Better Side Two From The Beatles

[MyWorldEntire]

Which album from The Beatles has the better second half? Magical Mystery Tour's side two has arguably some of the best tracks the band has ever written, but lacks the incredible flow of the back side for Abbey Road.

Side Two Track Listings:
Magical Mystery Tour
1. Hello Goodbye
2. Strawberry Fields Forever
3. Penny Lane
4. Baby You're a Rich Man
5. All You Need Is Love

Abbey Road

1. Here Comes The Sun
2. Because
3. Your Never Give Me Your Money/Sun King/Mean Mr. Mustard/Polythene Pam/She Came In Through The Bathroom Window/Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End (Abbey Road Medley/Suite)
4. Her Majesty

[IWasaCamera]

While Strawberry Fields Forever is among my favorite Beatles tracks, Abbey Road's medley is downright ridiculous and the primary reason for which the album is one of pop music's most exciting works. Throw in Here Comes The Sun which is another goodie and it's no contest for me.

[tonighttonight0]

Abbey Road takes it. Every song on that second side is great. Magical Mystery Tour falters slightly with Baby Your A Rich Man sadly.

[MyWorldEntire]

At first I thought this was a no-brainier, but listening to Magical Mystery Tour made me reconsider. Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane, and All You Need Is Love are among my top ten favorite tracks from the band, and 'Love' falls only behind Hey Jude as my favorite Beatles track. Baby You a Rich Man definitely hurts MMT's case as the better side

Here Comes The Sun is a great track, though I would have it below four of the five songs on MMT. 'Because' feels somewhat out of place on the album, almost like a b-side from one of the band's previous albums. But the medley... what an incredible piece of work. The Beatles finest hour (and final hour). Her Majesty is a nice, simple ending, although ending with the medley would have worked just as well.

It was difficult for me to decide, but I narrowly went with Abbey Road. I couldn't vote against a medley that great.

[flow2345]

Abbey Road

[MADSTA]

Abbey Road!

[WhoSaidThat?]

Went with Abbey Rd.

[jawstheme]

Abbey Road, just barely.

[IWasaCamera]

Magical Mystery tour just because I think the second half of Abbey Road is weak as fuck. Of all the album post Help. Abbey Road is my least favorite because of the weak second half. I do fucking love the first half though
Wow, what makes it weak? It's easily among the band's finest moments for me.

[IWasaCamera]

After Because the songs are underdeveloped and weak. Also I feel those songs don't mesh with the album as a whole. Maybe they did if you were listening to it on vinyl back in the day but when I listen to Abbey Road from start to finish the second half of the album just doesn't seem to fit imo. I think it would have been better if they had all those songs as one long track instead of multiple ones. Regardless I still don't skip those songs and still enjoy them. Obviously I'm most likely in the minority about that along with some om my other views on the Beatles
The medley probably isn't intended to fit with the album's beginning and if that's a qualm you have with Abbey Road, it's perfectly legitimate. However, the thread specifies side two so how the short ditties mesh with earlier tracks isn't relevant in this case. As for being underdeveloped, to a degree, I suspect that's the idea. Pop sketches that effortlessly spill into each other rather than fully realized songs. I second your desire for one long track (almost wish the whole album was one sweeping track) although in a sense, I already view the medley as one.
For me the Beatles finest moment is Revolver and more specifically Tomorrow Never Knows, Also I feel every album before Rubber Soul is garbage except for the singles and a few songs. I really can't listen to any of those albums as a whole anymore. All those songs blend together and the lyrics get redundant and annoying. Its like the equivalent of listening to a shitty pop punk album where every song sound the same. Imo every album past Help are fucking amazing and some of my favorite albums.When I listen to the early stuff I really only listen to the Red Album, One, Love, or the Across the Universe soundtrack
Revolver certainly is wonderful and I agree with your claim regarding early Beatles junk. With that said, I tend to gravitate toward the timeless sounding records such as Abbey Road and Let It Be so my choice for this poll was a no-brainer.

[doppelganger]

i have always liked abbey road more than magical mystery tour :/ but i do love magical mystery tour

[BulleTheory]

tough one but had to go with Abbey Road

[fightinirish217]

Magical Mystery side is certainly solid, and it looks crazy voting against it, but you can't mess with the end of Abbey Road and Here Comes The Sun.

[IceAge/HeatWave]

After Because the songs are underdeveloped and weak. Also I feel those songs don't mesh with the album as a whole. Maybe they did if you were listening to it on vinyl back in the day but when I listen to Abbey Road from start to finish the second half of the album just doesn't seem to fit imo. I think it would have been better if they had all those songs as one long track instead of multiple ones. Regardless I still don't skip those songs and still enjoy them. Obviously I'm most likely in the minority about that along with some om my other views on the Beatles

For me the Beatles finest moment is Revolver and more specifically Tomorrow Never Knows, Also I feel every album before Rubber Soul is garbage except for the singles and a few songs. I really can't listen to any of those albums as a whole anymore. All those songs blend together and the lyrics get redundant and annoying. Its like the equivalent of listening to a shitty pop punk album where every song sound the same. Imo every album past Help are fucking amazing and some of my favorite albums.When I listen to the early stuff I really only listen to the Red Album, One, Love, or the Across the Universe soundtrack


i agree it is far and away not the best beatles stuff, but at the time it was the most exciting music being put out. comparing it to todays shitty pop-punk genre is unfounded, because, for that generation, the beatles music was the (for lack of a better word) sexiest and most raw music out there. my dad said when he first heard twist and shout at 7 years old his grandmother made him turn the radio off because she said john lennon sounded possessed by the devil.

so while by todays standards it sounds boring and generic (which i agree it kind of does) it deserves much better than being compared to a "shitty pop punk album".

[MyNameIsRoss]

Abbey Road, mann.

[rbf737]

I don't understand anyone who wouldn't pick Abbey Road. The medley alone takes it. Particularly Money, Slumbers, and Carry that Weight, genius.

[VIVALAMATT]

This pisses me off. MMT has a way better side two. Abbey Road has a great side one, but fucking Penny Lane and All You Need Is Love. Seriously. What the fuck people?

[IWasaCamera]

Medley is far better than those two.

[evvandflow]

Not a fan of the beatles "psychedlic phase"...Magical Mystery Tour is one of my least favorite Beatles albums.