Well, have you?
Have you ever heard anyone say: "I don't like the Beatles"?
Wed, 2011-01-05 23:28
#1
Have you ever heard anyone say: "I don't like the Beatles"?
Wed, 2011-01-05 23:30
#2
I just thought it was time we had a serious heart-to-heart chat about the Beatles. What would life be like without them? What is life like with them? What did/do they represent?
Wed, 2011-01-05 23:45
#3
Yes, I've heard lots of contrarian people of my generation (born in the 80s) say it.
But then, if something is sacred to one generation, no matter what it is, isn't it often looked down upon by the next?
Personally, I think they were pretty interesting and influential, but I'd rather not see them crowd out newer music in popular culture just because of their popularity among the generation in power ;)
Wed, 2011-01-05 23:53
#4
Ok, thanks Lachine Scot. That's a first for me. I know people born in the 90s who can lip sync virtually all Beatles songs.
Why would they "crowd out" other music?
Thu, 2011-01-06 00:01
#5
Actually I was a bit more surprised to hear a friend of mine recounting how she and a few other jazz musicians spent an evening talking about what a pissy trumpet player Miles Davis could be sometimes.
Aside from the fact that it hardly matter what our generations think of The Beatles...
A couple of thoughts:
The first album I ever bought was Sgt. Peppers.
I heard a comment just this week that most people don't realize The Beatles' most influential period was only five years - 65 to 70 - if you don't count what they did individually.
I don't think they would have had nearly the impact they did had it not been for George Martin, and the studio they worked in. If you listen to any of the recordings they did without his production the difference is striking.
I was surprised at what a high profile they had (at least among people I ran across) when I was in East Germany in the late 80s and 90s. In particular, some people I stayed with in Dresden seemed more steeped in orchestral music than rock and roll or jazz. The one notable exception was The Beatles.
Thu, 2011-01-06 00:38
#6
A friend of my sister's was flipping through my albums and commented that he never much cared for the Beatles, preferred the Stones. We aren't close. And I once commented to a musician friend that Oasis was our generation's Beatles just to see the look on his face.
My favourite beatles story is about the recording of [url=http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vo2UbO1JMQo/][color=red]For No One[/color][/url].
The french horn is played by Alan Civil, the best french horn player at the time. McCartney wrote the music out of his range, essentially out of the range of the french horn. When Civil told him this, he said, oh well, do your best then.
Did I mention that I received a new turntable for Christmas?
Thu, 2011-01-06 00:39
#7
Yes, I have a colleague (born in the late 70s) who claims to hate the Beatles. I don't know if I've ever heard him say, "I don't like the Beatles", but I have certainly heard him say, "I hate the Beatles." I gather that this sentiment is not utterly unheard of in that generation. (Cf Lachine Scot.)
Thu, 2011-01-06 00:42
#8
Did I mention that I received a new turntable for Christmas?
I'm turning green!
Did you know that all four Beatles had a solo in "The End" (Abbey Road) - and that that was Ringo's only drum solo ever?
I have this obsessive drive to know everything about the Beatles, their influences, their story, their music.
Are there any programs to help people like me?
Thu, 2011-01-06 00:44
#9
I have a dim memory of reading somewhere that all of Ringo's drumming in Abbey Road was deleted and redone by Paul (who was, according to whatever I was reading at the time, which I only barely remember, a control freak).
Thu, 2011-01-06 01:03
#10
Why do I get the sneaking suspicion this is another kitchen sink thread?
Thu, 2011-01-06 01:17
#11
Yes, I have a colleague (born in the late 70s) who claims to hate the Beatles. I don't know if I've ever heard him say, "I don't like the Beatles", but I have certainly heard him say, "I hate the Beatles."
It doesn't count unless he affirms, credibly, that he doesn't like the Beatles. Hatred is just the flip side of worship.
Thu, 2011-01-06 01:26
#12
So the question is really "Do you know someone who pays no attention to the beatles?"
Thu, 2011-01-06 01:38
#13
Back in 1978 I felt kinda weird about liking the Rolling Stones, considering how old they were.
Thu, 2011-01-06 01:39
#14
Not quite. They have to pay at least enough attention to assert indifference or (not very passionate) antipathy.
