Let's talk about The Beatles being overrated.

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Decay
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In reply to TXAG 05 • 11:41a, 10/12/21
AG
TXAG 05 said:
7 years, not 17. The amount of material and the progression is unreal. They went from Love Me Do to Tomorrow Never Knows in under 4 years.

Seriously I have to comment here. As a kid who grew up well after the Beatles came and went, it blew my mind to realize the time frames... I figured they were together for 20+ years! They were a mop top boy band playing in front of screaming girls and then within a few years were these drugged out transcendentalist hippies, all while pouring out hits.
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malenurse
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In reply to C@LAg • 5:15p, 10/12/21
AG
C@LAg said:
Stones are better.
Wasn't the question...
The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But, it's still on the list.
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NoahAg
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6:32p, 10/12/21
I mean, they were no Oasis but they were a good band.
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StinkyPinky
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In reply to wangus12 • 7:04p, 10/12/21
AG
wangus12 said:
I won't say they're overrated. It's clear how much influence they've had on music. I will say that it just wasn't good to me.


+1. They're greatness is legit. No argument. And I'm a HUGE music nut. Just doesn't resonate with me (also maybe from lack of trying). But I also love Skinny Puppy so what do I know….
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Macarthur
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In reply to wangus12 • 8:52p, 10/12/21
wangus12 said:
I won't say they're overrated. It's clear how much influence they've had on music. I will say that it just wasn't good to me.
I'm pretty much here. However, I do like much of their music, acknowledge their influence and greatness.

However, I do think they are a bit overrated and one big element for me is being a live touring band, which there really weren't. They were a studio group that made great music that laid the blueprint.

I will also say that I tend to gravitate to more blues based so the answer to the Beatles/Stones question, for me, will always be The Stones.

Having said all that, Led Zeppelin was the greatest rock band of all time.
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TXAG 05
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In reply to Macarthur • 9:19p, 10/12/21
AG
Macarthur said:
wangus12 said:
I won't say they're overrated. It's clear how much influence they've had on music. I will say that it just wasn't good to me.
I'm pretty much here. However, I do like much of their music, acknowledge their influence and greatness.

However, I do think they are a bit overrated and one big element for me is being a live touring band, which there really weren't. They were a studio group that made great music that laid the blueprint.

I will also say that I tend to gravitate to more blues based so the answer to the Beatles/Stones question, for me, will always be The Stones.

Having said all that, Led Zeppelin was the greatest rock band of all time.


They toured relentlessly till 66.
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birdman
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9:41p, 10/12/21
Dumbassed thread.
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citizenkane06
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10:03p, 10/12/21
AG
I used to think they were overrated until I did 2 things: 1) listen to their whole catalogue; and b) realized that they were actually an experimental band.

To the first point, they have so much more than what's played on the radio. Listening to whole albums, you'll probably find you like more songs than you thought, from the mop top era to the later stuff.

Regarding the second point, they were avant-garde and pushing the envelope, but never got classified that way because they were the most popular and influential band in history. Considering they invented psychedelic rock and numerous studio tricks, they're an experimental group, and not every experiment will jive with everyone, but you'll be able to at least appreciate the creativity and uniqueness and not view it as "bad songs" when knowing the context.
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AustinAg2K
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10:35p, 10/12/21
I feel like the vast majority of people who say they are overrated really only know their early stuff. It's easy to say they're overrated when you think of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" or "She Loves You." For whatever reason, that's the stuff the media loves to reference when they talk about the Beatles, but it's really their worst stuff. They are a totally different band when you realize they also sang "Come Together," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," or "Revolution." It's like the if the Back Street Boys all off a sudden turned into the Rolling Stones.
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Another Doug
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12:25a, 10/13/21
AG
Quote:
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" or "She Loves You." For whatever reason, that's the stuff the media loves to reference when they talk about the Beatles, but it's really their worst stuff.
I would say those are 2 of the most important songs in the history of rock music.
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C@LAg
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In reply to malenurse • 12:55a, 10/13/21
malenurse said:
C@LAg said:
Stones are better.
Wasn't the question...
but it was my response.
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aTmAg
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6:07a, 10/13/21
AG
Pretty much every musician is overrated. They don't "move mountains" or "start revolutions" or any of that crap. In fact, much of the influence they do have over has been negative. Whether it be rap "artists" glorifying gang life, rock bands glorifying drugs, Madonna types selling ****iness, etc. These musicians laugh their way to the bank while many of the kids they influence screw over their lives. It's almost as bad as drug pushers. In hindsight, nothing is more pathetic than 25-45 year olds singing about smoking in the boys room at school, even though I liked it as a kid

Like I've said before, all they do is vibrate air. Maybe guys like Beethoven were geniuses, but that's about it.

