― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 3 October 2003 12:12 (twenty years ago) link
I'm not familiar with critical history, but how does this work when their first few albums are mostly covers?
― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 3 October 2003 12:27 (twenty years ago) link
I wonder how much this has to do with notions of personal 'cool'. (I'm not having a pop at you here, Matt)
I can see why you think that, but I'm not really sure it is (I wouldn't feel embarassed going into HMV and buying the Rachel Stevens album, so I don't reckon a copy of Abbey Road would cause many problems in that department). I think in many ways the problem is pure familiarity - I very rarely buy records I'm already well-acquainted with. To me, much of the fun of buying a record is in the very thrill of not knowing exactly what's contained within and music I know well I'd be more likely to download or copy off friends. I realise this is pretty unique to me and largely irrational (hence the going to the bar comparison above).
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 3 October 2003 12:32 (twenty years ago) link
― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 3 October 2003 12:38 (twenty years ago) link
― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 3 October 2003 12:57 (twenty years ago) link
― Matt DC (Matt DC), Friday, 3 October 2003 13:32 (twenty years ago) link
Martin's point #3 is OTM, but (to me) has no relevance to what I think about The Beatles doing songs by The Beatles.
On point #8 - just in case i'm being misunderstood I don't think there's anything wrong with disliking them.
― Dr. C (Dr. C), Friday, 3 October 2003 13:59 (twenty years ago) link
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Friday, 3 October 2003 14:28 (twenty years ago) link
For some reason they seem easier to avoid at the moment, and my irritation has subsided.
― Tim (Tim), Friday, 3 October 2003 14:32 (twenty years ago) link
― N. (nickdastoor), Friday, 3 October 2003 14:44 (twenty years ago) link
― N. (nickdastoor), Friday, 3 October 2003 14:46 (twenty years ago) link
OK, so hating on the Fab Four is not a hanging offence but it's also not something I can relate to really. I couldn't give a stuff about over half the Beatles catalogue but of the stuff they wrote that does strike a chord, I recognise genius when I hear it.
― Alex K (Alex K), Friday, 3 October 2003 14:49 (twenty years ago) link
― N. (nickdastoor), Friday, 3 October 2003 14:57 (twenty years ago) link
It's only been in recent years that I've started to have some perspective and question how good some of the stuff actually is and what my personal opinion on it is disregarding popular critical opinion which i've started to find stifling not just with regards to the Beatles but to all music.
I would say that I love the Beatles, though now i can say that i don't love 'everything' they did which before would have been difficult. I wish I could come to them fresh with no historical perspective to cloud my critical judgement - i wonder then what my reaction would be. Would I enjoy them (or indeed any other band) less without a context to place them in or does this awareness of the history add to the appreciation?
I wouldn't feel embarassed going into HMV and buying the Rachel Stevens album
For the record I would be embaressed to go in and buy the Rachel Stevens record and that's something I need to overcome - I even quite like the single. I am totally hung up on the 'personal cool' thing as Dr. C said. How sad.
― mms (mms), Friday, 3 October 2003 14:57 (twenty years ago) link
― N. (nickdastoor), Friday, 3 October 2003 15:00 (twenty years ago) link
― N. (nickdastoor), Friday, 3 October 2003 15:03 (twenty years ago) link
― mms (mms), Friday, 3 October 2003 15:04 (twenty years ago) link
― Tom (Groke), Friday, 3 October 2003 15:08 (twenty years ago) link
Beatle-haters: C. Even if their reasons are bad it gets at something; it's another lens, even if cloudy, to look at this monolithic thing. (this is kind of an iran-contra position I guess)
― g--ff c-nn-n (gcannon), Friday, 3 October 2003 15:11 (twenty years ago) link
― Alex K (Alex K), Friday, 3 October 2003 15:12 (twenty years ago) link
― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 3 October 2003 15:48 (twenty years ago) link
I think I feel happier about getting into the Beatles now British pop is better than them again.
All of it?
― Ally C (Ally C), Friday, 3 October 2003 17:00 (twenty years ago) link
― Gear! (Gear!), Saturday, 4 October 2003 02:52 (twenty years ago) link
The "they never had a bad song!" thing might also tie in here: you're less discriminating about these things when you're still young and besides you only have *one band* that you listen to. There's not a single Beatles song that I don't harbour at least some fondness for, but if I had gotten into, I dunno, The Chemical Brothers or Pulp or Shaggy when I was nine, I'd probably say the same thing about them.
― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Saturday, 4 October 2003 13:49 (twenty years ago) link
― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Sunday, 5 October 2003 09:49 (twenty years ago) link
I like "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and a lot of John Lennon's stuff, but the Beatles in general, leave me cold. And I'm sick of them, and I hated their stupid screaming girl fans, grabbing their hair and screeching (for God's sake, shut up!). There is other stuff from 1964-65 to 1970 that I find a hell of a lot more interesting.
Your mileage may vary.
― Orbit (Orbit), Sunday, 5 October 2003 13:52 (twenty years ago) link
what should songwriters be writing about nowadays?
― RJG (RJG), Sunday, 5 October 2003 13:55 (twenty years ago) link
This is just silly. You must hate most musicians if you really believe this. (and you don't get much more explicitly political than 'Give Ireland Back To the Irish' anyway).
― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 5 October 2003 13:56 (twenty years ago) link
― Orbit (Orbit), Sunday, 5 October 2003 14:12 (twenty years ago) link
I like the Beatles, though not as much from Sgt. Peppers on. I don't really like ANY of their solo work, except the occasional Lennon song (I think Plastic Ono Band is way overrated). My recent Stones discovery has made it hard to get into the Beatles mystique much these days. Though I still love Meet The Beatles, Rubber Soul, Hard Day's Night, and most of Revolver.
― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 5 October 2003 17:38 (twenty years ago) link
― Orbit (Orbit), Sunday, 5 October 2003 18:30 (twenty years ago) link
― Herbstmute (Wintermute), Sunday, 5 October 2003 18:47 (twenty years ago) link
― Mark David Chapman (Lord Custos Omicron), Sunday, 5 October 2003 21:22 (twenty years ago) link
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 20 November 2003 18:24 (twenty years ago) link
― Justyn Dillingham (Justyn Dillingham), Thursday, 20 November 2003 18:30 (twenty years ago) link
Does anyone at any given moment think they are wrong about anything?
― the pinefox, Thursday, 20 November 2003 20:17 (twenty years ago) link
― Gear! (Gear!), Thursday, 20 November 2003 20:23 (twenty years ago) link
― NA (Nick A.), Thursday, 20 November 2003 20:23 (twenty years ago) link
― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Thursday, 20 November 2003 21:04 (twenty years ago) link
― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Thursday, 20 November 2003 21:30 (twenty years ago) link
― Pete S, Thursday, 20 November 2003 23:03 (twenty years ago) link
― the surface noise (electricsound), Thursday, 20 November 2003 23:06 (twenty years ago) link
Regarding another point raised upthread, while I don't believe it's possible, I *do* enjoy at least trying to approach music objectively. Context is not monolithic and inescapable except in a very general sense; we pay attention to aspects of context that we wish to, and ignore others as best we can. It's an oversimplification to say that context is unavoidable -- I mean, yeah, it is, but so what? How does that play out in your actual listening and appreciation?
― Clarke B. (stolenbus), Friday, 21 November 2003 06:00 (twenty years ago) link
― Clarke B. (stolenbus), Friday, 21 November 2003 06:07 (twenty years ago) link
― Clarke B. (stolenbus), Friday, 21 November 2003 06:11 (twenty years ago) link
― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Friday, 21 November 2003 11:37 (twenty years ago) link
― Mikey G (Mikey G), Friday, 21 November 2003 12:13 (twenty years ago) link
― Clarke B. (stolenbus), Friday, 21 November 2003 16:24 (twenty years ago) link
I'm a lifelong fan, and yet I think I'm gradually moving into the hate camp. Although I've continued to claim to like them, I haven't really wanted to put on a Beatles album that much for about five years, and right now Rubber Soul (which used to be my favorite) is playing where I am and it's annoying the shit out of me. They sound like retards.
― Hurting 2, Wednesday, 22 August 2007 22:46 (sixteen years ago) link
they're not as bad as fall out boy
― El Tomboto, Wednesday, 22 August 2007 22:51 (sixteen years ago) link