Favorite…The Beatles

[Coda]

In a nutshell, I'm a bigger fan of the Stones or the Who. My first real exposure to the Beatles was all their early pop stuff that got way overplayed on the radio. Their later stuff was more pleasing for me to listen to. That was probably around middle school or just before for then. Even to this day I don't care for much pop music in general, but sure as hell get my fair share of hearing it at parties, hardware stores, grocery stores, etc. I guess when it's overplayed wherever you go it loses its magic.

When I picked up the guitar in middle school and started taking lessons I was thrown into the world of blues/classic rock because of my teacher. Like any kid with a guitar, I wanted to play like the greats of that generation: Led Zeppelin, the Who, Deep Purple, Clapton/Cream, etc. A couple of years into playing (probably sophomore year in high school) I wanted to start to write my own stuff and picked up a 'Songwriting For Dummies' and a few others. Every. Single. Book. talked about the Beatles in some way and their formats (AABB, ABA, AABA, etc.) so clearly they were revolutionary and I tip my hat to them for breaking the mold.

Over the years my taste in music has generally gravitated toward the harder, edgier stuff. The Stones or the Who are just edgier than the Beatles IMO. To keep the spirit of this thread alive I will 100% without a doubt say that the Beatles were an absolute necessity to pave the way for other great artists. I have great respect for them as a band.

I asked because people tend to get defensive about comments like this, and I wanted you to make your point. I know a lot of people that feel the exact same way. I have also known people who had no real reasons behind their dislike. For example: I knew a guy in high school that hated the Beatles, and was very vocal about it...said it was "wussy music." He felt that if it wasn't Dream Theater is was crap. Then, one day...all of a sudden like, he stopped talking about it at all. Turns out, the latest issue of Drummer's World (he was a drummer) had an interview with Mike Portnoy, and he gushed about how big a Beatles fan he was. From then on, there was no more Beatles trashing...just respect. He never became a fan, however...

 

[BuddytheReow]

Cool. Not trying to make enemies by baseless trash talking as mentioned above. I really enjoy the community here and don't want to ruffle some feathers out of ignorance/closemindedness. My first exposure to them were along the lines of "Paperback Writer" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and that's when the stubborn one in me said "I'm done". I also agree 10000% that a certain band's sound can and more often that not changes over their career. While their overall sound can/does change, the general vibe of the band does not. Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Metallica, Pantera, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan and countless others have changed their style over the years. No matter which 'era' of the band you are listening to you can still say "that's Clapton", "that's led Zeppelin", "that's the Beatles" because of the vibe they give off. The general vibe of the Beatles is not something on the top of my playlist, but to be absolutely fair to everyone here in this thread I will give them an honest listen this afternoon. I'm thinking Revolver?

 

[finebyfine]

Cool. Not trying to make enemies by baseless trash talking as mentioned above. I really enjoy the community here and don't want to ruffle some feathers out of ignorance/closemindedness. My first exposure to them were along the lines of "Paperback Writer" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and that's when the stubborn one in me said "I'm done". I also agree 10000% that a certain band's sound can and more often that not changes over their career. While their overall sound can/does change, the general vibe of the band does not. Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Metallica, Pantera, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan and countless others have changed their style over the years. No matter which 'era' of the band you are listening to you can still say "that's Clapton", "that's led Zeppelin", "that's the Beatles" because of the vibe they give off. The general vibe of the Beatles is not something on the top of my playlist, but to be absolutely fair to everyone here in this thread I will give them an honest listen this afternoon. I'm thinking Revolver?

Definitely Revolver. I think I basically have your opinion of the Beatles with respect to personal music tastes, but with maybe 5% more personal appreciation if that makes any sense - I had a big Beatles phase a decade ago. I rarely actively think of putting them nowadays but sure as hell won't turn them off when they come on.

 

[Harry Klippton]

Cool. Not trying to make enemies by baseless trash talking as mentioned above. I really enjoy the community here and don't want to ruffle some feathers out of ignorance/closemindedness. My first exposure to them were along the lines of "Paperback Writer" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and that's when the stubborn one in me said "I'm done". I also agree 10000% that a certain band's sound can and more often that not changes over their career. While their overall sound can/does change, the general vibe of the band does not. Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Metallica, Pantera, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan and countless others have changed their style over the years. No matter which 'era' of the band you are listening to you can still say "that's Clapton", "that's led Zeppelin", "that's the Beatles" because of the vibe they give off. The general vibe of the Beatles is not something on the top of my playlist, but to be absolutely fair to everyone here in this thread I will give them an honest listen this afternoon. I'm thinking Revolver?

Check out revolver and do yourself the favor of initially skipping over Elenanor Rigby and yellow submarine cuz I'm sure you've heard them though

 

[Coda]

Cool. Not trying to make enemies by baseless trash talking as mentioned above.

That's why I wanted you to elaborate. Some opinions immediately lead to reaction, despite intention. I don't judge anyone on their musical tastes. Not everything will float everyone's boat...

Also, +1 for Revolver...the Mono mix, if you can...

 

[spi]

It took me longer to get into the Beatles than other classic rock bands, for similar reasons as @BuddytheReow.

