The Beatles

in his later years, beethoven wouldn't likely laugh 'cuz he couldn't much hear them. bet he could feel the soundwaves sweep over him, tho, as they do over me on every playing of the white album, sgt pepper, rubber soul and the rest. bet he would have smiled, as i smile when the first bars of "an die freude" are sung.

Hi Shubertmaniac, The Beatles as musicians is not what I find so very special. It was the music that the Beatles created that I find so very special. Hi Decay, wasn't it Clapton who made the guitar weep?

The quality of the Beatles' music was a secondary factor in their initial popularity. They were funny, cute (girls), loud (boys), and they hit an exploding demographic starved for something fresh. But their early albums were half covers. The amazing thing about them, as opposed to so many other pop-rock artists, is that they didn't coast on that. Their songwriting kept getting stronger, till their best work could stand with that of Berlin, Porter, and the great Tin Pan Alley songwriting teams (which is a much fairer comparison than Beethoven). Cute hooks? McCartney was the master, but hooks are essential to pop music of all ages. George Martin's skills as a producer didn't hurt, either. I still listen to them for the same reason I listen to renditions of Rogers & Hart (my parents' nostalgia fixation). However, one correction to Dekay: That's Clapton's guitar doing the weeping.

Well, he might not laugh, but he might "roll over" in his grave at the ridiculous comparison! (hehe) Well said, Rackon!

God I am laughing so hard. It's 1965 me and boys are driving in my 1963 Plymouth Fury with a 383/dual quads/hooker headers/cheater slicks etc. Trying to score with some chicks. We are listening to WKBW in Buffalo NY the Animals It's My Life comes on; were hooting and hollering;life is good;what comes on next Paperback Writer; move on to WLS in Chicago;Get Off My Cloud is playing;life is good again; some Beatle Barf is next; change stations to Boston's WBZ the Kinks' All Day and All Night is playing; life is good again. Meet some girls at the local Mickey Ds; she asks "Don't you think the Beatles are boss". God am I good at lying through my teeth to get what I want. As the Big Booper once said.... You know what I need!!!!!!