The Beatles went on hiatus in 1970. The break-up became permanent late in 1980. The Beatles pioneered multiple things as discussed in this David Bennett video. The Beatles also broke a lot of ground, could they have broken more ground if they lived through the 1970s as well?
I feel that The Beatles lasted the exact length of time they were meant to, creating a huge crack in the world of music that opened up so many new possibilities. I’m glad they stopped when they did, because each of them were then free to peruse their own creative paths, resulting in way more quality music then had they stayed together. They also avoided the possibility of becoming a lackluster greatest hits band that attempted to squeeze out every possible opportunity to make a living revisiting their past success. And have decades of farewell tours just to keep the money flowing. At least they avoided that embarrassment. I feel that their legacy wouldn’t be as important had they continued, and for that, I’m eternally grateful. They were a cosmic anomaly that changed everything in a very short amount of time, and in their case, less was more.
Nope. They lasted just the right amount of time and called it a day st the right time. They burned bright.
I think The Beatles could have pioneered more ground had they decided to start performing again in the 1970s. Bangladesh was pioneering - that multi-act, charity concert format was pretty new in the rock world. I think, some of the schemes they envisioned for Get Back - playing in ancient ruins, on cruise ships, or whatnot would have been a new take on live performance. If they beat Pink Floyd to Pompeii - which seems like what they wanted to do, or The Dead to Egypt - that would have been pretty magical.
This is the idea I would like to challenge, given what other bands have pioneered since the Beatles. Perhaps what that bands pioneered and the ground they broke is what the Beatles could have broken if they kept going.
Anyone ever could have pioneered more theoretically, right? I am sure if we could access the multiverse, there is a version where Ringo invented the Chia Pet sometime in the late 90s
It would have been interesting to see if they would have dabbled in synths more. They dipped their toes in with the Moog on Abbey Road. Some tasteful usage a la Who's Next, as one example, could have been a new avenue for ground breaking. But I do think, sadly, they existed for the time they should have. One more record maybe. But otherwise, they got out while the getting was good.
Well exactly, one track on Abbey Road, Because, features a prototype Moog synthesiser. There is also a brief period of polymeter on 'Happiness is a Warn Gun' from the White Album.
No. They called it a day at exactly the right time. John and George had lost interest. I sometimes think that they should've just announced they were having a 'hiatus' and were gonna reconvene when the time was right. But even that would've created too much pressure. The only question they would've ever been asked was "when are you getting back together". What they gave us was absolutely perfect BECAUSE they ended it at the right time. We should be extremely thankful.
Perfect timing is an ingredient which prevails throughout their story; this includes the timing of their end.
All those great solo albums broke ground in their own way-- that confessional urgency of john lennon/plastic ono band, the spiritual dimention of george's 'all things must pass', the indie fun of mccartney's ram and band on the run, etc. They didn't break a lot of sonic ground the same way as they did in the 60's, but still separately did a lot of great music in the 70's.
What if the Niners never traded Joe Montana? Would the West Coast offense have evolved further? What if Papa II wasn’t followed by Papa III? Would we have gotten “Monstrance Clock 2.0” instead of “Square Hammer?” What if Brian Jones was an immortal? Would “Start Me Up” feature a marimba?
I tend to agree — although a part of me wishes they could have kept it together in some fashion to benefit from the evolution of rock concerts into more "serious" events (better organized, better sound systems, less screaming) from the late 60s onward.
All Paul had to do is hang out with him enough and he would have been able to. That's how it works here on the forum. Dan
They did great works, but by their demise it was time to move over as they dould not get along at all. The one thing they did not pioneer was the live show. They were just not a live band; they were a studio band...they did not seem to have the want or ability to play live music despite their early years cutting their teeth on live shows. I think John did enjoy it. The Rolling Stones ascension to the throne via JJ Flash, Street Fighter, Beggars, Let It Bleed and The 1969 American Tour took rock music in another direction. They set the standards for live music. They were a good studio band....the Beatles were a great studio band. The Stones music is live music.....thats how they were meant to be enjoyed. The Beatles were the pioneers of many many things....but not the live show....that was The Stones job....and they did it very well....
I think this is sort of funny, because McCartney, one of the two principle song writers and vocalists of the Beatles, was never an embarrassment during his decades of touring with Wings and as Paul McCartney. If John had lived, and both Paul and John had convinced George and Ringo to join them, I would imagine the shows would have been pretty great. People fill stadiums to see McCartney because it's the effing Beatle that is on stage. Just imagine all four of them up there. Sure, they would probably have used back up musicians like the Stones do, but who would have cared.
Are you talking about that sound during the last verse ("Rose and Valerie screaming from the gallery") that seems like a synth or keyboard? I thought that was the mellotron George played.
Well, MTV was hyping a possible "Beatles reunion" all day long (the Threetles plus Julian Lennon), which of course didn't happen.
Their initial solo material suggests they had one more great record in them, possibly two...better than Let It Be at least.
