The Beatles
Country of origin:
England
Type of music generally:
Pop/rock
Status:
Disbanded in 1969. Many subsequent reissues and compilations
See also:
Wikipedia's entry on The Beatles
Covers/own material:
Almost entirely own
General comments:
NOTE: The Beatles are such a classic group we aren't going to do a great deal of focus on their work as we can leave that to the many, many other music sites out there. Below are just a few comments by ectophiles about their work. (The Editors)----------
They still are my faves and I believe the roots of Ectosounds. (mundopax@ingress.com)
The Beatles. I just don't get it. I like their stuff okay. They make nice pop music—but I just don't get why people are so devoted to them. I'd say there's plenty of stuff that's come after them that's better written. I understand that they have been incredibly influential to music. But there's a difference between saying they are an important part of music's roots and saying the songs they produced are still better then most of what's come after them.
See, the thing is—I don't think being FIRST is enough. And I definitely think there have been a great number of pop tunes made since then. And I think music has evolved, if not pop music. I frankly find many of the Beatles' songs to be quite.... well, quaint. Not without merit, and certainly worthy of a great deal of respect... but some people act as though it's the pinnacle of music, never to be eclipsed. That strikes me as very sad.
I think they owe a lot of their popularity to nostalgia from people who grew up with them, and trickled down nostalgia passed onto kids who grew up their whole life being told how great they were. But that's just my opinion. I still don't get it. :) (jonwesleyhuff@gmail.com)
Recordings:
See Wikipedia's Beatles Discography for a complete listing
Abbey Road
Release info:
1969
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Comments:
I forgot that "Here Comes the Sun," one of my favorite songs ever, was on this album. Other great songs include "Octopus's Garden" and "Maxwell's Silver Hammer," which is absolutely hilarious. (JoAnn Whetsell)
1962-1966
Release info:
1973
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Comments:
The definitive Beatles collection. Virtually every one of the fifty plus songs is a pop classic. (nightwol@dircon.co.uk)
Anthology
Release info:
2003
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Comments:
Just wanted to add my 2 cents. I loved the Beatles Anthology and the two new songs and it seems a fitting final chapter to the Beatles. What can I say? Maybe this will lead to Paul, George and Ringo recording some new material. Love "Real Love."(mundopax@ingress.com)I *like* 'Free As A Bird" and "Real Love". I know they were originally John's tunes... and yeah... they have Jeff Lynne-does-Phil Spectre written all over them... but I really like them. I would say I like "Real Love" better than "Free As A Bird" but only because I think that the latter was a more finished composition—the quality of John's vocal takes was much much better—help me out guys—but wasn't that the tune that John was working on at the time of his death? ("Real Love" that is)... I've heard the original "demos" for both tunes. (she sheepishly admits to having friends who own copious amounts of Beatles b**tl*gs) and neither finished tune bears too much resemblance to the sparse demos that John left behind. I think that Macca is still (in spite of himself) a damn good composer/arranger... and I don't think he did John any disrespect by the finishing touches he put on the songs (okay... you purists can beg to differ with me and I won't take offense!) George's guitar work is still beautiful... (if I had been a teenager in the 1964-1968 era I would have SCREAMED for George... I jist LOVE that guy!!!) Ringo's drumming—well—the drums on the new singles unfortunately bears little resemblence to what Ringo is all about (the drums sound way too processed!) but it's the thought that counts, ultimately. The whole Anthology thang made me dig out my Revolver CD, and the white album and play at high volume :-) (RedGtrGirl@aol.com)
Live at the BBC
Release info:
2001
Availability:
Wide
Ecto priority:
Highly recommended
Comments:
The Beatles are my favorite group. I had a lot of these songs on tapes from various bootleg albums, but it's nice to have them sounding so clean. These songs are from the height of Beatlemania, and I think they clearly demonstrate what an amazing group they were. (SANDOVAL@stsci.edu)
