Does anyone like the Beatles Revolution #9?

 

But you're not Britannia, and the rules kind of enforce themselves, if you think about it.

 

 

Slartibartfast wrote: Moonchild gets beat up on a lot by reviewers, unfairly so.

 

Indeed - I gave quite a detailled analysis in my review - but if people only want instant gratification, what can ya do?

 

We don't have to agree on rules - but they are there, nonetheless.

 

The examples discussed here in some ways show differences between Non-Prog (Revolution #9), Prog (MoonChild) and, for want of a better word, "Classical" (Kontakte), where the non-Prog is more or less random - pieced together merely because the sound appeals (in the same way as pop songs), the Prog is artfully contrived, and delivered in an improvisatory manner, producing a pre-conceived narrative, and the "Classical" is structured according to the various sections and sound groupings (although here the difference becomes blurred, as a performance of "Kontakte" may become improvisatory up to a point, due to the graphical nature of the score).

 

As everybody knows, Prog does not have a clearly defined set of rules - but here the differences are distinct.

 

 

 

 

 

There's not much artistic merit in "Revolution #9" - it was influenced by Stockhausen's experiments (as were many Beatles pieces at that time, such as "Rain", "Tomorrow Never Knows" and "A Day In The Life"), but is clearly just a piece of fun rather than a highbrow attempt at avant-garde music - in fact, it seems to poke fun at a particular Stockhausen piece. If you listen to it often enough, a manic kind of logic shows through - but I rather think that's accidental, hence it's not Prog, because it's not composed, there is not inherent improvisational logic, and the influence is from one single identifiable source.

 

"Kontakte"  is the Stockhausen masterpiece that really influenced both John and Paul, so much that John produced 3 albums with Yoko, and Paul produced a piece of myth and legend called "Carnival of LIght", which has only ever been performed once, at an Electronic music festival in 1967, alongside the likes of Delia Derbyshire. If you're even vaguely interested in avant-garde music featuring electronics and tape manipulation, you should hear this - and also "Poem Electronique" by Edgard Varese - which are good introductions to this sort of music.

 

 

AtomicCrimsonRush wrote: I am not interested in Moonchild either... too slow and meandering - we live in an instant society and if we are not instantly satisfied we hit the skip button.... theres too much great music out there to waste time.

 

The famous section of MoonChild on the other hand is a fantastic work of near avant-garde wierdness - it's a common mistake to write it off as meandering. It isn't - it has a definite purpose and internal logic. 

 

It's not quite avant-garde, because it contains a beautiful central logic that is essential to the expression of the song - it's not at all random, and patience is rewarded by music of unearthly beauty. It most definitely is not a waste of time, and it is great music.

 

Prog is not about being instantly satisfied, it's about lasting art.

 

 

 

 

And surelly influenced Las Jaivas in making "Los Caminos Que Se Abren".

 

However, i am sure we are maybe going to find someone who thinks that this is the highlight of the disc, a definitive piece of genious creativity of modern music.Who knows!