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March 28, 2024, 08:44:18 AM

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The Beatles are fucking good.

Started by madhair60, December 16, 2012, 10:08:52 PM

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Custard

True. It's a wonder they weren't stark raving lunatics after being in that band, and all the adulation and world wide fame. Incredible love from, well, the entire planet.

Yet here they are, pretty normal and down to earth, and still feeling sheer joy at just playing music in a room with each other.

When they try something then look to each other for a nod of approval, it's genuinely heartwarming. They really were four blokes in a band, grafting. And they never seemed to lose that original drive and spark, or love for the music they made together. It's lightning in a bottle.

In a way it makes me happy that they didn't stick together longer, and end up a bit of an ageing novelty act. It reached its natural conclusion, and The Beatles is pretty much the perfect musical story. It evolved, constantly changed, then ended. They never really had time to start repeating themselves, or run out of ideas. It's just the perfect story.

Pity about all the rancour and legal stuff that followed, mind. But I doubt Paul or Ringo think about that stuff anymore, just these fun times when they were mates and a band of blokes trying to write tunes

I'm glad others are feeling emotional and find themselves welling up whilst watching this, as I thought I was turning into a right soppy Simon. Can't even imagine what it's like for Paul or Ringo to watch this

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Just started watching episode three.

Spoiler alert
The jam session with wee Heather McCartney is adorable. I laughed when she started wailing atonally into the mic, and John, clearly amused, yells "Yoko!"
[close]

I have nothing else to add, you've all summed up how moving and brilliant this is. A beautiful piece of work.

Ballad of Ballard Berkley

Spoiler alert
Billy Preston knocking out an improvised Stylophone solo during Old Brown Shoe. Even writing that unlikely collection of words made me smile.
[close]

kalowski

I'm on episode two and, christ,
Spoiler alert
the first 20 minutes are depressing. Paul especially looks so miserable as it looks like the band is coming to an end.
[close]
I mean, I loved watching it but has to look away at times.

Bently Sheds

There's a bit in the second one where they're together in the basement studio. George is talking and the camera is behind John, whose hand has dipped into the pocket of his fur coat that's hanging on his chair back. John looks back, sees the camera, pulls out his hand and quickly turns back round. The camera cuts to a front shot of George, John and Yoko; they talk for a bit, John reaches back into to the pocket, pulls something small out, goes to open it up, realises the camera is focused on him and his face goes all "Fuck! They've seen me!" and his hand swiftly goes back in his pocket. It all happens in a flash, but John was deffo up to something he didn't want us all to see.

The Yorkshire accent version of Help had me in stitches, also Paul's "EY! FUCK FACE!"

Ferris

I need to watch this don't I? Just off the descriptions here it sounds brill.

the science eel

Quote from: Bently Sheds on November 27, 2021, 11:20:26 PMThe Yorkshire accent version of Help had me in stitches

oh my fucking God I was on the floor!

Please Please Me too

yeah, everybody needs to see this

JesusAndYourBush

It's amazing to watch Paul pull Get Back out of nothing. It's like what I imagine it'd look like to witness an AI write a song. Basically he starts off strumbling and mumbling and the song just emerges out of chaos.  We also get to see the first performances of two songs George wrote the previous night which is also kindof amazing.

And regarding Magic Alex, one of the bootlegs shows his 32-channel mixer he built for the Beatles, which also didn't work (I don't know if it's in the documentary, I've not finished watching it yet).  Did he make anything that worked?

Custard

George coming in with a nearly fully formed Old Brown Shoe when he thought it up the night before was a highlight. Macca's instant love for it, and them starting to thrash it out. What a tune

Goldentony

Quote from: JesusAndYourBush on November 28, 2021, 12:43:27 AMDid he make anything that worked?

Theres a documentary from not long ago called The Beatles, Hippies and Hells Angels: Inside the Crazy World of Apple that talks about him and mentions that Lennon was originally amazed by some weird Light Box he'd built as an art piece that John had, I think, seen while stoned on something. They then show a picture of it, and after the grand description and supposed talents of this guy it shows you a fucking toy TV set with some light bulbs in it in different colors that go on and off. It's fucking amazing. The doc goes into how much oney they were wasting, stuff like Paul flying a helicopter to the shops, but then there's stuff on how much they were giving this guy to just openly take the piss. Honestly, the guitar thing in Get Back is one of the funniest things ive seen.

SpiderChrist

Started watching part 2 this morning. Falling in love with this band all over again (and @Ballad of Ballard Berkley I take back what I said about John.

the science eel

Quote from: SpiderChrist on November 28, 2021, 10:24:47 AMStarted watching part 2 this morning. Falling in love with this band all over again (and @Ballad of Ballard Berkley I take back what I said about John.

