The Beetles

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I don't really like them. Am I missing something? Do they have a really flipping awesome song that I've never heard? Because as far as awesome music goes, I'd go with Queen, Pink Floyd, Clapton, and probably even Guns 'N Roses before Paul, Ringo, John, and the other guy.

It's all a matter of taste, of course, but here's my opinion.

For me, "Day Tripper" and "I Feel Fine" are as good as any other pop songs ever performed.

But I think there are two Beatles "eras" - before "Sergeant Pepper's", and after. Starting with that album, they began using a lot of studio effects and moving away from writing 3-minute perfect pop gems. As you can probably tell, I'm a fan of the earlier stuff, which is not to say the later stuff is bad.

Have you heard "Strawberry Fields Forever"? If I think of Pink Floyd and the Beatles, that song comes to mind. More dark and melancholy than some of the other Beatles stuff. And although it's post-Pepper, "Revolution" is still one of my all-time favorites. The lyrics may be a bit dated in places, but it rocks!

"But if you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao
You ain't gonna make it with anyone anyhow."
Still cracks me up.

JSB

If there's anything that turns me off from music, it would be any political undertones whatsoever. And a track named Strawberry Fields Forever.

Here's my point, though. According to just about every music critic I've read, the Beetle's music is the pinnacle of human aspiration. I've heard some Beetles stuff, and there's some decent songs, but that's it. "Can't Buy Me Love," for example, is a nice song in that it's pleasant to listen to, and it doesn't stretch on forever. But if I heard it on the radio between "Under Pressure" (Queen) or "Smokin'" (Boston), I probably wouldn't give it another thought.

Oh, yeah - I agree with you there. I like some Beatles songs quite a lot, and they definitely have a very high place in pop music history, but to say they're more important than any other artist is just ridiculous. Elvis Presley is the only one you can say that about. (Kidding! But I do love Elvis.)

JSB

I don't have anything against the Beetles, but maybe it IS political..

I don't like them either. Yesterday is the only one that I can bear with. I actually think they are overrated.

George > John > Paul >> Ringo.

You guys aren't the only ones. I don't think they're awful, I just don't think they're good. But everybody seems to worship them, apparently because they invented the genre of bland pop music.

I never understood that.

Why do people hate Ringo? And it's probably a plus for George that I never hear about him (not surprising, since he's the other dead one, right?).

Can't believe I'm hearing this!

I'm a big fan of The Beatles from Sgt. Pepper onwards, when they got into this really diverse, distinct sound.

And Strawberry Fields Forever is one of m favorite tunes ever!

I don't know the Beetles


The Beatles are great however.

I don't care much for their earlier work. But their more psychedelic/symphonic stuff, love it.

If you think they invented bland pop music, you haven't heard many of their songs.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiFYOn1AFms[/youtube]

I've always thought there was three, possibly even four, "eras" as you put it, separated like this:
Please, Please Me -- Beatles For Sale
Help -- Revolver
Sgt. Pepper -- Magical Mystery Tour
White Album -- Abbey Road

The "Help-Revolver" period is by far the best as far as I'm concerned. "Rubber Soul" is as close to a perfect album as can be, in my opinion. As far as what exactly it is that makes people (including me) worship The Beatles, I'm not about to evaluate that -- I've tried on many, many occasions and just end up rambling.
But what we can conclude is that there is definitely some kind of 'something' there, perhaps more abstract than we can begin to even perceive

I'm not sure how to tell you this, but "diverse" and "distinct" don't necessarily mean good.

I didn't say good, I said diverse and distinct. It just happens to BE good at the same time.

Well then, I would argue that Queen was just as diverse and distinct, and I would argue further that they had a more talented singer and a better guitarist.

I am just flippin' tired of them...I've had to listen to them for 40 years...yikes.