The Beatles Appreciation Thread

[Majora's Cat]

I cannot express how much I love The Beatles. I know a lot of you love the fab four as well, and I have drawn inspiration for this thread by the group. I want all of us to discuss our favorite songs here. I would also like to find other fans of The Beatles that I and many others can relate to.

Here's something about me discovering The Beatles:

I really didn't know about the four British stars until kind of recently. I was flipping through a book of world records when I stumbled on a page. It was about The Beatles - they hold the world record for most albums sold. I had to look into them - the picture of the group itself got me interested immediately - they just seemed s charismatic. I started out listening to a few of their songs on YouTube such as "Yesterday", "Here Comes the Sun", "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "Sergeant Pepper". Their music stunned me. I was left speechless after listening to only a few classics. It was unlike anything I heard before or I would ever hear again. I have always had a broad interest in music - I listened to the All-American Rejects, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Green Day, Three Days Grace, Usher and many more artists before. But once I heard the first words of "Yesterday", something magical happened. A magical feeling that has only come to me when watching the ending credits of a Zelda game. I listened in absolute silence as the music serenaded me over and over. I quickly called my mom over to listen to their songs. She had heard of The Beatles before, but never really got into them. After hearing one song... my mom was somehow changed as well. I can't describe the sensation. I believe only those who can comprehend real music will appreciate The Beatles these days when the music industry is full of greedy rapstars and talentless filth. I only found magic in John Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and Starr's compositions. After only a week or so, my family started borrowing CDs and burning them so we could listen to them ourselves. We have multiple albums in our possession, and needless to say I am loving having this music in our household. Even while I am here on ZD I am constantly listening to Beatles' albums. Right now I am tapping my foot to the tune of "Come Together". It doesn't matter to me how many substances The Beatles used - they're still the extremely talented musicians they once were although two are dead (R.I.P. John and George). I feel like their most popular songs drew in until I became a true fan and started listening to just about every song in their composition. And may I say that the more I listen, the more I love their music.

May Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr live forever and never die along with the legend of The Beatles.

Anyway, you can discuss anything related to the fab four here.

 

[athenian200]

The older music actually is better, at least in my opinion. It takes a certain kind of person to appreciate it.

I think there's probably plenty of good music out there right now, actually, but that the record studios are just trying to mass produce a popular sound rather than spread good music. In other words, the good music of today will never be widely known, because it won't be as widely known or marketed as the old stuff was.

As for the Beatles specifically, I like a lot of their music. Back in the USSR, Band on the Run, and While my Guitar Gently Weeps, just to name a few. There are probably countless songs I enjoy that I don't even know were written by the Beatles.

 

[Zarom]

You know... I like some of The Beatles songs too, but I can't help but think they're a bit overrated. Yeah, I know they were very talented and all, but some of their songs just aren't that good. But I have to say they have some awesome songs too. Some of my favorite are "Hey Jude" and "Let It Be". But it really comes down to what type of music you like.

And to say there are no great songs or artists today is kind of bull**** to me. Some people are so close minded that they stay stuck in the past and don't enjoy anything that is new. Yes, the industry is full of crappy artists like Justin Bieber or Miley Cyrus, but you should also know there are tons of amazing new artists out there. Some of the best new artists of the past few months are Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and Drake (and to a certain extent Taylor Swift...). Also, Eminem just released an amazing album this year, as well as Usher. Linkin Park have just released a new album, Kanye West is going to release his album soon, as well as Rihanna, Akon, The Black Eyed Peas, Susan Boyle and even possibly a new Michael Jackson album just to name a few.

I enjoy old songs, new songs, and I'm sure I'll enjoy songs that will come in ten years from now on. I'm constantly evolving and I'm always excited to hear new things, new sounds, etc. I hate listening to the same songs over and over again.

 

[Majora's Cat]

I didn't say there were no great artists today. You somehow twisted my words and misinterpreted them. I said nothing of the sort.

Anyway, I didn't say that modern music is bad, but I'm waiting for a new sensation to come along. Not that I hate Lady Gaga, but a lot of these songs try to be so mainstream. We all know Gaga tries to be different, but after a while she loses her flare. The Beatles had a certain charisma about them. Watch any old video of them and you'd understand better. Their style was never a kind of music I liked, but something... something about these four British musicians was different. I don't know what it was... and I still cannot find out what made them so special.

That flare that The Beatles had - I'm looking for that in the music industry today, but I can't find that special band or singer. I just can't.

