Beat, Beatnik, Beatles
 

I like them, others on LoT do, so what they broke up decades ago and now due to age, infirmatiy and death they can no longer reunite, we can still discuss them here.

Martin Scorsese is going to direct a documentary on George Harrison, cool. Story here.

I like the Beatles. :) I had the full-on phase in high school, where I collected books and posters and studied up. Nothing like discovering the biggest pop sensation ever. I almost wish I'd discovered Star Wars like that, instead of growing up with it.

I'm one of the minority. I was never a Beatles fan growing up, preferring the Stones and Bowie. I don't hate them and I can see the appeal, but they never "did it" for me. However, I do appreciate Lennon solo.

Well, we can discuss them all singly or as a group. I love John Lennon solo work (not much of a Yoko fan, I'm afraid) Like George, too.

Oh, and I adore David Bowie! I was never a big Stones fan. But you can't go by me, growing up I was a Mowtown queen

Sez Scorsese, "George Harrison's music and his search for spiritual meaning is a story that still resonates today and I'm looking forward to delving deeper."

Wow, that is the best news I've heard all week. Harrison has always been my favorite Beatle! For my money, album for album, Harri-song had the best solo career of any of the Beatles.



And he is the reason I took up the ukulele, as well.

Yay for me!

Beatles, Stones, Motown, Bowie - loved them all!
 

I was really fortunate to have a dad who loved rock 'n' roll as much as I did. This is not so rare today but back in the 1960's ... He took me to lots and lots of concerts and hippie ballrooms (Winterland, Family Dog) in the Bay Area. I would have been 9 years old when we started going.

The Beatles. The Airplane. Janis. Santana before he found his sound, even. On and on. My dad always made sure I had the latest Beatles record right when it was released. It was as important to him as it was to me.

I think about it now and it blows my mind. How open my dad was to these brand new things. He was really a jazz fan who always found the best jazz club in whatever city. This meant the maryjane fumes at the rock concerts didn't bother him in the least, didn't make him think twice about taking me along.

My dad's been gone 8 1/2 years now. Can you tell I miss him? What a guy.

I guess because I experienced their amazing explosion on the American scene, and can still remember their Ed Sullivan appearances and all the frenzy, I grew up loving them ... and still admire their music.

I love the increbible progression they made over a decade, and that they quit while ahead. I'm less enthusiastic about the solo careers, though I find much to admire in Lennon's and Harrison's.



Have I ever mentioned in this pages that I have George Harrison's DNA on a napkin??? :cool:




I expect to have a Beatles mini-mania in the coming days, after I finish an insane project. I'm going to see Cirque's "LOVE" next week, then I'll find time to see "Across the Universe," and I'll make time to listen to the underground "HATE" album that Coaster Matt turned me on to, and the extensive Purple Chick alternate takes versions of the Beatles albums that mousepod sent me ages ago.


Beatles Beatles Beatles Beatles Beatles Beatles Beatles Beatles.


I read the Scorcese film news in Variety today, and I'm ecstatic. Think Marty will want to interview me about my George napkin??? ;)

Ab-so-lutely, I think there is a very good chance, that, yes, Scorsese will have nothing to do with either you or your napkin. But kudos to you for owning it anyway.

Cirque's Love is definitely high on my list of things to do -- someday, when me ship comes in.

My first memorable exposure was at about 4 years old. The battered Abbey Road 8-track got a lot of wear and tear in the family car and I remember that I liked it.

When I was 12, things really starting progressing. My parents took me to the Winter Garden theater on Broadway to see "Beatlemania". Between the audio visuals and the clothing and, of course, a two-hour excursion through their music, from teeny bopper to to drug stage to political spokesmen, it started a fascination that continues to this day. It was also about the same time that I was learning how to play drums and I can truly say that Ringo Starr probably had the most profound influence on my first years of drumming. I proceeded to study, memorize, and most importantly, just enjoy every one of their albums I could get my hands on, which was all of them. And to this day, there isn't a Beatles song that doesn't bring me back to those years of exploration and discovery.

