The song Revolution by the Beatles is a protest song protesting the Vietnam War (1955-1975). The intention of protesting this is to convince more people to join the movement and to peacefully end the Vietnam War. This song is constructed in a way to be memorable. It does this successfully by using various English techniques such as repetition, allusion, and rhyming. The use of these techniques makes the song catchy and consequently unforgettable, which is fit for its purpose.
I chose this song over other protest songs and poems because one of the messages it carries is still relevant today. While the main message is to stop the Vietnam War and the effects it had on families, individuals, and the environment there is also the message of peace. The tension between world leaders today that is gradually increasing the instability between countries and the possibility of another large war. This is why the second message of world peace caught my eye above other protest songs and poems because I felt it was still important.
The images I chose to show during the presentation were meant to evoke emotion from the viewer and hopefully persuade them to agree with the stance that the song takes. I did this by including images of war and its consequences (relating to both, people and the environment).
Throughout the duration of the presentation, the majority of the photos used are black and white. I changed the color of some of these images because it shows the viewer that the Vietnam War is in the past and isn’t still carrying on. However, some of the images are colored. The images that are colored are colored for two reasons:
To show the contrast between the images of war and peace, and how significantly more beautiful, relaxing, and appealing peace is compared to war.
And to remind the viewer that the message of peace still is relevant. It does this using color because black-and-white media is often and regularly associated with history. This means that up until the colored images are used the viewer is thinking about the past, but when they suddenly see multiple colored, high-quality images they are going to think about the present. (this technique is mainly reflected in the last image with the flower in a gun and the word “alright”)
For one string of lyrics throughout the presentation there are usually multiple photos (especially during lyrics that include ‘we’) this is to show the viewer just how many people stand with this issue, and how unfortunately prevalent it is. Another reason I chose this technique is because of how during the duration of the song repetition is used.
When the lyrics start the first repetition of “All right” there is a pause where there are no images between “Don’t you know it’s gonna be” and “All right” This is to emphasize the major difference between war and peace.
The timing of the photos was not how I intended due to editing program problems.
Using multiple techniques influenced by the chosen song I created a video presentation to inform and persuade the viewer about the consequences of war, and how important peace is every day.
The Beatles is a famous rock group, which is known across the world. The group has a rich historical background as evident in their album called Revolver.
The group is based in Britain; however, they have engaged in numerous performances in many world-class stages, which have made the group internationally renowned. The group’s album called Revolver is their most famous regardless of other popular albums. Therefore, the album is viewed by many as the peak of the group’s career.
Revolver was released in 1966 and started by winning awards in many fronts. After its release, Revolver stayed top of a famous “English ranking called British chart” for close to seven weeks. It also won other top classifications such as the “American chart” where it dominated for six weeks.
These two charts are still top ranking measures in the music industry thus they justify why the album is still regarded as one of the best albums in the history of music. As late as 2009, the album still topped many charts and it was ranked third in a “British magazine known as Rolling Stone” which ranks the best five hundred albums in history of music.
The album is made up of fourteen songs which won various prizes as singles. These include the “famous Good Day Sunshine, Taxman, and Yellow Submarine”. Most of the songs in the album were composed by Paul McCartney who is a famous composer in Britain and he was assisted by Lennon.
A few songs such as “Love You To” and “I Want To Tell You” were composed by Harrison who is a great composer and especially in rock music. The three composers were also the lead vocalists for their songs which are the main reason their voices blended well.
The album was also promoted by high quality instrumentation which went with the songs. John Lennon applied his classic skills in playing the guitar for most of the songs. He doubled as a guitarist and a vocalist thus his voice was well in harmony with the guitar as well as the other instruments. Lennon was assisted in playing the instruments by Mal Evans who has a legendary quality and way of playing guitar.
Other instrument players in the album were “Geoff Emerick who was an engineer” for the musical instruments. Brian Jones was also involved as “he played the sound effects which give a sound of clinking glass as it is heard in the song called Yellow Submarine”.
Revolver is also characterized by songs which have a great lyrical background and the vocalists were able to merge this with the instruments while creating the right tempo. The songs are cross-thematic where most of them are related to love and others are party songs.
However, “Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison” merged their talents well to give the album the quality and reputation it has earned. The quality of their album has made its songs to be preferred soundtracks for numerous movies.
Conclusion
Music is largely dependent on talent but this is not always necessary to develop great music. In many cases, it also depends on the effort put in to come up with the desired music. This is evidenced by the quality of music that Beatles infused in their famous album called Revolver.
