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Location: NJ | Okay, it's 40(egads!) years old today.
(btw; WellDone, Gentlemen!)
The local NPR program this morning had two self-proclaimed "experts" having a Point/Counterpoint discussion regarding the virtues/hype of the work.
What say You?
Sensory, Sonic Masterpiece??
Pretentious, over-Hyped Shite?? |
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Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | well-packaged, certainly. Triggers some residual olfactory hallucinations (another story, altogether!) |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | While I really wasn't cognizant at the time, being in pre-school, I've read and agree, that it showed the masses that pop music can be art.
Though I think if you asked musicians before then they'd say they were making art, too. |
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Location: closely held secret | Sensory, Sonic Masterpiece?? Sensory? Ehhhh. Sonic Masterpiece? Probably, for the time. Certainly nothing up till then sounded as good on a high-end stereo.
Pretentious, over-Hyped Shite?? Definitely not pretentious. I doubt the Beatles ever had a thought while they were recording it that it would be a classic.
Probably over-hyped... but then again, it has been 40 years and it's still very popular (I'd be willing to bet most people over 20 in western cultures have at least heard of it). Can't say that about many other pop albums.
Shite? Gimme a break. Shite doesn't last 40 years. Only GOOD shite does. :D
Just my opinion, but I've always thought SP was a very diverse collection of material that was engineered, mixed, and mastered so well that it became a single cohesive piece, much more so than any other Beatles album.
They didn't really plan on it being a 'concept' album (well, maybe McCartney wanted it to be...), but the whole thing was put together so nicely it might as well be.
State of the art recording equipment, the Beatles behind the mics, an absolute production wizard behind the glass... how could it be anything but a classic? |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | I can take or leave the Beatles and I think SPLHCB was a brave effort (for the Beatles) at the time but, musically, it does little for me, like much of the Beatles' work.
When you consider this was done at the same time groups like The Velvet Underground were making the scene, it becomes even less impressive. |
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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains | While not my favorite Beatles work...(Beatles 65 - a fabulous record)it is a part of the phenomenon that changed the world musically...I will never forget the first time I heard "I Want to Hold Your Hand" on my little 4 transistor Silvertone radio...WGH radio - Tidewater Virginia - late 1963 ...it changed my life and disappointed my parents who at first refused to buy me their records...I went to work and bought the entire collection including the V Jay records: Introducing the Beatles: I earned money cutting grass and asked my Dad for "Meet the Beatles" (Capitol); I was disappointed at first...later I found out the V Jay recording was a collectors item and quite rare. The Beatles got me wanting to play guitar and nothing has ever been the same since. Over hyped? Possibly...hey, it’s called marketing and at least they could play and sing (in tune) and George Martin was a recording genius! You want to define "shite" just take your pick from the current pop field...
My opinion...I'm sticking to it!
Blessings... |
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Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Jeff W.:
When you consider this was done at the same time groups like The Velvet Underground were making the scene, it becomes even less impressive. I listened to them occasionally, but wasn't really into death rock, even facing Vietnam...
More into Big Brother (Joplin), Quicksilver Messenger Service, Vanilla Fudge and Pink Floyd. |
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Location: Marlton, NJ | I was only five when it came out and didn't really start listening to the Beatles until the mid seventies. To me it's one of those albums that you have to have in your collection, but I liked Revolver, Abbey Road, Rubber Soul much more. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Your point is well taken, Wabbit...
There was a shite-load of new, interesting and GOOD music happening at the very same moment SP was. I will agree that SP production quality was without peer at the time, but there was other much more appealing and equally inventive music happening.
(and by the way... I wasn't even 3 yet, but was very advance for my age...) |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | A great recording effort, certainly. But I've always been disappointed that The Beach Boys 'Pet Sounds' (which inspired McCartney/SPLHCB) isn't held in the same reverence.
(Except by the cognoscenti, of course...  )
Much the same reaction I have to Bob Dylan/Phil Ochs.
If this/why not that?
(Why Jeff! I didn't know you were such a baby! I was 12.) |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | I was afraid to admit that I've never been a Beatles fan--until Jeff spoke up. Now I'll come out of the closet and admit it.
Now that I have that off my chest, I'll just worry about being like Jeff. |
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Location: closely held secret | I was 14.
