Why I Don’t Like The Beatles

Someone once asked me why I made the bold claim that I don’t like The Beatles. Following this exchange, they demanded the I put my response up publicly somewhere (complimenting my writing, it was nice.)– I’d be a dirty scumbag if I only said I did and didn’t, so I’m finally getting around to it.

Task complete.

Prompt: “I’m sorry, but I need an explanation about why you dislike the Beatles.”

You know, I was compelled to tackle this immediately upon reading it. Those words Need. and Now. must be some kind of sorcery, but I resisted it and knew that typing on my phone was not the vehicle for a proper reply.

Unfortunately, neither is right now, because I’m as tired as dirt (considering what dirt is, I figure it is about as tired as matter on this planet gets). Thus, I will answer this right now!

First off, I never claimed I disliked The Beatles. I respect them enough to ever go that far. I just can’t profess to really like them. Their impact, especially culturally, commercially, and in the realm of recording technology is a phenomenon that could very well be unparalleled. On top of that, even if the songs don’t always do it for me, we are talking about some of the best modern day songwriting there is, but I already said it– they just don’t do it for me. When you’re that good, or that big, there will be those who think that you are hyped up too much. Think of it like atoms in the air. Carbon and oxygen are great, they dominate the show, but think of poor hydrogen or helium. Those guys are amazing too. Maybe they got fed up and that’s why they are so utterly explosive (especially when you split them).

The Beatles are like carbon to me. Ubiquitous, but not holistically impressive. I have my moods where I can get into it, but for me, nothing they have done ever will be able to always send me to that place that something like Steely Dan’s Aja does from Wayne Shorter’s Sax solo soaring into the heavens, fueled by the pure thrust and thunder of Steve Gadd’s drumming frenzy all the way through the outro vamp that so slyly fades that you almost forget that– somewhere– that jam is still being played as those chords slowly swell in and out like never ending waves crashing into the shore. Or the way Paul Simon seemingly weaves together the perfectly phrased, perfectly picked string of words in a manner so right, yet still so musical that you’d almost mistake it for the inspired word of God itself.

Hyperbole aside, there are just so many things, musically, that hit me a lot harder than The Beatles ever did, that when so many people love them so much, I just wonder how they aren’t affected the same way by the things that I hear and process that move me so strongly. And then I remember, that’s music! And that’s what make a collection of musicians such as The Beatles so good, because they reach across every spectrum and bring in masses of individuals from every collective of personality and background you can dream up.

And that, in so many (too many) words, is why I just don’t care for them so much.

My apologies for not giving that explanation “now” !