A Beatles Fantasy

The Beatles, classic rock’s crown jewel, broke up in 1970 due to acrimony and creative differences. Though countless lucrative offers came their way to reunite, the Fab Four never did get back together, except for some innovative studio work that added the remaining Beatles’ vocals and instrumentation to some of John Lennon’s demos (“Free as a Bird” and “Real Love”). The four pursued solo careers to varying degrees of critical and commercial success. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr never did get back together to record a “dream” album, but here is a look at what might have been. On some of the Beatles’ later releases (“The White Album,” etc.), the band wrote songs separately, and the rest of the band sometimes played on the tracks. Just imagine that it has happened again. Here is the Review Fix Beatles fantasy album:

“New York City” (John Lennon) – This raucous rocker extols the virtues of the Big Apple and starts off our reunion CD in an uptempo mood. Lennon sings about the street vibe of “Fun City” (as it was called back then), cult figure David Peel, “Max’s Kansas City,” the Apollo Theater, the Staten Island Ferry, the Statue of Liberty and the Fillmore East, rock ‘n’ roll’s landmark venue. It’s sad that Lennon’s life was cut short in 1980 in the city that he loved by Mark David Chapman, a deranged fan who was stalking him.

“Hi, Hi, Hi”(Wings) –This song was banned by the BBC for suggestive lyrics (“Get you ready for my body gun,” etc.). In addition, the chorus refrain, “We’re gonna get hi, hi, hi,” was thought to be a drug reference. This inspired rock opus never lets up. McCartney never sounded better; it has a great chorus and contains stellar guitar work. The opening line (“Well, when I met you at the station, you were standing with a bootleg in your hand”) alone is enough to make a listener want to listen to the whole track.

“Jealous Guy” (John Lennon) – The pace slows down with this heartfelt plea to Yoko Ono explaining Lennon’s character flaws. Released on 1971’s “Imagine” album, this song was covered beautifully by Bryan Ferry with “Roxy Music.” It features the late Nicky Hopkins playing expert piano, Joey Molland (“Badfinger”) on acoustic guitar, Mike Pinder (“Moody Blues”) on tambourine and rock veteran Jim Keltner on drums (who also played at George Harrison’s Bangladesh charity concert in 1971). It is an emotional and heart-wrenching song.

“Tight A$” (John Lennon) – This country-rock track from “Mind Games”( 1973) pays homage to Carl Perkins and other 1950s Sun Studios rockers (Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee Lewis). It contains a great rockabilly-inspired guitar solo and is over three minutes of rock ‘n’ roll heaven. It is Lennon at his most erotic, and it shows him as the rocker he always was. Lennon gives us a wink to the past with a new twist on this obscure gem.

“Back Seat of my Car” (Paul McCartney) – This under-appreciated track from the “Ram” album (1971) features Macca’s great-sounding and melodic vocals. It is a Beach Boys tribute with counterpoint vocals, luscious harmonies and “car” lyrics. The concluding section of the track displays McCartney’s compositional skills at the height of his creativity. This one of a kind song includes an orchestral passage that morphs into a rock crescendo that fades out.

“Smile Away” (Paul McCartney) – Another “Ram” classic that most McCartney fans have placed in the recesses of their collective memory. It has humorous lyrics (“I could smell your feet a mile away”) that do not detract from the song’s brilliance. It is a driving, melodic, uptempo rocker that never lets up. It just goes to show you that this musical genius can fool around and still write a mini masterpiece.

“My Sweet Lord” (George Harrison) – As on a Beatle album of the past, George Harrison always contributes a track that blows everyone away. This hymn to a higher power displays unconditional love in its purest sense. The background harmonies and Harrison’s “honest” vocals shine through. This song was released on the triple album “All Things Must Pass,” which contains songs he wrote while with the Beatles that were not allowed to see the light of day. It was originally written for “Fifth Beatle” Billy Preston, who recorded it on his own album. It became even more notable for the fact that it possesses similarities to “He’s So Fine” by the Chiffons. Harrison was sued and a U.S. Federal Court decided (Bright Tunes v. Harrisongs Music) that Harrison had unintentionally copied it. Most importantly, it is a Harrison classic.

“Photograph” (Ringo Starr) – This fantastic track appears on the “Ringo” album, on which the other three Beatles appear. (The four of them did not play on any selection.) Written by George Harrison and Ringo Starr and released in 1973, it is the ultimate Starr recording, featuring background vocals by the aforementioned Harrison and touching lyrics (“Every time I see your face, it reminds me of the places we used to go”). It is wonderfully orchestrated and has stood the test of time as Starr’s defining moment as a solo artist.

“My Love” (Paul McCartney)-This love poem set to music is McCartney’s ode to his now deceased first wife Linda. Some might say that it is syrupy, but they have never been in love. Its sonorous, sweeping guitar solo is beautifully crafted and timeless. “My love does it good,” and so does McCartney on this romantic rock ballad.

“Imagine” (John Lennon) – This plea for tolerance is from the 1971 album of the same name. Its memorable piano and idealistic lyrics (“Imagine all the people living life in peace”) make it John Lennon’s signature solo effort. This singing ambassador of peace really believed the world could unite. A movie with the same title was released, which traced Lennon’s career from his formative years with the Beatles to his innovative and sometimes shocking solo career (like the “Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins” album) and premature death.

“Venus and Mars/Rock Show” (Wings) – This underrated McCartney rocker from “Venus and Mars” (1975) starts out slowly and reaches a blistering pace. It pays tribute to arena rock by mentioning Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, The Hollywood Bowl (where the Beatles played), Madison Square Garden and Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page. It reached number 12 on the U.S. charts. This rock primer “cooks” from beginning to end. Excellent slide guitar, a McCartney vocal fadeout and wonderful dynamics make it one of classic rock’s shining moments.

“Helen Wheels” (Wings) – Named for McCartney’s Land Rover, it is one of rock’s quintessential driving songs from 1973’s “Band on the Run.” This and all the other tracks on the album were played on by McCartney, Denny Laine (ex-“Moody Blues” member) and wife Linda, because two other members quit the band when McCartney decided to record in Lagos, Nigeria. It is a love song to life on the road with wonderfully descriptive lyrics (“M6 south down Liverpool, where they play the west coast sound”). It is a one-chord trick that works, with a killer guitar fill at its conclusion.

“Woman” (John Lennon) – This love song for Yoko Ono appeared on Lennon’s “Double Fantasy” (1981). The song starts with Lennon whispering, “For the other half of the sky.” It has “Beatlesque” elements and was the first single issued after Lennon’s death on December 8, 1980. The Prince of Darkness himself, Ozzy Osbourne, recorded a version of the song in 2005. Wonderful lyrics (“I never meant to cause you sorrow or pain”) underscore how much Lennon truly loved Yoko Ono, his second wife. Beatle fans have built up huge resentment for Ono, blaming her for the Beatles breakup. Lennon called it his 1980s update of “Girl,” a “Rubber Soul” classic.

“Junk” (Paul McCartney) –This little known nugget was released on McCartney’s first solo album in 1970. It was written while McCartney was with the Beatles in India visiting the Maharishi in 1968. It has a touching melody and poignant lyrics. There is an instrumental version entitled “Singalong Junk” on the album. It is featured in the film “Jerry Maguire” starring Tom Cruise and Renée Zellweger. This fantasy Beatle release ends on a mellow note.

Bonus Tracks: “Band on the Run” (Wings); “If Not For You” (George Harrison); “It Don’t Come Easy” (Ringo Starr); “Mind Games” (John Lennon) and “Flaming Pie” (Paul McCartney)