a n d i

So, when the Beatles board was closed, it was suggested to open up a thread here to keep the discussion going. So, that's what I'm doing.

I hope people will post here. Talk about anything relevant to the lads. What the music means to you, favourite songs, albums, movies, merchandise, encounters with the Fab Four...anything.

Thanks.
_Andi
xo

Pav

I'm sorry the board was closed. Some icons for the fast start.

a n d i

Thanks, bency! They're quite cool

S.A.S.H.A.

I'm glad John Lennon's murderer wasn't paroled from prison!

Sasha

Kleenexwoman86

Yay! A new thread.

News, news...My Media teacher has asked us each to bring in a few songs that we think revolutionized music. I'm fairly certain that very few people in the class are going to bring in anything recorded before, say, 1990 (this is not a "ooh, stupid teens" statement, I just know these people fairly well), so I'm burning a CD with a few songs--two of them by the Beatles, of course.
We're going to have to justify our songs in class. Here are the notes I've written for mine:
"Please Please Me"
Beatles took American rock 'n' roll, added their own twist. Trained classically--added harmonies + subtleties that were not immediately obvious, but made a world of difference in the way the music sounded.
"Tomorrow Never Knows"
One of the first songs by a mainstream band to use alternative sonic strategies--backwards tape looping, nonmusical sound effects, sitar. Opened up new avenues for experimental music.

ETA: For those who don't know, I've created another message board at http://beatleboard.board123.com Join! Feel free to start new threads!

Princess Bing

Oh yeah...yeah yeah. We're back on... sort of. Thanks for posting the link, by the way. I forgot it.

a n d i

Oooh. Good choices for the songs. I love 'Tomorrow Never Knows'. It kind of freaks me out sometimes, though.

Hehe. The title's a bit cheesey. But it's the first thing I thought of.

Kleenexwoman86

I think it's an awesome title for the thread. And I just hope my teacher will like "Tomorrow Never Knows" for the assignment...well, we'll see on Monday!

Cool news: There's a Beatles fan club in my dorm. In my very own dorm. I joined, needless to say; we meet on every other Monday.
The girls who started it are a little bit in denial, in a cute way. You see, the Calkins Beatles Fan Club has three rules:

1. You do not talk about Beatles Club.

Sorry, that's "Fight Club." Anyway, the rules are this:

1. No talking about deaths.
2. No talking about the breakup.
3. No talking about Y*O*K*O.

"In our hearts," said one girl, "it is always 1964."
"Or 1969," said another girl. "But without the infighting."
(Personally, I think it's a bit of a mistake to excise history like that. I take the view that the more backstory one knows behind a piece of art, the more one can fully appreciate it. "Imagine" sounds all the sweeter for the death of its creator, and "We Can Work It Out" is all the more poignant when you can relate it to the dissolution of the band. But of course denial can be fun...)

Anyway, this week we watched "Hard Day's Night". I'd never seen it before, and I thought it was oddly bleak. Here were my thoughts.
WARNING: Overanalysis ahead.

The first scene on the train was basically British class warfare. The Beatles--four yobs from Liverpool who actually have to have lessons to learn how to behave. A symbol of brutal, vital youth tearing down the old social structure.
The middle-aged man with the bowler hat--a symbol of Britain's decaying bourgesie class. Probably sees himself as a last vestige of gentility. And honestly, if I were him, I'd have been a little scared too.
The scene where they're singing in the train was a little sad as well. They're actually in a cage. They're being caged by stardom. Even a simple card game has to turn into a concert for the demanding fans who stand around watching them.
The "clean old man", Paul's grandpa, is even worse. You can't even trust your relatives to not leach off you, that's the message here.
George's scene with the self-proclaimed pop culture director took the first theme (young and hip!) in another direction by showing the way the current social structure tried to unsuccessfully adapt to the times changing by simplifying and sanitizing the youth culture movement.
The entire film carries this theme: The Beatles are alienated from the outside world and have nobody to relate to but each other. This could be a positive message until the second half of the film, which focuses on Ringo's journey of self-discovery (and am I the only one who thought the grandpa might have had a point?). Ringo has been so used to the insulated camraderie of his fellow Beatles that he can barely function in the outside world anymore. By leaving the Beatles, he has essentially cut himself off from his entire support system and is painfully reminded of this fact when the boy he befriends runs off to join his pals.
The message here: The Beatles are alienated from the outside world and have nobody to relate to but each other, but at the same time their tightly knit group can be stifling and cramped to the point where one's individuality is sublimated for oneself's protection.

Anyway, that's just what I thought. We're watching "Help!" next meeting.

Princess Bing

Are you sure you're not the only one who suggested Rule #3? Just kidding. Good for you, in your own dorm. I'm a bit of a snob, though, when it comes to the things I like like music, so I really don't share. If there ever was a Beatles Club in my uni, I'd probably be the one scoffing at them.

IndyFan

Hey! Here we are...the Beatles Board Gang.
Good start, a n d i.

Kleenexwoman86

Heh, I didn't even suggest the rules. They came ready-made and we only found about about them when an art major mentioned that she had "a certain pretentious fondness" for Yoko.

I know what you mean about the music snob bit; I'm one too. I'm going to try to inject some intelligent discussion into the group as often as I can.

Princess Bing

You do that.

In the meantime, I don't know about you guys, but it's already 13 hours into October 9 here, so

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOHN!

You don't know how thankful we are that you were born.

a n d i

I love A Hard Day's Night. I like lame kind of funny movies, though.

Happy Birthday John
We all shine on...

JuLiE][wo0t][

Happy Birthday, John! I told my sister it was his birthday today, and she acted like she knew it on her own, haha. She's LAME.

Anyway, who's your favorite Beatle? Mine is Paul. I also love George. They are both AMAZING.

S.A.S.H.A.

My favorite is John.

Sasha