BEATLES: PART TWO OF THE TRILOGY

 

 

Nobody beats the Beatles.

 

Although the band no longer exists and officially died in 1970, it still remains the number 1 band of the twentieth century. One Internet source indicated that the Rolling Stones sold about 200 million albums and singles. The Beatles is even greater. Further, there has been a new find of Beatles out takes that should insure more albums in the future.

 

In other words, the Beatles is at the center of the universe of Rock stardom. They have 20 gold singles and more than 25 gold albums in the USA alone. In the states, they have sold over 109 million albums. Billboard calls them the #1 band of all time. Their album called

#1 went to #1 in 34 countries.

 

When you include big band stars and early rockers, the Beatles are at # 3 and the Stones at # 6, and the Beach Boys at # 12. When you just rank rock BANDS, it’s Beatles # 1, Stones #2 and Beach Boys #3.

 

Then you add the number of singles and albums of each Beatle after the band broke up and they are way over the top. McCartney has sold over 100 albums and written and performed 50 top 10 singles. He is ranked all by himself as the 29th most popular rock artist, followed by Lennon at 90, Harrison at 132 and Starr (Starkey) at 386.

 

Their biggest public relations blunder came with Lennon when he said that the band was more popular than Jesus Christ. Other members of the group, quickly distance themselves from his comment as numerous Bible belt states burned albums in protest. Lennon finally said that he was sorry and asked for forgiveness.

 

The group disbanded in 70’ and in this instance, it was Yoko who broke up the band. McCartney formalized the disunion legally when the fab four could not record without

Ono’s presence.

 

By all objective standards, McCartney is the premier Beatle in what BBC calls a legend and a genius.

 

The group had the top talent in terms of professionals who guided them through the stormy weather of getting to the top. US News reports the early 60’s witnessed the surfboard craze in 62’ and the arrival of the Beatles in 64’.

 

Cosmetically, they were a very attractive group even though photographers had to straighten their crooked teeth, give them more height (all are or were about 5’ 7 or 5’8 save Harrison who was 6’1) and make sure their hair was properly washed and styled.

In later years, they had cosmetic dental work and were very much a reflection of their country. Most Brits are bit shorter than Americans.

 

Fame indeed has its downside. Lennon was assassinated and Harrison nearly died of stab wounds. He would succumb to cancer a few years later.

 

However, the Beatles still tour through McCartney and Starr. McCartney mixes his material with Wings and Beatles songs and Starr plays his own work, Beatles, and top numbers from his All-Star band.

 

Surely, Beatles fans should be happy. Well, they are not. If you go to their chat rooms, you find the obsessives blaming McCartney for the break-up and lamenting what the Beatles would be like years later, if they had stayed together. Stones fans are angry that numerous critics don’t see their band as the #1 group. Beach Boys fans fantasize that the premier bootleg of the 20th century, SMiLE was not completed, and thus the group lost its comparison to the Beatles. However, they are honored that the band was compared to the fab four and generally have canonized Sir Paul.

 

Internet accounts of the band attach them to rule of the Illuminati and characterize the band as evil. And so it goes. You can’t win. All you need is love.

 

Although RUBBER SOUL and REVOLVER introduced a new sound for the group, the premier art rock SGT.PEPPER made the massive transition to the late 60’s music. PEPPER’S cover introduced the new group from the old band. With a cast of numerous dignitaries looking on, the Beatles make the big change both critically and commercially.

 

On the right side is a doll with a Rolling Stones sweater and up on the right is a palm tree easily symbolizing the Beach Boys. On both vinyl and CD Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys is located just above Paul McCartney’s head. The Beach Boys would return the favor with their FRIENDS album (used in conjunction with the Maharishi tour) with a cloud and shadow image of McCartney on the lower mid left corner.

 

PEPPER was inspired by the angst of growing up of PET SOUNDS by the Beach Boys.

PEPPER introduced the lonely-hearts club (spacey Lucy, the fellow turning 64, the bully, the lady that walked out on her husband, and in the end the fellow who shot himself in the head in the middle of traffic.)

 

This was bellwether times. The Beach Boys followed with SMILEY SMILE, an acid/art rock with members at times recording on drugs. The NEW MUSIC EXPRESS called it "daring and experimental." Bizarre cameos were introduced of Old Wild West heroes, a bald headed lady on laughing gas, a virgin sexually violated in the woods with a “Be-In” in the background, a barking sound of the woods returning to winter, and a song about vegetables. It also contained the colossal Good vibes of two lovers enmeshed in a misty blossom world. It became a top 10 hit in the UK and charted twice in America.

 

The Stones Satan album was their reply to PEPPER. It contained an acid rainbow surrounding a young maiden, teardrops marching by, and vision of hundreds of years into the future. The album finishes with patrons drinking on into the night at a bawdy bistro.

 

The Beatles are still with us. Their songs, their movies, their images are constantly around us.

 

Allmusic.com describes them this way. They are: energetic, reflective, gleeful, boisterous, playful, rousing, poignant, witty, trippy, and cheerful.

 

That says it. This is the band.