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The Beatles: icon or con?
Sidney Morning Herald ^ | 12/22/04 | Greg Hassall and Charles Purcell

Posted on 12/22/2004 11:56:06 AM PST by qam1

Greg Hassall and Charles Purcell do battle over the fab four.

FOR

OK, Ob-la-di Ob-la-da is the most annoying song ever written. And you won't find Revolution No 9 on too many iPods. But how many bands' dud tracks can you count on one hand? The Beatles deserve their place in the pop pantheon. They revolutionised the way pop music was written, recorded and talked about. They were funny, charismatic, hungry to learn and unafraid of controversy. They matured spectacularly over seven tumultuous years, then quit on a high note with the peerless Abbey Road.

They were a genuine band, in that the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. The three writers spurred each other on and checked each other's excesses (McCartney's sentimentality, Lennon's bile and Harrison's cod mysticism). In one throwaway B-side, Rain, they created the template for psychedelic Britpop, a genre lesser bands spend an entire career mining. Their refusal to write the same song twice resulted in a catalogue of breathtaking diversity, while producer George Martin gave the recordings a unique, uncluttered sound that refuses to date. And, as the age of the drum solo dawned, Ringo kept it real, underpinning the Beatles' sound with undemonstrative precision.

Greg Hassall

AGAINST

Pretty much everyone in the '60s must have been on drugs - that's the only reason I can imagine why the Beatles were so popular. They had about three decent songs: Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Eleanor Rigby - and that other one, the one that doesn't suck. It's a riddle greater than the pyramids as to why a group of English fops with ridiculous hairstyles could make entire crowds of grown adults faint in awe. John Lennon? A prancing popinjay. Paul McCartney? A ponce. George Harrison? Vanity in the shape of a man. Ringo Starr?

A cool dude - the only one.

OK, so the Beatles recorded on top of a building. Big deal. OK, so they hung out with the Maharishi. Is that supposed to give their dire tunes spiritual worth?

"But they were a major influence in the history of rock'n'roll," some might bleat. Sure they were - but does that mean the baby boomers have to force their boring Beatlemania down our craws year after year, decade after decade?

I'm glad Yoko Ono helped split them up. She's the true heroine of this story. Too bad she's also a lousy artist.

And Wings. Don't get me started on McCartney's sad side project. That's another story.

- Charles Purcell


TOPICS: Music/Entertainment
KEYWORDS: 60s; babyboomers; beatlemania; beatles; christmastimeishere; genx; rock; rockandroll; rockmusic; the60s; thebeatles; thesixties
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To: t_skoz

I can't decide between the 2-LP vinyl edition or the 2-CD version. The CDs are longer (12 more cuts) but I would like to have the vinyl.


281 posted on 12/22/2004 2:12:20 PM PST by weegee (WE FOUGHT ZOGBYISM November 2, 2004 - 60 Million Voters versus 60 Minutes - BUSH WINS!!!)
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To: t_skoz
I like your style.

But I don't get how you can praise Jack White's playing and songwriting and call the duo gimmicky and cheesy at the same time. I was saying about Meg White that the minimalist drumming works, and puts the focus on Jack. The guitar is more upfront without bass or 2nd guitar, or flashy drumming.

As for copycat duos, there's the Kills and the Raveonettes. And there are a bunch of more pop duos, lamer still - Mates of State and others.

To each his own, but I don't think Meg White is in the band because of her sex appeal.
282 posted on 12/22/2004 2:14:15 PM PST by Egregious Philbin
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To: weegee
Cliff Richards is still big in England but a nobody over here

That was essentially the point made when I tweaked those English tarts.

Without America, the Beatles would've attained the same level of success as Cliff Richard.

It put an end to the America bashing at the time due to their loss for words.

283 posted on 12/22/2004 2:15:00 PM PST by Freebird Forever (MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!)
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To: Mr. Mojo

If you can find them, you might also check out some Jeff Tweedy side ventures, like The Minus Five (especially the ironically titled album Down with Wilco), Golden Smog, and Loose Fur. He gets together with a lot of good musicians to make some good music.


284 posted on 12/22/2004 2:15:08 PM PST by drjimmy
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To: t_skoz

Call every music station daily. Heck, call the sports talk stations. If thousands of people did this in their town every day, program managers would have to account for why they aren't playing "requests".

Somewhere along the line, formats could be stretched.

Here in Houston, 2 of the "classic" stations (60s and 80s stations) list their recent songs online and let you "rate" the songs. DUMP DUMP DUMP, Stones - okay, DUMP DUMP DUMP...


285 posted on 12/22/2004 2:15:41 PM PST by weegee (WE FOUGHT ZOGBYISM November 2, 2004 - 60 Million Voters versus 60 Minutes - BUSH WINS!!!)
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To: weegee

What do these folks have in common?

