# Post Beatles: Lennon vs McCartney **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 13, 2008, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347 "2008-01-13T02:23:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347/21 "2008-01-13T15:33:31Z")
[QUOTE=Mangosteen] What are your 2 songs from Paul? [/QUOTE] Live and Let Die and Band on the Run. There are plenty of other songs by Paul I liked, but not enough that I ever bought his CDs to replace my tapes. My Tapes are long gone, given away. I think I had 4. Jim ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347/22 "2008-01-13T18:21:00Z")
**Nonsuch** , that was a bang-on articulate assesment. McCartney always had a song or three on his early albums that couldn’t be touched in terms of melody/creativity/production or just exhilarating pop/rock joie-de-vivre. As examples I give you three songs from “Back To The Egg” that you may not have heard before: [Daytime Nighttime Suffering](http://youtube.com/watch?v=8EhU-z_QrH4) [Old Siam Sir](http://youtube.com/watch?v=aGBefLt6y1g&feature=related) [Arrow Through Me](http://youtube.com/watch?v=42IPlbC9H_Q) On the other side of the coin, the lyrics are usually half-baked and there are always a few out-and-out turkeys on the album. Later on, his discrimination broke down completely and he output some really bad stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Subterraneanus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Subterraneanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subterraneanus)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347/23 "2008-01-13T19:21:49Z")
[QUOTE=Oregon sunshine] Is there even any question? Just listen to _Plastic Ono Band_ once. It speaks for itself. [/QUOTE] End of thread. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347/24 "2008-01-13T19:35:17Z")
\*\*Nonsuch \*\* - big +1. Nicely put. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347/25 "2008-01-13T22:39:52Z")
[QUOTE=don’t ask] Nil all going in to extra time. [/QUOTE] Ditto, and no Beatles on my iPod at all. ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2008, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347/26 "2008-01-13T23:54:20Z")
Lennon for more mature, deeper lyrics (Paul has no feel for poetry in words), McCartney for musicianship–his musical abilities in terms of range outstrip Lennon, IMO. By that I mean he is capable of more in-depth musicianship. Whether he uses those opportunities or not is open to debate. He likes schmaltz and it shows. Lennon kept him more honest than Paul has ever given him credit for, but that’s another thread… That said, I would rather listen to John than Paul. I am not fond of Paul and never have been. I also agree that the sum of the 4 parts added up to way more than the individual pieces–one rare example of music by committee that actually worked. Of course, the comparison is not fair, because of an asshole who shall remain a hissing in the dark for me, at least. Of the albums (and I am by no means an expert. I can’t even play an instrument), I like Imagine best, post Beatles. Of Paul’s I have listened to almost none (except of course the songs that were hits). I do like Paul’s Flaming Pie album, though–a title he took from John. But even those songs are ephemeral. For songs that stick in your gut and make you think–Lennon wins. ---
**Author:** ![mr.jp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/48db29/32.png) [@mr.jp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr.jp)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347/27 "2008-01-14T01:13:01Z")
Agreed with Nonsuch. Except that I think Imagine is very close to Plastic Ono. Regarding the lyrics in it though, I am not impressed with Oh, Yoko and How Do You Sleep At Night. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347/28 "2008-01-14T01:29:27Z")
When Lenon wrote “Woman”, you could see he was shooting his last bullets. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347/29 "2008-01-14T03:02:26Z")
My two favorite Beatles songs were both Harrison numbers, so what do I know? I have more McCartney solo tunes simply because I imported the entire “Tripping the Live Fantastic” album. Of course, a lot of those are Beatles tunes, so not sure how you count that. I have four Lennon tunes, but two of them are Julian’s (“Valotte” and “Much Too Late”). I am deeply and perhaps irrationally prejudiced against Yoko Ono because I think she was a poseur, so I won’t ever be listening to the “Plastic Ono Band” album. I was amused to read Eric Clapton talk about his guest appearance at a Plastic Ono Band concert in his recent autobiography. He and the other guitarist (Pete Townsend?) were told to go onstage and place their guitars close to the amplifier so that it screeched with the feedback. Yoko went out and sang to that. :rolleyes: I hope that the Beatles catalog can now appear on iTunes since the courts ruled on their “Apple” trademark issues. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347/30 "2008-01-14T03:03:19Z")
