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IMAGINE is the best song every written..... He was a tremendous loss..B
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Great lyrics! Great melody! Great performance!
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Thanks Jim Again such a loss. I lived very near where he died and went to his apt. that night for a vigil..... I like my song too....LOL B
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Am I the only one? I always thought poor John strayed from greatness into the flames of Yoko, where he crashed and burned. Loved the Beatles before the breakup but not so much after.
Sorry, ----Dave
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He changed after Ono but wrote his best song IMAGINE ... ALSO loved This Is Christmas....and of course ALL WE ARE SAYING IS GIVE PEACE A CHANCE....AND HIS NUDE Photo with Yoko....UGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I always thought John's solo output was inferior to Paul and George. All Things Must Pass is the single best post Beatles album of all of them IMO. Post Beatles John was better known as a political activist than anything other than Imagine.
Stevie
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Barry,a world without religion,possessions,heaven,hell,countries,nothing to kill or die for?Are you for real?WAKE UP!!! Mike
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McCartney hasn't written a meaningful song since The Beatles split.
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Everything McCartney has done in his solo career is inferior to what he did with The Beatles.
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Everything McCartney has done in his solo career is inferior to what he did with The Beatles.
Thats your opinion Jim Not the Majority
Paul John and George have all written International Hits
Both Solo and in Collaboration
perhaps you could tell us why in your opinion Paul struggles
on his own ?? then your sweeping statement could ad up to
something
Last edited by Cheyenne; 01/30/17 09:18 AM.
One of the most important principles of songwriting is to remember that a good song is a partnership of many different components, all working together to produce a satisfying musical experience.
In that respect, song components are either enhancing or compromising their combined effects.
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Okay. Paul's lyrics are thin. They have little or no substance. They are not about anything, just clichés strung together. John's lyrics centered around the peace movement. They were also autobiographical. He was not afraid to expose himself and his feelings.
McCartney seems to straining for a melody that does not exist. I understand that most fans prefer Paul, the "cute one" who was loathe to offend. But it was John Lennon who was the driving force behind The Beatles and the one who was the deep thinker. He was an intellectual. The Beatles stood alone in the 60s, and I bought all their records.
Lennon cannot defend himself, so I will defend him.
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Paul McCartney's best song was written post Beatles. Maybe I'm Amazed
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Paul wrote the classic YESTERDAY....
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There's a lot of energy in "Maybe I'm Amazed," but it's lyrics are flimsy. If Paul called it his best song, it was just his way of rejecting The Beatles.
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John was the backbone and the one with the guts. Paul never would have done a song like "I Found Out." I FOUND OUT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeZkAaskfsg
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I was always a huge Lennon fan but more specifically, a Beatles fan. Post Beatles I was always lukewarm to disappointed in John's post Beatles work. Yeah, the lyrics may have been more compelling than Paul's in a lot of instances but Paul was and is no slouch. Yes, Paul has written some shallow lyrics at times but by the same token, John's post Beatles songs were all too often not all that memorable to me.
Lyrically, when John wrote about a character it was a real person. Paul would fictionalize characters. Is one better than the other in that context? Six of one, half a dozen to me.
Musically, John disappointed me. The lyric may have been autobiographical and high standard but musically they mostly left me unimpressed. Paul may have had average lyrics, sometimes even silly on a few ocassions but the songs were musically melodic and catchy. Which one of the two will I take over the other? Well personally and this is just one man's taste, I put on the headphones to listen to catchy music first and if it has a great lyric, that's icing on the cake. A great lyric with average or less music? I can read a book of poetry for equal effect.
To tell you the truth though, I find George Harrison's work when he's at his best post Beatles to either of them. His lyrics were thought provoking in most cases and musically catchy for me. Did he put out some less than memorable material? Yeah, but they all did. But his best work musically I prefer to either John or Paul.
Then there is the matter of recording quality. John's early Post Beatles records were raw and muddy sounding. I know he was into the "raw" sound back then but it sounded like an average garage band to me. Later his productions became too lush for me.
