Friday, January 23, 2009

Ranking the Beatles my damn self II: the not-as-bad-er-er-ing

We're back at it, counting up to the Beatles song I like best. Embarrassingly, I found a song I missed during the rankings, which conveniently would be ranked in this grouping (No. 195). I'll be changing the total and ranking in the first post accordingly.

At least one more No. 1 hit in this group, and one song I've listened to in the last month:

196. Roll Over Beethoven (With the Beatles)

No, not this one.

195. Devil in Her Heart (With the Beatles)

There really isn't anything here.

194. Hello Goodbye (Magical Mystery Tour)

Goodbye. I really detest this song. It's definitely possible I'm letting public opinion affect my ranking of this one, meaning maybe I should have ranked it lower, but I'd just as soon listen to this as Roll Over Beethoven, so I guess I'm staying true to the concept.

193. Misery (Please Please Me)

Fun to sing. Should never be right next to Hello Goodbye. I must be doing this wrong. Good Day Sunshine, you got lucky this time.

192. Ask Me Why (Please Please Me)

I mentioned that I wouldn't always have something to say, right?

191. Do You Want to Know a Secret (Please Please Me)

If I had to guess what is my second-least favorite album right now, I'd say Let It Be, even if we've only had one song from it so far. I think it says something about their growth between their first and second records that not nearly as much of With the Beatles has been on here.

190. I Want to Tell You (Revolver)

No.

189. Good Day Sunshine (Revolver)

If it's any consolation, we're not far from where I start actively liking songs. We won't have to wait very long before we see For No One, either -- surprising, considering how strong the strongest material on this album is.

188. Don't Pass Me By (The Beatles)

I am trying to remember if I ever liked this song. Further updates as developments warrant.

187. Why Don't We Do It in the Road (The Beatles)

The song didn't say anything. Why should I? Tonto, you better keep reading anyway ...

186. Honey Don't (For Sale)

Hey, I said I like the album. I didn't say it was perfect.

185. Flying (Magical Mystery Tour)

OK, it was this one; I listened to this a week ago. What can I say? It's whimsical.

184. You Like Me Too Much (Help!)

Hey, I said I like the album. I didn't say it was perfect.

183. Please Please Me (Please Please Me)

So obviously, these aren't bad songs. I just tend to skip them. This made No. 2 in the UK.

182. I'm Happy Just to Dance with You (A Hard Day's Night)

I swear, I was just about to say 'You know what album we haven't seen yet?'

181. And I Love Her (A Hard Day's Night)

There was a time when I really liked this song.

* * *

Join us again tomorrow, as we get more chaff out of the way. We'll even start gunning for Sgt. Pepper.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Golf Digest recently ranked our golf-playing presidents.

I've read where Washington is considered our most athletic president; Lincoln was a wiry 6-4 and probably would've been a monster off the tee; and I think Andrew Jackson really would've torn things up (just a gut feeling here).

Here's the list. Feel free to debate, everyone. Like Troy. And ... uh, me ... I guess ...:

1) John F. Kennedy
Despite chronic back pain, averaged 80.
2) Dwight D. Eisenhower
Had a green outside the Oval Office.
3) Gerald R. Ford
A legitimate 80s-shooter.
4) Franklin D. Roosevelt
At 39, polio robbed him of a powerful golf swing.
5) George H.W. Bush
Once got his handicap down to 11.
6) George W. Bush
A capable 15-handicapper.
7) Bill Clinton
Can break 90, especially using his "Billigans."
8) Barack Obama
The lefty plays more hoops than golf.
9) Ronald Reagan
Didn't play often or well (best was low 90s).
10) Warren G. Harding
Struggled to break 95.
11) William Howard Taft
As hapless a golfer as he was a chief executive.
12) Woodrow Wilson
Played more than Ike but almost never broke 100.
13) Richard M. Nixon
He shot 79 once and quit the game.
14) Lyndon B. Johnson
Played with senators to secure votes for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
15) Calvin Coolidge
When he vacated the White House, he left his clubs behind.

dessen

troy said...

I feel like Obama would be better than Bush (either Bush) at anything, including golf. And your wife feels like you have too much free time. Uh ... not that I know what your wife feels like.

falmult! (exclamation point mine)

Anonymous said...

I have a wife? Since when?

phedop

troy said...

Update, a few weeks later: If you want to know what 16 places on this list can mean ... I took Little Fanboy with me on a trip a week ago, and was playing Magical Mystery Tour for him. As is my habit, I skipped the songs I dislike. This time, though, I started to feel bad, like I was depriving him of making his own listening decisions. So I played Hello Goodbye for him. But I only was willing to put on Fool on the Hill when I had to pump some gas. And I pumped until that song was over, I promise you.