already owned many of these recordings on bootlegs, but it was fantastic to hear them from higher quality source material.


1962-1966 (The Red Album), 1967-1970 (The Blue Album), both 2 April 1973. The Beatles were not a group that lent themselves to compilations. However, these two albums sets -- for a combined eight sides -- are a perfect distillation of the band mixing the singles with key album tracks. These were the gateway drug for the 2nd generation fans that came of age in the 1970s. They still remain the best purchases for the non-fanatics. 1, 13 November 2000. This compilation album of the band's number one hit singles was the best-selling album of the decade. Still, it is not a good compilation. Halfway through their career, the Beatles became less single-oriented and as a result this album fails to be truly representative of their later work. That said, 1+, the remixed version released in 2015, is essential for fans. I am not a fan of the Rock 'N' Roll, Love Songs and Beatles Ballads compilations. It feels unnatural for me to listen to their music in themed collections. I don't think any of those albums are currently available in CD format.

Yes, there are more albums and compilations, but I can't discuss them all. The ones listed above should give you the full of the Beatles' career. Of course, there is always one more thing for the completist....

Check out some videos I edited here:
FD Automatic: Red Shoes
Crack The Sky: Mr. President
Greg Kihn: Horror Show
Nils Lofgren: Alone

Other Lists:



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