Your Verdict - Week Four!

[The Curmudgeon]

We've had some obscure acts in the history of the Your Verdict series; little known cult bands and artists that have been perhaps discovered by accident or through supporting a more famous band.

Well, brace yourselves, because this band are SO obscure, SO unknown, they're almost virtually unheard of.

It's these guys;



Yeah, OK. LOL, jk etc.

So I've been investing heavily in the Beatles the last year or so. I've always had a passing interest and owned a few albums, but they never really DID anything for me, certainly not in the same way artists of the same period like Bowie and Dylan did. In short, I couldn't escape the feeling I was listening to my dad's music.

That has changed, though, and I've been trying to get the entire output of the Beatles, from their studio albums to a collection of their A-side only singles and B-sides. What I've discovered is some enjoyable, but patchy early material (their very first albums can be pretty uninspiring, fairly dated sounding basic rock n roll, but also some amazing, ground-breaking music that still sounds innovative 50 years later.

This is the latter, the closing song from the Sgt Peppers record, "A Day in the Life" combines a catchy pop middle, a somber opening and the musical equivalent of the world turning in on itself scene in Inception. Quite how they created this sound back then is just fucking staggering.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xljFT44Y1Y

So obviously we all know who the Beatles are. What do you think of this song? What's YOUR track of choice? Do you find them over-rated? Share with the group.

[trashcanman]

I think it's quite impossible to overrate a band as influential as The Beatles. You ask the heaviest metal band, the grooviest hippy, a guitar virtuoso, punk godfather, alternative rock hero, mainstream rocker, folk artist, any credible pop star, and just about anyone else with tons of musical experience who they most admire as a band and The Beatles is likely to be answer you get the most. They've never been my favorite, but I'd definitely like to get more into them at some point. ADITL is utterly unique even today and must have been mind-blowing when it was released. Personally, I'm of the opinion that Hey Jude is among the best songs of all time, but one track that I reeeaaallly love musically is Here Comes the Sun. Harrison's guitar track is just one of the most melodic things I've ever heard on the instrument. It's one of those songs where it doesn't really even need any vocals at all to convey the feeling and mood it's going for.

[The Curmudgeon]

The thing about the Beatles is, for certain (ours) generations, we grow up KNOWING about the Beatles and the music, often becoming accustomed to the songs themselves through third parties; cover versions, karaoke shows, the odd play here and there on a jukebox in a bar or something. That was certainly my case, and so I know full well of "Here Comes the Sun", and actually got to know the lyrics by a B-Side cover from Travis, a band I may well introduce into the Your Verdict series sometime down the line.

I bought the Abbey Road record about a month ago and I can say it's the first time I've really sat down and heard the original version of that track. It's gorgeous. Nice idea to show just the instrumental version, because you're right, there's so much shimmering.. well, OK, fucking beauty to the music itself, from that simple guitar strum to the backing chimes and.. man. Just genius.

When it comes to sheer pop glory, I think this (obviously famous but) pretty under-rated Beatles song is one of their finest moments. Everything about it just works perfectly. Certainly my favourite Beatles track at this point.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zn_ZdX6nQvw