Another interesting Basschat discussion that will undoubtedly revolutionise the way we think about online discussions in years to come... π
Back on topic, my thoughts on The Beatles have quietly been changing throughout my adult life, not that I was really aware of it happening, it's kind of been a subconscious thing.
The older I've got and the more music I've made and played over the years, I've slowly come to the realisation that if you either like your music or play your music made with strings, skins and microphones, then The Beatles are the reference point in western pop music.
That doesn't mean they have to be liked by anyone/everyone as writers, performers, producers, people etc - but it's just a fact that their influence and reach is unparalleled and can be quantified through record sales, statistics, books/articles/study course about them etc.
Personally, they're not my favourite band/artist of all time - that status in my tiny brain belongs to Bowie - but I listen to their music more now than I ever did when I was first playing bass in my teens and twenties. Their songwriting, musicianship, artistic curiosity and humour are just amazing - as could be seen in the recent Peter Jackson documentary..
None of this stuff is mutually exclusive IMO - whilst really endorsing everything that's been said about how great The Beatles were/are, it doesn't mean I don't appreciate just how game-changing and influential Kraftwerk were for example. Trans Europe Express and Man Machine of two of my favourite albums ever...
And as for that Mozart bloke, he's way over-rated! My 19 year old son ( who plays classical piano) raves about Mozart to me all the time, but I much prefer Mendelssohn, Debussy, and Chopin.
But what do I know?
After all, I'm just a bass player in a couple of dodgy covers bands.. π