TS: A Hard Day's Night Vs. Sgt. Pepper

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The pure pop classic of the early days up against their psychedelic high point. Both have 13 tracks, which makes it possible to give them the same treatment as "Rubber Soul"/"Revolver".

And they are my two favourite albums by them as well :-)

OK, let's see then

A Hard Day's Night > Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band
I Should Have Known Better > With a Little Help From My Friends
If I Fell > Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
I'm Happy Just To Dance With You > Getting Better
And I Love Her < Fixing a Hole
Tell Me Why < She's Leaving Home
Can't Buy Me Love < Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite
Any Time At All < Within You Without You
I'll Cry Instead > When I'm Sixty Four
Things We Said Today > Lovely Rita
When I Get Home > Good Morning Good Morning
You Can't Do That > Sgt. Pepper Reprise
I'll Be Back < A Day In The Life

That's an 8-5 win for "A Hard Day's Night", but I still feel that Sgt. Pepper is better as a whole :-)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 02:45 (twenty years ago)

It's a rout:

A Hard Day's Night > Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band
I Should Have Known Better > With a Little Help From My Friends
If I Fell > Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
I'm Happy Just To Dance With You > Getting Better
And I Love Her > Fixing a Hole
Tell Me Why > She's Leaving Home
Can't Buy Me Love > Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite
Any Time At All > Within You Without You
I'll Cry Instead > When I'm Sixty Four
Things We Said Today > Lovely Rita
When I Get Home > Good Morning Good Morning
You Can't Do That > Sgt. Pepper Reprise
I'll Be Back < A Day In The Life

12-1 Hard Day's Night (LSD ruined the Beatles)

― Tucker, Wednesday, 26 October 2005 02:48 (twenty years ago)

Hard Day's Night, basically for side 2, which beats all three other sides of the two records. I'll Cry Instead, You Can't Do That, Any Time At all, When I Get Home, I'll Be Back, Things We Said Today are amongst my favorite Beatle songs.

― Masked Gazza, Wednesday, 26 October 2005 02:52 (twenty years ago)

A Hard Day's Night > Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band
I Should Have Known Better > With a Little Help From My Friends
If I Fell < Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
I'm Happy Just To Dance With You < Getting Better
And I Love Her = Fixing a Hole
Tell Me Why > She's Leaving Home
Can't Buy Me Love < Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite
Any Time At All < Within You Without You
I'll Cry Instead < When I'm Sixty Four
Things We Said Today = Lovely Rita
When I Get Home < Good Morning Good Morning
You Can't Do That > Sgt. Pepper Reprise
I'll Be Back < A Day In The Life

7-4 Pepper (two ties)

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 04:38 (twenty years ago)

This > < = stuff isn't really my bag - I don't read other people's and I wouldn't expect them to read mine. I will say that I was listening to Sgt. Pepper's tonight and for the first time it really did sound sort of tired and worn out. "Lovely Rita" is still putting on the record for it, ditto "Getting Better" and "Good Morning Good Morning," but old favorites "Mr. Kite" and "A Day in the Life" aren't really delivering for me the way they used to. Maybe it was just my speakers, I don't know. Anyway, what I'm getting at is that meanwhile, in between the BRILLIANT rockers, Sgt. Pepper has several songs I never really liked that much: With A Little Help, She's Leaving Home, Within You Without You. Whereas, AHDN has some stuff that's kind of filler-y or at least saddled with horrible, jump-right-out-at-you lyrics ("I'm gonna love her till the cows come home"?) but it all clips along at a reasonable pace and there's just a better stock of killer songs, pretty much "And I Love Her" is the only one I can't find anything to recommend about it. AHDN wins.

― Doctor Casino, Wednesday, 26 October 2005 05:23 (twenty years ago)

I assume the Sgt. will take this handily for me. Let's see:

A Hard Day's Night < Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band
I Should Have Known Better < With a Little Help From My Friends
If I Fell = Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
I'm Happy Just To Dance With You = Getting Better
And I Love Her < Fixing a Hole
Tell Me Why < She's Leaving Home
Can't Buy Me Love < Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite
Any Time At All > Within You Without You
I'll Cry Instead < When I'm Sixty Four
Things We Said Today > Lovely Rita
When I Get Home < Good Morning Good Morning
You Can't Do That < Sgt. Pepper Reprise
I'll Be Back = A Day In The Life

8-2, but with two ties; and I found this one more difficult to do that Rubber Soul/Revolver -- this one almost feels like comparing two different bands.

