Is It Possible to put together a solo Beatles album that rivals their Best Beatles Work?

The closest any solo album came to the Beatles best is Plastic Ono Band. An argument could be made that it's better than a few of them.

 

1970-1973

Band on the Run
My Sweet Lord
Oh My Love
I'm the Greatest
Bluebird
I Dig Love
Imagine

Art of Dying
Jealous Guy
It Don't Come Easy
Mamunia
Gimme Some Truth
Maybe I'm Amazed
Isn't It a Pity

 

What is Life - George
Out The Blue - John
It Don't Come Easy - Ringo
Maybe I'm Amazed - Paul
Wah-Wah - George

Imagine - John
Too Many People - Paul
Awaiting On You All - George
Junk (or Every Night) - Paul
#9 Dream - John
Photograph - Ringo

The problem with everything posted so far was every list had tracks I would always be skipping. Most every actual Beatles album has tracks I'm always skipping too, so I guess that does make them equal, but not in an optimal way. Even on my list I would be tempted to often skip Imagine, but I just didn't see how that could ever be left off of any of these album listings. For me, I would certainly easily consider this list to rival their best group albums, plus gives better equality to represent the great material that George and Ringo were producing in those years.

 

In my mind, I'm hearing Lennon doing the "Admiral Halsey notified me..." part.

I like it.

 

Maybe I'm Amazed
Beware of darkness
Isolation
My sweet lord
9 Dream
It dont come easy
Bluebird
Working Class Hero
Whos that knocking on the door
Photograph
Imagine
Live and let die

 

Not possible.
1. The best work of the Beatles is better, but I know well the opposing case. I respect it.
2. A solo compilation won't have a unified vision and production. When I think of the Beatles best work I think in terms of whole studio albums. That said even compilations of Beatles tunes from different albums go well together. That said, No solo compilation would stack up against the Beatles "Blue" and "Red" albums or the old "Rock n roll music" comps. Three of which I played extensively when I was young.

 

I think Ringo's the No No song is pretty goofy and light.

 

There's some good ones found in this discussion:
The Beatles 14th Album

This was mine:
Side one:
What Is Life
Instant Karma
Every Night
Love
Hot As Sunglasses
Junk
Isn't It A Pity

Side Two:
Remember
Maybe I'm Amazed
Let It Down
Look At Me
All Things Must Pass
It Don't Come Easy

 

Impossible.Next question.

 

Very possible, in fact easy, they have plenty of songs that are just as good and some better than some of what's considered their best Beatle songs.

 

Okay, first off we really don't know how the Beatles would have "got on" for another album. To be fair we should only take songs from the 7o-71 period which would have been about the time the public would have expected an LP. Back then an album a year was average for most artists. Never mind the output the Beatles were expected to do. So that takes in lastic Ono Band & Imagine (John) - McCartney & Ram (Paul)- All Things Must Pass (George) and the song- It Don't Come Easy for Ringo. Sorry, did you really think he would get more than one song on any of their albums?
Now is where the problems really start. The Beatles broke up for a reason, they were stifling each other. On two occasions George had to bring in an outside musician to complete "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" with Clapton, and to salvage any sort of camaraderie for "Let It Be" LP. Billy Preston. So first off we have to agree that the break up allowed for each Beatle a chance to stretch out. So if they had stayed together you have to filter out songs that would have been met with indifference or outright indignation. For John forget "Mother" and most of the abrasive stuff on his first solo album. Leaving "Love" and maybe "Remember" as an outside chance. He would fair better with the "Imagine" album. Although we can cross out "I don't want to be a soldier" song from the outset. Still the title track is classic. "Jealous Guy" , "It's So Hard" and "Oh My Love" would all have been approved.
For Paul his "McCartney" album produced several good tunes of which "Every Night" and "Maybe I'm Amazed" would have worked. The "Ram" album had "Dear Boy" , "Heart of the Country", and he would have pushed thru "Uncle Albert/ Admiral Halsey" even if it took 200 takes. He wouldn't have stood a chance with the single "Another Day." You could almost see John's face if Paul had brought that in. Ditto "Too Many People" with it's swipe at John. And of course John wouldn't have released "How do you sleep?" in response.
The tricky part is still George. "My Sweet Lord" forget it. Same with later songs like "Give Me Love" had they stayed together. Also forget any Dylan collaborations like "I'd Have You Anytime". Neither John or Paul outside the Beatles allowed anyone of their contemporaries to work with them. Both using lesser talents to bolster the songs. Sure John used Bowie and Elton John , but both artists were Lennon fans at the outset. If you want to see how John could be with obvious talent from the Sixties just look up the one time Paul Simon was in the studio with John. He knew just what buttons to push to drive Simon out the door. Paul also collaborated with Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello, and Michael Jackson. None of them were his equal in his mind and Paul wouldn't have suffered any back talk from any of them. Which brings us back to George. There is still much to like on "All Things Must Pass". The pop confection "What is Life" the majestic "Isn't it a Pity", "Apple Scruffs" maybe "Run of the Mill".
So the only solution really is a "Son of" Revolver set list. Which could go like this.

