The Beatles - why did I wait so long?

[BillMason]

So I've never really respected the Beatles - ever. I was born in 1970, and although I listened to a lot of music all of my life from the period just before I was born, the Beatles always seemed so tame and safe compared to Jimi, the Who, early Sabbath, Neil Young (Buffalo Springfield, CSN&Y, etc.), the Stones, the Doors, and numerous others, plus all the greats from the 70s. I never gave the Beatles a proper listen until my young kids started paying attention to non-children's music, and I wanted something good but safe for them to listen to in the car. Since then, I've been gradually getting my feet wetter and wetter, and I've just spent about two hours listening to tracks from several Beatles albums on my iPod, with headphones.

Those guys were freaking musical geniuses!! Like, duh... I am such an idiot. I really like Let It Be and the White Album (again, duh). I'm just glad I've finally seen the light, the world of music is much richer for me now.

I have to buy more now, too bad iTunes doesn't have any...

[Lazylion]

The Beatles have always been there, patiently waiting for you to come to them in your own time. They have so much to give you, now that you are ready to accept them.

The Beatles love you. You have but to love them in return.

[warnergt]

When it comes to the Beatles, the phrase "musical geniuses" is almost an understatement. I feel fortunate to have lived during the Beatles era. We couldn't wait to get our hands on the next Beatles album (and record it with our reel-to-reel tape deck ). Every album went into new and different territory. If you think it sounds good today, you should have heard it back then when there was absolutely nothing like it. Those guys opened doors that we never knew existed. Many followed.

Even today, their music is timeless. Their rich and complex music is seldom matched. Heck, it is hard to buy a new album today with more than one or two good songs. I could go on and on but you get the idea.

[Jeff K]

Give "Abbey Road" a listen sometime if you haven't already. Awesome album.

I "grew up" with the Beatles. I was 14 when they appeared on Ed Sullivan in 1964. My friends and I used to get kicked out of school on a regular basis to go get haircuts. It wasn't even long. It's just that we wore it "Beatles-style". To Junior High and High School principals at the time, we might as well have been carrying axes and guns. We were quite the threat to their status quo. But the chicks loved it, and that's all we cared about!

[JimmyM]

Bill, here's my take on the Beatles...there are bands that rock harder, there are bands that had more social consciousness, there are bands that had darker natures, but the Beatles invented all those things, and you can trace the development of every rock and roll splinter group to the Beatles.

[Stumbo]

Give their solo albums a listen as well.

Their was a documentary on Stuart Sutcliff (sp?) on cable a few days ago. He was one of the original members of the group who stayed in Germany after they finished their gig there. Unfortunately he died not too much later of a brain tumor.

It's amazing to hear the development of the Beatles from "skiffle" to the Sgt. Pepper's Album and beyond.

Give a close listen to PM's bass lines.

[::::BASSIST::::]

Best band in history IMO.

[nad]

Abbey Road might be the greatest album of all time, although I still prefer George Harrison's All Things Must Pass to anything the Fab Four did.

[Solarmist]

Originally Posted by warnergt

When it comes to the Beatles, the phrase "musical geniuses" is almost an understatement.

Every album went into new and different territory.

Those guys opened doors that we never knew existed. Many followed.

Even today, their music is timeless.

+1 As far as I'm concerned they started it all - Songs like "A Day In The Life" "I am The Walrus" "It's All To Much" ... And the "Yellow Submarine" movie ... total stoner stuff!

[KJung]

Originally Posted by nad

Abbey Road might be the greatest album of all time, although I still prefer George Harrison's All Things Must Pass to anything the Fab Four did.

+1 and +1. The 'Concert for George' (which features much of the music from All Things Must Pass along with some of the Beatles tunes that George wrote, is also one of the great live performances of all time IMO, and was the first (and I believe only) time that Ringo and Paul played live together since the last 'Let it Be' live performance. Truly amazing.

[JimK]

Anoushka Shankar really kicks off the Concert For George in a big way.

Anyway, for me...Revolver is the ****.
As a whole, The Beatles ("White Album") never floated my boat, I guess 'cause by that point they were pretty much a non-band. I haven't checked...anyone know how many (if any) tunes on "The White Album" actually had all 4 playing together?

[dave64o]

Originally Posted by BillMason

So I've never really respected the Beatles - ever. I was born in 1970, and although I listened to a lot of music all of my life from the period just before I was born, the Beatles always seemed so tame and safe compared to Jimi, the Who, early Sabbath, Neil Young (Buffalo Springfield, CSN&Y, etc.), the Stones, the Doors, and numerous others, plus all the greats from the 70s. I never gave the Beatles a proper listen until my young kids started paying attention to non-children's music, and I wanted something good but safe for them to listen to in the car. Since then, I've been gradually getting my feet wetter and wetter, and I've just spent about two hours listening to tracks from several Beatles albums on my iPod, with headphones.

Those guys were freaking musical geniuses!! Like, duh... I am such an idiot. I really like Let It Be and the White Album (again, duh). I'm just glad I've finally seen the light, the world of music is much richer for me now.

I have to buy more now, too bad iTunes doesn't have any...

I've had my son listening to some of my favorite bands that I consider "safe" for a few years (he's 11 now) and we've both enjoyed it. I've even taken him to see some concerts and he's had a great time at them. He still listens to Radio Disney, but at least now he realizes that a band is actually made of MUSICIANS rather than 5 people lip syncing to synthesizers accompanied by 75 other dancers on stage. He was especially blown away by Rush (we've seen them twice together) and Kansas and now he really wants to see Boston.

