JG McQuarrie Podcasts

It's time for Lennon's first Dylan attempt this week... or is it? It's I'm A Loser, either way! Does the song deserve its reputstion as following on the heels of Mr Zimmerman? Why are Spandau Ballet brought up (and dismissed out of hand)? Could this be the episode that talks least about the actual song itself and just provides a series of minor div…

It's time for a new album as Beatles For Sale falls under the spotlight and it's opening track, No Reply. Does this different way of starting an album on a more melancholy note work? Do the Anthology versions shed any light on the situation? And does this really signify Lennon's increasing maturity as a songwriter? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking …

We flip the I Feel Fine single over to its B-side this time out to cover the McCartney rocker She's A Woman. Does the song manage to maintain the quality of its A-side? How do the cover versions stack up this time? And just how many other words rhyme with "presents" anyway? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter…

On to a single as we leave the world of albums temporarily behind and embrace I Feel Fine as this epsiode's Stuffology outing. Does the song manage to hold its own away from any kind of parent album? How much can someone say "I don't like this" while admitting to liking it and then changing their mind? And do the non-Lennon three-quarters of the ba…

It's four for the price of one this episode, as JG and Andrew tackle the whole of the Long Tall Sally EP in one go. So that'll be Long Tall Sally itself, I Call Your Name, Matchbox and Slow Down - plenty to be getting on with! How does the EP stack up when compared to the material that surrounds it? Does the band manage to make a good fist of the c…

It's a bumper-length episode this time out as JG and Andrew cover both the A Hard Day's Night album and movie. After a quick check-in to cover the health of the dynamic podcasting duo (it says here) and a discussion about Paul McCartney, AI, and all that Beatles news stuff, they get on with the task at hand. How does the album compare to the previo…

We round off the analysis - if that's the word, and it isn't - of the A Hard Day's Night album with the closing track, I'll Be Back (and not an Arnie joke in sight...er, earshot). After a fairly morose start (to the podcast, not the song), how does I'll Be Back work as an album closer? Does it manage to tie everything together? And why so much ELO …

Time for something a little controversial this time out, as JG and Andrew tackle the notorious You Can't Do That. How big is the disjuncture between the music and the lyrics? Is there any justification for defending this song in a modern context? And how do you even begin to score something like this? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatles…

This week it's the chirpy When I Get Home that falls under the Stuffology spotlight. How much time do we think was spent on the lyrics for this particular song? How much chance is there that there will be an agreement over the song's modest merits? And does this work out to be the shortest episode of Stuffology yet? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking…

We take a more thoughtful and melancholy turn this week as Andrew and JG tackle Things We Said Today. Does the song deserve its great reputation? What is the difference between a horizontal and vertical melody? And what's Barbara Dickson got to do with anything? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: @beatles_o…

I'll Cry Instrad - not an entirely unfair reaction to this week's track, as it turns out! How does the country influence work out this time? How many Billy Bragg references can be squeezed into one podcast? And just how long will it take to get around to talking about the song this episode is ostensibly meant to be about? Rankings: Track-by-track R…

It's time for Any Time At All to take the spotlight as this grower-not-a-shower gets the Stuffology treatment. How does it compare to the previous episode's mighty Can't Buy Me Love? Is there much there there? And what's up with Second-Half Syndrome? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: @beatles_ology JG's Bl…

It's another one of the classics this episode, as JG and Andrew tackle the might, era-defining Can't Buy Me Love. What's going on with iterative processes? How long does it take for Pink Floyd to take a kicking? And is it possible to make a Shea Stadium reference without immediately deferring to the Rutles? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: b…

It's time to Tell Me Why on Stuffology as JG and Andrew tackle a rather forgotten song. Does it manage to hold its place on the album? How much Star Wars talk can get squeezed into a Beatles podcast (quite a bit actually!)? Plus, if you've ever wanted to know more about the film It's Trad, Dad! - and who wouldn't? - Andrew has a real treat in store…

It's time to move into ballad territory this episode as JG and Andrew cover And I Love Her. Does the song manage to land its tone of wannabe-sophistication? Of the many cover versions, which is the worst? How does George's contribution stand up? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: @beatles_ology JG's Blog: J…

It's a quick dash around the ballroom this episode, as George informs us he's happy just to dance with you, despite very much not sounding like it. How does the song hang together? Does it belie its throwaway status? How many unrelated 80's references can be crammed in? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: @b…

If I Fell falls under the, let's say, analytical spotlight this episode as JG and Andrew continue their way through A Hard Day's Night. Does the song continue the run of quality on the album? How often can JG use the word "charming" in one episode? And on this occasion, who did it better - The Beatles or the Rutles? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking…