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 05:54 (twenty years ago)

AHDN is much the better album - no filler, full of life and enthusiasm, and you certainly can't claim either for Pepper.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 08:00 (twenty years ago)

A Hard Day's Night > Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band
I Should Have Known Better > With a Little Help From My Friends
If I Fell > Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
I'm Happy Just To Dance With You > Getting Better
And I Love Her > Fixing a Hole
Tell Me Why < She's Leaving Home
Can't Buy Me Love > Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite
Any Time At All > Within You Without You
I'll Cry Instead > When I'm Sixty Four
Things We Said Today < Lovely Rita
When I Get Home > Good Morning Good Morning
You Can't Do That = Sgt. Pepper Reprise
I'll Be Back < A Day In The Life

9 1/2 - 3 1/2 to A Hard Day's Night.
I like the Pepper Reprise a lot though - it's where Ringo invented hip hop :-)

― vinegar (Koens), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 08:40 (twenty years ago)

IMO, these two albums are two different bands doing their respective career peaks :)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 10:41 (twenty years ago)

"no filler, full of life and enthusiasm, and you certainly can't claim either for Pepper"

Who can't, me? Yes I can.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 12:39 (twenty years ago)

TS: A Hard Day's Night Vs. Crap LP Sung By The LSD-Prone Beatles

― BarabadabaDadaismus (Dada), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 12:42 (twenty years ago)

tim, prove prove prove.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 12:45 (twenty years ago)

overrated dumb buttes on speed vs overrated dumb buttes on acid

teh win: NOBODY

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!, Wednesday, 26 October 2005 12:48 (twenty years ago)

What are the beefs with Pepper, really? "With a Little Help from My Friends" is a very nice tune - particularly nice backing vocals and Ringo does his best vocal thing evah there at the end. "Getting Better" is classic John/Paul collaborating; nice rhythm guitars. "Fixing a Hole" could've easily been another good song on Revolver. "Lovely Rita" could've easily been another good song on the White Album. I like the small string section arrangements they did for some of their songs, "She's Leaving Home" being one of them. "Mr. Kite" has that cool instrumental section and closing. "Good Morning Good Morning" is a rockin tune with a freaking great guitar solo. "Within You Without You" and "A Day in the Life" are freaking excellent.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 13:05 (twenty years ago)

Which one did Johnny Rivers namecheck in "Summer Rain"?

― k/l (Ken L), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 13:21 (twenty years ago)

Tim is OTM. Sgt Peppers has gone from being overrated to being underrated.

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 13:34 (twenty years ago)

Ummm...I want to say Hard Day's Night, being as it is more the product of a BAND (and a very great band) than of a recording studio; but it's in fact my least favourite of their "black-&-white" era LPs. "Any Time At All", "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You", "And I Love Her" - those songs I find grating. And "Hard Day's Night" itself (tho enjoyable) has always seemed kinda half-baked.

But as for Sgt. Pepper's...the last time I listened to it thru headphones, maybe a year ago, I was completely astonished anew at the complexity of the production, and I wasn't even high! To imagine the effort they put into even average songs like "Mr. Kite" to make them sound the way they do, with NO precedent and a mere 4-track machine, man...People will say that has nothing to do with rock & roll, and they're probably right, but I think it's beside the point. An amazing sonic achievement. And "Getting Better" and "Good Morning" are even good SONGS that don't get the attention they should. And the same goes for "Within You Without You" - hey, it was good enough for Bernie Worrell to incorporate into his "Dr. Funkenstein" solo on P-Funk Earth Tour so fuck the hataz!

Sgt. Pepper's wins. One of the most underrated overrated records ever. (Exactly like o. nate said, 10 seconds before I had a chance to!)

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 14:11 (twenty years ago)

Oh, and Tim OTM seconded.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 14:12 (twenty years ago)

Tim is OTM. Sgt Peppers has gone from being overrated to being underrated.