The main contributing artists have different capabilities but it took a lot of effort to merge these talents and come up with that album. The album is classical as attested by its continued preference over other new albums. It is difficult to find modern music which has the same lyrical and instrumental quality like the album.
A Columbia County crowd largely too young to have known the Beatles, stamped and whooped in anticipation of the September 2, 2011 concert by 1964 The Tribute. The band, whose name describes their genre, style, and play list, started promptly, to thunderous appreciation from the fair-going audience.
They played everything that Beatles fans love from the first several years of their US ‘invasion’. The crowd danced, swayed, rushed as close to the stage as the cattle fences would allow, whistled, and sang along at top volume, often in close harmony.
The band, composed of Mark Benson as John Lennon, Graham Alexander (as of 2011) as Paul McCartney, Tom Work as George Harrison, Bobby Potter as Ringo Starr, has been performing their tribute to the Fab Four since 1982. Their longevity is thus longer than the actual Beatles, a fact that they noted in their commentary to the audience. The group lost its founding member. Gary Grimes in 2010.
Their music was amplified far more effectively than the original Beatles’ sound was, if old news footage is any guide. The sound from the band-shell in the middle of the race track competed successfully with ambient sound. Only during their brief breaks did noise intrude from fairway rides and carnival barkers.
The concert was virtually non-stop, and generously timed. Despite the persistent heat, the band retained their early-Beatles suits and ties on, evoking the initial clean-cut image of the British invasion.
They played nearly every early song that Beatles fans can remember when questioned. The vigorous dancing around me made compiling a list impossible. However, this is a partial list of the songs they covered, most by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, in various combinations.
The Lennon/McCartney pieces included “A Hard Day’s Night” (1964), “All My Loving” (1963), “And I Love Her” (1964), “Can’t Buy Me Love” (1964), “Do You Want to Know a Secret” (1963), “Eight Days a Week” (1964), “From Me to You” (1963), “I Saw Her Standing There” (1963), “I Want to Hold Your Hand” (1963), “If I Fell” (1964), “I’ll Follow the Sun” (1964), “Love Me Do” (1962), “Please Please Me” (1962), “She Loves You” (1963),
Additionally, several songs represented the Beatles’ renditions of the songs of others. Some of the audience, including me, probably had no idea that these were not by the Beatles in the first place. These included “Roll Over Beethoven” (1963), by Chuck Berry, “Twist and Shout” (1963), by Phil Medley and Bert Russell, and “Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby” (1964), by Carl Perkins,
Given the backdrop of old cars, antique tractors, and oldie-but-goodie carnival rides, the atmosphere was classic Norman Rockwell, right for anytime between the 1950s and next summer.
In this context, the performance had a powerful impact. If one did not look closely to the left or right at the clothing styles of other concert goers, it was possible to feel transported to the heady days when the Beatles made even grownups stop and take notice.
Unlike some tribute bands that merely play the songs of the Beatles, this band actually attempts to convey the experience of the British Invasion, with its sense of something very new appearing on the musical horizon. 1964 The Tribute apparently has the blessing of the families of the Beatles for their loving interpretation of the Fab Four. They certainly have worked hard on their presentation.
In addition to note-perfect capture of their quirky chords and close harmonies, the group tries to channel both body language and linguistic quirks. They give their energetic all to the fast-moving performance, permitting them to compress a great many songs into a concert of reasonable length – with encores.
Of course, although they have clearly practiced assiduously to achieve a guitar and drum style that honors the skill and creativity of the Beatles, they don’t possess their voices. The unique sound of those particular voices, working together, cannot be readily duplicated. After several hearings of a Beatles song, it is possible to hear the difference.
That minor deficiency did not, however, bother the happy crowd of Hudson Valley visitors. This agricultural fair always hosts concerts from varied musical styles. On this evening, many people in the grandstand were fans of rather different musical genres (country, heavy metal, or rap, judging from their clothes).
This did not stop the audience from Twisting and singing along loudly. Some even danced in the ruts from the demolition derby despite the oppressive heat.
This was a wonderfully fun concert. The songs are so pleasingly crafted, that even years of being coopted by middle school choruses, garage bands, and advertisements, can’t spoil it.
These musicians treated it with the care and respect it deserves, and no small degree of talent of their own. They are not the Beatles, but they are as close as one can get. Having little prior experience of tribute bands except as a joke, this was eye-opening. It was good music done well. I would see them again with delight.
