The Beatles sucked!

veddertown

FirstExit wrote:

This thread is full of people who forgot that music is completely subjective.

My thoughts on this topic:
The Beatles are probably the most discussed band of all time. They were, after all, the first real pop band. Therefore, they're the "lucky" ones who are stigmatized into being THE band that all other bands will in some direct or indirect way will be compared to. This turns them into more of an ANOMALY than anything. There's an interview with John Lennon on Anthology - 3 I believe - where he says that they were just "a really great band and nothing else". Well, I don't think he could be more wrong on that. I think there were a great pop band, as in they had this certain ability to write great, catchy numbers, that had mass appeal, but that was pretty much all they had going for them. They weren't THAT great as musicians, and they certainly didn't all have the same idea of the direction of the band.

That reason alone is why they became what they did - they masked (whether willingly or at the suggestion of the record company) their individual creative impulses to achieve the overall goal of a great pop song and mass appeal. Look at the White Album. If you've done your research on The Beatles, The White Album, and it's writing and production, you know that each of the Beatles has their own "side" to it. The White Album is in my opinion the most important album to study in terms of Beatles history and analysis, because this was WHEN THEY ACTUALLY BROKE UP. They broke up when they were sick and tired of not being allowed to fully express themselves creatively. They weren't meant for each other. Paul, John, George, and Ringo were loved by the public because of WHO they were, not WHAT they created. By the time the White Album came out, The Beatles fanbase was changing dramatically. They weren't who they started off as. The Beatles, as we know them, exist as 2 bands. If you can't tell the two bands apart, then I suggest you do some more research on the Beatles.

Anyway, to relate this whole ramble to the original topic of the Beatles being overrated - YES they were overrated. And YES I know the OP says The Beatles SUCKED - but if they weren't as popular as they were, you probably wouldn't be saying they sucked, because there would be a lot more people who feel this way. In saying they SUCK you're saying they're OVERRATED.

So yes, The Bealtes are overrated. Does the music suck? Subjective.

90 % of this post is completely meaningless and therefore pointless and I know it's not easy to say that without seeming offensive but that's the truth. Sorry, because that isn't my intention. Any amount of research that inspired a thread this lengthy should actually produce something that is a little easier to understand and maybe contain some better thought out statements. The Beatles weren't the first pop band, they were just the first to be a global phenomenon and they will always be used as a comparison for modern day acts because of the success they had and not for the music. I've read a lot of Beatles press/biog, etc over the past 20+ years and your conclusions are pretty false on most counts. If the music hadn't been there the public would have got bored long before they started becoming more creative so to say the public loved them for who they were is ridiculous! Obviously no band are what they were when they begun, their individual creative impulses grew with their music and experiences and they were actually very good musicians. The Beatles were successful because of their abilty to write great well thought out, tongue in cheek lyrics and also knew when to be serious. They had a chemistry that collectively and with the guidance of good production staff gave us The White Album, Abbey Road, Rubber Soul, Help, Sgt. Pepper etc but regardless of their success they were always going to get cabin fever eventually as the egos that are created by that much success is unavoidable. It doesn't matter how many peoples opinions are that they sucked, the sales figures and history tells it's own story so that is indeed subjective. As much as I love Pearl Jam there's not another band in existence that I've heard whose music I still find new sounds with each time I put on the headphones. Every band is over-rated in someones opinion and I could list many that I don't care for but success tells it's own story so who am I to say who sucks musically when it appeals to someone else?

FirstExit

veddertown wrote:

