got to get you out of my life (and laptop)

My computer was running out of space. I had to do something about that immediately. At that moment, though, I had only two options: #1. Delete some music right away or #2. Wait and listen to the Dancing Cigarette's 1980-81: Gulcher Recordings at another time. I chose the former, only a fool wouldn't make time for the Dancing Cigarettes.

Then came my next tough decision. What am I gonna delete to make room? Tough times bring a long tough questions.

Do you really need all these live VU recordings, Sean? Yes.
Do you really need to have every Destroyer album? Yes.
Even Your Blues? Yes.
C'mon, Sean...really? The Big Doe Rehab in it's entirety...including the skits? Fuck off.

Finally, I came across a band that I had a lot of music of that I don't ever need to hear again: The Beatles. Yes, we all love them. But does anyone really need to hear "Something," again? There is nothing more redundant than when someone lists the Beatles as one of their favorite bands. Of course you like the Beatles! Let me guess you like The Simpsons, breathing and sex too?

So I went through my files and folders and deleted about 75% of my Beatles catalog. If I ever have a hankering to listen to "Come Together" I'll just look it up on YouTube, I guess. Thank you, 21st century.

Here is a list of my top 10 favorite Beatles songs. If a certain song isn't listed here then case is I probably (a) deleted the song or (b) accidentally didn't delete the song but should have. You've served me well, boys...but I've lost almost all use for you.

#1. "Mean Mr. Mustard/Polythene Pam/She Came In Through The Bathroom Window"
Greatest medley ever, right? I mean, when I think of the word "medley" Michael McDonald immediately comes to mind (and that ain't a good thing). I listed these three as one because that's what they are. People would argue that all of Abbey Road's Side 2 is a medley, but these are the three that really flow together. You can appreciate the tongue and cheek of "Mustard" by itself, you can love the lo-fi feel of "Polythene Pam" all on its lonesome and of course "Bathroom Window" might be the best thing Paul ever did with or without the other two songs attached. But really, to fully appreciate these songs you have to hear them all together. When I think of the Beatles these three songs are what I think of.

#2. "Hey Bulldog"
I love having arguments about the Beatles. There are so many directions any one person can run in when talking about the albums, the songs, the personalities, etc. They're so ridiculously mythologized and they have such a expansive output of music from such a short time period that you'll never ever find two people who agree on the exact same points when it comes to any aspect of the Fab Four. It's impossible. I've always felt that the Beatles were at their best when the songs had a swing to them. Paul's my favorite Beatle, I'm not ashamed to say that. But when Lennon is on the vocals and reeling away with something as simple as the piano on this one I think it really emphasizes that they weren't just a bunch of clever lads from Liverpool, but a really good rock n' roll band when need be. And the barking at the end? That's gotta be the height of their likability, right?

#3. "Helter Skelter"
I'll never forget the first time I heard this song. I think I even asked my dad if "That was the same guy who sang "Michelle?"" right after he played it for me. The fade out and the fade back in was a pretty awesome thing for my young ears to hear. I can easily say its better than and rocks harder than anything Led Zeppelin ever did. The song is so good Vincent Bugliosi wrote a book about it.

#4. "Back in the USSR"
This one is a great rocker and one of the best opening tracks to any album ever. It's kind of hard to say a Beatles song is underrated because they are the most overrated band of all-time (besides Zeppelin), but still this and "Hey Bulldog" definitely have to be up there on that list. I know its on one of their most popular albums right at the very beginning, but c'mon, do people really understand how incredible this song is? The Beach Boys were considered their rivals at the time (more so than the Stones) and they took the style that the Beach Boys had already commandeered from Chuck Berry and then they go on to do it better than either ever dreamed of doing...damn. It's that kind of blind arrogance that sums up why Paul's my favorite Beatle.

#5. "Paperback Writer"
Just a plain great song. The guitar riff is superb, the lyrics are as interesting as anything Paul has ever written (though that's not saying much) and I've always really loved Ringo's drumming on this track. For a while now I've thought this to be the ideal Beatles song for Times New Viking to cover.

#6. "The Ballad of John and Yoko"
This is the closest the Beatles every came to sounding like the Bingo Trappers (minus the completely self-obsessed lyrics). That's a good thing. It was also recorded by just John and Paul which can be used in the an argument that the Beatles didn't actually need George or Ringo to be a great band. I'm not saying that's necessarily the case, but I'm just saying...

#7. "Got To Get You Into My Life"
As corny as it is "I was alone, I took a ride, I didn't know what I would find there" gets me every single time.

#8. "Cry, Baby, Cry"
I think most people would include this one on the list of songs that should have been left off The White Album. There is something very breezy about this track that just kinda pulls me in. I think the lyrics are some of Lennon's most underrated too. You can picture everything he's saying and the music goes perfectly along with it. It's a very Elliott Smith sounding song (which like the Bingo Trappers and "Ballad...") is a good thing.

#9. "She Said She Said"
Maybe this would be the best Beatles song for TNV to cover. I love the guitar through out the entire track, and seconds in you realize its gonna be a great song just because of George's opening lick. Rubber Soul is great, not because the Beatles started to experiment a little, but because its when Lennon's woman-hating lyrics really hit full stride and I don't think you have to be sexist to admit that women/men hating lyrics can sometimes make for a great song.

#10. "Mother Nature's Son"
Another breezy White Album song that most people would see as one of the "problems" with The White Album. But I don't care, I can't help but love it. Most other acoustic Paul songs make me want to kill myself (see: "Blackbird") but I completely adore every second of this song.

close calls:
"Bad Boy"
"I Am The Walrus"
"Baby You're A Rich Man"
"I'm So Tired"
"Dear Prudence"
"Rain"

besides that, I never need to hear the Beatles again.

stones > beatles. 4 eva.