The Beatles years they all had to have their respective talents together to get that sound. Take out George's guitar work and the individual quality of his harmony and backing vocals and the recipe was missing something. Without Ringo's fills on the drums? Same thing. John and Paul were co-equal in my opinion. They balanced each other and there was also a bit of competition which spurred each on to greater heights.
John's rhythm playing on "All My Loving" with the fast triplets and what he played rhythmically on "I'm Happy Just To Dance With You" was nothing short of amazing. And the acoustic rhythm he played on "Can't Buy Me Love" was like driving a freight train.
Paul's bass playing was innovative to the ridiculous, especially from "Paperback Writer" on.
My personal favorite of all Post Beatles albums... George's "All Things Must Pass." Minus the third disc jam session there isn't a week song on the album and any of them could have been hits as Beatles songs if Paul and John wouldn't have shut him out at that period of time. All of the songs on "All Things Must Pass" were leftovers from the Beatles last years.
But to hone in on your topic of John Vs. Paul, I take Paul in most cases. Because he was the "cute Beatle?" Nah, I'm not physically attracted to either of them, lol. I just find his body of work much more compelling overall.
As far as being the driving force behind the group, yes in the early years it was John. Most of the songs on the early records, especially "A Hard Day's Night" were John's vocals. The middle years, from Rubber Soul to Revolver they were pretty well split. But after Brian Epstein died there wouldn't have been a Beatles without Paul, and certainly no "Sgt. Pepper." Magical Mystery Tour as a concept for film was silly and failed miserably but the Album has some of the best songs of each of John and Paul.
I Am The Walrus Penny Lane Strawberry Fields Hello Goodbye George's cheeky "Only a Northern Song" Your Mother Should Know. (Yeah the lyric is a bit inconsequential but the melody is outstanding in it's reach melodically.
But, that's just one man's opinion.
Stevie
I'm the only person here who is not unique.
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I think we all agree that John, Paul, George & Ringo did their best work as a group.
Last edited by Jim Colyer; 02/01/17 08:11 PM.
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Stevie, You've obviously spent some time with The Beatles' music.
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This is getting involved. I might as well post my article about Lennon & The Beatles.
THE BEATLES: JOHN LENNON'S PREMONITION OF DEATH
John Lennon was the heart and soul of The Beatles! He was the one who wanted to be Elvis Presley. When it was over, he said the only good thing about The Beatles was being bigger than Elvis. John Lennon met Paul McCartney in their hometown of Liverpool, England, in 1957. They had something in common. They were taken with American rock 'n' roll. John covered Chuck Berry. Paul did Little Richard. A bond formed, and they wrote songs together. George Harrison joined them on lead guitar. Harrison was a student of Carl Perkins and rockabilly. Ringo Starr came last on the drums. The Beatles' personalities were such that they fit together to make a whole. John was the brooding intellectual, always questioning himself and others. His wit was razor-like. Paul was politically correct, the cute one who wanted to please. George was introverted and spiritual. Ringo was the comedian who got along with everybody. In the beginning, The Beatles looked alike and dressed alike. It was hard to tell them apart. They were regulars at a Liverpool club called The Cavern. It was there that they met Brian Epstein, who became their manager. He took them to London and to George Martin, who became their producer. If there was a fifth Beatle, it was Martin. The Beatles released "Love Me Do" in October, 1962. Beatlemania ensued! Songs like "From Me To You," "I Wanna Hold Your Hand," "I Saw Her Standing There" & "She Loves You" drove girls wild at concerts! The Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show as Elvis had done. It was pandemonium! The Beatles were chased by fans and the press everywhere they went. Records were released on 5 labels. Albums were solid. Every song was good. The Beatles made a movie called A Hard Day's Night, which portrayed something of what Beatlemania was. Teenage girls screamed in theaters to the point that the dialog was inaudible. It was The Beatles' sound! It was their look! It was the long hair! The Beatles annihilated everyone in music except Elvis, and even he reeled!
