This weekend marked the 35th anniversary of Paul McCartney's announcement of the break up of The Beatles, and nary a word of remembrance from FlynnFiles. My apologies to the readership. Perhaps I subconsciously remembered the date, for on Sunday George Harrison's brilliant solo farewell, Brainwashed, played in heavy rotation on my stereo.

The lifespan of The Beatles was incredibly short. From when the first chords of All My Loving rang out on the February 9, 1964 Ed Sullivan Show to the quartet's final studio recording together in the summer of 1969, The Fab Four ruled the world for about six years. And in the few years before their abdication, they released 186 songs. When reflecting on the band's musical changes and physical transformations, it's difficult to grasp that it all lasted just six years--but it did. Rock n Roll, being the official music of youth, it's appropriate that no Beatle ever reached the age of thirty.

The Beatles were four talented musicians, rather than one guy and a bunch of backing lackeys. If John shined in the middle period and Paul toward the end, there was always the sense that the product coming through your speakers was that of four musicians. Think of the overlooked Ringo, who not only penned and sang lead on Don't Pass Me By, but played some of the best drums you've ever heard. Listen to the drumming on Ticket to Ride or Tomorrow Never Knows. It's awesome. The group's collaborative effort is most apparant on Abbey Road's medley, in which Ringo offers his only drum solo on a Beatles record, followed by battling guitar solos from John, then Paul, then George. Paul then draws the curtain down on The Beatles and delivers the closing line of the 1960s.

The Beatles stopped making music in 1969, but we never stopped listening. Consider that the bestselling album of 2001 was The Beatles 1. To put this in perspective, imagine music from the 1920s or '30s owning the charts during The Beatles' heyday. A key to their success is the universality of Beatles music. What other band could appeal to third-graders (Yellow Submarine, Birthday), longhairs (Revolution, Why Don't We Do It in the Road?), and the inhabitants of the old-folks home down the street (Something, The Long and Winding Road). There is a transgenerational appeal to In My Life, All Together Now, and much of The Beatles' catalogue that you simply don't get from any other popular music act.

Despite the technological advances of the intervening years, the production value of their albums sounds better than anything today. The Beatles set the bar high. No successive act has reached it. If anything refutes the belief in perpetual progress, it's the post-Beatles sonic landscape. Here we are thirty-five years after John, Paul, George, and Ringo called it quits, and popular music slumps, its arms extending further to the ground.

Yoko was a fox. Her contribution on the White Album, especially the Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill, was huge.

She should be known as the fifth Beatle.

Nice post. The Beatles made some of the most incredible music of all time. "Strawberry Fields Forever" is simply a masterpiece.

It's important to note the influence of producer George Martin. He wrote all of those beautiful string parts, and his production enabled them to fully realize their artistic potential.

-ben

Completely unrelated side note: Check out the book "Fidel: Hollywood's Favorite Tyrant" by Humberto Fontova.

Rubber Soul and Revolver were two of their best. “Taxman” has to be a fave.

Funny how McCartney took some critical heat for doing “Drive My Car” at halftime at this year’s Super Bowl. What I read was something along the lines of whether or not this old guy should be doing such a retro song. Silly.

He’s a phenomenal performer and I thought it came off great. And the critics should not forget that: it’s his bloody song!!.

Even though super freak Jackson owns the rights.

i'm pissed at cream for breaking up after a little over 30 months. greatest three-piece blues-rock band of all time.

I'm pissed at the Grateful Dead for NOT breaking up after the death of frontman, lead guitarist, and 95% of the talent of the band, Jerry Garcia.

Jerry would have been proud of them for not letting his death get in the way of their lifestyle. The whole trip was as much about the music as it was living the life of traveling musicians.

Musically speaking, however, I am thankful they recorded every note they played while Jerry was around, because the stuff they have played since August 9th, 1995, has been lacking, to say the least.

Plus, there is still plenty if "new" stuff that I have never heard!

I'm pissed that the Ruttles, the pre-fab four,broke up after only one album.

As it has been told: What did one DEAD fan say to the other DEAD fan at the concert when the drugs ran out?......"This music sucks".

I am pissed you even mentioned the Rutles (not Ruttles) when we're talking about the most influential band to have ever existed.

I still believe the White Album is by far the best album ever yet I know this will be disputed.

White Album!?

Abby Road is the best album ever, all the way.

Ouch!

Revolver.

Or, rather, it is best Beatles album. Not to imply that the Beatles ever had anything approaching the "Best Album Ever".