About once every two years, I watch the 8 disc documentary that came out about 10 years ago. It puts me back into hardcore Beatles mode for a few weeks then I go off to explore someone else. Their music will always hold a most special place in my heart.

And finally, I'm always delighted when I hear of kids that are into the Beatles. I truly think that their music will live on for as long as we listen to music. And there are very few artists I would say that about. Quite honestly, I don't thing we will ever see a group that has the same impact ever again.

You people had cool parents. As a kid, I was going to see the LA Phil and meeting Henry Temianka and Jean-Pierre Rampal.

I was kind of a hybrid. My parents were classical music listeners, but they had a certain appreciation for the Beatles. They didn't listen to it, but they had no objection to us listening to it, so I was exposed to it pretty early and don't really recall a time not having some awareness. Since it relatively ever-present, I had a very murky concept of exactly the time frame. I remember knowing a collection of fragmented facts with no sense of how they fit together to create the history of the band. I knew Lennon had been assassinated, but it took me a while for it to sink in that it was after I was born. I knew the Beatles had broken up because of someone named Yoko Ono (apparently a crazy Asian lady to go by the parodies I'd seen), and if I had been asked, I might have thought about it and put those two facts together and figured out that the latter probably happened before the former.

And the fact that they sang both Twist and Shout AND Lucy in the Sky confused the snot outta me.

I eventually filled in the gaps and have grown to be blown away by their incredible ability to successfully reinvent themselves and stay ahead of the curve. At this point, while I certainly understand that they can't be everyone's cup of tea, but I can't wrap my brain around people who don't acknowledge some amount of appreciation for what they were. The pretty much guarantees that me and them should never talk music.

When I was little, for a short period of time, I had a british nanny (she was around 18),I learned many Beatles songs from her. I remember singing Yellow Submarine as we wandered along Alamitos Bay.

Tonight was British Invasion night in my Rock Music and Culture class. What a timely thread! I don't know much about the Beatles, have only heard a smattering of their music. But I like what I've heard, and would like to know more.

What I really liked about class tonight was learning about Marriane Harris (is that the right last name? I have no clue!). She fvcked all the Stones! Some people in class were like, "That slut!" I'm like, "What the fvck?! She totally rocks! Who wouldn't want to fvck all the Rolling Stones?" For their iconic popularity and bad boy style of course. And I mean the Stones of the 60's, not the Stones now. The video we watched had clips of her being interviewed a few years ago and she was totally demure. You would never have known that she was the Rolling Stone's girlfriend.

I think you may have lived every man's fantasy.

Marianne Faithful. When you look up iconic 60s goddess, there's her photo.

I actually think Jean-Pierre Rampal is cooler than George Harrison. There, I've said it.

And I wanted to see Benny Goodman and the symphony and such, my parent were telling me, where do you get that from and go play on the freeway....

I'll never forget when I got into swing music and related stuff, including the modern bands that emulated them. I played some Squirrel Nut Zippers for my dad and he said "That's my parents' music," with a large helping of Boomer disdain. Heh.

As awesome as the L.A. production of Burrough's Black Rider was, I was so disappointed that it didn't include Marianne Faithful, who was in the S.F. production.

My mother taught me how to ride a motorcycle and took me to see Blazing Saddles and Papillon.

Your mother is serious cool and from the pictures you have shown, she also has a nice a$$!

;)

Marianne Faithful is uber cool - still.

My parents also took me to see Louis Armstrong at Disneyland. They get cool points there.

One day, remind me to tell you my Marianne Faithfull story. I think I got a "thank you" on one of her CDs...

Yes, and we are going to the LA County Fair again this weekend (Sunday) to see it.

I enjoyed every musical number in Across the Universe. Great covers of Beatles songs, with some of the numbers being quite cleverly presented and visually splendid.

It seemed so agreeable to me that the Beatles catalog is full of so many absolutely ubiquitous classics that you can pretty much write any story - - and find a way to tell it with 25 Beatles songs.