Side 1 Maybe I'm Amazed. (Lennon-McCartney) Side 2 What Is Life? (Harrison)
Apple Scruffs (Harrison) It So Hard (Lennon-McCartney)
Love (Lennon-McCartney) Heart of the Country (Lennon-McCartney)
Uncle Albert/ Admiral Halsey (Lennon-McCartney) Jealous Guy (Lennon-McCartney)
It Don't Come Easy (Starkey) Every Night (Lennon-McCartney)
Dear Boy (Lennon-McCartney) Remember (Lennon-McCartney)
Imagine (Lennon-McCartney) Isn't It A Pity (Harrison)

Now using some imagination, think of George playing guitar on Maybe I'm Amazed or Uncle Albert. Think of John playing harmonica on Apple Scruffs. Paul playing Bass on It's So Hard or Isn't it a Pity and the album starts to sound like it would stand up to Let It Be for sure if not others.

 

Hard to argue with that (even the first point, for me). But I can't forget what a music-making machine The Beatles were in their prime. I'm picturing Instant Karma with Paul staying up all night doing 300 takes on bass until it's a monster. George Martin there, members offering ideas for bridges and choruses, all of it. In THAT environment, there's no question in my mind that the songs they were writing constituted an lp (or three) of a level with The Beatles better albums. That's sheer conjecture, though. Even as is, as a "collection" rather than an album as Chuckee said, it's a damn strong group. I won't attempt one of my own but Working Class Hero would have to be on it. Paul gets Uncle Albert in return. A team effort!

 

Both John and Paul would have to have a rocker and I wouldn't use any tracks from past 71 because then it becomes even more hypothetical than it already is.
If we started selecting songs from the rest of the 70s it would be a double album for sure.


John
Mother
I Found Out
Instant Karma
Imagine
Jealous Guy

Paul
Maybe I'm Amazed
Every Night
Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
Too Many People

George
My Sweet Lord

Ringo
It Don't Come Easy

 

Plastic Ono Ram

 

1971 The Beatles - It Don't Come Easy

1. It Don't Come Easy
2. Give Peace A Chance
3. Maybe I'm Amazed
4. My Sweet Lord
5. Cold Turkey
6. Too Many People

1. Wah Wah
2. Instant Karma
3. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
4. What Is Life
5. Power To The People
6. Another Day

 

Yes you are correct if you took the "best" songs of their solo work and made a compilation. Of coarse.

 

I'd say a 1973 Beatles reunion record with this track list would have made quite a splash and stood up to a lot of their 60s work:

Beatles - Band on the Run (1973)

side a
1. You Can't Catch Me
2. Photograph
3. Jet
4. Give Me Love
5. I'm the Greatest
6. Bring on the Lucie (Freeda People)

side b
7. Band on the Run
8. The Day the World Gets Round
9. I Know (I Know)
10. Six O'Clock - extended version-
11. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five


But, I like the idea of thinking of an early 70s compilation album, similar to Red and Blue compilation albums. What if in April 1973, Apple not only put out RED and BLUE to cover the Beatles period, but a YELLOW album of solo tracks by the ex-Beatles on Apple 1970-1972?

What would you put on it? What 25 or so songs would make the cut? Surely we start with all of their singles...

