Reply #31: That's one of the annoying misconceptions about the Beatles...

[ForrestGump]

that John was the 'artistic' one and that the only thing Paul wrote was "Yesterday" (to borrow from John's later "How Do You Sleep?"). Just look at the songs that paul wrote, and the work that he did in the studio, and the truth becomes apparent. They were both great, but Paul was the backbone of the group - this was especially obvious at the end - and his professionalism and ambition is all that kept them together. It's also what contributed to the perception of him as somehow not-as-cool-as-John.

John was extremely self-indulgent and it did get in the way of his music more than once. Paul was a go-getter. George was quietly getting along until his own ambition kicked in. Ringo wa shappy just to be a Beatle. I can't pick a favorite. It'd probably come down to John or Paul. John, by his own admission, could be a nasty SOB. Still, I have a feeling that I'd have gotten along fine with the dude if I'd known him on a personal basis because his sense of humor and a few other attributes might mesh with my nature. Maybe more so than would be true of Paul, who I've heard nothing but good things about. Who knows. As a live performer, though, I'd imagine that Paul would have blown John out of the water even had John lived longer and returned to the concert stage....