Comments on: No Reply

By: bmerlis1

bmerlis1 — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 23:40:16 +0000

That’s easy enough for you to say, given what you have already said over and over and over. You’re just going in circles again.

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 17 Jan 2019 22:21:51 +0000

“As a matter of fact, I am sure” – Ok, we get this is your opinion, but not, in fact, fact.
Opinions vary.
That all being said:
I admire EVERYTHING John AND Paul did on No reply – they were amazing TOGETHER and I think it’s petty and small to try to put one of them over the other.

By: MikeP

MikeP — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 18:43:54 +0000

As a matter of fact, both Lennon and McCartney have been quoted as saying their names were listed in that order for that very reason. (ABC), and the fact it “sounded better” to John.
I won’t list the “overrated” songs of Lennon, though the list would be every bit the equal of Paul’s – just like the list of great “classics” would be equal. Your assertion that these “Paul Songs” are overrated is one person’s opinion, NOTHING more.

By: MikeP

MikeP — Tue, 15 Jan 2019 18:38:49 +0000

Once again, you have NOTHING to base your assertion on other than your own biases and imagination. Your post here is nothing more than one-sided OPINION (though you try cloak it as “fact”). You can say whatever you will in absence of fact, quotes, and citations (as you have for years).

By: johan cavalli

johan cavalli — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 21:53:38 +0000

Yes, as a matter of fact, I am sure that McCartney felt inferior to Lennon as composer. Lennon´s music is heavier, and will age better. McCartney´s name is bigger than his work. And McCartney is not always telling the truth when he speaks about composing credit. He can say whatever he will in Lennon´s absence.

By: J Delaney

J Delaney — Wed, 21 Nov 2018 17:14:42 +0000

The thing is, Paul could write any type of music. John couldn’t. Paul could’ve been a famous composer in any of the eras that proceeded the Beatles. Not so sure about John.
As for those “granny songs” Paul wrote, he wrote some pretty hard rocking tunes, too, starting with “I’m Down” and “I Saw Her Standing There” right up to “Helter Skelter” and “Oh! Darling.”
Not to mention “Oo You” and “Smile Away” proved he was still capable of doing it post Beatles.
Let’s not forget “Monkberry Moon Delight” which is surprisingly underappreciated, I think.

By: clc327

clc327 — Fri, 12 Jan 2018 21:11:57 +0000

As a Yank, this was always the opening to Beatles ’65. Even to this day, I still see that album cover. Of course it belonged to my best friend yet somehow I ended up with it. I have no insight to offer on the song other than I think it’s one of their best.

By: clc327

clc327 — Fri, 12 Jan 2018 21:04:44 +0000

Why is there so much dislike of MSH? I think it’s a fine song. A bit strange but fun and easy to listen to despite the subject matter.

By: bryan

bryan — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 17:40:04 +0000

My official first comment on this site! First of all, I want to acknowledge the bewilderment I bet the Beatles (alive and dead) must feel that 50 years later we’re still arguing about what Beatle did what on some day in 1964 🙂

So, reading the lyrics to the middle 8, I believe at least the words were driven by Paul–it’s a complete tone change, and I don’t imagine John switching from the tone of bitter betrayal to forgiveness and devotion–it’s really very inconsistent with the tone of the rest of the song, actually. Second, Paul has always been a diplomat, even to the point of insincerely understating his contributions. Like referring to George as “one of the [guitar] greats,” when in the studio Paul would sometimes take the more skillful guitar leads. I know this was back then, but there was an early group interview where the interviewer thought that because George played lead guitar, he was the leader of the group, and Paul said “No, John’s the leader of the group.” Also, 2 of the engineers involved said that Paul was very dominant in the studio in terms of musical arrangement. Also, it seems it was more in John’s nature to deride Paul’s influence in the Beatles, where it was more of Paul’s nature to build his bandmates up publicly, while behind the scenes he tried to creatively control things so that his vision was realized. I know none of this proves anything–just thoughts that come to mind.

But the main point of John and Paul to me was what someone else posted–back when things were awesome between them, they enthusiastically sublimated their individual egos to become this couple that was much more than their individual selves. So they maybe sometimes barely noticed who contributed what, because they just thought of themselves as a unit. To me, that is love, and it’s a big part of what made the Beatles so compelling that we still care so much about them 50 years later.

And finally–I love this song! And I also feel it comes completely alive when Paul comes in with his harmonies.

By: Joey Flynn

Joey Flynn — Tue, 11 Jul 2017 21:38:48 +0000

Could you do something about that Johan Cavalli fellow? He’s a warped John Lennon sycophant. He doesn’t need to tear Lennon and Mccartney apart.

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 11 Jul 2017 14:44:29 +0000

On the right side, with bass drum and cymbal when John sings “I saw the light” and “I nearly died” and, at the end “No reply”: accented on those three last words (light, died, reply) is the piano – hard and crisp. Very ahead of it’s time.