It's time for the second song on A Hard Day's Night to fall under the spotlight as JG and Andrew turn their attention to "I Should Have Known Better". How does it fare next to the totemic title track? Why is there a discussion of McCartney's Tug Of War (not for the first time)? And why do the Beach Boys come up? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMa…

It's time to move on to some new territory this week as JG and Andrew break the seal on the A Hard Day's Night album with the song... A Hard Days Night! Join us for an unfeasibly large amount of Goon-related chat and general chart musings. Does the song make a good opener for the album? How long can two people talk about a song that doesn't clear t…

We flip the single this week and cover the B-side, the largely-forgotten (or is it?) "This Boy". Why does Tom Jones get brought up so much? Just how well remembered or otherwise is this song? And is it a lost classic or one that deserves its place rather more towards the obscure end of the Beatles' catalogue? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail:…

It's one of the biggest songs of all time on this week's episode as JG and Andrew get stuck into I Want To Hold Your Hand. Does the song deserve it's place as one of the most significant tracks in the Beatles' back catalogue? Is the whole more than the sum of its parts? And does it deserve to be the vanguard of the British Invasion in America? Plus…

We step aside from tracks for this episode to instead talk about the album With The Beatles in its entirety. How enthusiastic can one set of liner notes be? How does the album stack up as a coherent piece of art? What else was it up against in the charts? And, most importantly (well, "importantly") of all, what score does it get? Rankings: Track-by…

With The Beatles draws to a close with the mighty "Money (That's What I Want)", a good excuse to see what John Lennon can do on vocals. Does the Beatles version still stand up to scrutiny when compared with the original? How do other cover versions fare? And why do the Decca tapes get brought up? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuff…

The end is in sight! But before we get there, we have this - "Not A Second Time". Can Lennon find a tune to sing here? Is it a suitable second-last song as far as the album goes? And are the cover versions better than the original? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: @beatles_ology JG's Blog: Judgementally R…

Another episode, another cover version! This time it's Devil In Her Heart, as side 2 continues to wend its merry way. How does the song stand up? Can Harrison do anything convincing on vocals? Just how low a score can it get? These and other questions await their answers! Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: …

Ringo's "I Wanna Be Your Man" is in the spotlight this episode, and after numerous technical issues JG and Andrew have finally managed to actually capture what they think of the song (no mean feat, this time out). How does the song work for Ringo's voice? How do things go with the inevitable Rolling Stones comparison? And was the song worth all the…

It's time for a Smokey Robinson cover on this episode of Stuffology with "You Really Got A Hold On Me". Can Lennon's vocals match the original (and will Andrew concede whether they're any good or not)? Where, and why, do UB40 fit into things? And how does the whole "cultural appropriation" thing work? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatles…

We start Side 2 of With The Beatles with one of the most well-known songs of all-time, Roll Over Beethoven. Can the Beatles do the Chuck Berry classic justice? Why are there sidesteps into Superman movies? And what does a completely forgotten sitcom have to do with anything? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitte…

We continue with another cover version for this episode with the Beatles' take on the classic "Please Mr Postman". Does it live up the original? Where does Elvis Costello fit into things? And why are the scores unusual this time round? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: @beatles_ology JG's Writing: Judgemen…

Till There Was You is up for discussion this week, as JG and Andrew delve into another one of the cover versions on With The Beatles. Is the track as chintzy as its reputation? Do the band make a good fist of a complicated number? Plus we return to one of the podcast's favourite subjects - The Rutles and Neil Innes - and excitement ahoy! We delve i…

This episode, JG and Andrew turn their attention to "Little Child", which turns out to be a Lennon/McCartney Original and not a cover version at all! What difference does knowing how something was recorded make to appreciating a song? Should this have been a Ringo song, as was originally intended? And what on Earth is "brumbeat"? Rankings: Track-by…

We turn to George's first Beatles song on an album this episode as JG and Andrew cover "Don't Bother Me". How does George's first attempt at songwriting stack up against Lennon and McCartney? Is his solo output worth bothering (ho ho) with? And how contentious will the final score be? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.…

It's something of a classic that's getting covered this episode as "All My Loving" falls under the spotlight. Does it deserve to be such a popular live number? Why is JG pulled up for speaking French? And how on-topic will things stay before the inevitable score? Rankings: Track-by-track Ranking eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: @beatles_…

The second song on With The Beatles goes under the JG/Andrew microscope today with All I've Got To Do. Does it continue the album's run of quality after the terrific opener? How go Lennon's vocals? And for how long can two people prevaricate over picking a score for the song while essentially working out format points on the fly? Rankings: Track-by…