Curious that a confidently conservative blog doesn't point out - or do you think it's too obvious? - that following the Beatles break-up John's music took a bitter, even self-destructive, but definitely left-wing turn (Shaved Fish). That he and Yoko elite-as-hell-Sarah-Lawrence-educated Ono enjoyed presiding over a fortune worth hundreds of millions of dollars while his greatest hit from that era is that undisputed anthem to destructive Leftist naivete, "Imagine". That John had claimed the Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ. That during the most recent Super Bowl halftime show Paul wore a transparently trendy pseudo-communist shirt (talk about a wardrobe malfunction).

Respects to great music, true love, a grieving widow and fatherless son (two, counting Julian) aside... I guess I wish the Beatles had stayed together after all - and not for entirely selfish reasons.

The Revolver album is the best today. Yesterday my favorite was Abbey Road. Last week it was The Beatles. Jerimiah: The Beatles were conservative. I think Daniel can elaborate.; Homer: The Beatles invented the album.

The White Album? Abby Road? Revolver? Please.

The greatest Beatles album of all time is Help.

"The Beatles were conservative." Do you mean compared to the Stones, The Who, Zeppelin, Janis, The Doors, and Hendrix? If you're thinking in terms of "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" vs. "Back Door Man", yes, they were altar boys in comparison.

btw, Let it Be is my favorite album.

Jeremiah: Quite sensibly, my musical tastes reflect my musical tastes rather than my political beliefs. That's why I didn't unnecessarily introduce them in a post on The Beatles. Your point about John is well taken. Solo efforts like "Imagine," "Woman Is the N***** of the World," and "John Sinclair" reflect a more radicalized John under the sway of Yoko, halucinegens, and the early 70s zeitgeist. Having said that, I think you too easily dismiss Sarge's point. The lyrics of Taxman could have been written by Barry Goldwater. Revolution was an incredibly controversial song among radicals, as it castigated them for their excesses (If you go carrying pictures of Chairman Mao/You ain't gonna make it with anyone anyhow). It's also worth noting that in an age of upheaval and violence, The Beatles sang about love.

Brad: you clearly don't like the Beatles, so your vote doesn't count.

Dude,

They weren't always singing "all you need is love":

When you talk about destruction
don't you know that you can count me out...in (John adding the "in")

Still hands down the greatest rock and roll band of all time. How many bands can say their last album was (albeit arguably) their greatest (Abbey Road). The Stones sure can't say that!

Short: On the contrary, I'm a huge Beatles fan and my vote counts double. I might add that the best Beatle song of all time is "As my guitar gently weeps," featuring Clapton.

CB: John adds the "in" in the slow version of Revolution, but I don't think he does it in the more popular up-tempo version. Anyhow, it's an anti-extremist song and the radicals took it that way. It's a bit like when nuckleheads, who took their political marching orders from musicians, didn't like The Stones' "It's Only Rock n Roll" (It's ONLY Rock n Roll?).

"The lyrics of Taxman could have been written by Barry Goldwater." - now there's something to think about.
Thanks for pointing out an instance where music with merit endures.

Abbey Road, hands down - Best Beatle's album. "Bang bang Maxwell's silver hammer came down on his head. Bang bang Maxwell's silver hammer made sure that he was dead." How many times was that lyric quoted during the days following JPII's death?

Not being a complete Catholic, until the Pope died and I started following the proceedings, I thought about ‘Silver Hammer’ and understood that the song was not necessarily one of those cute artistic songs where the lyrics had meaning only to the artists themselves (see Jim Morrison, etc..).

Either being naïve or dense, until that time, I didn’t understand but should have known that a group of musicians as intelligent as the Beatles would have no lyrics that were not meaningful.

Although, I’m not sure what Maxwell was doing wielding the hammer.

Still, greatest band of all time? That’s a subjective topic and hard to make a call. I would say no. Most important band of all time? Absolutely.

And anybody who thinks that the White Album is their best album, has ingested too many drugs and still suffer from the effects.

http://www.snopes.com/religion/hammer.asp

Nobody said Sgt. Pepper's... [vader]Most impressive.[/vader] That's almost always the non-fan's fave Beatles album. My vote would have to be for Abbey Road.

Side note: if you're clever enough with audio editing, you can run a near-seamless medley of Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, and hunks of McCartney's "Tug of War." I was mentally playing that mix in my head when I heard that Scott Muni had died.

Double-side note (in honor of the Beatles' famed double-A-side singles): Scottso was the fifth Beatle. Which makes Pete Best the sixth Beatle. Which makes Stu Sutcliffe the seventh Beatle. Which makes the Beatles... EARTH WIND AND FIRE. (Best read in Scottso's voice, followed immediately by EWF's cover of "Got to Get You Into My Life." I demand my own drive-time radio show.)

