Why The Beatles are crap

[Ox Fox]

Didn't have time to write them myself but this does a pretty good job:

1 - OB LA DI OB LA DA
Come on now... Who really seriously likes that song? Who thought it was a good idea at the time? Was it George Martin? Who still thinks it's a good idea now? It's one of the most inane pieces of knees up rubbish that's ever been recorded. The King Singers did a version of it didn't they? I rest my case.

2 - THEY INVENTED EVERYTHING
- even electricity, or so some people would have you believe... Bands with names, gatefold record sleeves, short hair, long hair, saving the world, multitrack recording, writing boring songs, what didn't they bloody do? The thing is, I'm certain if people looked hard enough, they'd find other people and other bands who'd done all this stuff first. Surely The Beatles were just a bunch of copy cats... They can't have been that smart... Someone talked them into recording 'When I'm 64' after all.

3 - RINGO STAR
How can they seriously call themselves 'The Fab Four' when one of them (i.e. Ringo) has only ever come up with silly rubbish since they broke up? Surely this proves he was never that fab, although 'The Fab Three and one tosser' isn't nearly as good a marketing slogan. OK, so Ringo was quite good doing the narration on Thomas The Tank Engine, but that's hardly core Beatles Business is it?

4 - BEATLES BORES
We've all met them - those people who know what was on both sides of every single, who know the difference between the US and UK releases, who know what colour underpants John was wearing when he wrote 'Strawberry Fields Forever'... Don't these people have anything else in their lives? Have they got front doors? Maybe they should open them up and walk outside now and then - they might be pleasantly surprised, if not a little alarmed to learn that not everyone spends every waking hour listening to or reading about The Beatles.

5 - THE BALLAD OF JOHN AND YOKO
Look, I don't even know the song, but that title has to be about as pretentious as they come doesn't it? Who else could come up with such a naval gazing name for a song? What must Paul and George and Ringo have thought? Who really cares? Which brings us to -

6 - YOKO ONO
who's often credited with breaking up The Beatles. Well, all I can say is well done. I can't be so generous though when it comes to everything else she's done - the sum total of which seems to resemble looking permanently startled and making noises like the sound of strangling a cat.

7 - I AM THE WALRUS
'I am the Walrus, I am the Egg man, Coo coo ca choo' or something... Pardon? Are you trying to be funny? Or are you just happy to come up with any old tosh to disguise the fact you've run out of ideas?

8 - ABBEY ROAD AND THAT ZEBRA CROSSING
and Paul not wearing shoes and supposedly being dead and the numberplate on the Volkswagon - see, I'm definitely not a Beatles Bore, and I know that much, which just goes to show how dangerously close we all are to becoming Beatles Bores... Even if we hate The Beatles. That can't be a good thing.

9 - REVOLUTION NUMBER 9
Oh look! It's another wacky invention - the cut up. Why this one isn't available on your average Karaoke machine is beyond me... I'd love to watch someone following the bouncing ball and trying to perform this while half pissed in some dodgy restaurant.

10 - BEATLES ANNIVERSARIES
Every day there are at least 246 Beatles anniversaries - Today's the day they recorded this piece of fluff, or John wrote something or other on a piece of toilet paper (which Sotheby's are about to auction for several million pounds), or Paul cut his toenails, or George had some sort of religious epiphany, or Ringo went down the shops for some milk... Other things happen every day too you know... That guy with the aerodynamic hairstyle from A Flock Of Seagulls has a birthday too...

So there you go, that's just ten reasons to get you started.... I'd also like to shake the hand of the person who pulled the plug on their last live gig - whoever you were, you obviously weren't impressed, and hopefully you'd do it again today if you had the chance. John is dead... George is dead... People thought Paul was dead (maybe it was wishful thinking)... Ringo appears to be brain dead... Get over The Beatles and go and discover something else before you're dead too.

 

[alex]

What a load of ****ing shite.

