Music: A’s and B’s
Continuing the alphabetical trip through my music collection from last week, today we start off with Atom and His Package. To understand it you should probably just listen to it: quirky punk-rock done on a synthesizer by a guy with a high, slightly squeaky voice. All of the songs are funny, but unlike a lot of novelty music Atom’s tunes are actually catchy and clever.
Then I sat through way too much Bad Religion. Bad Religion has many very good songs (Infected is, in fact, my favorite punk song of all time), but listening to five albums back to back is a bit monotonous.
Quickly through a few songs by Bauhaus that I picked up somewhere along the way.
And now the Beatles. I traditionally don’t like the Beatles, and all of the albums I have are bootlegs that Beatle-loving friends pushed on me. However, as I’m listening to Abbey Road right now, I’m enjoying it much more than I thought I would. Perhaps there’s something to the Fab Four that I haven’t grokked until now. Hrm.
February 28th, 2006 at 1:17 pm
JS:
I am stunned. See further comments at my weblog.
March 2nd, 2006 at 10:24 am
Abbey Road is okay. I like Revolver better, personally. I didn’t care for the Beatles and they’re still not my favorite but compared to the total solo output of its individual members the Beatles were vastly greater than the sum of their parts, particularly with regard to the often pathetic songs of Lennon and McCartney in their solo status.
March 2nd, 2006 at 8:42 pm
I definitely agree with Jeremiah about the comparison between the Beatles as a group and any one of their members as a solo artist. I’ve long thought that John Lennon as a solo artist has much too hard an edge, and that his songs have way too much anger and not enough human warmth. On the other hand, Paul McCartney’s songs tend to have too much human warmth and not enough grit, to the point of being sappy (I mean, The Long and Winding Road? Give me a break.)
However … when they worked together in putting together Beatles albums, I think each one made up for the other’s faults. And, of course, Sir George Martin’s masterful production always brought out the best in them.