It's 2007 And The Beatles Still Matter

Hard To Believe, But Four Decades Have Passed Since The Beatles' Groundbreaking Album "Sgt. Pepper"

(CBS)  Sunday Morning contributor Bill Flanagan of MTV takes a look at the Beatles' legacy 40 years after their revolutionary album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band."

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This summer Paul McCartney turned 65 and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" turned 40. Both events got a lot of media attention. The Beatles broke up in 1970 and two of the Fab Four have passed away — and yet Beatlemania never completely subsides.

Cirque du Soleil's big hit "The Beatles Love" just celebrated its first anniversary in Las Vegas. Paul and Ringo attended, paying tribute to George and John, and the fans went wild.

The acclaimed director Julie Tamor has a new film coming in September called "Across The Universe," which uses Beatles songs to tell the story of the '60s through the eyes of an English boy named — guess — Jude.

The Beatles' music in invulnerable to changes in pop styles or fashions. It gets stronger as time goes by.

Which created a special challenge for John, Paul, George and Ringo. No matter what they did as solo performers, it would always be held up to the impossible standard of The Beatles. They were the only four musicians in the world whose records were considered disappointments if they were not as good as Beatles records. As John Lennon sang on the last Beatles album, "Boy, you're gonna carry that weight a long time." It's a testament to their strength of character and resolve as artists that all four of them kept moving ahead and making music in spite of the impossible expectations.

It's interesting how well a lot of their solo work ages — as time passes and we get away from the Beatles comparisons.

Ringo has a new "Greatest Hits" album coming out later this summer, on August 28. It's a surprise to be reminded of how many solo hits Ringo had: "It Don't Come Easy," "Photograph," "Back Off Boogaloo," "You're Sixteen," and a lot more. John Lennon always said that Ringo was a star in Liverpool before he joined the Beatles and everybody there knew he was going to be successful in show business in some fashion. Go back to the Beatles movies for proof of that; they are all built around Ringo. He was a natural Starr.

For George fans, there is the long-awaited CD re-release of the complete Traveling Wilburys recordings. Back in 1988 George put together a super-group with his pals Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison and had a huge hit. The Wilburys made two albums and several other recordings, all of which are collected here along with a new DVD documentary that reminds us how remarkable this nearly accidental group really was. At the time I think most of us just got a kick out of seeing those five famous faces singing together. Now you listen and you realize that these songs were really well-constructed and beautifully recorded. Obviously George Harrison knew how to balance giant egos and giant talents. The Traveling Wilburys is a great tribute to the good humor and subtle power of "the quiet Beatle."

Nobody ever called John Lennon the quiet Beatle. John was one of the great big mouths. A worthy tribute to his memory is a new double CD called "Instant Karma" in which U2, REM, Green Day, Christina Aguilera and a couple of dozen other current stars perform Lennon's songs. It is all in support of the Amnesty International campaign to save Darfur, and although a skeptic could say that when it comes to stopping that genocide it might be time to give guns a chance, this is a noble cause and a wonderful tribute record. However, it has to be said: no one else can sing these songs like John Lennon. His voice remains irreplaceable.

Which should remind us to be grateful that Paul McCartney is still with us. Paul is the most successful popular songwriter in history but he always has the burden of anything he does being compared to what he did in The Beatles. Paul's response has been to simply keep working. Through gigantic success, unprecedented fame, public feuds and private tragedy, McCartney has never stopped making music.

His new album has a great title — "Memory Almost Full." It's a concept record about scanning through a lifetime of images and memories. It's about being amazed at how quickly time passes, and how memories from 40 or 50 years ago can seem as vivid as what we did yesterday. He calls it "my ever present past."

McCartney's real subject has always been perseverance — "Take a sad song and make it better," "Take these broken wings and learn to fly," "Let it be." No matter what he's gone through, McCartney always acts like it's cool, it's fine, it's no big deal. On "Memory Almost Full," Sir Paul looks back on a long and event-filled life and hints that maybe it was a pretty big deal after all.

