https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JbBVKQDTWQ
― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 9 June 2013 23:51 (ten years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdxr0z3SZ74
Two things I'd say as to why time has been kinder to the Beatles. First, most of Elvis's greatest music is concentrated into two very brief periods: '56 to when he goes into the army in '58 (the Sun stuff was recorded earlier, but not really heard till he became big), and the comeback in '68/69. The Beatles have a fairly solid block of music from '63 to '70; if you're a fan, you won't like it all, but you probably have favourite songs strewn across that block. Also--related--while I can certainly see where someone might view Elvis's greatest music as greater than the Beatles' greatest (not me, but many do), I think it's hard to argue that Elvis didn't make more bad music than the Beatles. For whatever reason--maybe the lingering evidence of all those '60s movies--and fair or not, his less-than-great self seems to live on on almost equal footing with his genius. Solo work aside, that's not true of the Beatles.
― clemenza, Monday, 10 June 2013 00:08 (ten years ago) link
It's an interesting question, one that I've tried to figure out myself. I think there a whole bunch of reasons.
― clemenza, Monday, 10 June 2013 00:14 (ten years ago) link
Are you American? Honest question
lol
― pink, fleshy, and gleeful (sic), Monday, 10 June 2013 00:18 (ten years ago) link
as a yank, my experience of elvis is akin to j-in-c's
the whole thing seemed to hit larry pretty hard in 'rattle and hum' tho i ascribe rather greater depth to our deemster
― mookieproof, Monday, 10 June 2013 00:23 (ten years ago) link
also my landlord, a lifelong brooklyn resident who looks like a latter-day maradona, has 5THBTLE on his car license plate
― mookieproof, Monday, 10 June 2013 00:26 (ten years ago) link
Elvis needs a decent biopic.
― piscesx, Monday, 10 June 2013 00:27 (ten years ago) link
a role nic cage was born to play
― mookieproof, Monday, 10 June 2013 00:27 (ten years ago) link
I have a dim memory of the Kurt Russell TV film being pretty good.
― clemenza, Monday, 10 June 2013 00:28 (ten years ago) link
Wow--had no idea it was directed by John Carpenter until I looked it up just now. I've seen Russell talk about being on the set with Elvis as a kid, and he says he was a great guy. So he brought that to the film.
― clemenza, Monday, 10 June 2013 00:30 (ten years ago) link
"elvis was a hero to most/but he never meant shit to me/love the Beatles tho obv/I mean come on who doesn't?" - Chuck D
― sjuttiosju_u (wins), Monday, 10 June 2013 09:52 (ten years ago) link
just one more nice thing: i think markers is hilarious and awesome. the "i miss you" video gets me every time i encounter it lurking through the old threads.
― Treeship, Monday, June 10, 2013 5:33 AM (7 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
*flags post*
― waterface, Monday, 10 June 2013 11:39 (ten years ago) link
*flubs post* morelike
― sjuttiosju_u (wins), Monday, 10 June 2013 12:12 (ten years ago) link
I know who mickey mouse is thats about it tbh.
Were I to guess, i'd say any disconnect is occurring btwn 'serious music people' - say ilm as represented here by jic- and 'musics nice isnt it' people like myself, but from the latter pov i'd have elvis as an icon to match the beatles, sinatra, mid 90's oasis, anyone
― posters who have figured how to priv (darraghmac), Monday, 10 June 2013 12:24 (ten years ago) link
tbh the beatles shit that most USians are into is pretty kitschy too, pepper & abbey road & yellow submarine, "strawberry fields whatever", it's like goofy good times music for light drug dalliances
― Euler, Monday, 10 June 2013 12:39 (ten years ago) link
ok now I'm sold
― sjuttiosju_u (wins), Monday, 10 June 2013 12:40 (ten years ago) link
Let's get real tho, yanks. The beach boys are a novelty band and you've got to stop inviting them to these discussions.
― posters who have figured how to priv (darraghmac), Monday, 10 June 2013 12:43 (ten years ago) link
sounds a bit "serious music people" to me hmmmmm
― sjuttiosju_u (wins), Monday, 10 June 2013 12:47 (ten years ago) link
I dont see the point of having a cake and not eating it tbh
― posters who have figured how to priv (darraghmac), Monday, 10 June 2013 13:04 (ten years ago) link
The beach boys are a novelty band and you've got to stop inviting them to these discussions.
With you 1000%. Gimme "Good Vibrations" and "Don't Worry Baby" and I'm done.
― 誤訳侮辱, Monday, 10 June 2013 13:05 (ten years ago) link
Oh shi
― posters who have figured how to priv (darraghmac), Monday, 10 June 2013 13:14 (ten years ago) link
My gun was loaded with blanks, but now shots have been fired
― posters who have figured how to priv (darraghmac), Monday, 10 June 2013 13:15 (ten years ago) link
What about God Only Knows? Surely that isn't a novelty song.
