VentureBeat - Latest Comments in Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

WxG — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 01:55:30 -0000

An understatement. You'd think that demographics would have occurred to the makers. And it's a twofold loss here. No appreciable new player influx and at the same time the old players get bored and leave.

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

affiliate — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 02:53:10 -0000

What is your favorite song to play live?

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

ugg boots — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 01:34:36 -0000

good article...thanks a lot for the information!

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 10:00:20 -0000

Also, The Beatles not only wrote so many great timeless rock songs,but so many beautiful acoustic ballads,even as early as on their great early 1964 A Hard Day's Night album,John's beautiful If I Fell, I'll Be Back and Paul's beautiful And I Love Her and Things We Said Today which he wrote for his then girlfriend who he later became engaged to,(she left him in 1968 after they had been lovers for 5 years from the time she was 17 and he was 21,and they were engaged to be married for 7 months,when she came home unexpectedly and found him in their bed with another woman) the very pretty red haired British actress Jane Asher,he also wrote Here There And Everywhere and ,the great blues rocker She's A Woman,for and or about her,he also wrote great songs about his arguments with her over him wanting her to give up her acting career and devote herself to him,We Can Work It Out,You Won't See Me,I'm Looking Through You and For No One.

Paul McCartney says in his authorized biography Many Years From Now, that 12 years after his beloved mother Mary who was a nurse and a midwife died when Paul was only 14 and his brother only 12,died from breast cancer within a month of being diagnosed,he had a realistic vivid dream where he saw his mother alive again and she told him to just accept things as they are.Some people including Paul himself say he subconciously wrote Yesterday 3 years brfore he wrote Let It Be also about his mother's death.Especialy when he sings the words,why she had to go I don't know she wouldn't say, and how he sings I said something wrong and he longs for yesterday when she was still living and all of his troubles seemed so far away,and he's not half the man he used to be, and wants to find a place to hide away,and how there is a shadow hanging over him and yesterday came suddenly. Like Let It Be it's a sad song especially for an extremely talented,great looking, very successful 22 year old rock artist to write.

He said when he woke up from this dream he thought how wonderful it was to see her again,and that's what he wrote the beautiful song Let It Be About,it's his dead mother Mary who comes to him in his times of trouble in his hours of darknes speaking words of wisdom Let Be.John Lennon's beautiful song Julia on The Beatles great rock album,The White album is about his mother Julia who gave him away at 5 to be raised by her older sister,and just when John was getting close to her she was killed in a hit and run car accident by a drunk off duty cop while she crossed the street in front of the house John lived in,he was at her boyfriend's house waiting for her.

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 09:10:28 -0000

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Weather Forecast

Custom Search

Cleveland Leader

The Beatles Take Over the World's Music Charts with Re-masters Catalogue Release

Submitted by Leader Staff on September 22, 2009 - 3:34pm.

Entertainment
Music
News

On September 9, 2009, The Beatles released their digitally re-mastered catalogue. The band showed their timeless appeal and unique position in the world of music and history, by selling more than 2.25 million copies of The Beatles re-mastered albums during the first five days of release in the major music markets including North America, Japan and the UK.

The Beatles' original UK studio albums were re-mastered by engineers at Abbey Road Studios in London over a four year period. The fruit of their meticulous labor is the highest fidelity the band's catalogue has seen since its original release. Each of the re-mastered albums were made available for purchase individually and in two multiple-CD box sets - one in stereo and one in mono.

Decades after their original releases, The Beatles albums sold amazingly with the re-masters' release this month, as evidenced by their unparalleged global chart performance:

US: During the first five days of release, consumers purchased more than one million copies of re-mastered Beatles titles, and the individual CD and boxed sets debuted strongly across multiple Billboard charts.
On Billboard’s Comprehensive Albums chart, which lists the most popular album releases in the US, including current and catalogue titles, The Beatles set a new record for the most simultaneous titles by a single artist (18), including five of the top 10 and nine of the top 20.

On the Pop Catalog chart, The Beatles achieved another new Billboard chart first for the most simultaneous titles in the top 50 (16), a record they previously set themselves with 12 titles in December 1995. The Beatles have nine of the chart’s top 10 titles, and all 14 re-mastered CDs are in the top 20, led by ‘Abbey Road’ at number one and ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ at number two.

On the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart, ‘The Beatles’ stereo boxed set debuted at number 15, and ‘The Beatles in Mono’ limited edition boxed set debuted at number 40.

UK: In last week’s chart, The Beatles had four titles in the top 10, seven in the top 40 and 16 in the top 75, including both the stereo and mono boxes, as well as 2000’s ‘Beatles 1’ compilation. This set a new record for the most simultaneous albums in the UK charts according to the UK Official Charts Company. In this week’s UK chart, The Beatles have 13 albums in the top 75. A further 84,000 CDs were sold last week, bringing their total sales of the re-masters to more than 354,000 in 11 days and their total UK sales this decade to 6,755,000.

Japan: All 14 re-mastered titles and boxed sets debuted in the top 25 of the international chart, including seven of the top 10, led by the stereo boxed set at number two, the mono boxed set at number three, ‘Abbey Road’ at four and ‘Let It Be’ at six. Across all titles and box sets, more than 840,000 albums were purchased by consumers in Japan in the first three days of sales.

Canada: The Beatles have 15 of the top 20 catalogue titles including all of the top 11. The stereo boxed set is a new entry in the current albums chart at number four, the highest debut for a boxed set in Canada since Nielsen SoundScan started tracking sales. Cumulative sales across all titles were just under 160,000 over the counter.

France: All 14 of the re-mastered titles and boxed sets entered the latest album chart, including three in the top 10, led by ‘Abbey Road’ at number four, a new record for the most original studio albums in the French album chart in one week.

Italy: The Beatles have 17 titles in the current chart – all 14 re-mastered titles, the two boxed sets, plus the ‘1’ compilation, a record for the most simultaneous entries in the album chart.

Belgium: With 17 entries in the current chart - the 14 re-mastered titles, two boxed sets and ‘1’ compilation – The Beatles have set a new record for the most simultaneous albums in the Belgian chart as confirmed by chart compiler Ultrapop.

Sweden: The Beatles have 16 titles simultaneously in the top 60, led by ‘Abbey Road’ at number six. Local industry body IFPI have confirmed that this is a record for the Swedish charts.

Argentina: Seven of the current top 10 albums are Beatles re-masters, led by ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band at number two, ‘Abbey Road’ at number three and ‘The Beatles’ (The White Album) at number four. All 14 re-mastered titles are in the top 20 and the boxed sets are at numbers 73 and 74 in the chart.

Spain: 13 Beatles albums plus both boxed sets debuted in the latest chart, a record for a single artist. The combined sales of the boxed sets places them at number four in the chart

Poland: All 14 re-mastered albums and two boxed sets debuted in the current top 100, led by ‘Abbey Road’ at six. This is a record for the highest number of simultaneous entries in the Polish chart.

Switzerland: 14 Beatles titles, including the stereo boxed set, debuted in the most recent album chart, a record for the most simultaneous titles in the album chart.

Denmark: The latest album chart includes 15 re-mastered Beatles titles, plus the ‘1’ compilation, including four of the top 20.

Australia: The Beatles have 14 titles in the current chart, including the ‘1’ compilation.

Germany: The combined sales of the stereo and mono boxed sets, with one boxed set counted as one unit sale, places them as the number three best seller in the latest chart.

Austria: The current top 75 contains 1
2 re-mastered titles plus the stereo boxed set.

Portugal: The re-mastered titles occupy 11 places in the current top 30 album chart, including three of the top 10.

Norway: The combined stereo and mono boxed sets debut at number three with a further 12 re-mastered titles in the top 100.

Colombia: Half of the current top 10 albums are re-mastered Beatles titles.

Korea: During the first sales week The Beatles occupied 16 out of the top 17 spots in Korea’s Hottracks album chart.

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:27:19 -0000

I just googled your name Renata and I learned that you are the founder of EmployeeBuddy.com and a law graduate.It just goes to show that there are many people who are intelligent about some things,but very ignorant about others!

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:17:29 -0000

I posted all of this because I just wanted to show how totally ignorant and foolish what Renata and others like him/her said really is. I'm sick of reading such ignorant garbage said about The Beatles on so many other message boards and sites.

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:14:11 -0000

As The Rolling Stone Album Guide said,not liking The Beatles is as perverse as not liking the sun. And Ozzy Osbourne said not loving The Beatles is like not loving oxogen. And a guy who runs Keno's Classic Rock n Roll Site and who runs a Rolling Stones and John Lennon fan site says damn The Beatles were one great group and he said in his great review of The Beatles 1962-1966 Red album, that if you don't love or at least like The Beatles and their music then you are not a true rock fan and more than likely will never get it.

Terms & Conditions

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:07:25 -0000

Windy City Wingman Lays Roots With Wilco

In the family tree of alternative country-rock, John Stirratt’s roots go deep. When he got the call in 1993 to take over bass duties from singer/ songwriter Jeff Tweedy in alt-country supergroup Uncle Tupelo, he began a working relationship with Tweedy that led to Wilco, one of the genre’s greatest success stories. It’s a tale marked by multiple personnel changes and high-drama record-label relations—the band was dropped from its label, Reprise, after delivering tapes for what would become 2002’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The making of that watershed album is the subject of Sam Jones’s documentary film I Am Trying to Break Your Heart.

Amid the changes, Stirratt’s warm tone and dynamic fingerstyle and pickstyle attack have formed the foundation of Wilco’s seven albums (including two with singer Billy Bragg), which have ranged from raw and rootsy (1995’s A.M.) to richly textured and intricate (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot). The band’s latest, A Ghost Is Born, witnesses Stirratt at his best, especially on the loping bass-driven single “Handshake Drugs.” Stirratt’s thumpy pickstyle line—played on a flatwound-strung Hofner—forms a balanced countermelody to Tweedy’s throaty vocals. Elsewhere, Stirratt’s playing is more staid and supportive, especially on the driving “Spiders (Kidsmoke),” an homage to Krautrock duo Neu!. With Jeff Tweedy at the helm and Stirratt in the engine room, the Chicago-based six-piece is currently touring with guitarist Nels Cline, drummer Glenn Kotche, keyboard player Mikael Jorgensen, and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone. When he is not touring or recording with Wilco, John plays with the Autumn Defense—a band formed with longtime friend Sansone—and with his twin sister in their group, Laurie & John.

Credit: Zoran Orlic

John Stirratt plays half the time with his fingers, the other half with a heavy-gauge Planet Waves pick. When he’s playing fingerstyle, he keeps the pick tucked under his pinkie and ring fingers so it’s easy to access. “I play with my right hand pretty close to the neck,” Stirratt explains, “and when I’m picking, I mute the strings a lot with the heel of my hand. In the studio, I put sponges or Styrofoam near the bridge to mute the strings so there’s no sustain.”

You and Jeff are the only original members of Wilco. How has your playing changed with the various lineups?

We were a four-piece in our previous incarnation, so I felt naked at times. I love having all of the musical information to feed off in this bigger ensemble. With the bigger group, my playing has gotten a lot more melodic, because in a smaller setting, my role is to just hold it down. Now I’ve got more room to move around, and I don’t have to stay on the root as much, because chances are someone else is covering it.