The Beatles are unquestionably the best rock band in the history. Almost miraculously they personified the peak of music in that era of 60’s when music had the power to really change the world (Roberts, 2001). They defined the music we call rock and roll. If we analyze the time when the Beatles performed it was a time of revolution, a time of youthful change and creativity and the Beatles were a major part of that revolution.
The Beatles performed in an era of rapid technological changes, their fame grew day by day so an extent that nothing could contain them eventually the hysteria was given the name of Beatlemania.
According to Edward J. Rielly who is a Professor of English at St. Joseph’s College in Maine and author of works such as F. Scott Fitzgerald: A Biography, and The 1960s amongst other non-fiction books, in 2003, “The year 1964 was the year of the American counter revolution, and music and American culture would never be the same again. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, better known as the Beatles, arrived in the United States in February. Their appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show let loose the phenomenon known as Beatlemania” (Rielly, 2003).
Contemporary musician don’t rank Beatles so high, according to them the Beatles were simply lucky to become a phenomenon. Another argument that is being given is that they sold a lot of records not because they developed good music but because their music was easy to sell to the masses they didn’t had any technical innovation besides that they were photogenic.
Beatles were actively participating in both the social and political revolution. Their fame was touching different horizons and eventually in 1963 ascent was branded as Beatlemania and after that there was no looking back for the Beatles, whatever they put together they became the centre of media attention and were always in the lime light.
Formed in Liverpool England in 1960 the Beatles is one of the most commercially successful and significantly highly praised bands in the history of rock music. During their stardom the band consisted of John Lennon (rhythm guitar, vocals), Paul McCartney (bass guitar, vocals), George Harrison (lead guitar, vocals) and Ringo Starr (drums, vocals). Their initial musical style consisted of skiffle but after that they developed different genres. Their clothes, hair style, made them a trend setter while their fame extended and they became a major part of the cultural revolution of the 1960’s. the Beatles sold over one billion records internationally, their innovative music and cultural influence has made them a true legend evident of this fact is that in 2008 billboard magazine released a list of top selling hot 100 artists and Beatles were number 1 in the list.
According to famous media personality and television show host Tim Riley, “The Beatles treated the album as a journey from one place to another. They built cornerstones into their records by positioning their songs in relation to one another: beginnings and endings of sides can sum up, contradict, qualify, or cast a shadow over the songs they introduce or follow” (Womack & Davis, 2006).
Beatles contribution to rock music
Beatles have tremendous contribution towards the musical world. They were the first one to give credit to their inspirations i.e. Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Carl Perkins, Eddie Cochrane, etc. apart from that they were the first one to use the trio of guitars that is the rhythm, lead and bass guitars along side with the drums. They also incorporated the wooden instruments into their music like violins and symphony etc. they also used the exotic instruments like sitar into their recordings (Miles, 2002). Before the Beatles there was the concept of a lead singer but they break the custom of having just one lead singer and in Beatles they allowed each of their members to sing on lead at any given song.
According to Chris Ingham, author of The Rough Guide to Frank Sinatra, Billie Holiday and Metallica – Hit the Lights, in his 2003 book, The Rough Guide to the Beatles, “The Beatles were fresh local produce who ushered in a new status quo, and drew up new templates they bequeathed to the groups that followed them. Their TV performances were polite, well-groomed, unthreatening affairs, but The Beatles were a Trojan horse concealing the future” (Ingham, 2003).
Apart from this the greatest contribution of the Beatles is that they along with their producer George martin removed the old-fashioned 4-track recording technique and established the high track recording technique which was never experimented before.
According to Music History Ph. D., author of numerous books, journal articles, book reviews and Assistant Professor of Music History & Culture, Syracuse University, Theo Cateforis im 2007, “producer George Martin was instrumental in the group’s development and success, especially after the Beatles ceased touring in 1966 and became solely studio recording artists. Martin not only worked with the Beatles on all their arrangement, but he also performed crucial keyboard lines on songs like In My Life and many others” (Cateforis, 2007).
This recording technique is still in use and it was a major development in sound recording. Before this innovation recording was done on a performed tape but the Beatles made it possible to record each sound differently and later on combined it into one format. They were the first to introduce the backward tracking on a song by them named Rain.