 

[drummindefender]

shite

 

[TornadoShaunUK]

I'm not the Beatles biggest fan but I appreciate they did alot for modern music, think about the properties of the music you listen to today and the chances are that that started out with the Batles long ago, they bought new ideas to music back in the day. Nevermind the fact they were British aswell, that should be reason enough for us to love them, they also were the first band to play arena/stadium shows I believe and thus the Americans owe them alot because that is what their rock music is all about. The Beatles made catchy choruses and alot of the staple things in music today are down to them..

it does do my tree a bit when people try to degrade influential bands like this..

 

[Ox Fox]

I'm not the Beatles biggest fan but I appreciate they did alot for modern music, think about the properties of the music you listen to today and the chances are that that started out with the Batles long ago, they bought new ideas to music back in the day. Nevermind the fact they were British aswell, that should be reason enough for us to love them, they also were the first band to play arena/stadium shows I believe and thus the Americans owe them alot because that is what their rock music is all about. The Beatles made catchy choruses and alot of the staple things in music today are down to them..

it does do my tree a bit when people try to degrade influential bands like this..

So you're saying that the Beatles were the first to play arena/stadium shows - Elvis used to play to tens of thousands at the county fairs in the south in the 50s (as did a lot of the big names in the country scene) come to that. This included football stadiums I believe.

"A lot of the staple things in music today are down to them" you're right - the Beatles were the first act to take American music and sell it back to them.

The other 'staples' they provided such as two guitars, bass and drums had been around since the invention of the electric guitar in the 1930s. They used standard guitar tunings and wrote conventional music using standard chord progressions in the vast majority of their songs. Originality was not their strong point, but they did have a ear for a catchy melody and were lucky to be in the right place at the right time. They struck pay dirt with the Lennon/Mcartney partnership and had the looks and the post-war attitude that were perfect for the time they emerged.

Sorry and all that but I just think they are a massively overrated mainstream band whose groundbreaking moments were few and far between.

 

[TornadoShaunUK]

So you're saying that the Beatles were the first to play arena/stadium shows - Elvis used to play to tens of thousands at the county fairs in the south in the 50s (as did a lot of the big names in the country scene) come to that. This included football stadiums I believe.

"A lot of the staple things in music today are down to them" you're right - the Beatles were the first act to take American music and sell it back to them.

The other 'staples' they provided such as two guitars, bass and drums had been around since the invention of the electric guitar in the 1930s. They used standard guitar tunings and wrote conventional music using standard chord progressions in the vast majority of their songs. Originality was not their strong point, but they did have a ear for a catchy melody and were lucky to be in the right place at the right time. They struck pay dirt with the Lennon/Mcartney partnership and had the looks and the post-war attitude that were perfect for the time they emerged.

Sorry and all that but I just think they are a massively overrated mainstream band whose groundbreaking moments were few and far between.

They were the first to do something along those lines I remember reading a while back, I'm sure it was stadiums, I'm quite sure arenas was the biggest Elvis got but hey I wasn't around in the 50s.. maybe the Beatles was first band to play stadium shows rather than first artist. Maybe you should try reading some of their lyrics before you say that originality was not one of their strong points aswell.. think about it, this is the early 1960s, they are not going to be using drop tunings and psycho effects - Hendrix will be around a few years later for that. Besides, this is pop music. Like I said I'm not the biggest fan of The Beatles but I like some of their stuff and theres no denying they wrote some memorable material. Which is more than I can say for bands that really are over-rated such as Nirvana...

 

[Ox Fox]

Maybe you should try reading some of their lyrics before you say that originality was not one of their strong points aswell..

So we are back to Ob La Di Ob La Da again are we Shaun? :icon_wink

 

[Dunc]

So you're saying that the Beatles were the first to play arena/stadium shows - Elvis used to play to tens of thousands at the county fairs in the south in the 50s (as did a lot of the big names in the country scene) come to that. This included football stadiums I believe.

"A lot of the staple things in music today are down to them" you're right - the Beatles were the first act to take American music and sell it back to them.

The other 'staples' they provided such as two guitars, bass and drums had been around since the invention of the electric guitar in the 1930s. They used standard guitar tunings and wrote conventional music using standard chord progressions in the vast majority of their songs. Originality was not their strong point, but they did have a ear for a catchy melody and were lucky to be in the right place at the right time. They struck pay dirt with the Lennon/Mcartney partnership and had the looks and the post-war attitude that were perfect for the time they emerged.