90 % of this post is completely meaningless and therefore pointless and I know it's not easy to say that without seeming offensive but that's the truth. Sorry, because that isn't my intention. Any amount of research that inspired a thread this lengthy should actually produce something that is a little easier to understand and maybe contain some better thought out statements. The Beatles weren't the first pop band, they were just the first to be a global phenomenon and they will always be used as a comparison for modern day acts because of the success they had and not for the music. I've read a lot of Beatles press/biog, etc over the past 20+ years and your conclusions are pretty false on most counts. If the music hadn't been there the public would have got bored long before they started becoming more creative so to say the public loved them for who they were is ridiculous! Obviously no band are what they were when they begun, their individual creative impulses grew with their music and experiences and they were actually very good musicians. The Beatles were successful because of their abilty to write great well thought out, tongue in cheek lyrics and also knew when to be serious. They had a chemistry that collectively and with the guidance of good production staff gave us The White Album, Abbey Road, Rubber Soul, Help, Sgt. Pepper etc but regardless of their success they were always going to get cabin fever eventually as the egos that are created by that much success is unavoidable. It doesn't matter how many peoples opinions are that they sucked, the sales figures and history tells it's own story so that is indeed subjective. As much as I love Pearl Jam there's not another band in existence that I've heard whose music I still find new sounds with each time I put on the headphones. Every band is over-rated in someones opinion and I could list many that I don't care for but success tells it's own story so who am I to say who sucks musically when it appeals to someone else?

sounds like you just disagreed with me and then re-wrote the ideas in my original post?

Horos

FirstExit wrote:

oh and DewieCox, I can think of one band off the top of my head with more talent than The Beatles - PEARL JAM

This statement alone discounts any other statement you made.

ComeToTX

listened to I Want You (She's So Heavy) on the way home today. pure magic. the beatles are still the kings.

Loulou

I love A Day in the Life and Here Comes the Sun. Sorry have to disagree, the Beatles were great. Given, I don't like all there songs especially their first ones, these guys went on to release some bloody awesome solo tunes. George, who is my fav, went on to write great music and come on as if Helter Skelter wasn't an awesome song???? Here's a good cover of it by Stereophonics:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpEZgkLrmBo

veddertown

FirstExit wrote:

sounds like you just disagreed with me and then re-wrote the ideas in my original post?

Ha ha, we'll get nowhere fast at this rate. We obviously speak the same language, have slightly different views on the same subject and have different ways of interpreting them. I'm not after a silly slanging match like so many threads on these forums do so without re-interpreting any more of your post I'll politely agree to disagree....

p.s.the beatles are very underrated in my eyes!!

Loulou

veddertown wrote:

FirstExit wrote:

sounds like you just disagreed with me and then re-wrote the ideas in my original post?

Ha ha, we'll get nowhere fast at this rate. We obviously speak the same language, have slighly different views on the same subject and have different ways of interpretating them. I'm not after a silly slanging match like so many threads on these forums do so without re-interpreting any more of your post I'll politely agree to disagree....

p.s.the beatles are very underrated in my eyes!!

:thumbup: I thought that comment was a little snappy too Veddertown. We're all friends here and it just means that you agree with each other. Jeez that was a real koombayaaaaahhh moment!

surforia

Without the Beatles, the Stones may never have written their own songs and would have probably fizzled out like most coverbands (which the Stones started off as). Keith Richards has said that John and Paul were partially responsible for getting him and Mick to write together. In addition, the Stones would never have reached a global audience (especially in the U.S.) without building upon Beatlemania. Without the Beatles and the Stones, there would probably be no Pearl Jam, as well as many other bands (like Nirvana). I read an interview with Butch Vig, who produced Nevermind, that said Kurt Cobain was a massive Lennon fan. Stupid Mop is a blatant Revolution #9 rip-off.

The Beatles had individual songs that started entire genres of music. Revolution was probably the first punk song. Helter Skelter could be considered the earliest trace of Metal. They were obviously the first mainstream band to ever go experimental. The scratching in Strawberry Fields is the first ever sample/record scratching. The list goes on and on. If you don't like the Beatles, you're not paying very close attention.

g under p

As much as I don't like the Beatles, I do think they made great music for the times they lived in. I just think too many people thought of them musically as better than everyone else at the time. I do love the Beatles music individually and my favorite was George Harrison.

Peace

Thoughts_Arrive

Beatles do nothing for me.
Beach Boys are way better.

Loulou

The Beach Boys were good too, a bit too happy happy joy joy at times but those buggers can sing a harmony like noone else!!

Thoughts_Arrive wrote:

Beatles do nothing for me.
Beach Boys are way better.