Sgt. Pepper's Musical Revolution
Jun. 12th, 2017 12:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cjlasky7Recommended: "Sgt. Pepper's Musical Revolution" (BBC Two; U.S. public broadcast channels)
It's the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band": tributes are flooding the newspapers, and a super-deluxe 6-CD set is topping the charts in the UK. Everybody describes Sgt. Pepper as "groundbreaking," but an essential question usually remains unasked: why is it groundbreaking?
In a one-hour special, British composer and music historian Howard Goodall digs into the Sgt. Pepper recording sessions of 1966-67 and shows how the Beatles (along with producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick) used their extensive time in the studio to literally create new sounds, and to invent recording techniques that are now commonplace in the music industry.
Goodall looks at the inspirations for the songs (John and Paul's childhood, newspaper articles and 19th century circus posters), their use of modulation and counterpoint, and how they borrowed from Stockhausen and John Cage to create the orchestral finale to "A Day in the Life."
I could have used more archival film clips, audio and stills from Abbey Road (can never get enough of those). Otherwise, this special is an advanced class in music theory that anyone who loves the Beatles will find completely fascinating.
It's the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band": tributes are flooding the newspapers, and a super-deluxe 6-CD set is topping the charts in the UK. Everybody describes Sgt. Pepper as "groundbreaking," but an essential question usually remains unasked: why is it groundbreaking?
In a one-hour special, British composer and music historian Howard Goodall digs into the Sgt. Pepper recording sessions of 1966-67 and shows how the Beatles (along with producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick) used their extensive time in the studio to literally create new sounds, and to invent recording techniques that are now commonplace in the music industry.
Goodall looks at the inspirations for the songs (John and Paul's childhood, newspaper articles and 19th century circus posters), their use of modulation and counterpoint, and how they borrowed from Stockhausen and John Cage to create the orchestral finale to "A Day in the Life."
I could have used more archival film clips, audio and stills from Abbey Road (can never get enough of those). Otherwise, this special is an advanced class in music theory that anyone who loves the Beatles will find completely fascinating.
no subject
Date: 2017-06-13 01:58 am (UTC)I'd agree about Sgt Pepper's. I once got into a debate with frenchani (over on lj) over which was better Rolling Stones or the Beatles. And while I do love the Stones, they just don't have the same versatility as the Beatles, few if any bands did. The Beatles wrote songs about literally everything, and not one, but three of the Beatles were able to have successful solo albums and separate careers when they broke up.
Their music which originally borrowed heavily from Chuck Berry and Elvis, went it's own route and you can listen to them and not recognize them from decade to decade. Their music sounds so different.
I mean we go from iconic love songs sung practically a capella with a bit of guitare, such as Love Me Do or She loves me, to a song like A Day in the Life, or She's So Heavy, or We All Live in A Submarine, or Number Nine.
A co-worker adores them and John and Yoko Onos experimental music, which was the forerunner of electronica.
no subject
Date: 2017-06-13 04:13 am (UTC)(The Beatles are the only band of the modern era whose four members each had a platinum solo record.)
From the start, The Beatles listened to everything, could play everything: rock, country, blues, soul, r&b, Broadway, British Dancehall--and as they progressed, their influences only widened, bringing in classical, Indian raga, avant-garde. With John and Paul constantly one-upping each other and bouncing ideas off each other, and Martin and Emerick in the Abbey Road studio providing an enormous selection of obscure instruments, they could--and did--go anywhere.
My own loyalties are with the Who and the Kinks. Pete Townshend and Ray Davies speak to me in a deeply personal way, a connection I never felt with Lennon or McCartney. But there's no doubt about it: for a good chunk of the sixties, the Beatles were the best band in the world, the most popular band in the world and the most artistically daring band in the world. We'll probably never see that again.
P.S. For the record, my favorite Beatles album is "Revolver."
P.P.S. New York's Channel 13 will be showing the special Thursday night at 9:00.
no subject
Date: 2017-06-13 12:38 pm (UTC)Ah, I wasn't certain about Ringo, haven't followed his career or run across his albums. Did know about the others.
While the Kinks and the Who are excellent bands. (I actually worked on the release party of the "Kids Are Alright DVD" for the Who, with Martin Lewis, long time friend of the Who. Roger Daltry came to party and there was a moment where he and one of the fellow band members embraced and made up. Apparently they'd had a falling out. Can't remember which one, it wasn't Townsend. And I saw the Broadway version of Tommy. So, I met Daltry in person.) But, they just don't have the same longevity, and versitality of the Beatles. Or range in music stylings. Also not all their band members went on to have successful solo careers. (I personally love Pink Floyd and preferred them to the others, but ditto.)