After 1964, things cooled. The one constant was the music. The Beatles continued to make good records. They recorded "Ticket To Ride," which John Lennon called the first heavy metal song. There was a second movie: Help! It was silly with its James Bond parody, and being in color took away. A Hard Day's Night was in black and white. The Beatles introduced the "concept album" with Rubber Soul, making rock music an art form. Revolver was released the following year. These were tough times in America. The Vietnam War and race riots were out of control. When The Beatles were threatened by the Ku Klux Klan, the tours ended, and they retired to the studio. Lennon's songs remained the best on the albums, although they became morbid in a way that is hard to understand. The idea of death pervaded song after song, even the image of being murdered by a gun.
No Reply - I nearly died In My Life - Some are dead and some are living Run For Your Life - I'd rather see you dead Girl - Will she still believe it when he's dead We Can Work It Out - Life is very short Rain - They might as well be dead Tomorrow Never Knows - Ignorance and hate mourn the dead, It is not dying She Said She Said - I know what it's like to be dead
Lennon's morbidness continued through Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Magical Mystery Tour, the White Album, Abbey Road and Let It Be.
Good Morning Good Morning - Nothing to do to save his life A Day In The Life - He blew his mind out in a car I Am The Walrus - Dripping from a dead dog's eye, See how they run like pigs from a gun, Bloody Tuesday Yer Blues - Wanna die, If I ain't dead already, Feel so suicidal Happiness Is A Warm Gun - Bang bang shoot shoot, My finger on your trigger, Mother Superior jumped the gun The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill - What did you kill, Bullet-headed, If to kill was not a sin, If looks could kill, His elephant and gun Glass Onion - See how the other half live Revolution #9 - Turn me on, dead man The Ballad of John & Yoko - They're gonna crucify me; Oh boy, when you're dead Come Together - Shoot me
In his Rolling Stone interview following the breakup, Lennon was incoherent. He rejected The Beatles, never to embrace them again. When he did Double Fantasy, he said he did not want to be thought of as a Beatle, but as John Lennon whose life was changed by American rock n' roll. His preoccupation with death extended into his solo work.
Instant Karma - Pretty soon you're gonna be dead Cold Turkey - I wish I was dead, Can't see no future My Mummy's Dead - Title Working Class Hero - Smile as you kill Imagine - Nothing to kill or die for How Do You Sleep? - When they said you was dead I Don't Want To Be A Soldier - I don't wanna die John Sinclair - Shooting gooks in Vietnam Angela - They shot down your man The Luck of the Irish - Wish you were dead, Death and the glory We're All Water - If we check their coffins Sunday Bloody Sunday - When they shot the people, When they nailed the coffin lids Born In Prison - Die in prison Attica State - The prisoners did not kill (Ironically, Lennon's killer was given a life sentence in Attica Prison.) Woman Is The [naughty word removed] Of The World - We kill her will Intuition - It seemed like suicide Scared - I just wanna stay alive, Gonna be the death of me, The straws slip away Old Dirt Road - Breezing thru the deadwood Whatever Gets You Through The Night - A gun to blow your mind.
It was as if Lennon had a premonition of his own death! He was shot and killed in New York City by a deranged fan named Mark David Chapman on December 8, 1980. Lennon had turned 40 on October 9. He once remarked that he did not want to work in a factory because he would be dead by 40. There is irony, too, in the hoax about McCartney being dead. The hoax was never explained. Nor did anyone claim responsibility for the "clues" that popped up on the album covers and in the music. John Lennon admitted that he wanted out of The Beatles as early as 1966, but was afraid to leave the group. Instead, he used his disenchantment to craft classic tunes like "Revolution" and "The Ballad of John & Yoko." He was the edge! He broke down the English language and reworked it, using nonsense lyrics like those in "I Am The Walrus" and "Come Together." Lennon's songs are superior to McCartney's even if McCartney fans claim otherwise. "In My Life" is better than "Yesterday." Someone called Lennon a diarist and McCartney a dramatist. This is true! Ego was at the center of Lennon's work. Even during the peace movement, he acted as if he had invented peace. McCartney created characters such as Eleanor Rigby.
When Lennon brought Yoko into the studio, it drove a wedge between him and McCartney. Yoko had no talent. Nor did McCartney's wife, Linda, who accompanied her husband on stage with Wings. It was up to ABBA from Sweden, a country known for sexual equality, to produce a group in which men and women could co-exist. As The Beatles were winding down, they left a niche for the band that would take rock 'n' roll to its next level. Elvis Presley may never have heard of ABBA, but The Beatles evolved into them!