 

[Cel-Shaded Deku]

My mom is a fan of them. We used to listen to their music all the time. But recently I've gotten back to listening to their songs. Two days ago I listened to Yellow Submarine all day. 1,000,000 times better than the songs I have to listen to on the school bus. Most of them are okay, one song is mostly normal talking sped up, and one is a rap song sang so fast you can't keep up with it. If you ask me a song with lyrics isn't as good if you can't sing it.

 

[octorok74]

I love listening to the Beatles. Their music takes up about 40% of my MP3, the other 60% obviously dedicated to Zelda music. The music the Beatles played flowed and when they went into a solo, their instruments would sing for them. I have to say that my all time favorite song would have to be Octopus's Garden.
The bands we have now, in my point of view, suck. I don't understand what they are trying to sing about. Are the trying to connect with the average person, relate to the past, make a statement, etc.. The Beatles were able to get their messages across with ease, unless the BBC banned one of their songs.
All I'm trying to say is that if other bands could play as well as the Beatles, then they would have more followers. I know that there are a couple bands that are somewhat as good as the Beatles, maybe. But just watch, when Paul and Ringo eventually pass away, the Beatles records are going to be sought after like never before.

 

[theothernavi]

Wow. The first time I heard the Beatles was when I was like 6 or 7. I still love them. Dang, this is so off topic, the Glee should do a Beatle ep.
Long live the remaining Beatles!!

 

[PiKn1ght314]

I grew up with a lot of old music, and the Beatles were always there since I was small. I love them. Just four lads constantly chased by raging fan girls, the first (after Elvis, maybe) to have done this so drastically. There are so many good songs that they have, including ones that didn't even hit the charts well, and there are so many songs to begin with anyway! They made about 250 songs or more, appealing to many different tastes, in less than 10 years. They made the British Invasion famous and spread rock and roll through the U.S. (Heck, they even got music banned in Cleveland, Ohio). On their iTunes release of their albums, in a week they sold 6 million albums titles, long after the band broke up. They made so many triumphs in music to future generations, and I salute them.

And about new music, I never really grew up with it at all. With the exception of video games (like Tony Hawk games), past music was the only kind I knew, unless it was like the YMCA song (or anything else that is entirely mainstream). I admit, some newer music is okay, for my family has moved forward in music, genre by genre, going through the evolution of music, and showing that every song has its roots to another. That's how you can get from the Elvis to AC/DC. I have few exceptions for new music, but most of it sounds the same with every band, so most of my music liking stops at the 90's. And the Beatles are not necessarily the most musically inclined or talented of all bands, either, and I'm sure many bands, even now, get to their level of complication and/or talent. It just depends on preference. But if they continue to inspire people to make music and to live up to their dreams, then they are amazing.

As for songs, there are too many I like to name, and to many different degrees. I love their practices, because John is always so funny in these, along with hilarity their Christmas albums. Revolver and Rubber Soul are probably my favorite albums, since they have a lot of good songs on them, but then there are those outlying songs that rock so much, diffusing my choices. And songs, I would have to say I definitely love "Julia", "Words of Love", "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (both original and acoustic versions), "Across the Universe" (I liked the ultra-rare version the best, even though it isn't that rare at all), "Mother Nature's Son", and "Free As a Bird".

 

[Jimmy]

And to say there are no great songs or artists today is kind of bull**** to me. Some people are so close minded that they stay stuck in the past and don't enjoy anything that is new. Yes, the industry is full of crappy artists like Justin Bieber or Miley Cyrus, but you should also know there are tons of amazing new artists out there. Some of the best new artists of the past few months are Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and Drake (and to a certain extent Taylor Swift...). Also, Eminem just released an amazing album this year, as well as Usher. Linkin Park have just released a new album, Kanye West is going to release his album soon, as well as Rihanna, Akon, The Black Eyed Peas, Susan Boyle and even possibly a new Michael Jackson album just to name a few.

I believe you countered your own statement there . The bands/artists you listed are terrible, with the exception of Eminem and Taylor Swift (credit where it's due). Were you being sarcastic?

And the Beatles are not necessarily the most musically inclined or talented of all bands, either, and I'm sure many bands, even now, get to their level of complication and/or talent.

What a ridiculous statement. "Complication" in music is not down to how many notes you can shred within 10 seconds. They were all exceedingly musical. John Lennon had a snarl to his voice that is scarcely matched, his lyric and songwriting abilities have pretty much never been matched. George Harrison is one of the finest lead guitarists of all time, even Hendrix said so. Ringo is often derided as a drummer but his work complemented the music perfectly and inspired many of the metal drummers of the 70s.