Wilco has always been a band of multi-instrumentalists. Do you ever share bass duties?

On Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and the new album, we had Leroy Bach in the band, and he’s a fantastic bass player—he played on a few tracks, like the ones with bowed upright. In Wilco we’ve always been generous about passing instruments around—I’ve done a lot of the basic tracks on piano or guitar. Having a different voice in the low end from track to track is great. On arabella, my sister and I had a fantastic bass player from Nashville, Brad Jones, on upright and electric. He plays a Gibson EB-2 and a Gibson Les Paul Studio bass through a SansAmp; he’s got a fluid, growly style.

What is the greatest strength you bring to Wilco?

I think I can hear what songs need. In learning to be a songwriter and singer first and foremost, I’ve come to realize the bass’s responsibility. Also, Jeff and I have been singing together for so long, I bring a lot of harmony to the band. That’s a big part of it, for sure. Over the years, the harmonies were either written by me or by [former Wilco bandmate] Jay Bennett. He’s an inventive writer of harmony and countermelodies and I learned a lot from playing with him.

Which bass players have had the most impact on your playing?

Paul McCartney is one of the greatest bass players of all time. If you listen to what he was tracking live in the studio, it’s unbelievable. With his tone and musicality, he was a huge influence. He covered all his harmonic responsibilities really well, but his lines were absolutely melodic and inventive. Also, Rick Danko of The Band was a huge influence on me. I love the idea of a bassist providing the high vocal harmony.

What is your favorite song to play live?

“Hummingbird” has great changes, and it’s one of the most inventive pop arrangements we’ve done, so that’s fun to play as an ensemble. On the other hand, there’s “Spiders (Kidsmoke),” which basically has a one-note line for the whole ten minutes. But there’s a whole world of dynamics that I explore with that song. Every stage is different, and by playing with dynamics, you can turn the stage itself into an instrument. It’s fun to see how that song works in different spaces night-to-night. It really has a life of its own.

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:58:08 -0000

Also,

on a fan site for the rock group Yes, called, Yesfans.com ( who are also big Beatles fans themselves and they recorded and played live several Beatles songs and member Rick Wakeman did a whole Beatles tribute album in 2000) they had a topic called Are The Beatles Overrated? Over 70% of the Yes fans voted the first choice, No Of Course Not They Were Not Overrated How Can You Even Ask This Question.

And one of the Yes fans posted in early 2008," The Greatest Band of all time overrated? Phuck no!"

And another Yes fan quoted him and said I second what he said! Another Yes fan quoted his own post from a year before when he had said he thought The Beatles were overrated and he now quoted his old post with an I'm stupid emoticon and he said how could I have been so stupid,of course The Beatles are not overrated.

Also, guitarist Frank Marino of the hard rock group Mahogany Rush said in several online interviews that he hates The Rolling Stones but he likes The Beatles,Jimi Hendrix,and The Doors etc. And Dave Navarro of the rock group Jane's Addiction said in Guitar World in 1991 and 1996 that he has always hated The Rolling Stones and he will never play one of their records.

Also there used to be an online interview with Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts from a 1973 Magazine called Zig Zag,and the interview was called,The Drinking Man's Rolling Stone. He says in this interview that The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were a lot alike as people and were friends. He also said what made The Beatles so great is that they made one great single and great album after the next!

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:56:04 -0000

Super Seventies Rock Site
presents

Eric Clapton - In His Own Words

In the Yardbirds, Cream, Derek and the Dominos, and his own bands, guitarist extraordinaire Eric Clapton has continually redefined his own version of the blues. He discusses his epic career and how he coped with drug and alcohol problems to become one of the most revered guitarists and dependable hitmakers of the past thirty years.

At a certain point the Yardbirds started getting package tours, with the Ronettes, Billy J. Kramer, the Kinks, the Small Faces, lots of others, and we lost our following in the clubs. We decided to get suits, and I actually designed suits for us all. Then we did the Beatles' Christmas show, and at that point we really began to feel the lack of a hit. We'd be on for twenty minutes or half an hour, and either you were very entertaining or you did your hits. A lot of times the raveup bit got us through, and a lot of times it didn't. It became very clear that if the group was going to survive and make money, it would have to be on a popular basis. We couldn't go back to the clubs, because everyone had got that taste and seen what fun it would be to be famous.

So a lot of songs were bandied about, and we came up with a song by Otis Redding. I thought that would make a great single, because it was still R&B and soul, and we could do it really funky. Then Paul [Samwell-Smith, bassist] got the "For Your Love" demo, and so we went into the studio to do both songs, but we did "For Your Love" first. Everyone was so bowled over by the obvious commerciality of it that we didn't even get to do the Otis Redding song, and I was very disappointed, disillusioned by that. So my attitude within the group got really sour, and it was kind of hinted that it would be better for me to leave. 'Cause they'd already been to see Jeff Beck play, and at the time he was far more adaptable than I was. I was withdrawing into myself, becoming intolerable, really, dogmatic. So they kind of asked me to leave, and I left and felt a lot better.

Eric Clapton's Seventies
Billboard Top 40 Singles

"After Midnight" 11/70 #18
"I Shot The Sheriff" 8/74 #1
"Willie And The Hand Jive" 11/74 #26
"Hello Old Friend" 11/76 #24
"Lay Down Sally" 2/78 #3
"Wonderful Tonight" 6/78 #16
"Promises" 11/78 #9
"Watch Out For Lucy" 3/79 #40

All during Cream I was riding high on the "Clapton is God" myth that had been started up. I was flying high on an ego trip; I was sure I was the best thing happening that was popular. Then we got our first kind of bad review, which was in Rolling Stone. The magazine ran an interview with us in which we were really praising ourselves, and it was followed by a review that said how boring and repetitious our performance had been. And it was true! The ring of truth had just knocked me backward; I was in a restaurant, and I fainted. And after I woke up, I immediately decided that that was the end of the band.

There toward the end, we'd been flying with blinkers for so long, we weren't aware of the changes that were taking place musically. New people were coming up and growing, and we were repeating ourselves, living on a legend, a year or two years out of date.

We didn't really have a band with Cream. We rarely payed as an ensemble; we were three virtuosos, all of us soloing all the time. We did a lot of acid, took a lot of trips in our spare time. And we did play on acid a couple of times.

I met John Lennon and would see him a lot around the London clubs. I got the impression that he was very shy, slightly bitter but also a very sweet young man. There seemed to be a sort of game between John and George [Harrison], partly because John was a pretty good guitar player himself. When I was with Cream, George became interested in my playing, and I think he might have told John that he liked my work. So John assumed that if George liked me, I was probably better than George. So we got into the "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" sessions.

A few years later John called me one Saturday morning and said, "Do you want to go to Toronto?" I said, "Sure. When?" And he said, "In a couple of hours." I happened to have my equipment at home, so I met them at the airport, with [bassist] Klaus Voorman and [drummer] Alan White. We all got first-class seats on the plane and I learned the repertoire on the way.

"The idea of dying from drugs didn't bother me... But as I grow older, as I live more, death becomes more of a reality, something I don't choose to step toward too soon."

I got slightly disillusioned when we landed at the other end and John and Yoko were whisked off in a limousine and all the band was left standing in the rain. We didn't know how we were going to get to the gig or anything, but that wasn't their problem. Then before the gig, we did so much coke that I actually threw up and passed out. They had to take me out and lay me on the ground. And at the last minute we realized that we were going on between... I think it was Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry, and we were terrified. We were shaking. But it turned out to be a great experience.

There was a lack of direction in Blind Faith, or a reticence to actually declare among ourselves where we were going. Because it seemed to be enough just to be making the money, and that wasn't good; the record company and the management had taken over. I felt that it wasn't good; the record company and the management had taken over. I felt that it was too soon for Steve [Winwood]. He was feeling uncomfortable, and since it had originally been my idea, I was uncomfortable. I started looking for somewhere else to go, an alternative, and I found that Delaney and Bonnie [Bramlett] were a godsend. After the Blind Faith tour, I lived with Delaney for a while.

After the Dominos' Layla album, the band did a very big tour of America. We copped a lot of dope in Miami -- a lot of dope -- and that went with us.

Eric Clapton's Seventies
Billboard Top 10 Albums

History Of Eric Clapton 6/72 #9
461 Ocean Boulevard 8/74 #2
Slowhand 3/78 #2
Backless 1/79 #8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By the end of the tour, the band was getting very, very loaded, doing way too much. Then we went back to England, tried to make a second album, and it broke down halfway through because of the paranoia and the tension. And the band just dissolved. I remember to this day being in my house, feeling totally lost and hearing Bobby Whitlock pull up in the driveway and scream for me to come out. He sat in his car outside all day, and I hid. And that's when I went on my journey into smack. I basically stayed in the house with my girlfriend for about two and a half years, and although we weren't using any needles, we got very strung out. All that time, though, I was running a cassette machine and playing; I had that to hold on to. At the end of that period I found I had boxes full of playing, as if there was something struggling to survive.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Clapton Lyrics

I had no care for the consequences; the idea of dying didn't bother me. Dying from drugs didn't seem to be a terrible thing. When Jimi Hendrix died, I cried all day because he'd left me behind. But as I grow older, as I live more, death becomes more of a reality, something I don't choose to step toward too soon.

I did the Rainbow Concert in January 1973 very much against my will. I wasn't even really there. It was Pete Townshend's idea, and I didn't know what I'd done to earn it. It's simply that he's a great humanitarian and cannot stand to see people throw their lives away. It didn't matter to him if I was willing or unwilling; he was making the effort so that I would realize, someday, that somebody cared. I'm always indebted to him for that.

The thing that finally drew me out was when Carle Radle, the Dominos' bassist, sent me a tape of him playing with Dick Sims and Jamie Oldaker. I listened to it and played along with it, and it was great. So I sent him a telegram saying, "Maintain loose posture, stay in touch." And at some point after that I started to get straight.

Main Page | Seventies Superstars | The Classic 400 | Seventies Almanac | Search The RockSite/The Web

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:52:07 -0000

Home www.alstrand.com

Introduction

How Did He Become An Icon?

1966

Post Beatles

Thanks

Pre-1963

1967
Five String Taste

Influential Bass Players of the '60s

1963

1968
Driving Rain

Large Scale vs. Small Scale Basses

1964/1965

1969

What Do Others Say?

contact the author

Bibliography

My thoughts on Paul's playing on John's songs

WHAT DO OTHERS SAY?

George Martin

" There's no doubt that Lennon and McCartney were good musicians. They had good musical brains, and the brain is where music originates - it has nothing to do with your fingers. As it happened, they could also play their own instruments very well.

And since those early days they've all improved, especially Paul. He's an excellent musical all-rounder, probably the best bass-guitarist there is, a first-class drummer, brilliant guitarist and competent piano player."

Sting

" It's hard to separate McCartney's influence on my bass playing from his influence on everything else-singing, songwriting, even becoming a musician in the first place. As a child, I would play my Beatles albums at 45 RPM so I could hear the bass better. He's the Guvnor."