LINDA RONSTADT

CAT STEVENS

THREE DOG NIGHT

CHICAGO

DOOBIE BROTHERS

ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA

STEPPENWOLF


286 posted on 12/22/2004 2:16:54 PM PST by CyberCowboy777 (I know there's good will toward men on account of that Baby born in Bethlehem)
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To: CyberCowboy777
That was my point on this thread:

U2, O'Jays top (Cleveland) Rock (and Roll) Hall (of Fame) inductees

And after 25 years, Amazon still has the nerve to refer to U2 as an "alternative" band. In 1982, yes but not at all since.

287 posted on 12/22/2004 2:18:04 PM PST by weegee (WE FOUGHT ZOGBYISM November 2, 2004 - 60 Million Voters versus 60 Minutes - BUSH WINS!!!)
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To: Adder
Great song and great cover...especially with the little vocal twist they gave to it...

IMO just more evidence of genius.

288 posted on 12/22/2004 2:18:45 PM PST by Barkhead
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To: CyberCowboy777

I give up.


289 posted on 12/22/2004 2:18:59 PM PST by weegee (WE FOUGHT ZOGBYISM November 2, 2004 - 60 Million Voters versus 60 Minutes - BUSH WINS!!!)
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To: weegee

While Bobby Darin is, they are not.


290 posted on 12/22/2004 2:19:59 PM PST by CyberCowboy777 (I know there's good will toward men on account of that Baby born in Bethlehem)
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To: Sam the Sham

What about the Fabulous Wailers and the Sonics?

The Kinks revised their sound after touring with the Sonics.


291 posted on 12/22/2004 2:21:39 PM PST by weegee (WE FOUGHT ZOGBYISM November 2, 2004 - 60 Million Voters versus 60 Minutes - BUSH WINS!!!)
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To: t_skoz
"Dictators go girl crazy" is their best album.

I mean, has anyone ever written a song better than "i live for cars and girls"
292 posted on 12/22/2004 2:22:34 PM PST by escapefromboston (manny ortez: mvp)
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To: CyberCowboy777

To be honest, I don't have a problem with that.

I am more put out by the fact that the only instrumental player in there, Duane Eddy, is among the least deserving.


293 posted on 12/22/2004 2:23:31 PM PST by weegee (WE FOUGHT ZOGBYISM November 2, 2004 - 60 Million Voters versus 60 Minutes - BUSH WINS!!!)
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To: qam1

The Beatles broke up at the hight of their popularity. Right after signing a contract with EMI for 2 albums a year through 1976.

Brilliant timing.


294 posted on 12/22/2004 2:24:13 PM PST by FoxPro (jroehl2@yahoo.com)
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To: weegee

Get the vinyl just to have. It's bad ass 120-gram vinyl or whatever. There's more cuts on the CD? I didn't even look at the CD (I don't even think they had it at the record shop I go to).

Why didn't they release it as a 4-LP???


295 posted on 12/22/2004 2:24:51 PM PST by t_skoz ("let me be who I am - let me kick out the jams!")
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To: HenryLeeII

I don't think either Frank or the Dead covered EVERY Beatle song, but they did a select few.....


296 posted on 12/22/2004 2:25:01 PM PST by NRA1995 ("Yew jes' go and lay yore hand on a Pittsburgh Steelers fan & Ah think yer gonna fin'lly understand")
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To: Egregious Philbin

It's easy. Jack White is a talented guy but the White Stripes suck. Just my opinion. He could do something better. Again, just my opinion.

"mates of state"... *shudder* *gag*

my girlfriend likes them I think. Ugh, she usually has good taste in music but that's not one of 'em!


297 posted on 12/22/2004 2:29:31 PM PST by t_skoz ("let me be who I am - let me kick out the jams!")
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To: weegee

Hmmmmmmm.....I've ALWAYS loved jazz and am listening to Michael Brecker now.....have NEVER done junk, reefer or coke....


298 posted on 12/22/2004 2:30:18 PM PST by NRA1995 ("Yew jes' go and lay yore hand on a Pittsburgh Steelers fan & Ah think yer gonna fin'lly understand")
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To: weegee

Time to go home... maybe I'll call up and request "Rocket Reducer no. 62"

ahahahah I am such a jerk!

:-) talk to you later!


299 posted on 12/22/2004 2:31:36 PM PST by t_skoz ("let me be who I am - let me kick out the jams!")
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To: weegee
Vines/Hives/Strokes/White Stripes/"The Return of Rock YEAH!!!" is as reflective of music as a whole as Smashing Pumpkins/Pearl Jam/Nirvana/Soundgarden was of grunge

You are correct, sir.

The only distinction of the bands I listed above is that I don't almost crash my truck jumping for the radio when one of their tunes comes on.

I can stand the tunes by those bands I hear on the radio. I own no CD's by them.

Honestly, I prefer obscure Goth

300 posted on 12/22/2004 2:32:06 PM PST by Cogadh na Sith (--Scots Gaelic: 'War or Peace'--)
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