Where (and what) constitutes the divide between early and late era Beatles for you?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Kim Olesen, Mar 14, 2015.

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  1. smitquest

    smitquest Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lancaster, NY, USA
    hindsight.

    smitquest
     
  2. George Blair

    George Blair Senior Member

    Location:
    Portland, OR
    The White Album is the beginning of late era Beatles for me. Everything before it sounds somewhat like a different group.
     
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  3. John Fell

    John Fell Forum Survivor

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    pot > LSD ?:shrug:
     
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  4. carlsonics

    carlsonics Forum Resident

    Location:
    Bangor, ME
    As I see it, Revolver and the precedent Rain B-side mark the first real instances of the Beatles using the studio and properties of magnetic tape to truly manipulate (and create) sound, subsequently influencing songwriting practices, whereas prior "studio tricks" were used solely to augment the sound of a traditional rock/folk/r&b ensemble. I find this to be a clear point of division between "early" and "late" Beatles. If sound and recording technique ain't your thing, just look at the album covers. The Revolver cover suggests that this is a new/different band. While the cover of Rubber Soul bent the perspective a bit, Revolver is black and white. Psychedelic. Not a representation of what is real, but what can be imagined. A new era begins.
     
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  5. Octavian

    Octavian Forum Resident

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    Louisiana
    And Piper At The Gates of Dawn! One of the best psychedelic albums of all time.

    And Saucerful of Secrets.
     
  6. Awesome Connor

    Awesome Connor New Member

    Location:
    Temecula, CA
    I also think it might be Rubber Soul. Here are some reasons:

    Darker lyrics showing love in a darker light
    Some songs( Nowhere Man, Think for Yourself) aren't even about love
    Harmonium on a lot of tracks
    Sitar on Norwegian Wood
    Sped up piano on In My Life
    Fuzz bass on Think for Yourself
    First time the Beatles have time to record an album without having any concerts
    First Beatles album where they focus on the cover art
    First Beatles album besides a Hard days night to have no covers
    First Beatles album to show hints of psychedelia

    I know it may seem a bit early but I'm really thinking it all starts here.
     
  7. pool_of_tears

    pool_of_tears Searching For Simplicity

    Location:
    Midwest
    My thoughts exactly and the middle period is by far their most interesting.
     
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  8. If I Can Dream_23

    If I Can Dream_23 Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    Not to avoid the specific question, but I always felt that the most startling and enjoyable thing about the Beatles is that there isn't a clear dividing point within their career. It's all about the lightning-speed evolution over the course of their 7 years.

    It's a boring answer, I know, but every album (and really every month) showed us new steps on an ascending ladder. Obviously albums like Revolver or Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band are signpost works in the scope of popular music, yet even they were built upon Rubber Soul, which was built upon Help!, etc.

    I think the most stunning and enduring thing about The Beatles is not so much the search for a clear dividing line, but in the realization and appreciation that this is the very same band that released "P.S. I Love You" and "Helter Skelter" within a short five years!!! :)
     
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  9. Awesome Connor

    Awesome Connor New Member

    Location:
    Temecula, CA
    That was so philosophical
     
  10. Sister Disco

    Sister Disco Forum Resident

    If anything I think it's the opposite. Revolver has more rock songs mixed with music hall/psychedelic ones, while Sgt Pepper has more music hall/psych songs and less pure rockin' ones, which is why Revolver has more cred with the indie rock crowd.
     
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  11. warewolf95

    warewolf95 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Greenville, SC
    Revolver is really the perfect transition album though - half the songs would fit right in on Rubber Soul while the other half would fit right in on Pepper
     
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  12. Octavian

    Octavian Forum Resident

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    Louisiana
    The production of it stands on its own though
     
  13. warewolf95

    warewolf95 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Greenville, SC
    Yea, that is pretty amazing - how much they achieved and how much they SUCCESSFULLY evolved in just a 6 or 7 year period!!! It's nuts when you think about it.

    There's never a giant, unexpected leap from album to album - it's all gradual. You can see the signposts in the current album pointing to the next one etc.
     
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  14. Sister Disco

    Sister Disco Forum Resident

    Yeah. Taxman, And Your Bird Can Sing, Dr. Robert, and Paperback Writer remind me of Rubber Soul while others like Love You To, Eleanor Rigby, Good Day Sunshine, and Tomorrow Never Knows are more like Pepper.
     
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  15. If I Can Dream_23

    If I Can Dream_23 Forum Resident

    Location:
    United States
    Yes, well said.
     
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  16. TheHutt

    TheHutt Forum Resident

    Location:
    Germany
    Actually, for me, it's Rubber Soul. It's in the same year, as Help!, but has a distinctly different sound to it.

    This development then continues with Revolver.
     
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  17. warewolf95

    warewolf95 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Greenville, SC
    Rubber Soul feels like a perfect autumn/4th quarter album for me.
     
  18. douglas mcclenaghan

    douglas mcclenaghan Forum Resident

    True. It has a Revolver Sound, distinct from their other work. AHDN also has its own distinct sound.
     
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  19. blutiga

    blutiga Forum Resident

    For me this is a no brainer, it ends with the release of A Collection Of Beatle Oldies and begins with the release of Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane 45. This is the way I've always processed it, always will. They all grow moustaches and John starts wearing his granny glasses.
    Although I guess there's really early, mid, psychedelic, and late (Apple). Then the Solo Years (1970's).
     
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  20. TDSOTM

    TDSOTM Forum Resident

    I'd say the late era begins with the song Help (or maybe even Ticket to Ride, which was released a few months earlier). I don't see how anything on Rubber Soul is necessarily more advanced.
     
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  21. Vinylfindco

    Vinylfindco The Pressing Matters

    Location:
    Miami
    I'd say it was after the last concert in 1966.
     
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  22. mr.datsun

    mr.datsun Incompletist

    Location:
    London
    Yes - Revolver. Not only for the sound and arrangements, but their song-writing suddenly and fully matured with that album.
     
  23. Zappateer

    Zappateer Forum Resident

    IMO Help and Rubber Soul is the dividing line.
     
  24. Big Blue

    Big Blue Forum Resident

    Location:
    Wisconsin
    It’s very clearly Revolver. That they had stopped touring, had therefore started focusing on studio creation with no thought for live performance, and turned out an album that was very unlike anything they had done up to that point is an obvious divide.
     
  25. Cryptical17

    Cryptical17 Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    When John started wearing his trademark glasses
     
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