Here's my pick of 25 songs for the YELLOW ALBUM:

Ringo
It Don't Come Easy
Back of Boogaloo

George
My Sweet Lord
What is Life
Isn't It a Pity
Let it Down
The Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let it Roll)
Bangladesh

Paul
Maybe I'm Amazed
Another Day
Heart of the Country
Too Many People
Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
Backseat of My Car
Big Barn Bed
My Love

John
Instant Karma
Mother
Love
Happy Xmas (War is Over)
Power to the People
Imagine
Jealous Guy
New York City
Woman is the N***** of the World

 

Exactly!
Here's my comp I posted in a thread a few years ago about creating a last Beatles album from solo material and my concept behind it. It's a little different than the OP's agenda, so I apologize but I think it might interest a few people here.

My priority was to make it sound like as close to a Beatles release as possible.

The problem with making a last"Beatles album" from solo material IMO is...the production is all over the place on the solo material. I can't make aural sense out of having an All Things Must Pass song next to a song from McCartney, etc.

So I took a different approach.
I didn't worry about using the biggest hits, because I was more concerned with the comp actually sounding like a logical Beatles release , or more precisely I guess, a Beatles bootleg album. A comp that actually sounds "Beatles like" is more important to me than making sure the big hits are accounted for.

I look at it as sort of Kinfauns Two, as if the Beatles had been working on these songs and some were rough working versions or demos and a couple of songs were semi-produced but then the band broke up.To make the disc sound cohesive I've used many acoustic based song versions, or at the least, stripped down underproduced versions..and no Linda on vocals because that automatically put's Paul's songs in solo land. And...sorry Ringo, we'll phone you. ( I was also thinking of adding John's vocal version of "I'm the Greatest " to this also.) Do you have a Ringo song that would sound sonically similar to fit this comp?

It may not sound like an officially released Apple Beatles album but if you put the comp together I think you may find it does sound surprisingly "Beatles like", and George finally gets promoted

Kinfauns : The Beatles As NatureIntended

1. Every Night (McCartney)
2.Look At Me (Lennon Box CD1)
3.Beware of Darkness ( Beware of ABKCO!)
4.Come and Get It (Paul's demo)
5.Jealous Guy (Lennon Box CD1)
6.That Would Be Something (McCartney)
7.Oh My Love ( Lennon Box CD1)
8.Run Of The Mill (Beware of ABKCO!)
9.Singalong Junk ( McCartney)
10.Remember (Lennon Box CD1)
11.Goodbye (Various boots)
12.Let it Down (ABKCO)
13.Love (Lennon Box CD1)
14.All Things Must Pass (Anthology 3)

For those here that may not have the Lennon box, none of the versions I used from it are the versions originally released. They are all stripped down in one way or another.

 

Thats the things though (eventhough I agree with the above statement) The Beatles were about hits. Thats a big part of what made them special. You look at their albums and go "Wow, look at all of those classic songs!"

If nothing else, maybe this thread has explored and revealed just how impossible the Beatles were to top.

The Beatles cant even top the Beatles!

 

Yes. Plastic Ono Band is better than many Beatles albums imo.

 

Not to rival their best, but there's some great stuff.

 

I have a new Beatles album from 1980 rightfully titled

Starting Over

Side 1
Just Like Starting Over (Lennon-McCartney)
Temporary Secretary (Lennon-McCartney)
Blow Away (Harrison)
One of These Days (Lennon-McCartney)
Woman (Lennon-McCartney)

Side 2
Faster (Harrison)
As Far as We Can Go (Ballard)
Not Guilty (Harrison)
Darkroom (Lennon-McCartney)
Real Love (Lennon-McCartney)

 

With the obligatory non-album contemporary double A-side single: "Coming Up"/"I'm Losing You"

 

I've been playing with this playlist this morning and so far, Side One is absolutely inspired. I decided to segue the songs together the way a Beatles album might be structured in those days. Going from "Maybe I'm Amazed" into "Apple Scruffs" is OK, but the rest of the side blows me away.

At the end of "Apple Scruffs", I started "Love" with its long fade-up mostly buried at the end of "Scruffs". The second fade-up of the piano at the end of "Love" leads to the shimmering and guitar start of "It Don't Come Easy" in essentially the same key.

As "It Don't Come Easy" ends, "Dear Boy" starts right in time to resolve back to the same key as the prior song, fitting like a glove.

"At the tail of "Dear Boy", "Imagine" starts in a complimentary key. I'm telling you, it's inspired. Thanks JF. Even if Side Two isn't quite as good, Side One made up for it. I'll tackle Side Two later today.

 

Yes, but no one will agree on it.