I was just asked to contribute some thoughts for an English music magazine's upcoming Beatles special issue in September. Here they are:
The Beatles are the most influential music group of all time and anyone who denies that is simply clueless. In addition to pop and rock, the Beatles have made a mark on nearly every conceivable genre of music, from jazz ("Michelle"), classical ("Eleanor Rigby"), to genres that were yet to come, such as heavy metal ("Helter Skelter") and world music ("Within You Without You"). They were the first rock band to have lyrics as poetic as the top folk artists and the first to have melodies that measured up to the great standards and showtunes. Their music is essential studying for any songwriter and is a lesson not only in coming up with great songs, but creating the right arrangements and parts for them. The Beatles were not virtuoso musicians, but that didn't matter. They had personality and creativity and did more with their limited abilities than a thousand virtuosos .
Here Comes The Sun" was the first song I ever sang along with as a child. Although Kiss was the band that got me to start playing guitar, The Beatles were the only other band I'd listen to. I outgrew Kiss for a while, but I never outgrew the Beatles. The first song I ever learned to play and sing was "Act Naturally" and the first guitar riff I ever figured out was "Day Tripper," both by The Beatles.
They are the only band I can think of that has never sounded dated. As I got into metal, my Beatles appreciation never wavered. I found out that a lot of my icons (Ozzy and Kiss for instance), had also been Beatles fans. Whenever the Beatles come on the radio or my iPod, I'm always in the mood to listen. Like millions of others worldwide, I cannot imagine life or music without the Beatles.
11 comments:
hi alex and guys.
It´s not my top favorite artists bus as you´ve said...when i´m listen radio and they put their songs...I´m allways in mood to listen one or two musics of them.
stay cool.
N.Guereiro
from the sunshining land of Portugal.
Hey Alex - couldn't agree more! I like to refer to the Beatles as cradle music having grown up listening to them from the very beginnings of my life - thanks to having mom & dad both as big Beatles fans.
Great blog - I look forward to reading every new post......Take care! Sherry
What a great insight into what music still resonates with you. I really like the way you pick out the different stylistic songs the Beatles crafted.
Being able to cross genera that way - and do it successfully - is a rare skill. And as you point out - skill can triumph virtuosity in many ways.
This is a great article.
Having recently ripped several albums from the Beatles repertoire of music for my MP3 player, I was grateful for the short length of the songs, as there is so much music to download, and one has to choose. And, they gave us so much for which I'm grateful. Satisfying gems of music that I never tire of being filled with. I don't think there will ever be another band that will offer us such a unique blend of sound. The landscape of the bands songs vary and are masterfully done. What they created collectively in style, lyrics, and arrangements, I like you Alex, cannot 'Imagine' my life without.... "And Your Bird can Sing "......
Beatles for me, never been influence (I never feel influence from them to compose any song), because I am not a Beatles fan and also Rolling Stones fan, but admit: they are especials, and is impossible imagine the world without songs as "Yestarday" (the most song played of the 20 century) "Yellow submarine" and "Sympathy for the Devil".
Between The Beatles and John solo carrer, I prefer the second !
LOVE LOVE LOVE! !
We have always been big Beatle fans~ We even like the movies..My daughter loves Across the Universe, I was pleasantly surprised with it, but hey if you like Beatles you can't help but like it. Even covers of the Beatles songs are amazing, take the "Concert For George", what an incredible show!
I can place many life experiences with the time and date from albums; Black Bird was a favorite of my brothers to play acustic, and SGT.Pepper- was often played at decibels so loud that the Klipsch Speakers would shake the house. I did wonder why they were so in trouble for their hair...It was strange, this is music, who cares about their hair!! The screaming girls, and the Jesus--drama, and the Dalai Llama...they were pioneers of Rock-and anything rolls.
But,sadly I was only old enough (to see) and hear, Let It Be, get released, so I was influenced primarily by- WINGS, and the other Solo Albums by John, and George.
Alex my Mother always said, they did it all first, that the Beatles basically invented the main genres of popular Music, even western ( while my guitar gently weeps) ~ and if you listen to the first guitar riff of SGT.Pepper, or Revolver, you get the Metal moments they touched on--
Oh I feel so female, I just go on and on about them...So happy for you, and thanks for sharing!....all I am saying, is give peace a chance...
Your point of view of the Beatles is very agreeable.
Yesterday was the first single record I bought when I was a kid.
Recently, I listened to a cover of
A Day In The Life played by Jeff Beck in Montreux. It was a great concert.
I hope AST would play any of the Beatles songs in the future.
Well said. I've been a major Beatles fan for a long time, and wasted a lot of hours in college watching a video taped copy of the Beatles Anthology my parents had taped for me a few months before. I was excited to see yesterday that there's a Beatles-themed Rock Band game coming out - I'll have to snag that one :)
Alex, I absolutely LOVE what you've said about the Beatles! I agree, and have even said to people how they have most likely influenced every single band and musician in some way or other, big or small. They were four people with different personalities, even different musical types (as is evident in their solo work). But how can you explain a band, who after 30 years of not even being together any longer, that has a CD which reached number one (if I'm not mistaken)?
A few years ago they ran a piece in our newspaper about the Beatles. The issue was whether they (along with others) were underrated or overrated. Well, I submitted my thoughts as saying they were underrated. Some people disagreed, but as you stated, whether you like the Beatles or not, one cannot underestimate their major contributions to music. Not to mention, their songs are just damn good and I love listening to them. They were ever-changing and never boring.
Thank you again for your mention of this obviously iconic band. That and Paul McCartney was my very first crush at age 5!!!
The Beatles were the band that got me into music too, Alex. Back in 4th grade, I joined the band; I was a drummer. My band teacher was a HUGE fan of The Beatles. As a result of that, every year we played one or two Beatles songs. My first year, we played "A Yellow Submarine", the second year "Hey Jude", and the third year "I Want To Hold Your Hand". And even in chorus during sixth grade, we did "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da". I loved each and every one of those songs, so I eventually asked my obsessed music teacher to burn me The White Album. And it just kept growing on me. My friends are like "The Beatles are so old, listening to them is uncool." However, they were young and did not know the ways of music, especially with the oversaturated NYSYNC and Brittney Spears ruining people's perception of music. As I grew older, I never grew sick of The Beatles either. In fact, I expanded to listen to all of the Beatles's solo albums. All of them were great artists, and they proved that they were even well on their own. Seriously, all four of them together made one of the sickest bands of humanity. As my friends grew up, they grew to appreciate The Beatles more. It is extremely self-evident that they are one of the best bands to ever exist and that nobody will ever come around like them ever again. I appreciate their music and love all their songs. All of their songs are so perfect in a way, they are just so innovative. Their styles vary and they never get old. They were not virtuosos, but they can carry a tune. Paul McCartney/John Lennon songwriting duo was one of the best. It was a damn shame they had to break up, but atleast they never gave up. Alex, it is great for you to say good things about one of my favorite bands. Very nice about a great band such as them.
-Nick
P.S.: Whose solo career is your favorite?
The Beatles were truly synergistic!
When Paul, John, George and Ringo came to together as the Beatles, the music they created was far greater than the combination of their individual talents.
The synergy of their music is just one of the many reasons why the Beatles continues to endure to this day.
Post a Comment