| BACKGROUND HISTORY: The first musical bands | | | | to be memorable without ever overly repeating |
| originated in New Orleans among black musicians who | | | | something. The only time they repeated something |
| have traditionally been the innovators. The first jazz | | | | over and over again for a long time was in Hey Jude, |
| record ever recorded was by The Original Dixieland | | | | and what they chose to repeat is so gorgeous that |
| Jazz Band in 1917, and of course they were white | | | | one can only wish they had never ended the song. |
| because racism always rears its ugly head to hold | | | | The Beatles were my biggest musical influence and I |
| black people back. But during the Roaring 20's, young | | | | used to think, "If I could write just one song that's as |
| white people couldn't resist the dance beat laid down | | | | good as John and Paul's worst song, I'd be happy." |
| by the black jazz bands. Fletcher Henderson, a black | | | | People tell me I accomplished that goal and they say |
| man, became the first band leader to achieve national | | | | one good example is John is Alive, which is my sincere |
| fame possibly because he featured Louis | | | | |
| Armstrong on trumpet. Duke Ellington, a classicly | | | | tribute to Sir Lennon.3. BEST SINGERSEven Ringo |
| trained musician, brought a level of style and | | | | could sing when he got a little help from his friends |
| sophistication to jazz that hadn't been seen before. But | | | | who lived in the yellow submarine. But to say that Paul |
| it wasn't until 1935 that jazz bands with a "swing beat" | | | | and John are two of the best singers in rock and roll is |
| achieved national attention due to Benny Goodman | | | | to state the obvious. Combining John, Paul and George |
| who I think was the best clarinet player ever to blow | | | | created the best harmony vocals the world has ever |
| air into that instrument. Benny also had the good sense | | | | experienced. Even their two part harmonies were |
| and taste to bring the first great drummer, Gene | | | | unusual, catching us all by surprise on their first hit |
| Krupa, into his band.When rock and roll exploded into | | | | record with the fast harmony melisma in the chorus of |
| human consciousness during the early 1950's, black | | | | I Want to Hold Your Hand. John had a knack of placing |
| musicians like Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Chuck Berry, | | | | a unique low harmony line underneath Paul's high |
| and Smokey Robinson pioneered the way, but a white | | | | melody line so as to form a second melody which |
| DJ named Alan Freed is believed to have coined the | | | | created unusual harmony effects. He did that right |
| term "rock and roll". The first real rock and roll record | | | | from the beginning in the verses of She Loves You. |
| was "Shake, Rattle and Roll", written by Jesse Stone | | | | Both Paul and John could blast out screaming rock and |
| who was black and recorded by Big Joe Turner who | | | | roll (i.e. Long Tall Sally and Twist and Shout), and both |
| was also black but it wasn't a hit. The first big hit rock | | | | could break our hearts with touching, deep feeling |
| and roll record was "Rock Around the Clock" written | | | | ballads (i.e. Yesterday and Julia). There seems to be |
| by James Meyers and Max Freeman of obvious | | | | no end to their emotional vocal range, and John even |
| ancestry, and that one catapulted Bill Haley and his | | | | explored the heights of vocal psychedelia in songs like |
| Caucasian Comets to stardom. During the 1950's and | | | | She Said (Revolver) and Lucy in the Sky With |
| early 60's, there were countless "do wop" groups, rock | | | | Diamonds.4. MOST CREATIVE PLAYERSPaul |
| groups, singers and songwriters but until The Beatles | | | | brought a new style of melodic playing to the bass |
| hit the charts, there had been very few bands which | | | | guitar, reaching a new high of creativity on Sergeant |
| contained talented songwriters. The vast majority of | | | | Pepper with a level of sophistication never heard |
| jazz and rock bands recorded songs written by | | | | before. Many other musicians besides me recognize |
| songwriters who were not performers, with occasional | | | | Paul as being one of the best bass guitar players ever. |
| exceptions like Duke Ellington and Buddy Holly. As time | | | | George is underrated as a lead guitarist by people with |
| goes on, it's increasingly clear that Lennon/McCartney | | | | average or below average musical knowledge or |
| songs are brilliant classics which will never be | | | | ability, but most guitarists (including Eric Clapton) know |
| forgotten. Now here's why The Beatles are the most | | | | better. George's strength is in melody, pure and simple. |
| creative band of all time:1. BEST EXAMPLE OF | | | | It would be difficult to find a George Harrison lead |
