Red Mosquito

surface the north wrote:Save your money, friend. There are poor people in Houston.

darth_vedder wrote:

McParadigm wrote:I didn't really think much about the earlier records until I started getting really into late-50's early-60's pop, blues, skiffle, and 'rock' music. The clearer a picture I had of what the landscape was when they came out, the more impressed I was with the band from day one.

I really like early, all-in-one-take rock and soul music. Almost all of it is imperfect....stumbly and swinging, you know, and that's a huge plus to my ears. The limitations of two track recording and the simplicity of the subject matter pre-mid 60's aren't so much a weakness as they are a different shade of a known quality...pre-rebellion punk design, recorded in big rooms by engineers in lab coats. Not only that, but with music growing so thoroughly entrenched in minor key songwriting the last few decades, I find I really dig those major key-heavy 60's pop records more and more. I wish I could play them all on 45. I really do.

Having said all that, the Beatles were actually tighter performers than most other bands that came out of the era. All records from that era lean a bit on the sloppy side ("Okay, everybody get it right this time, because we have to record six more songs today"), but The Beatles really did a remarkable job (the remasters really reveal this). Especially....strangely enough....Ringo. There are literally just a small handful of times in all their recording sessions where a song has to be restarted because Ringo screwed up. Go figure.

These days, I honestly think I listen to Please Please Me, Hard Day's Night, Beatles for Sale, and Help more than I do Revolver or Sgt. Pepper. Those other records are incredibly cool, yeah, and I've worn them out, but I find a lot of fresh air in the pre-"We're gonna change the world, oh I guess not" days. Naivety and joy are table wines. Pour yourself a glass and enjoy the sunset.

^
That pretty much says it all regarding my opinion of pre-Rubber Soul Beatles.

McParadigm wrote:Naivety and joy are table wines.

Strat wrote:

surface the north wrote:Your rampant spending on vinyl is starting to drive me up the wall, Strat.

Hey man. Im a full time employee, 31 years old and single...wtf else am i going to do?

Will wrote:I kind of like the obscure deep cuts from just before they went psychedelic with Revolver and Sgt. Pepper. Shit from Rubber Soul, Beatles For Sale, A Hard Days Night. There's some fantastic songs that never get the attention they deserve from casual fans who only know bigger numbers.

Strat wrote:

surface the north wrote:Your rampant spending on vinyl is starting to drive me up the wall, Strat.

Hey man. Im a full time employee, 31 years old and single...wtf else am i going to do?

NancyBabich wrote:Of the great albums Sgt Peppers is easily the weakest.

Birds in Hell wrote:

Will wrote:I kind of like the obscure deep cuts from just before they went psychedelic with Revolver and Sgt. Pepper. Shit from Rubber Soul, Beatles For Sale, A Hard Days Night. There's some fantastic songs that never get the attention they deserve from casual fans who only know bigger numbers.

There are some amazing songs on those albums.