One Way-Underrated Solo Album From Each of the Four Beatles

The solo careers of the four individual members of The Beatles received intense scrutiny from the press and music critics after the group’s breakup. And that attention really never let up.

Still, there are a few albums in their respective catalogs that feel like they never quite received their proper due. We’ve singled out one underappreciated album from each of the four members as examples.

‘Walls And Bridges’ by John Lennon

The music on Walls And Bridges gets somewhat overlooked because people tend to fixate on the biographical details of John Lennon’s early 70s period. For example, there’s a lurid interest in his so-called “Lost Weekend” antics in Los Angeles while separated from Yoko Ono. But Walls And Bridges came during a time when Lennon was able to pull focus. Commercially, it received a boost from “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night”, Lennon’s smash duet with Elton John. But folks need to check out this album from start to finish, as it’s one of Lennon’s most consistent records. Album tracks like “Scared”, “Steel And Glass”, and “Nobody Loves You (When You’re Down And Out)” are potent and piercing.

‘New’ by Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney gives folks what they want during his live performances, which means a lot of Beatles and Wings hits along with some choice solo hits from the 70s and 80s. But that tends to leave his late-period albums, even the brilliant ones, feeling like they come and go without making much of a dent. For example, New, released in 2013, displays McCartney writing and performing at an exceedingly high level. Even as he works with a series of producers and bounces between styles, he delivers a coherent listening experience. Highlights include the bouncy title track, the churning “Save Us”, and the nostalgic (but still prickly) “Early Days”.

‘Brainwashed’ by George Harrison

Many posthumous albums feel pieced together, likely because the artist who passed didn’t leave enough behind. But it’s clear from listening to Brainwashed that George Harrison put plenty of work into it before he became too ill to continue. On top of that, Jeff Lynne and Dhani Harrison shepherded the album to its completion with loving care. The posthumous angle tended to dominate the press surrounding the record. But listening to it now, you can hear that Harrison was at the top of his game. The easy-rolling opener “Any Road” sets the tone for the record, which also features the gorgeous instrumental “Marwa Blues” and the biting title track to elucidate the extremes of Harrison’s personality.

‘Time Takes Time’ by Ringo Starr

Everything seemed lined up for Ringo Starr to make a grand comeback into pop music relevance on the 1992 album Time Takes Time. Starr was clean and sober after years of struggle to get to that point. He surrounded himself with a stellar lineup of session players and a group of A-list producers (Jeff Lynne, Don Was, Peter Asher, and Phil Ramone). And he even gave the album one of his cosmically simple titles, à la “A Hard Day’s Night” or “Tomorrow Never Knows”. Despite all that, the thing came and went while making little impact on radio. But that doesn’t diminish the artistic accomplishment. Rarely has Starr ever sounded so effortlessly in his element as on this record.

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