‘A Hard Day’s Night’ Turns 60: The Beatles’ Most Revolutionary Album

Daily Beast ^ | JULY 10, 2024 | Colin Fleming

[Psalm 73]

And a damned good movie. Funny as all get-out.

And where we first met Pattie Boyd. Hubba, hubba.

[murron]

Love that movie! Have seen it a million times!

[DallasBiff]

I never got the fascination by modern rock critics about the opening chord by George on the song "Hard Days Night".

It is pretty basic.

[Rummyfan]

Loved the movie too!

[HIDEK6]

Can we please stop it with the veneration of foreign opportunists.

[Skooz]

The movie is still good fun. A more innocent time.

[bigdaddy45]

See here’s the thing — these days I can’t figure out if a post like yours is sarcastic or not. And I certainly hope it is.

[newfreep]

I was in 9th grade when the Beatles arrived and they gave me an appreciation of rock/pop music I never had before.

Of course I saw the movie (on my July 10 birthday, IIRC) when it came out and later discovered the “real” AHDN album - the UK version.

Although the great Beatles trilogy - Rubber Soul, Revolver, Pepper - AHDN (UK album) certainly deserves mention with those three classics.

In particular, two acoustic songs on the album’s Side B showed how the Beatles could rock with acoustic guitars!

“Things We Said Today” - written by McCartney with a borrowed guitar on a boat during Caribbean vacation w/Jane Asher

“I’ll Be Back” - written by Lennon and a very powerful song in its’ own right.

More info on the UK album: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Hard_Day%27s_Night_(album)

[fidelis]

The Beatles early music is often berated as simplistic, even sometimes by the Beatles themselves (i.e., John Lennon). But if you listen to it compared to what else was on the charts at the time, it was fresh and new and exciting.

[Skooz]

Yep. And they used surprisingly clever and complex chord progressions for the time.

[fidelis]

"Can we please stop it with the veneration of foreign opportunists."

[1Old Pro]

I never got the fascination by modern rock critics about the opening chord by George on the song "Hard Days Night". It is pretty basic.

The most famous chord ever? That's why. https://youtu.be/L1N0zqrexm0?feature=shared

[mfish13]

I thought it was George, Paul, and George Martin on piano

[Georgia Girl 2]

Went to see it with my best friend and we just stayed in our seats and watched it again during the afternoon matinee. I think we were the only two left in the theatre for the second showing. It was summer in Jax, FL and we were enjoying the AC.

[mfish13]

Thanks for the good article.

[fidelis]

"I thought it was George, Paul, and George Martin on piano"

You may be thinking of the final chord from "A Day in the Life," from the Sgt Pepper album.

[glorgau]

"Can we please stop it with the veneration of foreign opportunists."

How do you feel about "Back in the USSR"? ;-)

[mfish13]

From WIki: According to Walter Everett the opening chord has an introductory dominant function because McCartney plays D in the bass: Harrison and Martin play F A C G, over the bass D, on twelve-string guitar and piano respectively, giving the chord a mixture-coloured neighbour, F; two diatonic neighbours, A and C; plus an anticipation of the tonic, G – the major subtonic as played on guitar being a borrowed chord commonly used by the Beatles, first in “P.S. I Love You” (see mode mixture), and later in “Every Little Thing”, “Tomorrow Never Knows” and “Got to Get You into My Life” (in the latter two against a tonic pedal).[20]

[fidelis]

"Can we please stop it with the veneration of foreign opportunists."
------------------------
"How do you feel about "Back in the USSR"? ;-)"

Why are you asking me? It was HIDEK6's comment.