| FORM = CONTENTAs I sit here writing this at the | | | | which is not melodic, and each of his leads has a |
| keyboard of my computer facing the unique and | | | | strong beginning, a stronger middle and a well defined |
| colorful Beatles poster in my bedroom, I'm aware that I | | | | ending. In fact, that's Eric's definition of what makes a |
| have been directly and indirectly inspired by John | | | | good guitar |
| Lennon's music as well as by the way he lived his life | | | | lead. George continually developed new guitar sounds |
| offstage. Squarely in front of me is a full color poster | | | | for each Beatles song. John and Paul are also |
| of all four Beatles standing in a heavenly-like flower | | | | excellent guitarists and both recorded great leads as |
| garden at about the time of the Abbey Road album. | | | | well as innovative rhythm tracks.All three of the |
| Paul is angelic in his pink suit with a white laced shirt. | | | | Beatles guitarists may lack showy technical fireworks |
| John is enigmatic peering out from the background. | | | | but they make that definition of guitar mastery |
| George is charismatic staring directly into the camera | | | | irrelevant by overwhelming the senses with creativity, |
| from the lower right. Ringo is on the left with a stylish | | | | style, and pure melody. The exact same thing can be |
| blue suit and his pink ruffled shirt. I always wished I | | | | said about John and Paul's keyboard playing. Ringo |
| could dress like those guys but | | | | may be underrated as a drummer by the public but he |
| obviously there's a bit of a problem with a money | | | | is not underrated by other professional drummers. |
| differential there. Surrounding this gorgeous poster | | | | Ringo mastered the art of drum sounds. No drummer |
| which I have never seen elsewhere are my 45 speed | | | | has ever recorded so many different sounds on so |
| original Beatles hit records, including I Want to Hold | | | | many different sounding records. Ringo invented a |
| Your Hand, She Loves You, Please Please Me, Twist | | | | new style of slow drum playing, epitomized on A Day |
| and Shout, Can't Buy Me Love, She's A Woman, | | | | in the Life and Strawberry Fields Forever. John said |
| Yesterday, and of course, Hey Jude. And surrounding | | | | many times, "Ringo has the best back beat in the |
| all that is a chain of 1-1/2" long orange flicker flame | | | | business" and the successful studio drummers |
| lights which are the most beautiful and unique | | | | understand why John was correct.5. TOTAL |
| Christmas lights I've ever seen.I chose to decorate the | | | | CHARISMAA good definition of charisma needs to |
| wall directly in front of my work station this way | | | | include "an unusual ability to influence people and |
| because, as I've written elsewhere on this site several | | | | arouse devotion" and "a personal attractiveness which |
| times, the Beatles were my major musical influence | | | | enables a person to influence others". No musical |
| and having them on the wall in front of me inspires me | | | | group prior to or after The Beatles features true |
| to write web pages like this one. I was also among the | | | | charisma emanating strongly from the entire group as |
| millions of people who were inspired by how The | | | | well as separately from each member. The Beatles |
| Beatles were actually living their off stage lives. The | | | | stunned the world with their photogenic quality, their |
| Beatles' music creatively stimulated millions of people | | | | charm, their bubbling and lovable personalities, their |
| to change the way they were living, and The Beatles | | | | cuteness and their unique style.Even before The |
| behavior encouraged people to have fun by trying | | | | Beatles achieved fame, people in Liverpool were |
| new life style experiences. That's what I call a perfect | | | | imitating their haircuts, the way they dressed, the way |
| example of FORM = CONTENT. In this case it means | | | | they behaved, and the way they lived. Such a simple |
| that the creatively and masterfully varied music The | | | | subliminal message about smoking marijuana got |
| Beatles were producing (form) embodied the real life | | | | communicated to all the hippies who were waiting to |
| styles which each of the four Beatles were living | | | | happen without actual words ever being spoken. The |
| (content), together as a band as well as separately as | | | | Beatles had a lot to lose by being explicit on that |
| unique individuals.2. BEST SONGWRITERSThis should | | | | subject, but they successfully avoided trouble by |
| be self-evident, but just because Paul McCartney has | | | | keeping it very subtle while at the same time clear |
| the title of the most popular songwriter in history | | | | enough so that we all got it. The Fab Four kept |
| doesn't necessarily make him the best songwriter in | | | | changing their styles rapidly, almost with each album |