A DAY IN THE LIFE: THE MUSIC AND ARTISTRY OF THE BEATLES by MARK HERTSGAARD
This is an excellent book about The Beatles' music. Mark Hertsgaard gained access to The Beatles archives at Abbey Road Studios in London, listening to 50 hours of Beatle tapes in 6 days. He devotes his entire first chapter to "A Day In The Life" from Sergeant Pepper. He regards this song as one of the masterpieces of the 20th century. A great thing about Hertsgaard's book is that he provides insight into the meaning of certain Beatle songs. For example, the 4000 holes in Blackburn, Lancashire, were potholes in the streets, something John Lennon picked from a newspaper article. Hertsgaard notes that the orchestra crescendo at the song's end simulates a nuclear blast and subsequent mushroom cloud. Indeed, Beatle music had become quite serious!
Hertsgaard recognizes "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" and "I Saw Her Standing There" as rock 'n' roll classics. They were the two cuts that broke The Beatles into the American market. What stands out for me is how early Beatle songs used the AABA-extended structure. Elvis had used it with "One Night" and "Stuck On You." These songs went back and repeated the bridge. "You Can't Do That" and "I Feel Fine" used the AABA format.
Chapter 7 deals with A Hard Days Night, and Hertsgaard stresses the importance of this movie. He is fascinated with John Lennon and writes lavishly about the mysterious opening chord of the title song. He praises Paul McCartney for "And I Love Her."
Rubber Soul was the first album to be more than a collection of singles. It was marked by a growing social consciousness and an expanded definition of love. As The Beatles mastered the studio, producer George Martin and his classical training were having an influence. The "5th Beatle" composed the classical run for "In My Life."
"Norwegian Wood" was interesting. McCartney explained "I lit the fire" as the suitor setting fire to the girl's apartment. It could just as easily have meant he lit a joint or a fire in the fireplace.
Revolver saw increased experimentation as McCartney's opening cough at the beginning of "Taxman" concluded with Lennon's LSD inspired "Tomorrow Never Knows." Mr. Wilson was the British prime minister, while Mr. Heath was the leader of the opposition. The weirdest rendition of a Beatles song I ever witnessed was at Abbey Road on the River in Louisville when a band fronted by a singer dressed as Colonel Sanders sang "Tomorrow Never Knows" through a foghorn while playing a banjo.
McCartney's "Paperback Writer" was from the Revolver era. Characteristically, Paul sang about what other people were doing while John sang about himself or tried to proselytize.
By 1967, Beatle music was immersed in politics and religion. They were at the front of the "peace and love" movement, and their fans followed. The Beatles spoke against the Vietnam War. Lennon wrote "Revolution" and claimed that the group was more popular than Jesus, a boast rather than an indictment of hypocrisy.
Hertsgaard explains that Strawberry Field was an orphanage in Liverpool and that Penny Lane was a bus roundabout. "Strawberry Fields Forever" ended with an enigmatic comment by Lennon. Was it "cranberry sauce," "I am very bored" or "I buried Paul?" Psychedelia alienated many fans from the Beatlemania era.
The Beatles presented themselves as fictional characters for the Sergeant Pepper album. They were tired of being Beatles. They wore colorful costumes, and lyrics were printed on the back of the album jacket. Rock 'n' roll had become art! Visual images pervaded the lyrics.
Hertsgaard calls "Hey Bulldog" a "great, growling rocker." It was a track I could not get enough of.
George Martin opposed the White Album being double. He felt there was too much inferior material. Ringo later said they could have broken it down into the White Album and the Whiter Album. It was Ringo, who screamed, "I've got blisters on my fingers," at the end of "Helter Skelter."
"Sexy Sadie" was a code name for the Maharishi, the guru who conned the group. "Julia" was Lennon's tribute to his mother.
George Harrison was composing the best songs toward the end. "Something" and "Here Comes The Sun" are favorites.
