Beatles breakup turbocharged prog
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Topic: Beatles breakup turbocharged prog
Posted By: Ironing Mike
Subject: Beatles breakup turbocharged prog
Date Posted: February 05 2006 at 04:01
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Most new proggers tend to underestimate the the importance of the
Beatles to the development of prog and the influence they had on the fledgling musicians of the time. The golden age of prog (1969 to 1974) followed on directly from the demise of the Fab Four in 1969. Record companies of the time were falling over themselves to find the "next Beatles" and were open to the market potential of the kind of experimentation that the Beatles pioneered in their later years. I heard Rick Wakeman speaking about this particular matter on a radio interview during his recent tour of Australia. He went to pains to point out that the record company execs were happy to give the newer groups of the time as much leeway as they needed in the studio and that they never darkened the studio door nor expressed opinions regarding musical direction. After all, what did they know apart from the fact that there was a gaping hole had been left in the market? German Polydor (who had the Beatles on their label in the pre-Parlophone days) were so keen to discover/manufacture the new Beatles that they commissioned and bankrolled an effort in that direction which became Faust. It is no accident that Faust produced their hugely experimental classic first albums in the 71-74 period. The return of prog in the 90s has as much to do with technology as anything else. With the availability of cheap computer-based music technology, musicians have been able to self-produce their own efforts independent of expensive studios and cynical A&R types. The internet has given them access to global niche markets. This site in particular has given prog a welcome "kick along" in the past 5 years (?) or so. History shows us why the early 70s constituted the first golden era of prog and why we're in the middle of another one now. (See my thread "Why did prog go away?") IM ------------- It's a rainy day, sunshine girl |
Replies:
Posted By: RaphaelT
Date Posted: February 05 2006 at 04:44
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You've got the point. Hopefully the main bands of contemporary era do not have contracts with major labels, therefore they are not likely to be made to record more commercial stuff, as happened in the late 70s with classic bands as Yes, ELP, Genesis. ------------- yet you still have time! |
Posted By: Ironing Mike
Date Posted: February 05 2006 at 05:21
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It's a shame that those classic bands were not able to recreate the conditions
that allowed them to innovate so freely. The market for prog is not tied to major labels anymore. Current prog bands get the music made and then look to exploiting their niche markets esp. via the internet. IM ------------- It's a rainy day, sunshine girl |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: February 05 2006 at 05:42
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I personally blame it on the lack of good, clean, scizophrenic drug-plagued suicidal talented geniuses out there. Modern psychiatry has ruined music!! |
Posted By: Ironing Mike
Date Posted: February 05 2006 at 07:54
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Don't forget that the personal computer was a mid 70s innovation. Somehow
I'm glad that the Beatles were pre-digital. IM ------------- It's a rainy day, sunshine girl |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: February 05 2006 at 09:18
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I agree with you, Ironing Mike. The Beatles gave up touring in 1966 to concentrate on studio work, thus producing masterpieces such as Revolver and Sgt. Pepper. They were allowed to spend as much time as they wanted in the studio (as opposed to the single day they had for their first LP) and this undoubtedly gave more freedom for other bands to do the same (Yes had a heavy Beatles influence at the beginning). Nowadays record companies have too much control over their artists. |
Posted By: Rosescar
Date Posted: February 05 2006 at 09:35
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How about Frank Zappa? I think he more or less gave the Beatles the
possibility (and inspiration) to start with more experimental music.
You are right though, because of the Beatles the bigger labels were
more open to innovative music as the Beatles had a lot of success with
it.
------------- http://www.soundclick.com/rosescar/ - My music! "THE AUDIENCE WERE generally drugged. (In Holland, always)." - Robert Fripp |
Posted By: BePinkTheater
Date Posted: February 05 2006 at 10:41
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VEry Interesting. I never really thoguht of this. Who knows if its true though, but it does make sence. ------------- I can strangle a canary in a tin can and it would be really original, but that wouldn't save it from sounding like utter sh*t. -Stone Beard |
Posted By: gdub411
Date Posted: February 05 2006 at 11:07
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I have never read any Beatles book that gave Zappa an ounce of credit for their inspiration to explore new territory. I would say it was drugs and George Martin. |
Rosescar wrote:Posted By: Catholic Flame
Date Posted: February 05 2006 at 13:04
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I think you are right on the money. The breakup of the Beatles on the Rock side and the death of John Coltrane on the Jazz side opened everything up. The leaders were gone and everyone was searching for something new. ------------- “Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion.” ~Jack Kerouac |
Posted By: Cygnus X-2
Date Posted: February 05 2006 at 13:07
But it has been said that Paul wanted Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band to be their "Freak Out!". ------------- 
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Posted By: Ironing Mike
Date Posted: February 05 2006 at 20:43
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The Beatles were certainly aware of what Zappa was doing, but it's more
likely that the direct influences on their experimental work (apart from George Martin and the psychedelics they were taking) came from Brian Wilson and Bob Dylan. The intensity of the exchanges between Bob, John and Paul has been widely documented especially in a book I read a while ago called (from memory) The Magic Circle. The competition between The Beatles and The Beach Boys was so intense that poor Brian flipped right out when he heard Sgt Pepper and Smile (his then work in progress) took nearly 40 years to complete! IM ------------- It's a rainy day, sunshine girl |
Posted By: ken4musiq
Date Posted: February 06 2006 at 01:46
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Most new proggers tend to underestimate the the importance of the
I don't think it is the case anymore. In the literature, The Beatles are now recognized for their contributions to prog. Actually, it was not the Beatles as much as George Martin. Of course, Yes covered "Every Thing She Does" and was very influenced by The Beatles early on. Dark Side of the Moon is also reminiscent at places of parts of Abbey Road, especially Eclipse. I ahve always felt, that the period 1967-1973 outlined an idealism and hope for humanity expressed in music. The Beatles had opened up a door, a new perception, with Tomorrow Never Knows and Strawberry Fields. ("Turn off your mind, relax and float down stream") This door was closed with the ending of Dark Side. ("Everything under the Sun is in tune; but the sun is eclipsed by the moon.") I think part of its death was the new emerging record conglomeration, which the Beatles addressed in Yellow Submarine. Another reality was that all these guys were growing up and realizing that the end of institutional rascism and the Viet Nam War and all the work the counterculture did to get there, did not mean that there was going to be a new establishment of peace and harmony. The Paris Peace Accord did not end the war. Progressive rock, as it came to be called, often addresssed the darkest, one might even say nihilistic aspects of that reality as in Floyd, King Crimson and ELP. At the same time, it often tried to create an alternative to it as in bands like Moody Blues, Gentle Giant and Yes, both of which deal a lot with spiritual issues. Sorry if I got off point. I tend to ramble but I think the Beatles were addressing these points. |