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NFT: Informal survey of Beatles fans...

Milton : 12/4/2021 2:58 pm
Two questions...
1. Do you know Paul's songs from John's songs?
2. Whose songs do you like better?
I am a  
SFGFNCGiantsFan : 12/4/2021 2:58 pm : link
Lennon guy.
1. Usually. Whoever sang lead was the songwriter.  
Giantgator : 12/4/2021 3:12 pm : link
2. They both wrote so many brilliant songs, but I like the edgier stuff from John.
Agree with Giantgator  
myquealer : 12/4/2021 3:20 pm : link
You can usually tell who wrote it by who is singing it.

I tend to prefer John's songs (particularly post-Beatles), but Paul wrote some undeniably great stuff.
My answers in order  
djm : 12/4/2021 3:23 pm : link
Yes.
I love both. Impossible to choose one over the other but I’ll say that from all accounts Paul was the engine and the key motivational element behind the band, more often than not.
Yes  
j_rud : 12/4/2021 3:30 pm : link
As for preference, at the risk of sounding juvenile, pre-drugs McCartney/post-drugs Lennon.
I can tell the difference and I like early John songs slightly better  
sb from NYT Forum : 12/4/2021 3:35 pm : link
...but white album and after I prefer Paul's songs generally.
for the most part I can tell the difference  
Giants61 : 12/4/2021 3:49 pm : link
I feel that Hey Jude and Yesterday gives the slight to Paul in my opinion
"edge"  
Giants61 : 12/4/2021 3:49 pm : link
.
John Lennon  
Enzo : 12/4/2021 4:31 pm : link
was one of the most talented rock n roll musicians who ever lived. Paul was better.
Watching the Beatles doc on Disney (which is great though long)  
BillT : 12/4/2021 4:45 pm : link
And I’ve been a Lennon fan but McCartney is just an unbelievable musician. He’s the leader as they admit but their collaboration is better than either of them alone. As far as post Beatles, I think Harrison had a better career than either.
Yes  
section125 : 12/4/2021 4:51 pm : link
I can tell the difference - sometimes, Ha ha.

I was more of a Paul fan than John. But with the Beatles, the sum was always better than the individual parts and with two of the best ever writing the songs.
Lennon more of a poet.  
DonQuixote : 12/4/2021 5:00 pm : link
McCartney the better musician. I feel like that's why their songs were so great together and that McCartney had the better solo career of the two.
1. Yes, of course  
markky : 12/4/2021 6:36 pm : link
2. I guess John. But it's close. Paul had some real rockers in there too. But Paul had some schlocky songs that I never took too.

But for some of John's song's Paul worked with George Martin on the production (like Strawberry Fields).
Give the nod to Paul  
mattlawson : 12/4/2021 7:55 pm : link
.
for the most part  
Producer : 12/4/2021 8:03 pm : link
1. yes. I can tell them apart.

2. Lennon was the more interesting songwriter. Paul took control of the band in the wake of Epstein's death and it is apparent he was a bigger musical force than John,, even though Lennon's vision was cooler. Paul wrote a lot of trite songs, which got even worse post-Beatles. But the speed with which Paul wrote melodies, his wide ranging musicianship and his ability as a bandleader and arranger is pretty impressive.
They are Both Great  
Dankbeerman : 12/4/2021 8:11 pm : link
Paul was steady and more refined. Lenon was the guy that was nevwr boxed in and his evolution is incredible. If he had more years he woukd have evolved more.

Pauls words were beautiful, Johns were meaningful

Most importantly there is no wrong answer.
anyone seen the Peter Jackson Beatles film?  
thrunthrublue : 12/4/2021 10:05 pm : link
It is just incredible. you time travel back to join with the Fab Four, prepping for their last live performance.......watch as they create those timeless hit songs.......Jackson provides a full access, court side pass.....you live through those precious, "shields down" monumental moments........it should get Oscar consideration, I found it to be transformational.
RE: anyone seen the Peter Jackson Beatles film?  
SomeFan : 12/5/2021 1:59 am : link
In comment 15479820 thrunthrublue said:
Quote:
It is just incredible. you time travel back to join with the Fab Four, prepping for their last live performance.......watch as they create those timeless hit songs.......Jackson provides a full access, court side pass.....you live through those precious, "shields down" monumental moments........it should get Oscar consideration, I found it to be transformational.
yes, fantastic, surreal to me like animation, should be studied by psychologists and historians.
Depends on my mood  
adamg : 12/5/2021 2:25 am : link
Both are great. The best part is that you don't really have to choose between the two. You can have them both.
best part of the Jackson work  
RasputinPrime : 12/5/2021 3:28 am : link
was leaving knowing Londoners boo'd the Beatles off their last live performance. Crazy.

Love both - can always tell who wrote.

Preferred John's lyrics, Paul's melodies.
Can tell  
RicFlair : 12/5/2021 9:11 am : link
Plus I already know.

And Paul is the the preferred beatle.
I had always thought that Lennon wrote most of the songs  
Jimmy Googs : 12/5/2021 9:36 am : link
but was corrected of that a few years ago. He and Paul were pretty even with John having a slight edge, and Harrison a distant third.

I give Lennon a slight edge as well in writing the better songs.

Though if I listened to a few of Paul's better ones I would probably change my mind...

:- )
Paul and John are my two favorite singers/songwriters  
Searcher : 12/5/2021 10:49 am : link
The way I see it, John was the better writer from 1962-1965. Starting in 1966, John started to lose focus and Paul started to outshine him as the music became more complicated. Paul was naturally more gifted. He could play any instrument and express his musical ideas more clearly than John.

For the most part, Paul would come into sessions with fully developed songs and articulate the exact instrumentation he expected. John would have pieces of songs and sometimes struggle to articulate his vision. Paul would work on different ideas for John's songs and help translate John's vision to George Martin. If you read the first hand accounts of the recording sessions, John songs like Strawberry Fields, A Day In the Life, Come Together were greatly helped by Paul. When John first played Come Together for Paul, Paul said it sounded just like an old Chuck Berry song(copyright). Paul worked on it that night and came in the next day with a slowed down version of the song with a great base line.

In the Get Back documentary, you can see Paul and George bouncing off ideas for Don't Let Me Down. John at times seems out of it. You don't see anyone telling Paul how he should do his songs. And look at the medley on side 2 of Abbey Road that Paul put together out of pieces of songs from the Get Back sessions. John didn't even make it to half of the Abbey Road sessions.

My summary: I have always thought that there would never have been a Beatles if not for John Lennon. But we would not be still talking about them today if it were not for Paul McCartney.
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