They used to compose their songs by themselves almost 90% of them. At that time most of the musical bands had record companies as their composers, in this regard also Beatles are the trend setters. They used unusual sounds like gibberish and what appeared to be nonsensical phrases into their recordings.
The concept of music videos was also presented by the Beatles. The Beatles invented the music video the first one ever made which was telecasted on the television was paperback writer and rain in the 1965. Another innovative thing that was introduced by the Beatles was of charity concerts. Nowadays we see a lot of charity concerts that are arranged for fund raising or any other reason. Beatles initiated this idea when they arranged a concert that donated all the profit to charity.
We can surmise from the discussion presented above that The Beatles were an exceptional music band that contributed to not only music but also to culture. They remain a representing icon of the evolution of music and can be referred to be nothing less than the biggest evolution of music in the history of music.
Reference List
Cateforis, T. (2007). The Rock History Reader. New York: Routledge.
Ingham, C. (2003). The Rough Guide to the Beatles. London: The Penguin Group.
Miles, B. (2002). The Beatles: A Diary. London: Omnibus Press.
Rielly, E. J. (2003). The 1960s. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Roberts, J. (2001). The Beatles. Colorado: Twenty-First Century Books.
Womack, K., & Davis, T. F. (2006). Reading the Beatles: cultural studies, literary criticism, and the Fab Four. New York: State University of New York.
The Beatles had a strong influence on the world of music – on artists’ inspiration, the development of musical directions, and other aspects, such as conducting concerts or studio recordings. The admirers of the group, among whom was such a famous person as Sting, became a separate phenomenon of history – Beatlemania (Chilton, 2019). Due to many fans, the group needed a convenient place for concerts. In this way, stadium rock appeared in 1965, which changed the existed concepts of rock concerts (Chilton, 2019). Their success marked the beginning of the most famous music festivals in history such as Monterey and Woodstock. Moreover, rock fans can only make assumptions about how the Rolling Stones or Led Zeppelin concerts would go without The Beatles’ influence.
Their songs are simple and understandable and easily resonate among a large number of people. Many of them became classic and are the basis for creating new covers. Such esteemed artists as David Bowie, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, and many others made cover versions of The Beatles’ songs (Chilton, 2019). The list of famous bands and singers later admitting in The Beatles’ influence is enormous.
Consequently, it is not known how some compositions or even the complete style of Pink Floyd, The Smiths, and many others could sound. The Beatles were the trendsetters of new technical and experimental innovations. More than seven hundred hours spent recording Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album helped other musicians take a different look at studios’ use (Chilton, 2019). Moreover, despite the rapid development of music and the emergence of many new bright artists, this group invariably remains a key figure in rock music.
Social and Cultural Changes
Due to the influence on many fans, the group members changed some of the people’s fashion habits, especially among teenagers. Sloppier clothing and hairstyles are simple steps that have contributed to individuality and personal freedom. The world’s enthusiasm for the group’s music began to unite peoples from various countries, even in such tense times as the Cuban crisis period (Chilton, 2019). It is significant to note that The Beatles appeared when the world needed hope (Chilton, 2019). I think such mass love makes the group a symbol of the era of hope and individuality, a unique cultural phenomenon. Thus, a world without The Beatles would be completely different not only in music and media, but also in everyday fashion, ways of manifesting individualism, and, possibly, in international relations.
Popularity among Turkish Youth
Despite the group’s greatness, I am sure that it is not popular among Turkish university youth now. Perhaps, they heard about them as a well-known group of the last century but were not interested in detail. For this reason, I am glad I had the opportunity to read Chilton’s article. It struck me that the work of the group crossing the borders of states attracted different peoples’ attention. I think that one of the essential functions of musical art is the establishment of connections between people. Watching some acquaintances, I can confidently assume that musical tastes and preferences change over time.
If Turkish youth are not interested in groups such as The Beatles, there is still a chance that they will learn more about them in the future. In my view, the reason for this is that adolescents and young people follow trends more, and adults turn to classics.
The recording technologies change significantly between 1966 and 1971, and it is evident that the 4-track approach was replaced by 8-track versions. For example, the Beatles song Taxman uses electronic guitar from 00:27 to 00:51, and it sets the general feeling of the music (The Beatles, 2018). However, Marvin Gaye’s song slowly introduces percussions as the main rhythm delivery element, and it lacks string instruments (Marvin Gaye, 1971). One might argue that the 4-track recording is more simplistic and less fluent compared to the subtlety of sounds of the 8-track alternative.