Yes, in the middle eight, there is a muddy piano playing the chords in straight eight notes.

By: Teddy Salad

Teddy Salad — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 14:17:06 +0000

Just to complete it…”Oh yes he is, yeah.”

By: Paul Beaulieu

Paul Beaulieu — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 01:26:40 +0000

This is one of my favorite early Beatles songs- it moves into high drama with the shift into minor chords under “I saw the light! “

By: speffley bass

speffley bass — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 17:32:17 +0000

Must bring the discussion back to the brilliant “No Reply” song itself: John immediately shines with his beautiful voice, which we hear before anything else on the album! And he also shines not only with his voice and smart songwriting, but also for his excellent acoustic rhythm guitar work on this song. His guitar carries this song.
Paul shines for his “chilling high harmonies” – as Johnny said above – and they take this song to another level, emotionally. Paul helps us to feel that chill in the exclamations “I saw the light!” and “I nearly died!”
Ringo shines for his typically excellent timekeeping and poignant cymbal crashes, also noted above. Those cymbal crashes add to the chilling feeling the protagonist is experiencing as he is being betrayed by his lover.
I don’t hear George’s rhythm contribution as much on this particular song but that’s okay because he more than makes up for it on the very next track “I’m A Loser” and the rest of the “For Sale” album; where he flaunts his newest Gretsch, the Tennessean, in tastefully articulate lead fills and solos throughout that really make you appreciate his desire to express guitar tone as well as the notes themselves.
George Martin makes his typically humble but helpful contribution with piano, bolstering John’s rhythm guitar backbone throughout the song, but carrying more rhythm for the bridge as the fab four strengthen with hand claps!
Please, let’s remember the Beatles were “four guys…just a band, who made it very very big, that’s all.”
Sincerely, this band made songs we’re still loving and analyzing more than fifty years later. Like “No Reply”, a beautifully-chilling-amazing song that is not only a standout on the “For Sale” album, but a standout in their entire catalog of songs.

By: P.Frey

P.Frey — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 20:23:38 +0000

Paul died in 66.. the new guys name is Bill Shepherd.. a studio musician.. and member of the Bonzo Band and Billy Pepper and the Pepperpots…yet…. he’s been Paul longer than the original Paul, that’s why he says he can’t remember and makes up stuff…get the book the Memoir of Billy Shears and you will begin to scratch the surface… published by Pepper Press owned by Macca Corp owned by Sir Paul..aka Billy… will reveal it all by 2021.

By: Robert

Robert — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 15:00:13 +0000

Opinions vary.

By: Johan cavalli

Johan cavalli — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 19:46:21 +0000

JPGR! Your comment is the best I´ve read for years! Wunderful. Perfect.

By: JPGR

JPGR — Thu, 13 Oct 2016 07:17:43 +0000

I love the Beatles and still listen to them all the time but I haven’t listened to a McCartney Beatles track in years. It is only the Lennon tracks I listen to. They are so much better than Paul’s. They have so much more depth. There was truth when John would describe some of Paul’s music as “granny songs.” Do you think John enjoyed doing tracks like “Ob La Di Ob La Da,” “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” and “Lady Madonna?” I mean, does anyone, save the aforementioned grannies, actually listen to these songs? At least John’s silly songs were funny intentionally, even kind of bad intentionally. Not Paul’s. He did not have that playful side that John had. Paul took himself very seriously. Sure, pelt me with “Back in the USSR” and “Get Back.” Fine. I’m not saying Paul didn’t write some great songs. He did. But he wrote more than his share of bad ones, too. Even dreadful ones. And head-on, Paul’s song list thins out, and pretty fast, when you hold it up to Lennon’s. All Beatles fans begin as McCartney fans. But we are also often very young, even children, when we discover the Beatles — and it’s the McCartney catalogue we so quickly come to love, and it’s the McCartney songs which come to define the Beatles for us. But then we grow up, we mature, and we discover Lennon. Their solo work is proof, too. Lennon’s solo career was half-arsed (he had many other interests) and he even took five years off — and his solo output still blows Paul’s out of the water.

By: TL. Chase

TL. Chase — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 13:38:07 +0000

They always had a couple of tunes on their LPs that were ‘singles material’. ‘No Reply’ was always a hit single to me. Love the Bossa Nova drumming very much Ringo. He is more of a technical drummer than a physical one.

By: Teresaathome

Teresaathome — Sat, 01 Oct 2016 17:22:21 +0000

That’s one of the things I love about their songwriting. They wanted to write together to make the songs better, and for a long time they weren’t concerned with who got credit for what. It was about the success of the group. How amazing is that, to sublimate your ego when the world is worshipping you. I don’t fault Paul’s memory for changing through time, possibly in his favor, because they both gave us so much. I take the view that if they didn’t get caught up in ego about who was the bigger genius, then I try not to worry about it either.