Will Lee

" Growing up in Texas in the early '60s I was so obsessed with the Beatles' music that I didn't feel like a fan, I felt like I was in the Beatles. About the same time I switched from drums to bass I became aware of who gave the band its charm and personality, from visual tunes like "Penny Lane" to the group's repartee with the press. It was the same fellow who was able to take a poor-quality instrument like the Hofner bass and create magic on it. I especially dug Paul's funky, Motown-influenced side, evident in the bass line from Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey," or even in the syncopated part from "A Day In The Life.

Paul's influence on bassists has been so widespread over numerous generations that there's no denying he's in everybody's playing at this point. We're all descendants. He played simple and solid when it was called for. But because he had so many different flavors to add to a song, he was able to take the instrument far beyond a supportive role. Paul taught the bass how to sing."

Stanley Clarke

"Paul definitely had an influence on my bass playing, not so much technically, but more with his philosophy of melodic bass lines - especially as I hit my teens and the Beatles' records became more adventurous. On tracks like "Come Together," the bass line WAS the song. I've always liked that. The only other person I knew of who was doing that was James Jamerson. That was one of the reasons I was inspired to write "School Days": so I could just play the bass lines and people would hear a whole song.

I had the honor of being contacted by Paul through George Martin to play on Tug of War, and I also appeared on Pipes of Peace [both on Capitol]. Paul was very nice. He asked me to show him how to slap. During Pipes we got a groove going in a studio jam, and it ended up making on the album as "Hey Hey." He graciously gave me a co-writing credit, and it's still a thrill to see my name next to his above the music in the song book."

Billy Sheehan

" The reason I got involved with music in the first place was because I saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. I watched all the girls going crazy, and I figured this was the best business in the world to be in. Later on, when I got more deeply into music, Sgt. Pepper was a break-through record for me. I must have listened to it several hundred times. What intrigued me was how totally musical every aspect of it was, especially Paul's melodic, fluid bass lines. When my band Talas was starting in the mid '70s, [the Beatles' tribute show] Beatlemania was big, and we used to play entire gigs of just Beatles tunes. I've learned so much from Paul about playing, writing, and playing and singing at the same time that I should probably start sending him checks.

Most bassists get into the flashy players, but I think the reason Paul is often overlooked is that what he was doing wasn't really obvious. It was so brilliantly woven into the context of the songs. One of my favorites is the bass line from "Rain." I still use it to test the low end of an amp. That Paul happens to play bass is a great boon to all of us, because he made us realize that there are no limitations to being a bass player."

John Lennon

"Paul was one of the most innovative bass players ever. And half the stuff that is going on now is directly ripped off from his Beatles period."

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:48:17 -0000

The Beatles were also all good looking men,especially George and Paul when they were young,Paul was the most gorgeous looking rock star ever! But none of this is relevant to their musical genuis.

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:45:01 -0000

You know your music - so do we. THE ALLMUSIC BLOG

Abbey Road
The Beatles

Artist

The Beatles

Album

Abbey Road

Rating *****

Release Date

Sep 26, 1969

Label

Capitol

Genre Styles
Pop/Rock
Album Rock
Rock & Roll
Pop/Rock
British Psychedelia
Psychedelic
Sunshine Pop
Prog-Rock/ Art Rock
AM Pop
Hard Rock

Moods Themes
Whimsical
Naive
Elegant
Sophisticated
Cheerful
Freewheeling
Complex
Brassy
Fun
Romantic
Bittersweet
Sweet
Refined/ Mannered
Brash
Laid-Back/ Mellow
Hypnotic
Intimate
Self-Conscious
Lush
Energetic
Passionate
Road Trip
Reflection
Summertime
Housework

AMG Album ID

R 1525

Corrections to this Entry?

Review by Richie Unterberger

The last Beatles album to be recorded (although Let It Be was the last to be released), Abbey Road was a fitting swan song for the group, echoing some of the faux-conceptual forms of Sgt. Pepper, but featuring stronger compositions and more rock-oriented ensemble work. The group was still pushing forward in all facets of its art, whether devising some of the greatest harmonies to be heard on any rock record (especially on "Because"), constructing a medley of songs/vignettes that covered much of side two, adding subtle touches of Moog synthesizer, or crafting furious guitar-heavy rock ("The End," "I Want You (She's So Heavy)," "Come Together"). George Harrison also blossomed into a major songwriter, contributing the buoyant "Here Comes the Sun" and the supremely melodic ballad "Something," the latter of which became the first Harrison-penned Beatles hit. Whether Abbey Road is the Beatles' best work is debatable, but it's certainly the most immaculately produced (with the possible exception of Sgt. Pepper) and most tightly constructed.

Tracks

Title
Composer
Time

1 Come Together Lennon, McCartney 04:20
2 Something Harrison 03:02
3 Maxwell's Silver Hammer Lennon, McCartney 03:27
4 Oh! Darling Lennon, McCartney 03:26
5 Octopus's Garden Starkey, Starr 02:51
6 I Want You (She's So Heavy) Lennon, McCartney 07:47
7 Here Comes the Sun Harrison 03:05
8 Because Lennon, McCartney 02:45
9 You Never Give Me Your Money Lennon, McCartney 04:02
10 Sun King Lennon, McCartney 02:26
11 Mean Mr. Mustard Lennon, McCartney 01:06
12 Polythene Pam Lennon, McCartney 01:12
13 She Came in Through the Bathroom Window Lennon, McCartney 01:57
14 Golden Slumbers Lennon, McCartney 01:31
15 Carry That Weight Lennon, McCartney 01:36
16 The End Lennon, McCartney 02:19
17 Her Majesty Lennon, McCartney 00:23

indicates Track Pick
indicates a click-through to a song review

Releases
Year
Type
Label
Catalog #

1987 CD Capitol C2-46446
1987 CS Capitol C4-46446
1978 LP Capitol SEAX-11900
1987 LP Capitol C1-46446
1991 LP Capitol 003831
1991 CS Capitol 003834
1978 LP Capitol 119001
1989 LP Parlophone 1042431
2007 CD Toshiba EMI 51122
1983 CD Toshiba EMI 353016
2009 CD Capitol 82468

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:42:14 -0000

You know your music - so do we. THE ALLMUSIC BLOG

Artist/Group Album Song Classical Work

Revolution
The Beatles

Composed By Other Links
John Lennon/Paul McCartney All Performers that have performed this Title

Song Review

by Richie Unterberger

As the B-side of "Hey Jude," "Revolution" formed one-half of a worthy contender for the best rock single of all time. As with another contender, "Penny Lane"/ "Strawberry Fields Forever," each side represented one of the best and most characteristic songwriting efforts by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, respectively (even if they were billed to Lennon- McCartney jointly, out of contractual custom). "Revolution" was, of course, quite different in tone from "Hey Jude," one of the group's best ballads. In contrast, "Revolution" was one of their greatest, most furious rockers, also featuring some of Lennon's most challenging, fiery lyrics. It must first be noted that two entirely different arrangements of "Revolution" were recorded and released. A slow one with doo wop-inspired harmonies, officially titled "Revolution 1," appeared on The Beatles (popularly known as the White Album); the faster and, most would agree, superior version appeared on the B-side of the "Hey Jude" single. The song described here will be the single version, simply entitled "Revolution." Leading off with a startling machine-gun fuzz guitar riff and a scream, the heart immediately starts pounding before Lennon goes into the first verse. (Trivia note: An obscure 1954 recording by bluesman Pee Wee Crayton, "Do Unto Others," has an opening riff that sounds almost identical to the riff that opens "Revolution." Coincidence, or not?) Combining one of his throatiest vocals and the consistently buzzing, fuzzy guitars, you have one of the most down-and-dirty Beatles tracks ever.

In "Revolution," Lennon seems to be questioning, quite reasonably, the validity of changing the world through violent means. He was setting himself up for criticism from all sides here, particularly in the turbulent year of 1968: the establishment was angered by anyone talking about "Revolution" in any context, while some of the left viewed refusal to overthrow society by any means necessary as a cowardly sellout. Lennon is quite emphatic, however, that when it comes to violence, you can count him out. (Typically, he would sit on the fence on this issue over the years, and in "Revolution 1," qualify his observation by immediately singing the word "in" after declaring that he could be counted out.) Characteristically, optimism prevails in the Beatles' world, even when taking on one of the most explosive subjects possible, as on the uplifting chorus (helped greatly by harmony vocals), when the group urgently and repeatedly reassures listeners that everything's going to be all right. Those reassurances become sing-shouts in the final refrain, though the loud guitar figures in the background imply that everything might not be all right, as does a final near-hysterical repetition of the phrase by Lennon. "Revolution," incidentally, was one of the few Beatles tracks to feature a contribution from an outside rock session musician, Nicky Hopkins, who adds ebullient keyboards to the performance.

Appears On

Year
Album

1968 Hey Jude [Single] Apple

1970 Hey Jude

3:21 Capitol

AMG Track Picks

Paperback Writer, Hey Jude, Old Brown Shoe

1973 1967-1970

3:25 Capitol

AMG Track Picks

Strawberry Fields Forever, Penny Lane, I Am the Walrus, Hey Jude, Don't Let Me Down, Here Comes the Sun, Something

1976 Rock & Roll Music 3:24 Capitol

1980 Rock & Roll Music, Vol. 2 3:21 Capitol

1984 The Compleat Beatles [Video] MGM

1988 Imagine: John Lennon [Original Soundtrack]

3:22 Capitol

AMG Track Picks

Real Love, In My Life, The Ballad of John and Yoko, Jealous Guy, (Just Like) Starting Over, Imagine

1988 Past Masters, Vol. 2

3:24 Capitol

AMG Track Picks

Day Tripper, We Can Work It Out, Rain, Hey Jude

1988 Past Masters, Vols. 1 & 2 Capitol

1988 The Beatles Box Set [1988] 3:24 Capitol

1989 Ultra Rare Trax, Vol. 5 3:19 The Swingin' Pig

1991 Hey Jude/Revolution Capitol

1991 Unsurpassed Masters, Vol. 7 (1962-1969) Yellow Dog

1993 Artifacts, 1958-1970 3:19 Big Music

1993 Compact Disc Singles Collection 3:22 Capitol

1993 Unsurpassed Demos Yellow Dog

1994 Artifacts II 1960-1969 3:58 Big Music

1994 Revolution Vigotone

1996 Anthology Video, Vol. 8 Apple

1999 CD Singles Collection

3:22 EMI

AMG Track Picks

We Can Work It Out, Paperback Writer, Strawberry Fields Forever, Don't Let Me Down, I Am the Walrus, I'm Down, Ticket to Ride, She's a Woman, Revolution, All You Need Is Love

199Z The Get Back Journals VigoTone

2000 Imagine: John Lennon [Japan] 3:24 EMI

2006 LOVE [Bonus DVD] 2:14 Capitol/Apple

2006 LOVE 2:14 Capitol/Apple

AMG Track Picks

Drive My Car/The Word/What You're Doing, Strawberry Fields Forever, Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows, While My Guitar Gently Weeps

2008 LOVE [Special Edition] EMD Int'l

2009 The Beatles: Stereo Box Set Capitol

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:39:07 -0000

You know your music - so do we. THE ALLMUSIC BLOG

Artist/Group Album Song Classical Work

» New Releases » Editors' Choice
» Music Videos » Writers' Bloc
» Top Searches » Whole Note
» Classical Corner » Artist Spotlight
» Top Composers » Classical Reviews

You are not logged in.
Login or Register

I'm Down
The Beatles Send to Friend

Composed By Other Links
John Lennon/Paul McCartney All Performers that have performed this Title

Song Review by Richie Unterberger

"I'm Down," the B-side of "Help!," was one of the most frantic rockers in the entire Beatles catalog. The very first line — sung a cappella by the principal writer, Paul McCartney — was about as larynx-twisting an upper-register, non-falsetto vocal as was possible in rock music. Critics have often noted that the vocal and the song itself are very much in the Little Richard style, and some see it as little more than a rewrite of Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally." It's true there are some similarities between "I'm Down" and "Long Tall Sally," but it's not just a blatant copy. For one thing, there are the great call-and-response vocals between McCartney and the other Beatles, as well as the sudden jerky shifts in tempo in which the instruments periodically stop altogether. George Harrison lets loose with one of his patented bluesy, slightly disheveled, growling guitar solos, and then it's back to a final verse where McCartney really climbs the high notes for emphasis. That done with, it's time for one of the group's more crazed and elongated fadeouts, kicked off by a hair-raising McCartney scream, then settling into more vocal trades between him and the group as well as some wild organ playing by John Lennon.

