Why Do People Hate Mr. Moonlight by the Beatles?

I think "hate" is a strong word.

I think it is a pretty weak song. The "roller rink" organ is a particularly cloying touch.

On the plus side, as pointed out by the OP, John's lead vocal is great.

And it is definitely better than the original!

Still a definite "lower tier" Beatles song.

 

Wow...dormant for 4 years then BOOM!
Gives testament to The Beatles still being on people's minds, anyway.

My take: Mr. Moonlight certainly isn't the worst cover the band ever did. I prefer the other covers on BFS to it, but I don't skip it when I play the album. It's just good fun, like a lot of what was going on during the era. I played a beautiful stereo copy of BFS last night and I wouldn't change a thing.

On Leave My Kitten Alone -- it has always been my pet theory The Beatles dropped it because another UK band -- The First Gear -- did a cover of it at roughly the same time, even though it was a B-side. I think it is pretty pedestrian, vocally doesn't touch Lennon, but the playing is very punchy and it includes a blistering Jimmy Page guitar solo that takes it to a whole 'nother level.

The First Gear. Solo starts around 1:20 in:



Can't believe the negative views that have emerged on this thread for Honey Don't and Words Of Love. Those are flat great covers IMO.
They both have wonderful instro backing tracks. Honey Don't is the first time McCartney really got a big bass guitar sound recorded that I can think of and has a great rockabilly rhythm groove going and Words Of Love, wow -- those chiming guitars and angelic harmonies are one of the best things The Beatles ever did IMO.

Worst cover? I'd probably go with Dizzy Miss Lizzie. Like someone wrote before -- sounds phoned in. It's way too long. Bad Boy would have been a better choice, but even it isn't great, just good.

The best cover? Tough, but for me it'd be a duel between Twist And Shout and Long Tall Sally. Long Tall Sally wins for rockin', driving exuberance and energy (not to mention Starr's killer drumming), but Lennon's vocal in Twist And Shout is pure rock 'n roll joy on record.

Back to Mr. Moonlight. Sure, it seems oddball, but another one of those jokey winks from The Beatles. Goofy, but seriously done. I mean, The Beatles covered Anita Bryant for chrissakes, but included in it one of Harrison's great early guitar performances on a classical guitar given him by Andre Segovia if I'm remembering the trivia right.

 

That's funny. I have always liked "Dizzy Miss Lizzie" and felt the performance inspired.

 

The Star Club version beats the studio version soundly.

 

Mr. Moonlight is a classic. Love Lennon's vocals on this song.

 

Thank you. I realize now that I wasn't listening closely enough before.

 

Just saying "Mr. Moonlight" makes me cringe.

 

I've never had a problem with "Mr. Moonlight". Sure, it's a cover song and not the best fit for The Beatles... but John sings it well.

 

That damn organ.

 

It is pretty hammy. There are some other messed up keyboard moments from that era. The little piano solo on Not A Second Time has to be one of the worst played solos ever. Sounds like a 10-year old played it. Who does it? Martin was usually stellar, but if that's him, that was sure one off day.

 

I don't hear anything wrong with it. It's just a simple recap of the melody, and every pitch and note value is exactly correct. I don't think it would have been played any differently, no matter what the age of the pianist or what day he played it. It is George Martin, btw.

 

To my ears the keystrokes come in slow, late by a bit, like it had been a long day and whoever was playing wasn't very into it.

 

Because they are Beatles haters, perhaps? Glorious Lennon vocals on this song.

-Richard

 

To me, the worst thing about "Dizzy Miss Lizzie" is that it's sequenced after "Yesterday", and it's like going from the finest Kobe beef to a McDonald's Big Mac. There's nothing inherently wrong with a Big Mac, but you don't want it to be the last taste on your palette when you have some of the finest meat in the world on your plate.

As such, I almost never listen to "Dizzy Miss Lizzie" because I want the notes of "Yesterday" to linger after the song has ended.

"Mr. Moonlight" is routinely pointed to as one of the worst Beatles tracks by fans of the band. I doubt people who hate The Beatles even know the song exists.

 

Moonlight is cool because it is different. Kitten just absolutely rocks - a super Lennon vocal. My vote? Both.

 

You're confusing the worst with 'bad'. The Beatles at their worst is miles better than anything I've heard from modern bands in the last five years.

-Richard

 

I love the organ!

 

yes... one of John's throat rippers

 

that may very well be...lots of 'em!

 

great ain't it!

 

great performance...I can olny imagine this with pristine audio!

 

That's an irrelevant non sequiter. You claimed that Beatles haters were the reason that people hate "Mr. Moonlight". I was pointing out that it's Beatles fans who routinely slag on "Mr. Moonlight", because genuine Beatle haters wouldn't even know the song exists, because it's not a big hit or a track that gets played on the radio, and I doubt Beatles haters are tracking down deep cuts to make their point about why they don't like the band.

 

For me it's just too long and that repeating guitar riff just sort of sits there and where there should be a solo, we have it again with a couple of uninspired notes added.

I don't mind the jolt after Yesterday (but you're right, it might have been more effective to end the LP with Yesterday), and yes, the vocal on Dizzy Miss Lizzie is good, it's just that after all the high points on Help, it's kind of a dull offering, like a last minute idea to fill out an LP's worth of tracks.

I'm a fan. The thought that it was the worst didn't really occur to me until I saw it here. It never ranked very high with me, either, but I was always kind of transfixed by Lennon's opening vocal.

 

I've seen Beatles haters do exactly that which is take a few songs that are on the lower end of the scale and then use it to prove that The Beatles are overrated. It's a silly argument with holes galore.

-Richard