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Re: The Anti-Beatles

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Delvin
The Anti-Beatles
January 04, 2008 03:00PM
Is there any artist/band you'd describe as "the anti-Beatles"?

Fab's thread about "the new Beatles," and especially Reno's post about bands described as "Beatlesque," made me think of this.

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erikalbany
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 04, 2008 03:05PM
The Who
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diskojoe
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 04, 2008 03:30PM
I would say the Sex Pistols, as well as the Rolling Stones, who Andrew Loog Oldham positioned them to be.
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erikalbany
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 04, 2008 04:04PM
The Grateful Dead.
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Heff
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 04, 2008 04:08PM
The Meatmen - see "One down, Three to go"
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Michael Toland
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 04, 2008 04:17PM
Fireworks, a now-defunct 90s garage rock band from Dallas whose leader once said in an interview that the Beatles were the worst thing to ever happen to rock & roll.
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ratboy
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 04, 2008 04:44PM
How about the Residents. They seemed to work at it early on.

Since the Beatles were accessible and wildly eclectic, probably I would look for something intentionally off-putting and samey. Death metal comes to mind, but only as a genre. I haven't taken the time to figure out who is who.
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larryepke
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 04, 2008 05:31PM
Jandek

Read "Songs in the Key of Z" by Irwin Chusid. He describes Jandek in comparison with The Beatles, pointing out that Jandek's music lacks melody, song structure, any singing except a nearly-inaudible mumble or a scream of pain, etc. etc.

Of course, I love both. (Well, maybe not love Jandek in the same way I love the Beatles, but continue to be fascinated by what Jandek does.)
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Jermoe
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 05, 2008 02:10AM
Well, on 1983's "King of Rock", Run-DMC claimed, "there's three of us, but we're not The Beatles!"

This confused me at the time. Years later I read an interview in which Run admitted that they hadn't realized there were actually four members of The Beatles when they recorded "King of Rock". If I ever meet him, I'm going to ask him if he was serious about that.

In any case, I'll nominate Run-DMC, for several reasons, but primarily that one.
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madisdadi
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 07, 2008 07:06PM
Yoko
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Delvin
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 07, 2008 09:54PM
Swans
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks
Live Skull
Cabaret Voltaire

Perhaps Metal Machine Music is the anti-"White Album"? (I hesitate to label it the "black album," since that name has been used a few times.)
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madisdadi
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 08, 2008 04:22PM
Glen Matlock was kicked out of the Pistols for liking the Beatles.

I know this is OT, but I just read that Paul Weller first heard the Velvet Underground last month! It seems he borrowed one of his daughters Velvets CD since he never listened to them before.
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breno
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 08, 2008 05:13PM
"I just read that Paul Weller first heard the Velvet Underground last month!"

Did he say if he liked them or not?
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erikalbany
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 08, 2008 05:02PM
In as much as the Beatles and Lou Reed were influenced by some of the same minimalist and avant-garde composers, that wouldn't hold up all the way down the line. That's why it's hard to be "anti-Beatles"--as someone expressed, their canon reflects diverse influences.

That's why I think the anti-Beatles has to be a band that a) sucks, and b) particularly sucks at melodies and harmonies.

That's why my vote is still for the Dead.



Post Edited (01-08-08 13:02)
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Delvin
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 08, 2008 05:43PM
"See, dad? I told ya Lou Reed used to be in a band!"
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peatmoss80
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 10, 2008 05:05AM
My vote for the Anti-Beatles: Einsturzende Neubauten
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Delvin
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 10, 2008 01:30PM
You know, I'm probably the only person on this board who has seen both Liberace and Einstürzende Neubauten.
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erikalbany
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 10, 2008 03:42PM
Together?
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Aitch
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 11, 2008 01:07AM
The Fall
(I like the Yoko suggestion)
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madisdadi
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 11, 2008 04:45PM
There was nothing on his liking or disliking VU or if a reunion of Style Council would include a cover of "Sister Ray".....
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dj45rpm
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 12, 2008 04:47PM
The Monks.
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hoip chiggs
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 15, 2008 04:51PM
Joe Meek. He hated the Beatles.

Although, by stylistic default, I'll have to mention The Dead.

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jim green
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 20, 2008 05:51AM
I think ratboy had it nailed as well as anyone other than maybe peatmoss80 (who suggested Einstürzende Neubauten) - the Residents. "Beyond the Valley of a Day in the Life" is about as anti-Beatles as I've ever heard . . . although what they did to "Satisfaction" is about as intense a deconstruction as they've ever done; anti-Stones too? (Probably - anti-pop as we know it.)
Oddly enough I remember hearing that amid the legal threats against the Residents for reconfiguring the graphics of Meet the Beatles for their own first album, Paul McCartney apparently decided it was OK with him. (I can't see him actually enjoying the music, but conceptually I guess he sort of got the idea.) I do not remember details, though, nor any source for this.
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Delvin
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 21, 2008 02:43PM
I was thinking of Erik's vote for The Grateful Dead, and ya know, I think he's got some very good points.

Plus, The Beatles gave up live performance in the latter half of their career to focus on studio work ... whereas The Dead put far more effort into touring than studio recording.

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erikalbany
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 21, 2008 03:46PM
Thanks for the support Delvin!

Plus the Beatles were "cute"...and the Dead are NOT.

The Beatles are British/Dead are American.

The Beatles don't suck...etc.
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blasmo
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 21, 2008 04:13PM
The Beatles knew when to call it quits...
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Delvin
Re: The Anti-Beatles
January 21, 2008 04:21PM
I agree with Blas.

More than once, over the years, I've made a day of listening to the complete Beatles catalog in order. When I do that, I hear a lot of songs I've always loved, a few I end up re-evaluating for good or bad, a few I can still do without, and so on. But I don't hear a lot of wasted efforts or unfinished statements. The Beatles went through their changes, grew and progressed, and when the time was right, they went their separate ways.
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