I think my favorite is a toss-up between Revolver and The White Album. But it's hard to choose, I pretty much have all their music on my ipod. Along with oh so many others. I think one of the reasons I love the Beatles is I'm as eclectic on music style as they are.
no subject
Date: 2017-06-13 02:33 pm (UTC)Oh man, I wish I could've been with you for that release party. But you know what? You took me to the Beatles party. I talked to Davy Jones and Martin Landau. It's more than enough. Thank you.
The White Album deserves its own special. It's a mess, as the Beatles explored every idea in their back pockets, no matter how goofy, weird or obscure. The band was barely together at that point -- John, Paul and George were virtually doing solo projects in a Beatles context, with the other three acting as session musicians on each other's songs. The acrimony was so thick that, at one point, Ringo put down his drumsticks and walked out. The others had to beg him to come back. (Xander-ish "heart of the group" comparisons will be permitted here.)
I'm sure many Beatles fans have mentally edited down the double album into a single, tightly sequenced pop record. But I'm almost positive no two edits are the same. The sheer sprawl of the album is the key to its appeal. If not every song is to your taste, say the Beatles, no worries. Plenty of other songs here to listen to. (They might have been the only pop group who could go multi-platinum with "not giving a f**k.")
no subject
Date: 2017-06-13 03:01 pm (UTC)There's actually a documentary on The White Album. I downloaded it along with the songs for the remastered version on ITunes a while back. It's about 5:30 running time. And it details what happened, and involves a recording session, etc. It also explains how The White Album was where everyone was allowed to do their own thing, and why there were fractures within the group. Paul wanted to work, John wanted to play, Harrison wanted to have a voice in the proceedings...and did Ringo, who felt sidelined a bit.
From a purely "objective" standpoint, I think The Beatles is the best of the bands.
From a purely subjective standpoint? It's a toss-up between Floyd, Beatles, Stones, Fleetwood Mac, Cold Play, ABBA, The Who, Led Zepplin (although they get really repetitive (I actually like HEART's rendition of Stairway to Heaven better...) , and oh so many others. I've never been a fan or a groupie of any one band or artist. I jump around too much. Did date a Deadhead in college -- who literally had a million bootleg tapes. He traveled behind the Dead. I never quite understood his blind devotion. The Dead was good, but it wasn't very versatile.
My test of a really good artist or band is versatility. And a willingness to take risks and jump outside of the box. (ie. do all their songs sound similar after listening to them for a day?) It's why I think Lady Gaga is better than Madonna -- more range. Or The Beatles better than The Rolling Stones, although both bands reference each other as influences.
The Who is good, but I liked Pink Floyd better in regards to psychedelic sound and relateability. Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here, or especially Albatross (my favorite Floyd album) just had a tad more resonance than say Tommy or Quadraphrenila.
Unfortunately Floyd lost some of one of their key players, so was unable to have the longevity of The Who. But I like Roger Waters better than Daltry. (Of course I saw Daltry in person, so that may have an effect -- it's better if you don't meet these people in person. ;-) ). Townsend was my favorite of The Who.
But, it's worth noting I'm more into lyrics than audio/sound. So a lot of the complicated sounds that you are picking up on, are most likely lost on me. But I like the poetry of the words set to the music. One of my favorite rock songs is Rush's "Tom Sawyer" which has some amazing turns.
Then there is U2's iconic song about Martin Luther King, and Sunday, Bloody Sunday. Not to mention the Joshua Tree album, I really wish I'd seen them when they played Red Rocks in the 1980s.
no subject
Date: 2017-06-13 03:57 pm (UTC)Floyd is an interesting story. Initial flush of success in '67, with Syd Barrett fronting the band. Odd, twee pop tunes like "See Emily Play" mixed with psychedelic raveups like "Interstellar Overdrive." Then Barrett burns out, and the band kind of wanders in the wilderness for five years, producing intriguing, unfocused albums like Atom Heart Mother and Ummagumma. There's a breakthrough of sorts with Meddle in '72, and then they put it all together with Dark Side of the Moon, with Waters asserting himself as the lyricist.
But after successful albums like Wish You Were Here (my favorite), Animals, and The Wall, the conflicts between Waters and David Gilmour were just unresolvable, and Waters left the group. (It must have infuriated Waters that Gilmour not only carried on without him, but his version of Floyd was almost as successful.)
The split benefited neither party. Floyd needed Waters' lyrical focus, and Waters' concept albums needed Gilmour's soothing baritone and superlative guitar work. The last two Floyd albums sound great, but are lyrically hollow, and Waters' solo albums are... strident (to put it nicely).
I think Floyd is done. Waters is touring The Wall ad infinitum, and Gilmour is probably happier playing solo in clubs rather than packing stadiums.
no subject
Date: 2017-06-13 05:00 pm (UTC)No, Floyd didn't really make it much past the 70s. I saw their reunion tour in 1988, and it was sorely lacking. Not the Floyd I'd listened to via a mix tape of their albums from my brother. He introduced me to Floyd, Zepplin, and various others. Because it was a mixed tape, I think less in terms of albums, and more general.
