Author |
Topic Search Topic Options
|
MovingPictures07
Prog Reviewer
Joined: January 09 2008
Location: Beasty Heart
Status: Offline
Points: 32181
|
Topic: The Beatles Breakthrough Posted: January 28 2010 at 21:26 |
Well, this is something interesting.
Ever since I was young I never understood the love for the Beatles' music and I just didn't get any of it up until recently when my brother received The Beatles' Rock Band for Christmas (since he loves them to death). I still didn't enjoy anything, but I decided to play the game with him because he wanted me to. It was through that that I began to take more careful note of the arrangements and structures.
While I used to have a passionate general disdain for anything that represented popular or simplistic music because I believed it to be the artistic opposite of music that I always found to be deep and intellectually stimulating, it seems as though with this and particularly my musical development over the past year that I've pretty much opened my horizons nearly as far as they could go.
It's simply a great feeling to finally hear something wonderful and happy in their music. Even though I still REALLY don't particularly care for anything pre-Revolver. Anyone else have a similar experience?
|
|
|
Atavachron
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: September 30 2006
Location: Pearland
Status: Offline
Points: 65505
|
Posted: January 28 2010 at 21:32 |
I still have similar experinces, and hopefully you haven't opened your horizons as far as they could go but rather begun a process of progressive appreciation (no pun intended)
|
|
MovingPictures07
Prog Reviewer
Joined: January 09 2008
Location: Beasty Heart
Status: Offline
Points: 32181
|
Posted: January 28 2010 at 21:36 |
Atavachron wrote:
I still have similar experinces, and hopefully you haven't opened your horizons as far as they could go but rather begun a process of progressive appreciation (no pun intended)
|
That's pretty much what I've been doing for the past 6 years, and I hardly even listen to anything that's on this site lately. What I meant by that statement is that I pretty much will listen to anything anymore and at least see some sort of value in it. There's only that small percentage of music that I would deem as "processed crap", mainly the stuff that is obviously written only for commercial purposes (and often not even by the "artist"). In short: there's really any good music to be found in any style and in any form; you just have to find what you like. "It's music and I like it." It's simply a REALLY good feeling to at least find some value in a band that for my whole life found absolutely nothing in.
Edited by MovingPictures07 - January 28 2010 at 21:37
|
|
|
Finnforest
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: February 03 2007
Location: The Heartland
Status: Offline
Points: 17077
|
Posted: January 28 2010 at 22:02 |
I was always able to enjoy the commercial. I can still bop along to "99 Luft balloons" or Styx's "Babe" without any shame. Guess I'm not quite as much a music snob as I'd like to be. Though I do dislike rap, hip/hop, and most commercial "dance" music though, so I get to be snobby there. Maybe I'll buy the Lady GaGa album to further lighten up.
|
...that moment you realize you like "Mob Rules" better than "Heaven and Hell"
|
|
MovingPictures07
Prog Reviewer
Joined: January 09 2008
Location: Beasty Heart
Status: Offline
Points: 32181
|
Posted: January 28 2010 at 22:06 |
Finnforest wrote:
I was always able to enjoy the commercial. I can still bop along to "99 Luft balloons" or Styx's "Babe" without any shame. Guess I'm not quite as much a music snob as I'd like to be.
Though I do dislike rap, hip/hop, and most commercial "dance" music though, so I get to be snobby there.
Maybe I'll buy the Lady GaGa album to further lighten up.
|
Classic rock was important to me in my musical development, because I didn't really care about music before my dad showed me Rush years ago. Others like Styx and Blue Oyster Cult were around that time too, so I don't mind "Babe" at all. It's pretty much been a gradual mind-opening process ever since, in commercial directions and very experimental directions.
|
|
|
Slartibartfast
Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / In Memoriam
Joined: April 29 2006
Location: Atlantais
Status: Offline
Points: 29630
|
Posted: January 29 2010 at 05:32 |
MovingPictures07 wrote:
REALLY don't particularly care for anything pre-Revolver. Anyone else have a similar experience?