So why did they choose to tell this one?

The tale of the folks living communally in 60's NYC was beyond trite, and I didn't much care for the characters. Jude was a hottie, though.


But I was glad they didn't do the obligatory song for every Beatles-named character. When you meet in short order Maxell, Lucy, Prudence, Sadie, Dr. Robert, Jude and Jo-Jo ... you tend to assume a certain set list. But that was thankfully not the case.


All in all, a worthwhile experience for the musical elements.

Oh, and I loved Love.


I tried to find mousepod's old review of the show to no avail, but I cannot for the life of me figure out what he found embarrassing or an inappropriate use of Beatles music. It was a beautiful show, featuring one trippy visual conception after another. I plan on seeing it again.

I think this was the thread you were looking for.

Thanks, Kevy.

Whoa what a different show I saw. Literally.


These two bits that mousepod complained of were nowhere to be found in the production I saw.

.


Seems they listen to the likes of mousepod. Those elements are gone from the show.

Maddy's recent Beatles moment. "Mom there are only SEVEN days in a week".

(I never got around to posting in this thread when it was current so I thought I'd bump it up again for my own purposes...)

I ran across a discussion about the Beatles in the Stanford University section of iTunes U. It was titled “Beatles on Your Brain” and it was one of those panel discussions with audience questions that go both everywhere and nowhere. It centered on the White Album since it’s been 40 years :eek: since its release. I don’t really know what the title of the panel was supposed to mean but most of the discussion was about favorite tracks from the album and what they meant to the panelists. At the beginning of the discussion I could barely remember what songs were on the White Album (I only own it on vinyl so I haven’t been able to listen to it in years) but it started to come back to me as different songs were mentioned. I never thought the White Album was very cohesive, in fact I think it’s a mess, so it doesn't stick in my mind the way something like Abbey Road does. It was obvious the four Beatles weren’t working as closely together and it seemed like they just threw everything they had on that one album without trying to edit.

The panelists also spent a little time on the Beatles phenomenon and how it affected people personally. At one point they asked how many people in the audience had seen the Beatles live and I was in my car raising my hand high and wishing I’d been there to see how many other people responded.

Beatles music is always mixed up in my mind with the culture and the world as I was growing up. The Beatles have always represented more than music for me. They were the first big thing I became interested in that was outside my childhood world. In the beginning I was just part of the group because everyone (well, girls my age, that is) was in love with the Beatles. Later when the Beatles weren’t such a dominant force it was my first experience with being obsessed with something that was different from the norm. My best friend and I were the weird ones in high school because we were so devoted to the Beatles. Everyone else thought they were passe. So all these years later listening to this Stanford presentation I was delighted to hear other people talk so enthusiastically about this band that was so important to me.

(And for the same reason I was glad to see this thread even if it did take me six months to respond!)

I still see high school students wearing Beatles T-shirts, just like I did in the early 90's.

The Beatles will never really die. :cheers:

I'm very glad some recent things in modern pop culture have inspired me to revisit my life-long uber-fandom for The Beatles.

Cirque du Soleil's Love and Julie Taymor's Across the Universe were a kick for me, and I started listening to the original music again for the first time in many years.


It's always fun to know when others share that Beatles Love, so we'll have to chat about them next time we meet, lindyhop.



And yeah, The White Album is kind of a kitchen sink, separate-ways mess. But I'm surprised how good and often cohesive it is despite that ... for which I largely credit George Martin.

I've only seen one scene of Across the Universe (courtesy of my son who was indoctrinated, er, introduced to the Beatles early) but one of these days I'll see the whole thing. And I'm waiting for the Beatles catalog to finally show up on iTunes so I can get my music back.


I'm currently reading All You Need is Ears, George Martin's memoir. Every time I see the title I think of mouse ears.

Don't know if this is just blowing smoke in the direction of iSm and mousepod (ew, bad pun, sorry), but thought it worth posting and pondering


McCartney hints at mythical Beatles track release


Will Carnival of Light see the light of day at least?