Phil, I think the reason is the Beatles had strong global name recognition, something the BB had in'68, but nowhere near as widespread. They had 6 years of dominating the Billboard top 10, 2 1/2 world tours...
It wasn't that SPLHCB was better than Pet Sounds, they were both pretty darn good. SP just reached a larger, more dedicated audience.
It's not my favorite Beatles album, but I think it's unique in it's sound.
Jeff, you're right, there was an incredible amount of new stuff coming out then, experimenting with words and sounds. Too much for a teenage boy to keep up with. The groups I really liked, I would stick with until they put out 2 albums that sounded the same. Then I moved on (I had every Steve Miller album until "Book of Dreams"...) |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by Mark in Boise:
I'll just worry about being like Jeff. It's not that bad, Mark. You'll be surprised by the stuff you can get away with...
...and there are at least a few non-Beatles fans hiding in the woodwork 'round here.
Now, go make a dirty phone call to your wife. That's what I would do.
...(what's her #) |
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Location: closely held secret | There's nothing wrong with not liking the Beatles, Mark. It sounds like you've got much bigger issues, anyway...
I'm trying to picture Jeff as a lawyer. "Devil's Advocate" keeps coming to mind... |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | ...or F. Lee Bailey. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | Revolver
Rubber Soul
much better overall albums. |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Agree with Stephen. (how can you not agree with that cuteness...and sweater collection?)
But I was bored with everything Beatles until I bought the 'Live At The BBC' album and remembered why we all liked them in the first place. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | My lack of interest in the Beatles probably has nothing to do with them. I lived in Milwaukee in the early 60s and was turned off by the teen and preteen girls' screaming whenever the Beatles did anything.
In 66 we moved to North Dakota, where they only played one Beatles' song, Penny Lane, over and over.
When I next was exposed to teen and preteen girls and there screaming (when my daughters were that age) I found it just as annoying as I did in the 60s. I'm sure if I could have listened to something by the Beatles other than Penny Lane without all the background noise, I would have a different opinion of their music. That explains my weirdness, what explains Jeff's? |
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Location: Pacific Northwest Inland Empire | Well, I was 17, and lived in the hotbed 0f "Hee Haw, in Central California. Rock&roll was near plasphemy, Elvis notwithstanding. SP sure did sound good on herbs & a Teac/Marantz 2020/Infinity towers, though! |
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Location: Tampa, FL | Originally posted by Mark in Boise:
That explains my weirdness, what explains Jeff's? Unadulterated raw natural talent. |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | and a poor sweater collection! :rolleyes: |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | ... that- and my mother drank when I was in the womb.
(and more heavily after I came out) |
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Location: Midland, MI | Originally posted by Jeff W.:
...or F. Lee Bailey. I can see you more in an "Ironside"-type roll...er, role. |
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Location: Midland, MI | A little competition for Moody, perhaps?
:D |
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Location: NJ | played it till I wore off the groves. loved a day in the life played that track more than all the others.
moved on to the white album and wore that one out then abbey road.
somewhere in 69 70 or 71 i discovered the velvet underground and all was lost. |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | The musical era from 1966 to 1976 is filled with a mind boggling amount of uncredibly creative recorded music. SP is the album that I point to as the most influential for inspiring bands at the time to try new things, create new sounds, and go outside the box. It was released with no accompanying single to help boost sales. Because of that, none of the songs got any airplay on the AM stations. It is amazing that the album sold so well at the time, but a large part of the album's success was a result of the cover/jacket which was a breakthough in itself and clearly influenced other bands like Cream's Disraeli Gears.
I was 13 when the album came out and my older sister bought it the first week it was released. I knew that the album was designed to be played start to finish, a relatively new concept for pop records.
The Beatles followed up SP with Magical Mytery Tour, the "White Album" and then Abbey Road. From 1965 to 1969, starting with Rubber Soul and Revolver the Beatles wrote some of the best pop music ever recorded IMHO. I agree that SP may not be the best of that group of records, but it is the one that had the most impact and started the creative energy that fueled what came after it. |
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Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | According to the Paul and Ringo who were on this morning's talk radio in Denver, they loved working on it because it was the first thing they did after their tours ended, they were all included, and they were given creative freedom they previously did not enjoy. I, too, prefered most of their earlier stuff, but like Al, A Day in the Life totally blew me away. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Nice Crusty :D . |
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Location: Waurika OK | Mark, you're not alone. I liked Hard Day's Night, Eight Days a Week, and I Want to Hold your Hand. After than, they lost me.