| history. The qualities which do make both Paul and | | | | cover, and soon the message became |
| John the best songwriters in history go beyond writing | | | | one of explicit spiritualism. After visiting India, The |
| the greatest number of catchy classic songs. "Catchy" | | | | Beatles introduced eastern mysticism and meditation |
| means that their melodies and lyrics are instantly | | | | to the Western world for the first time through the |
| memorable. "Classic" means that they stand the test | | | | mass media. John's long saga with internal angst, drugs, |
| of time. But both Paul and John wrote very | | | | spiritualism, politics, personal battles, and ultimately his |
| sophisticated melodies that moved beyond the simple | | | | marriage to Yoko played out like a movie the whole |
| groups of 2, 4 and 8 patterned phrases used by | | | | world got to watch in fascination. Paul's happy life with |
| almost all other songwriters. John and Paul's melodies | | | | Linda, George's great focus on meditation, and Ringo's |
| soared, floated, cascaded, dived and peaked with true | | | | equanimity throughout were all perfect examples of |
| dynamics, naturally | | | | the power, the truth, and the effectiveness of true |
| following the syllabic lyric patterns - but not | | | | charisma.6. SEXUAL AURANeed I say it? Ask the |
| always.Sometimes the melodic and lyric patterns were | | | | millions of girls who were screaming and fainting at the |
| independent of each other, almost counterpoint in | | | | very sight of them. "The Boys" didn't move like Elvis or |
| nature, and as a songwriter, they never ceased to | | | | dance like Mick, they just stood there shaking their |
| astonish me with their brilliance and originality. In the | | | | "mop top" heads around, smiling, laughing, and looking |
| beginning, their lyrics were simple and their songs were | | | | gorgeous as they performed great music and that |
| simple love songs. But they soon began exploring new | | | | was it. On their first visit to America, some enterprising |
| territory by writing about subjects that hadn't been | | | | weirdo from New York City managed to cut up the |
| covered before. Inspired by Bob Dylan, they wrote | | | | hotel bedsheets The Beatles had slept on into 1" |
| true poetry with feeling and depth, using evocative and | | | | square pieces, and these things were actually sold to |
| unusual words. Rubber Soul marked the beginning of | | | | girls over the public airwaves by adult DJ's on the AM |
| their evolution as mature songwriters, Revolver was a | | | | radio stations who should have known better. The |
| break-out album, and Sergeant Pepper was an historic | | | | Beatles phenomenon went way beyond the rock and |
| landmark album in terms of new and innovative | | | | roll sex star status that had been seen |
| songwriting as well as production. Every song they | | | | before.Teenage girls in uncountable numbers fell in love, |
| wrote was significantly different from the last one | | | | their hearts to be trapped, their heart strings to be |
| even though each song had their unmistakable | | | | continually plucked, and ultimately, their hearts to be |
| sound.Most songwriters are only average players on | | | | broken by the unobtainable object of their love. |
| their instruments, but John and Paul are both | | | | Worshiping a star from afar? Infatuation? Obsession? |
| sophisticated guitarists who were able to integrate their | | | | Not real love? For many of them, it was their first |
| playing into their songs and even into their song | | | | experience feeling love for a man/boy. Whatever it |
| structure so that the "licks" they played became as | | | | was, it was very real to all of them, and we all soon |
| catchy a part of their songs as the choruses and | | | | understood that The Beatles were The Real |
| verses. Blackbird and Dear Prudence are only two | | | | Thing.That's why I call The Beatles the Most Creative |
| examples of songs which couldn't possibly be written | | | | Band of All Time. They were The Real Thing. The |
| by any other songwriter because of the guitar playing | | | | Creative Zenith. The high point on the bell curve of |
| which forms an integral part of the song structure. In | | | | musical history.Peter Cross is a former professional |
| similar fashion, Lady Madonna is the best example of a | | | | drummer and a singer/songwriter/producer/Web |
| great song which derives from the unique and beautiful | | | | Master who was among the first to put music on the |
| bass part which only Paul could possibly have | | | | Internet in a downloadable format in 1996. His web site |
| created.Average songwriters achieve the catchy | | | | is very entertaining and at 206 pages, it may be the |
| quality by repeating a phrase endlessly or by beating a | | | | largest music artist web site on the Internet. |
| chorus to death. John and Paul found countless ways | | | | |