The irony of Ringo is he was the oldest and sickliest of the four yet he will probably outlive them all. Regarding Paul, I’ve always thought him the most talented songwriter of the bunch. Problem was, he needed John to cut the sweetness of his music with a little vinegar. Best visual song of my generation was “Penny Lane”, a Paul song.
I think Paul, John, George, and Ringo were all very talented. I think it is pointless to attempt to say one is “better” or more “talented” than other.
I do believe that they were all better musicians when they were together as a band and not as individuals. Paul and John’s competition with each other tempered their creative excesses (most of the time - i.e. revolution number 9). George got the short end of things, but his contribution to the band was definitely a positive influence on their sound.
When they separated, the creative balance they had as a band was gone. I mean if Paul had asked you to play with him on a new album, would you have the guts to tell him there was something musical he was doing that you didn’t like? Probably not. It’s hard to argue with legends to their face.
There is a British/Irish word for McCartney without Lennon
- SHITE.
Best individual writer was Ray Davies and Waterloo Sunset is a better song than Denny Lane.