'A Day In The Life': The greatest song of all time

[Gorshin]

The Beatles at their absolute zenith, and for me the greatest piece of popular music ever recorded. what do you think?

[Floodedstatue]

It's up there, Gorsh, I'll give you that! Certainly one The Beatles standout tracks

[mik]

absolute tosh!!
Compare the beatles to Dylan and there really is no comparison

[nabby]

Maybe lyrically it's one of their best but musically and as an overall package (lyricas and music), I'd say Strawberry Fields is better and more innovative. And Eleanor Rigby is top class!
To my ears I find the Paul McCartney interlude kind of upsets the rhythm of the song (A Day In The Life) - but by all accounts he put it in there cos he was a tad jealous of Lennon's bit being so good.

But what about The Kinks? Waterloo Sunset, Sunday Afternoon, Days...they're all excellent!
Also, God Only Knows by The Beach Boys.

Hey, I seem to be stuck in the 60's...Help!

[CJROSS]

Here comes the sun !!!

Surely !!

[Flimber]

No, no, no.

The Most Perfect Song of All Time Award goes to...


..."Northern Sky" by Nick Drake.

HTH,
Mike.

[Flimber]

Originally Posted by mik

absolute tosh!!
Compare the beatles to Dylan and there really is no comparison

You're right, Lennon and McCartney are pop geniuses whereas Dylan is a gibbering, croaky twit who wrote a handful of genuinely good songs (if that). The rest is myth made up in fans heads. Sorry if the truth hurts

Mike.

[Ian J]

Originally Posted by mik

Compare the beatles to Dylan and there really is no comparison

I am sure that most of us will agree with you. Dylan was good but as you say, there is no comparison.

[Kenny Glasgow]

Yes ADITL is one of my all time fav's of all time

To suggest that Macca was jealous of Winston's song so he made up the middle section is absolute drivvell!

If you listen to early versions of the song and even the latter versions (with the humming outro) then you'll know the truth.

SFF is also a contender as is Across The Universe, Fixing A Hole, Tomorrow Never Knows, Paperback Writer, Here Comes The Sun etc etc etc etc

[mik]

perhaps that is why they use to sit and bow in his hotel room. What were the beatles anyway? a handful of studio albums, where is your proof of genius, paste it up here and lets see.
A day in the life is a blatant rip off from many dylan songs of taking news and turning into song but the key being that dylan was doing it in 1964 and added to the fact that the beatles lyrics are more nursery rhyme and of no significant meaning other than the song

A Day In The Life

I read the news today oh, boy
About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well I just had to laugh and
I saw the photograph

The Lonesome Death Of Hattie Carroll

William Zanzinger killed poor Hattie Carroll
With a cane that he twirled around his diamond ring finger
At a Baltimore hotel society gath'rin'.
And the cops were called in and his weapon took from him
As they rode him in custody down to the station
And booked William Zanzinger for first-degree murder.
But you who philosophize disgrace and criticize all fears,
Take the rag away from your face.
Now ain't the time for your tears.

The beatles go on to tell us that about potholes in blackburn while dylan goes on to condemn the society he lives in which is still very resonant in the world of today, some 40 years later. Did they sort the potholes out?
So I guess flimber you are kinda right, there are 2 kinds of people in the world, those that get dylan and those that dont but dont worry m8, we dont hold it against you

[Kenny Glasgow]

Mik

What's your problem? Dylan is great but so are the Beatles. I have evrything by them both so I think I can compare

Yes Bob wrote poetry to music with political comment, satire and great humour and so did John & Paul, to a lesser extent, I agree.

However everyone's tastes are different!

FWIIW, the greatest ever Dylan song is Sad Eyed Lady of The Lowlands.................in my opinion

[Flimber]

Originally Posted by mik

...
So I guess flimber you are kinda right, there are 2 kinds of people in the world, those that get dylan and those that dont but dont worry m8, we dont hold it against you

Of course I 'get' Dylan. I just think he's a gibbering, croaky twit And that's because he is.

Cheers,
Mike.

[the_pauley]

I'm a fan of both Dylan and The Beatles, and if Mik knew half that he thinks he does about Dylan, he'd know that the Zimm was / is a huge admirer of The Beatles work. Unless of course you think Dylan's opinion is worthless Mik?

He is on record as saying that hearing The Beatles inspired him to change his musical direction "Man their chords are outrageous! Remarkable!" is the famous quote.

Without the influence of The Beatles we probably never would have had "Highway 61 Revisited" or "Blonde On Blonde", just as without Dylan we might never have had "Rubber Soul" or "Revolver".

As for Mik's ramblings about The Beatles singing about potholes while Dylan gave us lyrics of political import, well that is a highly selective reading isn't it? Putting the shoes on the other feet, the Beatles showed simultaneously poetic and political with "Blackbird", with some of the most sublime lyrics ever to grace a pop song, while Dylan quite often resorted to lyrical trivia. "All the Tired Horses" anyone??? A beautiful song but hardly a lyrical stretch...

And as for the lyrical style of "A Day In the Life" being a rip of Dylan, Dylan in turn "ripped" the style from Woody Guthrie, who in turn took it from some black bluesmen, who in turn took it from the folk traditions of many European countries when their migrant citizens brought their music with them to America. Do your homework Mik.

Music and art does not exist in a cultural vaccuum. Even the greatest artists draw influence from what came before and from their contemporaries. It's not theft, it is quite simply the absorbing of cultural influences. What makes them great artists is what they do with those influences.

Dylan and the Beatles were two of the pivotal acts of the rock era, and a creative symbiosis clearly existed between the two, a fact that both parties have often confirmed. It speaks more to Mik's limitations than to The Beatles music that he cannot recognise this.

I suggest you go and watch "Don't Look Back" - the brilliant D.A. Pennebaker documentary on Dylan's early '60s UK tour - and see how Dylan demolishes the prat in the dressing room and the reporter at the press conference when they attempt to trumpet their ignorance as fact. The man would have you for breakfast for what you said Mik...

[captaindobie]

This really wasn't meant to be a 'my favourite artist is better than yours' thread was it?
And anyway....Mr Johnny Cash p****d on anything Dyan ever did...well, didn't he?
Oh, back to the thread. Yes, 'A Day In The Life' is fantastic. I often site this as my favourite Beatles track. Although, as i am subject to wild mood swings, 'Across The Universe' & 'Tomorrow Never Knows' often take its place.
However, at this moment in time, i will settle for 'In My Life' as the greatest song ever... (by the Beatles)

[mik]

The_Pauly no it isnt selective reading, I picked that song because from the top off my head they were both taken from the broadsheets. Add to the fact I never said Dylan invented the form, it was to illustrate that the beatles chased Dylans tail in the 60's of which there is no doubt. Just because I didnt mention 16th century ballads doesnt mean I am unaware of them. Add presumption to trumpet and ignorance and that would be poetic.
My initial post stated my opinion on the thread titled "'A Day In The Life': The greatest song of all time" and to me lyrically Dylan far outshines The beatles so I feel there is no comparison and stated that. Captaindobie is quite correct perhaps the thread should have read "greatest song ever... (by the Beatles)" though he isnt about Johnny Cash although Dylan himself would probably agree

Btw greatest song ever... (by the Beatles) one of Harrisons but hard to say which