I would bloody hope so 'n' all!

Part 2 is better in so many ways but mostly because Michael Whingey-Drag is more in the background

Custard

Episode 3 - The
Spoiler alert
Something
[close]
writing! Paul coming up with the perfect line that fits

Gonna be sad when this is over

lipsink

Only seen episode 1 so far but I just absolutely love this and can't wait to binge watch the rest. Was a bit annoyed at first at the fast cut editing but yeah I realise they probably had to do that to keep in synch with the audio.

Loads of snippets of early Lennon/McCartney compositions when they were jamming on 'One After 909' that I'd never heard before.

Spoiler alert
Also, the original director comes off as slightly annoying and a Spinal Tap character. Especially during him floating ideas for where the band should play live (a children's hospital???
[close]

Custard

Stating the obvious, but if anyone is a villain in this it's Allen Klein. Can't believe they fell for his shite.

Spoiler alert
John telling George that Klein already knows him as well as George does. Madness. Lennon seems easily led at times, for such a sharp, astute bloke
[close]

You just wanna scream at the screen to steer well clear!

Oh, and don't record Maxwell's Silver Hammer

the science eel

Do people still think 'Maxwell's' is a dog? There must be ten worse songs in their catalogue

Custard

It's the absolute nadir of their output, for me. I just can't stand it.

I know it has its fans on here, but nah, it's not for me. And I usually love Macca's character led tunes

the science eel

If they'd put this out in 1970 nobody would ever have shouted for a reunion again


The Beatles At Sea

You Like Me Too Much
I'll Get You
Blue Jay Way
Do You Want To Know A Secret
Dig It
Till There Was You
-
I Need You
I Will
Act Naturally
Bad Boy
Ask Me Why
Maggie Mae

Custard

I Will?! Really? Adore that song

Quite fond of Blue Jay Way, too ;-D

kalowski

You can bloody well get Bad Boy off that list. And Ask Me Why.

Custard

I never knew Act Naturally was a cover til watching this, embarrassingly

Oh, and not to derail the thread, but shouldn't Don't Pass Me By be on any Worst Of The Beatles playlist?

Ferris

Quote from: Custard on November 28, 2021, 12:24:25 PMI never knew Act Naturally was a cover til watching this, embarrassingly

Oh, and not to derail the thread, but shouldn't Don't Pass Me By be on any Worst Of The Beatles playlist?

Don't Pass Me By is abject, as is Yellow Submarine. My two most loathed bits of Beatles.

kalowski

The thing is, even at their worst, these songs play a key part. Don't Pass Me By peters out and that lone violin suddenly gives way for the great drum intro in Why Don't We Do It In The Road, a bit like how When I'm Sixty Four elevates the start of Lovely Rita.
And the sheer silliness of Yellow Submarine makes it for me.

I do think Maxwell is the nadir.

Custard

I think what irks me even more about Maxwell is how many sessions they spent/wasted on it, when they had All Things Must Pass, Child Of Nature, Back Seat Of My Car, etc etc

If it'd just been tossed off in one take and wasn't elevated to the third track of the otherwise great Abbey Road, then I don't think I'd hate it half as much

It's just a load of nothing, with shit lyrics and a weak melody. Why Macca loved it, I'll never know

Ferris

I am a Maxwell apologist. The clink-clink percussion is fun fuck off.

the science eel

Quote from: Ferris on November 28, 2021, 01:30:21 PMI am a Maxwell apologist. The clink-clink percussion is fun fuck off.

good lad

Custard

I wish I did love it! Not having to try to skip it on the vinyl would be nice

It's not even there as filler, as Abbey Road is 48 minutes long. THERES NO EXCUSE FOR IT, AND IM VERY UPSET

daf

Quote from: kalowski on November 28, 2021, 12:59:26 PMI do think Maxwell is the nadir.

The moog solo towards the end is ace!

Alan Parsons : "Paul used the Moog for the solo in Maxwell's Silver Hammer but the notes were not from the keyboard. He did that with a continuous ribbon-slide thing, just moving his finger up and down on an endless ribbon. It's very difficult to find the right notes, rather like a violin, but Paul picked it up straight away. He can pick up anything musical in a couple of days."

Ferris

Quote from: Custard on November 28, 2021, 01:35:35 PMI wish I did love it! Not having to try to skip it on the vinyl would be nice

It's not even there as filler, as Abbey Road is 48 minutes long. THERES NO EXCUSE FOR IT, AND IM VERY UPSET

Same with me skipping yellow fucking submarine. You can see what track it is on the record because it is pristine circle on the rest of the well-worn vinyl.

Custard

On my version of Revolver, Rain is in there instead of Submarine

*Runs*