|
I find the essentials for me start with Rubber Soul. My parents never had any albums but I was well immersed in the music through radio, etc. Even as elevator music in the '70's (fer cryin' out loud) before I became a full fledged prog fan.
|
Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...
|
|
Finnforest
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: February 03 2007
Location: The Heartland
Status: Offline
Points: 17077
|
Posted: January 29 2010 at 06:03 |
Good point Brian. Alex, even knowing your aversion to the real early stuff, do make the effort to push back one title further to Rubber Soul. A masterpiece of songwriting, singing, even ambitious early arrangements, delicate but thoughtful. Don't pass that one by if you're embracing the band.
|
...that moment you realize you like "Mob Rules" better than "Heaven and Hell"
|
|
chopper
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: July 13 2005
Location: Essex, UK
Status: Offline
Points: 20031
|
Posted: January 29 2010 at 06:44 |
The Beatles music isn't as "simplistic" as some might imagine (and a lot of this comes from the musical knowledge of George Martin) and the change began a bit earlier than Revolver (check out Rubber Soul). Speaking as a massive fan, I can take or leave most of the first two albums, then from A Hard Days Night onwards, the real gems start to appear.
Glad to see The Beatles Rock Band has made at least 1 new fan!
|
|
MovingPictures07
Prog Reviewer
Joined: January 09 2008
Location: Beasty Heart
Status: Offline
Points: 32181
|
Posted: January 29 2010 at 09:50 |
Finnforest wrote:
Good point Brian. Alex, even knowing your aversion to the real early stuff, do make the effort to push back one title further to Rubber Soul. A masterpiece of songwriting, singing, even ambitious early arrangements, delicate but thoughtful. Don't pass that one by if you're embracing the band.
|
I'm going to give every album a newfound shot, at least, even the really early ones.
Edited by MovingPictures07 - January 29 2010 at 09:50
|
|
|
MovingPictures07
Prog Reviewer
Joined: January 09 2008
Location: Beasty Heart
Status: Offline
Points: 32181
|
Posted: January 29 2010 at 09:53 |
chopper wrote:
The Beatles music isn't as "simplistic" as some might imagine (and a lot of this comes from the musical knowledge of George Martin) and the change began a bit earlier than Revolver (check out Rubber Soul). Speaking as a massive fan, I can take or leave most of the first two albums, then from A Hard Days Night onwards, the real gems start to appear.
Glad to see The Beatles Rock Band has made at least 1 new fan! |
I guess it was simply a total lack of being able to relate to the music; I felt distanced from the simplicity of it (since I have a natural tendency to go for depth in my art to begin with, regardless of the medium--which is why I like Lost) and I also felt extremely distanced from the whole cultural aspect of it. Listening to any of their songs or albums just never made me feel anything ever. Then I noticed I began appreciating a few of the songs while playing them on the game with my brother because I was paying more close attention to subtle nuances and unique arrangements. Then it all just kind of clicked. I doubt I still ever really enjoy them enough to have them be in my top favorites, but it's hard to say until I sit down and give each album unit a proper listen again.
|
|
|
rushfan4
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: May 22 2007
Location: Michigan, U.S.
Status: Offline
Points: 66542
|
Posted: January 29 2010 at 09:57 |
First the Saints make the Super Bowl; now Alex finds out that he might actually like the Beatles. No wonder it so damn cold north of Kentucky. Hell really has frozen over.
|
|
|
Negoba
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 24 2008
Location: Big Muddy
Status: Offline
Points: 5210
|
Posted: January 29 2010 at 10:03 |
Though Revolver was the first really experimental album, and rightly considered one of the best albums of the rock-n-roll era, Rubber Soul is, for me, the textbook on songwriting. The Beatles do not use straight I-IV-V progressions much of the time. Diminished chords and augmented chords are common as early as their second single "From Me to You." They were never deliberately complex, just trying new things to further the muse.
Early on, there are quite a few covers, and the songwriting is still in development. But as a musician, playing hundreds of shows and knowing hundreds of songs (even simple ones) just changes your ear and competency. The Beatles did a nice variety even way back when.
