No, they, The Beatles would NOT be labeled as "great" today.
They've been there and done that, no need for them to do it all over again because there are a plethora of artists that have been
influenced by artists, that were originally influenced by The Beatles and hence, would most likely have some difficulty being separated by the artists emulating them these days, even when they don't even realize the fact that their influence goes further
back and beyond the days that they were born.
Plus!, in a lot of cases, there are some very talented artists that would surpass the Fab Four in many areas, yet collectively, it remains, no comparison, no successor to the achievements and influence this group has had on music since, or now.
Again, NO, They went down that road, and as controversial
as it was at times, The Beatles stuck to their guns and continued to make music the way that they felt it important to them as artists during those somewhat experimental social times in the way that they perceived and lived them...if that makes any sense?
Proof of that also is evident in that one half of the famous writing duos of the century has had little to contribute over the last number of decades since The Beatles dissolved.
The leftover gas in the tank only lasted so long to end up dry and ran on fumes in the 80’s for the now defunct Wings, leader of the band.
Consider: The Beatles started out as a "pop" group if you will
and continued on to shape and change the music world, turning it 180 degrees on its head in their short, yet prolific 8 year lifespan, reinventing themselves with each and every
album release to one degree or another.
In 1964, they had girls at the forefront of the crowds...screaming their heads off to see the crooners and teen idols of that period with the "poppy" "She Loves You", only to end up being a "guys" kind of band with the likes of "A Day In The Life", through to rebellious tunes like "Revolution" and to end it off with a somewhat more introspective track such as "Let It Be', before they simply imploded due to many factors coming into play.
The Beatles ran the gamut in genre department and there's no denying that in my humble opinion
The answer to that is that the "average person" is made up of a majority of the population.
Those that prefer the earlier "pop" era of the group, Those that prefer the far out and funky, drug induced stylings of the Sgt. Pepper days. Then those that lean towards to the harder edged, somewhat controversial releases eventually leading up to their demise...i.e. "The Ballad of John and Yoko" and or "Hey Jude" for example.
Then, there are those, such as myself that can understand and relate to the entire ensemble of music that this fantastic group had to offer in such a short period in music history.
The chemistry was there, the time was right and all ears and minds were open during that time period. It's like they helped shape the time period and guide us all along the way with their music. We changed with them. They took us along for the short, yet very exciting ride.
Really, has there been a group since that can fall into that category?
I guess we can also ask ourselves this...
If we put Beethoven into todays society,
how would he fair out in, and by todays' standards?
As much as Guns & Roses "Sweet Child O' Mine" makes "me" want to vomit, I still have to give them their due for having an
influence on the day...let's just remember where "some" of that
influence came from.
Great post Blue!
Thanks
Kim
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