Conference mr1pst::music

It IS a "new" Beatles song, well, 75% of it's new.

What would you call all the songs they covered when they were still 
together?  Would you have called them "new" Beatles songs or old Carl 
Perkins (for instance) songs?

How about the Nat/Natilie Cole arrangement?  That's "new" too.

    
    The Harrison feeling has a lot to do with Jeff Lynne's production.
    Apparently, George wouldn't agree to having George Martin produce the
    album because he'd side with Paul - instead we get Jeff Lynne who has
    worked with George for at least the past 5 years ! John's vocal comes
    off a mono recording of an idea for a song - I don't think this is the
    one he recorded in the Carribean.
    
    Graham

    	What about topic #596 ?

> What about topic #596 ?

When I started this note last week, no one had put an entry in 596 since
March.

> How about the Nat/Natilie Cole arrangement?  That's "new" too.

As Butthead would say ".....uh, huh huh, what?"

On the topic, a columnist in Worcester made a good point last week in 
referring to the project as a turkey.  He based his opinion on the
fact that John Lennon was very vocal about the fact that he wanted
nothing to do with any Beatles reunion, ever.  The columnist hammered
home his point saying it disrespectful to pull out one of John's pieces
to create this "new" song.

I say, it does no good to guess what Lennon's attitude about new material
or a reunion would be by now had he lived.  The fact is he was against even
talking about it while he was alive. 

-S

    
    	If a song has never been released before, it's considered new.
    

    >> The columnist hammered
    >> home his point saying it disrespectful to pull out one of John's pieces
    >> to create this "new" song.
    
    Perhaps...
    
    On the other hand, his widow was the one who provided the tracks.  My
    feeling is that if she thinks John would be OK with it, I can't see
    how any of us can argue to the contrary.  Yoko may not be overly
    popular with Beatles fans, but I don't think anyone can claim to have
    known John better.
    
    Jim

    John was typically against a Beatles "re-union" but in many interviews
    he also had said that you never know...imho, if he had lived, the 4
    Beatles would have reunited, maybe for Live Aid or something like that,
    but that's obviously speculation...
    
    read critics, but don't take their opinion too seriously.....it's their
    opinion after all, just like yours, mine, anyone's...or as John once
    said "everybody's got one"

    Both of the tunes introduced during the ABC special left me with
    the same feeling - that of being thrown back 30 years. Neither
    song sounded "new" to me, but more like out-takes from The Beatles'
    later years.
    
    Edd Cote

>    Apparently, George wouldn't agree to having George Martin produce the
>    album 

  As (just) another data point...
  
  I heard indirectly from 2 media sources that there are questions about
  George Martin's hearing, and that's why he was not involved in "Free as a
  Bird".  (Also heard he was plenty happy not to be involved.)  If true,
  makes you wonder about his remixing of the Beatles albums for CD [I find
  the mono albums, up through Sgt. Pepper, superior to the CDs].  Anyway...
  
  I think the filmed Anthology (all 6 hours) and the (6) Anthology CDs will
  be valuable and enjoyable things to have.  Could've done without the "new"
  songs and all the hype myself (A Beatle C?), but those don't spoil the
  rest for me at least.
  
  Oh yeah - Liked the Cosell/Lennon interview, rebroadcast on Monday Night
  Football.   - Jay

>  read critics, but don't take their opinion too seriously.....it's their
>    opinion after all, just like yours, mine, anyone's...or as John once
>   said "everybody's got one"

All I said is that the columnist made a good point.  I didn't say whether
or not I agreed. My ipinion is that the four could very well have reunited
at some point, maybe by now.  Live Aid was in 1985, and I doubt John would
have softened on his stand against a reunion by then.  

It's also my opinion that the new releases didn't sound much like the Beatles:
The result, I think, of not having John actively involved. 

-SB

    re.10  you sound defensive (imho) and I didn't intend to put you or
    anyone on the defensive...by the way, there is a Beatles notes file,
    that could possibly be why there isn't much discussion in here...
    
    hmm, maybe I shoulda put smileys on my note
    
    Wes

  I played Anthology I...  My interest picked up about a third of the way
  through, beginning with "Love Me Do", and from that point on it was
  riveting.
  
  Live and alternate takes of their own tunes (as opposed to covers) were
  compelling.  John Lennon's vocals in particular.
  
  And the sound generally seems much more "alive" than than the CD mixes of
  their albums.  Maybe goes to show, there's something in their original
  albums that will be rescued, sonically, someday.
  
  I'll bet the Part 2 and 3 CDs wind up illustrating what I thought the
  documentary did...  How much John really was a leader early on, and how
  things began to go awry after Epstein died and Paul McCartney (faced with
  the others' confusion) tried to step in and provide direction.
  
  My favorite Beatles is the stuff John (IMO) dominates (or at least fully
  functions in), '62 to '66...  My least favorite are the well-intentioned
  Paul concepts (Sgt. Pepper, Magical MT, Let it Be).
  
  BTW, I have nothing but admiration for McCartney, who is an equal or
  greater musical talent...
  
  Anyway, # 1 really works for me, once past the historical curiosities.  I
  look forward to the rest of it, esp. # 2.  Jay

    Near the end of disc 1, there's a short clip of John speaking... I
    believe it's called "We were performers."  He says, very simply, the
    Beatles were a performing rock and roll band, what they generated was
    "fantastic," and that there was nobody in Britian who could match them. 
    It's only a few seconds long, and it is followed by an absolutely
    _ripping_ version of I Saw Her Standing There and several other live
    performances.  This, to me, is the highlight of the album.

Channel 2 in Boston (PBS) is re-running that 5-part series called 
"Rock and Roll."  It's really interesting to see the unfolding of 
rock and roll and how big a part the Beatles played.  Woody Guthrie was
such a subtle, yet MAJOR influence in what we have, even today,
with guys like Bono and Springsteen, and a buch of other dedicated 
believers in Woody.

But in between:

The Beatles were originally the Quarrymen, a skiffle group in the mold of 
Lonnie Donnegan,who was influenced heavily by Woody Guthrie and Huddie 
Ledbetter (Leadbelly).  The series shows a Donnegan performance, and it's
pretty good.  Then the Beatles were influenced by Dylan, who refers
to himself in his early days as a Woody Guthrie jukebox.   Dylan was
also influenced by the Beatles, and even incorporated their songs into
his act, when he was still a folkie in Greenwich Village. 

It's just very interesting to me because I thought the biography if Woody
written by Joe Klein gave me a slanted opinion on the influence of
WG.  But, after seeing that installment on PBS Sat night, I'd have to
say I guess not.

-S

This maybe redundent, but have you checked the Beatles Notes Topic.
Thought I would mention it as I haven't seen anyone else do so.  With 
the Beatle's being a great as they are, they deserve there own notes
file.

I am still amazed at the diversity of the beatle's music from their 
beginning to the end.  The ABC special was just outstanding.  Would 
have like the series to get into some of the more personal issues and
problems that lead the their break-up, but that would have taken away
from the music focus.  The band scene on the roof was just great.

Everytime I hear a beatle's song on the radio, I am immediately reminded
of why they were so special.  The only other band that does that for me
is Pink Floyd.  Cheers!
[Posted by WWW Notes gateway]

> This maybe redundent, but have you checked the Beatles Notes Topic.

I can't find the conference listed in VTX.  What node is it on?

    BEATLE::BEATLES