Of course, I married in 63 and we had our first child in 64, so reality had set in for me. It was more about paying rent and putting food on the table.
Also, when you can't hear the music for the screaming girls, why listen? I couldn't afford to buy a stero or the records.
As you can tell, the Beatles were "much ado about nothing" for me.
However, in the last few years, I do enjoy some of Paul's work. |
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Location: Tennessee | Beatles fans seem to fall into two camps ... 65 and earlier and 1966 and on. Sweaters and Pierre Cardin vs. colorful whimsical uniforms and self expression through fashion. Beautiful sing alongs (or scream alongs) vs. ground-breaking artistic license. I personally lean towards the latter, but appreciate the former.
Revolver was the start of the second phase of the Beatles ... and that's where my interest in the Beatles as artists really started. BTW, the change happened when the first Paul decapitated himself on the streets of London. |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | daed si luap |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | mih deirub i |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | Originally posted by stonebobbo:
BTW, the change happened when the first Paul decapitated himself on the streets of London. I've never heard about that. Please explain. |
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Location: Tennessee | Originally posted by Mitchrx:
Originally posted by stonebobbo:
BTW, the change happened when the first Paul decapitated himself on the streets of London. I've never heard about that. Please explain.
Here is a good site to get you started: Paul is Dead
This was so huge that even Life magazine ran a cover story, and purportly were able to show voice graphs that differentiate between the two Pauls.
Makes for an interesting discussion. |
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| Great Great music I was a little young born in 61, but had the lucky connection and musical influence of an older brother who had every new album as soon as the record shop owner could get them in for him. As I went back and listened to the beatles genius and later, as I began learning more advanced music, I noticed that often it was more difficult than I had expected.
These guys had some great arrangements! Genius! still holds today......... Harrison was a much better musician than I once thought and I also realise the music they wrote was the catlyst that sent me right down the road looking for complicated and the beautifully constructed songs that I found in what would later be called "Progressive Music". |
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Location: Carle Place, NY | Bobbo:
There WAS considerable speculation that Paul was dead and I remember that well. I sort of thought that's what you were referring to. I can't accept that anyone today really believes that BS though. |
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Location: Capital District, NY, USA Minor Outlying Islands | The current paul is an imposter. An animatron manufactured by the beatles' investors. Don't tell anyone, it's a secret. |
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Location: Boise, Idaho | OK, I'm relieved that I'm not as weird as Jeff, but now I'm concerned that I'm older than Al. Back on topic, it took me many years to realize that the Beatles had a ton of talent. Too much was hidden behind the hair, clothes, videos and other marketing hype of the era. Movies made out of songs. Whoever heard of such a thing? Green Day is currently doing a cover of an old Lennon song. It's tough to find lyricists as good as him. |
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Location: Tennessee | The movie HELP! is a fantastic film. Directed by Richard Lester. Great cast ... Leo McKern, Victor Spinetti, Eleanor Bron, Roy Kinnear. Very good plot line, and tremendously funny. ("British you see. A scientist properly equipped, eh? Why, if I had a Luger..."). Most of the music videos in the film (the first real music videos ever) are outstanding, especially "You're Going to Lose That Girl".
I wish the same could be said for Magical Mystery Tour, but sadly it comes up way short. Probably because the Beatles let Billy/Paul run with it. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Greenday is doing "Working Class Hero". It was the total highlight of the entire American Idol season if you ask me.
Anyway, I was on the young fringe of the Beatles thing (born in 1958). My sisters 8 and 10 years older than I were totally immersed in it. I have fallen in love with their catalog in reverse order. The older I get, the better I like the earlier stuff. All things considered however, I would not say Sgt P. is among my favorites. Loved the cardboard punchout moustache, but the album as a whole just never struck a chord with me.
I know for the 10th anniversary back in 1977 they came out with a Sgt. P. Picture Disc which I still have and has never been played. I wonder if that might be worth anything.