There is a beauty in near-perfect songwriting in early gems like "Ticket to Ride" and "Help!" Even then things were a little past pure pop.
I'm a Beatles junkie so I could rattle on....
|
You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all.
|
|
Epignosis
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: December 30 2007
Location: Raeford, NC
Status: Offline
Points: 32550
|
Posted: January 29 2010 at 10:21 |
Now you can contemplate the deep mysteries of I AM THE WALRUS.
|
|
|
Negoba
Prog Reviewer
Joined: July 24 2008
Location: Big Muddy
Status: Offline
Points: 5210
|
Posted: January 29 2010 at 10:30 |
Goo-goo-kachoob, man. Groovy.
|
You are quite a fine person, and I am very fond of you. But you are only quite a little fellow, in a wide world, after all.
|
|
MovingPictures07
Prog Reviewer
Joined: January 09 2008
Location: Beasty Heart
Status: Offline
Points: 32181
|
Posted: January 29 2010 at 15:28 |
rushfan4 wrote:
First the Saints make the Super Bowl; now Alex finds out that he might actually like the Beatles. No wonder it so damn cold north of Kentucky. Hell really has frozen over. |
James said the same exact thing.
|
|
|
MovingPictures07
Prog Reviewer
Joined: January 09 2008
Location: Beasty Heart
Status: Offline
Points: 32181
|
Posted: January 29 2010 at 15:29 |
Negoba wrote:
Though Revolver was the first really experimental album, and rightly considered one of the best albums of the rock-n-roll era, Rubber Soul is, for me, the textbook on songwriting. The Beatles do not use straight I-IV-V progressions much of the time. Diminished chords and augmented chords are common as early as their second single "From Me to You." They were never deliberately complex, just trying new things to further the muse.
Early on, there are quite a few covers, and the songwriting is still in development. But as a musician, playing hundreds of shows and knowing hundreds of songs (even simple ones) just changes your ear and competency. The Beatles did a nice variety even way back when.
There is a beauty in near-perfect songwriting in early gems like "Ticket to Ride" and "Help!" Even then things were a little past pure pop.
I'm a Beatles junkie so I could rattle on.... |
I'm honestly not all as familiar with Rubber Soul so I'll have to change that and get back to you on that one. I do see what you mean though; and I think "They were never deliberately complex, just trying new things to further the muse." is a very true statement.
|
|
|
halabalushindigus
Forum Senior Member
Joined: November 05 2009
Location: San Diego
Status: Offline
Points: 1438
|
Posted: January 29 2010 at 17:12 |
I've been told when a Boy kiss a Girl, take a trip around the world heyhey
|
assume the power 1586/14.3
|
|
rogerthat
Prog Reviewer
Joined: September 03 2006
Location: .
Status: Offline
Points: 9869
|
Posted: January 30 2010 at 00:02 |
I think it's worth starting from Help! though it is indeed Tomorrow Never Knows that makes you go holy s***, from which planet are these guys from!
|
|
Matthew T
Prog Reviewer
Joined: February 01 2007
Location: Australia
Status: Offline
Points: 5291
|
Posted: January 30 2010 at 00:50 |
Doesn't matter were it comes from as long as it keeps comin' Often I've heard old movies,kids shows anything except MTV . Anyway The Beatles had a cartoon series in the late 60's ( They had nothing to do with it themselves) but all the songs Revolver back were played on it and I bloody loved it.
|
Matt
|
|
Atavachron
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: September 30 2006
Location: Pearland
Status: Offline
Points: 65505
|
Posted: January 30 2010 at 00:55 |
Rubber Soul may be their most transitional album, but Revolver was transformative both in terms of material and approach to record making; despite the progression in songwriting, Rubber Soul was still a collection of songs, albeit great ones, but was a fairly uneventful Beatles album. Revolver on the other hand was something else-- from 'Eleanor Rigby' and 'Yellow Submarine' to 'Good Day Sunshine', 'For No One' and 'Tomorrow Never Knows', it was evident this was something quite special in rock and not simply another high-quality album by a group of talented young guys.
|
|
Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.