The Beatles

[fabfor]

I was recently volunteered as dj for a friend's sixties themed, 60th birthday do and tried to choose the best Beatles tunes. Impossible! Song after brilliant song. I was lukewarm to the Beatles before, not realising just how vast their influence really was in my own life. It's an overused word but "amazing" fits the bill here.

[holloway]

a lot of people who say the beatles are over rated have never properly listened to their back catalogue, understandably perhaps because it's vast. they made a lot of brilliant music that stands the test of time.

'she's leaving' is a paticularly fine track

[????]

Don,t insult the Beatles by saying they were 'prog rock' FFS

[Mick Mac]

What's prog...?

[aquarius moon]

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Don,t insult the Beatles by saying they were 'prog

> rock' FFS

It's a compliment not an insult.

[????]

A compliment, prog rock? Behave....

[Parkdrive]

i think you have to take into account the historical context when considering the Beatles and the effect they had on music scene back then and the musical legacy they left behind. I agree that selling shed loads of records isn't always and indicator of talent but the very fact that 30 odd yeras after they broke up and two of the members have passed on, their records still sell by the shed load, and musicians still reference them and claim to have been influenced by them. Overrated? Maybe, tastes in music and art are very subjective after all.

[Jah Lush]

The Beatles did it first and better than anyone else.

[Parkdrive]

Jah Lush Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The Beatles did it first and better than anyone

> else.

Many would argue the same for Elvis, Jah. Not that I'm overly keen on either one.

[Jah Lush]

He didn't write his own material though did he and he wasn't a band.

[Parkdrive]

Jah Lush Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> He didn't write his own material though did he and

> he wasn't a band.

No but you know what I mean.

[MrBen]

Elvis looked the part and had some talent. But his role was primarily to bring black music (blues and R&B) to a white mainstream audience. As a huge blues fan, I first heard Elvis several years after early BB King, Guitar Slim, Big Bill Broonzy and many others and just thought he was a rip off merchant. Yes Beatles were influenced too but they took it on a step further and made it their own, as did the Stones.

[MrBen]

What's with the smilies on R&B ?

[El Pibe]

8-)

[Jeremy]

B + ) = B)

[Otta]

MrBen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Elvis looked the part and had some talent. But his

> role was primarily to bring black music (blues

> and R&B) to a white mainstream audience.

And the stones brought it over here. Basically Mick & Keef were huge blues fans, as was Brian Jones, and they started playing covers.

That's why The Beatles are so important. The Stones are great, but they took a genre and gave it their own twist, whereas The Beatles were doing original stuff. "I feel fine" was the first time feedback had been heard on a record for example.

[*Bob*]

When I was a teen, The Beatles were still managing to be a favourite amongst the laughable old fuddy-duddy parents (early stuff) but also the oh-so-cool kidz (Abbey Road, White Album, etc) at the same time. Despite having broken-up two decades earlier.

Says it all. I love The Stones too, but in terms of depth, breadth, sheer innovation and progression of material over the years.. neither they - nor any other band for that matter - come close.

[Parkdrive]

Otta Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> MrBen Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Elvis looked the part and had some talent. But

> his

> > role was primarily to bring black music (blues

> > and R&B) to a white mainstream audience.

>

>

>

> And the stones brought it over here. Basically

> Mick & Keef were huge blues fans, as was Brian

> Jones, and they started playing covers.

>

> That's why The Beatles are so important. The

> Stones are great, but they took a genre and gave

> it their own twist, whereas The Beatles were doing

> original stuff. "I feel fine" was the first time

> feedback had been heard on a record for example.

The Beatles didn't do all their own stuff, twist and shout, money, anna for example were covers.

[Otta]

Oh yeah I know that, in the early days they played probably mostly covers, but they stopped playing live and basically became a studio band trying new things out. That's what I meant by the earlier prog rock comment, I wasn't suggesting they sound like prog rock *shudders*.

[MrBen]

The Stones have always tipped the hat and acknowledged the blues their act came from. They're named after a Muddy Waters song and many blues standards in the early stuff. They also refused to play on prime time American TV unless they also allowed the great bluesman Howlin' Wolf on before them (who was playing clubs to black audiences at the time). That's respect.

Agree The Beatles were way ahead of the Stones in terms progression and developing their sound into weird and wonderful places.

[adonirum]

Otta wrote "I feel fine was the first time feedback heard on a record". Do you agree that at the time it was probably the greatest opening riff that had been heard to a track ? As you point out, Otta, it was entirely innovative.

[Jeremy]

Blues... never really been able to get into it. I mean, how many times can you hear essentially the same song without getting sick of it? (And you can say the same for Elvis' early blues-based stuff, Blue Suede Shoes, Jailhouse Rock, Hound Dog... they're all the same bloody song).

[MrBen]

The Blues is a feeling Jeremy. It's all about the feel. The kind of deep inside your soul feel you get if you've known pain and have to express it. That blues feeling came from the fields, got electrified in Chicago and soaked its way into Soul, Motown and funk. Before it influenced generations of white musicians and music itself for evermore.

Will that do?

[Jeremy]

Not really, I'm afraid!

I don't find it unlistenable or offensive or anything. I just find it samey and uninteresting.

[MrBen]

A lot of it is. But then so does a lot of lightweight, radio friendly unit-shifting indie rock.

The best blues is sublime. The worst is 12 bar drudge.

Happy to point you in the right direction.

Some vintage Freddie to start with perhaps? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHXKlNP4-Aw