# Best of the Beatles: Past Masters, Volume Two

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-past-masters-volume-two/686577>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [April 21, 2014, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-past-masters-volume-two/686577 "2014-04-21T01:49:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-past-masters-volume-two/686577/41 "2014-04-22T15:16:06Z")

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> [@njtt](#):
>
> I am not surprised at all, but I don’t approve. “Rain” is one of the very few Beatle songs I actively dislike, but it is very hip to say you like it.

Before I cast my vote, I assumed “Rain” was going to win this one, which is partly why I went for “Lady Madonna” (figuring it would score low and it’s a song I love). Both assumptions seem to have been correct. But “Rain” is a great song. I don’t know if it’s “hip” to say it or not – I seem to recall there being a lot of “Rain” love on these boards in other Beatles threads – but it’s a fantastic tune. Psychedelic-pop goodness. And listen to that bass!

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**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-past-masters-volume-two/686577/42 "2014-04-22T16:15:33Z")

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> [@njtt](#):
>
> I am not surprised at all, but I don’t approve. “Rain” is one of the very few Beatle songs I actively dislike, but it is very hip to say you like it.

Let’s not even start with this bullshit. You don’t like the song? Fine; nobody cares. But to suggest that other people are only pretending to like it to be cool is insulting and clueless. Like **JKellyMap** , I thought it was a great song from the first time I heard it, and I was far too young to care about being “hip”.

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**Author:** ![Esox\_Lucius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Esox\_Lucius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esox_Lucius)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-past-masters-volume-two/686577/43 "2014-04-22T16:20:14Z")

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> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#):
>
> Very, very surprised “Rain” is leading the poll…

I loved Rain when I first heard it, and always secretly resented Paperback Writer for getting more love through the years. I now feel vindicated. The Dope knows!

> [@Vashbul](#):
>
> Those who like that “Lady Madonna” piano need to hear “Bad Penny Blues”, an obvious prototype that I bet was on Paul’s dad’s gramophone a lot.

Ha! Good catch. And true as the dickens, it turns out, according to [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Madonna):

> [@](#):
>
> Paul McCartney based his piano part for the song on Humphrey Lyttelton’s 1956 trad jazz recording “Bad Penny Blues”.

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**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-past-masters-volume-two/686577/44 "2014-04-22T17:38:06Z")

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> [@TreacherousCretin](#):
>
> The votes are for “favorite” song, not “best”, and there’s no accounting for taste.

> [@njtt](#):
>
> Are you sure about that?

Here’s the header for the poll in question:  
**View Poll Results: What is your _favorite_ song on Past Masters, Volume Two?**

I’m not trying to be “hip” about this, and couldn’t care less about sputtering “disapproval.” Sheesh.

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**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-past-masters-volume-two/686577/45 "2014-04-22T22:18:59Z")

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Ringo’s drumming it superb, possibly his best.😃

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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [April 22, 2014, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-past-masters-volume-two/686577/46 "2014-04-22T22:26:20Z")

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> [@ouryL](#):
>
> Ringo’s drumming it superb, possibly his best.😃

Yeah, “Rain” is one of the classic Ringo performances. I’ve heard that he considers it his best. As a Ringo fan, I don’t necessarily agree, but it’s notable for that reason, too.

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**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\
**Post date:** [April 23, 2014, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-past-masters-volume-two/686577/47 "2014-04-23T02:57:05Z")

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I think “Rain” is a fine song, in fact I really like it. My thinking was just that it isn’t nearly as well known generally speaking as many of these other songs are and therefore was surprised that it was winning in the poll. Then again, that’s what I get for making assumptions about Dopers versus the general public writ large.

I should have known better.

:smack:

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**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\
**Post date:** [April 25, 2014, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-past-masters-volume-two/686577/48 "2014-04-25T02:45:45Z")

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\>puts njtt on my list… which I don’t actually write down and which I usually remember for about three days\<

Rain. It’s a little sonic wonderland. I haven’t listened to the bass on decent speakers recently, but love the drums, and like the guitars and vocals. A lot. Mostly though the busy instruments make the slow tempo electrifying. It’s like moving in slow motion while shooting off sparks.

As others have said tho, there are so many nice things on the album – some of them comparatively obscure – that you want to give a hat tip to more than one. Hat tip to Old Brown Shoe and Don’t Let Me Down. And more.

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**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\
**Post date:** [April 27, 2014, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-of-the-beatles-past-masters-volume-two/686577/49 "2014-04-27T09:08:33Z")

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It was a tough choice for me between “Rain” and “Revolution,” tied for first place. Anyhow, I voted for “Revolution” because it rocks.

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