lennon or mc cartney

thedrowner

i cant remember if we've had a discussion about these 2 on the board before, but i'd like to start one now. when i've gotten into this discussion before, i always pick mc cartney (and people always give me loads of abuse for it). when i was little, paul was my favourite beatle-it probably springs from that. and i hate imagine (but some of john's other solo stuff is good).

but id also like to know, in what way did they co write songs together. did they actually write the songs together, or write their own song and put it under the lennon/mc cartney trademark (is there even such a thing?) i've always wondered...

Al Higgins

Well for me it has to be Lennon,

working class hero,Jealous guy,Cold turkey,God,Love,Isolation,How do you sleep at night and of coures Imagine are all great post Beatle lennon songs vs Mull of f**king kintyre and Live and let die from Macca.....there is no contest!

To start off in the Beatles they wrote songs together and they made an agreement that all songs credits would be shared equally between them.

Eventually they just wrote songs on their own so basically if John is singing then he wrote the song and vice versa.They kept to their agreement though.

By the way I think they both wrote great songs with the Beatles.

saintgaz

Post-Beatles Lennon wins hands down, even though he did some self indulgent crap too.

As said above, originally they literally used to sit down together and bash songs out, but from as far back as Ticket to Ride (1964) they generally worked out the bones of the songs seperately and would flesh them out with the other's help. As a general rule, he who sings the vocal wrote the words. 'We Can Work It Out' is a good example, this was actually two uncompleted songs sandwiched together - the 'Try to see it my way...' part was McCartney's, the 'Life is very short...' part was Lennon's, and each sang their own part on the song.

The 'Lennon/McCartney' tag was largely mythical in latter years, as one often wouldn't hear what the other had done until it was being recorded. It was 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' on Abbey Road that ended their partnership, Lennon thought it was awful and refused to have his name put to it - he eventually relented but the row ended their collaboration.

Who was better? There's a viewpoint that Lennon was the cool, imaginative revolutionary and Macca the straight-laced bore. That's grossly unfair on McCartney. Personally I prefer Lennon's stuff but Mc wrote some amazing tunes too and probably wrote more of the Beatles best love songs.

Keithaburke

One's a musician, the other a Lyricist. Each did both but only shone at what they were good at.

Paul's lyrics generally don't stand up to Lennon's. But John's music, while always good, doesn't rival that of MacCartney.

Keith

George was the really spaced out one however. Plus... My favourite Beatles song is Octopus' garden. Written by Ringo!!!

Beany

McCartney.

He knows how to wrap lyrics around a pretty melody. Just because the lyrics are more transparent than Lennon's ramblings does not mean that they are less important.

rapture_queen

Mc Cartney-i have no idea why!

Arch

I vote for Lennon - just look at their Christmas songs:

Happy Xmas (War is Over) vs. Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time.

Neil_B

McCartney is the man.
Lennon was cool to but for me its Macker!
In the all time world record sales:
#1 are the Beatles,
#5 is Mc Cartney on his own.
He's a genius with melody, take "Yesterday" what A PERFECT SONG. It's harder to be a legend if you stay alive and don't die at the top of your carrier so my hat goes off to him.

Beany

Originally posted by Arch

Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time.

Actually I heard this song on the radio over the christmas and it was the first time I actually listened to it...I never noticed that the delayed-type electronic effect is mad out of time...when it gets to the chorus its all over the shop.


Trainspotter me.

Keithaburke

Neil B get out of town...

If it was all about record sales... (Given time I could think of something smart to put here)

Paul is my favourite. I agree. neither of them would have been anyone if they hadn't worked together at the start.

Keith

Gar_ptc

lennon was into the whole bringing-a-message;


but maccer was just a pop song writer -

screw rock LET'S ART!

and vote for lennon.

should have made it into a poll,drowner....can you do that now?

Keithaburke

maccer was just a pop song writer

Some of Pauls work has been compared to that of Motzart

I think John get's some of Paul's credit because of the subtle platform given to John by Paul to deliver his work. It all added to the impact of Lennon's innovative yet reaching lyrics.

Paul deserves some of John's votes!!

Keith

bandit

Originally posted by Al Higgins

Mull of f**king kintyre

Dont lie that song makes you weep instantly for your forgotten home land, i've witnessed it and i'm sure mr 66 electric has aswell:)

Oh and i always preferred Ringo post beatles nobody could top Thomas the tank engine......

Al Higgins

No NO NO NO.....

Bandit, you just can't mix bagpipes with guitars.

.....the only other pop/rock song with a bagpipe solo?




















You're the voice-John Farnham

I rest my case.:p

Morn

Lennon - Whiny hippy crap
McCartney - Pop drivel

I do believe that those are the most even-handed summaries I've ever made of anyone's life's work

Seriously tho - George Harrison is a much better songwriter and musician. He was concerned with writing good music - not in shifting records or trying to get some 'message' across.

Anyway, I think that Homer summed it up best when he said:

'Yoko Ono! But she ruined the Plastic Ono Band!'

Gotta love those Simpsons

thedrowner

oh...this is my 3rd time trying to reply to this, every time i get my response writeen out the bloody comp crashes
anyway, those replies were really helpful, i think now i know more about it i'd still go with paul.

george was great too, somehting and while my guiatar gently weeps are in my top 5 beatles songs. (on thinking of it, i dont think ive any paul songs in my top 5, coz the other 3 are here there and everywhere, accross the universe and i am the walrus. and they all soun like theyre sung by john. i think they btoh can be a little hard to tell apart when they sing in a certain way. paul has an amazign voice, and he can change it brilliantly.)

anyway, post beatles id still probably go with paul. i love band on the run, no one mentioned that! and i think simply having a wonderful xmas time is better than war is over.

and i do believe (i coudl be wrong) that korn frontman johnathoing whats his name played pagpipes on one of their songs.