― Treeship, Monday, 10 June 2013 13:26 (ten years ago) link
A lot less so than "Good Vibrations"
― Bees Against Racism (Tom D.), Monday, 10 June 2013 13:38 (ten years ago) link
tbh the beatles shit that most USians are into is pretty kitschy too, pepper & abbey road & yellow submarine, "strawberry fields whatever", it's like goofy good times music for light drug dalliances― Euler, Monday, June 10, 2013 8:39 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Euler, Monday, June 10, 2013 8:39 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
vs
alright.. i only read the first bunch of postings.. and i dont know why there are so many haters out there.. dave is a great guy and does alott of work for charities.. pardon the spelling haha.. i dont know where you get corporate rock band from.. since hes libral as hell.. his lyrics are great.. just get beyond everyday and gravedigger.. his so smooth on the guitar its not even funny.. everyone in the band has incredible talent.. and i dont know how you can say its bland music.. some of the greatest artists ever are bland.. for example.. and keep in mind i love the beatles.. but "we all live in a yellow submarineee yellow submarinee.. la la la" its very boring as well.. oh and about his voice.. very few people have the range that dave has.. and what kind of music does everyone here listen too??.. besides britney spears and john mayer of course..-- CcchrissS (guitarshark198...), December 10th, 2005 3:25 AM.
― Doctor Casino, Monday, 10 June 2013 14:03 (ten years ago) link
Once you're separating pop music into kitschy and non-kitschy you've already kind of painted yourself into a corner.
― i don't even have an internet (Hurting 2), Monday, 10 June 2013 14:07 (ten years ago) link
Cf me backing myself into a corner on the lumineers thread
― Treeship, Monday, 10 June 2013 14:15 (ten years ago) link
Beach Boys is a good thing to bring up, I think. There are Serious Music People who revere the band, but I bet many only know the hits, and many of those folks listen with some degree of fun fun fun irony. Which is something else unique about the Beatles: does anyone listen to the Beatles ironically? Can the band even be listened to ironically? Elvis, Beach Boys, sure, there's a certain kitsch factor, but even the kitschy Beatles stuff seems self-aware enough to be inured from dismissal. "Yellow Submarine" isn't a great song, and the Beatles don't present it as a great song, but it's still, you know, a great song.
Also, the Beatles never took the stage to "Also sprach Zarathustra,"
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 10 June 2013 14:37 (ten years ago) link
It was implied.
― Tarfumes The Escape Goat, Monday, 10 June 2013 14:44 (ten years ago) link
They never took the stage at all after 1966, pussies
― Bees Against Racism (Tom D.), Monday, 10 June 2013 15:42 (ten years ago) link
Maybe they would have had they pumped themselves up with Also sprach Zarathustra every night.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 10 June 2013 16:01 (ten years ago) link
I watched this about a year ago or so - it's pretty good, Russell is a lot of fun, but nothing revelatory
― Bathory Tub Blues (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 10 June 2013 16:13 (ten years ago) link
i think it's pretty misguided to assume that even casual BBs fans are 'listening ironically,' whatever that means -- anyway, there's nothing kitschy about 'fun fun fun,' no moreso than 'she loves you' or 'i wanna hold your hand.'
in my experience most ppl are at least sort of aware that elvis was once young and cool, and that you need to separate 'cool elvis' from 'lame elvis.'
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Monday, 10 June 2013 16:44 (ten years ago) link
For sure. Same with Beach Boys! But I guarantee you there are more people who do "Kokomo" at karaoke night than "Fun Fun Fun."
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 10 June 2013 16:46 (ten years ago) link
And it's not because "Kokomo" is good.
People do the Beatles because everyone knows and loves the Beatles.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 10 June 2013 16:47 (ten years ago) link
Where did you get all these fascinating karaoke stats?
― everything, Monday, 10 June 2013 18:24 (ten years ago) link
I pulled them out of my butt, ironically.
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 10 June 2013 18:27 (ten years ago) link
That was how Yellow Submarine was written.
― everything, Monday, 10 June 2013 18:32 (ten years ago) link
Many people do actually like "Kokomo," btw.
― Doctor Casino, Monday, 10 June 2013 18:33 (ten years ago) link
Where did you get those stats?
― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 10 June 2013 18:34 (ten years ago) link
No numbers, no credibility!
(When I saw the Beach Boys last year, I totally didn't mind Kokomo).
i like kokomo but i kind of hate the beach boys, connection prob
― the white queen and her caustic judgments (difficult listening hour), Monday, 10 June 2013 18:35 (ten years ago) link
only really came to terms w this the other day when i voted for san francisco
― the white queen and her caustic judgments (difficult listening hour), Monday, 10 June 2013 18:36 (ten years ago) link
defend the indefensible: "kokomo" by the beach boys
― Doctor Casino, Monday, 10 June 2013 18:37 (ten years ago) link
the little bit that goes 'that's where we wanna go-o-o' right before the chorus in 'kokomo' is really nice.
― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Monday, 10 June 2013 18:38 (ten years ago) link
What would it say about the Beatles if "Little Deuce Coupe" was the most popular Beach Boys song at karaoke night?
― everything, Monday, 10 June 2013 19:12 (ten years ago) link
I remember reading a thread where aerosmith argued that kokomo was the best beach boys song
― Treeship, Monday, 10 June 2013 19:14 (ten years ago) link
It seems like the product of a different band to be honest, not really a "beach boys" song.
― Treeship, Monday, 10 June 2013 19:15 (ten years ago) link