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| From | Kerry Kompost <kerry_kompost@yahoo.com> |
| Subject | Re: _____ are my Beatles |
| Date | Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:06:49 -0700 (PDT) |
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Beatles were my first and primary influence, largely due to my oldest sister who was a big fan. Even as a kid, I realized bands like Monkees, Herman's Hermits, the Gilligan's Island episode with The Mosquitos, etc. were Beatle-esque. I was aware Beatles were the overriding musical/social compass and that lots of bands followed their direction.
Then they broke up, but continued to be influencial with a spate of great solo offerings (RAM, All Things..., Plastic Ono, Photograph, etc.).
I always felt that, had Beatles continued as a band, they would've continued exploring the long-form song concept ala Abbey Road side two. I never felt Beatles were locked into any one specific genre -- they encompassed many, many genres and styles within their own unique musical vision, and it seemed logical they would've continued to push the songwriting envelope.
After the break-up, a few odd radio songs really grabbed me: Edgar Winter's Frankenstein, Focus' Hocus Pocus, that kind of stuff. I started realizing I enjoyed stellar musicianship as well as good melodies.
Then I heard ELP, and things were never the same.
For me, ELP's music was so different, so grand and sweeping and inspired and, yeah, self-indulgent (which is not a criticism in the slightest); it just grabbed me and never let go.
Something about those dissonantly jarring melodies, the super-high energy anchoring the playing, the jaw-dropping musicianship, the technological cutting-edge-manship, the blatant and joyous incorporation of jazz, ragtime, blues, classical, and rock and roll into one mind-blowing futuristic mind-fuck -- it forever shaped the way I interpret rock music and illustrated the seemingly endless possibilities for the genre.
ELP took Beatles pop sensibilities but -- IMHO -- transcended them, elaborated upon them, took them to new levels of sophistication, all while retaining a high level of rock and roll energy.
For me, ELP became my primary post-Beatles influence, and to this day continue to influence the way I think about composition, dynamics, etc.. They introduced me to the concept of musical excellence/virtuosity combined with a down-n-dirty rock and roll ethic. They opened my mind to music, not just melodies and lyrics, but actual *music*. They bridged musical worlds for me while simultaneously opening new vistas, in the process turning me on to classical as well as experimental music.
ELP legitimized rock music in a way Beatles had only hinted at before. They expanded my pallate and opened my mind, pushed me to think about music differently (especially things like odd melodies and time signatures and expanded song structures), and forced me to become a serious student of the instruments I've chosen to play.
Beatles were my musical childhood; ELP represented musical adulthood, for better or worse LOL.
Quick reminder: my very-much ELP-influenced band, NEXT, is playing this weekend, Sunday, August 2, at 8:00PM at club Fais Do Do in Los Angeles (details at link below) as part of Sir David Bash's International Pop Overthrow. If you're in town and down, you're welcome to let us entertain you.
kErrY
www.myspace.com/nextprogband
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