On the subject of "Where a slight change in timing could have resulted in even better track lineups" (not just wild imagination, or requiring that the group remained intact thought the solo years, etc):

ABBEY ROAD: Remove the two weakest tracks, "Maxwell's SIlver Hammer" amd "Octopus's Garden, substitute "Maybe I'm Amazed" (which Paul was already wriring in 1969) and "It Don't Come Easy" (which George was already producing for Ringo in very early 1970).  This would make for by far the best studio album in rock music history.

LET IT BE: Add the above two ABBEY ROAD deletions, which are both in the the "Let It Be" movie, and "Don't Let Me Down (as in LET IT BE NAKED), delete the worthless "Dig It."  Also combine George Martin's and Phil Spector's different mixes of the title track (just retaining George's guitar solo from the latter), and George's flamenco intro to "I Me Mine" (also heard n the movie).

WHITE ALBUM; Delete the utterly worthless "Revolution #9" (do NOT substitute the just about as awful "What's the New Mary Jane?") and "Wild Honey Pie," add George's excellent "Sour Milk Sea" and "Not Guilty," perhaps the okay "Circles" (all of which are on the KINFAUNS demo tape) and even Paul's lost (but reputedly great ) "Et Cetera."

More later.

You've got some very good points there John. I disagreee about Revolution 9 though - I think that is a very fine piece of work obviously it's not everybody's cup of tea (understatement of the year!), but I agree Mary Jane is truly awful!

I heard Et Cetera is the "Holy Grail' of bootlegs.  So I'm guessing none of us have it. =P

btw, I never thought Abbey Road had any really weak tracks.  I wouldn't remove a thing.

The two additions to the above albums I forgot were "Child Of Nature" (with the gorgeous melody to "Jealous Guy") to the White Album (it was also on the Kinfauns demo tape) while removing "Revolution 1' (like George's fantastic acoustic "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," it would have been better as a post-breakup outtake / rarity highlight) and adding "Peggy Sue Got Married" (which Paul, George, and Ringo did in January 1970 while recording "I Me Mine")  to LET IT BE.  Like zillions of others, neither of these appeared on the very disappointing ANTHOLOGY series from 10 years ago.  Paul's demo version of "Come And Get It," though brilliant (he just copied it on his Bafinger production), doesn't really fit with ABBEY ROAD (he did it all while killing an hour waiting for the other three to arrive during those sessions).

I will post the rest of my alterations soon; it's just a Utopian exercise in fantasizing about what could have been.

Nope.

Quoted from Frightwolf

I heard Et Cetera is the "Holy Grail' of bootlegs.  So I'm guessing none of us have it. =P

"Etcetera" is lost. Not even on any bootleg.

Oh? How was it found about about?

"Et Cetera" is mentioned in Mark Lewisohn's THE COMPLETE BEATLES RECORDING SESSIONS as listed on one of the White Album sessions sheets at Abbey Road, with the tape having been immediately taken home by McCartney (who obviously wrote it and was recording it as a demo).   One of the tape engineers remembered it as very beautiful, but it has never appeared since, unless new words were applied by Paul to one of his solo or Wings tracks.  To my knowledge he has never commented on still possessing the tape, but if he had ever intended it to be made public this should have occurred on ANTHOLOGY III.

paul destroyed it as it was inferior.....

I read somewhere that there's a bootleg that had 'Etcetera' in the tracklist. By playing, it was the piano-excerpt from the Let It Be-sessions known as 'The Castle Of The King Of The Birds'. Wishful thinking or could it be the same thing?

wow that bootleg sounds really interesting

nameless here forever more............

Quoted from Bobber

I read somewhere that there's a bootleg that had 'Etcetera' in the tracklist. By playing, it was the piano-excerpt from the Let It Be-sessions known as 'The Castle Of The King Of The Birds'. Wishful thinking or could it be the same thing?

Ac chording to this site:
http://website.lineone.net/~johnpaulgeorgeringo/index.htm
http://website.lineone.net/~johnpaulgeorgeringo/book6.htm
http://website.lineone.net/~johnpaulgeorgeringo/book7.htm

Mon. 1/6/69
“Unknown” or CASTLE OF THE KING OF THE BIRDS
S: Paul  W:  Paul McCartney  
Organ is the only instrument.  
Bootleg  DDSI 6.9.2/or 6.11

Sat. 1/25/69
CASTLE OF THE KING OF THE BIRDS/A HARD RAIN’S A-GONNA FALL  (0:16)  
S:  Instrumental on piano.  W:  McCartney/Bob Dylan  
Bootleg  DDSI 25.31
[...]
INSTRUMENTAL aka CASTLE OF THE KING OF THE BIRDS aka PAUL'S PIANO THEME (0:22)  
S:  Instrumental by Paul on piano  
W:  Paul McCartney  
This was later used for "Rupert the Bear" animated film.  
Bootleg  DDSI 25.43

I didn't know that ...

I wish It Don't Come Easy had been a Beatles song. Powerful, and shows what Ringo could do.

Or early 1970, a nice track as well, i believe george play's slide guitar on.