Lennon wrote "One After 909" when he was 15. It uses the AABA-extended format. It is rockabilly and my favorite piece on Let It Be. I saw a group perform it at Legends Corner in Nashville.
Abbey Road was released in September, 1969, and I lay in bed with my girl friend listening to it while home on Christmas leave from Fort Knox. I was headed for Germany in April, 1970, when The Beatles announced their split.
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I know Paul Churchfield loves The Beatles' music and performs many of their songs.
Last edited by Jim Colyer; 02/01/17 09:49 PM.
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From the song Early Days from McCartney's album NEW...
Now everybody seems to have their own opinion Of who did this and who did that But as for me I don't see how they can remember When they weren't where it was at.
It's a song reflecting on his collaboration with John.
I'm the only person here who is not unique.
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The article lost credibility with this line: "Lennon's songs are superior to McCartney's even if McCartney fans claim otherwise." That is simply your opinion, nothing more.
Then this part: "It was up to ABBA from Sweden, a country known for sexual equality, to produce a group in which men and women could co-exist. As The Beatles were winding down, they left a niche for the band that would take rock 'n' roll to its next level. Elvis Presley may never have heard of ABBA, but The Beatles evolved into them!"
There is no connectivity between the Beatles and Abba beyond they both played popular music. A full 2 years passed before they even formed and it wasn't until 1974 that they had their breakout hit Waterloo, a full 4 years after the Beatles.
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@gmail.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..." -Brian Austin Whitney "Sometimes all you have to do to inspire humans to greatness is to give them a reason and opportunity to do something great." -Brian Austin Whitney
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For what it's worth, Mr. Lennon is quoted as saying "I've only written two honest song in my life".... This is 45 seconds of the first one.....The second song is his ode to his mother,,,, And Sir, Paul is on record,, regarding "Help"...."I wish we'd had the time to truly listen". "Help" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR6r9-sRfooMidnite
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One of his quotes--well McCartney said "they" would literally say---
"Let's go write us a swimming pool"
Love that
If writing ever becomes work I think I'm going to have to stop
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One of his quotes--well McCartney said "they" would literally say---
"Let's go write us a swimming pool"
Love that I've always loved that quote too, John. A little ironic though, wouldn't ya say, that one of them, while sitting at his $50,000 white grand piano, later wrote the line "Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can?".....Which is, in my very humble opinion, the most hypocritical and judgemental line ever written in a song. Midnite
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I think Lennon is the more famous Beatle, his activism and social causes made him bigger than life.
Paul might be the better Beatle, the better musician and better composer
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I know how groundbreaking the release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was, and I really appreciate that album from many perspectives.
I have always just been drawn more to the Magical Mystery Tour album. It is a really close call, hard to even pick one over the other. Oh well, I have them both so no problem!
The songs on MMT just blow me away. I am the Walrus, Strawberry Fields, Penny Lane. Such amazing melodies and lyrical crafting. The lyrics take the listener on such amazing journeys. I am the Walrus gets really abstract lyrically but I can enjoy when the story line is not so well defined as well.
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This is ironic. I just watched a spoof documentary on TV about the "death" of McCartney in 1966 including all of the clues in songs, album covers, and records being played backwards. Amazing how to this day people are still obsessed with picking through the meanings of every lyric, note, and chord. Not to mention photos of The Beatles. Kind of funny.
Jim, I liked your article, but I don't get the correlation with ABBA. Apples and oranges. I know you're a fan of ABBA and I like them too. Maybe just an opportunity to slip them into the article. There were lots of groups before that had male and female vocalists. "The Mama's And The Papa's", "The Fifth Dimension" for example.
Finally about "Imagine". I might get into trouble here, but we are songwriters. Sometimes we write from the outside looking in. It doesn't always have to be about our lifestyle. Maybe when John wrote that song it wasn't necessarily about him, but to connect with idealism. It sure worked for him. But a song like that is what makes people pick apart every word to find some kind of meaning. Leave it alone and enjoy the song.
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Brian, I rely on poetic license in some of my articles (papers). Jim http://jimcolyer.com/papers/
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As I see it, John was the leader from 1957 through the Shea Stadium concert in 1965. John had done the title tracks for both A Hard Day's Night and Help!. After "Yesterday," Paul moved to the front. John was getting bored and wanted to leave the group by 1966 but was afraid to.
