The Great Beatles Songs: Paperback Writer

So the list continues. Number nine on the great songs list is Paperback Writer. It is the first song that Paul and John wrote which was NOT about love. It also has some interesting three part harmony.

This was the only single to be released in 1966, the year of REVOLVER. They released some songs off of REVOLVER but Paperback Writer (B-side was Rain) the only single issued that year. It made its way to #1.

This was my first favorite song. I liked the way they amped up the fuzz for the guitar and the bass. Of course Ringo's drumming was inimitable. And Paul and George were musically pretty daring (no, probly not in Brian Wilson's league that way, Dave). Paul was the Beatle who REALLY pushed them in the studio. 1966 was a landmark year for The Beatles. They would stop touring and become a studio only band. They poured themselves into the studio, as is evident in their run of the REVOLVER LP, Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane single and Sgt. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND. It is run that has never been matched in history (only Brian Wilson would have topped it with PET SOUNDS, Good Vibrations and SMILE if it would have been released - but Mike Love and Brian's problems kept it shelved for almost 40 years).

So Paperback Writer is the link really for them commercially. Even on the flip side they used backwards recording for the first time. But PW was the last poppy song and it is rather mature itself. What is evident: Ringo and Paul are VASTLY underrated on their instruments. PW proves that. The bass line and the drumming truly connect and rock out on this song. So enjoy PW, number 9 on my list of The Great Beatles Songs.