The McCartney Ballads Poll - The Beatles Years

OK. What was supposed to be said is that I left those two out because they weren't really ballads.

My vote for "Here There And Everywhere"

I came here to vote for O Darling :(

no "for no one" ?

I will vote for Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight, as it contains a reprise of the YNGYM intro, which is one of the most beautiful things ever. Here, There and Everywhere is a good choice as well.

Although having said that, I might go for Blackbird.

"You Never Give Me Your Money" is not a ballad, but "Carry That Weight" is. Gotcha.

I will vote for Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight, as it contains a reprise of the YNGYM intro, which is one of the most beautiful things ever.

Also the only part of "You Never Give Me Your Money" that can be considered ballad. The song is more like a suite of contrasting sections. More prog than ballad.

Rather strange definition of ballad here. Why no "Eleanor Rigby" for instance?

Also the inclusion of Rocky Racoon is a little curious.

Rather strange definition of ballad here.

Hongroe in using his own idiosyncratic definition of musical terms instead of what they actually mean non-shockah tbh

Rather strange definition of ballad here. Why no "Eleanor Rigby" for instance?

I would say too rhythmic to be considered a ballad. A ballad is supposed to be real slow with no "beat" at all.

A ballad is supposed to be real slow with no "beat" at all.

this is only true of a ballad in your brain though - it has absolutely zero to do with any actual definition of "ballad"

just fyi

The traditional definition is a song that tells a story, isn't it? Not that that has much to do with the generally accepted current definition.

no "beat" at all.
Every ballad you've listed here has a beat. How the hell would the musicians be able to play together otherwise?

john d OTM but like 99% rock critics are guilty of using his own idiosyncratic definition of musical terms instead of what they actually mean

Geir also has a v. diff. definition of "beat"

Voted for Helter Skelter

let it be has the best guitar solo

Another poorly constructed poll, but anyway, "Here There and Everywhere" was my and my wife's first dance at our wedding, so I'm voting for that.

And yeah, lol at "ballads" not having a beat. "Rocky Raccoon" and "Fool On The Hill" are practically martial.

Bright are the stars that shine, my friends.

this is ridiculous j0hn otm etc

^^^

geir:musical terminology::wife beater:wife

I think Geir's problem with beat is that beat is for Yoko Ono.

Pancakes, you can send the bill for your next drink to me <3 <3

No "For No One" no cred. Even limp Geir cred. Abstaining.

Yeah, I would probably have voted :"For No One."

anyone got any sort of reason why She's Leaving Home would be a ballad?

or indeed The Fool On The Hill?

I think Geir is confusing "beat" with "slow tempo".

flawed poll, but even in an accurate poll mine would be Blackbird. one of my favorite Beatles songs ever

For No One

Here, There, and Everywhere. Because it rhymes with Geir.

What scares me is that ominous "the first poll", as though there is more of this tendentious shit to come. Next week: The Wings Years.

for no one, sorry geir

Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight

It had never occurred to me before, but looking at this list, I think "Mother Nature's Son" might be my favorite.

blackbird, for the duet-with-metronome and bird solo at the end (also cause it's a beautiful song) though obviously there are some close seconds. actually i probably should have voted for yesterday, just cause no one else will, and it's a gorgeous song as well and people only don't like it cause it's been overplayed...

Yeah, I would probably have voted :"For No One."

But "For No One" is no ballad. Has way too much going on in the background, too fast. A ballad is supposed to be a bit "sappy" to be considered a ballad.

Obviously I know from this definition most slower R&B songs today don't count as ballads for me, but, no, they don't. Preferrably, a ballad should have no drums at all or at least be very boring for drummers to play.

So not having "For No One" and "Eleanor Rigby" around is probably just an advantage, as they probably just would have gotten a lot of votes from people who don't like ballads at all.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ballad

sshhh, don't disturb his "train" of "thought"

But "For No One" is no ballad. Has way too much going on in the background, too fast

What the fuck is wrong with you?

Well, first and foremost, "Elenor Rigby" and "For No One" both are around 120 bpm. Is every fucking disco song from the 70s a ballad too? They are just too fast, I didn't consider one second to include either. I did consider "Fixing a Hole" and "Oh Darling", but ditched them because they were too fast to be ballads too. They are great songs - "Elenor Rigby" is probably in my Top 5 midtempo McCartney songs - but no way that they are ballads!

actually i probably should have voted for yesterday, just cause no one else will, and it's a gorgeous song as well and people only don't like it cause it's been overplayed...