A few years ago I was seated with Paul at a wedding and of course, every guest in the place, from the bride's cousin to the priest, came up to have a photo taken with him. After about an hour of this I said to him, "Boy, that must get to a real drag." He said, "Well, anytime I start to feel that way I remember how nervous John and I were when we were kids and we met our heroes, the Everly Brothers. I know what it's like to be the fan."

He said that it amazed him sometimes to think that he met Elvis Presley. In fact, he said, it amazed him sometimes to think that he was in The Beatles. On his new album, Paul expresses that amazement that we all in some ways share. Get a load of how fast life goes by, all the things we've done, all the people we¹ve known, all the adventures, all these friends and lovers.

It's a remarkable thing to look back at a life and say, "Wow, that was me!"

[efente]

Note to Bill Flanagan:

THAT was a beautiful piece on The Beatles. Thank you so much. It made my day.

Sincerely,
Elizabeth Fente

[KPKuhns]

Beatles Forever! Not just a slogan any more.

[cartercr2006]

Having grown up listening to the Beatles and the solo careers of each member, this tribute is superburb! Bill Flannigan has a wonderful ability to express the amazing talents of each band member and show us the important contributions of each through out the years. Thanks so much Bill for once again reminding us of the unprecedented talents of the Fab Four!

Chris

[hudsonman35]

Classic Rock Is Not Ancient

The music of today I don't get. I was born in March of 1972 so I am older than Generation X/Y but still younger than the baby boomers. Today's youth are listening to music that reflects them not me. I grew up with the Beatles, then Pink Floyd, then Led Zeppelin, then U2, then REM, and when I graduated from high school, I was getting into The Cranberries. Kelly Clarkson was a kid in the early 1990s when Dolores O'Riordan debuted with her group. She definitely has an amazing voice. Her new solo album is now available and it is so wonderful to listen to. The song "When we we were young," reflects my life so well. I am not the 19 year old young man with so many hopes and dreams that I used to be.

Who says Classic Rock is old and ancient? I don't! The music may have been recorded/performed at an earlier time but they are still relevant. Let me know in 20 years if Kelly Clarkson is still as relevant as the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Cranberries, Neil Young, etc. My prediction is she will be around 5 more years and then fade away or she will become an actress. She does have a nice voice but can she keep with it another 20 years? I doubt it. She should learn from Dolores O'Riordan, it's okay to fade away a few years, start a family, and then come back strong.

Long live John, Paul, George, Ringo, Neil, Pink Floyd, Jimi, U2, The Cranberries, REM...

Mark McLaughlin - marknetproductions.wordpress.com

[beeinajar]

Thanks Bill for a great tribute to the Beatles
music and a walk down memory lane for me.
I can't wait for the movie, "Across the
Universe". Once again thank you for the
wonderful job you did in your piece. I
always enjoy your commentaries and I also,
enjoy your music selections.

Peace, Sherri

[gerrygawne]

For me, Sunday Morning is that lifelong, weekly moment when I am once again with a handful of friends who are bright, informed, and involved in life. I work not to miss it.

CBS Sunday Morning continues to be a remarkable exception from TV news of car accidents, crime and inconsequential celebrities.

And Sunday often surprises and delights, with pieces like the Beatles story by Bill Flanagan. His is one of the best-written, best-structured stories Sunday Morning has aired.

Thanks. Again.

Gerry Gawne
Seattle

[smwj147]

I agree with all the above comments about Bill Flanagan's Beatles piece this morning and Bill's great talent for providing such good commentaries. It was great. I always look forward to Bill's pieces on Sunday Morning. I would like to see the video of it again and wish I had taped it for future viewing.
Thanks Bill for the Beatles piece today and for all your Sunday Morning segments.

[e001009]

The music of the Beatles did more than define a generation; it set a standard of excellence in popular music unmatched by any artisr since. I feel privileged to have grown up with their music as the soundtrack to my youth.

[thud714]

I thought Paul, not John, sang the line from "Carry that Weight."

