“Get Back” by the Beatles - A True Original

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by John B, Feb 21, 2018.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. John54

    John54 Senior Member

    Location:
    Burlington, ON
    One of my very least favourite Beatles songs, but YMMV as this thread demonstrates ...
     
  2. Scott S.

    Scott S. lead singer for the best indie band on earth

    Location:
    Walmartville PA
    I got to disagree. Get Back is one of only a few Beatles songs I immediately change the channel on. It got grossly overplayed, and it's pretty simplistic to begin with. That and Come Together and Here Comes the Sun are the 3 songs they had that were killed for me by overexposure. I mean I'd still take it over When I'm 64 and songs in that vein but I was glad Sir Paul finally took it out of his setlist.
     
  3. maywitch

    maywitch Forum Resident

    I love Get Back. As Ringo said, it's a toetapper. :) It's fun and I like the lyrics a lot.
     
  4. ohnothimagen

    ohnothimagen "Live music is better!"

    Location:
    Canada
    One of my favourites. Yeah, the lyrics are a little goofy, but so what? Musically, this thing smokes! One of their best "guitar" songs for sure.
    George made sure to point out the similarities to Paul, who naturally shrugged it off...
     
  5. Kim Olesen

    Kim Olesen Gently weeping guitarist.

    Location:
    Odense Denmark.
    Three actually.
     
  6. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    McCartney's best Beatles song.
    This one's got balls.
    Channeling Canned Heat methinks.
     
  7. andy749

    andy749 Senior Member

    I wish there was a spliced together version of the 45 with the coda ending (ooooh, Ringo drum fill, oh get back Loretta your mommy's waitin for ya) and the before and after song chatter (hope we passed the audition) like on album version...I have never heard one. Surprised it's never been done...if it hasn't.
     
    StereoMan56 and RickH like this.
  8. AFOS

    AFOS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brisbane,Australia
    Don't love it but enjoy listening to it when I do. Cool lyrics and chugs along nicely thanks to John and George
     
  9. OneStepBeyond

    OneStepBeyond Senior Member

    Location:
    North Wales, UK
    Yes - the song is mainly on the G and C chords and then goes to D for "Someone to love..."
     
    Drifter likes this.
  10. OneStepBeyond

    OneStepBeyond Senior Member

    Location:
    North Wales, UK
    Can't say Get Back has ever been an absolute favourite but I love hearing it at the end of the LIB album (preferring that version to the single.) And it's always fantastic to see them play it on the rooftop 'gig'. I was going to say something about an arresting performance, overall but... :unhunh:
     
    StereoMan56 likes this.
  11. RickH

    RickH Connoisseur of deep album cuts

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    I think that was from the same article where he said, “if you can listen to it and stay still, you’re a better man than I am” or something to that effect
     
    Adam9 likes this.
  12. Purple Jim

    Purple Jim Senior Member

    Location:
    Bretagne
    Great song.
    I never thought of it as being really unique in their catalogue - especially after rockers like Revolution and Back In The USSR (but then I know nothing about chord structures and suchlike).
     
    StereoMan56 likes this.
  13. blaken123

    blaken123 Your Greater Tri-County CD Superstore

    Location:
    Lexington, KY
    Oh wow... I can't unhear that now. I think you (edit: and Glenn!) are right about this.
     
  14. adm62

    adm62 Senior Member

    Location:
    Ottawa, Canada
    Certainly one of their weakest efforts.
     
    California Couple likes this.
  15. gregorya

    gregorya I approve of this message

    Their only single giving credit to another artist, released as the "The Beatles with Billy Preston".

    Just to correct one point of the OP, the keyboard is not an organ, it is the Fender Rhodes electric piano.
     
  16. Olompali

    Olompali Forum Resident

    Fun 45, much needed when released.
     
    John B likes this.
  17. Kassonica

    Kassonica Forum Resident

    I like the song but LOVE Lennons gtr playing on it. Such great licks
     
    Charlie Z., andrewskyDE and oboogie like this.
  18. Rojo

    Rojo Forum Resident

    I agree that the song is quite unique in their catalog. I like it a lot.

    It's too melodic to be the typical rocker. It's kind of halfway between a rocker and a pop song.
     
    John B likes this.
  19. Arnold Grove

    Arnold Grove Senior Member

    Location:
    NYC
    Certainly one of their most under-rated efforts ... ;)
     
  20. OneStepBeyond

    OneStepBeyond Senior Member

    Location:
    North Wales, UK
    Just remembered that it was only weeks ago, I added this reissue of it to my collection - like many of their singles, I have a number of copies of each:
    [​IMG]
    I saw the cover image and that was that! I knew it had to be mine... :love:
     
  21. fogalu

    fogalu There is only one Beethoven

    Location:
    Killarney, Ireland
    I stand corrected. ;)
    What I meant to convey was that both songs are very simple - almost "primitive" - but the later song shows how far the Beatles came in such a few years.
     
    OneStepBeyond likes this.
  22. meanoldman

    meanoldman Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Park, CO
    I agree. They always sound heavy-handed.
     
    StereoMan56 and the pope ondine like this.
  23. meanoldman

    meanoldman Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Park, CO
    It's a quick G that punctuates throughout the song though (like after the word "belonged'). John plays it as a barre chord, can be seen throughout the rooftop performance.
     
  24. OneStepBeyond

    OneStepBeyond Senior Member

    Location:
    North Wales, UK
    I agree - far more 'polished' and possibly a precursor to soft rock? Musically AND vocally understated I always thought but somehow it works.

    But then I thought is is a D7? Or maybe the D changes into a D7?? So it might even be four... I'll stop there because people will be telling me that I forgot about the G when I'm still banging on about Love Me Do. :laugh:
     
    fogalu likes this.
  25. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    It makes no sense to say a chord is or is not part of a melody, and the G chord is a huge accented part of the song. The G to D change is a key hook of the song and if you played the song without it anyone who heard it would tell you that you were playing it wrong.

    To me from a compositional point of view this is one of the Beatles least interesting songs and the lyrics are pretty weak too, but it has a great arrangement and performance. Ringo's drum part is very cool and original (they had rehearsed it a long time before he came up with that), the whole song has a great driving energy (helped greatly by those drums) and the guitar work in the chorus (where both play more lick than chords) is fantastic. Also cool solos by John and Billy. Listening to the Nagra recordings, it seems John came up with that solo during the week that George had quit the band and that is why he wound up playing lead on the final.
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine