Members bbarkow Posted January 8, 2004 Members Share Posted January 8, 2004 I really don't know what to say....just read the article. http://www.nynewsday.com/news/local/crime/nyc-harrison0107,0,6140042,print.story Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LittleBrother Posted January 8, 2004 Members Share Posted January 8, 2004 The world is full of people like that. George deserved better. He also deserved to live to a ripe old age. He was truly a huge loss. Why don't we all say something good about George or the Beatles in this thread and how they impacted our lives. Sometimes you can just blast the negative BS away with a shot of goodness. I'll start: I was too young during the early 60s to understand Beatle Mania but it didn't take me long before I was old enough to begin appreciating the Beatles. I heard several of the early songs and sometimes people now seem to forget or too young to even understand how revolutionary and wonderful they sounded. Everything about this band was cool from the look to the sound. Everyone in the band was a star to me. One person missing from the fab 4 and to be it would not have been the same. Ringo, George, Paul and John had nothing less than magic. George seemed to me as the most level headed in the band and a really nice guy and since I am a guitar player I really identified with him. His later works and especially the latter works in his career cemented my opinion of him for life. I dont think of him as just a star, but as a great contribution to the human race during a great time in our history. George has given ALL of us much more than collector guitars and autographs. What he gave us is something noone can buy or sell on Ebay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members seven7 Posted January 8, 2004 Members Share Posted January 8, 2004 *shaking my head* i'd heard something about this but not the details until i just read that story. it's amazing the lengths that some people will go to to make a dollar. complete selfishness. disgusting. lb, is right on though. the world if full of people like that unfortunately. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Cams Posted January 8, 2004 Members Share Posted January 8, 2004 What I find wonderful about the Beatles is the way that they have crossed generations and boundaries. There was a broadcast recently of Paul McCartney's gig in Moscow and it included a lot of snipppets of interviews given by Russian public figures (musicians, political figures etc.). What stood out was the way that these people connected with a band whose language most of them didn't even understand. And of course, the fact that listening to such music was a punishable offence makes it even more poignant. And again, there was a documentary on the Central Asian countries shown last night on the BBC. There was a group in a small village in Kazakhstan that played Beatles music, and very well too I may add. None of them spoke any English, and it was their dream to one day visit Liverpool. The documentary ended by showing the group playing in the Cavern Club two months later, no doubt funded by the BBC. You should have seen their joy. I myself have spent a lot of time in both Kazakhstan and Russia, and I was always amazed at how much the Beatles meant to these people. To claim that someone asking for signatures is abusing their position and to make money from it trivialises what both George and the Beatles were all about: the MUSIC. I'm not sure what my point is, so I shall close by saying: who cares? I never understood the whole memorabelia thing anyway. Let the music continue to speak, and let items that these people touched remain simply items, as that's all they are. Cams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members LittleBrother Posted January 8, 2004 Members Share Posted January 8, 2004 Well well said Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Terry Allan Hall Posted January 9, 2004 Members Share Posted January 9, 2004 The Beatles touched everyone in a basic, grounding way...and Mr. Harrison, especially.When he toured to support Bangladesh, years ago, my little sister was 11...she begged to go this concert, so I bought her tickets and promised to take her. Unfortunately, I later was unable to go, so our Grandmother stepped up to the plate. Now, "Nanny" wasn't a big fan of Rock'n'Roll, so it was amazing/amusing to me that a week later, she asked me to go with her to a local record shop, whereupon she bought EVERY album they had by both the Beatles and Harrison, as well as a huge poster of Harrison playing his Zemaitis(sp?) 12-string...This was so many years ago, but just this morning, she asked me to please turn on our stereo in the living room, so she could listen once again to "All Things Must Pass" and "Concert For Bangladesh". She's a true fan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members orsino Posted January 9, 2004 Members Share Posted January 9, 2004 You nailed it Cams. While my guitar gently weeps........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 4sidedoctagon Posted January 9, 2004 Members Share Posted January 9, 2004 Hmm, the thing I love about the beatles: Rarely do so many great muscicians come together in a band, and play such wonderful music that can cross over generations. I hadn't even heard the beatles until a few years ago. the only thing I listened too was green day, rancid, nofx, clash, and the ramones. I was hanging out with some of my friends a few years back smoking when I found out about them. Knowing that a band can last through that many generations is amazing, and the fact that they still touch kids of all ages. Than I found out they played twist and shout which I saw in ferris bulers day off and got happy about that too =) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guitarcapo Posted January 9, 2004 Members Share Posted January 9, 2004 He could put a jazz chord in just the right context of a pop song. True genius. That chord at the beginning of Hard Days Night is actually two guitars playing different chords simultaneously. George is playing 353533 and John plays X00213 (or maybe XX3213?)...You can't make that chord with one guitar and that's why there is such controversy about what the chord is. Is that genius or what? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 54merk Posted January 9, 2004 Members Share Posted January 9, 2004 Living in the NYC area this story is still in the news. The doctor who was treating George through his illness was the Head of Oncology at Staten Island Hospital. In addition to getting George to sign the guitar two weeks before he died he was also accused of violating confidentiality by speaking to the press. Incidentally, he was removed from his post, although the hospital claims that this had already been planned before all this brouhaha broke. Sure....Anyway, the Beatles truly revolutionized popular music. First and foremost, in addition to being incredible writers, they were able to absorb the influences of their contemporaries as well as their predecessors, which helped them to develop, change and grow through their 10 years recording together as a band. Dylan was a tremendous influence which helped to bring about the change from their early period to middle period Rubber Soul/Revolver. Then at the end of Revolver, there is the great, great track "Tomorrow Never Knows" which begins their psychedelic "Sgt. Pepper" period. The last cut on that record is the best one, "A Day in the Life", which takes the listener through the mundane routine of a typical working day, switches to a dream while riding on a bus, and ends with an orchestral crescendo to a piano chord which is held for the last minute before fading away. There are so many moments of genius which Paul, John, George, Ringo and producer George Martin created. They never rested on their laurels, and they never got comfortable, always pushing themselves further and further to develop new, unique albums. Just go in OLGA and see the sheer number of songs which they wrote. Then print some of them for playing, and you will be amazed at the chord structures. From their earlier period play the introduction to "If I Fell" as well as the song "I'll Be Back". What rocker in '65 and '66 was writing anything this complex?Listen to any of their records and listen closely to the parts they played behind the vocals. I'm not talking about the orchestral arrangements or added synthesizers and horns. Listen to John's guitar parts. Listen to Paul's bass patterns. Listen to Ringo's transparent drumming. You don't even notice him but he's there, playing the perfect beat. Nothing flashy, just perfect for the music and never overpowering. No one played like that, and to this day no one else does, either. It was even more than George's perfect, concise fills and leads. We all know he was a master of taste, tone, and the ability to say so much in a short amount of time. I would much rather listen to 10 seconds of a George fill than any 20 minute guitar solo. Sorry for the rant, I just had to express my opinion. Shout is a very good book to read if you are interested in learning more about the Beatles. Some time ago I remember that Michael Stipe (REM lead singer) made some derogatory remark that he didn't think the Beatles were so hot. What he does not realize is that without the Beatles there would've been no REM and he would not be famous and rich! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members greystoke 2 Posted January 14, 2004 Members Share Posted January 14, 2004 All I can say is Here Here. George to me was the 'humblest Beatle' meaning to say he was a Beatle but did'nt "Ram" it if you can "Imagine" it down peoples throats. A very tasty guitarist also...And...!He was a Wilbury! Just think - Dylan,Orbison, Harrison. And his romantic life did'nt want to make you vomit like the other 3 [read Linda, Yoko,Barbara Bach] O.K. Patty dumped him for Clapton ..but who would'nt; Eric's such a dreamboat. Greystoke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sec12196 Posted January 14, 2004 Members Share Posted January 14, 2004 I have a bit of a different slant on this thread in that I was never a big fan of the Beatles. For some reason they never struck a real chord with me and I know it is, in part, due to this guy I knew in high school who loved the Beatles and because I couldn't stand him associated the Beatles with him and tuned them out. Yes... stupid. But now nearly 20 years later... After about 3 years of playing (I'm a late bloomer) I recently heard some Beatles on the radio and am now starting to get it (like I said... late bloomer). I've gained a whole new sense of respect for them and am learning about their magic and the unique sound that they had. So now... everytime I hear a Beatles song, I no longer change the channel or tune them out but I listen and marvel at what I'm hearing. Entering this wonderful, complex and awfully difficult venture of learning to play guitar has just opened up my listening soooo much. It's quite an experience to finally HEAR someone (or someones) like the Beatles for, essentially, the first time. This world is definitely a bit more richer because of what the Beatles were and continue to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kaifusha Posted January 14, 2004 Members Share Posted January 14, 2004 Interesting and true comment about the impact of the Beatles in Khazakstan and other far-flung locales. I lived in Uzbekistan for two years, and everyone there had heard of the Beatles. One guy, Sergei, was with us during our training in Tashkent, and he could sing so many Beatles songs. He could not, however, speak English or understand the words he was singing. But dammit if he made many mistakes. Think how hard it would be to memorize total gibberish lyrics. I also remember a russian family there proudly showing us a bootleg Russian copy of a "Hard Day's Night" LP, with the cover in Russian (what a collectors item that would be!). But I have never understood the obsession with trinkets and baubles of memorabilia, signed items and such. As long as I can listen to their incredible music, I'll be happy. The Beatles and their music are the human race at its finest and most glorious heights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members orsino Posted January 15, 2004 Members Share Posted January 15, 2004 My wife and I finally had a chance to watch one of our Xmas presents this past weekend, Concert for George. Ravi Shankar's suite at the beginning is incredible and the musicianship throughout was top notch by all involved. A fitting tribute. Clapton said they rehearsed for three weeks. I'm so glad that this wasn't an impromptu, "let's see how many people we can get on stage for Amazing Grace" type of tribute. It was well thought out, well played and a fitting bon voyage for one of the great musicians of ANY generation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.