On the contrary, judging by this thread it still seems overrated

― BarabadabaDadaismus (Dada), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 14:19 (twenty years ago)

A Hard Day's Night > Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band
I Should Have Known Better > With a Little Help From My Friends
If I Fell > Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
I'm Happy Just To Dance With You > Getting Better
And I Love Her > Fixing a Hole
Tell Me Why > She's Leaving Home
Can't Buy Me Love > Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite
Any Time At All > Within You Without You
I'll Cry Instead > When I'm Sixty Four
Things We Said Today > Lovely Rita
When I Get Home = Good Morning Good Morning
You Can't Do That > Sgt. Pepper Reprise
I'll Be Back > A Day In The Life

12-0, A Hard Day's Night, with one tie. AHDN is probably their best album, certainly their most consistent.

― Burr (Burr), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 15:07 (twenty years ago)

This one's kind of like making me choose between potato chips and ice cream, but here we go:

A Hard Day's Night > Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band
I Should Have Known Better > With a Little Help From My Friends
If I Fell < Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
I'm Happy Just To Dance With You < Getting Better
And I Love Her < Fixing a Hole
Tell Me Why < She's Leaving Home
Can't Buy Me Love < Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite
Any Time At All > Within You Without You
I'll Cry Instead < When I'm Sixty Four
Things We Said Today > Lovely Rita
When I Get Home < Good Morning Good Morning
You Can't Do That > Sgt. Pepper Reprise
I'll Be Back < A Day In The Life

AHDN: 5
Pepper: 8

― darin (darin), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 15:42 (twenty years ago)

i like sgt pepper and have never understood why ppl single it out for abuse; as overrated beatles albums go, it definitely beats abbey road. ian macdonald rated it as the peak of their career; i don't, really, but it's still great.

A Hard Day's Night > Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band
I Should Have Known Better = With a Little Help From My Friends
If I Fell > Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
I'm Happy Just To Dance With You > Getting Better
And I Love Her > Fixing a Hole
Tell Me Why < She's Leaving Home
Can't Buy Me Love > Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite
Any Time At All > Within You Without You
I'll Cry Instead > When I'm Sixty Four
Things We Said Today < Lovely Rita
When I Get Home < Good Morning Good Morning
You Can't Do That = Sgt. Pepper Reprise
I'll Be Back < A Day In The Life

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 15:56 (twenty years ago)

a hard days' night is probably my third favorite beatles album after revolver and rubber soul so it wins. all those non-hits on it are some of their best written pop songs (anytime at all, things we said today, when I get home) to my ears anyway.

― kyle (akmonday), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 16:09 (twenty years ago)

Pepper is probably my least favorite Beatles album, so AHDN in a route.

― Jazzbo (jmcgaw), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 16:14 (twenty years ago)

Sgt Pepper's was a fantastic movie, before it was an album. John Lennon should thank god for Peter Frampton to save it.

― SkaFanatic, Wednesday, 26 October 2005 19:32 (twenty years ago)

Pepper is probably my least favorite Beatles album, so AHDN in a route

Which route is that? The route that takes you to mistaken conclusions perchance?

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 26 October 2005 19:40 (twenty years ago)

Pepper - prime example of album kept in one's collection for one track and one track only. otherwise it all sounds like Revolver rejects, be honest. too much macca schmaltz.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 27 October 2005 05:31 (twenty years ago)

"otherwise it all sounds like Revolver rejects"

Don't agree at all. I think "Lucy," "Getting Better," "Mr. Kite," "Within You Without You," and "A Day in the Life" are all stunning tracks. I mean, yeah, "She's Leaving Home" is not as good as "For No One," but "I'm Only Sleeping" isn't as good as "Good Morning Good Morning" either. "Yellow Submarine" isn't as good as "When I'm 64." "Love You To" is nowhere near as good as "Within You Without You." And "Tomorrow Never Knows" doesn't hold a candle to "A Day in the Life."

Be honest.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 27 October 2005 05:50 (twenty years ago)

"I'm Only Sleeping" isn't as good as "Good Morning Good Morning"

I wonder how many other ppl would say this?