Although The Beatles Recording Sessions tells listeners that seven takes were completed at the session, the song has a wonderfully loose, almost jammy feel. Listen to the part where McCartney starts the final verse, for instance, and his first line is answered with a lazy, almost diffident guitar sliding slowly up the low notes. Not that it hurts the song any, but there's a contradiction between the mood of the lyrics — ostensibly a guy down in the dumps about being dumped — and the delivery. McCartney does not sound down in the dumps; he sounds like he's having the time of his life, with an energy that's incredibly infectious. "I'm Down" was a great live favorite of the Beatles' mid-'60s shows, as seen in the famous footage of their 1965 Shea Stadium concert, which closed with an especially wild performance of the song. There have not been many covers of "I'm Down"; indeed, for years it was surprisingly hard to hear, as it didn't get issued on a Beatles LP until the mid-'70s. There were a couple of surprising attempts, however, one a live version (recorded in 1966, released in the 1980s) by the 13th Floor Elevators, with Roky Erickson contributing a demented lead vocal that was grating where McCartney's was uplifting. Even more surprisingly, Yes, a group not known for rock-'em-sock-'em party tunes, did "I'm Down" in concert.

Appears On
Year
Album

1976 Rock & Roll Music 2:32 Capitol

1980 Rock & Roll Music, Vol. 2 2:38 Capitol

1988 Past Masters, Vol. 1 2:31 Capitol

AMG Track Picks

She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand, I Feel Fine, I'm Down

1988 Past Masters, Vols. 1 & 2 Capitol

1988 The Beatles Box Set [1988] 2:31 Capitol

1989 Five Nights in a Judo Arena Swingin' Pig

1991 Help/I'm Down Capitol

1993 Artifacts, 1958-1970 2:18 Big Music

1993 Compact Disc Singles Collection 2:33 Capitol

1996 Anthology 2 2:53 Apple/Capitol

AMG Track Picks

Yes It Is, If You've Got Trouble, That Means a Lot, I'm Looking Through You, Strawberry Fields Forever

1996 Anthology Video, Vol. 5 Apple

1998 Live in Japan 3:40 Walrus

1999 CD Singles Collection 2:33 EMI

AMG Track Picks

We Can Work It Out, Paperback Writer, Strawberry Fields Forever, Don't Let Me Down, I Am the Walrus, I'm Down, Ticket to Ride, She's a Woman, Revolution, All You Need Is Love

2001 Beatles Story CTA

2003 Around the World Import

2008 Cartoons Brainmade

2009 The Beatles: Stereo Box Set Capitol

Budokan Concert VAP Inport

Concerts 1964-66 [DVD]

Unauthorised Live, Vol. 1 Joker

Video Scrapbook Encore Entertainment Imprort

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:36:24 -0000

You know your music - so do we. THE ALLMUSIC BLOG

She's a Woman

The Beatles

Composed By
John Lennon/Paul McCartney

Song Review by Richie Unterberger

"She's a Woman" was one of the hardest-rocking early Beatles originals, and although it was the B-side to "I Feel Fine," it was almost as big a hit in its own right, reaching number four on the American charts. Sung and primarily written by Paul McCartney, it's a belter that illustrates how the Beatles could be bluesy without writing conventional blues songs that stuck to normal blues progressions. Right from the start, the track has a brash, almost harsh edge, with choppy guitar chords that are more like barks than power chords. McCartney, too often unfairly pegged as a sweet balladeer, demonstrates that he was also one of the best white rock hard singers of all time with his shrill yet rich, even ballsy, vocal. Certainly his vocal style here betrays a strong trace of Little Richard, but it's unfair to accuse him of imitating or lifting wholesale from his idol. In its confidence and assertiveness, McCartney's high-octane style is most assuredly his own. The basic, R&B-derived melody is effectively counterpointed with one of the briefer Beatle bridges on record, in which the Beatles detour into some non- blues chords and melodies for just a few bars before returning to the main thrust of the tune. McCartney, while devoting most of the words to celebration and praise of his woman, throws in a couple of phrases as evidence that he's starting to think in more sophisticated terms, particularly the line "turns me on when I get lonely" (a very, very early use of "turn me on" slang). There's also the declaration that his love doesn't buy him presents, even though she's no peasant. Peasant's an unusual word to use in a pop song no matter what the era, and McCartney's value of true love over money (as previously also stated in "Can't Buy Me Love") is eternally hip. George Harrison executes a crafty blues-rock solo with a touch of country influence that's, as was his wont, just right for the song at hand. The ending is uncommonly unimaginative for a Beatles track, with McCartney repeating the title phrase several times over a fade; a more basic alternate take exists (on bootleg) in which he extends this section by improvising on that title line for a few minutes. He'd have to wait until "Hey Jude," however, to take that approach to the multi-extended fade onto an official single.

As a rabble-rousing rocker, "She's a Woman" was a natural for the Beatles' live shows; a 1965 version was recorded for their The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl album, and it was still part of their set on their final world tour in 1966. The most famous, or notorious, cover of "She's a Woman" was done by Jeff Beck in the mid-'70s, employing a voicebox on his guitar to sing-play the lyrics. That version was an FM radio favorite for a while, and subsequently sometimes scorned (as were Peter Frampton's voicebox-heavy tracks) as an example of mid-'70s hard rock excess.

Appears On
Year
Album

1964 Beatles '65

2:57 Capitol

AMG Track Picks

No Reply, I'll Follow the Sun, I Feel Fine

196Z Beatles in Italy EMI

1977 Live at the Hollywood Bowl 2:47 Capitol

1984 The Compleat Beatles [Video] MGM

1988 Past Masters, Vol. 1

3:03 Capitol

AMG Track Picks

She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand, I Feel Fine, I'm Down

1988 Past Masters, Vols. 1 & 2 Capitol

1988 The Beatles Box Set [1988] 3:03 Capitol

1988 Ultra Rare Trax, Vol. 1 The Swingin' Pig

1989 Documents, Vol. 2 6:31 Oh Boy

1989 Five Nights in a Judo Arena Swingin' Pig

1989 Hold Me Tight 6:34 Condor

1989 Ultra Rare Trax, Vol. 6 6:32 The Swingin' Pig

1989 Unsurpassed Masters, Vol. 2 (1964-1965) Yellow Dog

1991 British Rock: 1st Wave [video] RCA

1991 I Feel Fine/She's a Woman Capitol

1992 Ready Steady Go!, Vol. 3 [Video] Pioneer

1992 The Beatles Box Set [1992] Capitol

1993 Artifacts, 1958-1970 6:32 Big Music

1993 Compact Disc Singles Collection 3:01 Capitol

1994 Artifacts II 1960-1969 3:19 Big Music

1994 Complete BBC Sessions Great Dane

1994 Live at the BBC 3:14 Apple/Capitol
AMG Track Picks

I'll Be on My Way, Soldier of Love (Lay Down Your Arms)

1996 Anthology 2

2:54 Apple/Capitol

AMG Track Picks

Yes It Is, If You've Got Trouble, That Means a Lot, I'm Looking Through You, Strawberry Fields Forever

1996 Anthology Video, Vol. 5 Apple

1998 Live in Japan 2:52 Walrus

1999 CD Singles Collection

3:01 EMI

AMG Track Picks

We Can Work It Out, Paperback Writer, Strawberry Fields Forever, Don't Let Me Down, I Am the Walrus, I'm Down, Ticket to Ride, She's a Woman, Revolution, All You Need Is Love

1999 EP Boxset 3:05 EMI

2001 Beatles Story CTA

2003 Around the World Import

2004 The Capitol Albums, Vol. 1 3:01 Capitol

AMG Track Picks

I Want to Hold Your Hand, It Won't Be Long, I Wanna Be Your Man, Roll Over Beethoven, You Can't Do That, She Loves You, I'll Cry Instead, Things We Said Today, And I Love Her, No Reply, I'm a Loser, She's a Woman, I Feel Fine

2009 The Beatles: Stereo Box Set Capitol

Budokan Concert VAP Inport

Concerts 1964-66 [DVD]

Unauthorised Live, Vol. 1 Joker

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:34:00 -0000

You know your music - so do we. THE ALLMUSIC BLOG

You Can't Do That

The Beatles

Composed By Other Links
John Lennon/Paul McCartney All Performers that have performed this Title

Song Review by Richie Unterberger

As the B-side to "Can't Buy Me Love," "You Can't Do That" was a worthy companion to the more well-known hit, particularly as it was also one of the Beatles' grittiest and hardest-rocking early originals. The track was introduced by a ringing, circular George Harrison guitar lick that marked the first time he played 12-string electric guitar on a Beatles recording — an innovation that would figure strongly not just in the Beatles' mid-'60s records, but also in the development of folk-rock. Rhythmically the song has a funkier, more soulful beat than anything else the Beatles had previously done, perhaps sparked by increased exposure to American soul music as the group began to tour the U.S. John Lennon, in fact, specifically cited Wilson Pickett as an inspiration for the song, although since Pickett had barely begun to record under his own name when "You Can't Do That" was written in early 1964, one wonders if Lennon was influenced by Pickett only in hindsight. The song had no shortage of dynamite hooks, particularly the insistent stuttering beats at the end of each verse and bridge, the thrilling soulful responsive harmonies that answer Lennon's lead vocal, and the dramatic rising harmony vocals that accompany Lennon on the bridge.

Lennon lets loose with one of his all-time great screams to launch the instrumental break, in which he makes his debut as a lead guitarist on a Beatles record, with crunchy, frenetic riffing that suits the tune well. Listen also for the very end, in which a reprise of the principal 12-string guitar riff suddenly slows to a crawl for the last three notes. Lyrically this is one of the toughest Lennon- McCartney songs, principally written by Lennon , and verging almost on misogyny in its threats to leave a girl if she so much as talks to another guy. There's an underlying note of insecurity, however, in his laments that others will laugh in his face if they see her acting the way she does. "You Can't Do That" was honored with a most unusual cover version by Nilsson a few years later on his debut album, in which he did not so much sing "You Can't Do That" as use its main motifs for the body of a track which interwove brief phrases from other Beatles classics like "Can't Buy Me Love," "Day Tripper," "You're Going to Lose That Girl," and "Drive My Car."