As for Paul, the guy has one of the widest vocal ranges of all times, utilised a huge variety of singing tones throughout his career, could play just about any instrument you handed him, wrote or co-wrote most of the Beatles number 1 singles and is one of the best bassists of all time. The only thing you can fault him for is his lyrics which are occasionally weak or silly, but that's a drop of water in the ocean.

Oh, and they could all harmonise perfectly, pushed the boundaries of music more than any band of any era ever and set the precedent of bands writing their own material rather that relying on songwriters. Not musically inclined. What rubbish.

 

[PiKn1ght314]

Oh, and they could all harmonise perfectly, pushed the boundaries of music more than any band of any era ever and set the precedent of bands writing their own material rather that relying on songwriters. Not musically inclined. What rubbish.

I hear you, and you're right all the way. I just meant (I guess I just phrased it wrong before) that the Beatles are extremely talented (every single one of them), but they're not the best band ever in the world. No band is really ever the best. I never meant they had absolutely no talent at all, either. Like all bands, they had a few (well, very few) faults. But there are so many things that they did that no one can ever do the same way again, like on the rooftop. They were very creative, one of the best at this, and inspire almost all of the artists that followed them, in some way or another. Other bands are great, just like them, and I know a lot of people think the Beatles are overrated, too. I don't think that at all, but with bands with Jimmy Page or John Entwistle, there really is no top band. But the Beatles are definitely one of the greatest bands of all time--they just sound awesome no matter what. I'm sorry, I never meant it like that. If I did, my parents would make me sleep outside.

 

[Hanyou]

The Beatles are incredible. They left an indelible mark on the music industry, and it helps that the stuff they produced was all very good. I love everything from their silly boy band days (which still showed lots of potential) to their more complex, near-proggy material, but it's their later stuff that makes them legends. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is particularly good. It's also worth noting that they really knew how to write ballads. I'm not just talking power ballads, but real, heartfelt stuff. Let it Be is the first one that comes to mind, and in my opinion it's their best. Basically, the Beatles wrote damn good straightforward rock/pop and also introduced much of the world to more obscure music.

I've said they're overrated in the past, and I stand by it. In no way do I intend to diminish their influence. It's just that there are a lot of bands that preceded them that helped pave the way for musical exploration--The Beach Boys, with their pivotal album Pet Sounds, is one example. There are also a lot of bands that built on what The Beatles created and made better material. The Moody Blues' Days of Future Passed is a more mature, unified album than Sgt. Pepper's, for example, as is King Crimson's In The Court of the Crimson King. To be fair, neither would have existed if the Beatles hadn't explored that avenue first. Both bands admitted they owed a huge debt to the Beatles for creating Sgt. Pepper's--but then, the Beatles also admitted they owed a debt to The Beach Boys for creating Pet Sounds.

It's impossible for a band as important as The Beatles not to be overrated. At the same time, I wish more 60's bands got the credit they deserved for taking rock farther than it had ever dared to go--and, in some cases, opening the door for The Beatles to be the great band they were.

EDIT:

Some of the best new artists of the past few months are Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and Drake (and to a certain extent Taylor Swift...). Also, Eminem just released an amazing album this year, as well as Usher. Linkin Park have just released a new album, Kanye West is going to release his album soon, as well as Rihanna, Akon, The Black Eyed Peas, Susan Boyle and even possibly a new Michael Jackson album just to name a few.

Um...okay, not to sound like an elitist prick, but none of those artists come close to stacking up against the Beatles. There's just no way.

I agree that good music still exists, but it's bands like The Flower Kings, Flogging Molly, Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, and Spock's Beard that are carrying on that legacy. Most of the good bands aren't popular enough to have dozens of radio hits (though Flogging Molly, Porcupine Tree, and Dream Theater do have an audience) because they're not concerned with image, but music. Yes, bands and artists have built on the technical prowess and fantastic innovation of the Beatles. Lady Gaga and Kanye West are not in that league. Not by a longshot.

Honestly, compare and contrast "Pokerface" with something mindblowing like "A Day in the Life." Even if you don't like that song, you have to admit it's an impressive composition with its twists, turns, and even artfully-chosen lyrics, while the most you can say about Pokerface is...it's catchy to some people. "Fear of a Blank Planet", PT's most popular song, on the other hand, is at least comparable to the Beatles because it aspires to something more than basic melodies and "danceable" tunes.

