Comments on: Tomorrow Never Knows

By: MikeP

MikeP — Thu, 27 Dec 2018 12:53:51 +0000

Johan, this “song” isn’t much of one. It’s another Lennon bout of “trying to be different” and yes, laziness. Believe it or not,. Mr. Lennon had periods when he was trying to be cute – in his own way -, just like McCartney has.
It’s the RECORDING that makes this interesting, and Martin, Emerick, and McCartney are as responsible for that as Lennon himself (maybe moreso).

By: Mikey C

Mikey C — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 21:06:48 +0000

Such a great song and track, and amazing that The Beatles could take the avant garde tape loop techniques used by radical minimalist composers like Steve Reich and put them on a “pop song”

Without getting into Beatle wars, the tape loop idea would be mainly down to McCartney, who being the “man about town” would spend a lot of time going to avant garde performances and concerts (Lennon was more restricted, living in Surrey with his wife and child)

By: Paul c rey

Paul c rey — Sat, 11 Nov 2017 02:35:17 +0000

It’s a great experimental song , and for years I would love to have witnessed the process of it bieng recorded. An abs amazing piece!aspius

By: qumranjoe

qumranjoe — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 12:32:37 +0000

You can hear all the guitar parts on Beatles multi track melt down on Soundcloud. All completely different.

By: qumranjoe

qumranjoe — Sat, 16 Sep 2017 12:30:55 +0000

No, in fact it’s a completely different piece of guitar playing. You can hear them played one after the other on Soundcloud Beatles multi-track melt down

By: Shakey Jake

Shakey Jake — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 22:48:51 +0000

I think the point about “one chord” is regarding the fact there is no chord progression or change. There are parts added to layer the sound, including other chords, but you can play one droning chord thought the whole song.

By: Teddy Salad

Teddy Salad — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 17:45:08 +0000

Yet, Lennon always wanted to be known as a rock ‘n’ roller, not as a psychedelic song writer. I’d say his solo work was him being more true to himself.

By: Travis

Travis — Tue, 09 May 2017 13:13:48 +0000

Paul could rock him some guitar no doubt. I mean just listen to his bass playing, it’s obvious the guy had serious chops. Yes, George was tasty, and I know moderator doesn’t want any debates about “Person A vs Person B”, but as I’ve learned who played what parts on lead, couldn’t it be argued Paul was a better, just in a technical sense, lead guitarist than George?

By: Travis

Travis — Tue, 09 May 2017 13:09:37 +0000

I was just thinking this morning about this song vs. the “Velvet Underground & Nico” as that album was being recorded around the same time as this song, and is often put up by critics as the “most influential record ever” or first really experimental album (recorded and released before Sgt Pepper’s, etc) in rock. I love VU but that record, as weird and dark and cool as it is, pales before this masterpiece.

With that awesome drum beat and the looping sounds, I feel this recording influenced and even helped create music that came about years later such as techno and other electronic beat-based music like Hip-Hop, Which shouldn’t be surprising coming from some band called the “Beat”les.

Also, I don’t say this enough, so “way to go Ringo!” Wait, was that beat even Ringo’s idea, or did Paul come up with this again? I would like to know if anyone has any evidence one way or another.

By: Travis

Travis — Tue, 09 May 2017 12:55:35 +0000

Yeah, it always disappointed me that he didn’t do more “reaching for it all” stuff in his solo work like this song, “Because”, “I Am The Walrus”, even stuff like “I Want You”(that epic ending with the white noise and what not). “#9 Dream” is the only thing I can think of that comes close.

By: Hennyon

Hennyon — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 13:19:08 +0000

In the article above, there’s a quote from Harrison where he explains the whole thing with the Bb chord on top of the C drone 🙂

By: Gary

Gary — Mon, 03 Apr 2017 17:25:22 +0000

Contrary to popular opinion, there are actually 2 chords in tomorrow never knows. The 2nd chord is the one that the french horns play.

By: Jack

Jack — Mon, 26 Dec 2016 19:52:02 +0000

It was an attempt to write a one chord song but there are two chords in it. A good example of a one chord song is Harrisons Within You and Without You.

By: John

John — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 14:32:39 +0000

In my opinion bar Imagine and P.O.B Pauls solo career was much better than Johns In Paul I still hear the beatles and what they would have become in John apart from the two albums mentioned its all horrible horrible Americanised music by someone who lost his way….and thats from someone who likes Johns material the best in the Beatles

By: Jim Collentine

Jim Collentine — Sat, 26 Nov 2016 06:51:11 +0000

One of the coolest songs ever. Love the words, love the music, love the sound effects. Ringo’s incessant drumming is hypnotic and when John sings through the filter it’s so great. Another great guitar solo from Paul. George, in the Beatles was like an extremely lyrical rockabilly cat. John was the bluesiest, but Paul’s playing seems more freestyle and perfect for the psychedelic era. I love the way he just wails. Taxman and Good Morning, Good Morning are more great examples – not to mention his breath taking slide solo on Drive My Car.

By: Captain Kundalini

Captain Kundalini — Thu, 22 Sep 2016 05:16:09 +0000

Ringo Coins the phrase, “Tomorrow Never Knows”.

By: Cory

Cory — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 19:44:12 +0000

And when you say he didn’t understand the technical things at all you really are showing yourself to be nothing other than a McCartney lover. Has it ever occured to you that many of the sounds that were produced were because of johns imagery and we’re new sounds never heard before, Something that Paul tried to replicate later but never could. Elenor rigby and penny lane apart Paul was quite bad at writting anything ‘observant’ or anything philosophical. As I have already said they were both part of the Beatles and that’s all that needs to be said. Paul couldn’t have wrote a SFF and John couldn’t have wrote a hey Jude however both songs are credited to lennon/mcartney and both belong to the Beatles. If you love Paul that much go listen to wings instead……… didn’t think so

By: Cory

Cory — Fri, 29 Jul 2016 19:31:56 +0000

Wow so what you are really saying is that Paul was a bit of a producer then. And that John didn’t really have a clue what he was doing. Get a grip the Beatles were a BAND, they wrote,rehearsed and recorded the majority of their tracks together. They all gave each other feedback and many of the classic McCartney songs had lyrics from John and vice versa. Let’s just get one thing straight here John had loads of crazy IDEAS but didn’t always have the nous to get it recorded. Paul had the technical ability to get things recorded and worked better with Martin than John did. Does this make Paul more musically talented than John? Yes. does it make him as innovative and forward thinking as him? No. This is why they were the greatest band of all time because due to some stroke of luck these two actually met and made music together……one could not have existed without the other and that is why every John v Paul argument is irrelevant

By: Mackie Messer

Mackie Messer — Sun, 10 Jul 2016 06:44:37 +0000

McCartney had been making loops prior to this song. The loop John and Ringo did was a very simple one and Emerick did it for them. McCartney’s loops were the innovative, creative ones and it was his idea to use them in the song. Emerick also pointed out that Lennon was severely challenged when it came to technical things. He didn’t understand those types of things at all. Unlike McCartney, who was technically proficient.

Like the bass line and piano that Paul created on Lennon’s Come Together, McCartney’s contribution to this Lennon song is what very nearly defines its greatness.

By: YS Short Tie Girl

YS Short Tie Girl — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 20:31:15 +0000

This song is an acid trip. It’s about taking LSD and then going to Pepperland.