This goes for "Michelle", "Let It Be" and "The Long And Winding Road" as well.
Plus "Something", but that's not McCartney of course.

i am so sick of 'eleanor rigby', over and over, at the local discotheque.

BPM has NOTHING TO DO WITH IT. Nor does "having too much going on in the background." (Which, what, unlike "Hey Jude?" Or "Carry That Weight?") "For No One" has a piano, a bass guitar, a French horn and a voice.

You really are the Humpty Dumpty of music.

Just to set you straight, "The Ballad of John & Yoko" IS AN ACTUAL BALLAD USING THE ACTUAL DEFINITION. "Blackbird" IS NOT.

Geir, I want to make this plain: you have no idea what the word "ballad" means. Your definition of ballad is like my translation of the phrase "Det er lenge siden sist vi møttes!" i.e. completely worthless because I don't speak Norwegian & you don't know what a ballad is

A ballad is a slow and silent song. Simple as that.

Like 4'33"?

I think Geir's problem with beat is that beat is for Yoko Ono.

You really are the Humpty Dumpty of music.

― Snake Effect Low (Pancakes Hackman)

I clicked the 'Suggest Hilarious' link in my brain for these.

A ballad is a slow and silent song. Simple as that.

you want to cite something other than Geir's Almanac for that? as has been the case on the internet for at least fifteen years, you kinda don't really know what you're talking about

Well, I know it is an understanding, but it is an understanding that has been used for many decades, and which today is a general term for what was previously named torch songs.

torch song
torch songs plural
A torch song is a sentimental popular song about love, usually sung by a woman.

A torch song is a sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited or lost love, where one party is either oblivious to the existence of the other, or where one party has moved on.[1][2] Female singers of the pop vocal tradition are referred to as "torch singers" when their repertoire consists predominantly of such material. Torch singing is more of a niche than a genre, and can stray from the traditional jazz-influenced style of singing, although the American tradition of the torch song typically relies upon the melodic structure of the blues.[2]

n.
A sentimental love song, typically one in which the singer laments an unrequited love.

lol

So, I know that it's sort of standard to observe that Geir says the same stuff year in and year out, but does anyone track the occasional new wrinkles in his theory of everything? Because I'm pretty sure some of this stuff here is brand-new - should at least be boring for drummers to play? A slow and silent song? (suggest username)

Geir, I think "ballad" basically signifies songs with romantic or sentimental content. The term has no real concrete musical connotation, as far as I can tell.

this thread is blowing my mind

I know, it's awesome, like watching a very slo-mo car wreck in which a lot of spectacular stuff that nobody cares about gets blasted to smithereens and there's medical-channel-worthy closeups of gore and rent flesh and all sorts of stuff you never get to see in the real world, yet nobody actually gets hurt. This is the goods, right here. Keep it comin'!

PS - "I'll Follow the Sun" is faster than "For No One". Just sayin'.

It's also about the same tempo as "P.S. I Love You" and "Things We Said Today".

I am new to ILM so this whole Geir accessing the secret knowledge of the universe with his mighty, mighty brain, which is incidentally also the place from which the secret knowledge of the universe emanates eternally (!), this is all new to me, and it is truly wonderful.

yeah, this threads keeps giving and reaches stratospheric levels of WTF.
my brain exploded with the 1-2-3 punches : "boring for drummers"/"too much going on in the background" and the winner : "silent song" !

although, to be honest, I kinda see the idea. It's just that explained that way, it doesn't make any sense... and the song choices neither...

Preferrably, a ballad should have no drums at all or at least be very boring for drummers to play.

e.g. 'For No One' or 'Eleanor Rigby' by The Beatles.

Yes, but those are not ballads because they are midtempo songs. A midtempo song isn't a ballad. A midtempo song is a midtempo song.

staggerlee just pointed out that at least one of the songs on your list is faster than those two, numbnuts.

Well, it seems the English language needs a definition for slow and silent songs. The Norwegian has it. It is called "ballade". It is being used in that way. If the English language defines "You Shook Me All Night Long" as a ballad (it is a lovesong after all), then so be it. I suppose it isn't true, then, that AC/DC never made a power ballad....

ante keeps getting upped

plz define "silent song" (in any language)

SBd (silent but deadly)

"for no one" is not only my favorite paul "ballad" but also the answer to the question "for whom besides himself does geirs definition make sense?"

So, "Revolution #1" is slower than "For No One," therefore it is a ballad.