Appears On

Year
Album

1964 A Hard Day's Night [UK] 2:37 Capitol

AMG Track Picks

A Hard Day's Night, I Should Have Known Better, And I Love Her, Can't Buy Me Love

1964 The Beatles Beat Odeon

1964 The Beatles' Second Album 2:23 Capitol

AMG Track Picks

You Can't Do That, I'll Get You, She Loves You

1976 Rock & Roll Music 2:37 Capitol

1980 Rock & Roll Music, Vol. 1 2:33 Capitol

1988 The Beatles Box Set [1988] 2:37 Capitol

1990 Ready Steady Go!, Vol. 1 [Video] Pioneer

1991 Can't Buy Me Love/You Can't Do That Capitol

1993 Artifacts, 1958-1970 2:38 Big Music

1993 Compact Disc Singles Collection 2:34 Capitol

1994 Complete BBC Sessions Great Dane

1994 The Making of a Hard Day's Night MPI

1995 Anthology 1 2:42 Apple/Capitol

AMG Track Picks

Free as a Bird, Ain't She Sweet, One After 909, All My Loving, A Hard Day's Night, Leave My Kitten Alone

1999 CD Singles Collection 2:34 EMI

AMG Track Picks

We Can Work It Out, Paperback Writer, Strawberry Fields Forever, Don't Let Me Down, I Am the Walrus, I'm Down, Ticket to Ride, She's a Woman, Revolution, All You Need Is Love

199Z The Get Back Journals VigoTone

2001 Beatles Story CTA

2001 The Beatles Beat: The Beatles Sessions [Bootleg] Odeon Bootleg

2004 The Capitol Albums, Vol. 1 2:40 Capitol

AMG Track Picks

2009 The Beatles: Stereo Box Set Capitol

It's All in the Mind Y'know Beat

The Beatles, Vol. 3 Beat/Cool Daddy

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:30:51 -0000

[Access article in PDF]

Book Review
The Beatles as Musicians:
Revolver through the Anthology
Twentieth Century

The Beatles as Musicians: Revolver through the Anthology. By Walter Everett. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. [xix, 395 p. ISBN 0-19-509553-7 (cloth); 0-19-512941-5 (pbk.). $65 (cloth); $24.95 (pbk.).]

This long-awaited book by popular-music scholar Walter Everett is the first work to [End Page 157] attempt a comprehensive historical, descriptive, and analytic discussion of compositions, finished or in sketch form, written by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, or Ringo Starr while they were collectively known as the Beatles. In its original version, the book covered the entire Beatles repertory, but at approximately three hundred thousand words (according to the author), the draft was too large to be published as a single volume. As a result, the present volume examines every opus written during the period from Revolver in 1966 through the breakup of the group in 1969/70--a period in which the maturation of the ensemble, as well as developments in recording technology, led to a proliferation of important and creative works. At this writing, Everett's book has gone through a second printing. A "prequel" volume, covering every composition written by the group from the time they were known as the Quarrymen to the album Rubber Soul, is scheduled for publication in late 2001; it will complete Everett's substantial contribution to popular-music and Beatles scholarship.

Everett sets the standard for popular-music analysis and research, partly because there has been a dearth of major studies that have treated this genre with the seriousness it deserves, but primarily because Everett's effort is so definitive and thorough. Wilfrid Mellers' Twilight of the Gods: The Beatles in Retrospect (London: Faber & Faber, 1973) is the only other work that has examined a similarly large number of Beatles compositions with a strong analytical emphasis, but that volume is largely descriptive, with analysis generally aimed at naming unusual chord functions and progressions. Everett, by contrast, discusses the historical background--he includes anecdotes that will be new even to knowledgeable fans--and the evolution of compositional process, with a revolutionary elevation of the recording studio as a primary compositional determinant. He also provides analysis of each composition, close examination of instrumentation, and an extensive bibliography. The Beatles as Musicians will be an invaluable resource for scholars in many different fields as well as for interested musicians and fans.

The book's chapters are largely organized around the albums, including singles that were originally released at the same time and later re-released on "cumulation albums." Chapter 1 encompasses the period of Revolver; chapter 2, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour; chapter 3, the White album; and chapter 4, Let It Be and Abbey Road. In addition, a "prelude" chapter summarizes pre-1966 accomplishments, an "interlude" examines the important singles "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane," and a "postlude" briefly covers the post-Beatles careers of the four musicians. At the beginning of the book is a helpful map of London that shows the locations of the Beatles' homes, recording studios, and commercial ventures (the Apple offices and boutique), as well as other significant landmarks. Each chapter opens with a time line marking important events such as studio work, releases of recordings, and other occurrences (e.g., the "Paul-is-dead" rumors). Appendix A summarizes the various instruments used by the Beatles, delineating technical capabilities and sound qualities (reported in even more detail in the text), and appendix B lists rock performers associated with the group. Everett also provides a glossary of terms and a table of chord functions; the latter recapitulates basic and unusual harmonies and cites examples of works in which they occur. The bibliography will be a valuable resource for the reader with little music background as well as the scholar seeking specific information on individual songs and their genesis in the recording studio.

As the basis for much of his discussion of Let It Be and Abbey Road, Everett relies on 967 films documenting intense rehearsal and composition at the Twickenham and Apple studios in January 1969; these films have been cataloged by Doug Sulpy and Ray Schweighardt in Drugs, Divorce, and a Slipping Image: The Unauthorized Story of the Beatles' "Get Back" Sessions (Princeton Junction, N.J.: The 910, 1994), but they are not easily accessible to the scholar who wishes to verify Everett's analyses. Another of Everett's main sources, more readily available than Sulpy and Schweighardt, is The Beatles: Complete Scores (London: Wise Publications; distributed in the U.S. by H. Leonard, 1993), a volume containing transcriptions of the Beatles' songs in complete score form. These transcriptions sometimes [End Page 158] do not agree with Everett's analyses even in fundamental elements such as key and instrumentation, a circumstance that leads the reader to wonder whether Everett has occasionally written out his own adjustments to the score but has not included these because of space constraints. For example, Everett interprets the opening of "If I Fell" in C# major (eventually III# of V in D major; an upper third mirrors the rising melodic third of the verses, D to F#) but does not inform the reader that the song is transcribed in Eb minor (pp. 27-29).

Numerous dense passages of analytic prose descriptions, often without voice-leading graphs or music examples, will be obscure to anyone who is not studying the compositions in great detail and at great length, preferably at a piano. Yet Everett more than compensates for this density with many brilliant and innovative explanations of technology-aided composition.

The Beatles as Musicians is the most authoritative work to date on the Beatles' music. In time, other scholars will offer more complete analyses of individual compositions, but they will first need to consider Everett's remarks with great care.

Steven Block
University of New Mexico

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:27:30 -0000

Allan W.Pollack is a university of Penn graduate musicologist.

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:26:49 -0000

home authors calendar colophon links newsgroups newsfeed new

volume 1
march 1999 A Beatles' Odyssey journal on media culture
ISSN 1567-7745

volumes
Volume 12 / 2009-2010 —
Volume 11 / 2008-2009 —
Volume 10 / 2007-2008 —
Volume 9 / 2006-2007 —
Volume 8 / 2005-2006 —
Volume 7 / 2004-2005 —
Volume 6 / 2003-2004 —
Volume 5 / 2002-2003 —
Volume 4 / 2001-2002 —
Volume 3 / 2000-2001 —
Volume 2 / 1999-2000 —
Volume 1 / 1998-1999 —
Editorials and Op-Eds —

databases
Alan W. Pollack's Notes On ... —
Markus Heuger's Beabliography —
Rare Pictures from Radio's Past —
Zeezender Discografie —

dossiers
Beatles Studies —
Comics and Cartoons —
History of Radio and Television —
Local and Global Radio —
Offshore Radio Stations —
Popular Music Studies —
Rock Song Anatomy —
Studies in Photography —
Theory and Methodology —

Alan W. Pollack's musicological journey through the Beatles' songs
by Ger Tillekens

In many ways the songs of the Beatles are exemplary for the musical innovations the British beat explosion wrought onto the domain of popular music in the sixties. With their music the British groups forged a highly original combination out of the erstwhile separate elements of other musical styles, which quickly evolved to become a full-blown style of its own: the music we nowadays know as pop or rock music. The Beatles stood at the front-lines of this artistic movement and their songs offer worthwhile material for those who want to know more about the musical characteristics of rock music. And, there's help for those who want to study these songs. Since 1989 everyone can look for assistance on the internet in the Notes on ... Series, written by the American musicologist Alan W. Pollack on each and every Beatles' song.

1 Chains of pan-diatonic clusters. Think yourself back to the city of London at the end of the year 1963 and meanwhile keep in mind that the virus of Beatlemania at that moment still was restricted to the British Isles and beat music was seen as music for adolescent boys and girls. Then and there only a few adults took the sound of the four Beatles seriously. Yet there were some who did and among them there was at least one real musicologist. If you had been there on the right day and you had bought the distinguished British paper The Times, out of the first hand you could have read an extensive musicological article devoted to the Beatles. This early assessment was full of praise for their musical accomplishments, but also phrased in a kind of learned musicological language that contrasted sharply with the self-concept of the rising youth culture. Read the next quote to know what the author heard in songs, most young people in those days just danced or sat down to listen to.

"Their noisy items are the ones that arouse teenagers' excitement. Glutinous crooning is generally out of fashion these days, and even a song about "Misery" sounds fundamentally quite cheerful; the slow, sad song about "That Boy", which figures prominently in Beatle programmes, is expressively unusual for its lugubrious music, but harmonically it is one of their most intriguing, with its chains of pan-diatonic clusters, and the sentiment is acceptable because voiced cleanly and crisply. But harmonic interest is typical of their quicker songs too, and one gets the impression that they think simultaneously of harmony and melody, so firmly are the major tonic sevenths and ninths built into their tunes, and the flat submediant key switches, so natural is the Aeolian cadence at the end of "Not a Second Time" (the chord progression which ends Mahler's "Song of the Earth")." [1]

2 From our Music Critic. "Chains of pan-diatonic clusters", "major tonic sevenths and ninths" and "Aeolian cadences", all these qualifications seem to be far removed from the daily experiences and expressive motives of the buyers of the early Beatles' records. Though the article was regarded as a kind of official recognition of popular music, many people — including the Beatles themselves — made fun of it. John Lennon himself mockingly said, he thought Aeolian cadences to be some kind of "exotic birds". The piece was neutrally signed "From our Music Critic", but is commonly ascribed to William Mann, the regular music critic of the London paper at that time. But whoever wrote the commentary, he was not the last serious musicologist trying to get hold of the musical peculiarities of the Beatles' songs. As rock music was to become a major cultural force, others were to follow.
3 Eight books and more ... In 1979 the British musicologist Wilfrid Mellers published his analyses in a full-length book Twilight of the Gods. It was followed by a whole series of other books, now coming from people who themselves grew up with rock music. In 1983 both Steven Porter's Rhythm and Harmony in the Music of the Beatles and Terence O'Grady's The Beatles: A Musical Evolution tried to get at the musicological core of the Beatles' musical innovations. In the same year in Germany Volkert Kramarz published his insightful Harmonie-analyse der Rockmusik, while Alexander Villinger tried to relate Die Beatles-songs to the musical tradition of the Classical and Romantic Styles. Some five years later Tim Riley wrote his telling insights down in Tell Me Why (1988) and shortly thereafter Heinz Bamberg made an in-depth comparison of several cover versions of the song "Money" by the Beatles and other British beat-groups in his Beatmusik (1989). More recently Allan Moore published his study of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1997) in the prestigious Cambridge Music Handbook Series, parachuted right between studies of Bartók's Concerto for Orchesta and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. This is just to name a few of the most important ones. But wait: there's yet another publication that unmistakably belongs in this series, though it is not published on paper, but on the internet.

