Oh, Manchester, So Much To Answer For

Inskeep: Is "Nobody Told Me" one of the hookiest things Lennon ever wrote, or is it just cos I was 13 when it was a hit?

Soto: Lennon's songs always had hooks, but "Nobody Told Me" sounds great because it's not as familiar (yes, Top Five hit, blah blah, but I never hear it) and his singing has grit and fire; and, let's face it, John had the most soulful of the Beatles voices.

Inskeep: Amen to all that. My favorite moment is at 3:14 (in the above video), the last thing Lennon sings: "Most peculiar, Mama - whoa!" It's the ease with which he tossed that kind of sly aside off that's a big part of what made him so great for me. I mean, yeah, great songwriter etc., though as Alf points out, he was also a great singer.