Nonetheless, it is also important to note that the 8-track recording feels unnecessarily noisier compared to the 4-track song. It is especially relevant because the Beatles performance is more active and dynamic by nature compared to more relaxed and slow-paced Marvin Gaye’s song. It is possible that the gradual addition of a series of tracks on the latter made it overflown by sounds since the tape is a track incremental version. However, it seems that adding more tracks does not necessarily improve the song but rather allows it to be coherent, fluent, and unique by adding both prominent and subtle sounds. In the case of the Beatles, the performance feels raw and stratified into tracks, which is evident due to the obvious limitation of four tracks. In other words, Taxman is more rigid and simple compared to What’s Going On, but the latter is still inferior to the former because the 4-tracks technology was properly executed. In the case of the 8-track song, the tracks seem to be filled unnecessarily, which made it highly noisy at the end with no clearly dominant track in the mix, and it is especially true in regards to the added singers at the end.
References
Marvin Gaye. (1971). What’s Goin’ On? [Song]. On What’s Going On [Album]; Tamla.
After listening to The Beatles’ track Taxman using my headphones, I heard the significant difference between the rights and left sounding tracks. First, the mono version was recorded in 1966 using the 4-track tape machine (The Beatles, n. d.). The mono mix is slightly distorted due to the bass line presented by McCartney, which is by the way considered to imitate the one of Motown. The mono version seems smooth, and the track’s rhythm is centered. Moreover, I liked the way the band’s voice sounds since it is incredibly clear and soft. The interments can also be heard in the mono version, which is pleasant to differentiate. On the other hand, the stereo mix sounds more dynamic, which makes one want to move. Yet, it distracts the listener from the lyrics and instead focuses on the beats. Therefore, I prefer listening to the monaural version of Taxman recorded in 1966 since it creates a better perception of lyrics and rhythm.
Martin Gaye’s What’s Going On? has strong background instrumental arrangement, including classical music orchestration. This accompaniment makes the solo singing sound even more powerful. Gaye’s track recorded at Motown in 1971 creates a strong sense of affective emotions; in particular, it is conditioned by box drumming and jazz elements. In addition, more instruments can be distinguished in the background. Yet, the technologies change as the time goes by, and the 4-track tape is not enough now to transmit each different rhythm, voice, and instrument playing. The 8-track tape is obsolete now as well; however, Martin Gaye managed to record his songs onto this tape. In the future, these will completely disappear and will be substituted by 24-track tape recorders since the audio formats will require new signal transmission standards.
The Beatles was a British music band that started in 1960 and broke up in 1970 (Cooper 551). John Lennon had been a member of the Quarrymen Band, a group he had formed with his schoolmates before he transformed it to the Beatles (Holt 359). He recruited each of the other three members one after the other starting with the rhythm guitarist, Paul McCartney, in 1960. He replaced his departed Quarrymen friends (Cooper, 553).
The other three later followed between 1960 and 1962. Ringo Starr joined last when he left the Hurricanes in 1962. They specialized in playing hard rock, pop, Indian music, and a fusion of these genres with classical music (Weiss 282). Most of these genres had roots in America. By the time the Beatles stabilized as a band, American musicians were already making their names in these genres (The Beatles n.pag). Therefore, the genres were considered by many people as American genres.
In fact, many people believed that only American artists could excel in these genres. By the end of 1962, the Beatles was a complete quartet of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr (Holt 359). They first performed in Liverpool but later moved to Hamburg and stayed there for several years before returning to Liverpool to embark on a series of trips abroad (Weiss 282). This paper explores how they become famous with a genre of music that was known to be American.
Their fame grew after the release of the single “Love me do.” Their manager Brian Epstein noticed their ability and decided to model them into professional musicians (Weiss 282). Their producer, George Martin, also decided to improve their music quality in order to help them grow as musicians (Holt 359). Previously, they were playing in pubs, which did not provide enough exposure to make them well-known. Therefore, the efforts of both Epstein and Martin were very instrumental in their careers.
They were very famous in Britain by 1963 and were already infiltrating into the American rock and pop markets by 1964 (Weiss 283). However, they were aware that penetrating the American pop market was not easy because Americans were considered the best in pop and its genres. In Britain, their fans nicknamed them “the Fab Four” (Holt 359).
The fans fell in love with them at a very fast rate. Their popularity in America grew very quickly that people referred to their popularity in America as “The British Invasion” of the American industry. All the American radio stations frequently played their songs.