4 If this guy ... In 1998 I myself earned my Ph.D. with again another book, about the early Beatles' songs, arguing their music signaled the beginnings of a completely new style of popular music, which was to become the style of nowadays pop and rock music. No, wait, that book is not on the internet and it certainly is not the book I want to talk about here. However, it is relevant in an indirect way. As I started to think about the book in the last months of 1994, I knew less than nothing about music theory — and even less about "pan-diatonic clusters" — and of course I leaned heavily on the books I mentioned above. As my book was the first academic book on this subject in the Netherlands, it got a lot of attention from the press as soon as it was published. Many reviewers were rather positive about the musicological analyses I made of the first fifty Beatles' songs. Some, however, expressed their doubts. Not even having read the book, someone for instance wrote the next critical comment in one of the major Dutch papers: "If this guy has not used Alan W. Pollack Notes on ... Series on the internet, he immediately must return his Ph.D. to his university." Luckily I had not overseen Pollack's work in my literature search, so I still have got my grade. In one respect, however, the remark was right at target. One cannot write about the music of the Beatles, without having read, next to some of the above books, also Pollack's analyses.

5 Two big hot buttons. Though Pollack is not the first to write about the Beatles' songs, his analyses are — in respect to the musicological aspects of the Beatles' repertoire — by far the most detailed ones. Each and every song gets the attention it deserves and Pollack never tires to explain the little details. It is clear, that he has put a great amount of work in it, and even so it did cost him a lot of time. His Notes on ... Series started in May 1989 — it now really is a ten year Odyssey — with a short note on "We Can Work It Out" and then it went on and on. It all began, Pollack writes himself, "... as a way of indulging two very big hot buttons: re-emerging Beatlemania on the threshold of middle age, and an ingrained hunger for playing the part of the ol' professor." The next button, Pollack confides, was pushed by D.L. MacLauchlan, who under the internet pseudonym of "saki" runs the rec.music.beatles.info newsgroup, and who double-dared him to write his views down for the newsgroup. Her invitation did work. To date there have been around 160 installments of the Notes on ..., varying in frequency of appearance, as Pollack says, "in a manner directly inverse to the pace of his combined family and professional life."

6 From ASCII to HTML. Pollack certainly is a fan of the Beatles, but he also has quite an amount of expertise in music theory. He knows what he is doing. He has a Ph.D. in music theory and composition (University of Pennsylvania, 1977) and he has taught these same subjects on the college level. For reasons he himself calls too personal and boringly complicated to go into, he's been working in the field of software engineering since 1978. Using the tools of his daily profession, Pollack wrote the originals as plain ASCII text files, using the Unix editor "vi". At first they were send as e-mail to the rec.music.beatles newsgroup on the internet. Next they were conversed to HTML by Ed Chen, Mike Markowski, Bruce Dumes, and Maurizio Codogno and published on The "Official" rec.music.beatles Home Page and now you can also read them on the pages of soundscapes. Many people already have read his notes, but — just like way back in 1963 — still not everyone is as happy with a musicologist dissecting the Beatles' songs with the tools of his trade.

7 Beatles' fans versus Classical Music Academia. "I've done the series as a labor of love for its own sake," Pollack tells us, "Yet, I've often felt like the results "fall between two stools" (a British expression for saying "it's neither here nor there")." He describes this uneasy position as follows: "The average Beatlemaniac doesn't have the musicological discipline with which to understand the notes, and my erstwhile academic buddies look down at me for not choosing a more worthy subject in which to invest my time. The chronic sticking points I run into with the pop culture crowd is the old saw about: "but these guys couldn't even read music, so how can you possibly attribute intellectual compositional motives to them?" At least in so-called Classical Music Academia, people understand that my style of analysis is a kind of after-the-fact linguistic analysis based on actual, vernacular usage. Trained musicologists understand that the theory books are based on the music of the great composers; not the other way around. My problem with the musicological establishment is their condescending attitude toward pop music per se."

8 Breaking all the rules. The arguments of those Beatles' fans who disagree with a musicological analysis of their favorite songs, are summing up to an impressive list. First and for all they say, the serious labor of study takes the fun out of the pleasure of listening to the music; next they argue it neglects the feelings of the listener and — above all — they hold the musicological approach to be far removed from the way the music was produced by the artists. The first two arguments seem to be irrelevant as they only concern the level of abstractness or directness of listening. Abstract or direct listening are just two different ways to listen to a song and both ways of listening can be pleasant as well as informative and one can easily shift between them. On the third point they, however, are absolutely right. Of course, the Beatles sought and found their way to their songs playing and improvising on their instruments. It's right, rock music was and is not designed from a theoretical perspective nor written out in advance on music sheets. More important even, the Beatles violated all existing musicological rules, trying to express their emotions with all musical means. One could even say that breaking the rules was the one big thing where the Beatles' songs were really all about. The Beatles used many chords, not resolving properly according to the teachings of "functional harmony" and there are, as Pollack calls them, a lot of "synthax errors" in the grammatical meaning of the harmonic order. However, just this aspect of the Beatles' songs shows the relevance of a musicological approach. Which where all those rules, how did the Beatles break them and and how did they, at the same time, succeed in keeping their songs understandable for their listeners? When you're trying to find some answers to these kinds of questions, musicology will lend a helping hand.

9 A punchlist of Beatles' trademarks. There's one last point often made against musicologists meddling with rock music: reducing rock productions to sheet music and musical notation misses the most important aspects, as rock songs have to be taken as recorded music in its unique combination of all the specific details of the performance by the artist. As far as this point of criticism goes, it certainly does not hold for Pollack. In his notes he takes the songs as they are recorded. He does not recur to sheet music, as he is analyzing them by ear. Thus far he has quoted only three books for reference: Lewisohn's (1988) extensive overview of the recording sessions, the text inventory of Campbell and Murphy (1980) and — in a critical sense — the works of Terence O'Grady (1983). In fact, each of his analyses itself is a most powerfull counter-argument by showing, that the musicological approach to rock music offers an insightful view into the musical innovations of the style of music that was initiated by the Beatles and their fellow musicians of the British beat explosion. In this respect Pollack's analyses are very usefull, as they have much to show of the intricacies of the Beatles' songs. Just like the main body of rock music, that was to develop in the wake of British beat explosion, the songs of the Beatles are very complex. In his essay on the cover songs on the album "Please Please Me" Pollack summarizes: "... the punch list of early Beatles musical trademarks: the tricky chord progressions, the pungent vocal harmonies, the clever word play etc." Let's take a short walk along the most important ones, just as they arise out of Pollack's studies.

10 Extended harmonic material. The Times' critic typified the Beatles' compositions as "harmonically intriguing" and, indeed, the first and most striking characteristic of the Beatles' songs is the use of extended harmonic material. Simply said the Beatles applied all kind of chords seemingly at random in their songs, thereby neglecting or varying at will on standard cadences. Many people still think pop songs are just simple three-chord songs, but that's really seldom the case. Even when a rock songs is built around only three chords, they're seldom the three basic chords. Let's start with those famous three basic chords: the tonic (I), the dominant (V), and the subdominant (IV). In musicological vernacular they are symbolized with roman numerals I, V and IV, indicating the tone steps. When we take for instance the C chord as the tonic I, then the dominant V is the G chord — counted five steps upward: C -» D -» E -» F -» G — and the F is the subdominant IV. Each of those chords consists of three tones. Figure 1 shows an example of the basic chords organized around the root note of C (I).

Figure 1: The standard chords (red): tonic (I), subdominant (IV) and dominant (V); and their relative minors (yellow): submediant (vi), supertonic (ii) and mediant (iii)

11 Relative and parallel minors. In figure 1 we have painted the basic chords red. Here we see, that the C chord consists of the tones: C, E, and G. We also notice that the subdominant F and the dominant G are neatly ordered on both sides of the tonic. In short there is some system to these three chords. There are also some chords colored yellow. These are the so-called relative minors. As the tonic C is built out of the notes C, E, and G, the building blocks of its relative minor vi (a-minor) are A, C, and E. You see both chords have two tones in common and that's why they are harmonically related. The same goes for C-Major and c-minor (i), which combines the tones of C, G, and E-flat. Because of the harmonic congeniality of these chords, one would expect, that they could easily be used together in one and the same composition. That's, however, not the case. The a-minor chord belongs to another key and the c-minor — though it has the same root as C-Major — threatens the key by its relation to notes such as E-flat. In the English language the c-minor chord is called the "parallel" minor of C-major. By the way, compared to the language of music itself the musicological vernacular is not very universal. Confusingly in German and Dutch relative minors are called parallel minors (respectively "moll Parallelle" and "parallelle mineuren").
12 Bimodal and trimodal keys. Breaking the rule of not mingling these relative and parallel chords was one of the things the Beatles really seemed to like. In their songs they treated the harmonic system freely as if the parallel and relative minors (and sometimes even their parallel and relative Majors) are "co-tonics". Many of their songs are erected on bimodal of even "trimodal" keys, with clusters of relative and parallel minors and Majors, e.g. the cluster of e minor and its relative Major E and its parallel Major G, or the combination of C, a minor and A Major. For that matter, this mix of Major and minor keys is just what the Aeolian cadence is all about. These combinations not only mean a break of the rules, but — more important — a conflict with the existing conventions and the expectations of listeners at the time of their first recordings.

Figure 2: The harmonic structure of the chords in the Beatles' songs
13 A diagonal tone matrix. In fact the Beatles systematically approached the harmonic grammar as if they always had several co-tonics ready at hand. From the tonic I, they as easily switch to the relative minor vi as its parallel major VI. A favorite is also the parallel minor i and its relative major, flat-III. This harmonic chord material is neatly ordered along the lines of the minor thirds (look at figure 2 and see why, in my book, I call it a diagonal tone matrix). In some of his early articles, it seems, Pollack's classical trained ears sometimes lead him astray on this point. In his analysis of "It Won't Be Long" for instance he calls the relative minor of the tonic a pseudo dominant, as indeed in the Classical Style it often is. Later on, however, he typifies the interchange between relative and parallel keys as one of the trademarks of the Beatles' songs. In his review of "Free As Bird" this characteristic for him is an important reason to treat this song as a real Beatles' song; and one has to agree with his arguments. Paging through Pollack's notes one finds many examples of these switches to these keys, and also of more accidental, "borrowed" chords from these related keys, like for instance the flat-VI — the "Peggy Sue" chord — in "I Saw Her Standing There". And, as Pollack shows over and over again, this play with different related keys is accentuated by the Beatles' preference of starting the intro in another key than the home key.

