HuCl 3035
Professor Gallian
Week 5: Unit 3
After reading this article, the first thing that came to mind was that of jealousy. I think that many of the other bands of the time were jealous with what the Beatles had brought to the surface with their 1968 release know as 'The White Album.' Not until after I listened to the album in class did I truly understand the variations in the songs displayed. Not only were the variations in who sang and accompanied, but the style of music also changed with every tune. The author of the article summed it up perfectly when he said 'No other group has been able to move so authoritatively through such a varied texture of rock expressions.' The Beatles weren't just paying tribute to their influences by playing covers of their tunes but were actually using their styles to create songs all on their own. In my opinion, this album repaved the trail of music we have followed and charted from slavery days all the way to the present.
Is this music an art? That is a very good question. I think that what makes this a symbol of art is more how it all fits together than every individual piece of music. Surely, every song of theirs is considered so, but it is important to take a step back and examine the overall picture. The Beatles gave each of their songs a special something that provided the icing on the cake for the whole product. Every week I have said that the album we were studying was my favorite, but I think 'The White Album' takes the trophy.
I thought that this article did an excellent job of dealing with what I like to call the 'Revolution' series. They are not just about one song that is repeated for different speeds
to make a different version, but they are about the music behind the tunes. The author talked about the 'revolution' as being a constant or in math terms, a common denominator that all of us have in common. I think that 'Revolution' is an especially catchy song and has proven to be an anthem for young and old alike during a time of war and turmoil.
I also think that the article nicely touched on the 'lyrics, aspect of the album well. Oftentimes, the Beatles songs were fast and not always understandable. With the words included for all of their songs, fans now had the 'book of poetry' in front of them to know exactly what John, Paul, George, and Ringo were saying. The underlying ideas in some of the songs are still left to the individual listener however.
Overall, I think this was an excellent article. It nicely explained that album and its good and bad points. References to other musicians and styles also made it an enjoyable reading. The length of this article was perfect-try to find more like this.