Understanding the popularity of the Beatles in the American pop market with an American genre of music requires an understanding of the history of rock music and other related genres. Rock originated in the United States of America in the 1950s (Holt 359). It has several genres that are closely related to “rock and roll.” Many people categorize it as a genre of popular music. It borrows lots of elements from genres such as blues, folk, country music, classical music, and jazz.
The 1960s are always referred to as the “golden age” in the growth of rock. Many famous bands emerged during this period, and The Beatles were one of them, though many of the bands developed in the United States of America. Several sub-genres of rock also appeared during this period. They included jazz-rock fusion, country rock, blues rock, and folk-rock.
Rock has been instrumental in the spread of rock-related cultures such as the punk culture, rockers, hippie, mods, political protests, and the transformation of attitudes towards women, races and the use of drugs. Many critics regarded rock as the rebellion of youths against conformity to the expectations of their adult counterparts. Most of these cultures were very common in the United States of America. This history shows that the Beatles took over a genre that was purely American and perfected it.
People believe The Beatles conquered the American pop market because RIAA still rates them as the best-selling artists in the US. They reached 178 million certified units (Weiss, 283). No other musical group has ever reached this mark. More so, they produced the number one item on the charts in the United Kingdom compared to any other group in the history of music. For example, they were number one on the Billboard Magazine’s best artists of all-time (Weiss 283).
Their songs are still the most played hits on the Hot 100 chart. They have also won several awards over the years. Among the awards include one Grammy Award, a number of Ivor Novello Awards and one Academy Award (Weiss 283). In addition to the awards, no other band has ever sold as many records as they have done in the history of music. They have sold 600 million copies to all parts of the globe.
The popularity of the Beatles in the United States of America did not come quickly. Many impediments stood in their way. For example, Capitol Records prevented their releases in the US for close to a year (Weiss 282). Negotiations helped allow the release of several songs by Capitol Records. Their manager, Epstein, had to organize a marketing campaign using $ 40, 000 million before the Beatles became known to the American citizens (Weiss 283).
He was also lucky enough to get the support of a famous Dj, Carrol James, who often played their songs (Lydon 291). The campaigns included issuing shirts with pictures and words about the Beatles. They were later introduced to a radio station, WGH-AM, which began playing their songs (Cooper 552). By 1964, their music was all over the radio stations in the United States of America. The campaign intensified, leading to the first airplay of the Beatle’s songs in New York.
Their popularity forced Capitol Records to release the other songs they had refused to release (Lydon 289). For example, their album “I want to hold you” sold one million copies and went on to become the best hit in the United States in a period of one month (Cooper 553).
Their influence on a genre associated with American artists was evident when they organized a trip to the United States in February 1964. Approximately 4500 fans gathered at the airport to see them off (Cooper 553). They waved and screamed at the top of their voices even as the plane left the airport. Approximately the same number of fans waited for them at the J.F. Kennedy Airport in the United States of America (Weiss 282).
When they later performed live on The Ed Sullivan Show, analysts approximated 73 million as the number of fans that watched their performance (Lydon 287). This figure was about 34% of the entire population in the United States of America. No other American television show had ever attracted such a number of viewers. Their second appearance on the same TV show recorded approximately 70 million viewers (Lydon 290).
In summary, the Beatles took up American genres of music and performed them better than the Americans themselves. They emerged in the 1960s as a British band playing pop, hard rock, and a mixture of other genres and sub-genres. They perfected these styles, forcing those who did not like them to change their attitudes and love them. They began in Liverpool, their hometown, and later moved to Hamburg in Germany. Their fans appreciated them in both places. Their producer and manager were very instrumental in their growth.
They helped them grow move from playing music for the sake of entertaining people in pubs to professional musicians. They began making tours to different countries, the most notable one being a trip to the United States of America.
The trip to the US was part of their invasion of the United States of America. They attracted the largest number of US viewers that had ever watched a TV show. These achievements in the United States of America demonstrated how they had taken an American genre of music and conquered the US with it: the US citizens appreciated them more than they appreciated their artist.
Works Cited
Cooper, B. Lee. “Love Me Do: 50 Songs That Shaped The Beatles/Beatles Beginnings, Vol. 3: Silver Beatles/The Hamburg List: Original Versions Of The Beatles’ Star Club Set/Beatles Beginnings, Vol. 2: Quarrymen Two: Rock ‘N’ Roll/Beatles Beginnings, Vol. 1: Quarrymen One: Skiffle-Country-Western.” Popular Music and Society 36.4 (2013): 550-554. Print.