Sorry and all that but I just think they are a massively overrated mainstream band whose groundbreaking moments were few and far between.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and just as those who think Mozart, Bach and Beethoven is a bit shite, people who think that the Beatles weren't great are in the minority.

However, it doesn't mean that they are right. As I don't know enough about music in the 50's and early 60's I don't know how different the Beatles were initially but certainly all their peers seem to think they were innovative and original.

I'm sure you've started a similar argument about them before, if not then someone did.

A more interesting argument is who you feel are more innovative and ground breaking and who your favourite bands are.

 

[drummindefender]

one album showed how innovitive and groundbreaking the beatles were-sgt.pepper the first ever band to do a concept album something which no-one else had even contemplated.

 

[alex]

So you're saying that the Beatles were the first to play arena/stadium shows - Elvis used to play to tens of thousands at the county fairs in the south in the 50s (as did a lot of the big names in the country scene) come to that. This included football stadiums I believe.

"A lot of the staple things in music today are down to them" you're right - the Beatles were the first act to take American music and sell it back to them.

The other 'staples' they provided such as two guitars, bass and drums had been around since the invention of the electric guitar in the 1930s. They used standard guitar tunings and wrote conventional music using standard chord progressions in the vast majority of their songs. Originality was not their strong point, but they did have a ear for a catchy melody and were lucky to be in the right place at the right time. They struck pay dirt with the Lennon/Mcartney partnership and had the looks and the post-war attitude that were perfect for the time they emerged.

Sorry and all that but I just think they are a massively overrated mainstream band whose groundbreaking moments were few and far between.

I could not agree more and really cannot believe this opinion. Unbelievable. As a song writer I cannot even begin to comprehend how The Beatles can be viewed like this, but rather feel it's all part of the English culture of looking to knock anything popular.

What did The Beatles do? They changed the way modern music is written, performed and presented. Were they the first? Perhaps not, but not the point. Ask any other contemporary musician around in 1967 what they felt like when they heard 'Sgt. Pepper' and they will mainly tell you it was as big a changing point in music as Bo Didley, Robert Johnson or even Sonny Boy Liston's way of taking Blues to the next level and getting rock 'n' roll off the ground.

Get off it. Talking shite.

 

[alex]

So we are back to Ob La Di Ob La Da again are we Shaun? :icon_wink

What's your point here? Some people feel that the counter-point rhythm and melody in this track is superb. An opinion on one song doesn't make an opinion of The Beatles. Would you like to go through their entire back catalogue looking for their more 'trite' songs? What's the point? Name a band who have output what they have and DON'T have the odd poor song!!!!

 

[homer]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and just as those who think Mozart, Bach and Beethoven is a bit shite, people who think that the Beatles weren't great are in the minority.

However, it doesn't mean that they are right. As I don't know enough about music in the 50's and early 60's I don't know how different the Beatles were initially but certainly all their peers seem to think they were innovative and original.

I'm sure you've started a similar argument about them before, if not then someone did.

A more interesting argument is who you feel are more innovative and ground breaking and who your favourite bands are.

"I never ever ask where do you go
I never ever ask what do you do
I never ever ask what’s in your mind
I never ever ask if you’ll be mine
Come and smile don’t be shy
Touch my bum this is life."

Say no more.......

 

[drummindefender]

also the beatles are one of those unique bands were you can easily pick up the lyrics and sing along which is one of the reasons they have been so enduring, yet at the same time there lyrics are meaningful and creative-not many bands can do that, in fact its hard to think of another band who is.

 

[drummindefender]

What's your point here? Some people feel that the counter-point rhythm and melody in this track is superb. An opinion on one song doesn't make an opinion of The Beatles. Would you like to go through their entire back catalogue looking for their more 'trite' songs? What's the point? Name a band who have output what they have and DON'T have the odd poor song!!!!

i personally like ob la di ob la da

 

[MHS]

Leave Ringo out of it. What a legend.