 

[Zarom]

Um...okay, not to sound like an elitist prick, but none of those artists come close to stacking up against the Beatles. There's just no way.

I agree that good music still exists, but it's bands like The Flower Kings, Flogging Molly, Dream Theater, Porcupine Tree, and Spock's Beard that are carrying on that legacy. Most of the good bands aren't popular enough to have dozens of radio hits (though Flogging Molly, Porcupine Tree, and Dream Theater do have an audience) because they're not concerned with image, but music. Yes, bands and artists have built on the technical prowess and fantastic innovation of the Beatles. Lady Gaga and Kanye West are not in that league. Not by a longshot.

Honestly, compare and contrast "Pokerface" with something mindblowing like "A Day in the Life." Even if you don't like that song, you have to admit it's impressive, while the most you can say about Pokerface is...it's catchy to some people. Fear of a Blank Planet, PT's most popular song, on the other hand, is at least comparable to the Beatles because it aspires to something more than basic melodies and "danceable" tunes.

Hmm... I don't think I've said that those artists were in the same league as The Beatles, I know they're not. I was just naming some of the best new artists to come up during 2009/2010, so of course it's pretty limited. But it all comes down to preferences. I for one, love every genre of music.

You know, good music is good music no matter how it is expressed really. Some people prefer "real" instruments, some others like something more soulful, other people like catchy melodies and great hooks, others enjoy songs that have a great message and deep lyrics, etc. As for Poker Face, as far as pop goes, it's a great song, but I understand what you mean.

Also, in the music industry, it's not only about music. To be a great artist, you need more than just that. For example, you need to be a great performer, singer, dancer, musician and lyricist just to name a few things. Now I'm aware a lot of today's artists don't have any of that, LOL. But those kind of bad artists simply have one hit song or album, and they fade very quickly. I can name you plenty of those. But if an artist has been successful for several years, has had plenty of hit songs, has made an impact on the music industry, or has critical acclaim, then I think they can be considered a good artist. But again, there are exceptions to everything. Britney Spears for example isn't that talented, but she's been in the business for a long time now. But I have to say she has a good pop voice that is extremely marketable, and she's an overall good performer too, but music wise, it's pretty bland. Same goes for Rihanna, she has a certain warm to her voice, even though she's not really a good singer, and she's pretty much only a puppet of her record label anyway.

And Kanye West is one of the best rappers out there. You have to admit that guy is very talented, wether you like his music or not. He's producing his own music, writing his own lyrics and everything. His most recent album, titled "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" has received critical acclaim (an amazing score of 94/100 on Metacritic) and was named best album of 2010 by a lot of people, including the magazine Rolling Stone and Billboard. I personally don't really care about reviews in music, but I know some who really do. To each their own. There are people who will disagree with me just because they don't like hip-hop music or whatever. But since I'm a person who really likes every kind of music, I can really judge everything without being biased towards only one thing or genre, and I can appreciate songs and artists for what they truly are.

And I also can't stand people who say that when something isn't rock music, it's automatically ****, or because it's new, it's not good. That's just a wrong way of thinking IMO. Like I said in my post, there is still good music today, and there was good music before. And as there are plenty of untalented artists today, there were plenty of bad artists too during the 70's and the 80's, etc. I find it particularly funny when people say that artists from today won't be remembered years from now on, as if they think every artists from the past is remembered today. At the end of the day, the artists who have truly made an impact on the music industry are the ones who will be remembered.

I believe you countered your own statement there . The bands/artists you listed are terrible, with the exception of Eminem and Taylor Swift (credit where it's due). Were you being sarcastic?

I was very serious.

 

[00steven]

In my mind two artist changed music as we knew it and that is why the two are my favorite. They are Michael Jackson and The Beatles. What they did for music, fashion, and pop culture will never be matched.

 

[jugglaj91]

The Beatles are my favorite band ever. They did some great songs which most of you listed. I also bought The Beatles: Rock Band for a new way into their world. It has all sorts of behind the scenes stuff such as tidbits and a couple videos. As you move into their studio albums the music takes on a much more trippy sound as most of you know, but in the game the stuff they made to go along with each song is just as great. Granted a lot of their arguably best songs aren't their, but as The Beatles moved on they also changed up instrumentation at times and it made it hard to put into a Rock Band game. All in all I am glad they did what they did and my kid (if i ever have any) will surely be listening to them as well.

Also have any of you seen Across the Universe? It is a movie that takes Beatles songs and puts them into a story to help tell the story. It didn't get great reviews initially but if you are a Beatles fan I would recommend checking it out.