In HS I was into Led Zep, Hendrix, the Who, Rush, etc. and I thought the Beatles were too poppy and their music was made for teenage girls (the footage of all the girls screaming at their performances did that). I even remember being confused when my bus pal who was into hard rock was listening to the Beatles on his walkman one day--like how could he be into that?

On the other hand, I did enjoy Monkees re-runs during the same period, but that was TV entertainment so I compartmentalized it differently I suppose--it wasn't like I was listening to their records.

I don't even know how I got into their stuff much later--I think it was when my housemate had Sgt. Pepper on vinyl, and I had a record player so started playing it, and it caught on.

 

[BuddytheReow]

I took an honest listen to Revolver from the link here just now. Honestly, it's better than a lot of their radio songs minus the few noteworthy ones here. You can definitely hear their creative juices going. Having this discussion here is making me think I'll give some of their later albums another solid go and see what comes out the other side. Not a fan yet, just more curious and want to give them a more solid try. Some of the people here did grow up with their career so the Beatles definitely have more meaning to them. I was born long after they broke up (I'm 34) and some of my friends were really into them since their parents were big into them during their time. As mentioned above, I was not one of them.

 

[boji]

I am still in awe of what the Beatles were able to accomplish sonically in 6+ years. So many amazing songs and albums.

But if I really had to pick the GOAT in their discography, I think it'd be Abbey Road. I love it back to front, and have an especially soft spot for You never give me your money, an often overlooked pop jewel. Granted, the lyrics are not that great, but the music is: McCartney manages to cram 4 or 5 completely different atmospheres in just over 4 minutes but it never feels like prog. The song twists and turns and surprises the listener constantly, yet it stays completely accessible. A 4 min masterclass in songwriting, in my opinion.

 

[Coda]

I am still in awe of what the Beatles were able to accomplish sonically in 6+ years. So many amazing songs and albums.

But if I really had to pick the GOAT in their discography, I think it'd be Abbey Road. I love it back to front, and have an especially soft spot for You never give me your money, an often overlooked pop jewel. Granted, the lyrics are not that great, but the music is: McCartney manages to cram 4 or 5 completely different atmospheres in just over 4 minutes but it never feels like prog. The song twists and turns and surprises the listener constantly, yet it stays completely accessible. A 4 min masterclass in songwriting, in my opinion.

And the bassline from the “out of college” bit is great. A lot of McCartney’s lines post Help! are really more like lead guitar than bass. He gets a lot of credit as a song writer, but not too much as a bassist…I mean, he did use a pick, after all…

 

[Bricksnbeatles]

I took an honest listen to Revolver from the link here just now. Honestly, it's better than a lot of their radio songs minus the few noteworthy ones here. You can definitely hear their creative juices going. Having this discussion here is making me think I'll give some of their later albums another solid go and see what comes out the other side. Not a fan yet, just more curious and want to give them a more solid try. Some of the people here did grow up with their career so the Beatles definitely have more meaning to them. I was born long after they broke up (I'm 34) and some of my friends were really into them since their parents were big into them during their time. As mentioned above, I was not one of them.

Honestly I’d say you should give Past Masters a listen, it’s a compilation of all of their commercially-released stuff that wasn’t available on their UK (which are essentially the definitive) albums. Lots of great B-sides and non-album singles that you might not be familiar with, such as ‘Old Brown Shoe’ (a great George tune), and Rain, which is considered by many to be their greatest song. You probably won’t dig the first half of the stuff, so I’d say just listen to the volume 2 stuff (it was a 2cd set, volume two starts with Day Tripper if you listen on a streaming service)

 

[Coda]

Honestly I’d say you should give Past Masters a listen, it’s a compilation of all of their commercially-released stuff that wasn’t available on their UK (which are essentially the definitive) albums. Lots of great B-sides and non-album singles that you might not be familiar with, such as ‘Old Brown Shoe’ (a great George tune), and Rain, which is considered by many to be their greatest song. You probably won’t dig the first half of the stuff, so I’d say just listen to the volume 2 stuff (it was a 2cd set, volume two starts with Day Tripper if you listen on a streaming service)

Hey Bulldog is another track that fell between the cracks. Recorded at the tail-end of the Magical Mystery Tour era (in Studio 3, EMI…same room as Dark Side of the Moon), the track was floated as the b-side to Lady Madonna. I think that idea was mixed by Macca, though…because it is a superior song.

 

[peccary]

And the bassline from the “out of college” bit is great. A lot of McCartney’s lines post Help! are really more like lead guitar than bass. He gets a lot of credit as a song writer, but not too much as a bassist…I mean, he did use a pick, after all…

Carole Kaye used a pick pretty much exclusively and I'd say that she was arguably one of his biggest influences. When it comes to melody and phrasing she is hard to beat.

 

[Coda]

Carole Kaye used a pick pretty much exclusively and I'd say that she was arguably one of his biggest influences. When it comes to melody and phrasing she is hard to beat.

