Post by Admin on Jun 10, 2006 8:07:18 GMT -5
I once tackled someone because they suggested that the Sex Pistols were more influential and musically sophisticated than the Beatles. In fact, he was my boss.
Of course, I was in college at the time... and we were at a bar... and it may have had something to do with the obscene amount of Jack Daniels flowing like blood through my veins...!
True story.
On a more serious note. I think it's an interesting question, what would John Lennon be like if he were around today. I think John (and most fans of John) would take exception to the statement that he made music for commercial or popular reasons. He was an artist that always struggled for his art, fought for his beliefs, and for whom nothing came easy or unconsidered. He was a true man and a great soul, who touched people not only in their hearts but in their heads. We should all have that sort of integrity. I think he would be hopeful about the state of the world today, but also extremely disappointed. We would hear his voice on commentary shows telling us to get the hell out of the Middle East, to allow gay marriage and to do something about the Darfur genocide. September 11th would have appalled him, but he would have taken a shot at Paul for his jingoistic anthem "Freedom" and implicit support of the war, and he would have railed the loudest against the abuse of civil liberties perpetrated upon a disassociated American people by their governement (Hmmmm... wonder if my phone will be tapped, now?). Hopefully, he would still be making new music.
And Charlie, all kidding aside, and not to start an argument, but before you make statements like:
... you really should know what you're talking about. That was an absurd, unwarranted statement, and nothing more than opinion asserted as fact (which, frankly, does great disservice to the talent and genius of a great man by making his life and success incumbent upon the fact of his murder). Undoubtably, Imagine strikes a more bittersweet chord, ex post facto, (May He Who's Name We Must Never Mention burn in the lowest, foulest pit of Hell for a thousand eternities--- though I'm sure John himself would have forgiven the miscreant), but John was killed in 1980 (December 8th, to be precise), a full nine years after Imagine came out, and was already an international hit and a song imbedded in our collective subconcious, a song for all time. If John were alive today, Imagine would still be the masterpiece of sentiment and expression married to plaintive melody that it is considered today. After all, Paul McCartney is still alive, and I can name a dozen songs by him that still resonate today (and though I love Paul, too, I will concede he is far too excellent a craftsman to reach the heights of artistry that John Lennon did).
By granting the place in history and art the Beatles (and particularly John) earned, and acknowledging the trail they blazed, one will in no way lessen the impact that great bands like Led Zeppelin also had (though to deny the Beatles' place in the formation of the rock genre Led Zeppelin played in is also unfair: simply listen to tracks like Helter Skelter, I Want You (She's So Heavy), Revolution, and Come Together--- not to mention the stuff they played in the beginning before their careers took off, in the Cavern Club, or in Hamburg, full of incandescent, raucous, drug-fueled energy). So love on Zeppelin all you want (I do, myself), but please don't knock the Beatles to somehow validate Zep's standing.
Of course, I was in college at the time... and we were at a bar... and it may have had something to do with the obscene amount of Jack Daniels flowing like blood through my veins...!
True story.
On a more serious note. I think it's an interesting question, what would John Lennon be like if he were around today. I think John (and most fans of John) would take exception to the statement that he made music for commercial or popular reasons. He was an artist that always struggled for his art, fought for his beliefs, and for whom nothing came easy or unconsidered. He was a true man and a great soul, who touched people not only in their hearts but in their heads. We should all have that sort of integrity. I think he would be hopeful about the state of the world today, but also extremely disappointed. We would hear his voice on commentary shows telling us to get the hell out of the Middle East, to allow gay marriage and to do something about the Darfur genocide. September 11th would have appalled him, but he would have taken a shot at Paul for his jingoistic anthem "Freedom" and implicit support of the war, and he would have railed the loudest against the abuse of civil liberties perpetrated upon a disassociated American people by their governement (Hmmmm... wonder if my phone will be tapped, now?). Hopefully, he would still be making new music.
And Charlie, all kidding aside, and not to start an argument, but before you make statements like:
... And for all you people who like John Lennon's music, I'm afraid to say, the only reason Imagine is as popular as it is is because Lennon was murdered!
... you really should know what you're talking about. That was an absurd, unwarranted statement, and nothing more than opinion asserted as fact (which, frankly, does great disservice to the talent and genius of a great man by making his life and success incumbent upon the fact of his murder). Undoubtably, Imagine strikes a more bittersweet chord, ex post facto, (May He Who's Name We Must Never Mention burn in the lowest, foulest pit of Hell for a thousand eternities--- though I'm sure John himself would have forgiven the miscreant), but John was killed in 1980 (December 8th, to be precise), a full nine years after Imagine came out, and was already an international hit and a song imbedded in our collective subconcious, a song for all time. If John were alive today, Imagine would still be the masterpiece of sentiment and expression married to plaintive melody that it is considered today. After all, Paul McCartney is still alive, and I can name a dozen songs by him that still resonate today (and though I love Paul, too, I will concede he is far too excellent a craftsman to reach the heights of artistry that John Lennon did).
By granting the place in history and art the Beatles (and particularly John) earned, and acknowledging the trail they blazed, one will in no way lessen the impact that great bands like Led Zeppelin also had (though to deny the Beatles' place in the formation of the rock genre Led Zeppelin played in is also unfair: simply listen to tracks like Helter Skelter, I Want You (She's So Heavy), Revolution, and Come Together--- not to mention the stuff they played in the beginning before their careers took off, in the Cavern Club, or in Hamburg, full of incandescent, raucous, drug-fueled energy). So love on Zeppelin all you want (I do, myself), but please don't knock the Beatles to somehow validate Zep's standing.
Dude, she's hot...