14 Harmony and melody. So why, you will say, all this fuzz about co-tonics? Well, there's one good reason: because the rules of functional harmonics forbids all too free access to them. Importing chords from other keys endangers the original key and threatens to make music sound false. It's here where the melodies of the Beatles play an important role as a powerfull antidote to the tonal ambiguity. Let's quote again The Times of 1963, where the music critic wrote: "... one gets the impression that they think simultaneously of harmony and melody (...)." That observation is unmistakably true and, sure enough, it is the second characteristic of the Beatles' songs as it emerges out of Pollack analyses. Regarding "Day Tripper", he writes for instance: "The melody of the voice parts is very difficult to sing, particularly without the underlying chords to keep you oriented; have you tried singing this song in the shower lately?" In this observation Pollack is as right as the music critic of The Times. The Beatles' songs have a special way of making melody and harmony go together and often it is the melody which tempts the listener to take the strange and wild chord progressions for granted. In his analysis Pollack tries to get at the overall musical flavor of each song, taking in regard all aspects of the music as recorded: harmony, melody, rhythm, overlayered dubs etcetera. But, rightly so, his studies give special attention to the interaction between harmony and melody as conveyed by inner voices, bass and lead guitar. In this context Pollack also introduces his readers to the concept of "false relations".

15 New and unexpected modulations. The third main characteristic of the Beatles' songs regards some intricate, highly original, and thus unexpected modulations or tone shifts. To analyze these Pollack uses the tools developed by the Austrian musicologist Heinrich Schenker. Schenker's analysis is based on so-called "Ur-Sätze". Simply said these "primal sentences" are recurrent cadences of just those chords which unmistakably belong to a certain key, like the tonic, the dominant and the subdominant (e.g. I -» V -» I), or those chords which role can be reduced to simple cadences like the chain of fifths. In a chain of fifths like II -» V -» I, the second step II — though not one of the basic chords — for instance is legitimate, because it can be interpreted as a secondary dominant, a "V-of-V". Otherwise, to account for other chords in a composition, one has to recur to modulations or tone shifts. To describe these modulations and shifts Schenker introduced a method of diagrams, which later on appeared very usefull for the analysis of jazz and rock music. The method also is a favorite of Pollack, as it reveals much of the Beatles' use of "co-tonics". But using related co-tonics, the Beatles also discovered some wilder modulations. As Pollack shows, these too can be made clear by means of Schenker diagrams. For an example, let's take a quick look at "From Me To You":

m.13
C: |I |vi |I |V |

m.17
C: |IV7 |vi |I V |I |

m.21
F: |ii |V7 |I |- |
C: |v |I7 |IV |- |

m.25
F: |VI7 |- |II |II+ |
C: |II7 |- |V |V+ |

16 A big departure. The example above starts in measure 13 on the second verse (notice the typical use of the relative minor (vi) in measure 14 and 18). Next the bridge or middle-eight starts in measure 21 with the words: "(I've got) arms that long to hold you". Here we find a surprising modulation a fifth downward from C Major to F Major, by way of the g-minor (v) which is "borrowed" from the parallel "co-tonic" of c minor. In his interview with Mark Lewisohn (1988: 10) Paul McCartney himself enthousiastically voiced it this way: "... that middle eight was a very big departure for us. Say you're in C then go to a-minor, fairly ordinary, C, change it to G. And then F, pretty ordinary, but then it goes [sings] "I got arms" and that's a g-minor. Going to g-minor and a C takes you to a whole new world. It was exciting."

Figure 3: Pivot modulation in "From Me To You" with an enharmonic change on g-minor (v)

17 Pivot chords. The g-minor itself is typical for the Beatles' usage of "co-tonics". Here, however, it also gives way to a modulation, which means the listener has to reorient to the new key after-the-event. The chord on which this reorientation happens to take place, is called a "pivot chord". Here Pollack identifies the C Major seventh in measure 22 as the pivot chord in question. First the C-Major chord undoubtedly is heard as the tonic. "But", as Pollack says, "once the bridge begins, the ear retrospectively reinterprets it as though it were the V of the key of F." In short the modulation turns the F chord into the tonic, while transforming the original tonic C into its dominant. It is indeed a whole new world, as we arrive from the world of C Major into the world of F Major. Here, as an extra to Pollack's analysis, we can add the observation that this pivot modulation also implies an enharmonic change (figure 3; see also the study of Volkert Kramarz, page 51-53). The g-minor of the middle eight really belongs to another musical continent, because in its role as the relative minor of B-flat the g-minor chord sounds slightly different from the g-minor that is the parallel minor of G. Though on instruments of even temperament both g-minors are played with exactly the same finger settings, one's ears have to adjust to the shift by bringing the chord in relation to the new key.

18 A complex of emotions. Next to the extended harmonic material, the interplay of melody and harmony and all the new modulations, there's a fourth characteristic element to be found in the Beatles' songs. That's the almost direct relationship between music and lyrics. In his notes Pollack often calls this aspect to the attention of his readers. In his analysis of "Things We Said Today" he for instance signals: "... the way in which the details of the music assist the words in the evocation of an otherwise difficult to verbalize complex of emotions." Again he is right, as the connectedness between words and chords seems to be a typical trait of all Beatles' songs. However, that's as far as his analysis of this crucial aspect of the Beatles' song goes. Moreover, though Pollack recognizes the originality of the Beatles songs, thus far he has written almost nothing about the question if the music of the Beatles represents a new style of popular music in its own right. But, it's yet too early for these kind of critical comments, as Pollack has not yet finished his notes.

19 Getting back. Reading Pollack's Notes on ... one learns almost everything there is to know of the Beatles' songs and even a lot about musicology, included the "major tonic sevenths and ninths" and "Aeolian cadences" mentioned in The Times' early review (except of course for the "chains of pan-diatonic clusters", which really were a literary invention flowing poetically out of the pen of "our Music Critic"). [2] Eventually Pollack intends to publish the completed set of his notes in the form of a book. "This will, of course", he warns us, "take a while, and I'm hardly thinking of quitting my day job in the meanwhile. I'm more than happy to share the work with the net as it emerges, but I will humbly ask you all for your courtesy in honoring my copyright of the material." He has now been away in Beatles' territory for ten years, a real Beatles' Odyssey. Unlike Ulysses, however, Pollack has not yet returned from his travels. But, rest assured, he will get back, as he wrote us recently: "I've put the series on hold for the last month or so because home life has been unusually hectic, but I'm excited about jumping into the "Get Back" period with both feet very soon. At the rate I'm going, I hope to complete this first pass on the songs within two years." Here at Soundscapes we will keep you informed about his progress.

Notes

1. One can read the full article in Michael Braun's fly-on-the-wall account of Beatlemania: Love Me Do. The Beatles' Progress. Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1964, 1995 reprint, pages 66-68.
2. In his notes on "Getting Better" Pollack (1995) himself describes the phrasing "pan-diatonic" as "a fancy way of saying that no notes appear anywhere in the song that are not native to the home key, and that they are all considered consonant amongst each other." This goes largely for "This Boy" (key: D Major). Only the added seventh in the sung harmonies (F#-A-B) over the b minor chord poses some problems to the definition of this song as "pan-diatonic", as it introduces a subtile dissonance.

References
Bamberg, Heinz (1989), Beatmusik. Kulturelle Transformation und musikalischer Sound. Pfaffenweiler: Centaurus 1989.
Braun, Michael (1964), Love Me Do! The Beatles Progress. London: Penguin Books, 1995.
Campbell, Colin, and Allan Murphy (1980), Things We Said Today. The Complete Lyrics and a Concordance to the Beatles' Songs, 1962-1970. Ann Arbor: Pierian Press, 1980.
Kramarz, Volkert (1983), Harmonie-analyse der Rockmusik. Von Folk und Blues zu Rock und New Wave. Mainz: Schott, 1983.
Lewisohn, Mark (1988), The Beatles Recording Sessions. The Official Abbey Road Studio Session Notes 1962-1970. New York: Harmony, 1988.
Mellers, Wilfrid (1976), Twilight of the Gods. The Beatles in Retrospect. London: Faber and Faber, 1976.
Moore, Allan (1997), The Beatles. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997.
O'Grady, Terence (1983), The Beatles: A Musical Evolution. Boston: Twayne, 1983.
Porter, Steven (1983), Rhythm and Harmony in the Music of the Beatles. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University Microfilms International, 1983.
Riley, Tim (1988), Tell Me Why. A Beatles Commentary. London: The Bodley Head, 1988.
Tillekens, Ger (1998), Het geluid van de Beatles. Amsterdam: Het Spinhuis, 1998.
Villinger, Alexander (1983), Die Beatles-songs. Analysen zur Harmonik und Melodik. Freiburg: Hochschulverlag, 1983.

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:16:47 -0000

As a musician said on a message board last year when the new John Lennon biography came out,John Lennon:Th Life,he said watch The Beatles Anthology Video series and learn how immensely talented this band really was.

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:14:32 -0000

History Made Every Day

The Beatles on Record

See all History shows. View our full TV schedule.

View education tools for teachers. Download History on iTunes. Sign up for THE HISTORY CHANNEL MAGAZINE

THe History Channel
The Beatles on Record

Saturday, December 12 10:00 PM

Sunday, December 13 02:00 AM

Saturday, December 19 07:00 PM

Wednesday, December 23 08:00 PM

Thursday, December 24 12:00 AM

Search for other upcoming episodes

In 1962, an unknown group from Liverpool entered Abbey Road Studios to record their debut single. During the next eight years they created what is arguably regarded as the greatest collection of studio recordings of the 20th century. This special charts The Beatles' extraordinary journey in the studio from "Please Please Me" to "Abbey Road" and reflects on how they developed as musicians, matured as songwriters and created a body of work that sounds as fresh in 2009 as the time it was recorded. Narrated entirely by John, Paul, George, Ringo and Sir George Martin, the documentary features over 60 classic songs, rare footage and photos from The Beatles' archives and never heard before out-takes of studio chat from the "Abbey Road" recording sessions.

Rating: TVPG

Running Time: 60 minutes

Buy Now

Paul McCartney: The Space Within Us DVD
$9.99 DVD

Buy Now

The Beatles: Beatles For Sale (Remastered) CD
$13.99 DVD

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:08:36 -0000

Also Brian Wilson was interviewed on a 1995 ABC news Nightline Beatles tribute show which had music artists of all ages and from all different music fields including a middle aged black Opera singer,a young black jazz musician,Steve Winwood,Meatloaf,and classical violinist Itzhak Perlman who said he plays his children Bach,Beethoven and The Beatles.

Anyway Brian Wilson was playing and singing The Beatles With A Little Help From My Friends on the piano and said he just loves this song. He then said that he thinks John Lennon and Paul McCartney were the 2 greatest song composers of the 20th century. And he said he thinks that Sgt.Peeper is the greatest album he's ever heard!