Holt, Greg. “The Beatles: A Musical Evolution.” Popular Music 4 (1984): 359. Print.
Lydon, Michael. “How the Beatles Got to Me and How I Got to The Beatles.” Rock Music Studies 1.3 (2013): 287-294. Print.
Weiss, Steve. “The Beatles: The Biography (Review).” Notes 63.2 (2006): 382-383. Print.
The Beatles. “The Beatles-Words of Love.” Online Videoclip. Youtube. Youtube, 2013. Web.
Rolling Stones were in the shadow of the Beatles from the very beginning, and this fact disturbed them a lot. On the other hand, most of the fame went to the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones constantly felt their superiority. To be different, they tried to become the anti-Beatles. The legendary Beatles were a pioneer of hard rock: the musical influence of the song Helter Skelter led to the emergence of heavy metal (Covach and Bell 28). The influence of The Rolling Stones on the formation and development of rock music cannot be overestimated. It was significant not only in music, like the Beatles but also in artistic and visual, image and mass media terms.
In songwriting development, the Rolling Stones tried hard to keep up with their competitors, but it was not easy, and they seemed to be one step behind. A lot of what they did was a reaction to what the Beatles had already done. For example, when a sitar began to sound in the Beatles’ composition, it immediately appeared in the Rolling Stones. The Beatles, with their working-class origins in provincial Liverpool, sought to maintain an elegant image (Covach and Bell 28). They dressed in decent suits, cut their hair neatly and short, and communicated politely with everyone. The Rolling Stones did the opposite: they wore black leather clothes and looked and behaved provocatively.
In 1964, when The Beatles first came to the US, it was called the British invasion (Covach and Bell 28). The Beatles took all five first places in the Billboard singles chart at once and became the only ones who were able to set such a record (Covach and Bell 28). The Rolling Stones also achieved success in the US, mainly through shocking exposure, but they did not shake the Beatles’ position. Many of the rock bands of the 60s, The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, are seen as irreconcilable rivals. The reasons to think so are quite weighty: they played different music and had different images. However, both groups have influenced music around the world and have become one of the most recognizable – this is their main similarity.
Work Cited
Covach, John, and Andy Flory. What’s That Sound? An Introduction to Rock and Its History. W. W. Norton & Company, 2018.
The psychedelic movement of the 1960s was marked by people’s attempts to achieve higher consciousness. Music was one way to reach higher consciousness by serving as an “aesthetic drug” (Covach and Flory 252). Therefore, the psychedelic movement was distinguished by various experimentations in music. The Beach Boys and the Beatles were among the most prominent bands performing during that time, and their work influenced the psychedelic movement.
The Beach Boys’ career during the psychedelic movement was distinguished by the creation of the song “Good Vibrations” and the work on the album SMiLE that was never released. The Beatles’ career at that time was focused on working on the album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and releasing a double-A-sided single of “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Penny Lane.” Both bands experimented with the used musical instruments and the forms of their songs. For example, the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” does not follow any conventional song pattern since it consists of contrasting sections recorded separately and then spliced together (Covach and Flory 253). In the Beatles’ song “A Day in the Life,” they used various musical instruments, including string, brass, and even the sound of the alarm clock, and utilized strings in an avant-garde manner (Covach and Flory 257). Such use of forms and sounds was not typical for music at the time, so the bands contributed to the psychedelic movement by introducing their musical experiments.
The relationship between these bands can be described as a warm rivalry. The bands competed with each other not only for public attention but also for the attention of the record company since they both belonged to the same label – Capitol (Covach and Flory 252). At the same time, they admired each other’s works. Wilson from the Beach Boys liked how the songs in Rubber Soul were arranged around a common topic, while Paul McCartney from the Beatles praised the songwriting and production of the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds (Covach and Flory 253). The bands were connected to the psychedelic movement because they showed that rock music could be valued on its own and should not be merely dance music (Covach and Flory 260). Moreover, the bands’ success gave them freedom for experimentation. When their experiments turned out to be hit songs and albums, it enabled other, less popular musicians to engage in experiments as well.
Work Cited
Covach, John, and Andrew Flory. What’s That Sound? An Introduction to Rock and Its History. 5th ed., W. W. Norton and Company, 2018.