We kick off the second Beatles album this episode with "It Won't Be Long". How does the song work as an opening track to the album? Does it deserve its somewhat-neglected reputation? Plus there's a discussion of Across The Universe, a film neither JG nor Andrew have actually, at any point, seen. And as if that wasn't enough, there's the introductio…

We flip She Loves You over to cover its B-side this episode with the largely-forgotten I'll Get You. Does the song deserve to languish in obscurity? How does it fare stylistically? And just how long can JG vamp for while Andrew desperately tries to find some statistics? eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: @beatles_ology JG's Writing: Judgem…

It's the mighty She Loves You this episode on Stuffology, the biggest-selling Beatles single of them all. Does the song deserve its totemic reputation? How does Brian Epstein factor into this? And when discussing production, just how pretentious can JG get? (hint: fairly!) eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: @beatles_ology JG's Writing: Jud…

We flip the disc for our song choice this week and cover the B-side "Thank You Girl". Did the song deserve to be an A-side as originally intended? What was going on in the charts at this time? And why the diversion into Cliff Richard talk? (to be honest, the last of those questions may not be answered after listening). Thanks, Thank You Girl! eMail…

We leave Please Please Me behind and stroll into the world of non-album singles as JG and Andrew get to grips with The Beatles very first number one, "From Me To You". Does the song deserve its place as the very first of the band's to top the charts? How long will it take until Ringo gets mentioned? And how good is the "song length to podcast episo…

With each individual track now covered it's time to turn our attention to the album as a whole, as JG and Andrew discuss Please Please Me as a singular work rather than a broken-up series of tracks. How does the album stand up when considered as a whole? Just how much cultural context can be squeezed into one episode before they actually get round …

We make it to the end of Please Please Me this week with the totemic "Twist And Shout". Does the song deserve its mythical reputation? Is it the perfect capper to the album? And how many off-the-subject diversions can one episode manage to encapsulate? Twitter: @beatles_ology eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com JG's Writing: Judgementally Comments..…

We're nearly there! This episode sees the second-last track on Please Please Me covered, as JG and Andrew chat about "There's A Place". How does the song stand up? How are the harmonies? Can anyone find anything to say about this particular track? (glance at the running time for this episode and see if you can figure it out!) eMail: beatlesstuffolo…

As we shuffle gainfully (gainfully? Sure!) towards the end of the album we first get to sample "A Taste Of Honey". How does a ballad like this stack up against the rest of the album? What do liminal spaces have to do with anything? Why is Billy Dee Williams mentioned? And, perhaps most importantly of all, why do our Mexican and Swedish listeners ge…

It's George's turn at the old microphone stand with this Side Two ditty, "Do You Want To Know A Secret". How does he compare alongside messers Lennon and McCartney when it comes to vocals? Is everything being taken entirely seriously? And why did anyone think it was a good idea to mention the semiotic thickness of the text? These, and many fewer, q…

JG and Andrew continue through Side Two of Please Please Me with "Baby It's You". How does the second Shirelles cover go (and does the album really call for two of them)? How many sha-la-la-la-la's are strictly necessary? And just how seriously should those backing vocals be taken? eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: @beatles_ology JG's Blo…

We reach the title track of the first album this time as JG and Andrew tackle "Please Please Me". Is the track mighty enough to deserve having the album named after it? How impressive is George Martin this time out? And can the conversation actually remain on track? (surprisingly, yes!). Since this is posting on 25th December I would also be remiss…

For this episode JG and Andrew tackle "Ask Me Why", which given the fairly muted reaction seems like an entirely valid question. How's Lennon doing on the old lead vocals? Is there much going on anywhere else? And just how long can two people string out a conversation that clearly isn't going anywhere? eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: @b…

We delve into Ringo's first vocal for this episode as we discuss "Boys". Is it a decent cover version? Does Ringo manage to make a good impression? And how long will it take before we inevitably get round to mentioning Thomas The Tank Engine? eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: @beatles_ology JG's Writing: Judgementally Comments...…

This week JG and Andrew find themselves in Chains as another song on Please Please Me gets the Stuffology treatment. Is is any better or worse than the last track? Why was it so popular at the time? And how does George get on? eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitter: @beatles_ology JG's Writing: Judgementally Comments...…

Shuffling right along through Please Please Me we come to this, the first cover. How do the Beatles manage with material not of their own making? How does Lennon's first lead vocal (well, that we're talking about anyway) come off? And is it better than Misery (and perhaps more relevantly, could it be worse?) eMail: beatlesstuffology@gmail.com Twitt…