[ablesch]

If the Beatles still matter a hundred years from now like Mozart, Beethoven, and Wagner do today, frankly I'll be suprised. (Of course I'll be dead by then, but you know what I mean). Beatles songs are for the most part well written, and crafted and played very well. But they will not continue to speak to people in the way the great composers of the past still do. Their music is rather is catchy, but ultimately predictable and shallow, as most popular music is.

[ablesch]

If the Beatles still matter a hundred years from now like Mozart, Beethoven, and Wagner do today, frankly I'll be suprised. (Of course I'll be dead by then, but you know what I mean). Beatles songs are for the most part well written, and crafted and played very well. But they will not continue to speak to people in the way the great composers of the past still do. Their music is rather catchy, but ultimately predictable and shallow, as most popular music is.

[fsimonetta]

I want to say that Bill Flanagan did a great job on todays story (07/29).

Just one point to clarify. "Carry That Weight" was on the "Abbey Road" album - not "Let It Be". Showing the cover of "Let It Be" while saying the song was on the last Beatle album will, I am sure, confuse some. (I understand "Abbey Road" was recorded AFTER "Let It Be", but released before it. However, I think most people think of "Abbey Road" as the second to last Beatle album).

[thisandthat1]

ablesch .... I'm sure you'll have a lot of credibility when everyone notices that you can't even figure out how to post your comment just once!

[rjwagne2]

Once again Bill Flanagan has graced us with a nice article. It is true, however, that it was Paul McCartney who sang the lead line of "Boy, you're gonna carry that weight a long time." And it was on the Beatles' last album to be recorded (Abbey Road), not their last album to be released (Let It Be). As for ablesch's comments: they're almost identical to those that were bantered about when the Beatles first burst on the pop music scene in '63/'64... "nice, catchy tunes, but they'll never last." Well, they've lasted for over forty-odd years, and they'll be around long after ablesch and the rest of us are gone. They WILL still matter like Mozart, Beethoven and Wagner because they are THE great composers of the 20th century. Their songs defined the times (in both music and lyrics) and, for that, they will forever remain historically relevent.

[ablesch]

Thisandthat: So what that it posted twice. Like you never had the same thing happen to you, moron?

Look I'm just saying that that the Beatles are overrated. They're a great band, but their music is limited due to its genre. Popular music just doesn't compare to classical music and opera in terms of touching the depths of the human heart and human condition.

[cmp271]

The Beatles will always be around. They set the standard and were also trend setters. Their music will be remembered a few hundred years from now, not just one hundred! Especially since this newer generation has re-discovered them. Their songs will always be sung. I still listen to all their records, as well as The Monkees, and Paul Revere and the Raiders, as well as many others. No one can compare to The Beatles. I am impatiently awaiting the release of their movie HELP on DVD. I watch "A Hard Days Night" and sometimes tear up just remembering them then and how young they looked and were. I remember waiting to see the film and typically screaming during it as everyone else did when my favorites picture was shown-what a great film!! Especially after being in England and being in Liverpool for five days it is so amazing who they were and how they came about.

We always will compare their solo music to the Fab Four-maybe when I'm sixty four I'll stop.

Thankfully we do still have Paul and Ringo around. Can't believe how old they are now too, but are we really? Ringo is the original voice and best one for Thomas the Tank. Paul needs to pay off that thing he married, get rid of her.

[ablesch]

I don't think the new generation is as into the Beatles as you let on. They're more into techno, hip hop, and contemporary pop. Sure some kids listen to their parents old records and stuff, which is how I first heard the Beatles back in the 80's.. But in the long term think about it: are people going to go to music school and study Beatles songs? Are they going to stage concerts or operas playing their music? Sure, you may have some of that, but nowhere near the level you see with conseratories, symphonies, and operas today. The only thing that has kept the Beatles going frankly is aging baby boomers and their nostalgia for yesteryear. When they begin dying off, the Beatles will begin to fade away..

