Some musicians are great because of their technical abilities. My favorites are the ones that write and play the best music.

Me too. Neil Young is probably my favorite artist.

I think the Beatles are a great balance of all the above. 3 excellent songwriters, McCartney's a virtuoso, Lennon is a rocker who just gets what music is all about, and Ringo is a machine.

On top of everything you said I really enjoyed seeing how they kept the recording process fun. John and George especially goofing around and keeping it light. There was an immense pressure on them to succeed and I can only imagine that without this vibe they would not have finished the album.

I devoured it. Impossible to believe a group of musicians has ever had a more productive month than the Beatles in January 1968. Also, I challenge anyone to name a better B-side than "Don't Let Me Down". That song was funkadelic before "funkadelic" was coined.

Parliament/Funkadelic and the Beatles were really contemporaries! George Clinton was born in between Lennon and McCartney.

Clinton's first hit was I Wanna Testify by 'The Parliaments', which came out in 1967. And it's a fucking jam!

And McCartney once said it was the Isley Brothers that got the Beatles out of Liverpool and onto the big stage.

But, I will agree those dudes from Liverpool having that kind of soul in their bodies is really impressive. They just loved good rock music, and thats what they played...

There’s a recording where I think they’d just got off the plane at JFK and a reporter asks if they’ve written anything new. John says yeah I’ve got this thing we’re working on, and proceeds to belt out the chorus. And because of the long pauses between the lines, everyone starts giggling. They can’t tell if he’s trolling them. It’s pretty cool

Looking forward to seeing it. And I agree with everything you said except that I’ve been loving the overproduction on LAWR for 52 years and I don’t get what the fuss is. And I disliked the “Naked” version. While I’m at it, I much prefer the American release of Rubber Soul, and the Minnesota recordings of Blood on the Tracks. And Young Americans is probably Bowie’s best album while Diamond Dogs hasn’t aged well

Yeah, technically speaking Ringo was the most accomplished musician in that band. I'd only say Lennon was the average musician, and he himself acknowledged that.

Check out Let It Be... Naked if you haven't already. It's a version of the album with all the horrible Spector crap taken off. The Long And Winding Road is much better without the strings.

Yeah good call on Don't Let Me Down I just can't help belting out that chorus with all my energy whenever it comes on

Wish I could find it

Yeah I searched and found nothing, but I know I didn’t imagine it

and while George probably isn't as great as any at their respective roles...he's kind of a blend of all three

Yes, and he ultimately might have become the best songwriter of the group. John and Paul didn't want to listen to him. But he had the last laugh, his debut solo album was better than anyone else's.

George struck me as the most into learning about new music and methods. He's hanging out with Clapton etc and bringing his own recording equipment into the sessions.

There's a reason Ringo is so highly revered in the drum community. He was an all-time great drummer, one of the very very best.