The Beatles documentary

Just wrapped up the nearly eight hour Peter Jackson documentary after two weeks of watching pausing then listening to their albums and I must admit I have been living under a rock. My mom was in her teens and was part of that crowd that was ripping her hair out. I just figured if mom liked it can’t be to good musically right I mean she also liked the dixie chicks.

Well I am a new fan I never gave them the chance. I obviously knew a lot of their bigger hits you would be hard pressed to go through life without hearing Hey Jude, Let it be, I want to hold your hand, can’t be me love etc etc

But here I am now on the B side listening to the 16 minute medley on Abbey Road and just wow, I consider myself somewhat of a audiophile but the genius behind this band is beyond anything I ever heard in modern music I can’t believe they not only wrote the Get Back sections but recorded them in 2 weeks.

I have officially became the teen version of my mom in music the past week going through all their discographies. I personally thought Queen or Pink Floyd was the best writers now I know differently they were and will always be in a league of their own. Truly amazing listen to me :slight_smile: the power of music it’s so sad they quit right when they where at their peak.

There will never be another Beatles, so happy to discover them in this odd but fun way but sad knowing this is the pinnacle of modern music. I follow some of earlier classical artists by the time the Beatles wrote Sgt. Pepper they are literally composing.

Anyone else watch the documentary, I would imagine I am on a short list of 40 year olds that never gave their music a chance.

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I am n my late 50’s…so I was not old enough to enjoy the Beatles when they were still together.

As I grew up in the 70’s, of course the Beatles were still quite popular. And I listened to a lot of their music. I did own the Abbey Road Album, but none of the others. I did not get into them like I did many other bands…but as I got older, I tend to agree with your opinion.

I did watch the Doc, and it was amazing. Watching them literally write the songs was a treat. I have played guitar for nearly 40 years, never took it too serious, but I understand the process of playing, writing and arranging music…and what they did was outstanding.

I think I need to go back and listen to their later albums in full, to really appreciate their amazing work.

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What John, Paul, George and Ringo and the other George did was amazing. They didn’t get the credit they deserved as musicians. Listen to tracks like Hey Bulldog and Rain to really hear how good Paul is on the bass and Ringo is on the drums.

Listen and read John’s lyrics, he was a freaking poet. Listen to Harrison‘s later songs, in particular the just released Cosmic Empire (an outtake from the All Things Must Pass sessions - who the hell throws songs that good away!), to get a sense of his abilities as a song writer and musician.

But, as amazing as the Beatles were, I don’t think they match the genius of Brian Wilson. Brian was a 20 something kid who’s production skills out shined the combined ability of Paul, John and George Martin. Paul has said Brian’s song God Only Knows is the best song he ever heard (or something to that effect).

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I’m a huge Beatles fan and thought it was great to see the creative process. Hard to believe how they got instruments and vocals that were recorded live on the roof of a building to sound so good. If you have Hulu check out McCartney 321, where Rick Rubin sits down with Paul and talks about how they recorded songs and isolates various tracks. It increased my admiration and respect for McCartney’s musicianship even more.

A real treat was seeing Billy Preston and what he brought to the Let It Be sessions.

Yes! I never realized before how much his playing elevated those songs.

Cool to hear about opening the door to the Beatles in full. I took a break from listening to them much and then my kids started to listen to them for the first time and it was so exciting to watch them totally get it and watch them blown away by different tracks.

One thing I will recommend is to listen to Beatles albums in full. The obvious ones are Sgt. Peppers and Abbey Road, but Rubber Soul, Revolver and the White Album also come to mind. Apps like Spotify tend to emphasize single tracks and you can lose the sense of their albums being like one long amazing song.

I have been recently obsessed with the White Album. Its so strangely eclectic, all over the map and still somehow hangs together as a complete masterpiece. Its so crazy to think of songs like Honey Pie, Helter Skelter, Bungalo Bill, Dear Prudence, Back in the USSR, Rocky Raccoon and While my Guitar Gently Weeps all being written by the same band.

Have fun listening!

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It’s fun finding Beatle songs (outtakes) I never heard before. I recently discovered The Castle of the King of Birds. Who knew the Beatles could out Grateful Dead the Grateful Dead.

The holy grail of outtakes, the 27 minute version of Helter Skelter, is still out there, deep in the Apple vaults, somewhere.

The Castle of the King of Birds? Whoa- time to do some searching. Never heard of that.

And yeah the only thing I cant really take is Revolution number 9. I got about 3 listens of that in my whole life.

You’ll find it on YouTube.

Found it-listened…sad they didn’t finish but cool to hear…

Sounds like 1969-1970 Dead.

It actually makes a brief appearance in the documentary.

That was a trippy time for them when they were moving from full on psychedlic Dark Star St Stephen The Eleven hour long jams into the country laid back vibe of American Beauty- Ripple, Attics of my life, Brokendown Palace. You picked my all time favorite band. Went to about 60 shows back in the day.

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I saw them for the first time in 77 in Englishtown (Dick’s Picks #15)

Holy ■■■■ You were at Englishtown? With the Allmans and about 100 k people?

That show has one of my favorite eyes of the world. The solo after the first verse and chorus is transcendent. I also looove the Mississippi half step.

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Pretty sure it was Marshal Tucker and the and the New Riders. It was really hot that day.

Oh yeah- you’re right. Well I think there was a spin off of the Allmans - “Sea Level” with a few of the original members?

Well lucky you. :slight_smile:

Nah, you’re the lucky one, you saw them some 60 times.

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Forty shows here, good times!

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New Riders and Marshall Tucker when I saw them at Englishtown. Right up front.

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