> [@](#): > > Peace, remember peace is how we make it, > Here within your reach > If you’re big enough to take it. > > I don’t ask for much, i only want your trust, > And you know it don’t come easy. > And this love of mine keeps growing all the time, > And you know it don’t come easy. None of the above. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347/31 "2008-01-14T03:41:04Z")
[QUOTE=Christopher] You have to wonder what you would think had McCartney been killed in 1980 [/QUOTE] What, again? ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347/32 "2008-01-14T03:53:05Z")
[QUOTE=PunditLisa] I am deeply and perhaps irrationally prejudiced against Yoko Ono because I think she was a poseur, so I won’t ever be listening to the “Plastic Ono Band” album. [/QUOTE] Yoko makes not a peep on _Plastic Ono Band_, despite the name. Don’t let it stop you from enjoying a great record. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347/33 "2008-01-14T03:55:45Z")
[QUOTE=Askance] What, again? [/QUOTE] I can never keep it straight, what year did Paul die? Was is 1966 or 1967? **eleanorigby** : Obviously, you have great taste in music. What a coincidense I say this about the person who agrees with me. 😉 I proposed this question to my Brother today. The one that went to Strawberry Fields that December day in 1980. Not surprisingly, he said without a seconds thought. “Lennon was so much more to his fans than just a singer and writer. He was actually important”. Of course the FBI, also seems to have agreed with this assessment. At least, they thought he was a [dangerous man worth watching](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lennon#Political_activism). Jim ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347/34 "2008-01-14T04:03:47Z")
I don’t have an iPod. If I did it would contain about 50 Beatles songs, 10 Lennon songs, and zero McCartney songs. Don’t get me wrong, Paul’s Beatles’ stuff was phenomenal, but he really went pop after the Beatles, whereas John tried to continue with some artistic stuff. That being said, Paul’s playing a lot of Beatles stuff when he tours lately, and I think I’d cry like a baby if I heard him sing “The Long and Winding Road” or “Let it Be” live. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347/35 "2008-01-14T04:30:01Z")
[[sub]Ringo[/sub]](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3AycS7OS1w&feature=related) ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347/36 "2008-01-14T18:10:17Z")
I own at least one post-Beatles album by Lennon, Harrison, and even [Starr](http://www.amazon.com/Blast-Your-Past-Ringo-Starr/dp/B000006MV0/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1200334080&sr=8-8). I can’t even use up the fingers of one hand with post-Beatles McCartney songs I like. John, hands down. I’d say a John vs. George showdown’s infinitely more interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347/37 "2008-01-14T18:51:31Z")
[QUOTE=blondebear] Might as well ask if I like Ron or Dirk better. [/QUOTE] Pretty early in the thread for a Rutles reference. Well done! I’ve been more of a Lennon fan in years past (given the choice between the two,) but lately find myself leaning towards the George camp. But again, this question is like asking if you enjoy very fine apples as opposed to very fine oranges. ---
**Author:** ![Autumn\_Almanac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d26b3c/32.png) [@Autumn\_Almanac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autumn_Almanac)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347/38 "2008-01-14T19:09:38Z")
I’m partial to George. _All Things Must Pass_, _George Harrison_, _Thirty Three & 1/3_, _Cloud Nine_, _Brainwashed_– all great, solid albums, and even his weaker stuff is still pretty entertaining. I’d say he’s the only ex-Beatle who never put out anything truly terrible. John put out one phenomenal album (_John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band_), one good but very uneven album (_Imagine_), and a handful of great singles. The records after _Imagine_ are pretty dire. Paul, it’s hard to say. Including Wings, he’s put out something like two dozen albums, and the quality is all over the place, even within individual albums. I actually think that his most recent albums (_Run Devil Run_, _Chaos and Creation in the Backyard_, _Memory Almost Full_) are among his most consistent and satisfying. It’s definitely too soon to count him out. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347/39 "2008-01-14T19:31:10Z")
Of their solo work, I put Paul first and John last with George and Ringo duking it out in the middle. John’s post-Beatles work largely leaves me cold. ---
**Author:** ![kelly5078](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/6f9a4e/32.png) [@kelly5078](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kelly5078)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347/40 "2008-01-14T19:38:06Z")
> [@nonsuch](#): > > Yoko makes not a peep on Plastic Ono Band, despite the name. Don’t let it stop you from enjoying a great record. Actually, there are two “Plastic Ono Band” albums, one John’s, the other Yoko’s. Care must be taken. For all I know, the Yoko one might be okay. I’ve never heard it, nor have I ever heard anyone comment on it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/post-beatles-lennon-vs-mccartney/433347.md?page=3)