In my continuing series on who was the “MVB” (Most Valuable Beatle) for each album - I’ve made my way to their 9th album; 1967’s Magical Mystery Tour. Lennon won the first six (Please Please Me through Rubber Soul) and McCartney has won the last two (Revolver & Sgt. Pepper.)

Before I continue let me make it clear to any “purists” reading this that I am aware that Magical Mystery Tour was not originally released as an LP in the UK (it was a six song EP there but as an 11 song LP in the US) but since the 1970s Magical Mystery Tour has been a part of the official UK discography. When it was included with the CD releases in 1987 that sealed it’s fate. It’s now a Beatles album for my purposes.

01. “Magical Mystery Tour” - Paul

One of Paul’s most overtly psychedelic Beatles songs, actually, it may be the most - I can’t think of anything that beats it out at the moment. I love the spacey outro.

02. “The Fool on the Hill” - Paul

A really great track. Very subtly psychedelic. Listen closely to everything going on in this song and I think you may be surprised. I love the unusual instrumentation. An underrated song in my view.

03. “Flying”

An instrumental (the first included on a Beatles album) which is I think is the only Beatles song credited to all four Beatles (unless there’s something I’m forgetting, which is possible.)

04. “Blue Jay Way”

A George Harrison joint. One of The Beatles most experimental songs as far as production (they really threw the proverbial kitchen sink at this one.) The songwriting is also very unusual. While I definitely don’t think it’s among The Beatles best songs, I do enjoy it’s madness.

05. “Your Mother Should Know” - Paul

More Paul. Although some would say this song should take away more credit than it gives, I’ve always liked it. I dig when Paul does his music hall thing. I just think you have to get the whole “tongue in cheek” nature of it. Or perhaps you need to be slightly fruity. If that’s the case then I guess I’m fruity as charged. Ha!

06. “I Am The Walrus” - John

John’s first song and we’re six songs in, it’s clear that Paul was dominating the band in 1967. But that being said, “I Am The Walrus” is brilliant. My favorite song on the album. It seems like we’re in sort of reverse situation from A Hard Day’s Night when Paul was only contributing a few songs but they were all really good, now it’s John contributing fewer songs, but the song quality is really high.

07. “Hello Goodbye” - Paul

A very catchy song. Although it’s never been one of my favorites - it does have a lot of really cool bits in it. And I do really love the ending bit, that’s great.

08. “Strawberry Fields Forever” - John

Of course this is one of The Beatles all time classics but it was released as a single almost a year earlier.

09. “Penny Lane” - Paul

Ditto.

10. “Baby You’re A Rich Man” - John

This is another song that I think is a bit underrated. I love how bizarre it is. Great stuff. Really catchy too.

11. “All You Need Is Love” - John

I’ve always felt like this song doesn’t quite fit with the first 10, I don’t know why. But for some reason “Penny Lane” & “Strawberry Fields Forever” don’t really stick out as being out of place but this does. Maybe it’s because it has a sort of “live recording” feel to it that sounds out of place?

VERDICT: Paul.

Actually when I get down to my final count it’s only 5 to 4 for John as far as more songs contributed and when you look at the really high quality of John’s contributions (in particular “I Am The Walrus” & “Strawberry Fields Forever” which are both absolutely huge songs) I think it’s a bit closer than I was saying it was (John came in with 4 of the last 6 tracks.) On the other hand, when you only consider the six songs on the EP it’s Paul by a 3 to 1 margin and that rings a bit more true to how things actually were at the time. Regardless, I think this one has to a victory for Paul. 1967’s was Paul’s year.

1967, John Lennon, Most Valuable Beatle, Paul McCartney, The Beatles

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