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Paul pretty well took on the reigns after Brian Epstein died when they had no one else to keep things together. Rubber Soul had given birth to Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys Pet Sounds which inspired Paul to come up with Sgt. Pepper which inspired Brian to do the ill fated Smile album. Fortunately Brian finally did finish and put out Smile in 2004 as a solo project. I wonder what The Beatles would have been inspired to do if Smile had been finished and released in 1967. There was a friendly competition going on with The Beatles and Brian at the time.
Stevie
I'm the only person here who is not unique.
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One of his quotes--well McCartney said "they" would literally say---
"Let's go write us a swimming pool"
Love that I've always loved that quote too, John. A little ironic though, wouldn't ya say, that one of them, while sitting at his $50,000 white grand piano, later wrote the line "Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can?".....Which is, in my very humble opinion, the most hypocritical and judgemental line ever written in a song. Midnite He simply set the stage for the myriad of limousine liberals who followed him. Al Gore, who flew private jets to his 6 existing mansions, each which used 6-14 times more power than the average single family home, and who built a giant mansion right on the beach where he stated as fact that would be underwater by now. It's the same old "do as I say, not as I do" we get from the ruling class. (On both sides, simply over different issues). Though Lennon was only ruminating about a potentially different/better world, whereas the likes of Gore and the other famous entertainment people who flog the same opinions, really wanted to mandate a scam of selling carbon offsets on a new stockmarket like system where they'd cash in on this artificial resource that cost them nothing, but took other people's money to navigate his intended government mandates forcing every company and individual to play ball, giving them control of all industry. So though Lennon was certain a hypocrit, he wasn't as bad as what it is now with all these clueless actors and singers telling us how we should live while they violate their supposed principles with every breath. Brian PS: Not trying to lure you into a political discussion, no need to respond. I agree 100% with your point.
Brian Austin Whitney Founder Just Plain Folks jpfolkspro@gmail.com Skype: Brian Austin Whitney Facebook: www.facebook.com/justplainfolks"Don't sit around and wait for success to come to you... it doesn't know the way." -Brian Austin Whitney "It's easier to be the bigger man when you actually are..." -Brian Austin Whitney "Sometimes all you have to do to inspire humans to greatness is to give them a reason and opportunity to do something great." -Brian Austin Whitney
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One of his quotes--well McCartney said "they" would literally say--- "Let's go write us a swimming pool" Love that I've always loved that quote too, John. A little ironic though, wouldn't ya say, that one of them, while sitting at his $50,000 white grand piano, later wrote the line "Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can?".....Which is, in my very humble opinion, the most hypocritical and judgemental line ever written in a song. Midnite It is hypocritical, but I think he's writing from average mans perspective, you have to when a filthy rich rock star. What do you write about when you are filthy rich? "I hope my new rolls comes fully assembled". "I'm going to fire both my maids" But then again, everybody is hypocritical. Don't poor people criticize rich people? They say things like money don't buy happiness. But they still run out and buy lottery tickets every week. People who say they have total faith in God, still look both ways when they cross the street.... And just about every rock star you can think of started out saying it's all about the music, but suddenly they find great success, and money starts rolling in, they change that stance. I recently read something about all the trump bashers on tv, every tv variety show bashes him, and they say that bashing trump is profitable. If trump could promise Seth Meyers better ratings and a earlier time slot, I'm guessing Seth would be on board and tone it down a lot. Nobody is what they truly say they are or even think they are. Our brains are great at changing its tune based as we go along. I think imagine is a fantasy look at a utopian world. It's kind of like the Brady Bunch, it's not how it is, but maybe, how it could be!
Last edited by Trentb; 03/06/17 02:02 PM.
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I simply enjoy the complexities of The Beatles, as well as any post Beatles songs. If I find I don't really care for one, I simply don't focus on it, and move on to what does float my Beatle or Solo Beatle boat.
To do anymore, for me, is not spending that time on appreciating the subtleties or even the obvious in your face sounds of all or most they brought in such a short time span.