Thu, 2011-01-06 01:40
#15
Yeah, I still have trouble trusting anyone over 30.
Thu, 2011-01-06 01:42
#16
Sorry ... got side tracked there sppinning some tunes for Mr. Ripple. Amongst others, I played McCartney's Maybe I'm Amazed (although I think I've been pretty clear about my favourite beatles), and Lennon's Beautiful Boy and Watching the Wheels. You've got to be careful with Double Fantasy, though. If you're not paying attention, you end up listening to Yoko's I'm Your Angel. Yikes!
And speaking of Yoko ... I've never been a hater. I like the story of how they met: John went to Yoko's art installation. In one piece, he had to climb a ladder to reach a box attached to the ceiling. He opened a window in the box and it said "Yes!"
Thu, 2011-01-06 01:48
#17
Back in 1978 I felt kinda weird about liking the Rolling Stones, considering how old they were.
One of the best grunge shows I ever saw was John Lee Hooker backed by a bunch of kids at the Broadway Theatre. Don't know how old he was then.
On the other hand, the Stones WERE kind of old in 78.
Thu, 2011-01-06 02:02
#18
He could actually drum when he had to, though:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a3NcwfOBzQ
And here's how they put that one together:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomorrow_Never_Knows
Best album they made, IMO, and here's my favourite track:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wp91YPGnLw&feature=related
That said, if I had to choose old British bands I'm more partial to The Who than the Beatles
Thu, 2011-01-06 08:47
#19
6079_Smith _W wrote:Actually I was a bit more surprised to hear a friend of mine recounting how she and a few other jazz musicians spent an evening talking about what a pissy trumpet player Miles Davis could be sometimes
Caissa thinks that is blasphemy and hopes these jazz musicians were stoned. 
Thu, 2011-01-06 09:00
#20
Boom Boom
After Lennon's death I stopped listening to the group for a really long time - and began listening again when their #1 album (hits) came out - it was great listening in the truck. A bit later I brought the new Elvis album of #1 hits and played them back to back, and then the Rolling Stones came out with their double album #1 hits. These three albums get played a lot here, although normally I just listen to folk music (Perla Batalla, especially).
Thu, 2011-01-06 10:25
#21
Caissa thinks that is blasphemy and hopes these jazz musicians were stoned.
Of course they knew it was half-blasphemy half-jest as they were doing it. Then my friend started doing an imitation of the litle staccato stuff he often did and I understood exactly what they meant.
And it's not that surprising when you hear similar opinions that Monk couldn't play, Dylan couldn't sing, Betty Carter was just ripping off Ella, Ralph Stanley was just a poor man's Bill Munroe, and Morrissey only knew how to sing one song.
Thu, 2011-01-06 10:35
#22
Scott Piatkowski
I don't like the Rolling Stones.
I've heard people say that they don't like the Beatles. It's usually my cue to stop talking to them about music.
Thu, 2011-01-06 10:45
#23
Boom Boom
I've always preferred the Stones to the Beatles. The Beatles sounded like smaltzy pop too often to me, while the Stones were hard rock most of the time.
Thu, 2011-01-06 10:49
#24
[quote=torontoprofessor]
I have a dim memory of reading somewhere that all of Ringo's drumming in Abbey Road was deleted and redone by Paul (who was, according to whatever I was reading at the time, which I only barely remember, a control freak).
[/quote]
I believe that that is incorrect. Ringo had become a reasonably competent drummer by the time Abbey Road, their last album, was being recorded. In the early days though a fan asked Lennon if Ringo was the best drummer in the world. He answered that Ringo wasn't even the best drummer in the Beatles. At the time, this was possibly a true statement.
Thu, 2011-01-06 12:32
#25
[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COmw_5NzedI]You thay it'th your birthday?[/url] Well happy birthday to ya. Rock on!
Thu, 2011-01-06 13:01
#26
Cueball
I don't really like the Beatles. At least not as much as everyone else does.
Thu, 2011-01-06 13:12
#27
I have a dim memory of reading somewhere that all of Ringo's drumming in Abbey Road was deleted and redone by Paul (who was, according to whatever I was reading at the time, which I only barely remember, a control freak).