Eh, I don't even care.


Revolution 9 was crap then and it's crap now. I don't want to hear any more of their misguided "avant garde" or "experimental" jeuvenalia.

I strongly disagree, but then that's what opinions are for.

I enjoy the avant-garde stuff, and the fact that it's The Beatles makes it a valuable footnote at least. Actually, when I read first read about it, I instantly thought to myself, "I bet mousepod's got that."

I also thought about the long sequence in the unrated edition of Walk Hard in which Dewey Cox spends apparently weeks on end creating a ridiculous experimental work in his studio, complete with orchestra, livestock and a woman giving birth. The sequence really didn't go anywhere, and was wisely cut from the theatrical release, and yet, I grinned throughout it.

There are some scenes which really don't fit into a movie but make for great extra fodder on DVDs.

What if it's being released hinged upon Paul McCartney dying? Bonus points if Ringo runs him over in a Rolls Royce.

There was a lot of crap and a lot of gold on the Anthology sets. It'll be interesting to see which side this one ends up on.

Beatles Digitally Remastered?
 

Apparently so, I thought everything had been already. Story here in case you need to add to the music library.

Interesting news. And I've been on a Beatles kick all day today. I was jammin' in my car this morning to "I Should Have Know Better" over and over again. Then I was the Walrus at work. Yep. The Beatles are awesome.

I'm highly skeptical that digital remastering of 1960's-era recordings is going to make enough difference for me to shell out hundreds of dollars for CDs I already have.

If you don't get it, how will we know if the remastering is done right? You're the expert, I hope you realize.
:)

No, that would be mousepod.

But maybe I'll buy one and compare it to the previously released CD.



I'll need some LSD for this aural experiment ... anyone?

No, you're right. You impostor!

Well, I think at the very least you should get Abbey Road and see how they messed with it. mousepod had me listen to two versions of AR. I think one was stereo and one was mono... I think. Either way, both are still AR. Which is wonderful.

What is interesting is that everything is being remastered in Stereo. Most of the early recordings were made in Mono. Not bitching, just making the observation.

Personally, I am looking forward to these. I stopped buying Beatles CDs because I wasn't satisfied with the sound quality. But I was optimistic after the "1" CD came out.

I don't believe there was a mono release of Abbey Road. I'm pretty sure the White Album was their last one released in both mono and stereo.




Also, I have no desire to hear false stereo recordings of mono Beatles songs more than once for novelty value.

The above article says that there will be a mono release as well. Okay, so I'm buying it all. (At least I have until September to save up.)

You are correct: Abbey Road was never officially released mono. Some bootleggers have created fake mono versions of the album though.

I've just about as much interest in that as I have in fake stereo versions of the early stuff.


But maybe I'll re-purchase some of the later albums ... again, if I discern a noticeable improvement in sound quality.




I have to point out that if the stuff sounds improved too much, it won't sound like "60's."

I noticed, for instance, when making those Disneyland CD's, that the high quality remasters often lost the distinct 60's sound of lower quality recordings. I ended up using a mix of both types of sources, because I really enjoy period music to sound like the period it's from. (And yeah, I also like music to sound as good as it can .... it'll be interesting to see where I come down on the Beatles ... but, as a hint, I often found the "Love" remasters sounding too modern, and not quite right).

If the remasters sound anything as good as the Love soundtrack then we are in for a nice ride.

The remastered XTC catalogue is being released this year as well, so good for me and my ears.

Okay, I'm gonna have to buy a bunch o' XTC as well. (sweet, though!)

Abbey Road was released in mono in Brazil (you can find an original copy here). But it wasn't recorded or mixed in mono, so it's just a collapsed version of the stereo recording.

As for the rest, I'm less concerned with a comparison to the original CDs (I know they'll sound better) than with a comparison to the original vinyl. Most of the "best" bootlegs are simply clean "needle drops" from good vinyl copies.

Good point. I have some primo vinyl of some Beatles. That will be an interesting comparison ... but a little oranges to Apple, no?