Beatle solo careers

[Tommy BOO]

Who of the Beatles had the best solo career in your opinion and why?

I can't decide between George Harrison and John Lennon really.
Ringo Starr had some interesting projects with other artists that I like, but if he ever did anything on his own, I haven't heard it...
Paul McCartney isn't bad either, in fact he has written some really good stuff after the Beatles, but my god were the Wings crap or what?! Argh. I quite liked "Off The Ground" though, that's a top album. I think.
John Lennon... I really love some of his solo stuff, and I'm sure if he hadn't died so young he would have written even more great songs. Lyrics-wise, John is the clear winner, of course.
George Harrison's solo stuff really surprised me in a positive way when I first heard it. I really like his own style, although it got a little bit too Hare Hare Hare Krishna at one point. Like Ringo Starr, he also worked with some of my favourite artists. I don't know much about the work he did during the 80's and 90's though, but I do have "Brainwashed" which was released after George's death, and I think it's a beautiful swansong for a lad who used to be my favourite Beatle when I was a kid.
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"Tommy Boo has played a pivotal role in my life. I've looked up to him since I was a kid and he has inspired every note of music I have ever written. The man is a fucking genius" -BC

[John Mc]

When I was old enough to start buying records John Lennon was already dead, McCartney was in his Frog Chorus phase, Ringo was the voice of Thomas the Tank Engine. I like "I've Got My Mind Set On You" by George Harrison though. I've not got any of the Beatles solo albums, I think my brother may have Lennon Legend but thats about it.

I grew up listening to the Beatles because my Dad loved them and after the Anthology TV series and reading "Revolution in The Head" I started listening to them again. But I reckon my generation will be the last for which The Beatles are that important. I suspect that kids growing up today may look at them in the same way that I see Frank Sinatra. Or maybe The Beatles influence is so great that they can be continually remarketed for every new generation.

That didn't really answer the question did it.

[Kris]

I honestly think The Beatles will live forever.

Remember even for our generation they had been split up probably 20 years by the time we actually "got them".

They are still so popular you have the kids on Pop Idol singing an entire show's worth of songs.

I have no solo albums either. I remember listening to Lennon Legend and thinking it was truly dull.
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"fashioned by the blade of a world that doesn't care,
feeling so removed, drifting thru stealing air then...
pause and think about it, try to move and shift the pain, but it's there you feel it kicking and you scream and feel alive."

[KENFROM RHYL]

MCCARTNEY.

[John Mc]

You might be right, the Beatles work may well be timeless and will live forever. Maybe the next big marketing push will be to repackage the songs in digital download format and sell them all over again. Its just that in recent times Led Zepplin seem to have become the influencial band of choice for lots of new groups. I think part of the reason that the Beatles albums still seem so special is that you don't hear their music on adverts and they don't allow the songs to be used on compliations. I'm sure this is just done to increase sales of Beatles albums rather than due to any notion of artistic purity but I think it does mean that the music sounds fresher than 60's songs that you constantly hear on adverts.

You're right about the Pop Idol thing, if its not "Unchained Melody" or something by The Bee Gees then an easy way to a hit single seems to be cover something by the Fab Four. That Sam and Mark version of "With A Little Help From My Friends" was truly horrendous.

Has anyone ever seen the Let It Be film? Apparently thats coming out on DVD soon.

[Monkey Boy]

The Beatles are class but still overrated. I think the Stones and the Kinks especially were better bands. Ray Davies is a better songwriter than either Lennon or McCartney.

Solo Beatles stuff is mainly shite with the odd gem like McCartneys Ram.

[John Mc]

I enjoy reading about the exploits of the Rolling Stones in the 60's, "A Journey Across America with The Rolling Stones" and the second installment of Andrew Loog Oldham's autobiography are both really good. But I don't like their music, I think "Exile on Main Street" is really dull and can't understand why lots of critics rave about it.

I've never heard a Kinks album, have they got one classic album or it it best just to get a "Best of"?

[Monkey Boy]

[John Mc]

Perhaps I should listen to "Exile" again. When I was younger I never used to buy CD's which were more than a couple of months old, music from the past didn't interest me at all. Its only in the past 2 years that I've bought anything pre-1990 apart from a couple of Beatles and Beach Boys albums.

[Tommy Tynans Lovechild]

niether like nor dislike the beatles (they were overrated though but i think thats cos in them days bands released loads of albums so there was bound to be lots of filler on them) but the best solo is Mc. The Frog Chorus shats on anything else melody wise, can't stand imagine or woman or anything else by lennon.

[ciaranm]

The odd moment from each's solo career produced something worthwhile, however, outside the structure of the beatles, lennon and mac both swung to more self-indulgebet pastures without the balancing effect of the other to keep the shit dtuff in check!

Give Ireland back to the Irish-anybody?