Ib4: old man shakes fist at clouds
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i is smart
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6:39a, 10/13/21
AG
I had a music friend explain to me how they pioneered techniques that you commonly see in studios to this day. I honestly forgot most of what he said, but it was interesting. I made the mistake of sharing the opinion of the OP at the time and got locked in a long conversation. I listen to the Beatles music from a different perspective now and appreciate them.
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dude95
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7:01a, 10/13/21
AG
Getting into music theory as I get older and they not only pioneered things in the studio - but were totally unique in how they put together a song. Song structures had a lot of 'verse chorus verse' and were melodic, but they pushed boundaries of chord structures beyond what it had been and really above what's put out now. So many things sound simple but unique....it's because they were able to find the melody in really complex chord structures.
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citizenkane06
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In reply to dude95 • 7:33a, 10/13/21
AG
It's not just chord structure, either! From changing between 4/4 and 3/4 time in "Good Day Sunshine", to merging 2 songs in "A Day in the Life", to inventing heavy metal with "Helter Skelter", to the studio methods people have mentioned, they were more creative than any musical act has ever been.
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boy09
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In reply to aTmAg • 9:17a, 10/13/21
AG
aTmAg said:
Pretty much every musician is overrated. They don't "move mountains" or "start revolutions" or any of that crap. In fact, much of the influence they do have over has been negative. Whether it be rap "artists" glorifying gang life, rock bands glorifying drugs, Madonna types selling ****iness, etc. These musicians laugh their way to the bank while many of the kids they influence screw over their lives. It's almost as bad as drug pushers. In hindsight, nothing is more pathetic than 25-45 year olds singing about smoking in the boys room at school, even though I liked it as a kid

Like I've said before, all they do is vibrate air. Maybe guys like Beethoven were geniuses, but that's about it.

Ib4: old man shakes fist at clouds
JFC, man.. Loosen up.
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Duncan Idaho
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In reply to aTmAg • 9:22a, 10/13/21
Colin Robinson strikes again.
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Forum Troll
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10:09a, 10/13/21
AG
They are the GOAT of bands. Ask any musician from the past or present about the Beatles and they will absolutely gush over them. Spend a week listening to the Beatles channel on xm. No one else has the catalogue of the Beatles and have it hold up after 50+ years.
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HtownAg92
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10:48a, 10/13/21
AG
I was huge on the Beatles growing up and then fell off a while back. I didn't fall so far as to think they were overrated, but soured to some of the deeper cuts and didn't really want to listen to them any more. Then a few years later I mentioned them to my kids when discussing the modern history of music. Once I started playing examples and seeing how they loved them, I was all the way back.

The Stones, on the other hand, were never my cup of tea and still aren't. I'd much rather hear LZ, The Who, Rush, Beach Boys, ELO, Queen, AC/DC, The Eagles, Pink Floyd.
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LawHall88
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1:46p, 10/13/21
AG
The Get Back documentary trailer is out. Guess I'll need to get a Disney subscription now.
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Decay
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2:19p, 10/13/21
AG
This whole thread was just viral marketing
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HtownAg92
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In reply to LawHall88 • 3:35p, 10/13/21
AG
LawHall88 said:
The Get Back documentary trailer is out. Guess I'll need to get a Disney subscription now.
That seriously gave me goosebumps. Wow.

