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'How the Beatles Destroyed Rock 'N' Roll' by Elijah Wald (book review)
LA Times ^ | June 11, 2009 | Erik Himmelsbach

Posted on 06/12/2009 12:28:41 PM PDT by a fool in paradise

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Mishistory and mispercerption being spun round and round by both the critic and the author.

For example, the Velvet Underground were already recording their debut album in 1966. They didn't see the "door opened" by Sgt. Pooper.

And while the Beatles' lifted the shriek from Little Richard, they also took from Gene Vincent and others. Chuck Berry had much more influence on the Beach Boys and Chuck took from country artists himself.

And it is flat out wrong to think that "Yesterday" paved the way for Simon and Garfunkel. Crawdaddy Magazine (which was focused initially on folk) paved the way for the folkies' acceptance of the Electric Bob Dylan Band.

1 posted on 06/12/2009 12:28:42 PM PDT by a fool in paradise
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To: Revolting cat!; 537cant be wrong; Aeronaut; bassmaner; Bella_Bru; Big Guy and Rusty 99; ...

2 posted on 06/12/2009 12:29:57 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (There is no truth in the Pravda Media.)
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To: a fool in paradise

I know a Doo-Wop Kareoke DJ who says the same thing. He doesn’t even have the Beatles in his catalog.


3 posted on 06/12/2009 12:32:08 PM PDT by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
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To: massgopguy

I had someone ask me to play something by the Beatles. NOT the song “Something”, no, “you know that good one...”.


4 posted on 06/12/2009 12:34:57 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (There is no truth in the Pravda Media.)
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To: a fool in paradise

I remember someone talking about the influence that “the Velvet Underground”’s first album had on rock music.

Someone else dismissed it saying “they only sold a few thousand copies”.

To which the person replied “Yes, but everyone who bought one started a band!”


5 posted on 06/12/2009 12:35:04 PM PDT by allmendream ("Wealth is EARNED not distributed, so how could it be redistributed?")
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To: allmendream

Bowie had an acetate of the album before it came out and was already incorporating it into his live sets. It changed the course of his music.

And it certainly had an effect on the songwriting of “alternative” bands from the late 1970s-early 1980s. And subsquent bands were getting it second and third hand.


6 posted on 06/12/2009 12:37:23 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (There is no truth in the Pravda Media.)
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To: a fool in paradise
yoko Pictures, Images and Photos
7 posted on 06/12/2009 12:40:00 PM PDT by Snickering Hound
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To: a fool in paradise

Subsequent bands were getting influenced by the Velvet Underground second and third hand BECAUSE EVERYONE WHO BOUGHT THAT ALBUM STARTED A BAND!!! ;)

In my opinion, anyone who likes the Beatles more that the Rolling Stones likes Pop better than Rock, and needs to get back in touch with the BLUES.

“Shake em on down”
“You got to move”
“Bring it on Home”
“You shook me”
“Baby please don’t go”
“Back door man”
“Stop Breaking down”
“Killing floor blues”
“Little Red Rooster”


8 posted on 06/12/2009 12:42:35 PM PDT by allmendream ("Wealth is EARNED not distributed, so how could it be redistributed?")
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To: Snickering Hound
Excuse me, she's Yoko Ono Mojo now.

Yoko Ono enjoys rare music honour (BBC News - Thursday, 11 June 2009 00:43 UK)

John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono has received a lifetime achievement honour at the Mojo magazine awards in London, the first music prize of her career.


9 posted on 06/12/2009 12:44:02 PM PDT by a fool in paradise (There is no truth in the Pravda Media.)
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To: a fool in paradise

I read this book. The title is intentionally misleading. He does not believe that the Beatles destoyed Rock and Roll. He compares the Beatles in their era with Paul Whiteman in his era, who historians say destroyed jazz. When in fact both bands moved music forward.

That’s just a piece. It’s a very good book and a good history of what music historians don’t always talk about.


10 posted on 06/12/2009 12:44:59 PM PDT by cotton1706
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To: a fool in paradise

so if I just like what u like we’ll all get along?


11 posted on 06/12/2009 12:49:06 PM PDT by VaRepublican (I would propagate taglines but I don't know how.)
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To: a fool in paradise

This Wald fella is smoking crack.


12 posted on 06/12/2009 12:54:47 PM PDT by Mariner
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To: a fool in paradise
David Lee Roth noted: "Rock critics like Elvis Costello because rock critics look like Elvis Costello."

I agree that he has been historically overrated by rock critics. Elvis is a good musician of diverse interests, but no particular work really stands out. OTOH, almost anything his wife (Diana Krall) covers seems absolutely brilliant.

Yes, I did mean to stray off topic because I am enamored of Diana Krall.

13 posted on 06/12/2009 1:01:06 PM PDT by neocon1984
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To: a fool in paradise

The Beatles were freakin awesome


14 posted on 06/12/2009 1:03:06 PM PDT by Canes101
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To: cotton1706

Haven’t read the book. Sound interesting. I must say that I LOVED the Beatles. I first became aware of music with Elvis, then the Beatles came along and blew me away. They got me to love music - because of my joy from their music, I just had to learn to play guitar, then later on, the piano. Yes, they were pop-rock, but they were a very, very, good pop-rock band. They had the good fortune to get hooked up with George Martin, whom I think is the real genius behind their sound and their growth as musicians.

I grew up in the sixties and early seventies. It would have been a much more dismal time if not for the wonderful music by so many great bands.


15 posted on 06/12/2009 1:03:58 PM PDT by Nevadan
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To: neocon1984

>.no particular work really stands out.

I saw him quite a bit in his early rocker days. Great Live shows...first few rocking albums.

As far as works standing out, IMO, King of America is a masterpiece.

But, tastes vary and you may not get the same results.


16 posted on 06/12/2009 1:06:50 PM PDT by swarthyguy ("We may be crazy in Pakistan, but not completely out of our minds," ISI Gen. Ahmed Shujaa Pasha)
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To: allmendream
"In my opinion, anyone who likes the Beatles more that the Rolling Stones likes Pop better than Rock, and needs to get back in touch with the BLUES."

Um, may I like both of them if Hubby is a blues fiend? He's spending our heirs' inheritance on blues music starting in the 19th century, I think.

17 posted on 06/12/2009 1:14:27 PM PDT by TheOldLady
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To: TheOldLady

My condolences. Yes, you can like both bands equally.

Seems like “My daddy spent my inheritance on blues albums” would make a DAMN fine blues song! ;)


18 posted on 06/12/2009 1:17:09 PM PDT by allmendream ("Wealth is EARNED not distributed, so how could it be redistributed?")
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To: a fool in paradise

My, we go way back don’t we?! How did we end up here? LOL!


19 posted on 06/12/2009 1:20:43 PM PDT by EEDUDE
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To: allmendream

Would “uncle” work? Hmmm... My Uncle Died And All I Got Was Ten Cases of Blues CDs. You’re right, it has a certain something about it. Too bad Bukka White isn’t around to sing it, huh.


20 posted on 06/12/2009 1:23:23 PM PDT by TheOldLady
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