― Masked Gazza, Thursday, 27 October 2005 05:57 (twenty years ago)

I think it's more dynamic and a better composition. The songs' bridges are awesome and it's got that cool saxophone section and a ripping guitar solo.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 27 October 2005 06:03 (twenty years ago)

It's essentially shit, though, isn't it? It's an XTC B-sides compilation, really, isn't it?

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 27 October 2005 06:16 (twenty years ago)

And let's not even go into the Day In The Life/Mrs O'Leary's Cow ripoff debate.

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Thursday, 27 October 2005 06:17 (twenty years ago)

an xtc b-sides compliation would be better than any of this gay shit that was shitted out of the butt that was the beatles (with hemorrhoids)

― ESTEBAN BUTTEZ~!!, Thursday, 27 October 2005 08:51 (twenty years ago)

No (x-post).

"And let's not even go into the Day In The Life/Mrs O'Leary's Cow ripoff debate." - Yeah, let's not.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 27 October 2005 10:49 (twenty years ago)

It's 15-0 to AHDN. The only tracks that I have reservations about on HDN are Tell Me Why and When I Get Home, but they're up against She's Leaving Home and the awful Good Morning, Good Morning.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Thursday, 27 October 2005 11:08 (twenty years ago)

how could the beatles have ripped off mrs o'leary's cow when they hadn't heard it?

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Thursday, 27 October 2005 12:59 (twenty years ago)

what's the common point between day in the life and mrs o'leary ??

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Thursday, 27 October 2005 13:55 (twenty years ago)

it's weird, a year or two back, i was stoned and thinking about the first time i heard sgt. pepper's in my parents kitchen at the age of 5. hearing the beatles as a kid for the first time is maybe one of the best experiences of my entire life. taking those lps and listening to them in my room over and over and over again. a life altering experience. but pepper's is the least likely album i'll reach for when i want beatles. maybe i killed it as a kid.... maybe i think "when i'm sixty four" sucks, and even though its not really a concept LP, it kind of is, in the way the white album KIND of is... but is a hundred times better? lucy in the sky with diamonds will always be a big favorite. and good morning good morning is dead-on one of the better beatles rockers in the period. underrated as an album? nah... magical mystery tour on the other hand... now there is some psychedelic greatness. i'll put that on any day before i reach for peppers.

― jack dee, Thursday, 27 October 2005 14:20 (twenty years ago)

I would assume that the alleged rip off of "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow" has something to do with the strings in that song and the use of the orchestra in "A Day in the Life," plus maybe it's a sectional/juxtapositional composition like SMiLE compositions were sectional/juxtapositional and McCartney at one point visited Brian during the SMiLE sessions.

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Thursday, 27 October 2005 16:09 (twenty years ago)

And while we're at it, there's the Wonderful/Strawberry Fields Forever controversy...

― Marcello Carlin (nostudium), Friday, 28 October 2005 05:35 (twenty years ago)

What is that?

What are the odds, though, on whether Paul did hear "Mrs. O'Leary's Cow?" The session he attended was for "Vegetables," from what I understand. And they recorded a jam or something?

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 28 October 2005 05:51 (twenty years ago)

That one seems even more implausible. Was "Strawberry Fields" written when Lennon was in Spain?

― Tim Ellison (Tim Ellison), Friday, 28 October 2005 06:18 (twenty years ago)

ahdn: better songwriting.
sgt pepper: better production.
that's all!!!

― adrián ruiz (sagan), Friday, 28 October 2005 06:51 (twenty years ago)

from what I've heard, when Paul visited Brian at the vega-tables session, he already had a tape of "a day in the life" with him and made Brian listen to it. which depressed a lot the later...

― AleXTC (AleXTC), Friday, 28 October 2005 13:14 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, Lennon wrote Strawberry Fields in fall of 1966 while filming "How I Won The War". And I don't think he and Wilson had any kind of relationship at all.

Legend has it that McCartney chomped on a carrot for percussion during one of the "Vegetable" sessions.

― darin (darin), Friday, 28 October 2005 15:42 (twenty years ago)

In that he was emulating his hero, Mel Blanc.

― k/l (Ken L), Friday, 28 October 2005 15:46 (twenty years ago)

I made that up.

― k/l (Ken L), Friday, 28 October 2005 16:32 (twenty years ago)

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