 

[Dunc]

"I never ever ask where do you go
I never ever ask what do you do
I never ever ask what’s in your mind
I never ever ask if you’ll be mine
Come and smile don’t be shy
Touch my bum this is life."

Say no more.......

Is that a verse from the Sermon on the mount?

But you have indeed risen to the challenge my friend.

 

[Ox Fox]

I could not agree more and really cannot believe this opinion. Unbelievable. As a song writer I cannot even begin to comprehend how The Beatles can be viewed like this, but rather feel it's all part of the English culture of looking to knock anything popular.

What did The Beatles do? They changed the way modern music is written, performed and presented. Were they the first? Perhaps not, but not the point. Ask any other contemporary musician around in 1967 what they felt like when they heard 'Sgt. Pepper' and they will mainly tell you it was as big a changing point in music as Bo Didley, Robert Johnson or even Sonny Boy Liston's way of taking Blues to the next level and getting rock 'n' roll off the ground.

Get off it. Talking shite.

I'm actually all for applauding and recognising genuine talent, popularity never comes into it. I simply cannot understand why people have cast The Beatles as being the epitome of popular music. As I mentioned before they could write pretty melodies but so can James Blunt (if sales are being used as some sort of taste barometer).

"They changed the way modern music is written, performed and presented."

How did they write musically differently from anyone else, before or at the time? Because they wrote and performed their own songs? well so did Buddy Holly amongst hundreds of others?

In terms of their performances and presentation being different, this was because their manager groomed them, he told them exactly what to wear and how to act on stage. For instance the little bows whenever they were on TV - not very rock and roll but it helped softened them to the establishment.

If you like them that's great, but to put them on some sort of pedestal I'm afraid really is "talking shite".

 

[TornadoShaunUK]

I'm actually all for applauding and recognising genuine talent, popularity never comes into it. I simply cannot understand why people have cast The Beatles as being the epitome of popular music. As I mentioned before they could write pretty melodies but so can James Blunt (if sales are being used as some sort of taste barometer).

"They changed the way modern music is written, performed and presented."

How did they write musically differently from anyone else, before or at the time? Because they wrote and performed their own songs? well so did Buddy Holly amongst hundreds of others?

In terms of their performances and presentation being different, this was because their manager groomed them, he told them exactly what to wear and how to act on stage. For instance the little bows whenever they were on TV - not very rock and roll but it helped softened them to the establishment.

If you like them that's great, but to put them on some sort of pedestal I'm afraid really is "talking shite".

You can carry on with your personal vendetta against them but the fact is they are a massive band and there is obviously a reason bands like this get to be so big in the first place. Millions of album sales over the world speaks for itself really. What bands would you put up on a 'pedestal'?

 

[drummindefender]

I'm actually all for applauding and recognising genuine talent, popularity never comes into it. I simply cannot understand why people have cast The Beatles as being the epitome of popular music. As I mentioned before they could write pretty melodies but so can James Blunt (if sales are being used as some sort of taste barometer).

"They changed the way modern music is written, performed and presented."

How did they write musically differently from anyone else, before or at the time? Because they wrote and performed their own songs? well so did Buddy Holly amongst hundreds of others?

In terms of their performances and presentation being different, this was because their manager groomed them, he told them exactly what to wear and how to act on stage. For instance the little bows whenever they were on TV - not very rock and roll but it helped softened them to the establishment.

If you like them that's great, but to put them on some sort of pedestal I'm afraid really is "talking shite".

you haven't counter argued the point of how inotive sgt.pepper was though have you?

 

[Ox Fox]

You can carry on with your personal vendetta against them but the fact is they are a massive band and there is obviously a reason bands like this get to be so big in the first place. Millions of album sales over the world speaks for itself really. What bands would you put up on a 'pedestal'?

So your premise is that popularity is equal to quality. So that makes Is This The Way To Amarillo the best single of last year and James Blunt made the best album in 2005?

It's immaterial what bands you or anyone else might like or dislike, I couldn't give a fig. As I'm sure you couldn't give a fig about what I choose to listen to. All I'm trying to establish is that The Beatles are not the Holy Grail of pop music as we are constantly being force fed.