[beatlejeb]

I just want to say that I can't believe we have idiots in this world like ablesch. I couldn't disagree with anyone more. If you go to Beatles conventions and Beatles-themed music festivals, half of the attendees are children and teenagers. And I can assure you that they weren't dragged kicking and screaming to hear the kind of music that their parents listened to. Remember, ablesch, Beethoven and Mozart were at one time "contemporary composers" and their music has stood the test of time because people still record and perform it. The music of Lennon and McCartney (and Harrison and Starr) will follow the same way (since it already is). The Beatles music also touches the heart and soul because we can all relate to their message of love. So the next time you go out to purchase a new classical music CD, purchase a new brain while you're at it.

[sgsilber]

Very good article. Only one factual mistake: It was Paul, not John, who sang, "...you've got to carry that weight."

[nbjock]

It matters not who is right in this argument. The Beatles have given a generation a lifetime of enjoyment. (as have Mozart, Beethoven & Wagner). You need only appreciate the music for yourself; for what it does for you "inside" when you hear it AGAIN for the millionth time! Those who prefer Mozart over McCartney will feel no different in their enjoyment of the music than those who feel the opposite. In the end (as a great composer once wrote)....

[jjreding-2009]

nbjock - I agree, except for one thing. The Beatles have provided enjoyment for MANY generations of listeners. :D

[jjreding-2009]

ablesch - 'aging Baby Boomers' are only a fraction of the people who are purchasing Beatles music today. When you can come out with a greatest hits album 30-some years after your group breaks up, or a reimagined album of hits ('Love') almost 40 years after and they debut at the top of the charts, that sounds like relevance to me.

Beatles songs have been translated into EVERY kind of music, from easy listening (elevator music) to country to jazz to punk to salsa to, yes, even hip hop ((DJ Dangermouse's 'Grey Album').

There are entire courses in music theory devoted to Beatles musicand their music remains timeless. All of this proves that the Beatles are perhaps the most relevant band in music history.

[ablesch]

i never said that the beatles weren't relevant today.. i agree that there are beatles festivals and the like, and that many performers record their music. i just doubt it will continue with the force that it has as time moves on and baby boomers drop dead. the only reason they're so popular is because of marketing. how much undiscovered music from the 60's is out there i wonder that may be a lot better than these wankers from liverpool? look at nick drake for example. his music blows the beatles away, and he wasn't discovered until after his death. even mozart wasn't a hit in his day until after his death, so i don't think we can say what will be popular really in a hundred or so years. i just think the beatles will be one of many rock bands by then. there will be just so much music at that point, that i doubt the beatles will be who they continue to be at present. on the other hand there are fixed institutions in place that guarantee the survival of mozart etc.. like conservatories, symphonies, opera houses and the church.

[rjwagne2]

Nick Drake?!?!?! HA! HA! HA! HA!

No need to argue with ablesch any more!

[ablesch]

The Beatles would have worshipped Drake had they only known, for he IS English music..

youtube Dot com/watch?v=RPM9uRZ3tN0&mode=related&search=

Nice chatting with ya'll .. :)

[rjwagne2]

I write better songs than Nick Drake. His music is boring, monotonous and one-dimensional. He's not even a good imitation of Richard Thompson, who really IS a very talented British composer.

[rlcqueen]

Haunting, is it because I am 58 and the Beatles became famous when I was in Jr. high. The classics live on...the fly by nights - die. Look at who being talked about, remembered, listened to. The Beatles are past famous. They will live on when all of us are gone.
I loved the piece. It made me stop for just a moment in time...remember when... and just be thankful I was born in that era and not today. I like Paul have "Memory Almost Full".

[ablesch]

rjwagne2: Thompson is still alive. Drake made only three albums and is considered one of the most influential songwriters of the 20th century.. Interestingly Joe Boyd launched both Thompson and Drake's carrer via Island records. Boyd's still alive. Why don't you email him and ask him who's been more influential.. No doubt Thompson is terrific, but Drake is English music: the mystery, the bleakness, the hope, the joy. The Beatles got too big, and lost touch with what made them who they were. (I give them credit tho for realizing it tho and breaking up. They did the greatest thing you can do in show business: always leave them wanting more, ala Drake!)