She is one of the best, if not top 3, and still at it. You can take lessons with her. I’ve heard countless times, however, that playing with a pick doesn’t count. But then, it’s the drummers job to count, not the bassist…

 

[peccary]

She is one of the best, if not top 3, and still at it. You can take lessons with her. I’ve heard countless times, however, that playing with a pick doesn’t count. But then, it’s the drummers job to count, not the bassist…

I've been tempted to pay for a Zoom lesson with her, but I haven't had a proper lesson in 15 years at least, and I've been a bedroom bassist for most of that time. I have a hard time believing that I wouldn't come off as a complete fool

 

[Coda]

I've been tempted to pay for a Zoom lesson with her, but I haven't had a proper lesson in 15 years at least, and I've been a bedroom bassist for most of that time. I have a hard time believing that I wouldn't come off as a complete fool

From what I have seen she would let you know right off the bat. Then she’d say “…but that’s ok…” and she’d start at step 1.

 

[peccary]

From what I have seen she would let you know right off the bat. Then she’d say “…but that’s ok…” and she’d start at step 1.

Yeah, seems about what I'd expect from her interviews. She is really funny and sharp elbowed.

I've only recently started learning to use a pick and it's a whole new world and I feel like I'm starting all over again. My wife keeps telling me that I should do it (she sees the "Carole Kaye pick technique" searched in our You Tube search all the time) so I half expect her to surprise me with it one day - who knows.

 

[Mentaltossflycoon]

I've been tempted to pay for a Zoom lesson with her, but I haven't had a proper lesson in 15 years at least, and I've been a bedroom bassist for most of that time. I have a hard time believing that I wouldn't come off as a complete fool

Back when I taught privately, the fools money paid the rent just as well. Fools are always welcome if their checks go through. Much like therapy, everybody could benefit from lessons, only some folks aren't ready to admit it while others actively seek progress. I enjoyed teaching a wide range of ages and skill level and honestly was only judgemental about any lack of effort or follow through. I say hit her up while she's still doing it.

 

[peccary]

Back when I taught privately, the fools money paid the rent just as well. Fools are always welcome if their checks go through. Much like therapy, everybody could benefit from lessons, only some folks aren't ready to admit it while others actively seek progress. I enjoyed teaching a wide range of ages and skill level and honestly was only judgemental about any lack of effort or follow through. I say hit her up while she's still doing it.

I would like to get back to actively learning again. My previous instructor moved to Georgia (from California) and while I tried a couple of other instructors out after that none really worked for me the way he did. Now with how normal and ubiquitous Zoom is I might ask him if he has room for me - we've kept in touch over Instagram all these years. I have a shoulder surgery coming up in a couple of weeks, so I'll have to wait a few months at least, but it has been on my mind for a while now.

 

[Mentaltossflycoon]

I would like to get back to actively learning again. My previous instructor moved to Georgia (from California) and while I tried a couple of other instructors out after that none really worked for me the way he did. Now with how normal and ubiquitous Zoom is I might ask him if he has room for me - we've kept in touch over Instagram all these years. I have a shoulder surgery coming up in a couple of weeks, so I'll have to wait a few months at least, but it has been on my mind for a while now.

I also support this plan, though it would be pretty sweet to be able to say "I studied with Carol Kaye." Wishing you a speedy recovery and significant relief.

 

[HamishR]

I grew up listening to the Beatles and Band on the Run. My brother played Wings and my sister had the single Hey Jude with Revolution as the B-side. Even as a little kid I marvelled at how intense the guitars on Revolution were. It felt like they were jumping out of the speakers.

For a long time I favoured the later stuff, like Abbey Road and the White Album. The White Album is incredible but patchy. Probably the album I reach for the most is kinda not an official album but a collection of singles and B-sides called Hey Jude. It has Rain, Old Brown Shoe (I LOVE that song!) Revolution, etc. And it opens with Can't Buy Me Love, which really does just leap out of the speakers and into your ears.

Now I just love 'em all. As I get older I appreciate more and more how good they were. One thing which stands out is the sounds - nobody sounds as good as the Beatles. No, they weren't all polished and shiny. They were warts and all and had more personality in one note than any of their contemporaries. And so much energy.

Re. Oh Darlin' - Geoff Emerick tells of how Paul would come into the studio before the rest of them for a few weeks so he could try more takes of the vocal for Oh Darlin'. He did take after take to try to get what he wanted. And it still sounds relatively spontaneous.

As much as I like the Stones I still can't quite get past Mick's silly "southern drawl". Oh well, it's worked for him for almost 60 years now! And it's funny how the Stones were marketed as tough, street-wise guys you wouldn't want you sister dating because they were actually all relatively well-off middle class white guys from respectable parts of London. Whereas the Beatles were marketed as pop idols and they were rather rough around the edges.

My uncle toured from London through Amsterdam and all of Australasia with the Beatles in 1964. He was there in the hotel rooms when the thousands of girls were screaming outside. He interviewed them several times a day for international radio and even got to interview Aunt Mimi on the plane to Hong Kong! If you were a Beatles fan back then and got a signed photo of the group it's quite possible that it was actually my uncle Bob or Mal Evans who signed it. The Beatles were, um, preoccupied.