Polythene Pam

Richard Furnstein: Consider this: the Beatles were so supremely great that this medley filler (along with perhaps "Across The Universe") served as the template for most of David Bowie's career. And Cripes Almighty, Bowie is one of the best ever! This song delivers the goods in a lean 73 seconds. The "yeah yeah yeahs" return, John ensures that "killer diller" will be the coolest phrase in history, and George oozes out a sweet little solo. London was a sleazy place in the late sixties, and it's nice that John doesn't pull any punches here. Then, the editing gods cut it short and we're on to a song about a bathroom window. What more do you want? I don't want anything else.

Robert Bunter: Yeah, brevity is really the soul of wisdom here. This song demonstrates a point I was making to you in the car last Saturday night, about how late in the Beatles’ career John started to whip out an astonishing variety of musical styles that he never really explored more fully in his solo work: the languid tropicalia of "Sun King," the stoner sludge of "I Want You (She’s So Heavy)," the moody funk of "Come Together," the golden classic gorgeousness of "Dig A Pony" … and, yes, the sexy glam of "Polythene Pam." Each of these templates would be enough for a lesser artist to base an entire career on. Personally, I wish he’d done more great Beatles music instead of his solo career.  I’d trade ten LP’s worth of I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mamas and Meat Citys and Beautiful Boys for just a few more Becauses or Baby You’re A Rich Mans.

"Whatever Gets You Thru The Night" and "Mind Games" can stay, though.