If "Within You Without You" was writtten by Lennon it would be a classic.

I agree - and I believe "Goodnight" would be 2nd place due to its placement after "Rev 9" on the album. I think for a lot of people, "The Beatles" ends with "Cry Baby Cry" - they just turn it off before "Rev 9" and skip "Goodnight" as well.

This probably happens less with the CD than with the vinyl, but since I don't think "Goodnight" is much liked anyway, I suspect it's oft-skipped no matter the format...

 

I like "Only A Northern Song" from the Anthology even better.
I don't much care for "All Together Now" either...

 

I agree - this was George's greatest stab at psychedelia and it succeeds brilliantly. Would have preferred this on Magical Mystery Tour to the dreary Blue Jay Way.

 

Ugh, "Blue Jay Way".... Choosing between that and "It's All Too Much" would be ----- too much!

 

Though I disagree with the overall premise of this thread, I would say that "Within You Without You" might be better regarded if it had been sung by Lennon, since he was a much superior vocalist.

 

Hmm, if it was written by Lennon, I'd imagine it would have neither all those Indian instruments nor a raga inspired melody, and (if written by him in 1967) the lyrics would have likely been a series of nonsensical collisions between disparate images or a transcription of an old poster.

I suppose it would have been a classic, since that description fits at least 90% of what Lennon and McCartney wrote in the 60s, but it would have been a different song.

Do you think the song George wrote was a classic?

 

My second favorite song from Sgt Peppers following She's Leaving Home. It IS a classic song as far as I'm concerned.

 

I don't really see how Lennon's vocals would've made Within You Without You better. IMO that's a song which very much lends itself to George's vocals, especially since he had to mimic the sound of the dilruba, which I'm not so sure John would've been able to do.

 

The call-and-response duet between the sitar and the string section in this song is a high point of the Beatles' career for me.

 

It's a classic in it's own right.

 

It is a nice piece of music but it really lacks the hook line to make it a great song. Groundbreaking and great are two different things.

 

It's probably because I never really care to listen to that song. Also, despite it being a unique song, it doesn't really sound like a well written song to me.

 

I used to feel that way, but now I find it one of the most enjoyable Beatles songs to listen to because it has so much going on. It's refreshing, and I never get tired of it.

This isn't directed at you, but I do feel like Within You Without You isn't given the praise it deserves because it's influenced by Indian classical music rather than Western like many popular Lennon/McCartney songs. People can be pretty close-minded about that.

 

I'm guilty!

 

Given that George (mercifully) didn't continue foisting this drivel upon us post Beatles, it's probably fair to say he too soon got sick of it . The pity is we're stuck listening to this stuff for evermore! It's odd when you consider junk like these Indian dirges and some of Ringo's efforts are enshrined while some of the better outtakes like LMKA languish outside the main canon.

 

'Within You Without You' is wonderful.

 

I'm certain there are some that can't grab onto George's Indian songs because its too big of a departure, but my not embracing this or "Love You To" has more to do with there not being anything in the song as far as a hook that makes me want to sing with it or listen to it over again. I actually enjoy "The Inner Light" because a catchy melody shines through regardless of instrumentation.

 

Interestingly, I've noticed that many people who aren't fans of George's experiments with Indian music enjoy The Inner Light. That was probably his most successful attempt at making Indian music appealing to the masses.

I think it's a shame he didn't end up delving into it more because each song was an improvement on the last, and it would've been cool to see that side of him develop.

 

Agree that the premise of this thread is off base, esp. since "WYWY" is a fine song in and of itself and a nice change of pace for the Fab Four. In the spirit of George Harrison, I'll ignore the supremely idiotic post on this very page.

 

Doesn't sound like a Lennon song, nor does the arrangement, and don't think it would have been a single either..
I do like it though (also "The Inner Light"). The premise of the thread seems a bit far-fetched to me......

 

I still maintain if this wasn't on a Beatles album....I think the very fact this thread exists proves a lot of people have spent years trying to like and justify this songs inclusion. Feel free to ignore this by the way.

 

I think it would have been better if Johnny Cash was the author.

 

yeah, it's called annoying ********.

 

Well it doesn't prove that, because that makes no sense.

This is like the original post in reverse, imagining an alternate universe and telling other people what they would think and how they would realize you are right. You don't get to decide what other people's true opinions are, even as revealed in an imaginary universe, you get to state your own. Why are people so confused when someone has a different view on something as intangible as music, that they have to come up with some conspiracy theory? We see it all the time here. "I don't like this, and I'm naturally right. Therefore you only like it because it's The Beatles/it's from a particular album/it's from the 60s/other biases inhibiting your rational judgment".

I genuinely love 'Within You Without You' and I see no reason to disbelieve others saying the same. I also believe that you find it "junk" and a "dirge", even though I completely disagree! It's honestly not that hard.

 

I'm stating an opinion, if you and others genuinely like this "song" then good for you.