I believe that that is incorrect. Ringo had become a reasonably competent drummer by the time Abbey Road, their last album, was being recorded. In the early days though a fan asked Lennon if Ringo was the best drummer in the world. He answered that Ringo wasn't even the best drummer in the Beatles. At the time, this was possibly a true statement.
But the reason he was brought into the group was because he was considered a far superior drummer to Pete Best.
Thu, 2011-01-06 13:21
#28
As a young teenager in the late 70s I discovered and dusted off my uncle's Beatle albums and found them enjoyable. Nowadays there's still a handful of songs from their anthology that make for fun listening once in awhile.
Thu, 2011-01-06 13:29
#29
From wikipaedia:
Starr drummed on all but five of the band's released tracks that feature drumming. For the band's second recording session with Starr as a member on 11 September 1962, producer George Martin replaced the studio-inexperienced Starr with session drummer Andy White to record takes for what would be the two sides of The Beatles' first single, "Love Me Do" backed with "P.S. I Love You".[56] Starr played tambourine on "Love Me Do" and maracas on "P.S. I Love You" for this session.[57] McCartney took over the drums on "Back in the U.S.S.R." and "Dear Prudence" from the White Album (1968) after Starr had walked out,[58] and also played the drums on "The Ballad of John and Yoko", recorded on 14 April 1969, since only he and Lennon were immediately available to record the song.[59] Starr commented that he was lucky in being "surrounded by three frustrated drummers" who could only drum in one style.[60]
Thu, 2011-01-06 13:30
#30
[quote=Cueball]
I don't really like the Beatles. At least not as much as everyone else does.
[/quote]
I've banned Cueball
Thu, 2011-01-06 13:31
#31
About time, too.
Thu, 2011-01-06 13:40
#32
Ok, his daughter emailed me from her crib and asked me to reconsider, so I am, as she is a spectacularly cute and pleasant baby. (takes after her mom apparently) She shared that Cue is curled up in a corner sobbing at the very thought of being banned, so he's back in.
Thu, 2011-01-06 14:06
#33
That's ok, I really didn't like him anyway.
Thu, 2011-01-06 14:21
#34
Catchfire
You're such a daytripper, oldgoat.
Thu, 2011-01-06 14:23
#35
And you say you want a revolution, Catchfire.
Thu, 2011-01-06 14:39
#36
Catchfire
I just want to keep my fire engine clean.
Thu, 2011-01-06 14:51
#37
I see the value of your thoughts.
The senate may have something to say about that.
Thu, 2011-01-06 15:02
#38
Lou Arab
I love the Beatles. I had all their records by the time I was 16 or 17. I remember where I was when I heard Lennon was shot (at the age of 10). It was actually after Lennon was killed that my sister started playing a lot of music by the Beatles that I was already familiar with, but hadn't identified as Beatle music until that moment.
Perhaps because their heyday was before I was born (shortly after they disbanded in 1970), I always had this idea that the Beatles were somehow counter-cultural. As a more idealistic youth, I was wrapped up in John Lennon's image as a peace activist and so I wrapped my own self-important teenaged sense of counter cultural identity into the Beatles. What can I say? Having missed the 60s, I can only explain that I missed the period when the Beatles were the epitome of pop culture itself. It's hardly revoluntionary to like a band with eight songs on the top 100 at any given time. But as a young man in the 80s, I could act all cool for listening to the Beatles when most of my classmates barely knew who they were. I saw (and see) in them what I want to see, and perhaps that is the case with their other fans.
As a result of my early misconceptions about the popularity of the Beatles, I'm always disapointed when I meet other Beatle fans who seem anything but counter-cultural - who live in the suburbs, work in business, support the Conservatives etc. When Stephen Harper performed "With a little help from my friends" I wanted to cry.
All of this is to say that I'm not surprised Unionist can't find anyone who hates the Beatles. It took me years to figure it out, but the truth is (almost) everyone loves the Beatles.
And maybe, just maybe - there is nothing wrong with that. :)
Thu, 2011-01-06 15:20
#39
I don't really like the Beatles. At least not as much as everyone else does.
I've banned Cueball
I didn't really like Cueball. At least not as much as everyone else did.
ETA: Great post, Lou - thanks for sharing that!