Yoko Ono is a talentless charlatan who I believe drugged and brain washed John Lennon into divorcing his wife and become emotionally and physically dependant on her. Why else would he drop his hot blonde wife for a flat chested oriental who on a good day looks like a cross between Kim Jong Il and Ruth Buzzy. Her infiltration of the Beatles robbed us all of years of incredible music.......Anyone have her in a death poll? Great selection.

Come on Feck. Remember that full frontal of her and John? Couple of hot items they were.

Good thing is was long ago and can't quite remember the details. It was a wretch fest, for sure.

At least he had a brain and some talent. Could never figure out what she brought to the table.

I think you are right though when you say: "Her infiltration of the Beatles robbed us all of years of incredible music".

When I was 15 I bought a copy of Two Virgins wraped in a plain bag. When I got home and opened it I went into a catatonic coma that lasted nine days. The sight of Yoko's nude body forced me into 17 years of therepy and produced a rash that, to this day has not healed. I have not been able to father children either. Yoko Ono 's music and art will be played and showcased at the apocolypse.

I am very sorry to hear of your daily struggles Sarge. Who ever shot that photo shoot should be cained repeatedly and forced into one of Kim Jong II's most excellent gulag's to finish the rest of their days.

The smell in that room must have been criminal. Having said that, the song Oh yoko is most excellent.

Feck (and other board members) an open question. Who has more talent: Yoko Ono or that woman who found the finger in the chili at Wendy's? Discuss.

My parents had John's last album, "Double Fantasy." The songs John did were good-to-excellent; the songs Yoko did were heinous. I've never heard the Chili Girl sing, but she was convincing, so she has my vote.

I would like to bring up the Yoko Ono of this era, Kate Hudson!! She successfully broke up the Black Crowes for four years and now goes to all the shows and makes sure Chris doesn't nail any groupies! Although I would really enjoy their next albulm to house a very naked Kate on it!
Yoko is the only person other than Sammy Sosa who can barely speak English after 20 plus years in the U.S but has no trouble counting American money in increments of millions!

I have to go with the finger in the chili. We already know it has better taste than Yoko and given the appropriate lighting probably more photogenic than the Ono lady.

Every time I come here, you're still pissed at Yoko. Give it up, Dan. Don't let it ruin your life!

Why couldn't that succubus have pursued Ian Anderson?

Thanks, Dan. Now I'm forever stuck with the image of Yoko saying, "OK, so this one time, at band camp..."

Well put Dan.

I have always loved the word Succubus! If there really out there I am available for some free love!! Just dont tell my woman!

Sounds like what it is defined as.....

http://www.cyodine.com/succubus/

Love it when Cartman of South Park fame uses it in that fast whiny voice.

Yes. Yoko was definately one in the flesh.

Beatles catalog up for sale??

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,153414,00.html

Why couldn't Mark David Chapman target that indigent twit Ian Anderson. Between his flute playing and Yoko's voice, together they could raise beazulbub from the pits of hell.

My god...I actually agree with Mr. Flynn on music...Tull sucks ass!

I was suprised as anyone when the flute didn't take off as a rock instrument back in the 70's. Then the keytair in the 80's. I am hoping the next big thing is a front man of a rocking band who plays the tuba. Tull does indeed suck.

I do agree that is would have been far better for the general good of music if Yoko OH NO! had glommed on to a midrange talent like Ian Anderson. But I don’t agree that JT sucked. They offered a diverse assortment of eclectic tunes and were certainly accomplished musicians in their own right. An acquired taste for some, I’m sure. Or…..I guess you had to be there.

Yes, most definitely...you had to be there. Jethro Tull is drug invested group of hippie scallywags creating some kind of musical nightmare infusing Hair with Fiddler on the roof.

It is my belief that Jethro Tull music will be played in Afghanistan at high decibels to flush out Osama Bin Laden. This plan, however, may be seen as a violation of the Geneva code of war crimes, and may not see the light of day. In my opinion this would make Abu Gharib seem like Hogans Heroes.

An interesting note on Jethro Tull, listening to Thick as a Brick is the only time I've ever gotten physically ill listening to music--and I like prog music.

Again, with reference to ANY music it does not come down to casting a vote where majority rules.

Musical taste is a personal thing and is very subjective. That is why topics like this are har to argue.

A lot of normally sane people like Eurotechno and the Dead. Even though that kind of music sucks to me, who am I to say?

So, for me, you would be very wrong about the man who wore a codpiece and blew a mean flute.