Dave |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | three-fiddy |
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Location: NJ | I probably mentioned it here before, but Geoff Emerick's book "Here, There, and Everywhere" comes HIGHLY recommended!!
When Emerick got out of school as a teenager, his very first job was as a "trainee" at EMI Studios at Abbey Road. His SECOND DAY on the job was observing the Beatles FIRST recording session! He worked various functions throughout the facility. He eventually became their engineer (replacing the previous one who left to work with PinkFloyd) on the very first day of work on "Revolver". The very first task he was given was the sound of Lennon's voice on "Tomorrow Never Knows". It was his idea to run it through a Leslie.
The book offers a LOT of insight to the recording/post-production processes used, how much of a "dump" AbbeyRoad really was, the Corporate mindset of EMI, how tedious and depressing some of the sessions could be, the power struggles between the Beatles & George Martin, and pretty much how the Beatles could be total C@NTS (to each other, and to those around them).
Even someone who isn't really a Beatles "fan" will get a lot out of it, as it gives an insight to all that was going on at the time (both inside the studio, and the World outside of it). There's a lot of info regarding the equipment, mics (and placement), and a lot of the improvised "tricks" used in the recordings (and in post-production).
If you ARE a fan, there's a lot to be learned about these guys that you might've never known (and some that might wish that you didn't).
A Good Read. |
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Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | Wouldn't it just be soooo ironic if Paul is the last to die? |
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Location: NJ | I STILL vehemently maintain that he DID in fact die . . . and WAS secretly replaced . . .
. . . with Angela Lansbury. |
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Location: big island | 102... |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Originally posted by cliff:
replaced . . . with Angela Lansbury. God, it all makes PERFECT sense to me now.... |
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Location: NJ | Originally posted by Mark in Boise:
OK, I'm relieved that I'm not as weird as Jeff, but now I'm concerned that I'm older than Al. flattery will get you no where |
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Location: Bluffton, SC | Originally posted by alpep:
Originally posted by Mark in Boise:
OK, I'm relieved that I'm not as weird as Jeff, but now I'm concerned that I'm older than Al. flattery will get you no where |
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Location: Midland, MI | Originally posted by Jeff W.:
Originally posted by cliff:
replaced . . . with Angela Lansbury. God, it all makes PERFECT sense to me now.... |
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Location: NJ | Actually, I prefer it with just a small "g".
(it's less pretentious, that way . . .) |
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Location: Tennessee | cliff almighty |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | Jimmy Cliff
oh, wait... I see what you guys are doing... |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Sgt Pep. It has become a classic, much bigger than they thought it would be. Same for all their stuff. We all have our favorites of theirs, or not, as the case may be but I still think they are the biggest thing to happen to music in all our lifetimes. They made kids want to play and have a band. Even if it was in a totally different direction because they hated the Beatles they still wanted to play. |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub |  |
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Location: Earth·SolarSystem·LocalInterstellarCloud·Local Bub | or maybe
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Location: Midland, MI | HAHAHAHAHA. I move that we declare Friday to be "Photoshop Friday." Someone start a thread. :D |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | Reminds me of the joke: What do you get when you cross a croc with a .... ah, never mind.
Dave |
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Location: Keepin' It Weird in Portland, OR | Originally posted by cwk2:
I still think they are the biggest thing to happen to music in all our lifetimes. They made kids want to play and have a band. Even if it was in a totally different direction because they hated the Beatles they still wanted to play. I remember in my Jr. Hi School Days, you either liked the Stones, or the Beatles...
And Ne'er The Twain Should Meet!
Personally, I liked Spirit! :cool: |
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Location: Latitude 39.56819, Longitude -105.080066 | "Fresh Garbage" was a true classic! |
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| I was 11 or thereabouts when the first Beatles' record came out and I freaked out - never heard anything like it before. Bought their first LP, which was the first Lp I ever owned. Then the Stones arrived and I lost interest in The Beatles. Before I could save up enough money to buy a stones LP The Kinks had arrived and I was lost to a world of distortion, volume and wickedness.
Next thing ya know I was buying records by old black dead men and life hasn't been the same since....
I remember one of by best friends playing SP until I nearly lost my little mind. It meant absolutely nothing to me. |
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Sgt. Pepper