Oh yeah, F Mark David Chapman.
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Leggo My Elko
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In reply to HtownAg92 • 3:44p, 10/13/21
AG
Quote:
Oh yeah, F Mark David Chapman.
He's up for parole in August of 2022.
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MAROON
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In reply to Leggo My Elko • 3:46p, 10/13/21
AG
TexjbA&M said:
Arguably their worst Album "Magical Mystery Tour" has: "Strawberry Field Forever", "Penny Lane" and "All You Need is Love" on it. So I vote not overrated at all.
and "Magical Mystery Tour", "Fool on the Hill", "I am the Walrus",
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Another Doug
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In reply to MAROON • 3:53p, 10/13/21
AG
MAROON said:
TexjbA&M said:
Arguably their worst Album "Magical Mystery Tour" has: "Strawberry Field Forever", "Penny Lane" and "All You Need is Love" on it. So I vote not overrated at all.
and "Magical Mystery Tour", "Fool on the Hill", "I am the Walrus",


And one of the "fillers" was the closing track to what Tarantino calls the greatest movie of the last 20 years. Overrated.
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MAROON
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In reply to Another Doug • 3:57p, 10/13/21
AG
Is it The Social Network and "Baby you're a rich man"?

Also forgot "Hello, Goodbye"
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The Dirty Sock
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4:00p, 10/13/21
It's not coldplay. It's not fix you.
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Leggo My Elko
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In reply to MAROON • 4:04p, 10/13/21
AG
The end of the Social Network - play out to "Baby, You're Rich Man"
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Macarthur
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In reply to TXAG 05 • 4:34p, 10/13/21
TXAG 05 said:
Macarthur said:
wangus12 said:
I won't say they're overrated. It's clear how much influence they've had on music. I will say that it just wasn't good to me.
I'm pretty much here. However, I do like much of their music, acknowledge their influence and greatness.

However, I do think they are a bit overrated and one big element for me is being a live touring band, which there really weren't. They were a studio group that made great music that laid the blueprint.

I will also say that I tend to gravitate to more blues based so the answer to the Beatles/Stones question, for me, will always be The Stones.

Having said all that, Led Zeppelin was the greatest rock band of all time.


They toured relentlessly till 66.

Ok, I get your point, but let's dive into this a bit deeper.

If you look at them playing all over England and those clubs, yes, they played a ton.

But let's really look at their 5 years of 'touring'.

Let me first say, I think most folks would agree (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) that they really started to do their best work and experimenting on Rubber Soul which was released in Dec of 65 - six months before they essentially stopped touring. So they really didn't tour with what most of us would consider their most influential and experimental work....correct?

Back to the original point

Outside of the many UK dates, here are their tours outside of the UK:

Feb 64 - They did 5 US shows and 3 of those were TV so those were not concerts.
June 64 - 4 European dates, 1 Hong Kong, 16 Australian & New Zealand dates
Aug 64 - 26 N. American dates - this clearly was their biggest tour
June 65 - 7 European dates
Aug 65 - 10 N. American Shows
June 66 - 3 Germany, 1 Japan & 1 Philipines
Aug 66 - 14 N. American shows.

That's it....I guess this is subjective, but I don't think that's an extensive touring schedule, esp when you factor in that, with Rubber Soul being released in Dec of 65, they really didn't play any of that material and what came after it live.

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Quad Dog
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In reply to Macarthur • 8:34p, 10/13/21
AG
What's that look like compared to other bands at the time?
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Bruce Almighty
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8:39p, 10/13/21
AG
The Beatles were great in studio but very average live. If you pull up old videos of them playing live, many are them lip syncing. The ones that aren't are decent, but nothing great. Their magic was in the studio, and imo, they we're not good enough live musicians to perform all their post Rubber Soul music. That, or the technology just wasn't there yet.
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Ag 11
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8:54p, 10/13/21
AG
Yeah they were good in the studio because Paul McCartney could go back & fix all the mistakes & he or anyone else could play the drums instead of freakin Ringo
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Bruce Almighty
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In reply to Ag 11 • 8:56p, 10/13/21
AG
Ag 11 said:
Yeah they were good in the studio because Paul McCartney could go back & fix all the mistakes & he or anyone else could play the drums instead of freakin Ringo


I think there are rumors that he played many of the guitar parts that are credited to George Harrison.
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PipelineMoeNorman
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9:16p, 10/13/21
I guess I shouldn't have said overrated, of course they were pioneers but man there music and voices are horrible, just completely awful.

It's almost as bad as Bob Dylan, that guy sounds like Alvin, from Alvin and the Chipmunks if Alvin had a few whiskeys

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maroon barchetta
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10:34p, 10/13/21
They were so awful that a guy as goofy as Ringo could pull a Bond Girl, and one of the best Bond Girls at that.
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