The Compliment Sandwich: The Beatles

[Dave]

So, this is the latest in my series of threads that encourage people to really look at a subject matter and get to grips on what they really think about something. The way it works is very simple. You state something that you like about the subject matter. It could be something as simple as how they look or how much they make you enjoy something. After that, you simply state something that you do not like about the subject matter. Again, it could be anything. After that, you, simply round it off with something positive.

Simple as that

In this specific episode, we are looking at the a band who has taken the world by storm and are recognised as one of the most successful bands to have ever exist... The Beatles!

To me, The Beatles are the ultimate band. Not only is there music the most well-known piece of musical art, the world over, they are the most respected of musicians. McCartney, Lennon, Starr and Harrison have carved their own piece of history in the world of music and perhaps no one will ever some close to that. They have produced album after album of fantastic songs and their music will probably live for as long as people listen to music. They are that good and that well-received. Their influence is always growing, despite the fact that they have long since been disbanded.

Which brings me onto the negative side of The Beatles. The influence is great but they have harboured the sort of music fan that I simply cannot stand. People who wear The Beatles on their T-Shirts, when they have never heard a Beatles song outside of “I Wanna Hold Your Hand” or “Twist And Shout”. Now, I am by no means the most well-versed Beatles fan but I have listened to my fair share of albums and can understand the way people talk so highly of The Beatles. What I hate though, is people who state that they like The Beatles, simply to seem more knowledgeable than they actually are. They try to pass off liking the Beatles as being culturally advanced and it kills me every time I see. I once spoke to a guy at a party, who was wearing a Beatles T-Shirt. I thought he might be the same sort of music fan as I but imagine my surprise when he told me that he didn't like The Beatles, save for “Let it Be”... Why are you advertising for them then!? For fuck's sake!

That being said, not all Beatles fans are cut from that cloth. Beatles fans are some of the most loyal fans out there. The Beatles were truly an inspiration to many and a whole host of people cite The Beatles as being a huge part of their musical progression. All of that from a band who formed in Liverpool. Miracles do happen and The Beatles are one of them. A truly gifted group of musicians that perhaps paved the way for modern music. There may never be a greater band than The Beatles.

Your turn!

 

[Derf]

I fucking LOVE the Beatles! Years after they broke up, they are one of the most reconizeable band names of all time, and will be for the next 50 years or so, hands down. No matter what kind of music a person listens to, there are always a few Beatles songs they would love, given they took the time to listen to them. I personally downloaded their distography and enjoy some of their less known songs like "Hey Bulldog" and "Drive my Car", as well as the better known songs like "Hey Jude" and "Come Together". Hell, I was listening to "While my Guitar Gently Weeps" when I even noticed this thread.

It is hard to find that many flaws with them, alot of the negative things that have happened have all made huge history. They're bigger then God, Paul is Dead, the "backstage politics" if you will might have made them bigger in the long haul, but had some of those things not happened, the Beatles could have continued making music together for years to follow, which would have only made them even more influencial.

I also have to agree with Powertrip on people claiming to be fans of the Beatles, yet not knowing any of the stuff not played on the radio on a regular basis. A guy I work with knows I'm a huge fan, and he always gives me shit for it, claiming they suck, and he dislikes them. Yet when I asked him to name a song he dislikes them for, he couldn't, claiming he only dislikes them because "they are old people music". People like that are morons. There are countless Beatles songs played on the radio all the time, in TV commercials, even covered by other bands.

But I know the Beatles, and love them. I have Abbey Road tattooed on my forearm as a tribute to my love of the band, and constantly get praise for it (possibly from t-shirt wearing know nothings, meh) The Beatles music will be used for years to come for anything and everything, unfortunatly with todays hip hop world, it'll likely be mashed up there too, which dispite my distaste for hip hop, only furthers the point that the Beatles are around to stay, 40+ years after breaking up.

 

[JGlass]

They played so many different styles of rock and roll/pop throughout their time as a band... and nailed every single one of them. Listen to the Beatles early hits off of Please Please Me and then compare them to the hits off of Let It Be. Please Please Me is a very traditional pop rock sound and it consists almost entirely of love songs or songs about heartbreak, women, things of that nature. Let It Be has a more unique rock sound to it and the songs are more complex, dealing with faith (Let it Be), and inner peace (Across the Universe). They have their fair share of strange songs (Elenore Rigby, Happiness is a Warm Gun, and tons of traditional rock Songs (I Feel Fine, Help) and all of them are great.

For a band that was supposed to be all about peace, love, and understanding, they sure fought a lot. While a lot of people blame Yoko Ono for the break up (and she was the one who really drove the wedge in the end), it's my understanding that they were never the most cohesive unit and that they often bickered over song credits and shit like that.

Three of the four were supremely talented, and Ringo wasn't bad either. John Lennon and Paul McCartney will go down as two of the greatest singers and songwriters of all time, and George Harrison was a brilliant man with unlimited musical potential. Many bands get by with just having one or two guys who can really lead the band and having solid support players, but all four of these guys were superstars, and three of them are some of the best musicians ever.

 

[Alex]

They were one of the most influencial bands ever, many bands since have cited the Beatles as an influence in many areas. (style of music lyrics etc) Without the Beatles many of the bands aftwerwards may never have come to be.

While they were/are very influencial they are hugely overrated (not in a bad way) It seems you can't criticise the Beatles because fans will say they did no wrong when there was quite a bit of stuff they could have improved a bit

Very few bands have had each member being ranked very high on their chosen part in the band. John, Paul, George and Ringo are all thought of very highly as very good musicians in their own right.

 

[dude_d_dude]

Personally, the Beatles are my favourite band. A lot of their songs are downright masterful and I have around 100 songs from them on my iPod. Selling over a billion albums, completely wrecking the charts with countless #1's, and flat out setting the bar so damn high that no one can touch them, ever.

That being said though, I'll either love a Beatles song or I'll hate it, there isn't much middle ground. Some of their stuff was just flat out BAD, and the in band fighting during their last album didn't exactly sit well with a lot of people. I'm not blaming Yoko or anything, but all I'm saying is that at the end of their careers I think they should've left on a tad bit of a higher note

All in all though, their influence and recording techniques have been used by many and without the Beatles there wouldn't BE a lot of other bands that exist today. Can't lie, hands down one of the best bands to ever walk the face of the earth

 

[El Rev sXe]

Let's do this:

Obviously The Beatles have their print on music. There isn't probably many bands that can say that they inspired/influenced on so many levels, on so many bands, on so many decades like The Betales did.

However, the only problem I have with The Beatles is their "psychedelic" phase. I mean, all musicians should be diverse and try new things but "revolution number 9" is just insulting. All of their songs around 1:00 minute are just doll. Those songs are basically fillers.

Yet, The Beatles were in some weird shape the first ever "boy band" since they only did covers and rarely wrote their own songs. Then they showed to the world their real potential progressing their music/lyrics having serious reflexions about society.