Actually, I think most of the great bands are done. Stones...might still have something, they toured again recently. Beatles? Everyone is dead but Paul and Ringo. Floyd -- what you said above. The Who -- similar issues. Zepplin did get together recently for the John F. Kennedy Center Honors, but I don't see a tour in their future.
no subject
Date: 2017-06-13 05:57 pm (UTC)From Meddle through The Wall, they were a band--each member contributed musical, even lyrical ideas. Roger Waters may have been the big idea man, but the overall product reflected the group. On DSotM, you have Waters classics like "Money" and "Brain Damage" and blistering solos from Gilmour, but after repeated listens, you marvel at how many colors Richard Wright gives you with his keyboards, and the subtle grace of Nick Mason's percussion.
They were better together. All they needed was a touch of humility, of personal grace and they could have been a force today....
no subject
Date: 2017-06-14 02:01 am (UTC)This can be said of so many bands. The problem is the industry isn't exactly conducive towards humility. Fame is toxic to the human condition. And front-men are very susceptible to becoming asses.
Not helped by the industry's fetish for pushing people to do solo acts. Or grueling concert tours -- that take their toll.
Fleetwood Mac, the Mammas and the Papas, Jefferson Starship, The Runaways, The Ramones, The Doobie Brothers, The Beach Boys, etc.
Although, Stevie Nicks did well splitting off from Fleetwood Mac, and Joan Jett has done well away from the Runaways. Not sure about Brain Wilson, who unraveled but is doing better now.
I think it's really hard when you are working in an ego driven industry to keep a group together long term. I give U2 and the Rolling Stones credit for sticking it out like they have.
no subject
Date: 2017-06-14 02:35 am (UTC)Yeah, it's hard to stay humble in the music biz, with people feeding you flattery and cocaine in equal portions. But most great bands are great because of a unique dynamic generated by talented musicians:
Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starr
Jagger/Richards/Wyman/Watts
Page/Plant/Jones/Bonham
Daltrey/Townshend/Entwistle/Moon
Waters/Gilmour/Wright/Mason
Buckingham/Nicks/McVie/McVie/Fleetwood
The aspiring solo artist should think about this fact very carefully before they venture out into cold.
P.S. Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie are on tour together. There's a joke here about "getting away from the exes," but that kind of humor is beneath me.
no subject
Date: 2017-06-14 01:50 pm (UTC)P.S. Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie are on tour together. There's a joke here about "getting away from the exes," but that kind of humor is beneath me.
LOL!
Because I Couldn't Resist...
Date: 2017-06-14 02:57 pm (UTC)The ground rules: boiling down the White Album to one LP record that could have been released in 1968. 45 minutes max, for best sound on vinyl. Lennon and McCartney alternate; two Harrison tracks, as per usual with late Beatles albums; Ringo gets to sing lead once.
Track listing:
Side 1
Back in the USSR
Glass Onion
Obla di Obla da
Julia
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Yer Blues
I Will
Side 2
Birthday
Dear Prudence
Blackbird
I'm So Tired
Piggies
Why Don't We Do It In the Road?
Helter Skelter
Good Night
Notes: This was tough. Poor Ringo's first solo writing credit ("Don't Pass Me By") was cut. But he got Lennon's "Good Night" as a consolation prize. The musique concrete of "Revolution #9" had to go; let John and Yoko put that on their first solo album. No "Bungalow Bill" or "Rocky Raccoon"? No "Everybody's Got Something to Hide..."? Sacrelige! (As I said, this was tough.)
Correction
Date: 2017-06-14 03:19 pm (UTC)Re: Because I Couldn't Resist...
Date: 2017-06-14 07:09 pm (UTC)Looks good. I think, I'd have gotten rid of Piggies and Glass Onion, and gone with Bungalow Bill and Don't Pass Me By. But I'm admittedly not a fan of the other two songs.
Curious have you even seen the Beatles themed musical - Across the Universe, starring Rachel Evan Wood? It's not bad, a bit surreal in places, but that's also the Beatles music.
Jai Guru Deva Om
Date: 2017-06-14 08:42 pm (UTC)SEGUE
Speaking of Rock God Movies, have you ever seen Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii? It's Meddle-era Floyd, literally performing the album in the ruins (sans audience). You probably wouldn't recognize most of the material, but I'm sure you'd enjoy it. (The one exception is "One of These Days", which I'm positive they did on the '88 tour. It's the instrumental with the rumbling, echo-y doubled bass intro.)
Later versions of "Pompeii" incorporated footage from the Dark Side of the Moon recording sessions at Abbey Road--a shameless attempt to capitalize on Floyd's renewed popularity. (Thank goodness for that! The footage is great.)