Thu, 2011-01-06 15:35
#40
Full speed ahead, mr boatswain, full speed ahead.
Thu, 2011-01-06 15:40
#41
When I was 16 a guy I know (he was in the KISS Army, so take that for what it's worth) said he didn't like the Beatles.
I grew up on the Beatles. The first song I remember singing, at age four, was "She loves you, ya ya ya." The Beatles' simple lyrics obviously appealed to people of all ages. There was a Beatles cartoon on Saturday mornings, kids had Beatles lunchkits and Beatles haircuts, we all had our favourite Beatle (mine was Ringo), and everyone covered their songs on the radio (I knew Peggy Lee's version of "Something" before George Harrison's, as it had more radio play). Calling the Beatles "counterculture" therefore doesn't make sense to me; they defined culture.
I was talking to a bunch of 18-25 year olds today about pop culture in the 60s, and what was really on the radio in those days. I thought I debunk some misperceptions, and inform them that AM radio wasn't all Doors, Stones and psychaedelic rock, but was dominated by the likes of Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Percy Faith and Bert Kaemfert.
I needn't have bothered, I discovered, since they had no preconceived ideas about The Most Important Decade in World History®, and never thought about it at all.
Thu, 2011-01-06 16:01
#42
I'm both a Beatles fan AND a soldier in the KISS Army.
You keep on saying you'll be mine for a while
Youre lookin fancy and I like your style
So take a sad song and make it crrrrazy!
I just wanna besame besame mucho all the hard day's nite and party every day.
Thu, 2011-01-06 16:44
#43
M. Spector
I've always loved the Beatles' music and saw their movies several times.
It's only in recent years, however, that I have actually realized what consistently bad lyricists they were.
Thu, 2011-01-06 16:53
#44
Unless they've been gerrymandering again, they were from Lancashire. So what do you expect? Loov me do?
Thu, 2011-01-06 17:20
#45
Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see.
It's getting hard to be someone but it all works out.
It doesn't matter much to me.
Thu, 2011-01-06 17:22
#46
the beatles were a good band, but way too overrated. There have been many artists before and after that were as good as if not better than the beatles.
they're primarily celebrated because they were one of the most financially successful bands ever. they wrote some good pop songs and managed to change with the times to an extent but that's about it. And have you heard ringo's solo work? it stinks.
Thu, 2011-01-06 17:29
#47
There have been many artists before and after that were as good as if not better than the beatles.
Yeah, I like Bach. That tells me exactly what about the Beatles?
they're primarily celebrated because they were one of the most financially successful bands ever.
What a bizarre notion. Ever confuse cause and effect?
they wrote some good pop songs and managed to change with the times to an extent but that's about it.
They changed with the times? Over a seven-year period (which about spans their North American reputation until dissolution)?
And have you heard ringo's solo work? it stinks.
I thought we were talking about the Beatles. As I pointed out upthread, Ringo did exactly one (1) solo, a few seconds long, before the Beatles broke up. And it didn't stink. Could you actually refer us to what you're talking about?
Thu, 2011-01-06 17:38
#48
Pope Teddywang
When I was in high school in the late 70s, I only knew one other guy my age who liked the Beatles.
Everyone else would sort of sneer and say "they're OLD."
Thu, 2011-01-06 18:07
#49
It's only in recent years, however, that I have actually realized what consistently bad lyricists they were.
Flagged as offensive.
Thu, 2011-01-06 18:59
#50
alan smithee
If it wasn't for the Beatles,we'd still be listening to The Kingston Trio and Pat Boone.
I think it was the Beatles that turned Andy Williams into the bitter crank he is today :D
It doesn't surprise me that younger folk (not to say I'm old) can't appreciate the Beatles and everything they accomplished musically and socially...Hell,98% of those born after Lennon's death don't even listen to rock music.
Thu, 2011-01-06 19:00
#51
Lou Arab
It's only in recent years, however, that I have actually realized what consistently bad lyricists they were.
What????
How can you not like this:
I want you
I want you so bad
I want you
I want you so baaaaaaaaaaad it's driving me maaaad, it's driving me mad.
She's so heavy.
Come on that's gold! 
Seriously though - the Beatles may not be Dylan, but I think they were great lyricists.