Love love love the concept that "The Long And WInding Road," which has the Phil Spector Wall Of Sound, has "less going on in the background" than "For No One," which has a total of two musicians playing three instruments.

looking forward to seeing Revolution 9 in the Lennon ballads poll

looking forward to seeing Revolution 9 in the Lennon ballads poll

I think there's too much going on in the background for it to qualify. and it's not silent. sorry.

btw i voted Hey Jude, on grounds of it being the slowest & most silent song on the list.

Love love love the concept that "The Long And WInding Road," which has the Phil Spector Wall Of Sound, has "less going on in the background" than "For No One," which has a total of two musicians playing three instruments.

Rhythmically it does.

has geir ever admitted that he was wrong? I guess that would be out of character.

'for no one' would have been my vote too. I guess I'll go w/ 'she's leaving home' instead.

Going with "And I Love Her," but it was very nearly "She's Leaving Home."

But the question is, does "The Fool on the Hill" have "less going on in the background" (i.e. is a silenter song) than "For No One"? The question is also: What speed does Geir's CD player downshift to in order to slow the positively jaunty "I'll Follow The Sun" down to requisite "ballade" tempo? And when Paul hollers "GOWWWWWW-LDEN SCHLUUUUUUM-BERS FILL! Your EYES!" and Ringo's slamming the cymbals like billy-oh, how is that more silenterer than the rhythmic strings in "Eleanor Rigby"?

Generally when we talk about "ballads" colloquially, we mean 3 : a popular song; especially : a slow romantic or sentimental song. That should be easy enough - so it's fun watching Humpty Dumpty scramble his li'l yolk about which is to be master.

"For One One" is a midtempo romantic or sentimental song. "Elenor Rigby" too, except it is just sentimental and not romantic.

The ones nitpicking here are people who don't like slow songs at all, and who would have liked to vote for some midtempo song instead. And "I'll Follow The Sun" is definitely a more silent and relaxed song than any of those.

http://ttoes.files.wordpress.com/2009/07/shell-game.jpg

Oh man, this thread is blowing my mind

si⋅lent  /ˈsaɪlənt/ –adjective

1. making no sound; quiet; still: a silent motor.
2. refraining from speech.
3. speechless; mute.
4. not inclined to speak; taciturn; reticent.
5. characterized by absence of speech or sound: a silent prayer.
6. unspoken; tacit: a silent assent.
7. omitting mention of something, as in a narrative: The records are silent about this crime.
8. inactive or quiescent, as a volcano.
9. not sounded or pronounced: The "b" in "doubt" is a silent letter.
10. Movies. not having spoken dialogue or a soundtrack.
11. Medicine/Medical. producing no symptoms: silent gallstones

geir, consider the reasons why this might be a good candidate for the one time in history that you were wrong:

a. the argument is about the meaning of an english word
b. everyone disagrees with you
c. everyone who disagrees with you speaks english as a first language
d. you, despite being a very adept english speaker, do not speak english as a first language

The ones nitpicking here are people who don't like slow songs at all

http://www.therightscoop.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/strawman.png

Maybe he's right, though. Maybe we all really don't like slow songs. I think this bears some serious examination. Onward, Christian soldiers!

Next, why "Mull of Kintyre" is not a ballad.

No one is nitpicking big G! Pointing out that you don't know what the word you're using means is not "nitpicking"! just fyi

haha now i understand yr post on the "Things you mix up" thread.

anyhoo I am voting "Here There and Everywhere" and rolling with the idiosyncracy.

So grateful for this thread.

Next, why "Mull of Kintyre" is not a ballad.

That is not going to happen, but I could give many reasons why I am not voting for it in the next thread :)

:)

And another one votes "For No One" and goes "WTF?"

I think I get what he's talking about re: For No One vs LAWR

For No One is rhythmically more complex than LAWR, in both the piano playing and the vocal meter.

I Will

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Next time 'The Long And Winding Road' comes up in any poll, I'm voting for it.

So, does this mean Geir is right about ballads?

Another vote for For No One. Was listening to this Caetano Veloso cover of it yesterday:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dg1y0w4O4Aw

That version is toned down enough that it'd fit in here. It is first and foremost the bouncy cembalo in the background that is the reason I never considered it.

surprised no one pointed out that the bouncy scat breakdown 2 minutes into rocky racoon surely riles the blood more than that blasted cembalo

Rocky Rackoon starts with about a minute of Mock-Dylan before it turns into a more traditional McCartney-ballad.

traditional mccartney-ballad