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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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Sgt. Pepper