Brian also said that when he first heard The Beatles brilliant 1965 Rubber Soul album he was just blown away by it. He said all of the songs flowed together and that it was folk rock but pop music at the same time,and he said he couldn't belive that they did this so well.This album inspired him to make Pet Sounds.

And both Bob Dylan and Roger McGuinn both have said that even in early songs like She Loves You and I want To Hold Your Hand The Beatles used interesting and unusual chords and arrangements.

Roger McGuinn is quoted in online interviews and on message boards from his interviews saying that in The Beatles early songs they were using folk rock chords and that it had never been done in pop/rock songs before and that he thinks they invented folk rock without even realizing it.He played Beatles songs in clubs in the 1960's and after he saw George Harrison playing his new at the time 12 string guitar in The Beatles great film,A Hard Day's Night,he bought one soon after.

Re: Did the Beatles bomb with the video game generation?

Guest — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 02:01:28 -0000

The Beatles are the Most Creative Band of All Time By Musician Peter Cross

BACKGROUND HISTORY: The first musical bands originated in New Orleans among black musicians who have traditionally been the innovators. The first jazz record ever recorded was by The Original Dixieland Jazz Band in 1917, and of course they were white because racism always rears its ugly head to hold black people back. But during the Roaring 20's, young white people couldn't resist the dance beat laid down by the black jazz bands. Fletcher Henderson, a black man, became the first band leader to achieve national fame possibly because he featured Louis Armstrong on trumpet. Duke Ellington, a classically trained musician, brought a level of style and sophistication to jazz that hadn't been seen before. But it wasn't until 1935 that jazz bands with a "swing beat" achieved national attention due to Benny Goodman who I think was the best clarinet player ever to blow air into that instrument. Benny also had the good sense and taste to bring the first great drummer, Gene Krupa, into his band.

When rock and roll exploded into human consciousness during the early 1950's, black musicians like Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, and Smokey Robinson pioneered the way, but a white DJ named Alan Freed is believed to have coined the term "rock and roll". The first real rock and roll record was "Shake, Rattle and Roll", written by Jesse Stone who was black and recorded by Big Joe Turner who was also black but it wasn't a hit. The first big hit rock and roll record was "Rock Around the Clock" written by James Meyers and Max Freeman of obvious ancestry, and that one catapulted Bill Haley and his Caucasian Comets to stardom. During the 1950's and early 60's, there were countless "do wop" groups, rock groups, singers and songwriters but until The Beatles hit the charts, there had been very few bands which contained talented songwriters. The vast majority of jazz and rock bands recorded songs written by songwriters who were not performers, with occasional exceptions like Duke Ellington and Buddy Holly. As time goes on, it's increasingly clear that Lennon/McCartney songs are brilliant classics which will never be forgotten. Now here's why The Beatles are the most creative band of all time:

1. BEST EXAMPLE OF FORM = CONTENT

As I sit here writing this at the keyboard of my computer facing the unique and colorful Beatles poster in my bedroom, I'm aware that I have been directly and indirectly inspired by John Lennon's music as well as by the way he lived his life offstage. Squarely in front of me is a full color poster of all four Beatles standing in a heavenly-like flower garden at about the time of the Abbey Road album. Paul is angelic in his pink suit with a white laced shirt. John is enigmatic peering out from the background. George is charismatic staring directly into the camera from the lower right. Ringo is on the left with a stylish blue suit and his pink ruffled shirt. I always wished I could dress like those guys but obviously there's a bit of a problem with a money differential there. Surrounding this gorgeous poster which I have never seen elsewhere are my 45 speed original Beatles hit records, including I Want to Hold Your Hand, She Loves You, Please Please Me, Twist and Shout, Can't Buy Me Love, She's A Woman, Yesterday, and of course, Hey Jude. And surrounding all that is a chain of 1-1/2" long orange flicker flame lights which are the most beautiful and unique Christmas lights I've ever seen. I chose to decorate the wall directly in front of my work station this way because, as I've written elsewhere on this site several times, The Beatles were my major musical influence and having them on the wall in front of me inspires me to write web pages like this one. I was also among the millions of people who were inspired by how The Beatles were actually living their off stage lives. The Beatles' music creatively stimulated millions of people to change the way they were living, and The Beatles behavior encouraged people to have fun by trying new life style experiences. That's what I call a perfect example of FORM = CONTENT. In this case it means that the creatively and masterfully varied music The Beatles were producing (form) embodied the real life styles which each of the four Beatles were living (content), together as a band as well as separately as unique individuals.

2. BEST SONGWRITERS

This should be self-evident, but just because Paul McCartney has the title of the most popular songwriter in history doesn't necessarily make him the best songwriter in history. The qualities which do make both Paul and John the best songwriters in history go beyond writing the greatest number of catchy classic songs. "Catchy" means that their melodies and lyrics are instantly memorable. "Classic" means that they stand the test of time. But both Paul and John wrote very sophisticated melodies that moved beyond the simple groups of 2, 4 and 8 patterned phrases used by almost all other songwriters. John and Paul's melodies soared, floated, cascaded, dived and peaked with true dynamics, naturally following the syllabic lyric patterns - but not always. Sometimes the melodic and lyric patterns were independent of each other, almost counterpoint in nature, and as a songwriter, they never ceased to astonish me with their brilliance and originality. In the beginning, their lyrics were simple and their songs were simple love songs. But they soon began exploring new territory by writing about subjects that hadn't been covered before. Inspired by Bob Dylan, they wrote true poetry with feeling and depth, using evocative and unusual words. Rubber Soul marked the beginning of their evolution as mature songwriters, Revolver was a break-out album, and Sergeant Pepper was an historic landmark album in terms of new and innovative songwriting as well as production. Every song they wrote was significantly different from the last one even though each song had their unmistakable sound.

Most songwriters are only average players on their instruments, but John and Paul are both sophisticated guitarists who were able to integrate their playing into their songs and even into their song structure so that the "licks" they played became as catchy a part of their songs as the choruses and verses. Blackbird and Dear Prudence are only two examples of songs which couldn't possibly be written by any other songwriter because of the guitar playing which forms an integral part of the song structure. In similar fashion, Lady Madonna is the best example of a great song which derives from the unique and beautiful bass part which only Paul could possibly have created.

Average songwriters achieve the catchy quality by repeating a phrase endlessly or by beating a chorus to death. John and Paul found countless ways to be memorable without ever overly repeating something. The only time they repeated something over and over again for a long time was in Hey Jude, and what they chose to repeat is so gorgeous that one can only wish they had never ended the song. The Beatles were my biggest musical influence and I used to think, "If I could write just one song that's as good as John and Paul's worst song, I'd be happy." People tell me I accomplished that goal and they say one good example is John is Alive, which is my sincere tribute to Sir Lennon.

3. BEST SINGERS

Even Ringo could sing when he got a little help from his friends who lived in the yellow submarine. But to say that Paul and John are two of the best singers in rock and roll is to state the obvious. Combining John, Paul and George created the best harmony vocals the world has ever experienced. Even their two part harmonies were unusual, catching us all by surprise on their first hit record with the fast harmony melisma in the chorus of I Want to Hold Your Hand. John had a knack of placing a unique low harmony line underneath Paul's high melody line so as to form a second melody which created unusual harmony effects. He did that right from the beginning in the verses of She Loves You. Both Paul and John could blast out screaming rock and roll (i.e. Long Tall Sally and Twist and Shout), and both could break our hearts with touching, deep feeling ballads (i.e. Yesterday and Julia). There seems to be no end to their emotional vocal range, and John even explored the heights of vocal psychedelia in songs like She Said (Revolver) and Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.

4. MOST CREATIVE PLAYERS

Paul brought a new style of melodic playing to the bass guitar, reaching a new high of creativity on Sergeant Pepper with a level of sophistication never heard before. Many other musicians besides me recognize Paul as being one of the best bass guitar players ever. George is underrated as a lead guitarist by people with average or below average musical knowledge or ability, but most guitarists (including Eric Clapton) know better. George's strength is in melody, pure and simple. It would be difficult to find a George Harrison lead which is not melodic, and each of his leads has a strong beginning, a stronger middle and a well defined ending. In fact, that's Eric's definition of what makes a good guitar lead. George continually developed new guitar sounds for each Beatles song. John and Paul are also excellent guitarists and both recorded great leads as well as innovative rhythm tracks. All three of the Beatles guitarists may lack showy technical fireworks but they make that definition of guitar mastery irrelevant by overwhelming the senses with creativity, style, and pure melody. The exact same thing can be said about John and Paul's keyboard playing. Ringo may be underrated as a drummer by the public but he is not underrated by other professional drummers. Ringo mastered the art of drum sounds. No drummer has ever recorded so many different sounds on so many different sounding records. Ringo invented a new style of slow drum playing, epitomized on A Day in the Life and Strawberry Fields Forever. John said many times, "Ringo has the best back beat in the business" and the successful studio drummers understand why John was correct.

5. TOTAL CHARISMA

A good definition of charisma needs to include "an unusual ability to influence people and arouse devotion" and "a personal attractiveness which enables a person to influence others". No musical group prior to or after The Beatles features true charisma emanating strongly from the entire group as well as separately from each member. The Beatles stunned the world with their photogenic quality, their charm, their bubbling and lovable personalities, their cuteness and their unique style. Even before The Beatles achieved fame, people in Liverpool were imitating their haircuts, the way they dressed, the way they behaved, and the way they lived. Such a simple subliminal message about smoking marijuana got communicated to all the hippies who were waiting to happen without actual words ever being spoken. The Beatles had a lot to lose by being explicit on that subject, but they successfully avoided trouble by keeping it very subtle while at the same time clear enough so that we all got it. The Fab Four kept changing their styles rapidly, almost with each album cover, and soon the message became one of explicit spiritualism. After visiting India, The Beatles introduced eastern mysticism and meditation to the Western world for the first time through the mass media. John's long saga with internal angst, drugs, spiritualism, politics, personal battles, and ultimately his marriage to Yoko played out like a movie the whole world got to watch in fascination. Paul's happy life with Linda, George's great focus on meditation, and Ringo's equanimity throughout were all perfect examples of the power, the truth, and the effectiveness of true charisma.

6. SEXUAL AURA

Need I say it? Ask the millions of girls who were screaming and fainting at the very sight of them. "The Boys" didn't move like Elvis or dance like Mick, they just stood there shaking their "mop top" heads around, smiling, laughing, and looking gorgeous as they performed great music and that was it. On their first visit to America, some enterprising weirdo from New York City managed to cut up the hotel bed sheets The Beatles had slept on into 1" square pieces, and these things were actually sold to girls over the public airwaves by adult DJ's on the AM radio stations who should have known better. The Beatles phenomenon went way beyond the rock and roll sex star status that had been seen before. Teenage girls in uncountable numbers fell in love, their hearts to be trapped, their heart strings to be continually plucked, and ultimately, their hearts to be broken by the unobtainable object of their love. Worshiping a star from afar? Infatuation? Obsession? Not real love? For many of them, it was their first experience feeling love for a man/boy. Whatever it was, it was very real to all of them, and we all soon understood that The Beatles were The Real Thing.

That's why I call The Beatles the Most Creative Band of All Time. They were The Real Thing. The Creative Zenith. The high point on the bell curve of musical history.