For a while I've been saying "Hey, that's a ________ song" when we hear one in a commercial, as background music when we're out, etc. and he's been asking me "Dad, have any Beatles CDs?" and I tell him nope, for some reason I have about 700 CDs but NO Beatles. He said I should make sure I put some on my Christmas list, which I will. I think I already know what he's getting me this year.

Unfortunately he also asked if we could go see the Beatles sometime and I had to tell him it will never be possible. However, I did tell him I'd go see Paul McCartney with him in a heartbeat. He also knows I saw the Ringo Starr All Star Band two years ago and loved it and I'd be happy to take him to that too. If your kids are old enough, I'll bet they'd love either of those concerts and you'd have a blast too.

[BillMason]

Yeah, I watched Concert For George a couple of years ago on PBS, and then got it for Christmas - was very shortly afterwards a big fan of George (and Sam Brown, rrowwwrrr!), and a while later started re-listening to John's solo stuff, which I've also learned to like. "Here Comes The Sun" is a beautiful song that has come to have a lot of happy meaning for our family. However, Ringo and Wings never really did it for me, or Paul's 1980s stuff like that schlep with Michael Jackson - they still don't do it for me. Band On The Run for example seems really chopped up somehow, like several songs awkwardly stuck together - maybe that's what he was going for, who knows. I love his stuff with the Beatles though.

I'll be sure to give Abbey Road and Revolver a spin! This is fun, like finding treasures in the attic of your grandparents' house. Stuff that's always been at hand, close by and available, waiting for you to look at and discover. Or learning that the quiet guy who lives next door and drives a Volvo is actually Van Morrison's spiritual guru.

[BillMason]

Originally Posted by dave64o

For a while I've been saying "Hey, that's a ________ song" when we hear one in a commercial, as background music when we're out, etc. and he's been asking me "Dad, have any Beatles CDs?" and I tell him nope, for some reason I have about 700 CDs but NO Beatles. He said I should make sure I put some on my Christmas list, which I will. I think I already know what he's getting me this year.

Kids are fun, aren't they? Mine are 8 & 6, and every once in a while my 8 year old will say, while listening to my iPod while driving, "Hey Dad, that's BB King, right?" when BB hasn't even started singing yet, he's just played a couple of notes. I bought them both really cheap MP3 players last year for Christmas, and my then 7 year old said it was his favorite gift - he uses it all the time, but I load the music on for him. He's had some early Beatles on it, like stuff off the red Great Hits album, but I think I might have to start giving him some of the late 60s stuff now.

[KJung]

Originally Posted by BillMason

Yeah, I watched Concert For George a couple of years ago on PBS, and then got it for Christmas - was very shortly afterwards a big fan of George (and Sam Brown, rrowwwrrr!), and a while later started re-listening to John's solo stuff, which I've also learned to like. "Here Comes The Sun" is a beautiful song that has come to have a lot of happy meaning for our family. However, Ringo and Wings never really did it for me, or Paul's 1980s stuff like that schlep with Michael Jackson - they still don't do it for me. Band On The Run for example seems really chopped up somehow, like several songs awkwardly stuck together - maybe that's what he was going for, who knows. I love his stuff with the Beatles though.

I'll be sure to give Abbey Road and Revolver a spin! This is fun, like finding treasures in the attic of your grandparents' house. Stuff that's always been at hand, close by and available, waiting for you to look at and discover. Or learning that the quiet guy who lives next door and drives a Volvo is actually Van Morrison's spiritual guru.

Speaking of Van, I think I read somewhere that he is recutting the Astral Weeks album live with a number of the original players. Pretty cool!

And, as I've posted before, Billy Preston's solo on Isn't it a Pity is one of the best musical moments I've ever experienced on the Concert for George CD. That is the definition of 'playing from the heart and soul'. And to give Ringo some love, his version of 'Photograph' that night was also quite touching. I think the guys on stage that night were responsible for about 100 million album sales!

Finally.... +1 on the wings stuff, but man, some of the bass playing (Silly Love Songs, etc.) is worth giving that stuff another listen.

[JimK]

Originally Posted by dave64o

I have about 700 CDs but NO Beatles.

That sez a lot, Kansas-boy!

[Howlin' Hanson]

Originally Posted by dave64o

for some reason I have about 700 CDs but NO Beatles.

Me neither. Mine are all on vinyl.

Though I will have to remedy that, as I have joined a band whose leader REALLY likes the Beatles.

And though I really like the Beatles, the band that gave me my first interest in playing were The Beach Boys. Surf's up, dudes!

[BillMason]

Anyone know what bass Paul is using on Dear Prudence? I'd almost swear it was a P bass with flats, except I don't think Paul cottoned to no Fender basses.

[baalroo]

Originally Posted by BillMason

...the Beatles always seemed so tame and safe compared to Jimi, the Who, early Sabbath, Neil Young (Buffalo Springfield, CSN&Y, etc.), the Stones, the Doors, and numerous others...

Not to sound like a jerk, but this made me laugh.

p.s. Another band of the era that mistakenly gets labeled in a similiar fashion: The Beach Boys.

[The Golden Boy]

For me The Beatles start between Help! and Rubber Soul.

I'm not much of a fan of the "moptop" Beatles, but once they started going on the more "adventurous" stuff- that's where it really gets interesting.

Rubber Soul, Revolver, The White Album, and Abbey Road are my favorites.

If you're not a Beatles fan, what does "the Beatles" mean to you? "I Want To Hold Your Hand?" Or "Come Together?"

Even if you're not a Beatles fan, they're not "brutal" enough for you, or whatever- look where rock music really started. Those distorted guitar tones (Revolution), awesome "modern" aggressive bass sounds (Baby You're A Rich Man), samples (Tomorrow Never Knows), and all around experimentation... The Beatles started that stuff in the pop/rock context.