I simply enjoy the complexities! (Even the sometimes mundane of post Beatles).
John
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And, I think I probably cornered the market on taking ques from The Beatles in just about everything I do in music. I not only listened to The Beatles since 1963, I studied all the instruments they were playing. I would play all of them one at a time once I learned one of them on each song of most albums. Real drums too). With no bass guitar, I played the notes on my 6 string electric. I also had an acoustic to learn and play in the way each track with one it would sound.
Doing that brainwashed me so much to their trends, album to album, that when I started to write songs, all my friends said, "that's just a Beatles song I haven't heard yet". So, I went the opposite direction for a few years, composing true original music for that time, BUT because it was off the wall, with some 1940's styles in there somehow, I came back to what I knew and loved. Thus, most if not all of my songs since me being around 27, have something in common with how The Beatles wrote and played. Through the years, it got even more obvious, to the point I had and have NO creativity in me except for parts I can create for any style music. BUT, my songs? Total Beatle Influences. I can't help it! Those preteen and teen years of learning everything played and sung still has a huge grip on me. The thing is, I could only produce hints of their style and abilities. They had George Martin, for crying out loud!!!! HOW do ya get all of that into a bottle? Ya don't! So, is why I know I didn't have songs that could be marketable at the time I was doing them. I LIVED ON THE PAST! I went by things The Beatles DID already, and better than I could, for sure.
I should have known better! Ha! I should have been a session musician from the start of getting out of High School. With The Beatles teaching me HOW to play various instruments, and as to WHY even, I know now that I shouldn't have been trying to be a songwriter, for I was TOO into everything they did. For parts for any genre song by anyone at anytime of the day or night? Sure, I AM creative. For my songwriting and tracking those parts? NO creativity other than notes being in whatever order. BUT, the Beatle Influence is always there. Listen to my "Too Little Time" song as hear how Paul could be doing it. I was and am such a copier, it sickens me now, for I have been trying so hard for decades at becoming what I surely can;t be: An original songwriter. I couldn't HELP! myself! I have to Let It Be! For again, I should have known better!
I failed, and Cindy has no Help from me these days. But, she also understands my training and passion for The Beatles had to be, for it seemingly wasn't a choice. It was the same drive and passion that drove The Beatles to do what they did, night after night. I was on the ride of my life right with them, and I just couldn't get off that Beatle train of sorts. Still can't.
We all have our stories, so like the song I posted last month, "How Are You"? Tell your story of youth to older. For the young ones, keep notes. Or, have as an intense memory as mine.
John Daubert Happy New Year Folks!
Last edited by Johnny Daubert; 01/01/18 01:49 PM.
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Johnny beats himself at times saying, “I failed” just as Lennon was so critical of everything he wrote. I was proud to be a member of Johnny’s band Too Little Time for many years. Our music was all-original, mostly written by John. We performed concerts and made people happy. The Beatles influenced all of us and so did Johnny’s music. If you’re new to JPF check out his songs. A few years ago I joined a local rock band. All seasoned members with hundreds of gigs under their belt and not one Beatle’s song on a set list. When I asked why I was told the songs were too hard to pull off and venue owners specifically had said No Beatles because people wouldn’t dance to them. We took a chance and played a complete set starting with early Beatles and moved right up through the years to Walrus. Guess what? People went nuts, singing and dancing. Since our Beatles introduction, others have followed including one band that only does Beatle’s. It’s funny though. All of us can sing/play almost any classic rock song without even thinking yet we struggle with Beatle songs. Practices usually start by playing our latest Beatle song. We start the song, stop and say damn Beatles, turn on and listen to the original song, say “Oh that’s what they’re doing”, start playing, stop and say damn Beatles. Here’s a link to a video of us playing. As soon as we hit the Beatles we screw up the words. Damn Beatles. https://youtu.be/YHDgaydatN0
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Haha! Great post Iggy! And, thank you for your kind words. I feel the same towards you and every band member. Even though it greatly contributed to my loud Tinnitus and Hyperacousis, it was also a true joy at every step of the way with all of you. Thank you again for being such a big part of our treasured band.
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