Saturday 23 February 2013

Learning to love . . .The Beatles

So, welcome to the second post in the Learning to Love series.

This post is about the world's most popular band. The band that people cite as inventing modern music, the album, and the 60s. The band that people rate above all others despite the fact they split up 40 or more years ago.
  
                                                 

Why do people love a band with such passion even though the band is from such a different time and space that they could have no real connection to it? I have never really understood that. It has been explained to me, but never in a way that I felt was satisfactory. In a way that made me feel like I have been taken to half a dinner, or given half a pint of beer. Although I must acknowledge at this point, that it is no different to my teenage love of Zeppelin, Doors, Metallica. . .um I am going to move on.

So, my dad had a copy of Please, Please me in the house. Didn't every one's? It was one of the first albums I listened to I think. I remember playing it again and again. Particularly liking this track


At the age of 12 or so it has an energy and a life to it that makes you want to dance around like an idiot. Which is good. The album also had 'I saw her standing there', 'Love me Do' and others on it. It was the only album of the Beatles that was in the house. It seems that my parents didn't really like their other stuff. Well sort of, actually what it came down to was that they were Stones fans. They liked the more bluesy feel to the Stones music rather than the pop feel of the Beatles.

I was the same. In the great revival of everything old, which seems to happen about every 5 years on some time period, hereto 'unknown' by the 20 somethings of the world, The Beatles were revived a lot. A lot. Think about it, there was the 'lost tracks', the reissues, the new 'best ofs' etc etc. Everytime this sort of thing happened I was basically reminded why I preferred the Stones. A comparison for you


A little later , you can tell from the clothes, but none the less a bit more gritty. Remember, this is during my teens and so anything that was rebellious was appealing. That said, it wasn't long until I discovered my own music. In fact by 13 or 14 I really disliked both the Beatles and the Stones and my musical journey had started. As I went into great length about here.

So, The Beatles passed me by a little bit. I was aware of them, I think everyone is aware of them now aren't they? I mean everyone, on every continent, in every country , in every town. If someone said to you, I have never heard a Beatles track, you would be stunned. Or maybe I am just of that age, old.

I moved to England in my 20s and bought a couple of their CDs. I think it was A Hard Days Night and Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club. I enjoyed them both. Vastly different albums. As I have said again and again I never really understood why Sgt Peppers is so revered. I think it is because the first album I bought was Pet Sounds and to my ear that is still a superior record. Although I know that is very heavily debated and I will not go into it now.



That is a great song. I am not trying to deny that in anyway. That said, it relates to a time that I don't. The thing is, there is so much other music out there. I worked with a guy whose music taste I really admired. He effectively made me buy Rubber Soul and The White Album. Interesting stuff. A lot of great tracks and a lot of original thought. However, I was getting very heavily into Prog and starting to listen to Ambient electronica, such as it was at the time.

Again, as the music didn't grab me it let me go and I really didn't become much more of a fan. I would like to stress that it wasn't because of some anti-reaction. I liked it, some of it I loved. But I wasn't in love with it. Ha ha , I heard that said the other day on some movie or similar. What does it even mean? I love it but am am not in love with it. Ridiculous. What I mean is that practically, there are songs that I was very pleased to hear when they came on, but I didn't put them on myself.

So the years passed, alarmingly quickly actually, I lived in Japan, which was super groovy. The Japanese love, to the OCD point of it being disturbing, The Beatles. I still was a bit take or leave it.

Then I started writing this blog. I wrote this piece here 'Do the Beatles matter anymore' . Please read for my views on the Lennon vs McCartney debate. A few people contacted me over the post and tried to convince me how misplaced my views on the Beatles were. More than a few actually. Although I see only two people actually commented directly. Why does no one comment? I guess people have to read it first!

Anyway, so, being the open minded (we all think that about ourselves by the way) person I am . I thought I would give the Beatles a go.

I am getting there. I am. I have realised that I will never by the guy that raves about the Beatles as the guys Here do. But I am starting to get it.

The Music is very well crafted and the melodies are amazing. I see, or maybe hear, the production qualities are very far ahead of their time (not as good as Pet Sounds but hey what is?) I like this song for those qualities


I am not sure what to take from this musical journey. I guess some things you have to work a lot harder for. It occurs to me that this should not be the way with something that is a passion. If it doesn't come naturally then should it be forced? I know that the argument is then that some things are worth working for and the rewards will be greater at the end.

Is this true with The Beatles? Well , let's hope so.

Appreciate your comments.

Friday 22 February 2013

Learning to hate Spam

Ok, not on the topic of the current series, but I am getting a lot of spam comments.

Mainly they say how much they enjoy the posts and ask me to look at theirs . . .which takes me to a dating site

I guess I should be flattered? But it means my (admittedly dismal) following stats are massively distorted and why would they be posting in the comments field anyway . . .

That said they are all under the blog Music for Sex . . .maybe their engines are picking up on the word sex

so

SEX
SEX
SEX

Anyway , just wanted to rant. Hope all is good with you

cheers

Sunday 17 February 2013

Learning to love U2

yeah right . . .

Click here

Some things are not going to happen dear Ruminators

Saturday 16 February 2013

Learning to Love Khe Sanh

Welcome to the first in the series of Learning to love.

This post is about a song and what it stands for. It is also how I came to not hate it anymore.

The song is Khe Sanh, as you may have guessed from the title , which is by an Australian band called Cold Chisel, here it is


As you can see from the video, it was a late 70s song. Apparently perms were big in Australia at the time.  The song is about a Vietnam veteran who tries to return to 'normal' life after his time in the war. It is quite poignant at times.

I hated this song for most of my life.

Why? Well, this song and the band Cold Chisel are synonymous with the Australian redneck culture. It is played at pubs at 2 am , as well as 7,8,9,10 etc, all around the country and every time it is, the drunk and seemingly patriotic Aussies belt it out. Except they can't sing, and they are generally not patriotic but racist. They also do not like anyone who does not like the song. Happy to fight etc.

For me it also ran deeper than that though. It was also about the fact that when I was growing up everyone in Australia was basically expected to like the song and the band. As you know if you have read other posts. That sort of rubbish leads me to dislike something straight away.The song is so mainstream that it has come to define an era of aussie pub rock. In some way it also represents a country , as opposed to a city, culture as well.

Interestingly it is often played at the same time as this song, by Steve Earle


Learning to love . . . .

Hi,

Miss me? again . . .I am worse that a deadbeat Dad aren't I? Come and go as i please.

Well, it is time for some more love. I am going to start writing a series. it will keep me entertained and help to rejuvenate my writing a little bit.

I am going to call the series, the 'Learning to love' series. This is about the idea that you can learn to love any type of music.In the series I hope to portray my musical journey a little bit, and maybe, just maybe get you to love some of the music a bit.

It might get a bit personal, but hey, this is my space, albeit owned by Google. . .

Will be writing a bit more. Promise, not just Christmas cards and a call at your birthday.

So, lets give it go Ruminators . . I have decided to call you Ruminators . . it isn't rude I promise. .

The Animal does not rock anymore

This is just a complaint. For the last 6 years I have been listening to I-Tunes radio, in classic rock there was a station called the Animal Rocks

It was great, it played everything from The Beatles to Soundgarden. I like new music, but I also like classics sometimes.

And now it gone. Just disappeared.

If you listen to I-Tunes radio please tell me about good stations. It is hard to identify the good from the bad frankly

Thanks