Music Appreciation
Related: About this forumPlease Mr. Postman - The Beatles
Well, what can I say. The Fab Four were and are fab in just every way.
And it was the four of them: John was a fabulous rhythm guitarist, and Paul is one of the best bass players there ever was. Together, without a doubt, Lennon and McCartney were perhaps the finest rock songwriters ever. And that's just for starters. George was a brilliant lead guitarist, and I remember reading a Rolling Stone review saying that his leads were brief and understated, and always in the best of taste. The same applies for Ringo, who was never one to obsess over the drums (unlike Moon or Bonham), but his fills were a perfect complement to the greatest band there ever was. And plus George and Ringo both sang, along with George being a hell of a songwriter in his own right. To sum it up, again from Rolling Stone, The Beatles were the perfect rock band, and not liking them is equivalent to not liking the sun.
Also, check out their harmonies: in almost every song, John, Paul, and George's harmonizing together sound like one voice and many voices at the same time. Their perfection in vocals is incredible. They tried to emulate the Beach Boys, but far surpassed them, given how close the boys were to each other.
As great as the lads were with their own compositions, their covers of other artists were amazing, and they were a prelude to the absolute superiority of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. This is one of them (and, b/t/w, what a great cover picture!):
NBachers
(16,999 posts)Listening to it after your intro, it is once again just amazing how everything works out. And Ringo adds every single touch just perfectly! Its like footsteps walking along behind the band.
I think Ill go run through it again . . .
MerryHolidays
(7,715 posts)While I love The Marvelletes' version, to me, this is the definitive version. Same with "Twist and Shout".
I think George Harrison said it best that is was in Hamburg in 1962 that they became really tight as a band. When I saw the "Get Back" series on Disney+ in November 2021, it demonstrated how in sync the four were. You can see the love and friendship they had. It sucked that they fought so much after the break-up, but nothing can change the magic that the four of them had together.
While Ringo was not in this, this picture says it all. John, Paul, and George were just between 14-16 (approximate) when this picture was taken. They were together a LONG time before even coming close to making it big:
bahboo
(16,234 posts)and it didn't hurt that Brian Epstein guided them early on, and well, George Martin. So lucky to have lived through this in my formative years...
MerryHolidays
(7,715 posts)"I guess we were the Spice Boys"
Absolutely, Brian Epstein and George Martin were important. But the four lads themselves, standing alone, were just amazing. The January 1969 rooftop concert on top of the Apple Records building in Savile Row in London (along with Billy Preston) amply demonstrates how great the four of them were together, with no overdubs, backing singers, electronics, etc.
The lads were a bit before my time, so I truly envy those that actually grew up with them.
bahboo
(16,234 posts)were when they would just spontaneously start playing some of their old tunes. I was like "jesus...it's the Beatles...playing the Beatles!!!" And man, could they rock....
MerryHolidays
(7,715 posts)If you watched "Let It Be", you come away with the impression of a very great group that was very unhappy. However, after seeing "Get Back", you see four young men (and their wives and families) who really loved each other AND were the greatest band that ever was.
"Man, could they rock": truer words were never said!