1 / 35

The Beatles

The Beatles. Brian Epstein. Bob Wooler and My Bonnie by the Beatles Pride in his ability Decca, Brian Poole and the Tremeloes Stu Sutcliffe dies. George Martin and the Parlophone. June 1962, Beatles audition Pete Best Richard Starkey and Ringo. The Heroes of Liverpool.

benjamin
Download Presentation

The Beatles

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Beatles

  2. Brian Epstein • Bob Wooler and My Bonnie by the Beatles • Pride in his ability • Decca, Brian Poole and the Tremeloes • Stu Sutcliffe dies

  3. George Martin and the Parlophone • June 1962, Beatles audition • Pete Best • Richard Starkey and Ringo

  4. The Heroes of Liverpool • Radio, television and tour appearances

  5. Beatlemania—American Style • Real Rock ‘n’ Roll was not exclusively American music • Ed Sullivan

  6. I Want to Hold Your Hand • Recorded in October 1963 • Opening a compendium of 50s Rock and Roll • First two musical phrases demonstrate this

  7. Beatlemania—American Style • Mass popularity in America • Top 5 April 4, 1964 • International popularity • Lifestyle • Drugs • Third tour to the United States

  8. The Middle Period: Experimentation

  9. Yesterday • Written January 1964 but recorded June 1965 • Pre-rock pop song • Melody develops from a short, simple riff • Six sections in AABABA pattern • 32-measure AABA form

  10. Yesterday • McCartney’s singing • Simple acoustic guitar accompaniment outlines a delicate eight-beat rhythm • String accompaniment updated • Gone is the nuclear rock band of 2 guitars, bass and drums • Stronger connection between words and music

  11. Rubber Soul Drive My Car

  12. Rubber Soul Drive My Car • Cinematic • Sexual tension • Humorous possibility • Accompaniment shows collaboration • McCartney, all the details in place

  13. Rubber Soul Drive My Car • Otis Redding’s Respect • No rhythm guitar • Only chorus has solid chords (heard on piano) • Sounds like soul music

  14. Yesterday andToday

  15. Revolver Eleanor Rigby

  16. Revolver Eleanor Rigby • Unprecedented topic • Broke sharply with pop song conventions • Detached delivery • Time passes, without apparent purpose

  17. Revolver Eleanor Rigby • Musical setting as bleak as the words • String octet (four violins, two violas, two cellos) • String sound is sparse

  18. Revolver Eleanor Rigby • Chord progressions emulate rock accompaniment • Static melody and harmony • Repetitive rhythm of accompaniment

  19. Revolver Eleanor Rigby • Pop becoming Art? • Classical-style string accompaniment • Comparable to Schubert’s art songs

  20. Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields

  21. The Later Beatles: Revolution

  22. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

  23. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds • Verse creates dreamy state • Lyrics contain numerous psychedelic images (marmalade skies) • Music floats in waltz time

  24. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds • Impression of a person in the middle of an acid trip • Chorus is straight-ahead Rock and Roll • Conveys normalcy

  25. A Day in the Life • Mundane vs. elevated consciousness • Music with words vs. instrumental

  26. A Day in the Life Four Scenes • Lennon’s response to a man who dies in his car while, Lennon suspects, he was tripping • Lennon attending a film • Lennon in modern life—work is mundane and competitive • Lennon’s commentary on counting potholes

  27. A Day in the Life • Starts with soloist and guitar • Other instruments layer • Juxtaposed to massive orchestral block of sound • Echoes of Pendercki’s Threnody for Victims of Hiroshima (1960)

  28. A Day in the Life • Well-known vs. obscure music • Tasteful drumming: inventive bass lines • Doubling of the tempo in the “Woke up” section • Trills on “Laugh” and “photograph” • Transition to the acid trip

  29. A Day in the Life • Melodic leap followed by trill blends seamlessly into orchestral texture • Final chord • An “OM” • Striking ending

  30. The White Album

  31. Abbey Road

  32. The “Death” of Paul and the Beatles Break-Up • Back masking • The Paul-is-Dead hoax • By 1970, it was clear that the Beatles were each going separate ways

  33. Summary • Their influence on the music is undeniable • Other influences • Hard mainstream rock, avant-garde rock, psychedelic rock, symphonic rock, and light-hearted rock

  34. Summary • No longer was Rock simply fun music; it was serious • Four directions • John Lennon in the 1970s • Superstitions • Beatlemania end?

More Related